It's no secret that Apple's iPods are the mp3 player of choice. And it doesn't take an industry expert to predict that iPod sales will be through the roof this holiday season. To help fuel the seasonal fires, Apple has added newer Nano models that are a tad slimmer with brush-metal cases that are more scratch resistant. And then there's the next generation iPod Shuffle which is just about the smallest mp3 player you can find anywhere. Plus there are the standard iPod models that offer full motion video and big storage capacities. Apple certainly is ready for the season. But what about the iPod accessories like add-on speakers?

A whole cottage industry has sprung up around the iPod with cases, FM tuners, voice recorders, alternative headsets and speaker systems that let you share what your iPod is playing with everyone in the room. I've lost count of the number of add-on speaker systems for the iPod. Some of the biggest names in speaker systems now have speaker/amplifier setups into which you can plug in an iPod. These include JBL, Altec Lansing, Harmon Kardon, Bose and more. And the shapes, styles and features span the entire gamut. Car stereos come factory ready for the iPod. I've seen tiny speakers that fit in the palm of your hand all the way up to seven foot-tall speaker systems with the iPod interface built into them. Famous catalogs such as the one from the Sharper Image are filled with iPod speaker systems. Most all of them literally bristle with flashy lights, buttons and switches that are certain to catch your eye, much like the flashy lights on the Las Vegas Strip and Times Square. But I have to tell you about one that recently caught my eye and it did so without all the flashy lights and protruding speakers. In fact, the reason it caught my eye is it's the exact opposite of everything else I've seen out there and I say that in the nicest possible way. In a word, what makes the Concerto Table from Lovegrove & Repucci stand out from everything else is "Elegance."

OK so I could also use words like "Class" and "Style" but whatever words you choose to use, this iPod player system is a thing of beauty. At first glance, the Concerto Table looks like a small, impossibly thin piano with sculpted legs that give the entire table a sleek, modern, minimalist look and comes in an extremely high gloss bright white or black finish. When closed it's a work of art and I'd let mine just stand that way if I owned one. But you can use it as a table for your laptop or even use it as a small dinner table. When it's closed, the only thing you see on the table's surface is a small receptacle into which you place the iPod so that it leans slightly back. It looks much the same way you stand an iPod in the recharging base that comes with it.

The table conceals 2, 50 watt 2 way speakers powered by a 130 watt amplifier that gives your music a full, rich sound. Raise up a hinged middle section in much the same way as a grand piano's top flips open to reveal the two flush-mounted speakers for even more acoustical amplification, again as you would open a piano to hear it more clearly.

There's even the piano-like stick support that holds the hinged lid open at a 45 degree angle. A thin drawer slides out where you would normally find the keys but instead it's a place to store items. If you're using it as a dining table, it's a great place to store your fine silverware.

If it's being used as a desk for your laptop, it's perfect for paper, pencils and other such supplies.

But for whatever you decide to use the Concerto Table, it will look great while you're doing it. And at an $8000 suggested list price plus shipping, you will definitely make some iPod enthusiast extremely happy this holiday season. But it may already be too late. Each Concerto Table is custom made and takes 8 to 10 weeks to manufacture. Still, it never hurts to load a few carols in your iPod just in case.