Logitech Z4
Manufacturer: Logitech Part number: 970175-0403
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Logitech Z-4 2.1 speakers improve on the lackluster Z-3s in both audio output quality and design.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | In stock Try Free Amazon Prime for one Month | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
| Amazon.com Marketplace | | See Site | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Logitech Z4 price range: $82.99 - $98.52
- Reviewed by: Tim Gideon
- Edited by: Rich Brown
- Reviewed on: 10/04/2005
- Released on: 09/22/2005
The good: Added satellite drivers improve audio clarity from previous Logitech 2.1's; accessible subwoofer control; audio input on the remote.
The bad: Subwoofer could use more oomph.
The bottom line: The Logitech Z-4 2.1 speakers improve on the lackluster Z-3s in both audio output quality and design.
When we reviewed the Logitech Z-3 2.1 speakers last year, we weren't overly impressed. Their replacement in the Z line, the $100 Logitech Z-4, addresses some of the problems, and the result is a much better and more user-friendly speaker set. They're still not as good across a broad range of audio tasks as Logitech's outstanding Z-2300s, but the Z-4s won't disappoint gamers or music and movie fans on a budget.
With a frequency response of 35HZ to 20KHz, the Z-4s mimic their predecessors, as they do in many of the speaker and subwoofer specifications. The two satellite speakers measure 9 inches high, 3 inches wide, and 3 inches deep; each delivers 17 watts of power via one active concave dome driver and two pressure drivers (all 2 inches in diameter). The subwoofer meanwhile delivers 23 watts of power via an 8-inch pressure driver. At 9 inches wide, 9 inches high, and 9.5 inches deep, the subwoofer is a bit of an elephant, so you'll need ample room under your desk. You have your choice of black with the Z-4 or iPod white with the Z-4i.
Accompanying the Logitech Z-4s is a greatly improved wired remote control, compared to the Z-3s' remote. The new one offers an auxiliary input for any hardware with a standard line-out jack (such as an iPod), and it also has a knob to control the volume of the subwoofer--crucial when switching back and forth between gaming and listening to music. It's also a vast improvement over the Z-3 subwoofer's knob, which sat inconveniently on the rear of the subwoofer itself.
Our first test for the Z-4s was musical. We pumped Death From Above 1979's "Blood On Our Hands" at the speakers' highest possible volume, with the subwoofer cranked all the way up, just for kicks. Shockingly, there wasn't a smidge of speaker distortion, despite the fact that we had the low range set to an inappropriately high volume for music. At a more sensible subwoofer level--about one o'clock on the dial--the song sounded crisp in the high-mids and deep in the lows, with the thunderous kick drum never getting too muddled. At times, however, the subwoofer sounded disconnected from the satellites, a common issue with computer speakers that avoid using woofers and go straight to the subwoofer. The absence of a regular woofer means some frequencies, namely low-mids, get a bit less attention than they deserve.
This minor quality issue is rarely a problem for movie watching (unless you're watching a musical), as the frequencies that matter are dutifully represented by a good subwoofer and capable satellites. The Logitech Z-4s did an admirable job with The Life Aquatic's subtle sound mix (in which guns and explosions sound like real guns and explosions, not 50-foot cannons) but could have provided a bit more rumble in the low-end ship noises and weaponry of Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. Still, the rumble was not absent, and clarity prevailed, another improvement over the Z-3s. For the gamers out there, this set may be a bit light in the rumble department; the explosions in Escape Velocity Nova never distorted at even the highest volume, with the sub on max, but they didn't exactly send shudders down our spines like Logitech Z-2300s did. That gap in the low-end intensity between the Z-4s and the Z-2300s is why the latter set remains our benchmark for 2.1 quality.
Logitech addressed the gripes we had concerning the Z-3s' remote and scores points with the Z-4s' improved remote. The company also did well to switch to a different type of satellite design. The addition of two drivers per speaker has definitely improved clarity in the low-mid and high-mid frequencies. The dual drivers take the pressure off the modest subwoofer and make the satellites the main reason to own the set, as they should be. Gamers and film buffs who care only about rattling their walls with low-end thunder can find a more powerful set elsewhere, but if you value a balanced mix with an emphasis on clarity, the Z-4s are a great option, and at $100, worth every penny.
User reviews
-
-
Above average quality mid price set, great for small or medium sized spaces
by jcedge on December 20, 2005
Pros: Reasonable price for Specs and features, Good acoustics overall, Excellent wired remote
Cons: Love it or hate it satellite asthetics, Just a little weak at max volume
Summary: Purchased these speakers to replace an old set of Boston Acoustics. The price point on these made them more attractive on my budget than logitech's more powerful 2300's. ...
Summary: Purchased these speakers to replace an old set of Boston Acoustics. The price point on these made them more attractive on my budget than logitech's more powerful 2300's.
No complaints about everday perfomance, the sound produced by these is cisp and more than adequate for my apartment, however the top end of the volume range is a little weak.
The bass is solid, and with a little tweaking won't overpower the high and mid from the satlellites
The wired remote included looks and feels more substantial than other offerings at this price. The action is smooth, and the thing has weight, more like a real A/V component than the cheap plastic toggles that a lot of other systems had.
Overall, I think I can recommend these to anybody with a smaller apartment or dorm room, or anyone who wants above avgerge quality sound without going into the $150-$200 dollar range.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Excellent 2.1 set
by BSDV on November 25, 2005
Pros: Sound clarity, very little distortion
Cons: Haven't found any yet...ok, they're not the Z-5500's
Summary: Bought these after reading some reviews.
Have listened to the Z-2300, but I wasn't impressed with the midtones and that set is a bit overkill for a small room. ...Summary: Bought these after reading some reviews.
Have listened to the Z-2300, but I wasn't impressed with the midtones and that set is a bit overkill for a small room. For the same reason I didn't go for the Z-5500. I tried really hard to find myself a good excuse to get this set but that would have meant lots of problems with neighbours and in a small room it's massive overkill I think. Specially since I can't think of places to leave the additional speakers.
I use them primarily for gaming, since I got fed up of using headphones all the time, and they're holding up nicely.
Also for music they're quite nice. The bass is for me more then sufficient,excellent clarity, good midtones and hardly any distortion at very high volume levels.
So far I haven't found any cons yet. Can recommend this set to everybody who's looking for a nice 2.1 set.4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Solid performance with CRISP sound
by GSMetal on March 19, 2006
Pros: Nice depth and dimension to sound
Cons: I would like to see speaker grilles on the left & right
Summary: I bought these to replace my JBL Creature II speakers which were rated high by everybody and their dog but I felt were too 'tinney'.
I was able to snag ...Summary: I bought these to replace my JBL Creature II speakers which were rated high by everybody and their dog but I felt were too 'tinney'.
I was able to snag these Z4's at Circuit City for $99.00 before a $50.00 rebate.
I don't consider myself an audiophile but I know good sound when I hear it and these speakers have really good sound. Over the course of the last several months, I have listened to just about everything and these speakers sound much better than some of the other systems out there including the Z-2300's.
The bass performs very well and I keep it at about the 10 o'clock position since it can thump more than what you want. For the left & right speakers, you can crank up the volume with no distortion.
The big thing for my is that speakers do everything very well without being over the top. Speakers should deliver "depth & dimension" to music and effects and these speakers do just that.
For a test I used the DVD "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and went right to Joan Osbourne belting out HEAT WAVE, which I believe is the acid test on speakers. The sound was right on the money with the highs sounding full and the mids rich. By the way, if you have a home theater system I would highly recommend this DVD (Bose uses it as a company demo on their speakers)
If you take nothing else away from this review you can count on the speakers delivering a very *TIGHT* CRISP sound - better than speakers costing hundreds more.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Excellent performance for the little price
by Yank555 on August 12, 2007
Pros: Clear sound, good bass, nice design, very handy remote
Cons: Lack of high bass / low mids
Summary: I'm more the audiophile kind of user, although I wasn't looking for a set of audiophile speakers. I use a 5.1 B&W Series 600 speaker ...
Summary: I'm more the audiophile kind of user, although I wasn't looking for a set of audiophile speakers. I use a 5.1 B&W Series 600 speaker system when listening to music for "listening to music" as opposed to "just background music".
My aim was to get a good speaker system to connect my computer so I'd have a decent listening experience when working on the computer, instead of constantly being irritated by the "bad sound and lack of bass" of my almost 18 year old SONY mini HiFi my PC was connected to...
The Z4 do exactly that, with just a bit of twisting around the soundcard's "Bass boost" control as well as the subwoofer level knob on the Z4's remote, they sound really good, whether I listen to jazz or classical (very clear, impressing for the price), rock, pop or even techno. They could use a bit more rumble, but I was expecting this, as I'm more used to a B&W ASW675 subwoofer going down to 17Hz, but it's definately not fair to try to compare the Z4's to an almost 40x pricier set, is it ?
I might have tried the Z-2300's but I didn't want to put more into the speakers of my PC and the line-in jack on the remote comes quite handy and the Z-2300's don't have that.
I'd really recommend them, I don't regret my choice at all !
If you want more than this, I'd probably tell you to rather go for the Z-2300's, they sure must be good as they're definately better than the already excellent Z4's.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
(PERFECT) FOR THEIR GENERAL PURPOSE USE ( PC'S )
by ARMYN62 on November 26, 2008
Pros: EXCELLENT SOUND, CAN BE TWEAKED USING THE GRAPHIC EQUALIZER IN WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER.
Cons: NEEDS A WIRELESS REMOTE. ALL SMALL MICRO SPEAKERS SHOULD BE MADE WITH A SOLID METAL CAST CASING FOR MORE DURABILITY AND BETTER SOUND. PLASTIC IS USELESS, CHEAP AND UGLY.
Summary: FOR THEIR GENERAL PURPOSE USE, YOU CAN NOT FIND A BETTER PAIR OF PC SPEAKERS FOR THE PRICE $$$$$$$$,THESE SPEAKERS ALSO LOOK BETTER THAN MOST. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Summary: FOR THEIR GENERAL PURPOSE USE, YOU CAN NOT FIND A BETTER PAIR OF PC SPEAKERS FOR THE PRICE $$$$$$$$,THESE SPEAKERS ALSO LOOK BETTER THAN MOST. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
very good for the money, and compared to the competition.
by c46 on January 5, 2008
Pros: crips, clear natural bass, no sub hum!
Cons: could be louder, remote should be weighted.
Summary: Very nice sound, good mid-range (for the class), and treble. Actually bought an Altec Lansing vs4221 before, the sub hummed constantly enough to drive anyone mad. Took it back in, ...
Summary: Very nice sound, good mid-range (for the class), and treble. Actually bought an Altec Lansing vs4221 before, the sub hummed constantly enough to drive anyone mad. Took it back in, got a refund and bought the Z4.
Quiet as a mouse (when its not playing music - then it gets pretty loud).
Much better bass than the altec lansing one too, more natural and less false. Also balanced properly!
Easy to control, although the remote could use weighted, and i'd personally like to see them include 2 input cables with it, since it has an extra input for mp3 players etc.
The logitech logo really doesn't bother me... but it is pretty big, and might annoy some people.
All in all, well worth the money and a clear leader in its price range and class.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Good bang for the buck
by nick7252 on October 26, 2007
Pros: Generally flat sound, sharp highs and decent soundstage
Cons: Sometimes boomy bass
Summary: Similar to most previous reviewers opinions, the highs are accurate without being unnaturally bright. Vocals and midrange are good. The only limitation is the thin mid-bass and slightly boomy low ...
Summary: Similar to most previous reviewers opinions, the highs are accurate without being unnaturally bright. Vocals and midrange are good. The only limitation is the thin mid-bass and slightly boomy low bass which is not surprising given the power rating for these speakers. However at moderate volume when you are seated right in front of them the sound experience is quite good. As with all speakers, speaker placement is critical. The best location I found was to have the speakers in front of the monitor and to sit back about 1.6 times the distance between the speakers. At this point the imaging was very good. Don't bury the two sattelites beside all the other stuff on your desk. It will really limit the sound quality and imaging.
Overall for far less than $100 a good bargain.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Excellent, Great Value
by SimonJon on August 13, 2007
Pros: Nice Sound, Crisp, Good Treble + Bass
Cons: None So Far. Perfect.
Summary: I use them on my pc and have no compatibility problems. They are perfect for me and descent looking. They are great sounding. I think that some of the other ...
Summary: I use them on my pc and have no compatibility problems. They are perfect for me and descent looking. They are great sounding. I think that some of the other problems that people have described could be to do with the system running the speakers, but then i'm no expert. I am so much more than pleased with them, that any review below 7 i completely ignored. I live in the UK. I payed ₤39.99 which I was also more than happy with.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Nice design but quality could be better
by Thoddor on June 25, 2007
Pros: Trendy design, handy remote
Cons: Miss tweaters for the high-frequencies
Summary: I was prepared to buy these until i went to the shop and tried them out. Good base and sound quality, except for the high frequencies.
In the end i ...Summary: I was prepared to buy these until i went to the shop and tried them out. Good base and sound quality, except for the high frequencies.
In the end i bought the Philips SPA9300.
Slightly more expensive with a marked difference in sound clarity and power.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Good sound quality, great remote control unit.
by LoopBack on May 21, 2007
Pros: Good sound quality, nice design, very handy remote control unit
Cons: Relatively low power, other minor stuff (see details)
Summary: Sound quality is good although not excellent. Sub is very strong, I only use it at 1/3 power. Could use more treble but that can be controlled via almost ...
Summary: Sound quality is good although not excellent. Sub is very strong, I only use it at 1/3 power. Could use more treble but that can be controlled via almost any player and/or software.
Sound in games is also very good. Bass is strong and you feel like you're in a movie.
Remote control unit is very nice, controls volume (nice big knob), bass level, on/off and has headset plug and an auxiliary plug for an external player.
Design is nice. A bit 'retro' to me but design quality is high.
Logitech has come up with a nice product.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Logitech
- Part number: 970175-0403
- Description: Enjoy the elegant styling and premium sound of Logitech Z-4 speaker system, featuring a modern, home audio inspired design and advanced driver technology. Award-winning pressure-driver subwoofer technology delivers unparalleled distortion-free bass. Sleek satellites include durable cast-metal stands and feature one active and two pressure drivers, producing the high-quality sound you expect from Logitech. The convenient wired remote control includes a headphone jack, auxiliary input, volume, subwoofer, and power controls. Setup is easy with color-coded audio cables.
General
- Product Type 2.1-channel PC multimedia speaker system
- Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight Details Right/left channel speaker : 3 in x 3.7 in x 9 in, Subwoofer : 9 in x 9.4 in x 9 in
Speaker System
- System Components Subwoofer, 2 speakers
- Speaker Type Active
- Nominal Output Power (Total) 40 Watt
- Max (RMS) Output Power (Total) 80 Watt
- Response Bandwidth 35 - 20000 Hz
- Signal-To-Noise Ratio 92 dB
- Audio Amplifier Integrated
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Controls Volume, Power on/off, Subwoofer volume control
Speaker System Details
- Speakers Included 2 x Right/left channel speaker - 8.5 Watt - Wired, 1 x Subwoofer - 23 Watt - Wired
- Driver Details Right/left channel speaker : 1 x Full-range driver - 2 in
- Driver Details Subwoofer : 1 x Subwoofer driver - 8"
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Audio line-in ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ), 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included Audio cable kit
- Remote Control Remote control - Cable
- AV Furniture None
Power
- Power Device Power supply - Internal
Battery
- Type None
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 2 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 2 years
Manufacturer info
- Logitech
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Logitech products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.logitech.com/
- Address:
6505 Kaiser Dr., Fremont, CA 94555
