t3

Teufel Impaq 3000

Teufel's first Blu-ray
system is a curious one
with a surprisingly light
spec list for £600. There's
no media streaming,
internet access or 3D.
Instead, what you pay for
is the robust quality and
design of the 5.1 speaker
system and connections,
including two HDMIs, a
USB port and iPod dock.
That's no bad thing in
theory, but the Impaq
doesn't deliver a £600
performance. The 600W
speakers occasionally
sound harsh and the
150W subwoofer is too
overpowering for them.
These are flaws for which
even the brilliantly crisp
Blu-ray pictures can't
quite compensate.

Panasonic SC-BTT350

This 1,000W, 5.1-channel
system plays 2D and 3D
Blu-rays with pristine
picture quality and
streams media wirelessly
from any PC - albeit via
an £80 dongle. It also
offers online content,
with YouTube and Picasa
widgets on VieraCast.
There's a built-in iPod
dock, plus an SD card slot
and digital audio input.
There is however no
HDMI and sound quality
is disappointing - sharp,
shouty and lacking in
bass punch. The basics
seem to have been
overlooked on this budget
system and you won't
exactly fall in love with its
clunky, boxy looks either.

Samsung C6730W

Samsung's 1,330W,
7.1-channel system
includes a sleek Blu-ray
receiver that boasts
super-sharp HD images
and attractive tallboy
speakers with stylishly
ripped-open innards.
Audio quality may
lack the clarity and
control of the Oh and
Onkyo systems but it's
no sonic slouch and the
spec sheet is a home
cinema A to Z - DLNA
networking, USB
playback, wireless rear
speakers, built-in Wi-Fi,
dual HDMI inputs and
extensive format support
- the only thing missing
is 3D. For ease of use and
breadth of features the
C6730W is great value.

Onkyo BD-SP308, TX-SR608 and Oh by Tutondo

And now for something
completely different…
We've teamed the
mind-bogglingly pricey
Oh by Tutondo 5.1 system
with the more reasonably priced
Onkyo SR608, an
AV receiver with six
HDMI inputs, and the
BD-SP308 Blu-ray deck.
The Oh's five 80W,
mic-stand-like speakers
and beefy 200W sub
suck every bit of detail
from the SR608,
providing detailed,
powerful and finessed
audio that all-in-one
systems simply can't
compete with. The price
tag reflects this, clearly.

Harman Kardon BDS 800

This Harman Kardon
made kit is reassuringly
expensive, with slick
design and performance
to match. The BDS 800
offers clean, crisp HD
audio with 65 watts per
channel and tight bass
from the 200W sub; the
reproduction of audio
detail shames cheaper
systems. The HD visuals
from the Blu-ray drive
are similarly awesome.
Concentrating on
performance the BDS
800 offers little in the
way of extra features
beyond a USB port -
there's no media
streaming, web access or
HDMI inputs. You do get
really great surround
sound, though.