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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Creative SBS 380 2.1 Speakers








Product Description
Creative Labs (51MF0290AA000) Creative SBS 380 2.1 Speakers

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Product Details

Brand: Creative Labs
Model: 51MF0290AA000
Original language:
English, French, Spanish
Dimensions: 7.00 pounds


Features

2.1 multimedia PC speakers
Slim and compact speakers complement nicely to your desktop
Sturdy subwoofer with port tube produces deep pounding bass
Easy accessible front panel with master volume control and power on/off with LED indicator
Convenient headphone jack for private enjoyment of music and games


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Buy them if you have tight budget

By S. raut
These are good speakers for the price. This time, I found the price on Amazon even less than Ebay. So, if you have tight budget like me, go for it. The competetion for me was between logitech R20 which are still cheaper. I am traditionally a logitech fan but i saw some bad comments on Amazon for R20 so I went with these.
I have a good home theater system and expensive Klipsch 2.1 speakers. These speakers are far less quality than them. But then I remember that I paid hundreds for them and these are less than $30.
The speaker clarity is acceptable. The Bass is little too hi than I require and there is no control for that. But there is a neat master switch and volume control on right speaker. My Klipsch speakers has master switch on the sub-woofer which makes it tough to operate. But, although cheap priced, creative has not made such dumb mistakes. The volume is good for a small room. If you are not a gamer or listen to music on your pc these speakers will serve you well. Note that I am using these speakers only 2 months and I hope they take me at least one more year.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Duane

By D. Fortin
Great speakers for the money. These speakers are way better than the entry level ones (with no sub) you have to pay $20.00 for when you buy a Dell. The sub gives a nice deep bass. Great volume for a P.C.. Volume & power control on speakers with headphone jack is a great feature and one of the main reasons I choose these. Nice looking also. Small compact speakers fit nicely anywhere and the sub is not to bulky and looks and sounds great sitting on, not under, my desk.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
read the bad reviews--too much bass, tinny satellites, no power

By SCOOPER
I bought these speakers thinking that the bad reviews were probably just that--bad reviews. Unfortunately they turned out to be spot on. There is way too much muddy sounding bass produced by the subwoofer, and there is no way to reduce it except by using an equalizer such as through Itunes. And the satellite speakers, besides sounding tinny, produced very little sound. With everything turned to max that could be maxed, the volume was moderate--forget about cranking it up a bit for a song that you like. In this case you really do get what you pay for.
See all 28 customer reviews...

Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 High-Power 2.1 PC Speaker System (CA-SP211NA)

"List Price: ","$259.99"
"Price: ","$199.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details "
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Product Description
Since you have only one PC speaker system, you don’t want to make sacrifices. That’s why Corsair has created the SP2500.At its heart are six Class D amplifiers driven by an ultra-efficient power supply. The 8" subwoofer driver is housed in a fourthorderbypass enclosure for clean, tight bass response that can seriously shake the room. The bi-amplified satellites usespecially developed 3" drivers and custom-designed, ferrofluid-cooled 1" silk dome tweeters for detailed audio reproductionacross the entire spectrum with great stereo imaging and a generous sweet spot. A programmable digital signal processor letsyou craft the audio to your liking. It’s all under your command with the 1.8" (4.6cm) color display desktop controller

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Product Details

Brand: Corsair
Model: CA-SP211NA
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 15.75" h x
19.75" w x
22.75" l,
30.00 pounds


Features

232 Watts RMS of continuous power delivery through six Class D amplifiers
8" subwoofer with durable rubber surround in a fourth-order bandpass enclosure
Bi-amplified satellites with 3" drivers and 1" ferrofluid-cooled silk dome tweeters
Wired desktop controller with 1.8" (4.6cm) color TFT display and multi-lingual interface
Programmable digital signal processor for advanced dynamic audio processing
Clean, high-fidelity audio reproduction with excellent stereo imaging


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
Great Setup....little pricey, but worth it.

By Adam Cihon
I bought these speakers for both PC and Xbox 360 use, as well as music and movies.

Build Quality: Excellent. The subwoofer is made of sturdy wood and weighs a ton. The satellites are a perfect balance of hefty quality plastic and being too light. It has a total of three inputs which is nice. The desktop controller allows you to switch between them all. The free rca and pc cables are a thoughtful touch.

Sound Quality: Excellent. Its amazing how clear and how 3D this 2.1 setup seems. I've been playing Bioshock 2 and the little sisters singing are awesome. In Halo Reach I can hear where the enemy is. Music has great clarity as well as punchiness. My wife's favorite part is the late night setting shifts the base from the subwoofer to the satellites.

Price: 260 is what I paid (with shipping), but that was the week they came out. If they were closer to 215 this would be on everyone's desk. Ultimately, I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
Corsair SP2500: Incredible Value

By D. Snow
I'm going to preface review by saying that, while I'm not an audiophile, I have substantially more knowledge than the average consumer about audio equipment. Buying new headphones and speakers is kind of my hobby.

I've now had my SP2500 for approximately a week, giving me ample time to test them out with a variety of music genres and inputs. I listen to classical music, hip hop, electronic, and some alternative rock. It handles all these with amazing detail and clarity. The bass is deep and powerful, but not overbearing in the slightest, thanks to each individual speaker getting its own amplifier. The SP2500 also retains clarity at 100% volume, which is extraordinarily loud (I like my music loud overall, and it even had me flinching). I generally like to keep it around 70% to 80% when I want to play loud, and it's enough to fill my house without hurting my ears.

This system comes with an 8" side-firing subwoofer, and the thing is absolutely gigantic. Looking at pictures of it online will not prepare you. It's not a problem for me, but if you are severely constrained with your space, it's definitely something to consider. It also has two satellites, each with a 3" driver to carry the midrange and a 1" tweeter to sustain the highs. A fantastic thing about these speakers is that every frequency stays where it should be at any volume level. For example, on many computer speakers/iPod docks, the bass becomes disproportionately lower as the volume goes down overall. Not with these.

I don't play PC games, but I do play my 360. Hooking these up and playing Halo Reach was amazing. When a grenade went off near me, I didn't just hear it, I felt it. And even though this is a 2.1 system, direction was still easy to pinpoint.

While I can't speak highly enough about these speakers, if I had to pick out a flaw, it would be that songs that have a heavy midrange (like rock) sound slightly muffled. But really, that's only in comparison to the sky-scraping standards of the rest of this system; rock sounds better on this than any other computer speakers or iPod dock I've heard, so it's still the best you can get.

When it comes to my hip hop, I'm a bit of a bass-head. While I don't want it to overpower the mids and highs, I want to feel it. Let me tell you from experience, this is the best bass you can get on any computer system or iPod dock at ANY price point. It's deep and low and incredibly multi-faceted. And when I blast Tupac's "Changes" at 80%, I can feel the bass vibrating my clothes while the piano notes stay crisp. It's amazing.

I was able to compare it to other bass-oriented systems, too; a friend lives in the back of my house, and he's been going through different iPod docks trying to find the right one. He had the Altec Lansing inMotion MIX iPod dock, and my system handily defeated it in all areas. After having to return the MIX three times to Amazon because of defects, he finally ordered the Beats by Dre dock. I was a little worried... was this where he would finally find the bass to overpower mine? The answer? Absolutely not. The bass doesn't hit as hard and sounds muddy when compared to the SP2500 (though bass is still good compared to other docks... it's just no contest in comparison to the SP2500), and the mids and highs were really compromised on his system. The Beats dock didn't even get as loud as the SP2500, which surprised me a little.

I'm rambling now, so I'll try to end this quickly. Simply put, this system is the best audio purchase I have ever made. It is great for all types of music and video games at any audio level. And if you love bass, this can definitely provide that; it easily bests systems that are two or three times the price of this that are specifically built for that purpose! Words really can't describe how much I love these.

If you're at all on the fence, order these (whether they're for your TV, computer, or even MP3 player) and try them out. Don't take my word for it. These are the best value in any speaker system at any price. Do it. You know you want to.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Corsair Speakers

By T. Cunningham
I read a review of these speakers in Maximum PC magazine. I needed a new set, and while they were more than I wanted to pay, I thought I would give them a try. I'm very glad I did. They sound excellent. They are easy to hook up, don't take up much space (except for the sub), and the desktop controller makes it easy to adjust the volume or settings.

My only complaint is that I didn't realize how big the sub is. It was a little challenging finding a good spot for it, but it's my fault for not reading the specs closely enough.

Overall, these are an excellent set of speakers, and I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in a quality sound system for their computer.
See all 29 customer reviews...

Cyber Acoustics CA-3550 2.1 Computer Speaker System - Silver

"List Price: ","$49.99"
"Price: ","$48.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details "
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Product Description
2.1-channel Speaker System

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Product Details

Brand: Cyber Acoustics
Model: CA-3550
Format: CD
Original language:
English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 9.00" h x
12.00" w x
12.75" l,
5.00 pounds


Features

2.1-channel PC speaker combo with convenient desktop on/off and volume control; subwoofer offers separate bass-level control
20 watts per channel x 2 for the satellites, plus a 26-watt powered subwoofer
Bass-reflex, dual-cannon ported subwoofer enclosure
Cloth grille covers; includes stereo "Y" adapter cable for use with video game boxes or other entertainment components
Includes 15-volt AC/DC power adapter and requisite hookup cables


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful.
I can't believe these reviews!

By DS
I've been using these speakers for maybe a couple of years now. I am in the process of looking for speakers for my wife's computer, and I was surprised to see these still available. Everyone who has heard these speakers played off my laptop (currently a Sony Vaio) are floored! I can't believe the bad reviews! And when I tell people that they only cost $40 they just can't believe it!

I wouldn't classify myself as an audio snob, but I do have a multi-$k home system, and a Mark Levinson system in my car, so I know what great sound sounds like. These speakers are clear and crisp, have incredible bass, and have the power to be played rather loudly. I'm right now listening to Real Jazz on XM, and the sound is clean. The bass can be a little boomy, but it is separately adjustable, and hey, these are $40 speakers!!

For those who think these speakers have poor sound, I have to believe that this is due either to (a) a poor sound card, or (b) limited bandwidth for achieving high fidelity.

I have had absolutely no problems with these speakers. I've knocked them off the desk multiple times, and the wiring continues to hold up. In fact, I like these so much that not only am I going to buy another set for my wife, but I also bought a system for my office. Unfortunately, that was a cheaper set, and the sound isn't quite as outstanding, but still I have had no problem with their reliability.

If they were $400 I wouldn't rate them this highly, but for $40 they're 5 stars!

55 of 67 people found the following review helpful.
Decent sound, but not for music

By D. Christensen
OK, this was kind of an impulse buy. I've had a problem watching TV late at night because if I turn the TV up loud enough to understand voices, my wife can't sleep. I'd considered headphones (cordless), but ruled them out as I like to lie down to watch TV, and headphones would be uncomfortable. Then I thought about putting speakers in the headboard of my bed, on my side. That way, I could add volume on my side of the bed only. It worked, by the way. If you have a problem with a spouse who can't sleep while you are watching TV, try a set of small speakers on your side of the bed only.Anyway, I'd go with Altec Lansing speakers for better sound (I already own them, and use them with my computer), but the only decent ones I could find at the CC I shopped in were much more than I wanted to spend. These Cyber Acoustic speakers were well within my price range, so I decided to give them a shot.The cabling of these speakers is horrible. The actual speaker wires are extremely thin and flimsy. What's worse, is that the speakers are packaged from the factory with about 6" (six INCHES) of separation between the left and right speakers. I'm not exaggerating. I almost returned them as (at first) I thought this was a factory defect. After all, you couldn't even use the speakers if they could only be separated by such a short distance. Then I noticed that the clip (which holds the left and right speaker wires together) was adjustable. This isn't much help, however. After you move the clip, the wires still need to be TORN apart to increase the separation between the speakers. The wires are so flimsy that it would be VERY easy to damage your speaker wires doing this. Another problem with the speaker wires is that they are permanently fixed to the speakers. Why is this a problem? Well it's not a problem, unless you need to mount the speakers in a cabinet of some kind, and want to route the wires out of sight. See, there's no way to pass the wires THROUGH a cabinet from one speaker to the other, without having to put a whole speaker through the cabinet. In my case, the areas of my headboard between the left and right speaker are separated by a divider. I wanted to route the cables through the back of the headboard, but I couldn't. I had to settle for leaving the cables on the headboard with the speakers. This looks ugly, and the cables interfere with my storing other stuff in the headboard. (such as TV remote)On sound quality . . . well, I bought these things to listen to TV with. We have Dish Network satellite service. I used RCA style cables to connect the Dish Network receiver to these speakers, using an adapter that came with the speakers. For TV use, the sound is OK. To get the subwoofer volume control (this is a separate control from main volume) set correctly, I hooked up a DVD player to these speakers and listened to one of my favorite music CDs. These speakers have lots of really low bass. That's not necessarily good. See, while it has lots of low bass, the mid-bass response is rather lacking. So with these speakers you either have not enough bass, or too much low bass, depending on how you adjust the subwoofer.For the price, the sound isn't too bad. I wouldn't recommend these speakers if your primary use is to listen to music though. As I said before, to listen to TV, the sound is decent. I imagine these speakers would be good for computer gaming, also.By the way, Cyber Acoustics claims these speakers are 60W. They could be, but CC seems to think that they are 40W. I like the power switch and ANALOG volume control on the right satellite speaker. These controls are handy, and work well.If you need speakers for music use, I'd recommend something by Altec Lansing. But try to get an analog volume control, if possible. My Altec Lansing three piece computer speakers are simply awesome for music use (mp3 files and such). They sound MUCH better than my new Cyber Acoustics speakers. But I don't like the digital up/down volume buttons on my Altec Lansing speakers. -Dave
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Choose something else

By W. Smith
I have a new set of these and I'm replacing them because they are horrible. I listen to music and the sound of these at anything approching any moderate volume is bad. Even at low volume the treble is distorted and crackels right out of the box. At most volume levels the sound breaks up and distorts very very badly. Both the bass and the treble are distorted. These may be ok for those who just want to hear the beeps of the computer but don't waste your money on these if you want to use them for any real listen pleasure. They have caused me nothing but greif and I would never consider buying any other product from this company.
See all 59 customer reviews...

Logitech X-540 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System with Subwoofer








Product Description
Whether you're into games or movies, you have to have great sound to totally immerse yourself into the experience and that's what you get from Logitech's X-540 speaker system. The FDD2(Frequency Directed Dual Driver) technology produces a uniform sound field anywhere in the room. A ported, down-firing sub-woofer moves massive amounts of air for a powerful bass response.

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Product Details

Brand: Logitech
Model: 970223-0403
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 12.50" h x
12.50" w x
12.50" l,
1.15 pounds


Features

Wired control centre
5.1 speaker system
Matrix mode
40 Hz - 20 kHz Frequency Response
Frequency Directed Dual Driver Technology


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
73 of 74 people found the following review helpful.
Very happy with my purchase

By justaviking
I am very happy with these speakers.

I replaced a cheap 2.1 set of speakers, and this sub-woofer is much better sounding than what I had before. Of course you could get even better sound by spending a lot more money, but I believe these are a very good value.

Remember you might need to reconfigure Windows and/or your BIOS and/or your Sound Card for a 5.1 speaker setup. When you are properly setup, you do NOT need to turn on the "Matrix" feature. That is only needed when you connect it to a simple stereo source like a video game console. Your computer will "upgrade" your stereo music to a 5.1 signal when configured correctly, so like I said, you can leave the Matrix button turned off when connected to your computer.

The only negative, as others have shared, is the CABLES ARE SHORT. Add $15 to the price to include a trip to Radio Shack for some RCA extension cables.

I am stilling giving this a 5-start rating, since I knew about the cable length issue before I bought it.
73 of 78 people found the following review helpful.
Blasted Away!!

By RebH
This little puppy rocks!! After adjusting the volume settings on 3 remotes and devices (Yes, I am very picky), well, let's just say that I have to keep the volume down. After listening to this system hooked up to my TV for just 1 hour, I turned the system off (for testing the audible difference), and found that I could Never go back to my TV only speakers. WOW is the word! This is great for "Gadget Freaks" like myself who just want to start small and inexpensive. If you have RCA Audio Out L/R (Red & White - You will also need an AV Cable both ends male to run from included adapter to TV) jacks on your TV, this system comes with the necessary adapter to hook it up to your TV. It took me a total of 3 minutes to set it up. A Breeze! Get 'em and see what kind of set up you can come up with. Yes, I know these are PC speakers, but for what I am doing I needed them to be compatible with my TV as well.
54 of 57 people found the following review helpful.
Logitech X-540 Speakers for TV sound

By MGB Driver
Since there are lots of comments about the lead lengths, maybe some data would help (why is it not in the official specs?). Here are the approximate lengths that came with mine:
Power input cord: 6ft 6in (to sub)
Wired remote: 5ft 6in (from sub)
Audio input: 6ft 2in (Three 3.5mm male stereo jack plugs on each end; green (front); black (rear); orange (center+sub)
Center speaker: 7ft 2in
Front speakers: 5ft 3in
Rear speakers: 14ft 2in
There is also an 8in adapter with a green stereo socket on one end, red and white female RCAs on the other (for use with a video game console).
If you only have a single stereo output to feed these speakers you will only get sound out of the two fronts and the sub, unless you select matrix. Personally I find the matrix mode artificial sounding and hard to listen to, but it seems a waste to only use two of the five speakers so I piggy-backed two one-to-two stereo adapters to make three outputs and plugged in the green, black and orange input plugs (somebody suggested a Radio Shack Boostaroo, but I think that requires batteries - I get plenty of output with the passive one-to-three split). The rear speakers can then be placed alongside the front speakers and the center speaker puts out the sum of the two stereo channels. This gives a very acceptable sound when plugged into the headphone output of the TV and volume can be set with the TV remote. This sound is very much better than the sound from the TV speakers. After going through the experimentation to arrive at this setup I am very happy with this purchase.

See all 397 customer reviews...

Creative Inspire T5400 5.1SPEAKER with sub Wired Remote 115 Watt








Product Description
Pure 5.1 Performance From 115 Watts Of Power And High-Fidelity Two-Way Speakers

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Product Details

Brand: Creative
Model: 51MF4025AA002
Dimensions: 20.00 pounds


Features

115 Watts System Power: powerful 5.1 gaming, movie, and music system at an incredible value
Two-way speaker design: tweeter and mid range driver in three front speakers enhance acoustic performance
Versatile wired remote: controls for power on/off, volume, bass, and headphone jack for private gaming and music listening


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful.
Very nice little setup

By Music man
This is my first sound system for my PC and I'm very happy with it. Being a music student sound is very important to me and so I made sure to hear a lot of systems and frankly most just sucked until you got to the $300-$400 range and I just didn't have that much money to shell out. So giving up on the computer stores I went to cambridge soundworks and I actually bought their Megaworks 210D it was $200. I was extremely disappointed with it, while the 150 watt subwoofer was killer, the two satellite speakers hissed which was annoying. It didn't treat all music styles equally and was easily distorted when playing music without a lot of low end such as movie soundtracks and classical music. The highs were piercing and hard on the ears as well. This was true on all music styles even with the treble turned all the way down. So I returned it the next day and bought the Creative T5400 system after talking with a neighbor who had the 5200. I was extremely pleased after I got it setup. (By the way setting it up is very easy and mounting the speakers on the walls couldn't be easier, its like hanging a picture frame. All you need is a nail and hammer.) While it doesn't have the power or the bass that the cambridge megaworks had, the 5 speakers are clear and comfortable to listen to at high volumes. The subwoofer isn't going to blow the windows out of your house but it does its job nicely and compliments the speakers very well. Mine is setup in my bedroom which is about average size and it delivers a nice balanced sound that fills the room. It's a very nice system at a very good price that does well with music, games, and movies. You definitely won't be disappointed. Whatever you decide get a 5.1 system, there wasn't one 2.1 system out there that I would recomend buying. For the same price or a little more you can get a 5.1 system. I was concerned with space as some of you might be, but don't worry about space you'll figure something out. Like I said these speakers are very easy to mount on your wall. Good luck to you! I hope this helps.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
MONSTEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By A Customer
I bought these speakers along with a Audigy2 ZS. I installed the card and came across a printing error. My speaker instructions had the wrong instructions on how to hook up the speakers to the sound card. After a little fiddling, i realized the problem. The Speaker instructions had me plugging the chords into the wrong jacks. BE SURE TO LOOK AT YOUR SOUND CARD'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CORRECT JACKS. Also MAKE SURE THAT YOUR COMPUTER ISNT SENDING DIGITAL OUTPUT IF IT IS, CHANGE IT FOR THESE SPEAKERS. My comp was set to this and there was nothing at all. Other that that the setup was fairly easy other that the fact that the front-side speakers arent on red/black speaker cable making it hard to get a true 5.1 setup with the 5 foot attached chords. The back speakers are on bare wire connections and make it easy to run different wire (sold separately)to the speakers. Ther are also PLUGS NOT BARE WIRES going to the sub so i had to tape the rear wires onto the provided plug cables. After i ran the cables and fixed all of the problems MY MIND WAS BLOWN AWAY. I havent listened to as good of music quality since my parents 4000 dollar BOSE system. These speakers are monsterous. I have the volume barely on and my 10 foot cube room shakes like crazy. Very good look and easy tweaking is beautiful. Other than the few glitches in the setup, it was a beautiful purchase for 100 bucks!! Just be sure to have a sound card that can handle the 5.1 speakers. My friend loved mine so much that he bought them an d tried to run them on an integrated sound. DIDNT WORK AT ALL. I LOVE THESE SPEAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Astounding sound

By A student
I bought these about a year ago, along with a Creative Labs SB Audigy Platinum 5.1 card. Whether you are using these speakers for gaming, music, or movies, the quality of the sound is amazing. The highs are crisp, the bass is pure, and the overall sound presense is great. If you are looking for a well-priced quality set of 5.1 speakers, these are most definately the choice for any computer or small home/dorm room entertainment system.
See all 8 customer reviews...

Cyber Acoustics 2.1 Computer Speakers (CA-3090)

"Price: ","$29.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details "
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Product Description
Elegant and sleek, the CA-3090 is a 2.1 computer speaker system that offers you high quality sound without taking up too much desk space. The CA-3090’s satellites allow an optimal listening experience by providing impeccable clarity. The separate control pod turns the speaker on and off, while sporting an LED power indicator. Satellite volume is easily adjustable via the control pod, which also has an optional auxiliary input and headphone jack. With subwoofer control located within reach, the bass volume level is conveniently scalable. Use the handy mp3 player cradle to safely mount your mp3 player, iPhone, or iPod when connected.

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Product Details

Brand: Cyber Acoustics
Model: CA-3090
Format: CD
Original language:
English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 3.54" h x
4.72" w x
3.94" l,
6.00 pounds


Features

Subwoofer Flat Panel Mp3 Cradle
Color: Black


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
56 of 56 people found the following review helpful.
Surprising Sound

By David J. Brule
I was an audio nut long before I was a computer nut and am rather particular about sound. I bought these speakers as a gift for a friend and set them up for her with her computer. At the price, I figured that they would be speakers that would "get her by" so that she could hear what was going on with her computer.

After the speakers were set up, I turned on some music through her onboard sound. I found the speakers to be quite a bit more than expected. They had crisp, clean highs that rival that of my more expensive Yamaha computer speakers. And the subwoofer produces a warm, tight bass that hangs in there even with the deep thump of todays music.

Though I'm a novice at audio equipment set up, I believe that I'd be safe to say that hooking these up would be easy for anyone. Everything is clearly marked.

These speakers have been being used for 3-4 weeks now, and there have been no issues. I would highly recommend these speakers, especially at their price.

One last note, I have been able to personally compare these speakers to, as previously mentioned, Yamaha computer speakers and Creative Sound Labs speakers as well. My opinion is that these sound the best.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
Amazing for the price

By S. Ostrander
I was looking for big sound with a very small price tag to fit in a small space and I found it! I am very fussy about sound but knew I didn't have the wallet at the moment to match. But since my very old speakers crapped out, adequate speakers would be better than no music at all. THis system came as a very welcome surprise. The sound is crisp. Subwoofer provides a reasonable amount of bass (you won't get floor thumping out of it) and is not too big for the shelf it needs to fit on. It gets quite a range of sound for the price. And it produces fairly big sound -- not at all that tinny compressed sound of cheap PC speakers. I expected maybe one step up given the price tag but got so much more. If you are on a budget, this is the way to go.

One word of caution from the box -- the subwoofer is not shielded so you have to be careful where you place in relation to your computer!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Really nice 2.1 speaker set

By A. Cheng
I've owned this speaker set for 2 years of extensive use and it finally gave up on me. It out performed my old Yamaha 2.0 and Altec Lansing 2.1 sets, while priced at fractions of their prices.

Pro:
Great sound, crisp high, mid & low are present, enough to rock your gaming and personal movie-in-a-pc sessions. Slick design with cool blue light accents on both satellite speakers. Full control with power on/off, volume & bass gain. Very affordable.

Con:
Vulnerable to cell phone signal interference. Could use deeper bass.
See all 63 customer reviews...

Logitech Speaker System Z323 with Subwoofer

"List Price: ","$69.99"
"Price: ","$57.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details "
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Product Description
Transport yourself into your music, movies and games with the 30-watt (RMS) Logitech Speaker System Z323. With 360-degree sound, the Z323 speakers help project audio evenly in all directions, so you get a great listening experience throughout the room. 1 dual RCA jack and a 3.5 mm jack make it easy to connect your gaming console, DVD player or iPod.

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Product Details

Color: Black
Brand: Logitech
Model: 980-000354
Format: CD-ROM
Original language:
English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 9.75" h x
9.87" w x
9.37" l,
8.00 pounds

CPU: PowerPC G4 2.1 GHz
Memory: 2000000MB SDRAM
Hard Disk: 60GB
Processors: 1

Features

Immersive Logitech 360-degree sound for crystal-clear, room-filling audio.
Ported, down-firing subwoofer delivers deep, rich bass
RCA and 3.5 mm inputs for easy connections to gaming console, DVD player or iPod.
Integrated headphone jack for private listening.
30 Watt (RMS) of power produces big, bold full-range sound


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
88 of 96 people found the following review helpful.
Great 360 degree speaker system.

By Jim
At 30 Watts RMS, Logitech's Z323 speaker system is the smaller sibling to their 40 Watt RMS Z523 system. As I indicate in my Amazon review of the Z523 system, I am mightily impressed with it, as I am with the Z323 system. As I say in my review of the Z523 system, it makes the other PC/MP3-player type speaker systems I own and have owned obsolete (one major reason for this being that the system features "360 degree" or omnidirectional sound). The decrease in wattage comes at a thirty dollar decrease in the manufacturer's suggested retail price. The subwoofer is smaller (approximately 8 1/2 inches high measuring from the bottom of the feet by 5 1/2 inches wide by 8 inches deep, compared to approximately 10 inches high by 9 X 9 for the Z523 sub), and unlike the bass control knob for the Z523 system, which is conveniently located right below the volume knob on the right satellite, the bass control for the Z323 system is inconveniently located on the upper rear of the sub. I say inconveniently because I like to be able to change the bass level depending on what I'm listening to, and in order to change the bass level on the Z323 system I have to get up and walk around my desk and get down on the floor. With the Z523 system I just reach in front of me to the right speaker.

The Z323 satellites are virtually the same size, shape, and design as the Z523 satellites. (One difference is that the Z323 satellites have ports on the front while the Z523 have rear-facing ports.) A side by side "experiential" comparison with the Z523 satellites leads me to rate the Z323 satellites equal or perhaps a tad better, and the highs seem slightly warmer. When playing a selection by the German band Seabound on which the speaker whispers some lyrics (in English), I could make out the words when listening with the Z323s whereas I could not make them out as easily when listening with the Z523s.

Classical music sounds great on the Z323 system. A side by side comparison of the Z323 with the Z523 systems playing selections from the recently released recording of Mozart's opera Idomeneo conducted by Rene Jacobs, as well as a sampling of BBC Radio 3, leads me to rate each system equal in sound quality.

When listening to rock music played through my laptop with the laptop volume and the subwoofer bass knob turned to the maximum levels, the Z323 subwoofer's sound became distorted and I had to turn the bass knob down to nearly the half-way point before it was undistorted. I have never experienced that with the Z523 system, and sometimes I play that system very loud (e.g., when working out in an adjacent room).

Like the Z523 system, the Z323 system delivers "360 degree" or omnidirectional sound, made possible by the fact that the satellites have speakers on their backs as well as their fronts.

And like the Z523 system, the Z323 system sounds great whether the source is my laptop, MP3 player, or portable CD player.

If I had to choose one system over the other, assuming floor space to accommodate the subwoofer is not an issue and assuming the additional cost of the Z523 over the Z323 is not a deal-breaker, I would choose the Z523 system over the Z323 system for three reasons: Location of the bass control knob is considerably more convenient (for me, at least); I don't like that the Z323 subwoofer sound gets distorted when I turned the audio volume and subwoofer volume to their maximum levels; and because the speakers on the Z323 satellites are unprotected, unlike the speakers on the Z523 satellites which are protected by metal grills. (Regarding the distortion at high volume and high bass level, nothing appears to be loose; the screws that secure the subwoofer speaker to the cabinet are tight and the port cone is not at all loose. My guess is that the smaller subwoofer simply can't handle that much volume. Regarding the unprotected speakers on the Z323 satellites, this matters to me because I seem to be prone to knocking over PC speakers, causing them to fall from desktop to floor, and I anticipate that one of these days the cat will knock one over.) Having said all that, if my set up was such that I worked in a small room and I could place the subwoofer close enough to me on the floor that I could reach down behind it to adjust the bass knob, and I didn't anticipate ever wanting to play the system very loud (by which I mean really blasting it), then I think the Z323 system would be an excellent choice. (I rated it 3 out of 5 stars for "Comfort" and 4 for "Ease of use" because of what to me is the inconvenient location of the bass knob.)
38 of 46 people found the following review helpful.
Not bad for the price range, not spectacular though

By Naomi (Storm)
Having owned several speaker systems through the years and generally finding the Logitech series a bit on the bassy side overall, I was excited to be able to test out the new Z323 set to see how their systems have come along.

Comparison speakers:
Creative Labs SBS260 (~$30), Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 THX (~$400)

Sound Tests:
Music: Janice Ian - Breaking Silence, Eagles - Hotel California (Live - Hell Freezes Over) both FLAC
Games: World of Warcraft, Plants vs. Zombies (because I can!)
Movies: Fifth Element (Opera scene), Top Gun (first dogfight)

Sound Card:
Creative Labs X-Fi, default Windows sound control panel applet

Music Test:
I like using both the Janice Ian and Eagles song because both songs have a very high fidelity requirement. The bass should be punchy but not overwhelming and the treble in the instruments should be clear and sharp. Having a good sound system will also make a world of difference when hearing the vocals.

The Logitechs performed much better than the Sound Blasters (as expected), the sub providing much more "oomph" than the built in woofer in the smaller SBS260's. When compared to the Klipschs' though, the sound quality was noticeably lacking in the clarity department. The treble and higher notes were reproduced relatively faithfully, although the depth of the vocal range felt very flat and limited. What was particularly noticeable however, was the bass bleed. First, the subwoofer had to be turned down to at least half-power in order to stop bass-distortion, but even at that point the bass was very "thuddy". Within the song "Hotel California," the bass drum should strike and feel like a quick blow to the chest, however the Logitech's produced a sound akin to being hit by a hollow funnel bat - a reverberation of bass. So as an example, a bass drum note which ideally should have been about 0.3s long was more like 0.5s long because of the bleed.

Game Test:
Neither World of Warcraft nor Plants vs. Zombies really uses surround sound in their gaming products like some other games (Doom 3 springs to mind), however for the immersion effect, the Z323's worked well enough. While I won't go so far as to say that it felt like I was in Azeroth fighting the Scourge horde, the sound was clear enough to serve its purpose. You could set the Z323s up in a room, turn them up and forget about anything outside that little world.

Movie Test:
Again the fuzziness of the speakers and the bass bleed came into the forefront with the movie test. If you're planning on watching movies at around half volume, these speakers aren't bad, but they're definitely not the first choice for building a media center type PC (unless you're just streaming from the PC, of course). The "surround" aspect of the speakers was firmly planted in the "not bad" area, but not really excelling. These speakers sound immersive for being a 2.1 system, but don't buy the hype that these will replace a true surround system.

Conclusion:
In the sub-$100 range, these speakers aren't bad at all. There aren't too many speakers on the market right now in the $50-80 price range that can truly be called awesome speakers - including these. While these may not be an amazing speaker, they are above adequate. That being said, if you're just looking for a cheap pair of speakers to get sound that's better than the ones built into your monitor, there are cheaper alternatives available which produce sound not too far off from these. On the flip side of the coin, these speakers are not the ones to get if you're looking to build PC to watch movies on or play environmentally immersive games (nor if you're just an audiophile, but I suppose that's implied).

These speakers are a good choice for users who have limited space available and don't plan on playing their sound on very high volume (like apartment dwellers or kids computers).

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Wonderful addition for a desktop computer

By A. Hudson
I own a lot of Logitech products from webcams to notebook risers so I knew I was receiving a quality item.

Setting up the system took about five minutes and that was opening the box and plugging in the wires. I decided to try them out on my desktop computer. I placed the satellite speakers on the each of the monitor on my desk and the sub-woofer on the floor but raised it a bit on a small stand. The system was `plug n' play' and no software was needed.

I tested these out with watching videos on a well known video site. I watched TV/movie clips which came in very clear. I played a few music videos but found myself adjusting the bass level, which is at the back of the sub-woofer to find a comfortable level for listening. Once I found what I considered to be the right setting for me I decided to play some of my Amazon Video on Demand TV shows. I was very impressed with the sound quality. It is very clear and no interference whatsoever from any of the other devices I have in my office. Having the satellite speakers on the side of my desk I had full benefits of the `360' sound. It was nice not to have the sound directional but to be able to walk around and still hear the sound from the side very well.

I have been using these speakers for two weeks now and did not know what I was missing until I plugged these in. The speakers are very attractive as well with a nice shiny look to them. At the time of writing this review I cannot thing of one negative thing about these speakers. I would recommend these to someone looking for a great set of speakers without wanting to break the bank. I would also say these are great speakers for apartments or dorms since you can adjust the bass level on the sub-woofer. Logitech has done it once again with another quality product.

See all 93 customer reviews...

Logitech X-530 5.1 Speaker System

"List Price: ","$79.99"
"Price: ","$78.00"
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Product Description
Immerse yourself in clean, crisp, consistent 5.1 surround sound from your games, movies and more. The Logitech X-530 speaker system features a high-tech subwoofer that delivers distortion-free bass and five wall-mountable satellite speakers that eliminate the uneven sound response created by conventional dual-driver designs.

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Product Details

Brand: Logitech
Model: 970114-0403
Platform: Not Machine Specific
Original language:
English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 13.00" h x
16.80" w x
14.00" l,
17.00 pounds


Features

51-Channel speaker system for PCs, audio receivers, DVD players, or game consoles
FDD2 satellite technology produces uniform sound field for rich results
Dedicated center channel enhances dialogue
Master volume and subwoofer level controls for convenient access
70 Watts total system power (74 watts x 4, plus 155-watt center speaker and 25-watt subwoofer)


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
151 of 176 people found the following review helpful.
Outstanding!

By ChirsB
These speakers are the first 5.1 speaker system i have bought. before, i had a stereo, and i connected to my PC, with PowerDVD and with Trusurround( a 5.1 simulation service with a 2.0 system), there were no complain at all, although i wanted to give it a try with true 5.1 system.

I was checking on Internet for a 5.1 system not too expensive, in fact creative speakers are cheap,but the bad reviews made me change my mind. so i dicided to go on Logitech.

i was about to buy the Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System, the price is low (40 bucks!), but i checked the logitech web site, and there were new speakers, this speaker were just 10 more bucks than z-640, and the review i saw on: digitalreviews.net
that practically says that this speakers were comparable with the Logitech's higher end models such as the Z-5300 that cost more than 150 bucks, so i bought it.

i have just tested yesterday, connecting with a dvd player, that has dolby digital decode built-in, maybe this kinds of dvd player has no good quality decoding, but the sound i heard yesterday was amazing, especially the subwoofer, it's like the theater sound really.
Although the power is only 70 watts, and with peak of 140, the sound power were outstanding.

I tested with, Return of the king, Das Boot, The impire strikes back, kill bill vol 2, and it's like to see a new complete different movie!.

Imagine how it's gonna sound with my Audigy zs 2(thx certified), that i have just ordered from Amazon.

Update()
Well i have just set up my audigy zs 2 in my pc, and i was blown away, you can clearly notice the direction of the sound, i was watching kill bill vol 1, and for the fisrt time i was listening new sounds, i have never listened with my stereo system before.
and the subwoofer is really unbelievable, you can turn the volume of every speaker off and up, and the subwoofer too.
but in high volumnes the bass loses....

there's also another problem with the sub, it mixes with the front speakers, so when there's voices in the front speakers, you can hear voices comming out from the sub. bad!

After reading the bad reviews for these speakers, i must tell you that these sepakers are what you paid for.for music and games, the sound would be not so good(because of the lack of mid range), but for movies, o my god for 50.00 bucks you never find something similar, every night i watch the lord of the rings (the pallenor fields) in DTS with the audigy zs 2 sound card decoding, you hear voices, sounds(behind you) you'll never listened in an stereo system. it's amazing what you get for only 53 bucks.
There's also a scene in Kill Bill Vol 1 when the bride wakes up after the coma, there's is a mosquito sound that makes you belive you have one behind you, i always show these for demostration of sorround sound to my firends, and i have a good time watching their reactions, amazing.

i gave five stars because of quality - cost. you will never find something similar under 100 bucks.....

if you don' like it, go to buy the Logitech Z-5500 ($300.00).
So what's 250 bucks HE!!!!
84 of 96 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent engineering

By Karthik
This speaker system is designed to handle the audio specturm with high degree of professionalism. The handling of base is very excellent but guys unless u have a dolby 5.1 device or a adapter you wouldnt need all the speakers given. 3 speakers will simply sleep in the box. other than that i highly recommand this piece.

---Update--
I bought a 5.1 Dolby USB adapter to match this device's input requirement. Later I found another catch that the DVD player software which comes along with our laptop can only give a stereo output [Due to some license regards with Dolby systems]so even with this interface only 3 of the 6 speakers are producing sound and to make them [all 6] give 5.1 Dolby sound one needs to upgrade their DVD software. WinDVD 5 is my Sony Vaio's default DVD player software and i have orderd for its upgrade which costs some $12+shipping. So finaly to utilise this device to its full at a COMPUTER one needs to have

1.USB - 5.1 Dolby adapter device
2.DVD software that reproduces 5.1 Dolby [upgrade]
3 Most importantly Movie DVD with 5.1 Dolby sound track or a Player software that can simulate 5.1 dolby from ordinary stereo recordings.

The above will add a price tag $20+$15+Shipping minimum but they are worth the Music effect this device is capable of.

Another Update:
If you cant affort extra USB interface and a software, just use a "Y" male to female 3.5mm stereo adaptor to the green and black male pin and feed 4 speakers and the woofer [Not the center "two-eyed" speaker, its not going to make a difference for this idea]. Believe me by placing alike channel speakers [say "Left"] on your left side of your room/bed and the another channel ["right"] on the right side with the woofer facing you. you would get a good stereo phonic sound reproduction. let the source be a mp3 player or a walkman or your laptop or your movie player.

I bet, you will remember/thank me every time you enjoy the stereo phonic effect. Is the Dolby corporation reading this :P
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
Great price but....

By db
Speakers sound fantastic, up to a certain volume level, at which point they begin to show deficiencies in bass and mid-range response. They do a pretty good job filling a small room, but if you like your music loud, you'll find yourself maxing out all volume level controls, wishing you could go one notch higher. I have yet to watch a movie in 5.1 surround (remember, you'll need a sound card that supports a 5 speaker set-up), but I'm sure they'll handle quite well.

Certainly a good value, but if you are truly looking to upgrade to "the next level" like I was, you may consider spending a bit more money.

See all 207 customer reviews...

Creative Labs Inspire T3200 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System with Dual Cone Drivers








Product Description
Creative Labs Inspire T3200 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System with Dual Cone Drivers

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Product Details

Brand: Creative Labs
Model: 51MF0371AA002
Platform: Windows
Format: CD
Original language:
English, French, Spanish
Dimensions: 10.20" h x
12.20" w x
9.40" l,


Features

2.1 Speaker System
Dual cone drivers for balanced audio playback
Ported subwoofer with adjustable bass control
Convenient remote control with integrated cradle
Works with computer MP3 player and other audio sources


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Great Value

By Thomas Kogut
For the price these speakers are just great. They sound very full for being a 2.1 system and the small speakers blend with the sub well giving the illusion of much bigger speakers. Another good part of this system is the iPod holder which does not charge your iPod but does have external volume control and two input cables, a long one for my computer and short one for the iPod in the holder so you don't have to unplug anything to switch between the two. The speakers have keyhole mounts on the back of them which makes mounting them super easy. Also the sub has a knob for the bass level which is great feature on a system this affordable. The only sound quality issue I had was just not the best highs but for the price this system is well worth it.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
as good as it gets

By Paul Bartolotta
I just recieved my 1st creative labs product yesterday, I cant believe the difference from my dell computer speakers, this setup is small and sounds as good as my stereo with 30" speakers, now Ilisten to all my music on my computer ,more than worth the money
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
For the price

By J. C. McGrath
Simply put - for the price, a great set of speakers. The holder simply holds your i-pod, no connection but the external volume control is a great feature. As with all my experiances with Amazon, it is a pleasure to do business with this company. Came as scheduled, perfect condition, and you get an email for each step of the journey until it hits your door.
See all 8 customer reviews...

Creative Labs Inspire A200 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System








Product Description
Creative Speaker Inspire A200,PC multimedia speaker system, 2.1 Speaker Systems, 4 languages(English/Franch/Portuguese/Spanish), 2 x satellite speaker and 1 x subwoofer,Color is black.

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Product Details

Brand: Creative Labs
Model: 51MF0355AA005
Original language:
English, French, Spanish
Dimensions: 10.20" h x
9.60" w x
12.20" l,
6.60 pounds


Features

Product Type - PC multimedia speaker system
System Components - 2.1 Speaker System
Response Bandwidth - 45Hz - 20kHz
Subwoofer -- 5.9 in x 6.3 in x 7.9 in


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
Best at this price range

By Brett J. Natarelli
I love these speakers. I tended to like Creative's line better than others, so I got their flagship $100 speakers. I'm not even sure those sounded better than these $20-30 ones. If they did, it wasn't by much. Returned them and got these.

This won't give you loud powerful sound or anything. No computer speakers will. But you can crank it plenty loud - and gunshots will sound like gunshots, not random noise. They're very clear.

As far as I'm concerned, the only worthwhile jump up from these speakers is to go to a legit surround\stereo system or to try some $200-400 Bose ones (I've had mixed results with those over the years, some great, some not).

My only complaint about these is that the cords are all too short, shorter than most computer speaker set ups, and that made it tricky to set up the way I wanted.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Can't get any better for the price

By Burr
I purchased these as an extra pair of speakers to have around the house for a laptop, portable dvd player, or anyone with a distaste for headphones that brings over their computer. Well, they ended up replacing my main set for my gaming desktop above a pair of more expensive Altec Lansing speakers. This simple Creative speaker system is of high quality, well-built, and has a very clean sound. I was surprised by the quality of the sound, as well as the power considering the price. They have a ton of bass; so much so that I had to adjust my bass settings in Windows to tone it down a little.

I have one complaint. I'm not sure how others have their computers set up, but mine is to the left of my chair. The problem is the right speaker is the one with the 3.5mm plug that goes into the sound card, and the wire is only about 4 ft. long. It was way too short to reach down the back of my desk and all the way over to the back of my PC, so I had to buy an extension wire. For some that might defeat the purpose of buying on a budget if you need an extra piece of hardware.


7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Updated--Ok, but wayyyyy too much bass

By S. Goldstein
Update--April 6, 2009: The bass was so overpowering and muddy that I finally could not abide it anymore, and I returned the speaker set to Amazon. It is possible that my unit was defective. It is also possible that the bass rendition of the signal by the TV was wanting in the lower frequency range, and that use of this set with a computer or other system with higher-fidelity output would yield more acceptable sound renditions. Amazon's willingness to permit returns is one reason that I continue to give the majority of my on-line business to them--thank you, Amazon, for accepting my return. I replaced the Creative speaker set with a really cheap "no-name" set purchased on sale at a local branch of an office supply chain, and it is somewhat more acceptable for listening to TV programming. Your mileage may vary.

===================== ORIGINAL REVIEW: =====================

I bought these based on extensive reading of reviews at Amazon, comparing them to several other alternatives, all under $50. My main reason for buying the Creative set was that nobody seemed to complain that they were shoddy or that they stopped working after several months, or that there was a 60 Hz hum, all complaints about any other set that I contemplated purchasing. They arrived in a few days from a nearby Amazon stocking point, even with free shipping...I ALWAYS appreciate Amazon's speedy service.

Like so many other reviewers, I found the bass overpowering, making the sound from my 23" Samsung HDTV (which, by itself sounded tinny and harsh) overly muddy, save for the equalizer built into the TV. I had to turn the equalizer's bass frequency response down to the lowest setting to render the speakers acceptable. They are much better than the TV alone, of course, but I view this purchase as the least of all evils, because the other alternatives had such dire caveats. I think that I would have had a better listening experience from some of the other alternatives, though at the risk of product failure. However, like the other alternatives that burned out, this unit, too, was made in China. I can only hope that Creative has exercised its quality control and that this set will live up to the good name of Creative.

Also, I wish that there were a separate ON/OFF switch instead of a combined ON/OFF-Volume switch. That would make it easier to turn it off without losing the accustomed volume setting.
See all 32 customer reviews...

Logitech Speaker System Z623

"List Price: ","$149.99"
"Price: ","$109.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details "
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Product Description
Logitech speaker system z623 with thx-certified 2.1 system delivers big, bold sound with 200 watts (rms) of power-from your music, movies, and games.

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Product Details

Color: Black
Brand: Logitech
Model: 980-000402
Format: CD-ROM
Original language:
English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 12.25" h x
11.87" w x
17.31" l,
20.00 pounds


Features

THX-certified 2.1 speaker system brings your music, movies and games to life in immersive studio-quality audio
200 watts (RMS) gives you the power to listen as loud as you want to
RCA and 3.5mm inputs make it easy to plug in up to three audio devices?your computer, iPod, game console, DVD player and more
Two satellite speakers and a powerful subwoofer deliver sound big enough to fill even large entertainment rooms
On-speaker controls lets you easily dial the volume and bass up or down


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
88 of 100 people found the following review helpful.
A Great Speaker System

By David Bennett
I love listening to music and watching movies on my computer, but I have always relied on relatively cheap speakers (or even my built-in laptop speakers) to provide my sound. I decided to order these speakers and take my music and videos to "the next level" and see if these speakers could deliver the loud, clear, and rich sound I expect from more expensive stereo systems and speakers.

Below are my positive and negative evaluations of the Logitech Z623 speaker system.

Positive:

- The subwoofer is huge, and provides a nice, rich, bass sound. I am amazed at the loudness and clarity of the bass.

- The speakers may seem little, but they produce a big and rich sound, with very little vibration or feedback.

- The overall sound quality and clarity is impressive. When I listened to my favorite songs, I heard sounds and instruments I had never heard before. Watching videos with these speakers has opened up an entirely new (and great) listening experience!

- To test the unit's power, I turned the volume on full blast (with the computer volume turned on full as well) and the sound was pretty much flawless. I didn't hear any rattling or feedback. These speakers are pretty loud, and definitely loud enough for what I need.

Negative:

- The cords are a little short, but not too short as to be annoying.

- The unit is large (the entire set weighs about 22 lbs). This means that moving the speakers and subwoofer is a little inconvenient. I am used to moving speakers around with my laptop. I really can't do this with these speakers.

Overall, this is a great speaker system, and I am glad I upgraded from the cheap speakers. Until now, I didn't know what I was missing using cheaper speakers. I plan on using these speakers any time I watch a video, listen to music, or play games. Their loud and rich sound has turned my computer into a powerful stereo system (I want to throw a party just to show them off!). If you want to take your listening to the next level, these speakers are for you.
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
Quality 2.1 System for Music and Games

By Danny Ko
I mainly got this set for music and some games. After the terrible disappointment with the Logitech Z506, I decided to try my chances on this set. I was afraid the bass is too overpowering for music but it turned out perfect.

Pros
+ Bass is truly clean and powerful
+ Great highs and mids as well
+ No buzzing, humming, crackling noises
+ On-speaker bass and volume controls w/ aux and headphones

Cons
- Speaker wires alittle short. Maybe 2 feet more would of been nice.
- More expensive than the z-2300

Overall for music lovers and gamers, this set is a great investment.
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful.
Great sound at a low price

By Goosecat
I listened to the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks for years and was happy with the crisp, clean sound and good bass. However, it lacked midrange and didn't have much of a soundstage. A few weeks ago, I upgraded to Axiom Audiobytes which blew my Soundsticks away with a rich sound and expansive soundstage. I've received the Logitech's to review and have done a direct A-B-C comparison of all three 2.1 systems.

Overall, the Logitech's stack up very well with the Audiobytes which cost significantly more at $530. The Logitech soundstage is very good, but not ridiculously expansive like the Audiobytes. The Logitech's musical quality is excellent although slightly harsher than the silky smooth Audiobytes. Voice clarity is great on both systems. Both do a good job with high, mid, and low range frequencies. The subwoofers are similar in that they complement rather than shake the walls. Even though the Audiobytes sound better, any differences between the 2 systems are subtle, and I honestly wouldn't lose much switching to the Logitech's. In short, I am extremely impressed with the Logitech's and would be happy using them permanently.

Direct comparison to the Soundsticks reveals Logitech as clearly superior. The Soundsticks simply sound small compared to the Logitech's. The strength of the Soundsticks is high-end clarity and this is matched by the Logitech's. Frequency balance is significantly better with the Logitech's because the Soundsticks lack midrange. The Soundsticks' sub is a little more boomy than the Logitech but both work well. Since both speaker sets cost the same, the Logitech's are the obvious choice.

The build quality of the Logitech's is very good. The satellites are solidly constructed with nice heft. Control knobs are big and easy to use. The teardrop design looks great on your desk. Built-in wire grills on the satellites and sub not only look good but do a good job protecting the speakers. The satellites are angled slightly upward at about a 15 degree angle which helps decrease any sound reflection off your desk and obviates the need for speaker stands. A minor negative is the cables which connect the satellites to the sub are only 6 feet long so if you want to put your sub far away, you won't be able to do so.

In summary, if you are looking for a great computer speaker, don't hesitate to get the Logitech Z623. If you are fanatical about audio quality, you can do better with the Audiobytes albeit at a much higher cost.

See all 216 customer reviews...

Altec Lansing VS4621 Octane 7, 2.1 Computer Speaker

"List Price: ","$79.99"
"Price: ","$61.82 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details "
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Product Description
A small system that takes on any challenge, the Octane 7 punches heavy sound. A lot more than meets the eye, this versatile system is packing seven custom-designed drivers. Unique down-firing midrange drivers hidden inside each satellite speaker blast waves which reflect from a hard surface, sending sound rocketing in all directions. A sharp, compact design lets this astonishing system fit in easily with your style. With the monster subwoofer pushing serious bass and the midrange drivers flooding the room with warm sound, this is a small system that delivers enormous sound. Plug in your computer or device and get serious audio in any situation

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Product Details

Color: Black
Brand: Altec Lansing
Model: VS4621
Original language:
English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 13.00" h x
14.00" w x
15.00" l,
14.40 pounds


Features

Crisp high end Specially engineered micro drivers reproduce crystal-clear highs
Exceptional sound dispersion Down-firing midrange drivers fire sound in all directions, delivering warm, enveloping sound in a small footprint
Thunderous bass Formidable lows from a tough, compact 6.5? woofer. Shakes the room without eating up space
Audio Alignment Drivers, enclosure and electronics are balanced for optimum sound.
Built-in controls Volume, bass and treble controls at your fingertips


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful.
OK set of compact mid-range PC Speakers; BUT bass lacks clarity and speakers sound muffled.

By Senor Zoidbergo
The Altec Lansing Octane 7 bills itself as a small compact unit with thunderous bass; it's small and compact, but the bass leaves a bit to be desired.

PACKAGING: The system comes in a lightweight ~ 27.5-lb box, with a subwoofer, left and right speaker towers, a warranty booklet, and all cables necessary for setup. Minus the box and packaging, the speakers weigh just 12.5 lbs. There is no instruction manual; the instructions are printed directly on the box flap, so don't throw that box away! (although speaker setup is self-explanatory). Setup took all of 30 seconds to finish.

OVERALL DESIGN: I was immediately impressed by the slender design of the left and right speakers. The speakers each have a vertical tower upper portion, which flares downwards into a circular conical shaped bottom which houses various speaker drivers. It's a clean, compact design, which fits well on my small desk. The left speaker is the main control unit, which houses a sub-woofer cable connection, a main volume control button with power on/off light, separate treble/bass control knobs, and an auxiliary input. The volume/treble/bass knobs have a small, almost invisible ridge indicating dial position. The subwoofer itself also has a power button; the two power buttons seem redundant, but it's convenient to have an extra power button within easy reach on the left speaker. The left/right speakers are made of a solid matte plastic that does not retain fingerprints, and the conical shape gives them a steady base that is unlikely to tip over. The speaker grille is a hard mesh that allows 180 degree output. The overall build quality seems excellent.

SOUND: How does it sound? Bear in mind, this is a small system. The wattage is measured at just 28 watts RMS; for comparison, I used to own a set of Klipsch ProMedia v.2-400 4.1 speakers, and those had 400 watts RMS! The Altec Lansing speakers do an excellent job of immersing you in a surround sound environment. The tower speaker design contributes towards this aspect. At the same time, the significant drawback of the tower speaker design with drivers stored in the flared base is that the sound emanating from the speakers is muffled and muddy sounding. Moreover, I was disappointed by the bass, considering that this is a fairly pricey mid-range speaker set ($75). It also sounded muddy, and wasn't as clear and as crisp as I was hoping. I ran several test media files, including the lobby scene from The Matrix, various DVDs, and MP3s.

For general music playback, the speakers are fine. The speakers sound best with the treble turned mid-way, and the bass turned to about 30-40%. When the bass is turned past 50%, there is an increased amount of distortion. On the bright side, I suppose the benefit of a less powerful subwoofer is that you won't get complaints from the neighbors.

For gaming, the speakers are terrible. I tested these with Bad Company 2, and everything sounds extremely muffled. Any surround sound advantages are diminished by the muffled sounds emanating from the unit. The bass is wooden and heavy. The performance is so bad, that I always unplug these speakers and switch to my headphones before playing any games.

CONCLUSION: It's an ok, but not great computer speaker system. I like the slender compact design, surround sound, as well as the auxiliary input on the left speaker unit. The price is reasonable, and for such a small package it is certainly impressive. However, the tower speaker design with hidden drivers creates a dampened sound, as if the speakers are always being muffled. Additionally, the bass response could be improved.

If you wish to use these for general music playback and need a compact system, then they're ok. If you want to use them for movies/gaming, then I suggest you look at a competing model.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Solid performer

By Dan Casselman
If you're looking for a relatively portable, easy to set up system for your computer or iPhone, this is a strong contender. Set up is a snap and it's a smaller, light-weight system. Nice treble and very strong bass. The down reason this is not a 5 star system is that the base tends to over power everything, particularly if you place the sub-woofer in any sort of confined space. You MUST keep the sub in an open area or it will be much to strong. It could also really use a mid-range control. But hey, this is cheap, so for the price, It's a 4 star system.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Great sound, no rattle

By Shelley Gammon
This attractive speaker set takes up little room for a set with a subwoofer. While I tried this with my computer (with excellent results), I ultimately connected this to my 36" television and this is far superior to the speakers built-in to the TV. Having the over all volume, bass and treble controls easily accessible right on the speaker itself is very convenient. Even when the room is dark, just by feel, you know what knob you're turning.

When we watch movies, especially those with explosions or sci-fi foley effects, the subwoofer does not disappoint - you can feel the bass like you would in movie theater - but it doesn't rattle your rib cage and there is no annoying buzz from any of the components like there typically is in inexpensive speakers.

The set-up was about as easy as can be with 2 satellite speakers and a subwoofer.

I have never had a bad experience with Altec Lansing and this Octane 7 speaker system is another feather in their cap. For desktop computer use, the subwoofer stores easily under your desk without taking up all your foot room - and the satellite speakers take up little desk real estate. Instead of spreading out, the designers gained sound momentum by going vertical. The speaker set is elegant and almost has a space-age appearance.

These speakers are great, with just about anything you can think of to plug them into. I tried them with my iPhone playing music and they still sounded awesome - as well as with an iPod Nano and my husband's off-brand .mp3 player.

For the price, you cannot beat this performance. This is a fantastic bargain and it comes with superb sound.
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Logitech Z-2300 THX-Certified 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer








Product Description
Great sound. It's all in the details. This powerful speaker system brings them out in high-clarity THX-certified sound. From the fat bass thumps in your favorite rock anthem to the creepy hallway steps in your favorite horror film, you'll hear details you never knew were there. Add to that an impressive 200 watts of RMS power and you've got everything you need to rock your entertainment world.

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Product Details

Brand: Logitech
Model: 970118-0403
Platform: Windows XP
Format: CD
Original language:
English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 15.00" h x
21.80" w x
18.30" l,
2.00 pounds

CPU: PowerPC G4 2.1 GHz
Memory: 2000000MB SDRAM
Hard Disk: 60GB
Graphics: This is the description of the PC Graphics 256MB
Processors: 1
Native resolution: 640x480
Display size: 669.2913385827

Features

Product Type - Speaker
System Components - 2.1 Speaker System
Response Bandwidth - 35Hz - 20kHz
Connectivity Technology - Wired
Connectivity Technology - Cable


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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
605 of 613 people found the following review helpful.
Great hassle free 2.1 system at a great price

By Robert
I've had these speakers for about six weeks and I think they have a great sound. I have them hooked up to a new Alienware system with a SoundBlaster X-Fi card. I use the card for both gaming and music. The system is located in a 11' x 11' home office with the speakers located at each corner of 5' desk and the subwoofer in front of the desk.

I have switched from a 5.1 system I got with my previous Alienware system. I'm in my 50's and have seen about every sound gimmick come down the pike. There are a lot of people who love 5.1 and have time to tweak them, I'm just not one of them. I've had the 5.1 system for about five years hooked to a SoundBlaster Live card. I'm pretty adept with computers, so I have kept up with the drivers, played with the balance, moved the speakers and done about everything I can to "feel" the game. I usually play Call of Duty or Far Cry type games. I also play RTS games of the C&C stripe.

I must be getting old, because I'm tired of screwing around with sound systems. I'm at a point where I just want to sit down and hear some great sound without going through all of the situational adjustments (FPS game, music, RTS game, SAT TV, etc). If you just want something that has great fidelity and some oomph in the low range, this is your system.

What I like:

1. The sound for music is fantastic. I have eclectic tastes in music and all of it sounds great across the board with excellent fidelity. Some songs you can hear every instrument and note. It's as good as the source (mp3, wma, etc) can make it.

2. The stereo effect is wonderful. It's like having a center speaker without having the clutter of a physical speaker on your desk, plus you still get a great sense of left/right effects.

3. The subwoofer will rock you. I have it front of a solid wood desk and it will shake the desk at half bass. When I play COD or MOH, it's like you are on Omaha beach during an artillery barrage. It's as real as I need it. I don't need 5.1 to hear the shell whistling past me to get a great effect.

4. I really like the control. It sits well on the desk next to my keyboard. Nice big dials that index the bass and volume well. There is good size off switch that is easy to hit if you need to kill the sound quickly without searching for a mute button. There is also a plug for headphones. Makes it convenient if you don't want to have to keep reaching around the back of the system. It also has a blue power light which I prefer.

5. Very, very, very easy to set up. Just plug the speakers into the subwoofer and then plug the system cable into the sound card. Turn it on.

6. Uses the system software for balance and treble. It will also use the software equalizer. You may ask why this is important. Half my problem with my last set of speakers is that the computer had an equalizer, the installed SoundBlaster software had an equalizer, the player had an equalizer and the speaker system had a equalizer, speaker balance. Give me a break. There were four sets of adjustments that you had to manage depending on what you were doing at the time (game, music, TV). I never knew which control was in control. My results were mixed at best. Now I just worry about the computers settings and I get great sound in any of my apps.

7. I have not detected the irritating hum my last system had during quiet times or when no music was playing.

8. I like the style of the speakers. Silver with black cloth covers. They seem very substantial.

What I don't like:

1. I may be old fashioned, but I want the option to change the length of my speaker wires. I don't know why Logitech has gone this route, but the speaker wire is permanently affixed to the back of the speaker and terminates with an RCA plug. I prefer heavy gauge speaker wire and would like the option to move the subwoofer farther away. This requires me to buy expensive RCA cable as opposed to regular speaker wire.

2. The subwoofer is probably physically bigger than it should be for a small room system. There is no room for it under the desk (that's why it's in front of it:). I'm still experimenting with placement. Make no mistake, this puppy is big. It also has metal heat vanes on the back that give it additional length. If you are working with limited space, make sure you pay attention to the dimensions.

3. While I like the control, it makes placing the subwoofer across the room somewhat problematic. The wire from the subwoofer to the controller is a 6' long thick proprietary cable. The system sound plug then runs from the controller to the sound card. The speakers cords run directly to the subwoofer. This system is meant for close-in.

Conclusion:

This is a great trouble free set of speakers with great sound. Just plug and play without a lot of fuss. I knocked off a star because of the limited flexibility imposed by the cabling scheme. That being said, I don't think you can beat the sound at this price. To be honest, I have a pretty decent ear and these are as good as any system I have listened to. I feel my money was well spent and I am most satisfied with my purchase. So if you are tired of trying to make the latest gimmick work (7.1 THX) and you just want great sound, this is your system.

435 of 483 people found the following review helpful.
If you want the skinny on these speakers read this.

By O. Johnson
First, I will have to say that I am a music engineer/producer, so when it comes to music, I know what I'm talking about. Secondly, I just bought this product and, no I don't work for Logitech, or anyone else who`s related to the company, or their distributors.

Setting up:

For those who are curious a bit about the speaker set up, it is very easy. The subwoofer acts as the "motherboard", so to speak. Everything hooks into it, from the back. The subwoofer is the power supply source (there's no adapter, just a standard plug, so this will save room on a power strip), and the wired remote plugs into the sub, and the computer. The satellites plug into the sub as well. If you wish to plug the speakers up something else (a videogame console, a DVD player, VCR, etc.) a RCA splitter cord is provided to hook it up. When plugging this thing up, do NOT plug it up to the electrical socket first and then connect the components. Plug it into the wall last. Additionally, there is a on/off feature on the wired remote, as well as a switch on the back of the sub. The ON LED light on the wired remote is a pretty blue color.

When you set up the speakers, you should note that the satellites are very directional sensitive. That is, adjusting the angle of the speakers will have a great deal to do with the how the sound is directed towards your head, and thus the overall quality. Take the time to adjust this to the best sounding position. These speakers are decently compact. My computer is sitting on a tiny IKEA computer desk, along with other studio gear, including two rack-mounted processors. I have plenty of room for these speakers. Do NOT sit these speakers next to your head. It's a good idea to have them farther away from you than your monitor is sitting, if possible. As for the subwoofer, do the smart thing and put it on the floor. It doesn't need to be elevated no more than a foot off the ground, if that much. Also give the sub room to breathe, and for the love of common sense, don't block the side air hole, and don't direct the woofer at your computer tower.

The Sound:

Like I said before, I am a music producer, additionally I am a classically trained musician with 20 years experience (I'm 28). So I know what I'm talking about. Also I should note that I am using a fairly new desktop computer, an Emachines, which is about a year old. I also have a nice Sony 5.1 stereo system. These speakers kick my Sony's tail, all around. The only way it could be better is if it was a perfect surround sound system, and that would be a pain to deal with, unless you have the room and money for it.

Some people have said the mids on these speakers are weak. I'm not hearing it at all. What I have noticed is that the upper highs are very strong. If you are having this problem here's simple solution. I'm using Windows Media Player 9.0. On the "rock" EQ setting just move the 16kHz level down a wee bit. If you're using another kind of media player, just turn down the EQ between 12-20kHz down by 5-10%. If you're hearing hiss out of the speakers then you might have them too close to your head to begin with (I can only hear it when I lean over next to it, and if the volume is past 60%). Otherwise, you might have a shielding problem.

These speakers are quite loud. Be careful not to damage your hearing with these. I really see no point in turning the master volume past 40% and the sub past 25%.

Also keep in mind that these speakers are quality. Don't play hip hop on a classical EQ setting. You should get used to switching your EQ setting (which is easy enough on Windows Media Player) for the appropriate thing you are listening to. If you're listening to talk radio, set it to "speech", and turn the woofer down to zero.

The only draw back on this speaker system is that you can't turn the woofer down to perfect zero, meaning that you can't bypass it. That would be a good bonus. But turning down the EQ in the 20Hz to 50 Hz range should do the trick if you want to by pass it.

For this price, these speakers are a steal. The quality of these things in my opinion are triple the price, if not more.

The z2300 as well deserving of 5 stars. If you want killer sound on your computer without spending a few thousand bucks, this is the way to go. I bought these for my home studio to mix the record I'm working on, and I'm so glad I did it. It far beats spending $400 on a single studio monitor.

If anyone wants so advice or semi-technical assistance as far as these speakers are concerned, I'd be more than glad to offer some advice if you wish, just email me at GSFU (at) aol (dot) com.
160 of 178 people found the following review helpful.
Superb speakers!

By Jakester
My judgement may be a little skewed as I haven't upgraded my speakers for about 10 years. I originally bought these for my wife as she's just getting into mp3 music and her old speakers just didn't cut it. She didn't like the Logitechs because the subwoofer was too big and there was not a convenient place to put it. So I gave her my 10 year old speakers and took the Logitechs. Boy did I come out ahead on that deal. I couldn't believe how rich the sound was coming from these speakers, especially the subwoofer. Clear effects, vibrating base, and pure highs and mid-levels. The stand alone controller is a very nice touch, especially since you can plug your headphones into it, a major advance over having to plug them directly into the sound card. If you buy these speakers, you WILL NOT be sorry.
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