Logitech Z-5 USB 2.0 Speakers

Logitech Z-5 USB 2.0 Speakers

Published February 02, 2009 at 12:55:13 AM, by Travis Simon

When it comes to portable audio, one has a few options. Either stick with whats on your laptop, grab a pair of headphones, or get a set of external speakers. This is why the usual best bet is to pack along a nice pair of headphones for that hotel room movie. Now, I'm not saying you should be busting out USB speakers on your next transatlantic flight (unless the person next to you snores louder than you can tolerate and need some audio revenge...) but I am saying that the last option, is often hindered by size, quality of audio and having to lug around a separate power adapter to make life on the road even that much more cumbersome. But, lucky for us, there are a few good options out there regarding portable speakers, and the Z-5 might be just the ticket for you if you require great sound, and no power adapter.

Even though they aren't specifically 'named' as laptop / travel speakers, they make a great addition if you have just a little more space in the luggage and need to fill the room with some nice sound.

Design and Features
The sleek lines of the Z-5 are nice. They are all black with a slight silver trim bezel near the last third towards the bottom. They don't detract from any style unless you hate black or are into much smaller sets. They are a bit on the tall side, but we'll get to that later.

Ok, lets cut to the chase here – the way these speakers work is you simply stick the USB cord into an available slot, and away you go. Yep. Thats it. Don't have an available slot? Never fear, they also have a standard 3.5mm audio input jack. Perfect for your netbook if your cramped on available ports.

Why else do these things rock? They include a mini IR remote – how thoughtful, and this little remote, albeit simple and to the point – is just that. It can control your volume, forward and back tracks (with compatible software). Unfortunately, that wont happen if you use the analog input but you can still control the volume output.

What else is nice about these speakers is that they offer what Logitech is claiming “enveloping sound”. Yep, these are specifically designed with two projecting audio ports. Meaning – I'm not sure if there are actually two speakers, but it's firing the sound forward and back, making presentations and “full sound” really sound more full in a room. Placing these in my latest travels in the center office table and playing some contemporary jazz while hosting a pre-game meeting agenda was awesome. People were commenting on how nice they sounded, and how well they worked.

Do you need to start up your media player and get going? How about play and pause, or even turning off the speakers for instant silence? No problem, the remote does all that for you.

If you need to spread out the distance on the speakers, they include a mono 3 foot adapter to spread out the left speaker just a bit further for your taste. If you can't tell, these are a simple feature set that is exactly tailored to the traveling guru! But...what about audio quality?

Size and Weight
The Z-5's measure in at 10 inches high by 3.3 inches wide/deep, They weigh in at rougly 1.5lbs for the left and just a bit more (1.7) for the right and carry a 6 foot USB cord. While this may not seem like enough for the average user, USB extension cables are quite cheap and can offer better range to your liking, but don't go to far, as signal distance and the amount of power required are related (meaning to far and your speakers may not get powered by your USB port)

Performance
What good would a set of speakers be if you were greatly disappointed in the sound? Half the battle of finding speakers is the features you want, with the sound you need. No one likes to have a treble only experience, and thankfully – the Z-5's don't diminish to that lowly “acceptable” quality.

Due to the design, Logitech has made some sort of ported magic with these speakers. The omni-directional mains provide a full sound, while the ported bottoms fill out most of the bass that users will want to hear. Are these earth-shattering bass that will steal your breathe? No – but it does fill that void that will make you feel like your USB powered speakers are doing a very decent job.

And that's what the great thing about these speakers is. Even though they aren't the smallest USB powered speakers out there, thats the benefit to them – as they provide a full sound without the huss and fuss of a separate power adapter.

Conclusion
Will they work great for a presentation on the go? Most definitely. Will they provide nice background music and dare it be some good party tunes as well? You bet. Will they replace your gaming or THX certified speakers? No. But they do come with a remote, which is just enough to skip from Kanye's latest track – to something a little more appropriate for 'setting the mood', without getting up.

If you're looking for a decent set of speakers that have nice sound, offer some sort of portability, without a lot of fuss for setting up and finding a power adapter, I'd highly recommend taking a look at the Z-5 from Logitech. About the only big complaint I can throw at the moment is that they are a little spendy (or more spendy than other options). Is the USB connectivity, no power supply, and remote included worth the price tag? That's up to your budget to say, but for me, it was a no brainer - and I'm loving every moment with them.

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Technical Specifications

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