Big sound, Small price.
Written: Feb 08 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price. Powerful bass.
Cons: Wiring is short, and it is hard wired,
The Bottom Line: Excellent bass, but the treble could be better. Great for price.
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| iamonfire's Full Review: Logitech Z-340 2 Speakers |
I was in Best Buy a few days ago, with a single intent in mind. Buy a new pair of speakers. I went with $200 and the determination to make it ALL the way to the back of the store in order to reach the PC speaker section. Of course, after passing through the video game section, I was left with a mere 50 dollars to spend. Didn't look like I was going to get a much wanted surround upgrade. I decided to make due, and head over to the 2.1 speaker section, where I found two attractive buys :
-The Logitech Z 340's
-Altec Lansing 221's
After various "tests" (Blaring the display set of speakers, etc.), I decided to abandon Altec Lansing, and go with the Logitechs. The 221's had a less powerful subwoofer (both in wattage and actual sound), but more treble. That was a choice I won't soon regret.
Firstly, I noticed how HEAVY the subwoofer was. At first, I thought this was because of the actual speaker, but it turns out that the power supply is internal. This means that the wall plug is very small, and wont require you an entire outlet because of its size. It took me a while to place the sattelites. Much to disliking, there is a measley 4 foot wire that connect the two sattelites, heavily limiting the sound stage. I eventually got them to stay on each side of my desk, about 3 feet apart. I hooked them up to my Sound Blaster Extigy, and put them through the run. The following are the songs I used to test them initially.
Final Fantasy 8 Desperados OC Remix (http://remix.overclocked.org) - 128 kbps 44 khz MP3 - A distinctly european rave song. Deep bass. Subwoofer test.
The 340's passed this test with flying colors. The bass was more powerful than I imagined it to be, and even shook a poster off the wall of my room. The treble left some to be desired. Even when I turned the speakers to a little under maximum volume, the subwoofer refused to crackle. The bass was constantly overpowering, though. For this song, I was testing the subwoofer, and the subwoofer certainly passed.
Bass Test : PASS Grade : A-
Peach gb - Catfood - 44 khz WAV - A bass oriented rock song. Subwoofer test.
Once again, my 340's subwoofer passed with power to spare. This time around, the treble was more distinct, and the bass was deep yet defined. I turned my speakers to the maximum yet again, and the subwoofer still pushed out clean, deep bass. The sattelites were suffering, though.
Bass Test 2 : PASS Grade : A
Within Temptation - Mother Earth - 160 kbps 44 khz MP3 - A rock song with plenty of treble and orchestral samples. Sattelite test.
I wish I could give the sattelites as much praise as the subwoofer, but the treble wasnt as clean as it should be. I found that the mesh covering over the speakers was NOT sound transparent, and the music got a SLIGHT bit clearer. The louder I got passed 2/3 volume, the more distorted the sound became. I didnt dare turn them up to maximum, in fear of runing my investment. I don't see any reason to turn theses to 2/3 volume, at that point it literally hurts, and not because of crackling, but because of volume.
Satelitte test : PASS Grade : C
Dream Theater - The Dance of Eternity - 320 kbps 44 khz MP3 - A wonderful song that will test your subwoofer and sattelites.
I suppose this song only prove further that the bass is great, but the sattelites could be better. I must say, the high, mid and low range sounds were each defined, and one didnt seem to over power the other.
Overall Test : PASS B
CONCLUSION :
Not much to say that hasn't been said. The bass was constantly incredible, but the treble output was a little iffy. It wasnt bad, but a little muddy and suffered at high volumes. I should also point out the inclusion of a headphone port on the right sattelite. Very thoughtful, and very handy. For $50, I guess I couldn't expect everything, but what I got was great. For gamers, this speaker set up is wonderful, but it is NOT surround. If you're a gamer, then I reccomend shelling out the extra $20 for the 4.1 variant. Music listeners, or 2.1 gamers will certainly love this set up. Reccomended.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
iamonfire
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Location: NJ
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Bah! I have no need for this short biography!
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