Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System: Digital-Cameras-Photo.com

Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System

Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System
by Logitech

List Price: ~~$79.99~~
Our Price: $65.00
You Save: $14.99 (19%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: CE
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Customers in the UK, buy this product at amazon.co.uk for British Pounds

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Manufacturer: Logitech
Audio: English (Original Language)
Model: 970073-0403
Product features:

Six-speaker system with patented subwoofer design delivers twice the bass energy of conventional designs
Innovative satellite design with rotating pedestals that allow for wall or desk placement
Internal power supply eliminates bulky wall adapters
Easily hook it up to your video game console with our included adapter cable
Total output power: 71.2 Watts RMS

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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System

Customer Review: A lot of bang for the buck
Summary: 5 Stars

Alright, I'm heading into a new world with my first review. I'll hold my breath, and make the leap...

I am running these speakers on a Soundblaster Audigy (also been a very nice card), in a nice size bedroom. So, while the front speakers are on my desk, subwoofer, below the desk, the rear speakers are on a dresser and nightstand. For the distance they are behind me, they should probably be farther apart, but that is not an option. I usually use these speakers for music, so 5.1 is not really needed. When gaming (as a student, it is not something I can do that often), the surround sound works just fine. Same story with DVDs.

More specific thoughts...

Sound quality... If something really matters to you, people will try to make money off it. Nothing against the sound quality of these speakers, as they sound great. My previous speakers were regular desktop speakers, with a whopping 1.8 watts amplifier (my sound card had enough power to run the speakers while turned off). After using these new speakers, I would have to be drug kicking and screaming to use the old ones. The bass is good (it can rattle the carpet a little, but is far from making your heart throb). The midrange sound is fine by me (other reviewers say it is lacking). I use the hardware equalizers on my card (usually set on Rock, or New Age), which seem to focus more on the lower end, which is what I want. If you want more midrange, I have found that turning up the center volume and pressing the matrix button on the front speaker will bring more of the mid and upper range to the center channel, which has more power (16 watts as opposed to the 6 or so each sattelite has). Also, try out different equalizers (most software players have them).

Cables... There are two cables coming from the center speaker. One goes to the subwoofer, the other to the computer. Be warned, they are both rather thick, especially the one to the sub (about the same size as a monitor's 15 pin cable and connector). Time, and heat from my monitor, has made them a little more pliable, and I don't consider them to be a problem. Do be warned, though, if you have fancy routing plans. Also, the rear speaker cables were not long enough for me. I had some fancy plans, including a trip into the closet, out at the other end, behind a dresser, etc. I had already counted on this, and got a female to male RCA cable for audio. With the rear speakers, this didn't even mess up the colour coding, and I simply split the audio cable into the two separate cables. All in all, it cost me about $3.
Some sound cards are colour-coded, mine was not, but the speakers input jacks were, and the instructions use the colours. So, if you are wondering, green is the two front speakers (output 1 on my card), black is the two rear speakers (output 2 on my card), and orange is the subwoofer and center channel (yep, you guessed it, output 3 on my card).

Controls... Most of the controls are on the center speaker, which is meant to go either on top of your monitor (where mine now resides), or in front of your keyboard. The stand for the speaker is attached to create the proper angle. The one black sheep control is the bass volume, which is located on the bass unit, or subwoofer. It might seem logical, until you realize that you may want to adjust it. This is a rare occurence for me, and is done without too much difficulty, so I didn't take off a star for that. Most of the controls are fairly self-explanatory. Matrix mixes the two front channels to get an output for the center channel (I'm not using it now, but am still getting an output), and fader adjusts the rear volume (with fader turned all the way up, the rear speakers are just as loud as the front speakers). I don't find the blue power indicator LED to be bothersome, but if you do, I'm sure that electrical tape, as was already suggested, will solve that problem.

Construction/Packing... Everything seemed to be packed well. The box I received had been very, very beat up. However, the box inside of that was in good condition, and the speakers, which were each separately packaged, were in very, very good condition. I prefer things to be over wrapped than damaged. Besides, unpacking took me only a few minutes. As for construction, the satellites can be wall mounted (mine aren't), and all seem sturdy. My subwoofer occassionaly has been my foot rest, which hasn't done it any harm. The four satellites are vented, which is supposed to increase sound quality, from what I've gathered. The stands all have rubber grip pads on them.

In conclusion... All in all, very nice speakers, keeping in mind that they are rather inexpensive. If you think their sound quality is not up to par, I hear (no pun intended) that Klipsch has very nice speakers. If you want more power, the Z680 have that, and some more bells and whistles, and I'm sure better sound quality too. Both of those options, though come at a price that would break my modest wallet.
If you are using these speakers, and think that any speakers would be better than these, I suggest that you look at your sound source before condemning these. I can tell a difference when streaming sound at a bit-rate of 20kbps as opposed to 48kbps, and that was in wma, which supposedly does better at such low bitrates compared to mp3. If you do mp3, I'd suggest at least 128kbps (I use a variable bit-rate, which usually averages 300-400kbps).

All in all, if you don't want to spend a lot of money, these are great.

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Description of Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System

LOGITECH Z-640 -- Experience exciting Dolby Digital home theater sound on your PC with this 5.1 Channel Multimedia Speaker System. Its extraordinary subwoofer delivers twice the bass of similar systems, and five elegant satellites provide silky smooth mids and highs. Immerse yourself in an ocean of sound with PCs, video game consoles, and more. Warranty - 1 year Finish - Black

Get the most from your computer games and DVD movies with Logitech's Z-640 surround-sound speaker system. The system's four satellites (left/right, front/surround) and center-channel speaker fill your room with sound, while the 25-watt powered subwoofer rounds out the bottom end to a deep 35 Hz, a good octave below the range of most bookshelf speakers, delivering floor-shaking bass from your music or a DVD's low-frequency-effects channel, the ".1" in a Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1-channel presentation.

Inputs include a stereo analog (left/right) RCA pair and multi-channel analog inputs for decoded surround sound from any four- or six-channel sound card (or audio/video surround receiver).

The satellites are powered by 7.3 watts each, and the center channel, which handles up to 70 percent of most surround mixes, gets 16.3 watts. Logitech's innovative, dual-chamber subwoofer delivers twice the bass energy of similarly sized subwoofers, and the company's use of an internal power supply obviates the bulky wall adapters found on many surround systems.

All speakers are video shielded to allow distortion-free placement on or around your monitor, and the satellite speakers--imbued with easy-position rotating pedastals--may be mounted on stands, your desktop, or the wall. The system is covered by a two-year warranty. A handy supplied adapter ensures instant connectivity with gaming consoles.

What's in the Box
Four satellite speakers, one center-channel speaker, one subwoofer, requisite speaker cabling, one adapter cable for hookup with video-game consoles, and a user's manual.

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