Mordaunt-Short Genie

The basics

Mordaunt-Short Genie is a range of speakers that have revolutionised home theatres. Some of the products under this line include Genie 402 Satellite, Genie 404 Centre, and the Genie 409 Subwoofer. These are flexible speakers that can be set up in any room. The die-cast alloy cabinets and systems provide potent and pure sounds for watching movies or TV.

The good

Despite its venerable age (in AV gear terms, at least), the Genie delivers an evergreen blend of stylish design, easy setup and ear-pleasing sonic skills - and all for a fantastically low price. The satellite speakers’ aluminium shells look smart, but more importantly their construction and shape produces clear, distortion-free sound. They work seamlessly with the powerful subwoofer to conjure up a superb, smooth and all-enveloping soundstage with your DVDs, games and Blu-ray movies.

The bad

As with a lot of sub-sat speaker packages the Genie is a better performer with movie surround sound than it is with music, where the satellites’ limitations finally become apparent - but that’s hardly a deal-breaker. The idiosyncratic looks could also put some buyers off, especially if their living room decor leans towards the traditional rather than the ultra-modern.

The bottom line

A top notch speaker-and-satellite package at a really competitive price. If you’re looking for superb home cinema sound on a tight budget, look no further.