Philips is looking to make the hi-fi mini-system seem sexy again with the launch of the rather interesting SoundSphere range.

The standout feature is, of course, the floating external tweeters placed above and in the path of the upward turned woofers to create a more three dimensional soundscape and cut down on interference between the two types of driver.

From first impressions, Philips has indeed achieved its goal here which would already make the SoundSphere systems desirable even up against audiophile products - as is the mission for the Dutch brand in 2010.

There's also some impressive functionality included. The system plays back CDs and DVDs but is also Wi-Fi enabled for both internet radio access as well as music streaming from PC or Mac. There's a USB port if you'd still rather take digital files over manually and the top end model even has a removable 160GB HDD for storing as much music as you need.

The whole lot is controlled from the colour LCD panel and, with the speakers finished in one-piece aluminium, it definitely has all the hallmarks of a quality product.

The model with the storage space will come in at 999 euros and the one without at 799 euros. They'll be hitting the shelves in April.

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