Saitek's three latest speaker systems - the 3D 210, 3D 380 and 3D 590 - range in price from £19.99 to £49.99 and, while the 380 and the 590 include a subwoofer and considerably more wattage, the 210 is designed for portable use and can be connected to a PC, Mac, MP3 player or PSP via a simple jack connector.

In terms of design, the stereo speakers are stylishly black and silver, smooth and cylindrical with a cone at one end. Part of the cylinder has been flattened so the unit can be positioned lengthwise on a desk and one end has also been levelled so you can have an alternative arrangement aimed upwards.

One of the speakers houses the volume and bass controls and a headphone socket, plus a power input for the separate 9V DC power unit. Obviously you'll have to be within easy range of a power socket to make the most of the 10W (5W per channel, with 80Hz - 20kHz frequency response) output and, as you might expect for £19.99, there's no wireless option or remote operation.

All three speaker systems make use of Saitek's Advanced Stereo Imaging System which was developed principally for gamers, so that when they were playing first-person shooters or strategy games then they could accurately pinpoint exactly what direction the next enemy was coming from.

We put this to the test by installing F.E.A.R on a laptop, plugging in the jack (you don't need any software or drivers) and setting off in pursuit of hostile soldiers. Not only did we successfully establish in which direction the threat was located but we could even specify where splashes of water were coming from in leaky underwater tunnels.

It was that same ability to differentiate and position sounds that meant musical tracks also had an authentic and full timbre to them when the 3D 210 neodymium drive units were used with MP3 players. Whether you're playing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the latest electronic dance track, Take That's best hits or some off-the-wall modern jazz, you'll be suitably impressed by the clarity of the reproduction and lack of distortion even at full volume and maximum bass. This wide acoustic range is due to the limited distance between the speaker bowl and the casing, apparently.

If there is a slight gripe, it's that the size and weight of the speakers and power unit might be awkward to fit comfortably into a laptop case, so they'd probably have to be carried separately.

For a remarkably low price you have two stylish 10W stereo speakers with excellent acoustics and dynamic range which will be ideal for boosting sound performance on laptops and portable music players.