Delicate Sound of Lumber

Upgrade your girl’s pitiful sound system with an Earth-friendly iPod dock.

The Problem: Her cheapo bookshelf stereo just went on the fritz. You look for a replacement, but the stuff in the store has a blow-your-ears-out aggro vibe not suited to the drawing room of a lady. The solution: the Vers 2X, a minimalist iPod dock warmed up by real cherry woodgrain. The 2X comes with a remote and fits third-generation and newer iPods, including the iPhone and the iPod Touch; a 3.5 mm audio jack fits other MP3 players. Two three-inch speakers drive 30 watts of sound, filled out by a bass port in back. The 2X has eco cred, too: Beneath the cherry veneer, its fiberboard panels (solid wood would provide the acoustics of, well, a tree) are made of sustainable plantation-grown eucalyptus and pine, instead of wood harvested from a rare Bubinga tree sheltering a family of endangered penguins. So score points by buying a great gift and saving penguins. $180,target.com