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Some speakers are destined to blend discreetly into your environment. Not so the Harman Kardon GLA-55, whose multi-faceted-diamond looks are positively shouting for attention.

Great audio quality, visually appealing design

Expensive

Top frequencies could be a tad metallic in character but this was tempered by strong bass fundamentals and a midband that neither unduly projected vocalists nor left them shy at the back of the mix

Sharp's HT-SB400 is a soundbar that is designed to boost the sound quality of the company's latest LCD televisions such as the Sharp LC40LB700X.

Clear and detailed sound quality, compact package, centre channel for dialogue

Lacks lower bass response, no digital audio input

For the audio quality boost over a television's standard speakers, the Sharp HT-SB400 isn't excessively expensive. It's significantly cheaper and smaller than a full home theatre system, so if you're short on space and money then it's a valid option

The Edifier MP300 Plus is a small yet surprisingly powerful portable speaker system. It comes with two tiny satellite speakers and a 9-Watt tubular subwoofer that's just 28cm long. Despite their diminutive size, they have enough power to easily fill ...

Great audio quality at a competitive price

Mid-range slightly lacking

With so many bulky, poorly designed portable speakers on the market that lack decent audio quality, the Edifier MP300 Plus is like a breath of fresh air. These speakers are affordable and of excellent quality, and their unobtrusive design makes them ...

The rather odd-looking LaCie Sound2 Speakers are quite useful for users who have a netbook or regular notebook. However, the design of this USB-based speaker system frustrated us from the beginning.

Great sound quality, not very expensive

Design can be frustrating and won't appeal to everyone

The LaCie Sound2 Speakers look strange and their design frustrated us, although they are sturdily built. You’d be better off adjusting the volume from the computer rather than fumbling around trying to find the wheel on the back of the speaker while ...

The Edifier iF350 is a portable iPod dock with an internal rechargeable battery. It has great sound quality for its small size and a long battery life, making it a great choice for taking on a picnic or weekend getaway.

Great sound quality for a portable iPod dock, reasonably long playback time using internal battery

Poor radio reception, bass resonance at high volumes

The Edifier iF350 has a thin soundstage - this is a result of two speakers facing directly forward. Off-axis listening is still possible, but volume and clarity drops off significantly. Similarly, the iF350 has poor stereo imaging as a result of both ...

The Bowers and Wilkins Panorama is a home theatre soundbar with great audio quality and an exceedingly stylish design. Getting the best sound out of the device is tricky thanks to an unintuitive optimisation process and the lack of an on-screen ...

Show-stealing looks, great sound quality, great virtual surround

Complicated and unintuitive optimisation setup, short on connectors, expensive

Bowers & Wilkins' Panorama soundbar may be expensive - roughly twice the price of other companies' offerings - but we think it's worth the price. It's the best single-cabinet sound system we've heard this year, and its few small flaws are hardly ...

Sonos makes multiroom network music streaming components that are elegant and reliable and great-sounding, but rarely inexpensive. At $699, however, the company's new Sonos ZonePlayer S5 is quite affordable, though it won't be the right option for ...

Can expand into a multiroom system, glorious sound, accesses many online music sources

When used alone it must be connected to your router

For some people, however, the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 isn't a great deal. If you want a stand-alone music player that you can operate in a room that doesn't house your router, the S5's value proposition gets iffy, since you'll have to buy a Sonos ...

As sub/sat systems go, the Creative GigaWorks T3 system is certainly quite compact. But it also offers one of the best overall sound qualities from the breed of PC stereo speaker systems you can find.

Good sound quality, compact

Too bass heavy, missing top-end frequencies

Compared to a conventional two-box stereo speaker system, a 2.1 sub/sat setup means you can reap the benefits of smaller-looking speakers - although there will still be a nest of wiring to contend with. The Creative GigaWorks T3 is a well-designed ...

Cheap as chips, decent sound quality, simple and unobtrusive styling, versatile remote

Sound is a bit muddy at low volumes, no subwoofer line out

For a budget speaker system, Sharp's HT-SB200 sound bar performs well. Its small speakers reproduce surprisingly large amounts of mid-bass and it complements the in-built speakers of Sharp's LCD televisions well.

Streams 48KHz audio to up to four satellite speakers, good wireless range, good mid-range and treble

Occasionally weak bass, lacks some functionality, remote cannot control iPod menu, expensive

The IntelliTouch EOS Wireless (EOS100T1RB) iPod dock effectively streams high-quality audio to satellite speakers despite operating on the same 2.4GHz band as many other electronic devices. The main problems are its price tag and the lack of features ...