Labs

The VS2421's satellites are bulkier than those of the other 2.1 sets, but its subwoofer is the most compact. Volume and treble controls are on a wired remote, with bass adjusted at the back of the subwoofer. Annoyingly, the line input is on a 1.9m captive cable sprouting from the remote. A subwoofer-mounted socket would have been neater. The remote also has a built-in microphone, fed to the sound card via a 3.5in socket that is also on the remote rather than subwoofer. Its position meant that our voices sounded thin, had to compete with ambient noise and were prone to feedback. A headset microphone will give better results.

Sound quality isn't as warm as Logitech's X-230 or as detailed at the Z-4, but it's not far behind in either regard and is generally excellent. The diminutive subwoofer produced an impressive amount of bass, and the treble control is welcome for customising high frequencies to personal taste. Ultimately, though, the cheaper X-230 gives better sounds.