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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
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Product summary
The good: Logitech's Z-5 PC speakers offer decent sound for a reasonable price; omnidirectional acoustics; USB connectivity obviates need for bulky power adapter; compatible with Mac and Windows PCs; included remote allows you to control playback of music from across the room; auxiliary input for connecting to non-PC audio sources.
The bad: Little light on the bass; no volume control on speakers themselves.
The bottom line: While we weren't blown away by their sound, the Logitech Z-5s' combination of a simple, clean design, USB connectivity, and some basic remote operation make them a decent value in the sub-$100 PC speaker space.
Specifications: Type of speaker: PC multimedia speakers; Amplification type: Active See full specs
Price range: $69.99 - $89.99
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 09/17/2008
A couple of years ago Logitech brought out the Z-10s, an interesting set of PC speakers that featured USB connectivity and a digital readout on the front of one of the speakers. They looked good, sounded decent, and were cutting edge in their nod to visually incorporating digital music playback--though the touch-sensitive controls did cause issues for some users. Now the company is serving up the Z-5s, which don't feature the fancy digital readout but offer some intriguing design elements and the same USB connectivity.
The black Z-5s have a simple, clean, modern look, but aren't quite the knockouts that the Z-10s are. From afar, at least, the Z-5s look a little more luxurious than they really are. Pick them up and you'll notice that they feel a little light. They weigh in at 1.5 pounds for the left speaker and 1.66 pounds for the right, and measure 10 inches high, 3.3 inches wide, and 3.3 inches deep . The nonsubstantial weight is a tip-off that these are relatively inexpensive PC speakers (they carry a list price of $100, but you can find them online for closer to $80).
Except for their tops and bottoms, the Z-5s are clad entirely in speaker cloth. They're designed to be "omnidirectonal," radiating sound "more uniformly over a wide range of frequencies and angles," according to Logitech. You can't remove the cloth to expose the speaker, but you can see through it enough to notice that there's a single driver in the front, which appears to be mirrored on the back of the speaker. In fact, you can flip the speaker around (with the back facing forward) and you probably wouldn't notice a difference in the sound. There are no drivers on the sides of the speakers, but if you put your ear up to the side of the speaker from a foot or 2 away, it does seem as if the sound is coming right at your ear--as if there was a driver on the side of the speaker.
There is no volume control on the speakers themselves. Around the back of the right speaker, there's a connection for the left speaker and an audio input for portable audio devices--but that's it as far, as connectivity or buttons go. It's worth noting that if you do decide to connect a portable audio device (we hooked up an iPod), you'll have to control the volume from the source device; the Z-5's remote won't do you any good there.
As noted, to power the Z-5s you plug them into the USB port of your Windows or Mac desktop or laptop. The drawback to this setup is that you lose a USB port on your computer. But the bigger gain is losing the ungainly power supply. After you connect the USB cable, you then have to insert a CD-ROM into your machine and install some software.
The last thing you do is assign a music application to the musical note button on the remote. You can choose Windows Media, iTunes, or any other application you want. Once you make our selection, anytime you hit the musical note button, that application will launch (if it isn't launched already).
Continue reading- See more CNET content tagged:
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Where to buy
Logitech Z-5:
$69.99 - $89.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$84.99 | Yes |
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$89.99 | Yes |
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$69.99 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$76.89 | Yes |
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$89.95 | Yes |
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