Much better than just a compressor: Over the past few years I have written about the Ryobi One+ 18V cordless high pressure inflators sold at Home Depot. With their digital readouts and automatic operation they are extremely useful to have in your car and around the home. This especially applies in the winter months when tire pressure goes down and the pressure sensors trigger a warning light on the dash. I gave three of them as gifts and one gift compressor has been used twice for nearly flat car tires, and used many times to inflate bicycle tires. Seeing its usefulness, the recipient gifted one to her daughter who used it sometime later to inflate a flat tire on a cold winter night in Detroit. One of my recipients was a mechanic friend, who told me a year later how handy it is and that he uses it all the time. The small Ryobi compressor comes in a kit with a rechargeable battery and a charger for a list price of $89.97, and sometimes goes on sale for $69.97. I am glad I gave them as gifts years ago, but if I was buying today I found something far better.

The Wolfbox 3000A Jump Starter with Air Compressor is almost like having roadside assistance in a compact, rugged carrying case. Not only is it a fast, powerful automatic compressor with enough battery capacity to inflate many pickup truck tires between charges, it is also a portable jump box with enough rated power to jump-start an 8-liter gasoline engine or a 6-liter diesel engine. (This is extremely impressive as I worked at a car dealership years ago, and remember how some jump boxes struggled to deliver enough current to effectively crank a car, even a smallish 4-cylinder.) The Wolfbox integrates a powerful flashlight with multiple modes and recharges by USB-C so you don't need to detach and recharge the battery separately with a dedicated charger. The Wolfbox 3000A lists for $189.99 and typically sells for $139.99 on Amazon. Currently there is a $20 checkbox coupon, and the coupon code WOLFBOX40 reduces it another $40 to only $79.99. Given the capabilities and current low price this is a much better option than a mere compressor, and had it been available for $79.99 when I was buying gifts for my friends I surely would have purchased it instead. Twice in the past year I have been approached to help jump-start a car, and using the box makes it a lot easier than maneuvering long cables between two vehicles with batteries located in odd places under the hood, especially when one vehicle can't be moved.

Q. I’m downsizing to a condo and have sold my hi-fi components. I would like help selecting an amplifier that will connect directly to streaming music sources and Amazon Alexa. My budget would be around $500 and I don’t need a lot of power as I’m using older Klipsch speakers with horn tweezers. I have no need for playing CDs or AM/FM.

—G.D., Milwaukee

A. The $379 WiiM Amp Pro would be perfect for you. This compact streaming amplifier is highly regarded by both reviewers and consumers, and it was featured at the AXPONA audio show I mentioned last week. The WiiM Amp Pro incorporates a 60-watt amplifier with impressive specifications and ample, clean power. It has a Wi-Fi connection for streaming as well as RCA analog, USB-A, optical digital and HDMI-ARC inputs. It will perform well with your Klipsch speakers, and anyone can pair it with quality speakers to form the basis of a great-sounding, affordable hi-fi system. www.wiimhome.com

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