|
|
|
|
||||
|
Either as a cost cutting measure, or as a means of offering options, when computer makers include speakers they are usually a lot less than what most people would want, and sometimes a lot less than anyone needs. The solution has always been looking elsewhere for sound, one of the elements that makes computing unique, and video conferencing possible.
When it comes to peripherals, Logitech has set a high benchmark. Their mice and keyboards, wireless or wired, have had a huge influence on nearly everyone making them. One arena they have excelled is in computer audio.
Having been accustomed to the small sounds of satellite speakers from the days when the desktop was beige and software could fit on a few floppy disks, things have changed in sound.
With computer speakers, you can break the bank. High end ones, like one name maker, can start at $80 for the most basic, which is what no one wants, to $350 and beyond. At the higher end, $500 is not an exotic figure.
On the positive side, Logitech's offering of the Z623 comes in at a much more price friendly version tipping the scale at $149 (and sold discounted), and that is not bad when you factor just what your computer dollar gives you.
While some have been critical of this model's shortcomings, in my informal experiences, I have found the criticisms to be a bit "picky." For a 2.1 system, you are getting a substantial bass and precious little distortion when you push the proverbial envelope on sound.
On the spec side, the 200 watt amplifier sends 35 watts to each satellite and 130 watts to the sub. Each satellite has one driver, a 2.5 inch dome with an aluminum phase plug. The subwoofer uses a seven inch pressure drive with a bass port in the cabinet. Let me add the cabinet is solid, not some flimsy plastic structure that looks as if it would break if touched. The words substantial come to mind immediately when lifting it.
One feature some consider limiting is that the speakers have cables that are hard wired. The fact that replacing defective cables becomes problematic; this is not a huge deal breaker. Many similar priced units are configured in this way. Again, factoring price and durability, to many who select this system, hardwiring is not going to be an issue since the time that it takes for the wires to wear, the system would be so old as to be past its prime.
Now, if this were a $500 and up system, then a hard wired solution would feel as if corners were cut needlessly.
This gets to the whole concept of cost and value. When you examine what you get, the equation becomes a favorable one to anyone looking for something more robust than a simple satellite system sans the sub-woofer.
A big selling point with Logitech has been the THX certification. Exactly what this means is really difficult to discern. Even PC makers are including that as a strong point. While not a feature itself, what THX amounts to is that you are selecting a system that has had to meet certain guidelines regarding sound. It makes some degree of sense. It provides some assurance that a technical benchmark was set and that those devices designated so meet those criteria. If nothing else, it certainly doesn’t hurt to be THX certified.
Adjusting sound on the Z623 means doing so on the satellite itself. Bass, volume and balance are the offerings available to adjust. While some have lamented the loss of a dedicated remote, wired or wireless, this is not a make or break deal for most users. Considering the use, and what wired remotes offer, there is little here to find fault. One has to keep in mind with a system like this you are not going to get everything. If you want the bells and whistles, those things come at a higher cost, and often add little if anything to the quality of the sound.
Where Logitech has made wise choices to focus on sound and not on those things that do not improve the experience.
Aesthetics are not inconsequential. As utilitarian and practical a computer may be, that has not stopped designers from crafting rigs that are more than just boxes to store CPU's, hard drives and motherboards. Logitech has gone a little further than most in terms of crafting elegant speakers that look neither garish nor cheap. The design principle employed here is to be understated, not overcooked.
For those seeking the best possible sound from a 2.1 rig, Logitech has again done something few peripheral makers seem to be able to do, and that is keep the price reasonable while keeping the quality level very high.
Talk to Kurt on Graphics Unleashed Facebook Page
Lexar Jump Drive and Platinum II SDHC Card · IRISNotes 2 Executive · IOGEAR Spill-Resistant Wired Keyboard and Mouse Combo · Logitech Z623 Computer Speakers · Gateway FX 6860-UR21P: An All-Purpose Desktop PC · Ridiculously Easy Backup From Rebit · The IOGear GPEN300 · A Review of the 5 inch EZReader Pocket Pro From Astak · A Review of the Barnes and Noble Color Nook · A Review of the Dell XPS 8100 · The Kobo eBook Reader, Just About Reading · The Best Ergonomic Mouse? The Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse · Sage Act 2010 · Microsoft Windows 7 · Adobe Creative Suite CS2 · Adobe Photoshop CS2 · SwissMemory Victorinox rubyRED Swiss Army Knife/Flash Drive · Tapwave Zodiac 2 · Stardock Object Desktop · Acrobat 7 Professional · Maximizer 8 · QuarkXPress 6.5 · McAfee's 2005 Product Line · Logitech io Personal Digital Pen 2 · IRIS Business Card Reader II for Windows/PC · Sandisk Cruzer Titanium Flash Drive · Microsoft Wireless Comfort Keyboard · Maxon Cinema 4D 9 · Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9 · Norton SystemWorks 2005 Premier · Verbatim Store N' Go 2.1 GB Hard Drive · Corel Painter IX · Paint Shop Photo Album 5 · Adobe Video Collection Professional 2.5 · Alien Skin Eye Candy 5: Textures · Techsmith SnagIt 7.0 · Ulead Media Studio Pro 7 · Xara Webstyle 4 · Maxon BodyPaint 3D Release 2 · Eovia Carrara Studio 3 · AV Bros. Puzzle Pro 2 · AutoFX Mystical Tint Tone and Color · Andromeda Screens, Cutline and Etchtone Plug-In Filters · Macromedia Studio MX 2004 · Microsoft FrontPage 2003 · AutoFX AutoEye 2.0 · Adobe Premiere Pro · Adobe Audition · Amapi Designer 7 · Alien Skin Splat! · Alien Skin Eye Candy 4000 · Alien Skin Image Doctor · Canvas 9 · nik Dfine · Xenofex 2 · QuarkXpress 6 · Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 · Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Professional · Corel Painter 8 · Nik Color Efex Pro · Caligari TrueSpace 6.5 · Macromedia Contribute · Maxon Cinema 4D · Sonic Foundry Sound Forge 6.0 · nik Sharpener Pro · Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 4 · Xara Menu Maker 1 · Curious Labs Poser 5 · Macromedia Freehand MX · Adobe Illustrator 10 · Ulead Photoimpact 8 · Xara 3D 5 · Xara X · Microsoft Publisher 2002 · Creature House Expression 3 · CorelDRAW 11 Graphics Suite · Procreate Painter 7 · QuarkXpress 5 · Adobe Pagemaker 7 · Adobe Photoshop 7
Copyright © 1995–2013 Unleashed Productions, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
