For many years I have been using an old Yamaha 5.1 AV receiver with mismatched Philips active sub and Onkyo satellite speakers for my computer sound. This setup works well, however, I was looking to downsize as the amplifier, sub and satellite combo took up a lot of space in my office, so I went for the compact 80w peak (40w continuous) power, Logitech Z333 speaker system w/ subwoofer at $60.
I really don’t have the need for a big loud sound system in my 10ft x 8ft office, 40w continuous power is more than adequate, especially as I am sat less than 3 feet from the speakers, which sit just behind my monitor. The subwoofer is very compact, fitting between the two satellite speakers on my desk behind my 34in Ultrawide monitor, which creates a nice balanced coherent sound stage while I am sat at my desk.
The subwoofer measures 9.05 in x 9.13 in x 6.20 in (H x W x D) while the satellites measure 7.55 in x 4.25 in x 3.54 in (H x W x D). The subwoofer has a continuous power rating of 24w while each satellite speaker is rated at 8w, double those numbers for peak power. The subwoofer features two RCA speaker outs to connect the satellites, two L/R RCA inputs and a knob for bass volume, plus a corded volume control pod with headphone out and on/off switch, plus a fixed 3.5mm cable to connect to your PC soundcard.
My preferred connection method is the RCA input, taking the output from my Mayflower Electronics O2 ODAC headphone amp, as good as the Supreme FX audio chip on my Asus Crosshair IV Hero is, it’s no external ODAC. I have set the Windows volume for the O2 to 67%, set the volume on the ODAC to roughly two-thirds volume and I’m using the Logitech volume pod to control the speaker volume.
Getting to the all-important sound quality, I would rate it at very good for a $60 speaker system. However, if you’re looking for floor-shaking bass, I would look at one of Logitech’s larger speaker systems. If you are looking for punchy, tight bass with a balanced sound across the frequency range, these speakers could be for you. To my ear, the 55hz to 20khz range is accurate, I don’t hear any discernable gaps in the range.
In conclusion, for such a small package, it creates a large, balanced sound, which works for most, if not all genres of music. It will never shake the room with bass, no matter how loud you push the volume; it will get very loud from my seating position. In my setup, about halfway on the volume pod with the bass maxed out on the back of the subwoofer, is the maximum comfortable listening level, it starts to sound a little strained after about two-thirds volume, which I would expect from a sub $100 speaker system.
