Logitech Z623 speakers: best boom for buck.
I decluttered my stereo years ago. I was listening to music while working at my computer more and I have a small apartment. So I invested in really good computer 2.1 speakers and a great sound card. Much cheaper than a stereo and takes up less space.
2.1 speakers consist of a subwoofer and two smaller speakers. 5.1 speakers consist of a subwoofer and four smaller speakers. I ruled out 5.1 speakers as they take up too much space and would be too loud for my small apartment (I do like my neighbours).
Alas, my Altec Lansing 2.1 speakers died and I started to research how to replace them. Altec Lansing were the kings of computer speakers for years before they went bankrupt in 2012.
The problem is that most of the remaining speaker manufacturers now focus on wireless speakers and the sound quality is not the same unless you want to spend a fortune. Also I know how often I have to reconnect my bluetooth devices that seem to get uncoupled faster than Hollywood stars. I much prefer knowing that I don’t have to fiddle with my speakers or bluetooth on a regular basis.
Where to look?
Who still makes wired computer speakers? Bose, Harman Kardon and Logitech are the last companies that still make quality wired computer speakers.
The Bose speakers were just too expensive. Almost $500 and the reviews were mixed.
Harman Kardon are phasing out their wired speakers. I could find stock on the Soundsticks model but the subwoofer was very big and looked fragile. And the speakers were too large as well. There’s only so much room on my desk. Great reviews though.
Logitech Z623 speakers
Z623 speakers were originally $300 and are now priced at $199.99.
They’re 2.1 speakers. The subwoofer is a little big but the two satellite speakers fit easily on my desk.
The sound is fabulous. Rich deep bass. Very crisp sound particularly on stringed instruments like guitar, cello and violin. I put on some Chet Baker and couldn’t believe how wonderful the trumpet sounded.
My old Altec Lansing speakers had a treble volume button. The Logitech speakers do not but I find the quality of the speakers is such that I rarely miss the treble button. Besides the volume there is also a bass button.
On the side of one of the speakers there is a headphone jack (yay!) and a jack for plugging in your MP3 player of choice. I tested that feature with my iPod and it worked well.
On the subwoofer, besides the standard PC jack, there are also RCA jacks to connect to other devices. I wasn’t able to get that to work with my TV even after fiddling with the outputs menu on my Toshiba. I wanted to test the Thx certification for movies. Not a deal breaker for me but if you hoped to replace your TV speakers with these it could be a problem.
Looking to replace your computer speakers? Don’t want to be fiddling with bluetooth connections? Logitech Z623: best boom for buck.
