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PC enthusiasts are constantly upgrading
their systems in an almost never-ending endeavor to
improve their multimedia and gaming experiences. All
too often we find ourselves replacing our once
top-of-the-line video cards and adding RAM or a faster
processor, only to be unimpressed with the overall impact
made by these upgrades. That's not to say having a
fast system isn't paramount to an enjoyable gaming
experience though. If your games, or movies for that
matter, are chugging along at sub-par frame rates they're
not going to be very enjoyable. There is however, an
often overlooked upgrade that can have a tremendous impact
on your gaming experience... your speakers.
It doesn't matter how fast your system is
or how large and crisp your monitor is, if you're gaming,
listening to music or watching movies with a set of
inferior poor quality speakers, the overall atmosphere
will never be "just right". Over the past few years,
in an attempt to remedy this situation, companies like
Klipsch and Altec Lansing have released some high-end
speaker systems targeted squarely at users who are serious
about their PC audio. After witnessing the success
these companies were awarded, Logitech, long known for
their line of input devices, entered the fray with a few
speaker systems of their own. Our EIC,
Dave reviewed Logitech's excellent Z-560 4.1 channel
speaker system back in December 2001 and was
immediately impressed. I treated myself to a set of
Klipsch ProMedia 4.1s and was similarly blown away by the
volume levels and audio clarity coming from my system.
If you have never experienced a heated death-match in
surround sound, you are definitely missing out!
Today on HotHardware.Com, we're going to
take a look at
Logitech's latest 5.1 channel speaker system, the
Z-680s. These speakers improve upon the already
impressive Logitech Z-560 models, by adding a center
channel, a wireless remote and by increasing the peak
output power, among other things. Read on to see
what we thought...
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Specifications and Features of the Logitech
Z-680 5.1 Channel Speaker System |
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Bass That'll Make DJ Magic Mike Proud... |
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(Specifications Taken Directly From
Logitech.Com)
Home
Theater Sound:
- True Dolby Digital
and DTS 5.1 surround sound with built-in hardware
decoding
- Dolby Pro Logic® II
decoding creates a 5.1 soundfield from two-channel
sound sources
- THX® certification
ensures top sound quality
- Connects to
PlayStation®2, Xbox?, DVD players, satellite
receivers, PC sound cards, and more to deliver
immersive gaming and movie experiences
- Home-stereo style
connectors use standard gauge speaker wire
- Four stylish
satellites stand on desk or mount on wall to provide
smooth mid and high frequencies
- Center channel
speaker rests on your monitor, on your desk, or
mounted on the wall
- Magnetic shielding
in speakers protects your equipment
- Internal power
supply eliminates bulky wall adapters
- Removable cloth
grills on satellites deliver improved sound and
variable aesthetics
- Wireless remote
control, batteries included
- Uses regular stereo
speaker wire (included)
- Two-year limited
warranty
Specifications:
- Total output power:
505 Watts RMS
- Subwoofer power
output: 188 Watts RMS
- Satellite speaker
power output: 317 Watts RMS (62 Watts RMS per
channel for satellites; 69 Watts RMS for center
channel)
- Total peak power:
1000 Watts
- Maximum SPL: 114 dB
- System frequency
response: 35Hz - 20kHz
- Input impedance:
10,000 ohms
- Shielded satellites
for use near video monitors
Source Inputs:
- (1) digital optical
for DVD or CD player, PlayStation 2, Xbox*, or PC
sound card (requires optical cable, sold separately)
- (1) digital coaxial
for DVD or CD player, or PC sound card (requires
coaxial cable, sold separately)
- (1) 6-channel direct
(3 stereo-mini connectors) for 2-, 4-, or 6-channel
PC sound cards
- (1) Analog
stereo-mini for portable CD, MP3, or MiniDisc®
player
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Reading
through the above list of specifications should impress
all but the most discerning audiophiles out there.
The Logitech Z-680s are a very feature rich set of
speakers. Their total output power is rated at 505
Watts RMS (Root Mean Squared). 317 Watts are
distributed amongst the satellite speakers and center
channel, with the remaining 188 Watts powering the 8"
ported sub-woofer. Peak power output shoots all the
way up to the 1000 Watt mark, but don't read too much into
that number. High RMS power ratings are what
translate to clean, continuous power output. The
Z-680's maximum SPL (Sound Pressure Level) rating is also
rather impressive at 114 dB, but that number is tough to
quantify. The environment in which in which the
speakers are tested, will affect the maximum SPL rating.
One thing we can say with certainty though, is that these
speakers can produce some serious volume levels! If
you live in an apartment building with thin walls, expect
to alienate your neighbors. The Logitech Z-680's
frequency response is also quite good, but falls slightly
short of a competing 5.1 channel product from
Klipsch. Being THX certified means these
speakers have passed the audio output quality standards
set by the discriminating engineers at Lucas Films.
George Lucas established the THX standard to ensure
consumers heard and saw music and movies as the director
intended. You can read more about THX and the
certification process
right here.
The Z-680s
also have built-in hardware for decoding true Dolby
Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound, making these speakers
ideal for use in a PC-centric home entertainment system.
Users looking to spice up the output of two channel
recordings will also appreciate the Dolby Pro Logic II
decoder incorporated into the Z-680s. The Dolby Pro
Logic II decoder can simulate 5.1 audio channels using a 2
channel recording. We sampled quite a bit of music
in "simulated 5.1 channel" mode, and found the output for
the most part to be rather pleasing to our eardrums.
Up
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