Logitech Z523 Speaker System
Almost every notebook, netbook and tablet we review has tinny audio or hollow bass. We always recommend a pair of headphones or external speakers for a full home entertainment system experience. Not just your music files – there’s also the thrilling KA-BOOM!!! of full-on gameplay and immersive movie soundtracks. Now it’s time we made a recommendation for what is more of a necessity than an optional accessory. Of course there are exceptions – the Dell XPS 15z or Toshiba Qosmio X775 are shining examples of first-rate audio on a notebook
For everyone else there’s Logitech Z523 Speaker system. They aren’t new – Logitech first sold this range in 2009, but the separate subwoofer helps the Z523 system produce a level of sound quality not generally available for $79. The design represents a move away from the fashion of square-shaped speaker systems as seen in many USB-powered speakers, towards more traditional PC speaker design. Each speaker measures 5.2 x 3.4 x 7.7 inches with 2″ domes front and rear, and the subwoofer packs a 4-inch down-firing subwoofer and side-mounted 6.5-inch passive pressure driver, if that means anything to you. It’s all a bit technical for our liking. The system plays at 40W, which is easily loud enough to get your neighbors banging furiously on the wall, and features 360-degree sound, so standing at wide angles – heck even behind the speakers – shouldn’t distort your audio enjoyment.
The price of Logitech Z523 isn’t the only selling point as the subwoofer gives a hearty blast of bass, and it can be controlled from a knob on the right speaker, so you can tuck it out of the way or put it high up without any hassle when you need to adjust the volume.
Connectivity options of Logitech Z523 Speaker System are also good. A 3.5mm jack connects to a computer, tablet, phone or even hi-fi, and Logitech have also provided a headphone jack on the right speaker and a 3.5mm in-socket for connecting other gadgets, such as a DVD player. The Logitech Z523 also offers RCA inputs so you can connect a gaming system such as a PS3 or a TV.
We should stress that for this price the Logitech Z523 Speaker System is obviously not going to deliver recording studio-level fidelity, but for value for money, we don’t think the it can be beat.
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