Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System, THX, Dolby
Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System, THX, Dolby & DTS Certified, 1000 Watts Peak Power, Multi -Device, Multiple Audio Inputs, UK Plug, PC/PS4/Xbox/Music Player/TV/Smartphone/Table
Integrated controls
Independently adjust the volume levels of each satellite speaker as well as the sub woofer and access power and mute all from the control panel or with the wireless remote control.
Define your listening experience by selecting either 2.1, 4.1 or 3D surround sound.
| Weight: | 8.54 kg |
| Dimensions: | 35 x 28 x 29.2 cm; 8.54 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Logitech |
| Model: | 980-000469 |
| Colour: | Speakers |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Logitech |
| Dimensions: | 35 x 28 x 29.2 cm; 8.54 Kilograms |
Great sound quality for the price. The main volume control feels a bit cheap and hollow, but the remote feels good quality. The 5.1 surrounded sound makes true crisp audio. Would recommend if you need a step up.
I bought these from Amazon in 2018 (100 cheaper than they now are being sold for) and I have had no issues with them at all to this day! I have them hooked up to my gaming computer and playstation on a 50 inch screen and they do an amazing job of creating the perfect surround sound experience when gaming or watching movies. I cannot recommend these enough.. well worth the purchase!
I love surround sound but when it comes to the PC theres so many different games / applications with different requirements, analogue out still seems to be the best way to ensure everything works as expected.
Solutions like DD Live and DTS Connect seem to have gone away so external receivers just don’t seem to be a great option and there just aren’t a lot of good surround speaker sets around at this point. Companies are really just dropping the ball when it comes to PC audio and legacy support. I’ve yet to see a option that has the same level of compatibility that offers better quality so i’ll just keep using these.
I can actually feel the floor vibrating with the base when watching Netflix etc. such a good improvement over just the TV sound.
Only complaint would be that the rear speaker cables are a bit on the short side, other than that I can’t fault it for the price.
Always had good luck with logitech, simple to set up kit with quite a beefy subwoofer and speakers for the money. Really great with my QLED TV for movies and games. Bit too much bass out the box and lacks some treble but great at the price.
So I only brought this because almost all 5.1 amps are sold out right now. My plan was to get it, upgrade the speakers & then get an amp when they’re available & sell it on.
Saying that this is a great system, it has many options for connections (six input channels – 6-channel direct 3 x 3.5mm jack, two digital optical, digital coaxial, stereo RCA & analog stereo-mini 3.5mm jack) the only thing it doesn’t have is hdmi pass through (converters are available search for HDMI Audio Extractor).
It has surround effects to make stereo sound sources into 5.1 or quad or just sub assisted. You can adjust the levels of the rear middle & sub speakers independently.
It comes with cables to connect to a pc’s 5.1 3x 3.5 MM Jack outputs. To use the DTS or Dolby you will need an optical cable (not included). The remote is handy & has all the functions available on the main system.
The system is quite heavy & each small speaker is surprisingly heavy for what they are, I think they might have weights inside them.
I have tested it with a PlayStation 4 (via optical) & it works great. Using a pc you might want to invest in a soundcard such as a Creative Sound Blaster so you have more control over the optical outputs, be aware that DTS & Dolby encoding will introduce some lag to the output signal from a pc.
For perspective I am a music producer & normally use an audio interface with studio monitors & a sub woofer to produce music so I know about good quality sound & my listening space is sound treated. This has acceptable sound for the casual listener but it won’t blow you away, it’s very bass heavy & lacks high end & the speakers are tuned towards mid range.
After a while I brought four Wharfedale Diamond bookshelf speakers that you can get for about 50 a pair & a small centre speaker to replace the included ones & it made allot of difference giving it a more balanced sound with clearer hi ranges, the sub is actually great you just need to turn it down a little.
Gaming however, that’s a bit tricky. It’ll depend on your placement of the speakers and what games you play. It’s not due to any poor sound quality, it just doesn’t sound great especially in FPS games IMO. Strategy games however with the music ramping up as you wage battle, these really do shine through and makes me giddy.
I agree with some reviews about the remote and the control panel being a bit cumbersome but once you’ve got it all sorted as apart of your HTPC, you never really need touch it again but you got to watch out for that bass though, I have mine turned down a good bit, as it easily over powers the rest of the speakers and can ruin the atmosphere.
This product arrived today and I excitedly set it up as soon as I finished work.
Initial thoughts; the speakers feel really good quality, heavy and dense, just like a good speaker should. They aren’t bad looking either, so despite the fact my desk set up means they probably will end up hidden behind the myriad of screens and so on, I don’t feel like I had to.
The main controller unit is adequate. Like other people have said, it doesn’t “feel” as good. It all lights up and looks pretty enough, but is light and plasticky. Will have to see if it stands the test of time; I’m not particularly heavy handed with kit, so I’ll be disappointed if it breaks or malfunctions within the first couple of years. If it does, for the price, Logitech better darn well be able to sell that part to me separately!
Sound quality? As far as I can tell. I can only wire up The centre and front speakers as there were only 3 bits of wire in the box!!! The manual quite clearly says there should be 2x 7.6m lengths for the back speakers and 3x 4.6m lengths for the front. I’m not in the mood to go hacking about, can’t find the reel of speaker wire I had when I did the AV in the front room, so all I can say is the 3 speakers I have wired in and the base sound pretty darn good!! I may get to a store that sells speaker wire over the weekend, if I do I may update with what it sounds like with actual 5.1. Marked it only 4 out of 5 just for this reason.
I was lucky enough to be offered a payment plan for this product and it made paying them off that much easier. What the criteria is to get offered that, I do not know but it’s a feature that I wish Amazon would utilise more often. Anyway, Logitech Z906 cost me a good amount of money and I haven’t been disappointed with them, not one bit.
The box that the speakers came in was very thick and very tight. There was no way that any bits and bobs were getting loose or damaged in transit, it was that well packaged. It took a good shake to get the inner box out, made easier by the fantastic inner handles. That really did help. Inside the box, I found each speaker tightly wrapped in plastic, a large selection of audio cables, a sub woofer, the remote control and the volume unit that controls the whole thing. Everything was perfect on opening, not a dent, not a scratch and was very easy to set up.
The bass sub woofer is mighty impressive. It’s a large cube that takes all the audio cables into the back of it, as well as whatever input devices you want to plug into it. It’s not too big and is now snuggly tucked under my computer desk. Out of sight, out of mind. In the back there are a few AV slots, some optical slots and a spot for your 5.1 computer cable. Plenty of options for an audio dork like me. I quickly put together the audio cables (which are all of reasonable length) and hooked up each speaker. Placed two at the back of my room, two front and one centre. The control unit sits nicely in the middle and was easy to turn on.
The thing immediately came to life and holy cow, what a sound. There’s a few options available. One is for stereo sound, another is for 3D sound (utilising all the speakers) and there’s another option for whatever the input device dictates. The sub woofer was very over powering and that was just at the half way mark. I ended up turning it down to 1/4 volume, more than enough for my room. My computer took to the speakers instantly and hasn’t had a single hiccup.
I’ve played a number of games like Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0, Medal of Honour Allied Assault, Oddworld Abe’s Exoddus, Halo Masterchief Collection (I’m not old, I swear) and The Darkside Detective. All of the games sound fantastic and utilised the 5.1 where it was available. The added bass sounded great and the separate volume options helped me calibrate it very well, even if they’re a bit limited.
As it turned down, the speakers are great for music too. Okay, they’d be better with some EQ settings but even with out it, it still sounds really good and better than my old hi-fi system. Which wasn’t exactly a bad machine. I’ve played everything from metal, jazz, funk, pop, rock, blues on the thing and it’s had a good mix of highs, mids and lows. I have even hooked up my vinyl record player to the thing and it sounded great. I played some Ramones, Airbourne and Rush. Very good! Though, I’m sure some audiophile smarty pants will tell me otherwise.
The Logitech Z906 speakers are a bit bare bones and are a little expensive but I have found them perfect for what I’ve needed them for. They’re not overly big, they feel like a quality product and they’re VERY easy to set up. I would definitely recommend them.
I still use a multimedia PC, remember them? I find it convenient. Everything was running into my PC from the TV audio to my record player. I owned a set of logitech x530 5.1 speakers I’ve had for over 10 years and they were still doing well. I wanted something to accept a digital input and with better quality, especially for music where the x530s were OK but nothing more as they lacked in power and distorted when pushed.
Amazon having 54% off the price for Black Friday week was too good to be true. I’ve been looking at these for a while but at less than half price, it was a no brainer.
Receiving the box, well the first thing you notice is the weight, for small speakers, these are fairly weighty. They are well packaged, the sub actually has handles cut in the cardboard to help you remove it from the box as it’s in tight, no shaking upside down here.
Once unpacked, the only thing that feels a little flimsy is the control panel but being light and plastic is no issue as it works well and you’ll probably use the remote far more than this. It displays all the functions pretty well and is fairly self explanatory if you’re familiar with a 5.1 system.
The satellites are housed in nice, solid bodies with aluminium grills covering the drivers. A huge step up from the x530’s plastic housings and nylon mesh. The THX emblazoned on each speaker reminds you this is a seriously well specced and balanced system. I’ve read reviews calling them bland but they’re small and powerful and stylish in my opinion. The absence of a tweeter was noted, and maybe there is a lack of real crispness in high frequencies but compared to the twin drivers in the x530, these are streets ahead.
The sub, although bulkier than the one I had previously is small enough to find a home for. Like the rest of the Logitech range of 5.1 systems, the sub is where you connect everything, and wow, compared to PC centric systems they’ve made before, this one is actually trying to be at home in set ups without a PC, there’s multiple inputs allowing you to connect everything to these speakers. Set up was simple and thankfully, unlike other systems I’ve owned, there’s more than enough speaker wire to place the satellites, 7.6m on rear speakers, 4.6m on front and centre. The wires come separate so if you need longer wire then just buy a longer one.
So firing it up the first time, it takes a few mins to balance the speakers but once balanced you’re good to go. I found the bass was deserving its THX certification and there’s plenty of dynamic range, quiet whispers heard perfectly and booming explosions in films. Gaming on a console was an equally wonderful experience with positional sound very reliable and accurate.
Music from my MP3 collection is definitely improved, the bass thuds without distortions, even at high volume, mids are balanced and defined and there’s enough top end to make the highs clear and whilst not necessarily as crisp as they could be, sufficient to make the sound quality good overall. Listening to my vinyl was an equally impressive experience through the z906 as watching a movie or gaming. Yes, it’s a solid jack of all trades it seems. and whilst maybe not a master, it’s close, so close.
If I am to be picky, the lack of HDMI stops this being a 5 star review. We all use HDMI these days and this not supporting it, and the higher quality encoding that goes with it may put off audiophiles and those seeking the absolute best sound.
For me, a music and film lover, these speakers sound great and having watched/listened to a good amount of films, TV and music already as well as testing out some gaming courtesy of Star Wars Squadrons I am thrilled with this system. Its as close to my front room sounding like a cinema as I’ve ever had,and I thought the x530 was actually quite OK until I heard these. Not anymore!
I’ve looked at some of the more critical reviews, there’s no comparison between this set and any of the X series logitech speakers I’ve heard, X-530/X-540. I don’t get the negativity about this fantastic THX certified system to be honest. Some reviews make me wonder if their authors ever read the manual to understand how to use their systems. A bit poor to 1 star a fantastic speaker system and claim it won’t do things it most definitely will.
Seriously, I can’t praise this system enough. If you own any older non THX logitech speakers and are thinking about upgrading to these, do it, it will be a big upgrade. At their regular 300+, they are pricey, at Black Friday prices though, these are an absolute bargain.
I wanted better sound as I have a fairly high quality PC and had recently bought the SoundBlaster AE-5 soundcard to drive better sound which then led to me purchasing these Logitech speakers for a proper 5.1 sound setup. What stopped me was the price but when I saw this on sale, I jumped at it having read other reviews which on the whole were positive.
The overall quality is high both of the satellite speakers and the subwoofer. They have great weight about them and look very well made, though the look is always subjective. Setting up the speakers was very simple and it was good that the speaker wires were not proprietary but standard speaker wires should you need any extra length though the length is more than adequate for my room setup. On the rear of the subwoofer are the various connections which include:
2 Digital optical inputs
1 Digital coaxial input
Six-channel direct input
1 RCA input
You also get a control console which sits on your desk and this has 2 additional inputs one for Headphones and one for the mic in. The control box also allows you to controls which input you currently want to use, effects and has a master volume wheel.
You also get a fairly simple remote control that allows you to control all the functions from input selection, volume and effects.
Also just to mention, I had no issues setting this up to my Soundcard in the AE-5.
Okay finally onto the most important thing, the sound! I am certainly not what you would call an audiophile but I do like to hear great sounds whether it be my music, movies/media and gaming and this is where the Logitech Z906 delivers. I have to admit I was stunned! Coming from a set of fairly decent bookshelf speakers to this setup was an amazing experience. The 5.1 surround sound for my movies was just plain impressive, great full range sound and that surprised me from the satellite speakers and with the base from the subwoofer just adding so much to the overall sound. Yes you can feel the base going through at anything above a certain volume level!!!
With 500w on tap the Z906 has more than enough power and actually at full pelt will be way overkill for most rooms. I run it at the mid level at its highest and that is more than enough! Overall it is a great buy and if coupled to a good soundcard or external DAC you will be more than happy. Finding it on sale is a must as then it becomes very good value. Yes I would recommend the Logitech Z906!
An astounding discounted Amazon warehouse ‘used’ item, which looks new and sounds and feels like it’s going to cause an almighty earthquake. Like most reviewers have stated, this thing absolutely pumps bass-crazy volume and greatly surpasses my expectations. If your house isn’t already detached then it will soon be if you ever turn this machine anywhere near its capacity. The Z906 replaces my 1000 watt Sony, which is now 15 years old, and the audible difference between the two systems is like night and day. The Logitec easily wins with overall sound quality and mind-numbing bass. That said, the Z906 is definitely better suited for television entertainment than music/MP3s, but it’s still good enough. The build quality is good too, but the orange LEDs stay visible and I very much wish they didn’t! Still, I’m lucky that I live in a halls-adjoining house, so I shouldn’t disturb my neighbours too much with my new toy. Oh, it doesn’t have HDMI connectivity and I had to add my own Bluetooth receiver, which now allows me to transmit tunes from my tablet. Still, overall, I am extremely pleased to be finally enjoying the audio performance that my fussy ears deserve. All I need now is a gorgeous 65 inch OLED to match, but until then, the Z906 has renewed the pleasure of watching my 15-year-old LG 60 inch plasma. In short, if you like your TV audio loud and bassy, then this is the system to get.
I purchased the Logitech Z906 sound system more than 3 years ago now and feel I have to write a review due to how satisfied I am with the speakers.
At a glance:
Pros
1. Sound quality
2. Loudness
3. Input and output features
Cons
There aren’t any that I can think of
1. Sound quality
First of all the sound quality is amazing, as you would expect from THX certified speakers. It doesn’t matter whether you are listening to music, watching films or playing games – the speakers deliver a fantastic sound experience. And I’m not just talking about how deep the bass goes, the clarity in the treble is outstanding in as well in my opinion.
2. Loudness
These speakers are LOUD. As stated in the description you have 1000W peak and 500W RMS power and if, like me, you choose to use them as pc surround sound speakers in your bedroom, you have the power to keep your family/neighbours up all night should you choose to. I actually found that I had to turn down the bass in the EQ settings since the stock settings seemed rather too bassy for my liking, but that’s a matter of preference I suppose and it isn’t too difficult to do so either.
3. Input and Output features
You have RCA, six-channel direct, digital coaxial and optical inputs along with the standard 3.5mm, all of which can be connected simultaneously I believe (this is something I haven’t tried). The remote control also works well, and funnily enough I haven’t had to change the batteries that were provided with it when I bought the sound system over 3 years ago. And I use the speakers along with the remote almost every day.
Overall, still satisfied and still would recommend buying even today since they have decreased in price substantially from when I bought them 3 years ago. I never had any issues with them, and I hope it remains this way for years to come.
But plug in a DVD – Blueray player and set DTS and DOLBY as the output on the device or same for Xbox 1-S-X or PS4. This system is idiot-proof and about the hardest thing to do do the wiring for the speakers and setting the correct volumes for each speaker to be in ‘surround’ paradise.
The PS4 Pro with digital optical output delivered real 5.1 from Netflix, Prime, C4 with no issue and for all compatible games (As long as you remember to tell Netflix and Prime to out the sound as 5.1 and not 2.0!)
For Xbox series S, X and PS5 you just need your TV to have an optical out. Or buy a HDMI splitter that has an optical output. Then set the consoles to out DD or DTS and with TVs outputting the optical set the surround mode to auto not bitstream.
Quality of the speakers beats all current soundbar options I have tried and the number of connection input options will cover most things you might try and plugin and the fake surround mode for 2.0 content was much better than expected. All that is missing is HDMI input, but most modern TV’s will output a digital optical lead which should connect to the system. There is some room for error if trying to output from a streaming USB stick through HDMI to a TV then making the TV output through Digital optical to the Z906. So it might be hit and miss for some users and it’s very reliant on what the TV can do or even the USB streaming stick.
But plug-in a modern games console or Blueray or DVD and the THX sticker is well deservered. Bass on the woofer I limit to level 3 as above that I’m worried the windows in the room might fall out of the frame. Treble and mid is clear on the other 5 speakers and you can control the volume on the rear pair-front pair (as a pair) and the center speaker and woofer from the remote or control unit.
The system blows a 800 Soundbar out of the room. It’s just about if you are happy to live with all the speaker wires for a 5.1 system vs a soundbar really for living room use.
You can easily add a bluetooth input from phono inputs (if you buy one, Logitech and others all have loads of options) if that is needed or plugin a 3.5 MM jack from phones-tablets etc, direct into the control panel (which also has a headphone out option).
If buying for PC the USB input is buggy and you will want your PC soundcard to output 5.1 over the 3.5mm options or digital optical. And be aware you will want Windows 10 and the latest web browsers to run real 5.1 options from most streaming media (Netflix, Prime etc). But it is idiot proof to do from the Xbox or PS4.
Fake surround options built-in can override Dolby or DTS (if you choose to) or be used for any normal 2.0 sound sources and are actually pretty good (much better than expected). Really it’s like adding a reverb option to your speaker system even most radio shows on BBC Sounds, sounded amazing even with the fake surround option added on a 5.1 system.
So it’s a great system, but it’s very much reliant on what you are going to use to provide content. Some Smart TV, streaming media sticks and PC’s may have issues getting the correct signal for real Dolby or DTS content (you can always use the fake surround option). PS4 and Xbox won’t have issues or any video disc players. But you can easily plug a Phone, PC and Console into this system at the same timer and use fake surround options when needed as it has plenty of input options and it’s very easy to switch between inputs.
My only negative so far is the remote is a bit cheap feeling vs the rest of the system.
Power usage on about total volume 3.5 is about 100 Watts per hour average, so a bit more than most soundbars or small 2.0 PC speakers but the quality of that output is much superior.
Totally recommended for PS4 or XBox for Gaming and Media. PC-MAC and Smart TV’s it’s very much down to luck on what that hardware can do and if it will output a true Dolby or DTS signal the lack of HDMI is bit of a miss for those options vs some hardware.
You won’t get anything better for the price (especially the black friday-Prime day ones).
So although marketed as a PC solution really this is a killer system for the Consoles and Blueray-DVD users to get real THX quality 5.1. Because the PC side could be very hit and miss and is ultra reliant on your exact hardware and software.
What a system! These are absolutely fantastic, cannot fault them at all. But let’s go into it a little…
I bought this system in January ’19 and out of the box I was having issue with the sound not quite being right and I kept putting it down to the fact that the system was new to my ears as I had my old system for 8+ years so was really used to how that one sounded. After a lot of configuration I got it roughly right but just stuck with it. Fast forward 6-7 days and I smelt burning, electrical burning in specific and the power cable for the sub had melted and was sparking underneath the desk. Surely enough, the system was rendered useless. Unfortunately for me, I had bought this item new form a 3rd party so when it came to returning it I did not manage to get my postage refunded which cost me just shy of 30 which was not pleasant seeing as it was no fault of my own, just a dodgy system from the start.
Due to the fact that it caused an issue I was reluctant to buy again, so I eventually did 8 months later (bought damage cover for it!) and out of the box this was just perfect. Sound was spot on, no distortion or interference at all. This was the system which I had read about online and seen all the praise about. Been running the system now for nearly 4 months and it has not put a foot wrong (still early days of course). The remote is easy to use and very handy to have, use it all the time. The control module again is straight forward, easy and does the job. Speakers are very heavy and feel absolutely solid which is what you want. Only thing I will say is – the sub does have quite a magnetic field around it upon testing. So if you are to have it under the desk, do NOT put it near the computer as I am sure it will cause issues. I did read somewhere that the previous model needed to be 50-60cm away from any other electric item so I would use that precaution for this one, too.
Overall, well build, solid system which is easy to use and sounds amazing.
The sound is crystal clear, the immersion when playing games or watching 5.1 channel movies is awesome!
Before I purchased these speakers, I read the reviews from other people. I can recall one person saying that you can’t control the level of the bass (subwoofer). Well, they are wrong. You can adjust the volume of each individual speaker using the supplied remote control.
The only downside I’ve found so far is that because i’m living in a flat with a neighbor above me and one adjacent to me, I can’t use the speakers too loudly. This system is begging to be played at a loud volume. I wish I lived in a detached house!
I purchased an optical cable separately as they produce a much higher quality sound than using the supplied cables. That being said, the sound out of the box is still superb. You will definitely notice a great improvement if you’re upgrading from built in speakers, or a 2.1 speaker system.
I would recommend the logitech z906 to anybody who wants an immersive surround sound experience but doesn’t want to fork out for a whole cinema setup!
Update:
These speakers output 5.1 surround sound for normal audio, but can only support 2 channel for DTS audio (sound comes out of all speakers though as the extra audio channels are down mixed)
Works very well so will highlight the negatives and niggles.
Mounting screws are not included and they are not a common type. Bit of a pain and I wasted time going to local hardware store as they dont do them. I however purchased some speaker mounts on here which came with the required screws so that solved the problem. Will add link below. I flush mounted the center speaker using 3M Command strips and it looks great. The left and right front speakers are on stands I bought here ages ago and they look great and also hide all cables. Links below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0126P2YH8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-17206-Picture-Hanging-Strips/dp/B00404YKZI/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=3m+command+large&qid=1558959867&s=electronics&sr=1-3-catcorr
The subwoofer is very dominating and sound is bass heavy. This is made worse by the fact that the sattilites do not have seperate tweeters meaning the sound is a bit muddy and no real treble high notes. As said before, for the price, the system is still good.
No equaliser control – this is a biggest dissapointment for me. There is zero adjustment for mids and treble on the sattelite speakers. The subwoofer can be turned up and down and that’s it as far as equalizing goes. Bit a a dissapointment that.
No HDMI input – it is getting a bit long in the tooth plus I guess the system is really designed of computers primarily. There are 2 optical inputs though for digital sound. Sky box connected no problem but had to but an HMDI audio extractor which allowed me to connect my Chromecast. Works a treat and will link below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01GH4MEYC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Remote is very basic and strangly the speaker level adjustment option seems to exclude the front left and right. All other speakers can be adjusted but the front left and right cannot. Also, the rear surrounds adjust as a pair meaning you cannot adjust individually to compensate for non symetrical positioning of speakers. Rather strange but hey ho…
So there we have it. Overall a good product but not a remplacement for a Yamaha or Denon home theatre amp. This was meant to be a temporary setup till I get my next Yamaha but it is so good I might not bother till tech moves forward again.
By the way…don’t buy the logitech bluetooth adapter….it is embarrassingly poor quality performance wise.
I recently decided to swap out my old Logitech X-530 which was a great 5.1 set in its time after a bit of research I settled on these Z-906’s & I have to say I’m blown away by the audio quality & it’s not like I’ve come from some cheap tinny speakers.
The sub is much larger than expected, make sure you check the dimensions before you order, it is of course incredibly rich & powerful, the satellite speakers have great range & crystal clear vocals / treble.
Somethings to watch out for when you set them up, if you look at the effect section on the control panel it may start 4.1 etc & you’d be tempted to set it to 3D but you’ll likely lose the centre & sub speakers, make sure if you want proper 5.1 to press the effect button until all lights are out, if you’re (& this is highly likely for PC users) using the venerable Realtek control panel make sure NOT to enable Bass Management or Speaker fill, let the unit do its thing.
If you want more power from the sub or a set of speakers on the right of the control panel click the level button & a set of speakers (or all speakers) will be highlighted, select the speakers you want & turn the central volume knob, this will set individual speaker volumes, after a couple of seconds it saves the change & goes back to a regular volume knob.
If I had to say something negative & I’d have to look very hard I’d say the remote is a bit cheap & the control box is not made to the same quality as the rest of the components.
The bottom line is if you want incredible sound these are a fantastic set of speakers & not just for PC’s I’d be over the moon with this as surround sound for home cinema or console gaming etc.
PROS:
– The sound quality is excellent! They’re not Bose quality, but they match Sony in my opinion! For Movies, TV, Gaming and Music, the sound is sublime and rich. Music I tend to switch the mode to 4.1 as it sounds better that way. But films, TV and gaming in 5.1 sound brilliant!
– Multiple connections make it easier! I have 2 optical cables, one from the TV and one from my PS4, plus LR audio from my record player to the speakers so I don’t have to keep plugging and unplugging things! It’s easy enough to switch between these on the controller.
– The control box showing what effects and settings you have on is pretty good. Let’s you know where you are at. Also lets you adjust the volume of the different speakers!
– The bass is superb, but be careful as it packs power! I had it up full whack and it shook the room. Plus annoyed the neighbours next door and above me! So keep that around half way!
– The cables for setting up the satellite speakers are very long so you can place them all over the room!
CONS:
– Too many cables everywhere! It’s a small price to pay but you get better sound quality through cable connections than through Bluetooth.
– The control unit is not that clear… especially when deciphering which input is selected as they are numbered 1-6, and not as Optical 1 etc…
– You can only set the volume for the pair’s of satellite speakers. By that I mean you can only set the volume for the rear 2, front 2, middle and sub. You cannot set the volume for Back left/right or Front Left/right seperately…
Overall it’s a really decent set of 5.1 surround sound speakers! People saying it doesn’t work properly with blu ray must not have their speakers set up properly or in the right positions. I find the surround works perfectly with them! Particularly my LotR Complete Scores in 5.1! I would advise though to get these in the sale! You will not be disappointed!
Straight out of the box, these just feel better. The satellites are chunky, sturdy things, though not obscenely so. The sub is pretty big, certainly far bigger than the old one. Set up is easy, there are three bundles of ‘short’ (I think 5m) speaker wire for the front three, and two bundles of 7m wire for the back two. It’s all self explanatory as to where they go. Then the control bit connects to the sub (which is where the power lead goes too), and you’re good to go.
There are a few inputs, including two opticals (which I’m using) but no cables come with the speakers for this, which I think is pretty normal.
Control wise, there’s a few options to choose from. First, you can choose from 3D, 5.1 or 4.1. I find 3D is best for gaming and movies, 5.1 for music, and I don’t use 4.1. The difference between 3D and 5.1 is mainly that the front middle speaker is not used for 5.1 (and 4.1 doesn’t use the back ones either). So 5.1 is better for music as the front middle speaker is mainly used for speech – good for films/TV/games, but for music having a more 360-ish feel is better. Volume can be changed independently as well as overall, so you can adjust the sub, the front speakers, and the rear speakers to your liking. All this can be done on the unit or using the remote control (batteries included). These two things are not as aesthetically pleasing as the speakers, but for me that’s not an issue; they serve their purpose just fine..
And so the sound. In short, it’s incredible. I’m no audiophile, but these are superb to my ears. The bass especially is really clear, and different levels come through very, very well. I daren’t turn the sub up more than half as I live in a flat, but even on that setting it’s more than sufficient. Overall, it is such a difference having real surround sound, particularly when gaming, you can pinpoint noises etc far more easily and it truly enhances the experience. These are brilliant speakers, well worth the money – I did get them on offer for 150, but I would have been just as happy paying 220 or so for them.
5 years on, they’re still performing brilliantly and I can’t fault them in any way at all. I’ve not had one single problem or issue with my set and I have zero complaints or criticism about them (which is certainly a rarity for me). They’re used every day for multiple applications and they truly sound absolutely amazing. They’re just perfect for everything I use them for and they’re very simple to set up and use. (I’ve recently read of some owners having various issues with the main control unit on more recent sets, obviously I can’t comment as to if Logitech made some updates causing these issues but my control unit has never had any problems at all and the whole set is still going strong). The fact Logitech are still producing their Z906’s some years after they were released is further testament to just how good these speakers really are as well. I believe their original release date was early Spring 2011. They’d been on the market a while when I chose to purchase some from the high amount of very positive reviews from varying online reviewer sources and a direct demonstration from a friend too. I don’t just have mine connected to my PC either; They are exceptionally versatile, you can connect them to multiple sources and quickly switch between them via the control unit itself or by the very useful remote control. In addition to having mine connected to my PC, it’s also connected to a TV, a DVD player and an HD media player. It works as an excellent sound system via Toslink fibre optic cables, digital coax cable, RCA leads and obviously the PC input. The speakers are simply stunning. The sound quality is just amazing and together with the beefy sub woofer they are capable of punching out some thunderous bass that’ll literally vibrate your tables and windows. They are more than capable of EXTREMELY loud sound production with zero distortion too. For the relatively small size of the satellite speakers they pack an incredible punch, however the sub woofer as expected is quite a bit larger. You can configure each individual speaker or the sub woofer to adjust their volume or bass levels independently using the control unit, further adjustments can obviously be made via PC software as well where you can use various sound enhancing equalisers, etc. The control unit has different direct modes to set the system to full 5.1 surround sound, or it can be set to 4.1 or 2.1 if required or preferred. The control unit also has convenient 3.5mm headphone out and mic/auxiliary in jacks for all sorts of various devices such as MP3 players, smartphones or Chromecast Audio, etc, etc. Otherwise, all of the satellite speakers, the control unit and other inputs all easily connect into the rear of the subwoofer.
If you’re a hardcore PC gamer then seriously consider these speakers as they truly immerse you in your virtual surroundings with pinpoint detail and accuracy. Arrange the forward and rear speakers accordingly, load up your favourite FPS, and you can hear EXACTLY where everything or everyone is around you with awesome clarity. This was my primary reason for purchase but I then found out just how useful they are in other regards as well. If you also enjoy high quality music, they’re a great choice for excellent clarity and depth, they really will surprise you!!
5/5, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If my set suddenly died, now that I’ve discovered they’re still produced and sold I’d definitely replace them with another identical set of Logitech Z906’s without a second thought!!
Looking for a new sound system is near impossible. I set a budget of 400, so this one was a bit on the cheaper side of what i was aiming for.However i saw it pop up on sale for cyber monday for 150 and after reading other reviews i couldnt turn it down, so i thought i would take the gamble and buy a seemingly “cheaper” 5.1 system.
Firstly the actual sound system is really really good theres plenty of wire the speakers arent too big or heavy but still feel good quality. I mainly use them for listening to music however i also do watch plenty of movies and also game. For music its absolutely awesome. I bought a new soundcard to go in my PC build to make the most of them and it really does kick off some great sound and the added personalisation options from the soundcard on top of the already well customisable system make it awesome no matter what im listening to.
The actual surround sound has taken some fiddling to get sorted for watching movies and such to get the right balance, but i think im getting there.
Each speaker kicks out an impressive amount of noise and doesnt distort even all the way up to 95% volume. The subwoofer is a massive upgrade from my last system (which says something as that was awesome). Dont expect pictures rattling off the walls bass but it will certainly vibrate all your crockery and rattle anything you have in your room a fair bit if youre pushing it! (This i know from what is now 4 official noise complaints from neighbours).
For the price.I would definitely recommend, everything you need comes with it theres 5 optional inputs ( i currently just have my PC and PS4 plugged in) and also an aux port. The remote control is fantastic and you can literally do everything on it even though its small and simplistic. Very happy. (Now about a month into ownership)
In terms of audio quality this system was a revelation. With music, vocals are lucid, open beautifully measured, instruments separate out and carry a good sense of timing. Unlike many PC speakers, this set open up the soundstage and allows a melody to breathe properly. At lower volumes a listener may find the bass to be a little lacking – this because the somewhat meaty sub needs a bit more current to really work properly. Give the volume dial a couple more notches, however, and this will delight. With multimedia such as film, the THX capability kicks in and the set can really deliver. Volume levels can hit “anti-social” with effortless ease and this set can run the full spectrum from quiet dialogue to thunderous explosions with aplomb.
So: recommended? Absolutely! Perfect? Well, not quite – please see below for a few pedantic niggles…
Pros:
1. Mostly excellent build quality – excellent choice of materials, hefty build and beautiful assembly
2. Exceptionally good sound quality for the money – really, really good
3. Compact control unit – fits neatly underneath a monitor [which the previous unit did not] – kudos for this, Logitech!
4. Plenty of input sources, including two S/PDIF optical feeds
5. Generous cable lengths for all satellite speakers – nice to see
Cons:
1. Connectivity – cables – the satellite speakers connect to the sub via seriously crappy telephone wire that is held in place by those nasty, nasty red/black spring-clip “grabs”. This is a poor way to get good connectivity, the clips are prone to breaking and the connection will never be good. Oh please, please, please could you upgrade the clips to allow banana plugs? I’d gladly make up or buy my own cables…
2. Satellite dimensions – the “front” pair of satellites stand a good 16cm tall, one of my Dell PC monitors only leaves a 12cm gap, so I have to place my front pair just behind my monitors… The satellites have 2 excellent soft rubber strips to act as feet, but nothing on the “side”, just the “foot”, so I can’t turn my front satellites on their sides to fit the ergonomics of my desk. [ Pretty minor gripe for me, but could be a deal-breaker for others].
If you can live with these two [trivial] gripes, you won’t be disappointed – solidly recommended!!
REVIEW: The item is exactly as seen in the pic. The Cables for the front two speakers aren’t very long… maybe around 1.5 metres. The back two are quite long, I would say around 3.5 metres. The back of the main unit has quite a few connections (See Pic). One that you can connect to a PC, One that connects to a headphone jack and 2 optical cable connections. The bass is super loud, but you can turn off the base if you live in a flat or cant have a thumping sound. Using the control, you can also adjust the separate speaker volumes. For example, if you don’t have the luxury of being able to sit at an equal distance away from all speakers, you can adjust the speakers accordingly. If you have your sofa against the back wall with the back two speakers right next to you, you can turn those speakers down and turn the front the speakers up so that all the sound reaches you at the same level.
The bit in the middle of the picture is the unit that displays the volume and input of the System. They have discreet orange lights that are bright enough for you to see, but distracting. You can adjust the volume and input from here OR with the control.
MY SET UP: I have connected my TV to the Surround Sound using my TV’s Headphone Jack. This means no matter what i play through my TV, wether its SKY, FREEVIEW, PS4, DVD, they all play through the Surround Sound without having to change the input. If i had a PC connected to the speaker, you can change the input at the touch of a button.
Also, when i play a film on my MACBOOK, connected to the TV with a HDMI, I just take out the headphone jack from the TV and put it in my headphone slot on my laptop and Boom its working fine.
The wires that come with the box weren’t long enough for me so that i went out and bought a reel of 100 metres speakers cable. This was enough for the whole set up with PLENTY left over and cost around 10 Pounds. I don’t have a clue about speakers or electrical items and i did it with ease.
PROS:
Great Sound
Great Bass
Change input very easily
Adjust individual speaker volume
Turn bass on and off with the control
Descreet Orange lights to tell you what setting you are on and volume level.
CONS:
Length of Wire, but you can buy replace these for 10 Pounds.
SUMMARY: If you want a speaker with good bass and sound for films and PS4, its perfect (if you don’t mind the length of the cables). I hope that someone finds this helpful!
Updated…
I now have had this system for 6 years and it’s still great. There was one issue when it was thundering outside and had a power cut. When the power came back on the console unit wouldn’t light up, I had to unplug it and it worked as usual again. Other than that it still works well. There’s times when Netflix has a sound off/on effect which I don’t blame this unit as it doesn’t happen on the Playstation 4 or even streaming on other apps where if there on a 2.0 stereo channel the 3D works really well pushing it all out into the speakers. Only real problem I do get is when I watch certain DVD’s the rear right speaker has an annoying interference crackle and thought oh great here we go. However, on Blu-Ray films, Playstation Games and Netflix I don’t experience that at all? Must be the decoding and that’s even if I get the player or the amp to do that job.
Lastly, been looking at the latest reviews which are mixed? Some say it’s great some say it’s a piece of work!!! Looking at the photos they have uploaded to mine, the Logo has been taken out and just says Logitech. Whether or not perhaps some parts are now cheaply made or is just the same just a different spray job I’m not sure. Shame if Logitech have gone down hill because it’s a really good system with just some tiny glitches.
You can even change the levels, only the Bass, Front Speakers & Center Speakers can be changed not the Rear ones. I found myself turning down the Bass level to a quarter two level as you don’t want what happened to Creative Labs where there built in amp which is encased into the sub woofer actually shock it apart lol. The front speakers best at the 12 o clock position and center speaker to quarter past so vocals are heard better.
Lastly, this does not have Bluetooth built in. Your have to get a Bluetooth receiver separate which TaoTronics do a 4.2 version which works from the mains and then it’s a 3.5mm cable to RCA white/red connectors to the Logitech Sub/Amplifier.
I’ve attached some photos just to give you an idea if you decide to buy speaker stands which their wires do run long enough up the poles to the satellite speakers without being to tight on the wires.
Not sure when this product will be properly discontinued or even have a upgraded model later down the line, I sure hope so.
Last note, not sure if they have changed them now but I found 6 years ago on my satellite speakers the internal threads on the back didn’t actually fit the UK bolts I got from my work (must be an American thread). If so your need to re-tap the threads which can be easily done just don’t go to far into the speaker as you may damage it. I found roofing bolts were best (M5 or M6) you just need a flat headed screwdriver to tighten onto a speaker stand.
This is a good unit for PC owners and can also make a good low cost system for TV/Games consoles too especially as it has a remote control. Although if you can afford it and want a TV/console system I’d stretch to a unit with HDMI inputs as this Z906 only has two optical inputs which isn’t enough if you have multiple games consoles, satellite box, Apple TV/Firestick etc.
The Z906 actually sounds really good. Obviously if you are an audiophile you wouldn’t be looking at a system in this price range anyway so my descriptions of how good it sounds are perfectly valid for the type of person reading this.
The speaker cables for the rear are actually pretty long compared to most systems I’ve bought but sadly still not long enough to reach around 2.5 walls of my bedroom as I can’t take the direct route for one speaker due to a door. Fortunately Amazon sell some decent quality copper speaker cable for about thirteen quid so I’d ordered that with the system. This is where you benefit from Logitech having used standard speaker wire connections. Thumbs up for that.
Only gripe is that you have a separate control box for choosing all your audio modes and effects etc and I wish this could have been integrated into the Centre speaker or even the sub. It would have meant one less box on the desk and one less cable to join the crows nest behind my desk. I have no idea why that box has to be so ridiculously huge! The Corsair SP2500 has a tiny little box with an LCD display.
I’ve had this system a couple of years now and it is for my money the best PC speaker system going. I’ve tried systems like the aforementioned Corsair SP2500 and I’d take the Z906 over that every time. It just sounds better and being able to connect via optical gives it a huge edge.
Purchased this to sit in the living room of a new house, and after taking my time setting it up I must say that it performs admirably. I have the bass unit sitting in a TV walnut cabinet, in the corner of the room with the rest of my AV gear. Most of my units have fibre out, and I used a decent quality 6/way digital switcher unit as the Logitech only has 2 inputs for fibre. It’s not a big deal. The sound is stunningly crisp, and the bass is thunderous. In actuality, I have the luxury of a sound engineer brother, who has OCD about sound frequency and balance, he tuned the bass to about 45%, and that is plenty, it’s a mighty bass unit and lives up to expectation. I am somewhat sceptical that you’d ever need to crank it up to 75% let alone 100%, if you did that, you’d probably set seismographs off in Hawaii. The speakers are extremely easy to wall mount with the additional kit, and the centre speaker fits and looks great in front of the TV. Some people claim the controller is lacking, but in my opinion, it’s just right. Master volume, zone volume adjust (sub bass, rear speakers, center speaker), input and audio mode (i.e. you can choose combination of speaker sets for your music / sounds if the auto decode does’t auto detect). That brings me to the audio detect, if you push through an input in 5.1, it’ll auto switch. If you plug your ipod or another source with no encoding, you can switch through and choose if you wish just the fronts, or all speaker combinations. Personally I quite like my music through all 5, but it’s down to taste.
I really do not have any negativity to the unit. For me there’s no difference between this and other more advanced 5.1 separates you can pick up. I haven’t needed to crank the volume over 50% yet, it’s LOUD. This unit gives far more than any normal human being needs, and I’m 100% happy of my choice to roll with it. It’s a superb unit.
For the proper hi-fi nut, the bell wire that comes with, may not be doing them the justice they deserve, however, despite tiny 3″ cones in each of the 5 smaller speakers the sound is very clear, and not tinny, while I have no frequency analyzers and my speakers arent in optimal positions, Im sitting in roughly the right position right now, and the sound is balanced, you can adjust the base speaker, center front speaker, and rear speakers levels to tweak the balance of the system a little. However, having arranged the speakers as suggested, eg the 2 rear just behind the couch facing forward and the front ones facing me, there is good spacial feel to it. The wires that come are standard cheap wire, about 3-4m for the front 3, and about 7.5 for the rears. I may need to invest in longer cable for the rear speakers, as while it makes it trapsed across the furniture, by the time I’ve run it under the fire place, and the table, it maybe struggling to run round the floor to the back left speaker..
From my tv speakers, I often used to find that voices seemed slightly muffled, (what do you expect with 2 tiny speakers facing a wall on the back of a tv?) but now, the sound is more filling, I actually dont need it on half as loud as I used to, there is much more detail to the sound, I’ve found myself sitting with my eyes shut feeling the action (for things Ive previously seen) and feeling the movement of the sound around me. To be honest.. Im now wishing I had a bigger tv to give a more dominating feel to the tv to make it more cinema like! I want one of the tv channels from back to the future 2 I want to have a sea view and listen to waves! Its totally immersive (Im dyslexic, how do you spell that?)
Are there better speakers? Probably, for this money however, probably not.
I wish I had bought these sooner!
The Z-906 is a revelation; it may only be about three times the price of my much less capable previous X-540 surround system but it seems to have ten times the audio quality, and its smooth sound with no apparent holes is very close to being hi-fi apart from a slight lack of extreme top. The previous system was also from Logitech, and it seemed to do the job well enough even if it was not hi-fi, but the hum from the mains transformer became too intrusive, hence the replacement.
At first I was dubious about the lack of tone controls. However the THX specification means that the tonal balance should not need adjustment. Only the sub-woofer needed to be reduced in level because of living in the fireplace behind the screen. On test out in the middle of the floor it was fine at the default setting, but the final hidden location emphasises the bass and the handy little remote control allowed fine tuning of the relative speaker levels to get the balance just right.
The TV has an optical output as well as an analogue headphone output, both of which I connected to the Z-906 because only the headphone output level is controlled by the TV remote – the button-set most in use and always to hand. The optical output from the DVD player also goes to the Z-906. The PC then uses the three 3.5mm jacks.
Having so much connectivity is a luxury, but suddenly feels essential after being in use.
There are various choices on how the sound is routed to the speakers: firstly by selecting from the five possible sources on the box, and then secondly on how it is decoded from stereo or DTS or Dolby, surround analogue or digital, or from the six analogue channels on the mini-jacks; in other words, from any of these five sources into the six loudspeakers. Marvellous; one does not have to think, just listen and enjoy the experience. And then one discovers on the control console that there is yet another stereo input jack and a headphone socket
Most of the time we are listening to the TV, and the way the surround info is extracted from what might otherwise be boring TV sound is amazing. One is actually there, in the midst of the audience/action/car chase/concert/whatever. It sounds real, unlike the previous speakers which also gave a good synthesised surround effect but still felt artificial.
And then if we put a good surround sound disc into the player it all comes alive, even better than the TV. The DTS or Dolby is recognised and decoded automatically into surround without disturbing any settings that might have been made for the stereo signals.
Initially I found that sometimes if we were listening to the Freeview HD AAC 5.1 ITV (mostly actually only stereo) sound via the optical link it was choppy with random breaks, but when I changed the TV’s optical output coding to Dolby Digital instead of PCM all the problems vanished, never to return. However, more recently listening to Jules Holland’s ‘Later Live’ on BBC HD AAC 5.1 sent via PCM (ie untouched and not decoded and recoded) the full surround was decoded perfectly by the Z-906, however the recorded and extended repeat was only stereo. So the ITV glitches were maybe a problem with the Samsung TV (which has since had a software update) or ITV.
The wires supplied for the speakers (three at 14ft, two at 25ft) were long enough for all but one rear speaker, and to extend that (soldered and sleeved) I stole two metres from the lead to the centre speaker. The previous system had needed four extensions to be able to hide all the wires.
Power usage on my Z-906 when it is idling measures surprisingly high at about 36W, and even after putting it into standby with the on/off (I/O button) either on the console or on the remote control it still takes about 27W. So when not in use it is well worthwhile to switch it off at the mains. Remember that in UK at today’s rates 1W running 24/7 for a year will cost just over a 1 in electricity.
The Az blurb above mentions ‘Integrated wall mounts’, which actually means a single threaded brass blind hole (1/2″ deep) in the back of each of the five small speakers. We need to supply our own screws and brackets to suit the location. The screw thread is a 1/4-20 UNC size, ie 1/4″ diameter and 20 threads per inch. These brackets include the correct screws in the kit, and don’t obstruct the connector.
I don’t normally make a comment on the packaging, but I was impressed by how the components were supplied in the cardboard holders with ergonomically placed finger holes to ensure easy lifting of the heaviest items from the outer carton with no stress on the back. And no polystyrene.
Summary.
As a simple 5.1 surround amplifier that does the job excellently without being burdened by extras such as tuner or player or internet or whatever, this is hard to beat. The only minor negative point is the surprisingly high power consumption when supposedly “Off”. The sound is superb, so it is definitely recommended.
Addendum 10th Nov 2012
I’ve since installed an automatic ‘power saver’ which switches off the directly associated peripherals including the Z-906 when the TV is put into standby. This will pay for itself in just a few months.
Addendum 2. 1st November 2015
Three years on and it is still working perfectly.
In the last couple of months I’ve bought and installed another system for an elderly friend, and yesterday now that she is happy with the speaker placements I finished it off with permanent wall mounts, using a couple of pairs of the BT332 mounts for the four corner satellite speakers.
wiring everything up was straight forward and the centre console is a nice touch, it couldn’t be easier to use, and you can adjust the setting across the room just by looking at the leds so no squinty eyes needed. Everything feels extremely well built, each of these speakers push out 60+w rms so there arent going to be cheap drivers or cones inside them. for their size they are extremely weighty
Now I’ll move onto the only reason i wrote this review – the sound quality and volume. Firstly, the clarity is second to none even at the top end of the volume. as for distortion – there is none, whatever volume you have it at. Onto volume, I would never have thought a 165w 8inch subwoofer would rattle my house, I once took the volume all the way to the top and to be fair it was mental. I knew the bass was resonating across the joists into next doors house so i turned it down, only for me to realise the youtube clip i had playing was on 20% volume so I think the only way im going to find out what this set up can really do is hope everyone in the cul de sac goes on holiday at the same time – if that happens I will update this review. Do not let this system sit there gathering dust and using it just for movies. this thing will work a treat at house parties…just make sure you warn the neighbours first.
enjoy
(I have this surround sound hooked up to a xonar d2 soundcard via optical cable)
PROS:
1. Very loud when you want to pump it up, with very little distortion.
2. Subwoofer is very powerful and hits the deep notes nicely.
3. The speaker wires that come with the box are pretty long so useful to set up in surround sound.
4. Remote control helps quite a bit especially if you have multiple devices connected to them – and you should.
5. There is an AUX input on the console that for some reason the product description does not mention. There is also a headphones socket.
6. Dolby content, especially off PS3s etc plays amazingly well. Very very good sound.
7. The lights on the console are orange, which are a lot softer than blue lights would be. I find them to be less distracting than blue lights.
CONS:
1. The bass rattles things in the room. So you might hear annoying vibrations of other things as well. You should make sure everything is fully secure.
2. Speakers are quite heavy and there are no mounts for them. DO NOT get the universal mounts you see on Amazon, they are USELESS to mount these speakers. Plus you need 1/4″ screws to fit the back of the speakers and these are usually not that common. A silly choice in my opinion but I believe they had to compensate for how heavy the speakers are. But honestly, Logitech should think about making some mounts for these speakers, there are loads of people wanting them and very few have actually successfully mounted theirs.
3. The 3D stereo mode does weird things in my opinion. It tries to filter out different parts of the sound to the different speakers but it does this in a very poor way in my opinion, especially if you’re playing music off the AUX input or the included PC speaker cables. The end result is that the front centre speaker does most of the work and the rear speakers have this weird hissy noise in addition to a garbled part of the track. Maybe I’m playing low quality music, I don’t know. But I am using a Monster aux cable so it cannot be due to that. The weirdest thing is that once you switch it from 3D to 4.1 it sounds like it should, equal output from all the speakers and most importantly it sounds clear and not garbled. But now the centre speaker is not used! I find that weird.
4. It loves optical cables more. Seriously, use optical inputs on this if you can, avoid the AUX and the PC cable inputs. The 3D garbling thing NEVER happens on the PS3, then it sounds exactly how it should.
NOTE: If you have one of these with a 2pin plug then you have the European model like me, and it is not for the UK market. The UK ones may not have the same issue with mounting the speakers as I am having now.
OVERALL: Buy it. It’s the only set of speakers that I know of that can handle so many different inputs at the same time and is THX and DOLBY certified – and believe me that sounds amazing when you play the right things (e.g. PS3 or Bluray) on it.
Packaging
———
When the speakers arrived from Amazon, they were double-boxed: first in a stiff cardboard box for shipping, and inside that the thinner-gauge (but well-padded) Logitech box containing the kit itself.
A word of warning for those of you whom encounter the same confusion as I: the wires for three of the speakers (front-left, front-right, centre) are tucked inside a protrusion in the cardboard “netting” surrounding the speakers themselves. It took me a moment to figure this out as the rear-left and rear-right wires are visible with the speakers themselves, but the other three are concealed.
The subwoofer itself is self-explainitory, along with the AC cable, and a standard 3x 3.5mm 5.1 input cable for use with PC soundcards.
Inputs
——
There are 6 distinct inputs provided by the Z-906: 1 of them is the 3x 3.5mm “analog” input, there are 2x Optical inputs, at least one SPDIF (Coaxial) input, and multiple twin-AUX (PHONO) inputs… all of which can be connected at the same time, and switched via both “head unit” as well as its remote control.
Remote Control
————–
The Z-906 comes with a neat remote control, small, with a total of 7 buttons: Power, Input Select, Mute, Level Select (independant volume control for each channel), Vol-, Vol+, and Effect (toggles between 2.1, 4.1 and 5.1 when not using DTS encoding from your audio device or PC).
The remote is (as one would expect) IR, so does require line-of-sight in order to function… though this is to be expected and works from at least as far away as 10 meters based on my own tests.
Surround Speakers
—————–
The quality of the sound from the satelites (Front, Centre and Rear speakers) is exactly what you’d expect from THX-certified speakers… crystal clear, of very high fidelity, and free of the various types of distortion you get from lesser speakers.
Their construction has a very rugged and well-thought-out quality, and the single cone in each speaker encapsulates both the “Bass Reflex” and “Tweeter” along with the typical Mid-frequency you’d expect from a satelite speaker. This actually makes them look “cool”, as well as sounding brilliant.
If you wish to modify the satelites (which I do NOT recommend… why mess with perfection?) you would need a 5mm Hex Key, as opposed to the typical Phillips Screwdriver you may expect.
The front and rear speakers can easily be mounted to stands (which is what I have done with mine)
Subwoofer
———
The subwoofer on the Z-906 is very interesting, in that it is capped to remove distortion, which you may feel curbs some of the bass at the lowest end. This is actually a GOOD thing, as it addresses an issue I have encountered with a rival speaker system (Creative Gigaworks 7.1 THX) a few years ago where the vibration in the lowest end from the subwoofer literally shook the amplifier board to pieces, destroying the entire kit.
THERE IS PLENTY OF BASS provided by the Z-906! Far more than any sane person would ever want.
The build quality of the subwoofer box (which also encapsulates the amplifier and input panel) is the finest I have encountered for speakers of this type. The box contains a single Bass Port, which (despite what ametures may tell you) is far superior in quality and effect to having multiple Bass Ports.
The subwoofer cone is protected by a CONCAVE metal mesh, which is the first time I’ve ever encountered such a thing (all other subwoofers I’ve had have a CONVEX mesh, or no mesh at all). Making the mesh concave is actually very clever, as it prevents denting when moving and repositioning the Subwoofer. Denting would of course be a big problem as it runs the risk of puncturing the subwoofer cone as it vibrates… NOT a problem with the Z-906!
The Head Unit
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The Z-906′ Head Unit is fairly attractive compared to others I have seen, with a sleek shape and the use of Orange LEDs (as opposed to the traditional Green).
The Head Unit provides 4 buttons (in order, Left to Right, same definitions as with the Remote): Input Select, Effect, Power, Level Select. Further-more, it provides a nice large dial (the Head Unit’s counterpart for Vol- and Vol+ buttons as per the remote).
LEDs indicate the Power State, Input, Decode and Effect selections. A ring of LEDs indicates the volume level, where each LED has 3 levels of brightness as you increase or decrease the volume.
An arranged set of LEDs to the right provide indication of channels (e.g. they indicate when you’re adjusting the volume of just the front speakers, or the subwoofer, or the centre channel, or the rear), and also show you whether your audio device (such as a PC or Hi-fi) is outputting in 2.1, 4.1 or 5.1 at any given time. This is a very neat feature, and the first time I’ve seen such a thing.
Recommendations
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I highly recommend running the Z-906 on an Optical cable if your audio device supports it! Failing that, use SPDIF (Coaxial) if available. Digital Input has superior transmission quality to Analog, and Optical in particular is 100% free of “noise” (which copper-based cabling is prone to).
Overall Impression
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The Z-906 is by far the best speaker system of its type I have encountered over the years. It is very simple to set up (shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes, most of which is the time it takes to unbox each item, and carefully lay down the cabling for each speaker).
It appears Logitech has applied focus to simplicity, keeping both the remote and the head unit free of “gimmicks” which could serve to confuse more than impress. This is a good thing, as you want Speakers to sound great (and good looks are a plus, certainly provided by the Z-906 in my opinion)… you don’t want them to make cups of tea and toast! The Z-906 provides the raw ingredients for an epic surround sound (or even stereo, when playing music) experience.
The pricetag is good (especially when Amazon are selling it on offer) for a system of this calibre.
The RMS rating of the Z-906 is 500W total, however I have measured as high as 550W RMS, which (if you think about it) is more sound than you’re paying for (a bonus).
This is a rare review for me, in that I have literally nothing negative to say about the Z-906 (so far, anyway). I was impressed before I even ordered them by their good looks and specification, I am practically blown away by them as they sit here adorning my entertainment system.
Highly recommended for anyone serious about sound!
UPDATE, April 2016…
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I have now owned and used these speakers on a near-daily basis (only exceptions being when I’ve been away on business, of course) and they still blow me away today as they did the first time I plugged them in and turned up the volume on one of my favourite tracks.
Zero regrets… and no plans to switch to anything different either!
I have previously owned the Z-5500 which in my opinion are legendary. Thus, i was in 2 minds whether i should go with the upgrade. As the z5500 are perfect as every 1 who owns them would agree. But i am a new gadget enthusiast and i decided to take the plunge. The z906 similar power of 500watts to the z5500’s and the new mature look, and techy design was too appealing. However once i connected the Logitech Z906’s up (Recommend TOSlink cable). I was blown away with the sheer quality of the sound. Every single vocal can be heard, and every single beat, accompanied by the perfectly balanced bass notes. Almost Crisp & HD like. I can honestly say the sound is much better than the Z-5500. Its much clearer and consistent and almost studio like, very in depth, punchy & decent detail reproduction. Unlike the Z5500 the bass was too much, whereby affecting the vocals of the music. However with every new gadget there is pro’s & cons.
Logitech Z-906 – PROS
1.) Excellent sound quality from speakers & Sub woofer, crisp & clear, without any distortion.
2.) Smaller space saving sub woofer @ 8” but still packs an impressive 165watts of power.
3.) Powerful 500watts of muscle, capable of shaking windows in a mid size living room.
3.) Mature looks and Simple to use audio control pod.
4.) 3D surround sound effect is extremely impressive, when playing on games PS3, XBOX. Covers every detail.
5.) Excellent build quality – very robust and compact. Good quality and heavy feel to the speakers & sub.
6.) Very Powerful Sound. THX & Dolby certified.
Logitech Z-906 – CONS
1.) No HDMI inputs or Dolby True HD/DTS HD Master Audio decoding for those BluRay movies.
2.) No display on the control pod – Unlike the Z-5500
3.) lack of buttons on the wireless remote, step backwards from Z5500.
4.) No visual control of the sub woofer & surround, game modes on the pod – unlike the z5500.
5.) Orange LED’s – I prefer Blue.
6.) Watching Movies, there is a slight echo – Unlike the Z5500 they had clear sound when on movie mode. However the z906 for gaming & music is better.
If like me you had previously, owned Logitech Z5500 these will take some getting used to. But after i have tested and compared the both, the sound on the z-906 is much better. I believe i have made the right choice for the future, and if your considering buying these. Then do not hesitate, they are worth every penny. I can assure you. They will put a big smile on your face every time you switch these on. I can say the Legendary Z5500 can now retire, because we have a new Legend in the making – Logitech Z906.
My rating on the speakers 9/10
I currently have them running from my Xbox and Pc using optical, and the Z906 works perfectly from both. The Xbox sound fantastic it really does make the experience amazing and gives you the edge on multiplayer. The systems makes driving games feel like you are in the car and the bass make you feel the bumps on the road, but you could argue that you might be better off with a pair of high end headphones but if you like to pump sound out these are for you!
Even playing music through the system is a fantastic experience, the different effects levels allows you to change the levels to whatever you desire, wither that be pumping music out of 4.1, 2.1 or convert it to 3D they all sound fantastic, and the little aux in port on the controller box is very handy! But you could argue if you just want these for music then buy a 2.1 Hi Fi with a flat amp but yet again the z906 would give any system a run for their money.
Movies are fantastic and are very near cinema level, the bass isn’t in your face and every speaker is very well balanced and simply knock your socks off.
A lot of people stay that the bass isn’t as strong as it predecessor however this system has the best sub on a 5.1 in the range, I have a 2.1 Hi Fi with a 12inch sub and the z906’s 8inch blows it out of the water. The bass is refined and perfectly balanced. The system can be turned up full without problems and is still as clear as half way. The decoder gets rid of any pops or crackles from your source which the Xbox is renowned for.
The only down side is that the speaker (for their size) are quite heavy, so be careful were you mount them, I believe the mounts need to be imperial bolts and the rear speaker cable length isn’t as long as I had thought but that’s not a problem.