Logitech Z606 5.1 surround sound speaker: Review: Affordable immersive sound

"Surround sound system" and "affordable" are not words you often see together, but with the Z606, Logitech has made immersive sound affordable for small budgets. The Bluetooth-enabled 5.1 system delivers 160 watts of peak power and can play TVs, computers, mobile devices, Blu-ray / DVD players, and video game consoles. It's not audiophile quality – and for only $ 130, you would not expect it to be that way, but it's a low-risk upgrade to native speakers. your devices.

The satellite speakers measure 7.01 x 4.33 x 3.42 inches and weigh one pound each. Each has a 2.5-inch driver and a bass port. Visually, they are identical except for the color and length of the speaker cables that are connected to them. The center speaker cables and the two front channels are 7 feet long, while the rear channel cables extend 20 feet. All are color-coded to indicate where they connect to the back of the subwoofer. Although the satellites are designed to stand up, they each have a hole in the back for wall mounting.

The subwoofer measures 11.69 x 7.6 x 11 inches and weighs 7.7 pounds, with a nominal power of 25 watts RMS. An LED display and a ring of control buttons are located on the front of the unit, with controls for power, volume, reading and switching between 5.1 and 2.1 outputs.

Logitech

In addition to the wired connections of each of the five satellite speakers, the back of the subwoofer has right and left RCA ports for stereo inputs, as well as six RCA inputs for 5.1 connectivity if you want to connect the system to your computer. TV or DVD / DVD player. Blu-ray player. The system does not come with a six-channel RCA cable, however, only a 3.5mm RCA cable connects a device with a headphone jack.

The Z606 also includes a 12-button, 3.39 x 13.7 x 0.27-inch infrared remote control that replicates the subwoofer controls.

Most Z606 installations involve installing the satellite speakers. In particular, the rear speakers may be a problem, as they must be at the ear level, no matter where you are sitting, for optimal surround sound while staying within the range of their home cable. subwoofer. Once you have done this, simply connect the lead of each speaker to the appropriate color-coded channels on the back of the subwoofer, and then plug it in and turn it on.

Then you need to connect your source device. In the case of TVs and DVD players, this means that you have to connect it via one of the two RCA options of the subwoofer. If you have a newer TV or media player with digital outputs, you'll need something like an HDMI-RCA converter to connect to the subwoofer, an extra expense that can nibble the budget of the Z606 a bit.

However, Bluetooth connectivity is the main asset of this system. To connect compatible devices, simply press the Source button on the subwoofer control panel and then press and hold the scan button to enter pairing mode. Select the Z606 from the list of discoverable devices on your source device and you are done. The system can memorize up to eight Bluetooth devices, but it can only connect one at a time.

Logitech

I mostly used the Z606 to stream music wirelessly from my computer and my phone. As you would expect with a budget system, the sound was good, not excellent. I got the best results by listening to classic jazz, warm and spacious with a powerful bass. Whenever I listened to pop, dance or other music with a lot of electric instruments, the sound was rather flat and muddy. Changing the audio settings on my source device has made a slight improvement. In terms of volume, the Z606 has kept its promise of producing a "sound filling the room".

As for the surround quality, it is perfectly immersive in its true 5.1 configuration. The simulated mood for stereo inputs has not been as convincing to my ears. In these cases, I found the output 2.1 much better.

As a low-cost entry-level 5.1 speaker system, the Z606 is a safe bet. You're obviously not going to get the sound quality of a more expensive sound system, but it's a big improvement over the speakers on your TV or computer. Its lack of digital inputs can make it a non-starter for users of new devices, but for everyone, it could be a satisfactory upgrade.