Elac 24 CM

Buy these. Your home cinema system will thank you...

Amazingly, some people are happy to blow several grand on a plasma or LCD screen, and then hunt in Tesco for the cheapest all-in-one system they can find to partner it. This is a schoolboy error that invariably leads to unsatisfying long-term performance, with the sound always letting the side down.

These stylish Elac speakers should appeal to slim-screen owners who want to enjoy their home-cinema experience beyond the initial wow factor. The good-looking front three units can be used horizontally or vertically, and be wall-mounted alongside a screen or sat on optional glass bases that cost £30 each. Either way, when partnered with a good-quality receiver and DVD player combination - say, just under a grand for the pair - they produce impressively focused home-cinema sound.

The small Cinema 2 speakers that provide rear effects are compact rather than attractive, but provide solid surround performance. It's the 80W active subwoofer that does most of the work, though, and this set-up features the more expensive of two Elac options - the £300 111.2 - and it does a fantastic job of filling in the low-end information with a heady mix of punch and weight.

We're not saying you need to spend a third of your budget on speakers the way you should with stereo hi-fi , but spending a sensible amount of cash on this Elac package and a decent receiver will give you a home cinema, and not just a big telly with rubbish sound. You know it makes sense.