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Logitech Z-2200


Date
: 11/8/04 – 11:40:30 PM

Author
:

Category
: Sound

Page 1 : Introduction

Manufacturer: Logitech
Price: $149.95

In mid 2000 I decided I was in the market for a decent speaker set to accompany my computer. With 5.1 setups becoming affordable, I got myself the Creative Labs Cambridge Soundworks DTT2500 set, which was a state of the art configuration back in those days. The kit has served me well over the past four (well, almost four) years, but in that period of time I got myself a "real" home theatre setup along with a 32" television set, meaning I didn't use my computer to watch DVD's anymore. That plus the fact that my volume knob started to send squeaky noise through the speakers when I turned it (probably dust on the inside of the knob) and that all those satellites (the DTT 2500 came with 5 satellite speakers and 1 woofer, hence the 5.1 tag) on my desk were taking in way too much space, put me in the market for something new.

Since I was not interested in a surround sound set, all those 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and even 7.1 packages were not what I was looking for and I narrowed my needs down to a decent 2.1 configuration. Nowadays I tend to use the speakers on my workstation to listen to music and, every now and then, play some games, so I wanted powerful satellites, backed up by a body pounding woofer. Besides that, I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg to achieve my goals, leaving the "professional" studio speakers out of the equation.

After browsing the Internet for some time, checking out local webstores and digging my way through some articles, my eyes fell on the Logitech Z-2200 speaker set. A mouse click later, the speakers were ordered and in my possession 3 hours later (I went to pick them up myself … just couldn't wait another three days for the delivery guy to drop them off at the O² casa :)).

Did the Z-2200 live up to my expectations? Did it perform as I was hoping it would and what about the sound quality? Over the next few pages, I shall share my experience with Logitech's top of the line 2.1 setup with you, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Page 2 : Package & Installation

Arriving at the store to pick up my order, a 65x55x65cm brown cardboard box was awaiting my arrival. Wondering since when Logitech wraps up their products in ugly boxes, I quickly learned that the "real" box was inside the "ugly" box. As soon as I paid my dues, I carried the 13kg heavy box out the store, into my ride. After some fitting work (heck, I don't drive a van) I was well underway home.

Once I got the box up into the O² lab, I got rid of the "ugly" box, ending up with a good looking Logitech box. But since I wasn't putting down 150$ for a good looking box, I quickly continued the unwrapping frenzy and opened up the box. Everything was well protected with foam and plastic bags, making sure everything arrives in one piece. When I finally got everything out of the box, I was looking at two satellite speakers, one huge woofer, a wired remote control, a powercord, an additional split cable in case you have a soundcard with RCA outputs and last but not least, a manual on how to hook it up to the computer.

While I can understand Logitech wants to include a manual for the newbies in the computer arena, I decided I was experienced enough to hook up everything without the help of the manual … living dangerously right?

Installation is pretty straight forward since all the connectors are color-coded: green for the connector that goes to the sound output on your soundcard, black for the right satellite speaker and yellow for the left one. The remote control is hooked up to the woofer, which also contains the amplifier, with the help of a 9-pin sub-D connector (like a serial port). The only thing left to do is hook up the powercord to the woofer and you're all done.

While you're connecting the cables to the woofer, take a glance at that huge heatsink that's bolted to it! Makes you wonder if Logitech intends to become a player in the heatsink market or perhaps they anticipate on the fact you might want to overclock it ;).

Having explained the lots about the packaging and the installation, I believe it's time to check out the specifications of the Z-2200.

Page 3 : Specifications

Here's a copy/paste from the Logitech website:

If you love music, you'll love the Logitech Z-2200, a 2.1 speaker system that combines everything you need in a sound system: THX®-certified performance and quality, beautiful looks, and more than enough power to fill your room with great sound.

* 200 watts of RMS power (400 watts of peak power) deliver thunderous audio for music, movies, and games
* 8-inch long-throw subwoofer driver with flared bass port pounds out powerful, distortion-free bass
* Polished aluminum phase plug at the center of the driver outperforms conventional 2-way designs
* Included adapter lets you connect the speakers directly to your DVD player, CD player, or video game console

Z-2200 Wired Remote

Full-featured SoundTouch wired remote control

Exercise complete control over your listening experience with controls for both master volume and subwoofer, plus a headphone jack and power/standby button.

THX

What is THX certification?

THX certification is the ultimate mark of quality for speaker systems. It means speakers have been tested and approved by THX based upon a set of rigorous technical specifications. Few computer speaker systems meet these rigid standards. To learn more about THX, visit www.thx.com.

Product Specifications

* Total RMS power: 200 watts RMS
o Satellites: 80 watts RMS (2 x 40W)
o Subwoofer: 120 watts RMS
* Total peak power: 400 watts
* Frequency response: 35Hz – 20kHz
* Amplifier: Ultra-linear, high capacity analog
* Drivers:
o Satellites: 2.5" polished aluminum phase plug driver
o Subwoofer: 8" long-throw ported driver with 6th order bass reflex enclosure
* Speaker dimensions (H x W x D):
o Satellites: 6.75" x 3.5" x 6"
o Subwoofer: 11" x 11" x 15"
* Signal-to-noise ratio @ 1Khz: >100dB
* SoundTouch wired remote control:
o Master volume
o Subwoofer volume
o Headphone jack
o Power/Standby

System Compatibility

* PC/Mac
* CD
* MP3
* DVD
* PlayStation®
* Xbox®

Package Contents

* Speakers:
o 2 satellites
o 1 subwoofer
* Cables included:
o Power cord
o Color coded audio cables
* SoundTouch wired remote control
* 2-year limited warranty
* User's manual
* Video game console adapter

Page 4 : Testing

In order to test the Z-2200, I hooked it up to my workstation based upon a ABIT's IC7-G motherboard, for which they were intended for in the first place. The soundcard I used is the onboard AC-'97 CODEC which has served me very well over the past two years. If desired, it offers 6-channel output (which I will not use, see the introduction of the review) and comes with S/P DIF optical in/out.

Testing speakers or any sound-producing equipment is biased by the article's author's personal taste, so please keep in mind that I am handing out my personal findings on this product.

Having said that, I decided to test the Z-2200 in a way I reckon most users would use them (as would I). The way I decided to test the Z-2200, was to threw a list of some of my favorite soundtracks from different genres at the Z-2200 and see how it handles the "load". Here's a list of all the songs I threw at it to base my decision upon:

- Punk/Rock: The Offspring – Americana, Sum41 – Still Waiting
- RnB: Usher – Yeah, Kelis – Trick Me
- Techno: Stanny Franssen – I Love Techno Anthem 2003
- Dance: Basement Jaxx – Red Alert
- Classical: Vanessa Mae – Beethoven

Each and every one of the above soundtracks sounded the way it should. The high tones are very crisp and you can truly hear every single note in the songs the way the artists intended them to sound.
In the RnB category, the bass line goes very deep and generates a "hanging" bass, just the way it should. Sometimes the bass is a tad too strong, but that can easily be adjusted with the remote control that let's you shut the speakers down, alter the volume level and the bass level.

Sending my selection of techno and dance tracks through the Z-2200 made me feel like I was at some kick-ass club! The bassline is just amazing, without losing high tone quality. The way I see it, a good bass should be felt, not heard … and with the Z-2200's 120W RMS strong 8" woofer, feeling the bass is not a problem at all! Amazing!

Last but not least, I fired up a soundtrack from Vanessa Mae, a modern violin player who can do truly amazing things with her instrument. Her sounds are not so bass oriented, but her music is ideal to check out the higher tones and the sound quality of the speakers. Just like it did with the other soundtracks, the Z-2200 kept on with the pace and delivered an astonishing sound quality throughout the entire range of the volume knob.

Talking about volume, these babies can go extremely loud! When setting the volume level at 1/4th of max, it is already loud as hell … going to 1/2th is ear dephening and giving full power makes you bounce to the beat, whether you like it or not. Do note that the sound always stayed crystal clear and of perfect quality, even when maxing out the volume! No distortion or cracking sounds to be noticed. I also want to point out that the remote is very handy and allows you to adjust the volume and bass level with the turn of a knob … also do not worry about the length of the remote cable, it is more then lengty enough to fulfill the anyway needs!

It's fairly safe to say that the Z-2200 passed the tests with flying colors!

Page 5 : Conclusion

Logitech did an excellent job with designing the Z-2200, which has proven to be a top performing 2.1 speaker set. If you are like me, uninterested in a multi-speaker, surround sound set and you just want a powerful 2.1 configuration, the Logitech Z-2200 is the way you need to go, without doubt. With the pricetag in mind, I feel that the Z-2200 is of such excellent quality and value that it deserves the Overclockers Online POWER Award.

Note that Logitech is offering the Z-2300 as a replacement for the Z-2200 now, but besides a different look for the satellites, the specifications of both kits are identical. Perhaps this will trigger a pricedrop on the Z-2200 at stores near you, so why wait? Head over there and get yourself this killer setup before it's too late!

Advantages

- Powerful
- Excellent sound quality
- Remote control
- Looking good
- Love that subwoofer!

Disadvantages

- None!