Finally, the first 7.1 speaker system has arrived, and to our surprise it's under £100.

It uses a very similar design to Pure Digital's 5.1 Videologic ZXR-550 speakers, but includes the extra inputs as well as a second amplifier to support the extra channels.

Pure Digital claims the extra amp (and the technology behind it) is the reason it's taken so long for 7.1 speakers to reach the market.

We aren't particularly impressed with the ZXR-750s' styling, but at least they are sturdy, functional and come not only with detachable stands but also wall mounting brackets and the necessary screws.

Set-up is reasonably simple, though a touch more colour co-ordination to help you know what goes where wouldn't have gone amiss.

The real bonus in this system is that you can upmix 5.1 to 7.1. The built-in processor uses the side front and side rear signals to create two extra channels.

The 750s also come with an auxiliary input whose output you can easily access by using a big red button at the back.

The buttons on the front control the overall volume, and you can adjust the centre, rear and subwoofer levels.

Due mainly to the extra amp, the 750s are louder than the 550s, though not much. The subwoofer is 28w, and each satellite has a 7w output, making a rather hefty 77w in total.

Sound quality is again very similar to the ZXR-550s - even and crisp if not stunning, and more than good enough considering the £100 asking price.

One of the fundamental problems with surround-sound speaker sets is the number of wires you need, and adding two extra satellites into the mix further exacerbates the problem.

However, if 7.1 is something that you want to get into, these - despite being the only ones available - are a very good set and well priced.

Contact: Pure Digital
www.pure-digital.com

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