Logitech z-680

[m4qs]

Hi!
I concider buying the z-680s and I´m just asking it that is a good choise? Is there any else speakers which is that good below 500$?

 

[Imyourzero]

I have the Z-680's and I love them for what they are. They aren't going to give you the sound of a $5,000 home stereo system, but I didn't expect that. They are some of the best 5.1 speakers you can buy for your PC, though. I've seen them for as little as $220 which is a great deal IMO.

The Z-680's are sort of like the Koss PortaPro or KSC-35 in that they have plenty of bass and aren't the most accurate sounding things you've ever heard, but they make music very fun to listen to! And you can always make adjustments to the sound via the control pod or a software EQ.

Another great 5.1 set would be the Klipsch 5.1's or 5.1 Ultra's. Both are very nice but the horn tweeters make the highs shrill-sounding to some. The only thing I don't like about the Klipsch set is its lack of flexibility compared to the Z-680's. The Z-680's come with a Dolby Digital/DTS decoder, as well as optical and coaxial inputs, so you can hook it right up to a DVD player/PS2/XBOX/etc. as well as your computer and watch movies in DTS and Dolby Digital or play games in 5.1 surround.

If you don't plan on playing games or watching DVD movies, there's no real reason to go with 5.1 and you would do just as well with a good 4.1 or even 2.1 system.

Cambridge Soundworks makes some pretty nice 5.1 sets also, but I've had personal experience with the Logitech and Klipsch sets and would recommend either of them, depending on whether you needed the digital decoder or not.

 

[gsferrari]

They are shipping for $200.00 with free shipping from amazon.com

I just ordered a Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 from Dell for $287 with free shipping.

SWEETNESS!!!

 

[m4qs]

I´m going to use the speakers for my Tv and CPU so i think the z-680 seems very suitable..

I live in Sweden so that 200 dollar price isn´t really for me, i think it costs about 320$..

btw. I´ve head that logitech are going to release some new speakersystems now in the autumn so i maybe wait for a look at those..

 

[Imyourzero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari They are shipping for $200.00 with free shipping from amazon.com I just ordered a Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 from Dell for $287 with free shipping. SWEETNESS!!!

Wow, you got a good deal. I just checked Newegg and they're $344! You sure you got the Ultras? LOL.

I had the Klipsch 4.1's and they were schweeeet...I would have gone for the 5.1 Ultra's if they had the DD/DTS decoder, but it's kinda nice having 5.1 decoding built in for DVD movies. If these ever break though, I might try the K5.1U's.

 

[HiWire]

Take the front screens off for critical listening. They interfere with the sound.

 

[VitaminJosh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4qs I concider buying the z-680s and I´m just asking it that is a good choise? Is there any else speakers which is that good below 500$?

It's an okay choice. Multimedia speakers are multimedia speakers, they aren't meant for critical music listening or thundering movie experience. Look for Telex EV SonicXS 4.1 speakers. Great 4.1 system as far as "multimedia speakers" go. If you don't get them on Ebay you could probably find them for <$280 googling around at different retailers that still have them stocked. Not sure how bad international shipping is going to wound you... Altec Lansing, Klipsch, and even Sony make better sounding 5.1 systems in my honest opinion. I also wonder since you are in Sweden if you can find Videologic Digitheatre DTS for around your asking price. A quick look at their web page and I came up with this:

AudioNord International A/S


Skanegatan 25
41252
Gothenburg


Sweden
Tel: +46 3181 7070
Fax: +46 3118 9729
Email: sales@audionorddistribution.com
Web:

Products sold:

EVOKE-1 ST-1 EVOKE-1 Elgar Elgar ST-1 PocketDAB 1000 DRX-701ES DRX-702ES DRX-601EX DigiTheatre DTS DigiTheatre Platinum


Quote:

Originally Posted by Imyourzero The Z-680's are sort of like the Koss PortaPro or KSC-35 in that they have plenty of bass and aren't the most accurate sounding things you've ever heard, but they make music very fun to listen to! And you can always make adjustments to the sound via the control pod or a software EQ.

They're rebadged Alesis ProActive 5.1. plenty of bass is an understatement! I'd compare them more to Sennheiser MX500 with Radioshack replacement foamies out of the headphone out of a Sony D-33 with bass boost on max

[size=xx-small]...I wonder what would happen if you you replaced those crappy Logitech satellites with some old Optimus Pro LX55 speakers and an RCA center channel with linaeum tweeter...? (other than burning the amp up

) It'd probably still sound muddy!

[/size]

 

[Coleco]

I bought the z680 and returned them a week later. First problem was the hissssss. Drove me crazy coming out of all five speakers.

The sub crosses over quite high 140hz I think, which makes it very directional, ie, if it's in the corner, bass at 120 hz sounds like it's coming from the corner. Bass is boomy and emphasizes around the 100hz. Turning the sub down to one notch from the bottom helps but isn't a great solution. You just can't make music sound natural with these speakers.

On the other hand games and movies are okay. sub provides requisite LFE room shaking. at <$300, you get what you pay for. I returned the set and bought a pair of Energy C5s and a Panasonic XR50. Not surround sound of course but I mostly listen to music and this rig is sweet for the money.

IMO Creative Gigworks is 'better'. It just doesn't have the problems of the z680. Also there's JVC speaker set that includes a 'digital' amp like the panasonic xr50 (can't remember what it's called though). Digital amps are a new technology, much *much* better for the money that solid state, they are the wave of the future. I'd at least look up to JVC though.

Klipsch is over rated and overpriced IMO.

 

[null]

do you guys know anything about the z640s? i bought them recently...are they similar to the z680s?

 

[m4qs]

I´ve heard that the hiss problem is solved in the new versions of the z680's so i hope that isn´t a problem any more.. I´m mostly going to use this system to my tv, so maybe the IMO Creative Gigworks is a better choise..


About the Videologic Digitheatre DTS I didn´t found the homepage of the store you where showing.. But I found this one, and here´s the price at 700$ ( http://www.imusdata.nu/shop.asp?acti...rt=017-VDL-DTS ) I don´t this that´s the normal price but that´s all I´ve found.. My wallet isn´t the biggest so I can´t go over 5500$... btw. Is the Digitheatre platinum better? And how mutch differens is it that the Digitheatre doesn´t have any Dolby Pro Logic II compared the the z680's?

I did also look after some Altec lansing speakers and i found theese --
http://www.mycom.se/produkt/altec_la...5_1_35698.html ... This one costs about 180$ but are they really better than the z680's??

I´ve also heard alot of good things about Pioneer's systems.. (specially about Pioneer DCS-313) How is this systems compared to the other one´s that you guys rekomended? The DCS-313 system costs about 550$ in swe..


btw. Does anyone knows about the new logitech speaker which is going to be released this autumn?

 

[boodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VitaminJosh It's an okay choice. Multimedia speakers are multimedia speakers, they aren't meant for critical music listening or thundering movie experience. Look for Telex EV SonicXS 4.1 speakers. Great 4.1 system as far as "multimedia speakers" go. If you don't get them on Ebay you could probably find them for <$280 googling around at different retailers that still have them stocked. Not sure how bad international shipping is going to wound you... Altec Lansing, Klipsch, and even Sony make better sounding 5.1 systems in my honest opinion. I also wonder since you are in Sweden if you can find Videologic Digitheatre DTS for around your asking price. A quick look at their web page and I came up with this: AudioNord International A/S Skanegatan 25 41252 Gothenburg Sweden Tel: +46 3181 7070 Fax: +46 3118 9729 Email: sales@audionorddistribution.com Web: Products sold: EVOKE-1 ST-1 EVOKE-1 Elgar Elgar ST-1 PocketDAB 1000 DRX-701ES DRX-702ES DRX-601EX DigiTheatre DTS DigiTheatre Platinum They're rebadged Alesis ProActive 5.1. plenty of bass is an understatement! I'd compare them more to Sennheiser MX500 with Radioshack replacement foamies out of the headphone out of a Sony D-33 with bass boost on max [size=xx-small]...I wonder what would happen if you you replaced those crappy Logitech satellites with some old Optimus Pro LX55 speakers and an RCA center channel with linaeum tweeter...? (other than burning the amp up ) It'd probably still sound muddy! [/size]

If i had the chance I'd go videologic no brain .It is another world soundwise , a different tag product .

 

[boodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by null do you guys know anything about the z640s? i bought them recently...are they similar to the z680s?

no they are quite different
anyway 680 and 640 are both crap ( MHO ) , I'd go a serious 2 way ( videologic scirocco for example ) instead of getting one of them

 

[Coleco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4qs I´ve heard that the hiss problem is solved in the new versions of the z680's so i hope that isn´t a problem any more.. I´m mostly going to use this system to my tv, so maybe the IMO Creative Gigworks is a better choise..

It's still a problem.

 

[Nightfall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari They are shipping for $200.00 with free shipping from amazon.com I just ordered a Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 from Dell for $287 with free shipping. SWEETNESS!!!

Thats an incredible price on the Klipsch;s! I just received the Z680's that I ordered from Newegg for $228.00 plus shipping, about twenty four hours before Amazon started their deal

I really wanted the Klipsch 5.1's but couldnt find a price less than $100.00 higher than the 680's.
Oh well, these are ONLY for gaming on my pc, they should be fine. Though the comments about hiss concern me.


JC

 

[Evilson]

Quote:

Though the comments about hiss concern me.

I thought that problem was fixed. At least, I think I read something about that on IGN or in a gaming magazine somewhere