I BLAME the iPod. Before Apple's little white box of tricks came along nobody gave a second's thought about their hi-fi – just the sounds it produced.

If you wanted the best you bought a stack of separates, loaded them onto a stand and connected them to a sizeable pair of speakers. It didn't matter if the whole ensemble looked as ugly as sin provided what came out of the speakers was music to your ears.

The iPod changed all that. Suddenly a hi-fi could be a good-looking addition to your home rather than something to be tolerated or hidden away. Designer music systems are all the rage.

Of course, the designer sobriquet usually commands a premium price.

But now you can have the designer look – and sound – at a price that won't break the bank.

Edifier, purveyors of fine PC-based audio systems, have pushed out the boat for the new Prisma 2.1 sound system.

With its stylish sub-woofer and twin satellites this is one sound system you'll be happy to have on display.

Even my wife – who usually condemns the gadgets I bring home as “more clutter” - remarked that the Prisma's pyramid-like subwoofer shouldn't be hidden away beneath my office desk but on permanent display.

Yep, these speakers are a fashion statement, capable of complementing any PC system and blending in with your room.

None of which matters in my book if it can't pass muster on the musical front.

Thankfully Edifer has plenty of experience designing decent speakers for discerning users working to a budget.

The satellites are crystal clear and the sub fills in the lower registers with gusto. It goes loud, too – certainly loud enough to annoy the neighbours and good enough to fill a room at a busy party without sounding strained.

The secret is in the anti-resonating material used to prevent the satellites distorting and the good old 5-inch downward firing subwoofer which really digs out the bass notes. No audio compromises have been made in the name of fashion.

All three speakers are magnetically shielded so you can position them close to a monitor or TV without any nasty after-effects. The soft touch remote glows a soothing red and makes for easy operation by alleviating the need to fiddle around with the speakers themselves. I liked the integrated headphone socket – perfect when you fancy a spot of late-night gaming but don't want to wake the kids (or the wife).

The Prisma works great with a decent PC soundcard but can also hook up to your MP3 player (including the ubiquitous iPod) or turbo-charge a laptop's musical abilities.

On looks alone the Prisma deserves to sell for more than the generous £89.99 asking price, but the excellent sound reproduction makes this stylish 2.1 set up an absolute steal.

EDIFIER PRISMA. PC-speakers. Price: £89.99.