Sing out loud.

• Position: What's new? Holiday gifts galore - Portable CD players, karaoke machines - Buyers Guide

We're not sure if we have a trio of pop or rock star wannabes or not, but for kids so young (six, four, and three), there seems to be an awful lot of singing and music-playing around our house, so we knew we'd really struck paydirt when we spotted the US-1800 Portable CD & G Karaoke Boombox ($99) by VocoPro, La Verne, Calif. Available in vibrant blue, this portable beauty has all the benefits of a professional system with the ease of use associated with basic consumer electronics.

Weighing just six pounds, with a durable handle for portability, the US-1800 features a top-loading CD & Graphics/CD player; single cassette deck to record and play back your performances; AM/FM radio tuner; video output for TV connection; vocal cancel option to remove vocals from multiplex software; built-in stereo speaker system; audio output for connection to home stereo or professional systems; and three-way power (AC, DC, and battery). In addition to BBS to enhance bass frequencies and a digital echo effect that adds to the vocals on solos, the US-1800 comes with a "Y" adapter that allows users to connect a second microphone for...