Surround-sound audio is great for DVD movies but if you've no room for 5.1 speakers or don't fancy a spaghetti-junction of wires, you're better off with a decent 2.1 set-up instead. The Creative I-Trigue L3500 fits the bill and while it is quite expensive, it looks fantastic.

The slimline satellite speakers have an unusual design - there are two tweeters on the front and one on the side. Creative calls the side speaker its "Lateral Firing Transducer". In plain terms, it widens the dispersal of sound, giving the effect of multi-directional audio.

Because the I-Trigue L3500 also comes with a separate subwoofer, the satellite speakers don't have to worry about bass, allowing them to work solely on emitting sounds at higher frequencies.

Everything is connected to the subwoofer, including the wired remote control. The I-Trigue also has a line-in port and M-PORT, which allows you to connect portable audio devices and certain Creative MP3 players.

Sound quality is very good considering the size of the speakers, but you'll have to find the balance between volume and bass to avoid distortion.

Contact: Creative
http://uk.europe.com