I have just one gift recommendation this week, the TCL Tab 10s 10.1-inch tablet (tcl.com). This excellent Android tablet provides a lot for the money, with a very high-quality display, good battery life and the ability to expand the memory up to 256GB with TF cards (good for photographs, something you can't do with an iPad.)

You can add a keyboard case to make the Tab 10s a laptop alternative, which I highly recommend. The Tab 10s lists for $199.99 but often can be found on sale for around $150. Keyboard cases are under $30.

Turntable insights

Q. I have three questions related to your recommendation of the Cambridge Audio Alva ST turntable. Do audio companies still make direct-drive turntables? Do turntables come with dust covers anymore? Finally, can you recommend an attractive, functional shelf system for audio gear? Not shelves on the wall, something that could pass as furniture in a living room.

A. Both direct-drive and belt-drive turntables are still being manufactured. In fact, Cambridge (cambridgeaudio.com) has two turntables in their line, and the more expensive stablemate to the Alva ST, the $1,999 Alva TT V2, is direct-drive. When they are sitting side by side you can see the two turntables have a lot of similarities, which is why the Alva ST at $599 is such a great deal. The Alva TT V2 has a high-tech direct-drive system and an excellent high output moving coil cartridge, which together account for much of the price difference.

Technics (technics.com) makes amazing direct-drive turntables, ranging from $1,099.99 to $19,995.95. A modern direct-drive Technics is my personal choice (though not the $20,000 version, as much as I would like it!).

You can get great performance out of either kind of turntable drive system. However, my preference in expensive turntables is direct-drive. Top performing direct-drive turntables tend to cost $1,000 or more, and you might get better sound quality with belt drive if the turntable is less than that. I would not let the drive system solely determine the turntable you buy. If you like a turntable and it gets good reviews, go for it.

Most turntables have dust covers, but you still should check with the manufacturer or vendor to confirm that there's one before you buy. If your turntable of choice does not have a dust cover, there are companies that make boxy plexiglass covers that fit over the entire turntable, like a display case.

Pangea Audio is my go-to for audio component racks. Their four-shelf Vulcan rack is $199.95. It is available in a rosenut wood finish for a furniture look, and can be found on online vendors.

If actual furniture is what you are after, I love midcentury modern design. Kardiel (kardiel.com) has some really stunning media cabinets in this style, starting at $1,297. They usually have some kind of discount code sale going, so you probably can get one for less.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.