Best for: adaptability

Harman Kardon Go + Play £170

Although it isn’t the smallest of our speaker sets, the Go + Play feels the most portable. Its tough plastic casing has a steel handle that gives it the air of a 1970s ghetto blaster. The main unit’s controls are minimal — just three touch-sensitive pads — but the remote will also control an iPod (which docks flat on the upper surface), and there’s a 3.5mm input socket for connecting other music players. Play pop or dance music and it sounds as bold as the styling, thanks to some pounding bass, but it’s also happy handling dinner jazz and even orchestral music. Its two speakers never overwhelm the internal amplifier, which stays clean and undistorted right up to high sound levels, making it great for both serious indoor listening and heavy partying al fresco. The only downsides are that it’s expensive and has a seemingly insatiable hunger for batteries (see panel, far right).

Verdict: A great all-purpose player, whether used indoors or out.

www.harmankardon.com

Best for: tiny size

Sony SRS-T80 £45

This is so small it has no iPod dock, and relies instead on a 3.5mm input. Thanks to its compactness and light weight, it’s the most portable here, but has few fancy features and plays only at modest volumes. However, an “acoustic bass duct” gives the sound unexpected body, though it lacks clarity with any music more complex than simple pop, the overall sound being a little woolly.

Verdict: Puts the accent on convenience rather than sound quality.

www.sonystyle.co.uk

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