The key to designing a stylish desktop speaker system is to not even consider style in the design. Apparently. So says manufacturer Eclipse, which claims there's no "styling" in its latest rig, only functionality.

Eclipse's TD307PAII speaker set: not styled, honest...

Yeeeaaassss... Why not put the two speakers and 12W amplifier in brown boxes then, and not what look like two aliens and the spaceship they arrived in, eh?

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The speakers are based on a single driver design, as opposed to the dual-driver - tweeter and woofer - design used in many speakers. Eclipse claimed its approach "maximises time, phase and impulse characteristics" to avoid distortion. It also has a frequency response rate of 10Hz to 100kHz.

The kit is an update to an earlier model, which has been improved upon by upgrading the amplifier's performance and equipping it with phono inputs. In addition, the speakers now feature 360° of movement for mounting on desks, walls or even ceilings, and there is no crossover to smear out any of the sound.

The set is available in silver, black or white and will hit the UK next month. The two speakers cost £130 (€164/$260) each, while the amplifier is priced at £200 (€236/$400).