2. A Massive Subwoofer

Unlike the more cube-shaped current designs, the 5021 subwoofer is on the tall narrow side, though every bit as big as others in this range. It has a 16cm boomer - at the top on the front behind a fabric cover - with the same design as the midranges but with a big rubber half-roller suspension. The rear load is of course a bass-reflex: the port exits at the back.

Power is input via a 3.5mm jack and the subwoofer and satellites are linked by a snap terminal connector (wires supplied). The controls are on a little sloping controller in glossy molded plastic, wired to the subwoofer with a multiple-pin connector. All the sound is controlled by a rotating knob, which is very nice to use when you select the function: there are two switches to change from volume to bass/treble, all indicated by blue LEDs, which are smart but a bit dazzling.

On one side is a 3.5mm jack headphone output and auxiliary input. A little infrared remote is supplied and fits into a neat slot at the back of the controller. It's not that easy to use though, because the buttons don't make very good contact.