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Gifts for Grads: Sound judgment

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It’s graduation season, and while that sheepskin confirmation of work well done may be all the newly minted diploma-holder needs, we know you want to add your bravos in a tangible way too. This week, we’ve shared some ideas to inspire your gift-giving.

You just can’t go wrong when gifting a grad of any age or gender with an upgraded pair of headphones or a mini portable, wireless speaker.

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Urbanears retro-style Plattan headphones come in a vast array of uplifting colors (we like to think of them as ear candy), plus they have a “zound plug” on the earcap so a friend can plug in for a joint jam session. It gets better: They’re full-size to block out noise, yet fold down to fist-size dimensions for easy on-the-go portability.

The new Plattan Plus, developed specifically for iPhones, iPads and iPods, comes with an Apple-certified microphone and remote.

Urbanears Plattan headphones, $59.99 in 24 colors at www.turntablelab.com or Turntable Lab Inc. in West Hollywood, (323) 782-0173; Plattan Plus headphones in four colors, exclusively at Apple retail stores. Visit www.apple.com )

Major sound in minimal space. It may look like a small brick, but California company Jawbone’s Jambox by Yves Behar is a Bluetooth-enabled wireless speaker/speakerphone. Its sculptural design is literally a conversation piece, and the sturdy stainless steel grill holds up to spills — perfect from dorm room to corporate conference room.

Instantly connecting with cellphones, iPads, iPods and bedroom TVs, the Jambox allows music, movies, games and phone calls to stream seamlessly with amped-up volume. A built-in microphone allows conference call capability from office to car and the streamlined size makes it a fast handbag stash. Pumping out 85 decibels of top-of-the-line audio quality, it defies its small size. Here’s an excuse (and a reminder) for grads to phone home. $199.99, in four colors at www.jawbone.com or A + R Store.

-- Ingrid Schmidt

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