Firstly, Sharkoon. Wagering that few of you will have heard of it, it's the latest company to have enjoyed some success on the continent (Germany, in this instance), now looking to break into the UK market. It's doing this with some low-key products at first, but the 5.1 headset nonetheless caught our eye.

Initially it was for the wrong reasons. Like any headset attempting to replicate the full 5.1 surround sound experience, it's not small. In fact, given the cloth feel to the headphones, they've got an air of the good old-fashioned ear muff about them.

But fear not, because - with some reservations - Sharkoon has delivered. And there are several reasons why. First, sheer of ease. We'd expect nothing less, but the headphones, which connect via a USB port, installed themselves in quick time, and all three of our test PCs were quickly diverting the system's sound directly through them with no intervention required from us.

Next, they're very comfortable to wear, even for prolonged periods, thanks to a cushioned impact on your ears. Also, they're very flexible: you can contort them to a shape that suits whatever use you have for them at the time.

More? Okay, as we're on a roll. The small control unit attached to the headphone lead is an efficient device that controls individual sound output to the surrounds, centre and sub, along with master volume and mute functions. And then, ultimately, the audio delivers. It's not stunning, but it delivers. The in-built mic is even up to most jobs, and for convenience you can detach it easily too.

It's a fairly hopeless task the headphones have set themselves, of course, with carefully placed speakers within the 'phones being little substitute for a broad physical soundstage. But the sound is very crisp and clear and the surround effect works as well as we've experienced in any other device of its type.

Lots of ticks, then, but it would be unsporting not to address our couple of concerns. We didn't care for the (admittedly optional) software, which was a little fiddly and tended to introduce effects that we really weren't keen on at all. Also, we have a mild long term wear and tear concern, off the back of our fortnight in possession of the headphones. And, good as these are, they're little substitute for the real 5.1 thing.

But still, we admit to being pleasantly surprised. We've only had the pleasure of one or two Sharkoon products before, and have found them variable. Yet it's tough to complain about these: they're well made, well priced, and comfortable to use. It's hard to ask for more.

Granted, they don't blow you away, but Sharkoon's headphones nonetheless deliver good performance with respect for your comfort.