Bose-s 3-2-1 is a 2.1 speaker DVD, CD and MP3 CD player whose claim to fame is the ability to produce accurate surround sound from just three speakers. Each satellite contains two discreet drivers that redirect audio in specific directions to mimic 5.1.

This design does manage to produce a surround effect, and saturates the room to a much higher degree than other 2.1 sets I-ve tested. Sounds appear to be coming from your left and right, although the system never quite manages to replicate rear speakers, and it can-t really compete with a full 5.1 home theatre kit in this area.

The one thing Bose holds in high regard is sound quality, and the 3-2-1 is no exception. Treble and mid-range are both excellent, delivering crystal clear sound that-s well filled-out. The system-s use of the subwoofer is fairly subtle and low-level, but provides an amazing amount of resonance. It creates a great sense of atmosphere, but won-t really pump out thumping beats unless you manually turn up the bass volume to max.

There are a lot of niggling minor problems that plague the system. The buttons on the DVD unit itself are surprisingly unresponsive, and oftentimes require a second press to register. Unlike most high-end Bose equipment, the remote included with the 3-2-1 is IR rather than RF, and needs to be aimed directly at the player to work.

The system also froze up entirely when we first popped in The Matrix DVD (before even reaching the menu) and required the disc to be ejected before it would reset properly. Unlike a lot of other DVD players on the market, the 3-2-1 isn-t region free either, so fans of importation are out of luck in this regard.

Even with its flaws, this is still an impressive system on the whole – especially if you value sound quality above all else – but if you-re looking for more features and a true 5.1 experience you-re best advised to look elsewhere.

If you-re looking to complement your lounge PC or console then this is a good buy, albeit an expensive one.