Logitech Z-2300 THX-Certified 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer
by Logitech
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List Price: Our Price: $169.95 You Save: $0.04 (0%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Z-2300 THX-Certified 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer
Customer Review: The best 2.1 Speaker system!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always wanted this Logitech z-2300 speaker system. I had some old small speakers for one of my PCs, which had no subwoofer and the sound was so week I couldn't hear it outside the room.
I was looking for a 2.1 system - 2 speakers and 1 subwoofer. I did not want to buy any surround sound 4.1 or 5.1 or any other, as I do not watch movies on my PC. You really need surround sound only for movies. Even if you play the latest game a good 2.1 speaker system is more than enough.
So I bought it online.
It was very easy to install. This system comes with a volume knob which had a power button and a bass control next to the volume control which is extremely convenient. This knob is in a separate enclosure, not on one of the speakers, which means you can put the speakers away from you and have only the knob on the desk which is what I did. Putting the speakers away from the desk will lead to a better quality of sound, same for the subwoofer. And, personally, I don't like the subwoofer to be under the desk like most people do, I don't like the bass waves next to my legs:)
The subwoofer has somewhat short cable, but I extended it. You may have to do that. But that is the case with every speaker system.
The power is so strong I never even used the volume more than half. This system possesses Total RMS : 200 watts RMS - you won't find stronger for this price. It also has Peak power of 400 Watts, but the RMS is what counts. You can compare it with other systems.
I can hear the sound of my music on a half volume on the knob from outside my house, which is through 2 walls and over 20 feet away! this thing is powerful.
The power and the sound quality may vary by the sound card you have, though.
The bass control is very useful because some of the songs I listen to have more bass and others less, and I can easily adjust to my listening preferences.
Some people in other reviews suggest the sound quality is not very good, but it is actually one of the best. Don't forget that depending on the music you are listening to you will have to adjust the sound EQUALIZER of the music player you are using which I know most people are lazy to do. If you adjust the equalizer that itself leads to a great quality of what you are listening. The speakers don't have any surround, and may be that's why they get poor reviews sometimes, but if you need surround sound (mostly for movies) why you bought this system in the first place? Don't listen to those comments.
This is so far the Best 2.1 speaker system I have found, which is perfect for listening to music and everyday computer use. And I have used more than 12 different speaker systems, I am from a musician family (my father is bass guitarist), so I am pretty familiar with sound quality and speaker power.
Overall great product. I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Customer Review: From someone who rarely writes reviews...
Summary: 5 Stars
...I feel compelled to write one about this product. I've been looking to replace my wimpy 5.1 surround system that I bought a few years ago, but was reluctant because I didn't want to shell out $300+ dollars for a Bose or comparable system, but didn't want to get another cheap set of speakers to replace my old cheap set of speakers. When the price on these dropped to seventy bucks, I figured there's not too much to lose if they didn't impress me, so I bought them. First off, the price on these does not in any way reflect the quality of the product shipped. In the box, they feel heavy (which is mostly a good thing when it comes to home electronics). Out of the box, they still feel heavy, but look substantial yet understated. The Subwoofer is roughly twice the size of my old one, and takes up a good bit of space under my desk. The sound quality is comparable to most $300+ 2.1 systems I've heard, and the volume blows all of them out of the water. I've yet to turn it up past about 60% for fear that the neighbors will complain. The wired remote volume nob is very handy, as I keep my speakers floating shelves above my desk, which is quite large, and hate having to reach up to them to adjust the volume. So here's the breakdown:
PRO'S:
-Smart, sleak and stylish looking. Looks great if you (like me) have a chrome or metal theme to your workspace.
-Very easy to set up. Involves about four wire hook-ups, and no driver installation, download, or anything. I've yet to change my sound settings in windows, and they still sound great.
-Great fidelity. Haven't picked up a buzz, hiss, or otherwise.
-INSANE VOLUME. Be careful. These are 200 Watts. As a point of reference, most medium-size guitar or bass amps push out between 50 and 100 watts. Those are the big black felt covered things you see guys in bands mic'ing. These literally shake the room.
-Price is equally insane. They must be trying to clear out last year's model for the new one. I'd pay three hundred for these, and not feel like I was being ripped off.
-Sturdily built. There's not a part of them that feels or looks cheap.
-THX sound produces an effect that, while not entirely surround, delivers a pretty convincing theater-like experience. What it lacks in rear and center channel speakers it makes up for in room-filling sound volume.
CONS:
-Not wireless. I don't feel ripped off.
-Large footprint on Subwoofer/Woofer unit. I still don't feel ripped off.
-Possible lower back strain for UPS delivery guy. Sorry.
-At this price, won't be around for very long.
Customer Review: Deserving of their praise
Summary: 5 Stars
I went through some horror with the Logitech Z523 speakers. I originally wanted these but they seemed like overkill so I opted for the other set. After 2 sets of the z523's failed I bit the bullet and got these. These are AMAZING speakers for the price. Of course they are not studio monitors or an elaborate set-up. But the cost of that, not to mention the room it takes up, is not ideal for most people, me included.
The satellites are 3"w x 6.5"t x 5"d. The reason the depth is so long is that they have a slight angle to them so they point upward and fill the room nicely. The grill covers come off if you want. The subwoofer for this thing is HUGE. It measures 11h x 11w x 15d - no i'm not exaggerating. The depth is FIFTEEN inches. A few of those inches are a giant heatsink to help keep things cool. Look at the customer pictures for reference to the size of this. I had to shuffle some stuff under my desk for it to fit. There is a master power switch on the back of the subwoofer, and the controller knob thing is plugged into the sub and the back of the computer and is the bass/power/volume adjustment.
The sound is quite pleasing. I find it to be really great whether listening to music or watching a movie. I have listened to just about any kind of music you can think of and they are equal to the task no matter what. I've also watched several movies or tv shows and they handle that just fine too. When I put the bass to about a quarter of its power my desk vibrates. The volume will make things vibrate when I put that up maybe a third of the way. Make no mistake - these puppies are LOUD. As far as audiophiles and speaker geeks are concerned they would probably carry on about the 'lack of mids' or 'overpowering bass'. To me the mids seem to be just fine, and the bass can be adjusted to your liking.
Do these sound like a $20k sound system? Of course they don't. But for a little over a hundred bucks these are phenomenal. Just make sure you have room for the subwoofer.
I debated between getting these and the 'updated' version - z623's. I picked these based on the strength of the reviews and the fact that these were first made in 2003. Here we are 7 years later and they are still receiving rave reviews. That was the deciding point for me. I have read that the z623's claim to be the same specs but that they don't perform as well as these. I also read that the subwoofer box for the z623's is smaller than this one. So if space is a big concern maybe they would be a better choice. But also keep in mind that the z-2300's have been discontinued and been replaced with z623's. If you want the z-2300's get them NOW. Soon they will be gone for good.
Customer Review: Best sound out there from a 2.1 - Awesome!
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, regardless of brand I would only look for speakers with THX certification - pass on everything else. You'll eliminate a large majority of the market (the mediocre performers you wouldn't be happy with anyway) and make your decision process easier. All speakers I reference below are THX certified.
I purchased this Logitech for the laptop in my bedroom and have compared it to its competitor, a 200 watt 2.1 Klipsch from 2008 and three of its big brothers in the Logitech family, the 400 watt Z-560 from 2001, the 280 watt Z-5300 from 2005 and the 505 watt Z-5500 from 2010.
My 1st THX certified speakers, the 400 watt Logitech Z-560 4.1 is over 10 years old and continues to be my primary system as of this review - you can read my 5 star review on them. In 2005 I purchased the 280 watt Z-5300 5.1 surround sound for my sister and she still thanks me for them today. Then in 2008 I bought a 200 watt Klipsch 2.1 system for a friend who had no music and no working speakers. I was introducing her to my music and wanted to pair it with quality sounding speakers. Much of my music has deep bass so I look for speakers to handle the lows equally as well as they can handle the highs. Knowing the reputation of the Klipsch name I wanted to give them a try but they came up short on the bass end. They distorted at volumes that the Logitech's thumped right through. At volumes that I feel a subwoofer should handle.
My most recent purchase, the Logitech Z-2300, is for use with my laptop in the master bedroom and wow! It gets 5 stars. I use it for movie watching and music listening - finding myself retiring to the room much earlier each evening not to sleep but to enjoy movies or music in the comfort of bed.
In all my systems, I use MusicMatch Jukebox player with DFX plugin for the equalizer. For those of you asking about the mid range on these speakers, you're absolutely right they come up short. With the equalizer though, the results are stunning.
UPDATE 2010; No thanks to Yahoo, I was forced to retire the now defunct MusicMatch Jukebox and replaced it with MediaMonkey and another DFX plugin. All speaker systems from 2001 to date are still performing well except the Z-5300 which started blowing fuses last month. It was already 5 yrs old and out of warranty but Logitech offered me 50% off any system of my choice as replacement. I was pleasantly shocked since I was only asking if I was using the correct fuse. Logitech shipped me a brand new 505 watt 5.1 surround sound Z-5500 at 50% off with free shipping. Another winner from Logitech...Outstanding poduct backed with fantastic service and support!
Customer Review: Spectacular when adjusted through my equalizer
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first received my package, I was surprised at how big the box was. I had trouble gripping it because of how much it weighs which is almost like 30 lbs. Opening the box, the subwoofer was huge! very long and almost as big as my computer. The satelites look nice and clean and they also contain a cover for them. Setting up was very easy, 2 plugs for the speakers, 1 for the volume control, plug in the subwoofer to the electrical outlet, and plug the 3.5mm jack into the computer and wala, all set and done. As for the sound goes, the bass is very nice and boomy. Rattles the walls and picture frames in my house. The treble is pretty good or standard but I made the sound quality even better, including the base, with an software equalizer called SRS Labs. If you don't know what that is you can google it, go to their website, and pick srs pc audio sandbox. It'll cost $20 which to me I think is kind of a steal but you can also try it out free for a 15 day trial. The equalizer is different from the itunes and wmp ones and it is top quality. It will alter your treble (for those of you who have mentioned weak mids) and even the bass drastically, giving it a little more oomph. The settings I use for the equalizer are the preset "In DA Club BASS!", 5.1 surround sound, and Wow@ HD. That setting is I believe to be the best setting for treble and a realistic bass sound. I also leave the computer volume to about 95% and keep the speaker volume to about 50% to avoid some very slight muddiness from the bass when you set the computer volume to 50% and have the speakers at around 75%. These speakers produce much more bass than you'll need so I don't turn the bass dial all they way to 100%, some where around 60 - 75%. I listen to music ranging from Indie, Post-hardcore, R%b, electronica, and a few hip-hop songs. It would have been better if this had 2 or 3 more satelite speakers to create that surround stage sound effect but for the sound quality it delivers when adjusted is satisfying enough for me. Before this I use some crappy KINYO speakers but the treble was slightly better because it was a 4.1 system but with weak bass. Those have now been replaced with these logitechs. On the equalizer, if you want more vocals, adjust the 3d center level a few notches to the right, and if you need a bit more treble, you can set the SRS definition level 2 boxes to the right. I don't think it's a good idea if you already have a soundcard with its own equalizer but I'm just not sure.
So I strongly recommend you use the SRS Lab equalizer to fine tunes your audio if you have nothing else.
I hope this helped and enjoy!
Have a great day!