Digital Trends

Logitech Z-10 January 31st, 2007 | by Brandon King

Setup and Use Cont'd

So with all thee superfluous features, the price couldn’t be justified, could it? Two words: Sound quality. This is the best sounding 2.0 setup we’ve heard yet, performing as well as many 2.1 setups, without the bulky subwoofer consuming precious foot space and adding to cord clutter. The bass was ever so slightly weaker than, say, the Logitech X2300 or Z-4, but it was hardly noticeable. The Z-10s were easily able to push past the point that we would play music in the office even during non-business hours, and the quality did not suffer from distortion until the very upper limit.

You can think of the Z-10s as either an expensive 2.0 setup with extra features, or as a moderately priced 2.1 setup without the annoying subwoofer, and with extra features. Overall, if we were to compare the Z-10s to 2.1 setups, they would fall somewhere just north of $100.

We currently are using the Z-10s as our laptop speakers for the office. They remain plugged into a docking station, and are ready to serve as they are needed. This is the niche we find them best fit for: office use with a docking station. We know this is a very small market, but these speakers fit the bill perfectly.

Conclusion

The Logitech Z-10 speakers should be considered for what they are at the most basic level: great speakers. The sound quality rivals that of mid-priced 2.1 setups, but axes the need for an unsightly, annoying subwoofer. The added media controls are nice, but ultimately pointless. The LCD is useful because of the non-media functionality, and adds a little techno-gadgetry class to the glossy black audio gems. If the price doesn’t deter you, the Z-10s will fill a few niches left wide open by the current 2.0 and 2.1 offerings.

Pros:

• Great looking LCD display
• Touch sensitive controls
• Excellent sound quality
• Nice design elements

Cons:

• Slightly buggy software
• Requires external power
• Do we really need media controls on the speaker?