Logitech Z623 THX 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer, THX
Logitech Z623 THX 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer, THX Certified Audio, 400 Watts Peak Power, Deep Bass, Multi Device, 3.5mm & RCA Inputs, UK Plug, PC/PS4/Xbox/DVD Player/TV/Smartphone/Tablet, Black
Logitech Z623 Speaker System Captivating THX sound
Make your shows, movies, games and music come to life in true THX sound. This powerful 2.1 speaker system with subwoofer delivers big, bold, booming audio with simple wired connections to your TV, PC, gaming console and more.
THX sound
Designed to deliver the most accurate experience straight out-of-the-box. These THX speakers are tuned to exact specifications to truthfully deliver the artist’s vision right into your living room.
400 watts of powerful sound
400W Peak/200W RMS power delivers amped audio you can hear and feel. Enjoy crisp sound and thundering base listening to music, watching an action-packed movie or playing a favorite video game.
Versatile setup
Multiple inputs, including 3.5 mm and RCA inputs, let you simultaneously connect up to three devices such as your game console, TV and computer. No need to disconnect when switching between devices.
All controls at your fingertips
Easily access power, volume, bass, headphone jack and auxiliary jack on the right satellite speaker.
400W of peak powerExperience explosive room-filling sound
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />THX soundDesigned to meet THX audio specifications
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />Convenient on-speaker controlsVolume, bass and power are always at hand
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />Yes, it works with that.
Hear audio from your devices like never before. With multiple inputs, you can plug the speaker system into your favorite devices, from your TV and computer to your music player and game console.
| Dimensions: | 0.9 x 0.9 x 16 cm; 7 Kilograms |
| Model: | 980-000404 |
| Manufacture: | Logitech |
| Dimensions: | 0.9 x 0.9 x 16 cm; 7 Kilograms |
| Origin: | China |
I was forced to look for a new set of speakers for my PC after my trusty (and excellent) Logitech Z4’s gave up after roughly 15 years of service. Used equally for music, youtube & gaming.
I tried a couple other options which both had issues and then decided to give these Z623’s a go. And I’m happy to say that they are exactly what I was looking for. They are simple, functional, have good audio quality and don’t take a lot of desk space (If you can fit the sub under the desk as it is quite big). They are bass heavy so you do need to tone it down using the bas control on the speaker. But I’d rather have to tone something down rather than not have it.
I run aux input from PC and then also an aux input from a chromecast audio and I’m happy that these speakers keep these as the same “channel” so I can listen to music on the chromecast group and still have PC sounds coming through. This is something I really didn’t want to lose as I quite often listen to music while doing other things and wouldn’t want to have to choose between different inputs.
The only thing I would say is that the price for these has crept up alot. I’m not certain how something that was selling for 60 in 2019 is over double than now. I feel that these would have been a bargain for 60 and are a little too expensive at their current price. I’m still happy to have them though.
Bought this system to replace aging and faulty speakers. Must say the sound is incredible, very good bass from the subwoofer and left and right speakers are very clear. Straightforward to set up, would highly recommend.
One of the connector got a bit loose but it’s a good system
I have had these for quite sometime now. Decided that they were that good that I should write a review…
Bass is incredible, love how you have the ability to controll this on one of the speakers, the subwoofer on max is nothing short of insane.
Sound quality is good and the overall build quality is fantastic. Not a bad thing said about these.
[Sound]
These speakers sound great. They’re great for listening to music and gaming. I’ve previously only owned a pair of speakers that were 20, & 40 so, these were a big jump in price for me. I have to say, I wasn’t expecting them to sound this good. They get extremely loud which is of course always nice. There is plenty of bass there, I only have it set on 50% as I’ve not felt the need for any more.
[Durability]
The speakers feel like they have a solid build. I can’t see them breaking any time soon. I’ve read on reviews that if they do break, it is extremely difficult to repair them.
[Volume/Bass Wheel]
The wheels for controlling both the bass and the volume feel surprisingly premium. The bass wheel has a little click when you turn it to 50% that holds it in place, similar to a mouse scroll wheel.
[Overall]
Can I recommend these speakers? Yes. These are very good speakers for the price.
Happy customer!
Great bass sound. Would have received 5stars but arrived in the speaker box, when I asked for it to be delivered in an Amazon plain box.
Brought these to replace my 20 year old speakers. Big improvement in sound quality while gaming.
I don’t usually make reviews as I’m lazy AF. – but this is one of these products that you owe to humanity.
Bass 15/10
Sound quality 9/10
HorsePower 20/10
I’ve got the MX3 full headset, MX4 buds, ps5 headset(lol) and the list goes on, my point is that I’m wasting lots of money on sound and this product is a flipping GEM. WELL done Logitech…
These speakers are great! I had to order an adapter for optical and arc out to connect an aux cable to the speakers which was a little frustrating. The tv is too modern for the speakers I guess but now all sorted and sounds fantastic!
The first one I got didn’t work, but the replacement is pretty good. Overall great audio quality for the money and I like the multiple inputs. The thick VGA-looking cable going to the right speaker is a weird choice, but who am I to judge
Sound it perfect once you tweak the knobs to your satisfaction. Very powerful machine your neighbors might hate you. Feed the the highest quality flacs (or MQA from Tidal) to appreciate fully. I don’t leave reviews often but I am very impressed indeed with this – thanks.
I see you guys usually moan about a few things: 1 knobs could be nicer, 2 volume steps could be improved, 3 the desk speakers are a bit ugly.
I saw someone change the hex bolts on the speakers to gold, looked good.
Superb sound, but a huge bass speaker! Massive! Very bass orientated but over all a really poor offering of controls for the sound if you opt to use them elsewhere other than a computer. For example a TV or alexa.
Very much PC based speakers and you will need the equaliser as a few others have said. Loses stars purely down to the volume controls (or lack of them). But the sound is superb.
I was needing a new all-rounder of a sound sytem for my pc/home office and this one is just perfect for me. I’m glad I spent that ‘little extra’ this time and it’s definitely worth it.
The set up was quick and easy and the controls are the most simple to use (on/off, volume and bass). Plug everything in and go!
The maximum volume is louder than you would probably ever need – I have it set at less than 40% even when listening to music fairly loudly. The bass from the subwoofer is very powerful too.
The most striking thing for me – music I have listened to many times often sounds different in the best possible way; the quality and clarity are just excellent. It just goes to show the difference between this Logitech system and the more “budget” ones I have had in the past.
You can plug in a set of headphones to listen privately when you want to (located on the right speaker). Also you can plug a jack into the aux port as and when needed, if you wanted to play another device such as a phone or ipod over the system. Handy options if you ever need them. Note this does NOT have bluetooth hence wired options only.
All in all, I am highly impressed with the sound from this system and I would recommend it to anyone as it will suit many setups and purposes. This is excellent value for money!
This item was a re-order after I didn’t read the description properly & purchased the same item but with an unwanted EU power plug. After talking to Amazon, the original order was returned & the company I purchased this one from came to the rescue!
I was pleasantly surprised by the depth & quality of sound achieved by this product. I primarily use these speakers for listening to music & watching movies on my PC. After setting up, (which was dead easy), this product was ready to go & immediately exceeded all my expectations. I highly recommend these speakers to anyone who uses a PC for gaming, movies or music.
Finally, be careful with the subwoofer. It really booms out the bass. Try & show your neighbours some mercy from time to time & knock it down a notch or two!
Happy listening!
I hesitated in buying this system because I had previously bought speakers that look like speakers ie wooden boxes with tweeters and woofers in the same box. But having looked at the reviews of these speakers I thought it worth a try.
I am very impressed with this set up . I have a record with Stan Getz ( Jazz sax ) and a Spanish singer and with my system in my music room ( I am a musician ), is superb . You can hear all the breathing and all the subtle nuances of the music .
Now I can hear the same record played beautifully in my computer room using this Logitech system.
You can adjust the bass to any level without the speaker breaking up . The whole sound is just as good as my music room system .
So I would recommend this to anyone even elderly musicians like myself used to more conventional systems.
I bought these to use as bedside speakers, as I can’t sleep without music or podcasts due to neighbours bumping and cars going by breaking the silence, so I need a constant noise. I had been using a cheap Echo but I wanted an upgrade. Definitely you get more quality for your money than going with a bluetooth or smart speaker, assuming you are paying below 100. The idea was to have a speaker on each side of the bed for actual stereo sound, unfortunately the speaker cable is very short and wouldn’t even reach from one side of the bed to the other. I had to buy an extension cable for it to actually work. I’d also say the bass is excessive, at least for what I use it for. If you turn it down too much, you can really see how it’s compensating for the speakers themselves but overall I’m happy with them. Mainly knocked one star off for how ridiculously short the speaker cable is, considering I have another pair of (admittedly more expensive) Logitech speakers in another room and the cable that came with those is long enough to go around an entire room.
These speakers are absolutely outstanding. For your every day use of watching YouTube etc. they are nice and clear sounding – no issues whatsoever. When you want to listen to some music however, this is when they really come into their own. The bass that the sub kicks out is like a hit to the chest – quite like the feel when you’re in a club and you can feel the bass ripple through your body (back when they we were allowed anyway!) If you want to tone it down a bit you can do, with a nice bass toggle switch on the R/H speaker. I paid just over 100 for these and they are definitely worth the money in my opinion.
Not an audio snob or anything. Just my average Joe opinion and experience.
PROS:
-Bass.
-More bass.
-Audio quality seems fine.
-Plenty of volume. Windows at 50% and the volume knob on very low.
-Very bass.
-bass = punch in face.
-Adjustable bass.
-Not small by any means, but not a massive space hog.
CONS:
-Scary… Should mere mortals be exposed to such power?
-Bass. It’s overwhelming.
-Chonk-tastic cables.
-Can’t imagine audio quality holding up at high volumes. But not willing to test. I like being able to hear. I also don’t want to annoy our neighbours in France with the volume.
-The 3.5mm cable provided is ever so slightly shorter than I’d like, but it’s not short, if you get me?
I struggle to construct a valuable review on an audio device. It plays audio, it does it well at reasonable volumes, but not sure it’ll be a nice time at high volume. 400W peak power… I believe that from my experience on low volumes. What else can I put?
Er, it smells… Like a speaker. It kind of tastes of… Well, it depends where you lick it. But I guess it tastes okay as well.
I was a bit dubious about using ‘PC speakers’ for my TV, but having had 40w Itek speakers for years, I thought I’d treat myself. The only downside is the lack of remote control as I used to have, but to be honest I tend to use the TV volume control now. The bass is EXTREME, the cat ran out of the room the first time I tried these! Currently set at half volume and 2/3rds bass, for films and gaming the extra bass is incredible. Much better sound quality than the last ones I had, and without the same hiss in the background. I don’t know enough to say if they are good value, I got them on a deal for 90, but if they last a few years then I’ll be very happy.
I have the old Z-2200 which recently died on me, bought these as a replacement knowing they wouldn’t be as good.
The Z623 is a way cheaper version and nowhere near as good as the legendary Z-2200. The satellite speakers are nothing to write home about, they sound a very tinny and the mid range is far too high. After installing an equalizer app and dropped the mid-tones down the quality is greatly improved. I can use them now without my ears bleeding.
The sub-woofer is far too boomy even on very low settings, after blocking off the base port it’s quite a bit better. This was also the case for the Z-2200, far too much base.
All in all, for the retail price of around 160, can’t really complain especially since I got them for 82 on Amazon black friday sale.
Certainly leagues better than the cheapie 20-30 2.1 systems out there but can not be compared to it’s predecessors.
What can I say, the moment I heard Goldfrapps’ thumpy ‘train’, I was sold there and then. William Orbits rave version of Barbers Adagio for strings has almost the power and intensity you’d expect from a full sized amp and big speakers.
It must be stated however, your PC’s sound card needs to be ‘good enough’ to get the most of these speakers. I have that base covered, but if you have to make do with a basic onboard sound card, just don’t expect ‘perfection’. A good selection of 320kbs mp3s or flacs is also a must. I have the volume on the speakers and bass level set at the half way level, with pc volume control maintaining overall sound level. I don’t faff around with equalizers. I guess the sound could be better with one, but it’s good enough.
Playstation 4 – wow, now were talking. In Dirt Rally 2, you can almost feel the hum of the car engines while waiting to race. And then in motion, wow, you can hear every particle of gravel grind under your tires, screeching of tires around RX events, billowing engines as you push the accelerator down, and just the overall level of immersion you get from these speakers is unreal. Doom – that bass, wow, the plasma rifle practically hums also you burn up the undead, shotgun blasts and rocket launches are more satisfying, and ooh, the heavy assault rifle almost has a life of its own as you tear them demon mofos to shreds. Nex Machina – a new way to play this Robotron inspired arcade shooter, with boomy explosions, and the lovely trance like techno tunes having added power and a buzz to them.
BTW, I have male/female 3.5mm leads in the back of my pc and monitor headphone socket (for the ps4), so just a case of the connecting the logitechs 3.5mm male to the female lead of whichever device I’m using.
Do I really need to go on? I’m sure more technically minded audiophiles will find ways to pick apart these glorious speakers. Let them, I know what I like, and I bought many computer speakers in the past (BTW not just for PCs and Playstations, connect these to the head phone socket of your TV, and prepare to smile!), and to my ears
at least, these are smoking.
Sadly some negatives. The packaging for these things, while firmly secured, was a nightmare to unbox. In the end, I had to literally rip the encasing box, and the main product box to pieces, to get everything out. Add to that, lots of cellotape seals to peal off. There were no real instructions how to set things up, just some multi-lingual warranty leaflet crap I threw in the bin. But setting up was easy with labels on the back of subwoofer where everything connects. Bass is controlled by the right satellite. I’m not sure about this, wouldn’t this extra electronics contribute to noise?
The cables were of adequate length, but the ~6ft cable for the left satellite was a little too taut for my liking stretching above my PC on the floor, and across the corner of my desk. I had to order a phono extension cable to give it a bit more slack. Not a big deal, but…
The speakers also make a decent headphone amp through the side of the right satellite, but I notice on the PS4 for a bit or early hours gaming, a slight humming sound in my headphones. It goes away during the play, but still a little annoying that it’s there. I hear a similar effect from my big amp and speakers at the weekend, when I connect my PC for projector movies, that occurs after shutting my pc down. So, who knows…
The positives definitely trounce the negatives, so not a deal breaker. I was reticent to replace my 12 year old Logitechs, but these new ones I think are the best I’ve ever owned. Logitech delivers the goods once again. Never in doubt.
Go get ’em while they’re cheap!
These speakers are tremendous.
Everything that is said about their loudness is 100% spot-on, and with no exaggeration.
Looking at the dials, once you hit about 10% volume you’re already inviting complaints from the neighbours. The bass is deep and meaty, floors shake and bones rattle.
Out of the box calibration will be needed through your PCs EQ settings, as while the bass is amazing there is a slight lack of quality with the mids and human voices. To remedy this I just googled EQ settings and messed about with a few different ones until I found my favourite.
The two satellite speakers are a good size and don’t swallow up a great deal of desk space, the cabling between everything is good with sufficient length. The subwoofer though is huge, possibly too big really but given the growling bass I have no real complaints.
So far I’ve been impressed with them in terms of music, gaming, and just general video.
I’d definitely recommend them though keep your eye on the price as it does tend to fluctuate. Two days after I purchased them for 120 they dropped to 100, and from what I’ve seen they’ve been a lot lower historically.
I don’t often write reviews, although I always rely on them to make a purchase decision. This time was no exception and the informative reviews from customers swayed my decision to buy this speaker set. I was replacing my son’s Trust 20245 Vigor 2.1, which we were very impressed with for the money spent. The reason for this purchase was the need for more punch (bass) and we were literally blown away. Setting the speakers up was literally a matter of 10 mins, even though i had to accommodate the Optical-out of his LG-TV. My son wanted to connect his phone to the speakers via Bluetooth so I also bought the Logitech Wireless Bluetooth Audio Receiver – another excellent choice. The bass and treble sound quality of this speaker set proudly competes against our Yamaha 5.1 set-up in the living-room, which by the way cost us 6-times as much. As you can see in the set up pics, the Xbox connects to the TV via HDMI, the TV to the Logitech speakers via Optical-out and the Techole adaptor, while my son’s mobile picks up the Bluetooth signal to complete the set up via the Logitech Wireless Bluetooth receiver. I unreservedly recommend this product to anyone: build quality is excellent, sound is supreme, bass will rock your floorboards, and you will not find better value for money.
Wow, these replaced an old Bose Companion II set which finally died after 11 years. I wasn’t convinced these would be good enough replacement, but I was very wrong! The actual speakers are bigger than the old Bose ones, a bit bulkier and more space consuming, but the woofer is about the same footprint, but this set up is significantly cheaper than the current Bose options…and I mean significantly. They look pretty good, a bit retro in some ways, but not in a bad way and they certainly look quite formidable on the desk. They are attached to my iMac in the home office and the sound is simply magnificent. I’ve not even got above 50% yet as they are so loud. The bass is a tad heavy from the woofer, but this is easily controlled from the control speaker. Superb…right now with Shine On You Crazy Diamond playing I could be next to the band. Highly recommended.
These speakers have been around for years and still get great reviews for best speakers. I have had mine a couple of days and they are nowhere near as good as my Corsair SP2500 they are replacing. As someone has said in another review they can sound very base heavy but you can turn it down to what suits you. They sound great with a good level of volume but turn the volume up past 6.5 – 7 and the speaker starts to struggle. The sound starts to distraught and the speakers rattle with more power than they can handle. At this volume all the sound quality disappears unlike my old speakers which even on full volume gave clear sound just extremely loud. I would of gone for another pair of Corsair speakers if they still made them.
The Logitech Z623 2.1 Speaker System is amazing. Where do I start?
The Speaker System Is easily set up. Inside the box is; two satellite speakers, the subwoofer, a power cord, and an aux cord. The right satellite speaker has a thicker, harder to bend cable, however, this is because of the power on/off button, volume control knob, and bass control knob being on the right satellite speaker.
When set-up it produces loud sound and powerful bass that make for a very enjoyable user experience.
There can be an issue with a crackle when you turn the volume knob, but this can be sorted by turning the volume knob very fast left and right and it goes away as it warms up the grease inside, preventing the static crackle pop.
Overall I rate this speaker a solid 9/10, I Have deducted 1 point because of this static issue, but I have only deducted one point because it is easily fixed.
The cable coming from the right hand speaker, which runs down to the woofer, is quite thick, so I have bundled it together with the laptop charger cable and speaker connector (The green one in the pic). I really did have this up and running straight from the box in a matter of minutes, it’s that easy.
Plus points? Plenty of sound, plenty of bass.
Negative? Not a lot of mid range. It’s basically bass and treble you are getting, but if you have an equaliser ap then fiddling around with it might help a bit. I don’t use mine for gaming, but I have watched a movie or two and the sounds are good, with excellent bass for explosions etc, and a fabulous stereo soundscape. Reggae music really rocks (as you’d expect with all that bass) but I’ve noticed a little distortion on the high notes if you are playing anything with strings in it. That could be because I turned it up too loud though. It’s quite important to get the balance right between the volume which you’ve selected as the output from your device and the volume you’ve selected on the right hand speaker.
Really, it’s pointless nit-picking because you get a lot of sound for your pounds (or bang for your bucks!) and I would say that unless you want to go down the HiFi route (and pay hundreds) then this set up is the way to go.
I’d consider myself a semi-hifi buff – I appreciate well-balanced sound. Unsurprisingly, these Logitechs are very bass and treble-heavy, as they’re quite small and have a massive subwoofer.
If you’re fussy about music, they’re good value for money, but make sure you have the ability to control the levels from your soundcard. Most these days allow this, so I’ve spent some time tweaking to get a balanced sound – mainly turning down the frequencies below ~125 Hz, turning up some of the mids (~1kHz) and taming (i.e. turning down) some of the treble (~4kHz).
UPDATE – added a screenshot of my equaliser settings.
This works for a wide variety of music (heavy rock (e.g. Every Time I Die), female vocals (e.g. Imogen Heap), trance (e.g. Armin van Buuren).
Now I’m pretty happy with them!
Don’t expect it to sound like a 500+GBP hi-fi and you won’t be disappointed. Paid 55 which is a bargain. Max I would pay is 80, although there is a surprising lack of competition. To any potential buyers: if you are in no hurry watch the price for a while using camelcamelcamel – the price of these fluctuate significantly.
Update: have now sandwiched the subwoofer between two granite dinner placemats from Argos, and put Sorbothane feet between the subwoofer and the bottom granite mat. That has got rid of almost all of the bass resonance/ flabbiness and now means I can EQ it more accurately and listen at higher volumes without excess boominess. Didn’t expect the Sorbothane to work so well, but it has – a recommended tweak for 8.
I’ve used these for over a year now. They have been used in various different scenarios, and in each of them they have excelled. Currently, they are my main speakers in my lounge.
Frequently they get used for gaming, as well as movie watching. They are brilliant for both of these, unless you are looking for the full surround sound experience. Only having two speakers means you only really get a sense of whether a noise is coming from the left or right, but rarely is that an issue. The bass level can be changed to allow you to get the right depth of sound for the content you are using them for. The bass can go up to a very high level, much higher than you would ordinarily want. My regular usage of the speakers has the bass set to about 1/3 of it’s maximum level.
I regularly use them for listening to music, they excel at this too. I listen to a wide variety of genres, and the speakers always do a good job.
There are 3 audio inputs for the speakers, as well as a headphone socket on the right hand speaker, if you wanted to output the audio through headphones. The 3 inputs allow you to use 3 different sources simultaneously. Although this is not something I do often, it is a nice feature to have on the occasion you do want to do that.
I’m no audiophile, but for me they are perfect.
This was a perfect solution to my sound system requirements. I wanted to boost my MAC sound so I could listen to iTunes library downloads and cd rips, and also provide amp and speaker capabilities for a record player so that I could resurrect my old vinyl record collection, and I only have limited space and didn’t want a full hifi system because I had nowhere to stand it. I acquired an old (but good quality high end) Technics turntable, a small inexpensive pre amp, an inexpensive digital / audio converter, then I use Apple’s GarageBand software as a graphic equaliser, then out putted from my MAC into my new Logitech speakers! So I now have a really good set up that didn’t cost a fortune! The speakers look good, and sound great. The bass is deep, crisp and clear, the clarity is amazing when it’s set up correctly….. you must have the subwoofer on the floor I think, and try to have the 2 speakers as far away left and right as the wires allow you to, and the separation and sound quality is very good! For the price, I think it’s good value for money, and I have heard much more expensive sound systems that do not sound as good as this. I usually listen with the bass setting at half (in its notch) and adjust any remaining bass using my graphics equaliser software. I find it personally uncomfortable to listen to much higher bass as my hearing is not great in my left ear! And it causes me problems to listen to when set much higher!
I wanted something with a punch! Something that enabled me to feel music again with the thumps of the low end frequencies. With monitors I didn’t get that as I didn’t have a sub woofer. Yes I could buy one separately but I didn’t have the means of plugging it in with more cables and the lack of a USB sound-card interface.
Out of the box I fully understood why I purchased them in the first place, my god the subwoofer is amazing! I have it placed on three pieces of sound absorbing foam and it really does tighten up the bass response. Kick drums on songs feels like I’m kicking it myself! Amazing.
Without doing any tweaking I noticed it was mainly just bass and treble, no mid. Determined to get the best out of them I configured my sound-card to reproduce the highest bit rate possible. I did the same with the sound device options on Windows and voila! The middle end appears and it sounds so full! Music is amazing, games sound even more exciting now and movies…It sounds like I’m in a cinema! Thanks to the THX quality there.
I highly recommend these speakers, just please please configure your sound card bit rate and the same in audio devices on your computer to really get the most out of these amazing little speakers. They sound so much better than my old monitors. I love them, I hope you will too.
Frequency response is fabulous, and tests in my own house with pure sine waves show these can descend to 30Hz, assuming you move around the room to find the various “sweet spots”, sometimes necessary with low frequencies in smaller rooms such as mine. 20Hz is really pushing it, but I believe the THX specifications claim speaker systems bearing their logo can go down to 20Hz at -6dB, so the fall-off at such a low frequency is to be expected – but we are talking here about notes that would normally be generated only by church or cathedral organs – or synthesisers.
Last night, I played, at high volume level, the earth-shattering Toccata from the “Suite Gothique” by Leon Boellmann, as performed by Daniel Chorzempa somewhere in the USA on what must be a giant pipe organ. The Logitech speakers almost blasted me from my seat! If you’ve never heard this track, then buy the CD, “High Tech Organ” (Philips 4266812), if only as a test piece – you won’t regret it.
When selecting these Logitech Z623 speakers, it was a choice between them and the Creative Gigaworks T3s, but I opted for the slightly more powerful Logitechs, and am sure I made a good choice. One good advantage the Logitechs have over the Creatives is the positioning of the bass control on the front, right-hand satellite speaker – whereas the Creatives’ bass control is on the rear of the subwoofer, in a difficult place to access. I had originally thought people complaining about the Creatives’ bass control placement were making a lot out of nothing, but now I really do understand the advantage of having the control right in front of you. Some recordings need the bass turning down a bit, others need it increasing, according to personal taste. For my own part, on the Logitechs, I’ve found having the bass control only about one-third of the way up is more than sufficient for most music.
I recommend these good-looking, high-performance speakers wholeheartedly, without reservation. They are made (as in the case of the Creatives) by a company whose name can be trusted. Don’t hesitate, go and buy!
(Note this is my first review)
I been using these speakers over four months now and I must say these speakers are top class. The bass on these speakers are extremely heavy and you can feel the whole room shaking. When listening to bassy music you will properly hear the door hinges rattling and pictures falling off walls. To prove my point I hardly have the bass no more than 50%, that’s how good this sub is.
THX
These speakers are not just good for bass, the Z623 is certified by THX which means ‘THX Certification is a rigorous set of industry standards for audio reproduction. Essentially, it means that the sound coming out of your 5.1 surround sound or other speaker system is being heard exactly as the audio engineer intended for it to sound while he was recording and mixing it.
THX stands for “Tomlinson Holman’s eXperiment,” and was created by Holman while he was working with Lucasfilm Studios to create a new standard for audio reproduction to ensure quality and uniformity across all theater systems intending to play their audio.
Most familiar to consumers, “THX” is a method of reproducing sound that follows strict rules for creating ultra-high quality digital sound playback in surround sound audio systems. These systems can be professional theater or cinema sound systems, a simple home theater system, or a surround sound system just for your PC.
Purpose of THX Certification
To own a THX Certified sound system is to be positive that you are hearing optimal sound production, particularly if the DVD or video game you’re playing is also THX Certified — though that isn’t a requirement for THX to make a big difference in your multimedia experience. This is because when a manufacturer achieves THX Certification, they are ensuring for their customer that their speaker system will reproduce professional quality sound exactly as the audio engineer intended for the film or video game to be heard’.
THX Certified Surround Sound Systems
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Hardware layout
I notice that most 2.1 or 5.1 speakers have the volume nob and power button suppurate from the bass nob. I do admire the logitech Z623 hardware layout as it has the volume nob, power button and bass nob on one satellite speaker which is handy. Also you can plug in your headphones into the jack on the right satellite speaker and plug in your MP3 player or other device into the auxiliary jack using the included 3.5mm cable.
Conclusion
In conclusion these speaker have overcome my expectations and i’m very happy with this product. If you looking for a good sound system and don’t want to spend a lot on them, these speakers are suited to you. I recommend these speaker to anyone who’s into music, filming and gaming.
I bought these speakers around September time in 2013.
First impressions were that the subwoofer was HUGE compared to my previous speakers, and I was instantly going to love them!!!
However, if you’re going to buy these speakers, I’ll give you a heads up about a few things because although they are amazing, they’re only good for certain reasons.
Reason 1. They’re good for bedroom (small room) speakers or maybe a living room radio/iPod dock. I found this out on New Years Eve when we tired to use them as speakers for a party of about 40 people and after a certain point the bass can’t take the loudness, so I wouldn’t recommend them if you was to have a rave in your front room! (hahaha) If you’re going to use them correctly, put them in a medium size room; preferably a bed room, and place them in a corner, as you can hear the bass so much better. This is because it bounces off the walls. You also don’t need to have them very loud in your room because where they’re in a small space, the sound amplifies and makes it very loud.
Reason 2. If you’re after quiet speakers I wouldn’t get these, I would only recommended them to people that like to play their music slightly loud. I tried to listen to them on a low volume and it ruins the sound as you can’t here any bass or treble.
These are my only pointers that I feel need to be said, seen as most people never tell them how to use them properly, and they just play them as loud as they can THEN judge them!
Hope this helps everyone!!
Being a bit of a Hi-Fi nut for most of my life (i’m 38)….
I’m using these on my P.C. with “soundblaster X-fi extreme” 40 quids worth of sound card.
They are straight of the box today and I’m a firm believer in breaking in any set of speakers for at least a week of daily use before getting the best results.
My initial experience so far has been very satisfying, and after reading the bad reviews due to various reasons I was a bit nervous when I pressed the not very firm feeling power button. On first use there a little pop and crackle but after gently working the volume dial.. there is nothing but silent operation and the dials feel firm and slick. There is no hissing or sound of any interference while operating the controls. There is also no sound imbalance at any volume. (with the exception of the very lowest point as the dial hits bottom.
The sound is nice, clean and effortless with great clarity and detail even at the very lowest volumes. They capture the vocals of Katie Meluah and rip through Dr. Dre’s 2001 album. I play all sorts of music, games and movies. I won’t use them above 1/4 volume until I feel that they have been exercised sufficiently and that the neighbour above has gone out ! 🙂 and as my own general rule is to play them a good 5-10 minutes before cranking them up,
Addition edit: 5 weeks on, daily use….
Be aware of placing the speakers on a surface that is prone to vibration as you will lose a lot of their sound potential. This is the only real downside to these speakers…. the satellites do not prevent vibration within the cabinets and can be noisy. I have tested them with various albums but the one that shows this the most is “Tubular bells II” but perfection is not expected at this price point.
After putting the sub on spikes ….the base detail is so much better now compared to the poor rubber pads that Logitech decided to use.
I cannot overstate how good the subwoofer is at providing low down grunt (providing it’s placed correctly according to the environment) although it’s difficult to achieve the best timing… a phase control would be be good but hey!….. keep in mind what they cost…. peanuts!
Looking for a 2.1 set that will blow your socks off ?.. look no further.
I had an accident with one of the satellites and bought a replacement set from Logitech, i’d like to say thanks to Logitech for their awesome service. (The set I bought here from Amazon are NOT THE UK version.) the connectors are different. Logitech fixed it in a way that made my jaw drop.
There may be better multimedia speakers out there but as far as I’m concerned for 123 … these are the best, hands down!
If you want better and have 200 budget and space to fit the subwoofer…… then go for the Corsair SP2500… it’s that or the Z623’s
My cheaper Logitechs were quite impressive given how ridiculously thin the speakers were but they could be tinny and distort at times.
My new Z623 speakers are very impressive and are every bit as good to my “consumer” ears as the Onkyo which cost twice the price. I use them for my PC and they are overkill for that task and won’t distort at all at any volume I’d dare use when sat this close to them. I have a very large monitor and use my PC for everything from gaming to movies to TV to music.
I’d say they would also be more than adequate in an average UK sized living room or bedroom for someone wanting to use them with their TV or games console and would no doubt cause huge annoyance to neighbours or parents long before they reach a volume where you would experience distortion.
They are more than just “loud” if you know what I mean. There is so much more detail than on my cheaper speakers or the ones built into my 40″ Samsung TV.
The sound to my untrained ears is very deep and rich with a lot of crisp detail on the higher notes. This means you can kind of run them at a lower volume level and still pick out everything.
Granted I am no audiophile but they sound absolutely awesome when playing games, watching movies or listening to regular music. I have a pretty good sound card in my desktop PC and to be honest you can dramatically alter the sound just playing with the settings on that so I am sure if anyone did have issues with certain aspects of the sound then it is probably something they can tweak themselves to suit their tastes.
I have no concerns about the quality as my old Logitech speakers must be four years old now and have been shuffled all around the house, dumped in a carrier bag in the spare room with junk piled on top of them and even stored outside in a shed at one point but still work fine.
The volume control being on the right hand speaker makes them great for PC use and to be honest the old wired remote on my previous speakers is kind of pointless as you are hardly going to drape a big thick wire across the floor. So I like these because they have less cables than those systems with a wired remote. It would be nice if they had a proper remote control as then I would recommend that everyone buy a set to use with their TV. At this price and with this sound I’d still recommend it if you don’t mind getting out of your seat to adjust the volume.
Logitech 2.1 Speaker System Z623
I had to sell my Harman Kardon Soundsticks 111 speakers for my iMac due to intermittent loss of sound. I expected these Logitech speakers to sound just as good, though. So, the following review is based on these speakers being used as stand alone speakers for a computer system.
Set-up was a doddle. One thing I found a little disappointing was that although there is an on/off switch, volume and bass control on the right speaker, Logitech are following the trend of missing out a corresponding treble. Trying to compensate for this by turning the bass control down, merely results in the sound becoming cheap-sounding and tinny. I thought I could make up for this using iTunes equalizer and did have partial success. But what to do if the source has no equalizer or tone controls? Somehow, I still miss the treble control. Having said that, the sound coming from the two satellite speakers is deep, rich and powerful. The volume control augments the computer’s and doesn’t have to be turned up too much. The specs are truly impressive: total power output of 200W RMS (with a THX label). The two main speakers have magnetic shielding and are rated at 35W. The speaker with all the controls also has a headphone stereo jack .
The subwoofer is heavy and big and takes up a lot of space. At the back it has one stereo input and RCA inputs for connecting an external audio source. Its bass is profound and noticeable and both satellites delivered a fair amount of separation and mids, but I found the lack of top range frequency, i.e. treble, meant that definition, and clarity did not match my previous system. A fact that a treble control may have mitigated.
In conclusion, this system is a bit of an overkill as stand alone speakers serving your computer. It favours the bass range of frequency, having a noticeable lack of crispness in the upper range of the music scale. This, together with its lack of treble control and the enormous amount of room the sub woofer occupies results in a fair four star rating.
Is it as good as my previous Harman Kardon speakers? I guess so. But taking everything into consideration, including the price of these more expensive Logitech speakers, and the fact that the HK subwoofer weighs as light as a feather in comparison, I believe I would go back to the HK speakers if I had a choice. So, if you want speakers only for your computer that do not take up too much space, and you are not that bothered by having high-end specs and a heavy bass, then there are other impressive, less expensive speakers to choose from.
I bought these speakers as I needed some really good lower bass speakers and some treble as I had already some wharfedale floor speakers (250W).
These speakers gave me just that, I now have cinema quality treble crystal clear quality for those highs and mids, and a really nice smooth sounding sub.
But you may be wondering why I put the ‘but..’ in the title of the review. This is because, yes they are brilliant speakers, but if you are a big sound setup enthusiast like me then you’re gonna want big loud quality bass amazingness, and these speakers on their own might do it for you but I would recommend getting some floor speakers as well to offer you big bass and the lower mids because thats where these Logitechs lose out on. As I have got the Z623’s connected to my amp along with the Floor speakers to give me a 5 speaker setup.
But they are not bad at all, I could manage with only the Z623’s but it really does make it ultimate if you got some big floor speakers also for that extra kick. It’s better value for many rather than getting, lets say the Logitech Z5500’s for 230 500W because I picked up my wharfedales off ebay for 40, but you’ll need an amp also but you could find a decent one for a good price on GumTree or something.
Overall 5 star because you won’t get better value for money for a modern system with an amp built inside, especially as I picked these up used through amazon for 65 :L
Hope this helps.
I own a 27 ” quadcore imac, which I love, but whilst the inbuilt speakers are OK for general low level listening, especially late at night…they are not much good for anything else (they do give a surprisingly good stereo image, but bass is non-existent and Apple really should build in something far better to preserve their image and reputation for what is already an overpriced PC !!!).
I wanted sound to compliment the specs of the rest of my system. I also wanted sound that was sublime for music, films and games. As far as I’m concerned, in this tech-age, this was not a big ask. However, when I researched my wishes, I was confounded by how the reviews for each product could vary quite widely. I didn’t just read the reviews on Amazon, but I also read reviews from magazines et al that were posted on the net. At least two of these reviews almost deterred me from buying the Z623s. Of course many other reviews on Amazon encouraged me to consider them strongly !!! The reviews that put me off suggested the speakers were great for TV, films and games but poorly balanced for music. However, when I noticed a market place seller on Amazon advertising this system in used condition but with a 3 month warranty at virtually a third of the Amazon price, it was a no-brainer to buy them (as everything else I considered also had at least two poor reviews also, but at a much higher price !!!).
The speakers look ok-ish…I’m not a great fan of the shape of the satellites and the ‘Logitech’ logo on the left speaker doesn’t compare to the more impressive THX logos which feature on both speakers. Apart from the shape (which could be something that only I dislike…a question of personal taste) the speakers do look expensive and substantially made. The subwoofer is not overly large, so it’s ideal if space is at a premium and again its construction looks substantial and expensive.
As far as performance goes, I will cover: TV, film and game performance first. Basically faultless. So many expensive flat screen TVs these days boast superb picture quality but come with absolutely pathetic speakers. If you are the owner of such a TV, add these speakers to your screen and you will be in dreamland. Similarly add them to a DVD player or games system (PS3, Xbox 360 etc) and you will be more than satisfied. Of course you may want to go for a 5.1 surround sound system (understandable as I also have one of these but downstairs with my TV) and I am only rating this system for those of you who want a 2.1 system. I wouldn’t compare it with 5.1 systems, although I would suggest that you will achieve similar clout and ambience here with far less hassle (took me ages to balance my 5.1 system properly !!!)
I have covered TV, film and game performance first because I have not found a review of the Z623s that in any way suggests it is a poor performer in these areas. I will now cover music performance of these speakers and in more detail, as this is the area in which some reviews have down-rated this system.
Firstly, I will state that I am not an audiophile, but I am very fussy as far as sound quality of audio is concerned. The main type of music I listen to is 70s progressive rock (please don’t yawn !!!!), however, my musical taste is very wide and also takes in drum n’ bass, dance music (R&B + Ibiza etc etc), top 30 chart music, folk, classical and pretty much everything else except for maybe trad jazz. I listen to my music mostly from apple lossless files on itunes (created from my personal CD collection), 320 kbps mp3 files downloaded onto itunes, anything on youtube that takes my fancy, ‘spotify’ with high-streaming quality (and of course ‘progstreaming’ !!! LOL). I use the equalizer on itunes to perfect the final sound output but I do not tailor the sound from youtube or spotify (hopefully though, spotify will have an equalizer for mac soon as there is one for windows….). Music from all these sources sounds equally good…
Drum n’ bass, chart music, dance music of any description is again a no-brainer with this system, you will love it !!! Pleasingly for me (at least !!) prog rock also sounds superb, folk and even classical music sounds as it should with this system. I am also relieved to add that all types of music sound superb at low level as well as at loud volumes. I guess the louder volumes sound slightly better , but I am certain that would be the case with any system I listen to. The soundstage oozes quality and is incredibly well balanced, whether at high or low volume. At high volume you will make the house vibrate whether dance music or heavy metal is your vibe – easily loud enough for any serious party. At low levels you will still hear a beautifully balanced soundstage that sounds immaculate. Whilst I repeat that I’m not an audiophile, anyone who has reviewed this system as being poorly balanced with music, needs their ears washing out !!! Some have stated it sounds tinny at low volume with low bass – this is definitely not the case. I have been dipping into my music collection with renewed vigour since I have bought the Z623s, as everything sounds soooo good !!! Most tracks I listen to I want to repeat again and again, as I enjoy hearing them in this sublime Z623 rendition so much !!! I would add that it didn’t take long to set up a good sound stage either. I recommend positioning the sub somewhere underneath the two satellites and more essentially make certain that the port on the sub is close to a wall.
If you place the sats on your desk, the control for volume and bass level is always within reach, which is ideal, but I have anyway found that even though I flit between differing musical genres and programme sources, I rarely need to adjust things once I have decided the volume level appropriate for any particular audio session. There is an extra 3.5 input with the system and also an RCA phono input, which makes it all the more flexible. (I also use the system for recording music from guitar and keyboard into garageband on my imac – again it is great !!!)
There has been a question of reliability raised with some reviews. My second-hand pair perform superbly. I will update my review immediately should any fault develop with them – so take it as read that my used pair are still working fine unless an update is added to this review !!
I will conclude by saying that if you live in a flat or even a semi-d these may not be the ideal speakers as far as your neighbours are concerned !!! If you can’t resist turning them up, they will disturb your neighbours badly. Whilst I live in a detached house, I have to trim the volume and bass levels when the wife is in !!! My preferred sound levels would never disturb the neighbours but they can easily resonate throughout the whole house even at modest volume levels (which annoys her !!!). That’s why I’m glad to contradict the odd bad review and confirm that audio still sounds the bizzo at lower volumes, so I can listen to my Z623s in peace literally…..