Sony DAV-IS10

The basics

Sony DAV-IS10 is home cinema system made out of solid materials. The DVD unit of the system is finished and compact in glossy black, like all the rest of the system, with a row of touch-sensitive controls on the top portion with a disc loading slot up front. It is compatible with almost all types of discs.

The good

Want home cinema without making your living room look like a recording studio? This sophisticated lifestyle system scores a hole in one. The golfball-sized satellite speakers perch elegantly on bookshelves while the touch-sensitive smoky black DVD player responds to the lightest of strokes. Despite its minimalist appearance, there’s nearly half a kilowatt of Dolby Digital audio dynamite here, plus 1080i upscaling and the easiest calibration set-up since you kidnapped George Lucas to tweak your tweeters.

The bad

The subwoofer might rock like a bat out of hell, but it also labours with the proportions of Meatloaf at his most sweat-acular, and a (relatively) short 3m cable. And while you can connect an iPod to enjoy your digital music, you’ll need to buy a painfully overpriced DMport (£50) from Sony first.

The bottom line

You’ll love the near-HD video quality and seismological bass, your other half will love the unobtrusive satellite speakers, and everyone will appreciate a classy disc unit that doesn’t look like it was designed by a ten-year old. Classy.