Logitech Z-680 Speakers Review
Let me present to you, arguably the best 5.1-channel PC speaker system currently available in our country, the Logitech Z-680.
Positive: Outstanding sound quality, Multiple inputs, Remote controllers, Loads of features.
Negative: Expensive.
Expert Rating: 4.5 Stars
EXPERT REVIEW:
The Speakers:
I wished, I dreamt and I hoped ever since I joined this place that one fine day I would get to be up, close and personal with this powerhouse of music from Logitech. The day finally dawned on me. Being surrounded by these beauties was certainly like a dream come true. Before I start getting poetic, let me present to you, arguably the best 5.1-channel PC speaker system currently available in our country, the Logitech Z-680.
Now, since this is an object of desire, it goes without saying that these thingies are bloody powerful, THX certified, support loads of features and produce a crystal clear output that can kick some serious butt. They flaunt a massive 450 Watts RMS of power with 53 Watts allocated for each of the five satellites and 185 Watts for the subwoofer.
Talking of the subwoofer, its one huge, heavy, cube-shaped wooden box fitted with a large driver and a mammoth heat sink along with the power circuitry. At the back is a power switch and labeled connectors for all the satellites and remote.
The good-looking satellites have a superb build quality. The center channel sports a different look as compared to the other satellites. The connectors for inputs from the sound card as well as the coaxial and optical inputs are present at the back of the center channel.
The Logitech Z-680 has a built-in decoder for true Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound. It also supports Dolby Pro Logic II decoding, which creates a 5.1 sound field from two-channel sound sources. Please check the following link for complete specifications:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/IN/EN,crid=2,contentid=5048,detail=2
Performance/Conclusion:
Before we proceed there is one thing that I would like to add about the power rating. Some of the Logitech Web sites mention the power of this system as 505 Watts RMS while the others say that it's 450 Watts. The figure mentioned on the piece that I received was 450 Watts and I will stay with that.
The Z-680 bundle had lot more than just the speakers. It had two remote controllers, one wired and the other cordless both allowing you to control all the functions supported by the speaker system like the type of input (more on that later in the review), output type (stereo, dual stereo, 5.1 channel etc.), individual volume control for front, rear, center and sub and a lot more.
The wired remote control also had a LCD with a blue backlight along with a headphone jack and an auxiliary input. The package comprised of all the necessary cables along with the coaxial and optical variety. The cables were long enough and of excellent quality. Batteries for the remote were also present in the box.
Other that your sound card, these speakers can be connected to your gaming consoles, DVD players, Satellite receivers and several other audio devices. In fact, you can connect 4 different audio devices to its different inputs and switch between those using the remote controllers. It's a very handy functionality to have so that you don't need to disconnect one device to plug in the other. Just use the remote to change the input source.
I connected these speakers to our Audigy 2 and had a blast. The deep thunderous bass and crystal clear mid-range and high frequency response stunned one and all. The output was simply fantastic better than any other PC speaker system that I have listened to. It is easily better than all other THX certified PC speakers available here. Listening to music was a real treat. Hotel California might have sounded better only in the concert hall, perhaps. The sound quality in movies was just too good. We played our Matrix DVD and had everyone in the room at the edge of their seats. The sound positioning and quality was good enough to put to shame some of the movie halls around.
When it comes to games, these things put you right in the middle of the action. The sound positioning is so good that you can feel the rockets whiz past your ear or sense the enemy behind you. There was a little incident that happened when I was deeply engrossed in a frag-session and lost track of the fact that I was in office and that these babies were high powered. In the midst of all this, our HR manager tried to remind me of the poor souls that work in the same place, but in vain. Unintentionally, I lent her a deaf ear (not a smart thing to do) and was pulled over and almost got booked for creating a ruckus. Without saying much, I just offered her the best seat in the house on the day, the one right between the five satellites and gave her a demo. After that tempers settled and things were back to normal. These things certainly seem to have a charm.
It was hard to find a flaw in this system till I checked the price tag. Unfortunately, it does nothing to change the old saying that quality never comes cheap. Though its sound quality is outstanding, it does come at a stiff price. You can get the Z-680 for a street price of Rs. 28,000. The price is sure to come down, once these find a wider acceptance. For now, at that price, you might feel the pinch, but once you plug them in and listen to them, the pain will certainly disappear. So if you are an audiophile with enough dough to spare, these are the speakers to go for. Highly recommended.
Specifications:
Feature Description
Audio Specifications
Speakers Rated Power Satellites : 7W per channel
Centre : 21W per channel
Subwoofer : 30W
Frequency Response 35Hz to 20KHz
Connectors
Connectors - Analog Front In
- Analog Rear In
- Digital DIN
- Digital Input (Coaxial)
- Digital Input (Optical)
General
Recommended Usage Home Theatre, Gaming (PC/Console), Music
Number of speakers 5 Satellites (for front, rear and center)
1 Creative SLAM™ subwoofer
Audio Format/Technologies Supported Dolby® Digital, DTS®, Dolby® ProLogic, CMSS™
Others
Bundled Accessories - Tandem Cable
- Optical Cable
- Digital DIN Cable
- Mini-plug to Digital DIN Cable
- Power Adaptor
- Desktop stands for satellite speakers
- Monitor stand for center speaker
- Quickstart guid
- User Manual
- Remote Control
Physical
Dimensions (H x W x D) (cm) Front/Rear : Approx. 9.2 x 9.2 x 11.2
Centre : Approx. 8.9 x 16.6 x 10.8
Subwoofer : 284 x 262 x 264
Subwoofer Enclosure Material Wood (Black)
Power Adaptor
Power Source 15VDC, 4A
I connected these speakers to our Audigy 2 and had a blast. The deep thunderous bass and crystal clear mid-range and high frequency response stunned one and all. The output was simply fantastic better than any other PC speaker system that I have listened to. It is easily better than all other THX certified PC speakers available here. Listening to music was a real treat. Hotel California might have sounded better only in the concert hall, perhaps. The sound quality in movies was just too good. We played our Matrix DVD and had everyone in the room at the edge of their seats. The sound positioning and quality was good enough to put to shame some of the movie halls around.
When it comes to games, these things put you right in the middle of the action. The sound positioning is so good that you can feel the rockets whiz past your ear or sense the enemy behind you. There was a little incident that happened when I was deeply engrossed in a frag-session and lost track of the fact that I was in office and that these babies were high powered. In the midst of all this, our HR manager tried to remind me of the poor souls that work in the same place, but in vain. Unintentionally, I lent her a deaf ear (not a smart thing to do) and was pulled over and almost got booked for creating a ruckus. Without saying much, I just offered her the best seat in the house on the day, the one right between the five satellites and gave her a demo. After that tempers settled and things were back to normal. These things certainly seem to have a charm.
It was hard to find a flaw in this system till I checked the price tag. Unfortunately, it does nothing to change the old saying that quality never comes cheap. Though its sound quality is outstanding, it does come at a stiff price. You can get the Z-680 for a street price of Rs. 28,000. The price is sure to come down, once these find a wider acceptance. For now, at that price, you might feel the pinch, but once you plug them in and listen to them, the pain will certainly disappear. So if you are an audiophile with enough dough to spare, these are the speakers to go for. Highly recommended.
Specifications:
Feature Description
Audio Specifications
Speakers Rated Power Satellites : 7W per channel
Centre : 21W per channel
Subwoofer : 30W
Frequency Response 35Hz to 20KHz
Connectors
Connectors - Analog Front In
- Analog Rear In
- Digital DIN
- Digital Input (Coaxial)
- Digital Input (Optical)
General
Recommended Usage Home Theatre, Gaming (PC/Console), Music
Number of speakers 5 Satellites (for front, rear and center)
1 Creative SLAM™ subwoofer
Audio Format/Technologies Supported Dolby® Digital, DTS®, Dolby® ProLogic, CMSS™
Others
Bundled Accessories - Tandem Cable
- Optical Cable
- Digital DIN Cable
- Mini-plug to Digital DIN Cable
- Power Adaptor
- Desktop stands for satellite speakers
- Monitor stand for center speaker
- Quickstart guid
- User Manual
- Remote Control
Physical
Dimensions (H x W x D) (cm) Front/Rear : Approx. 9.2 x 9.2 x 11.2
Centre : Approx. 8.9 x 16.6 x 10.8
Subwoofer : 284 x 262 x 264
Subwoofer Enclosure Material Wood (Black)
Power Adaptor
Power Source 15VDC, 4A
