Smyth A8Price: $3670 including Stax SRS-202 headphones

Website: www.smyth-research.com

Rad said: What Smyth Research claims the Realiser A8 does, with its intricate SVS algorithm, is to make the sound from the headphones like the sound in your room. It’s like taking a virtual-reality audio tour of the sound of your audio system in your room, one that you can commit to a digital file or preset, and preserve for your regular use.

Reviewers' Choice

Read the SoundStage! Xperience review.

The gist: Seems impossible, but it lives up to its claims.