Review: Logitech Z623

The Logitech Z623 has been around for couple of years now and it is still considered as one of the best 2.1 speakers in the market. The THX certification that Z623 has only helps to give it a more premium place among the crowd of 2.1 speakers in the market, add to it a power output of 200W RMS and you have a powerful set of speakers which will be your pride and joy but your neighbor’s nightmare.

I have been using these speakers for over 2 years and this is definitely the best speakers I owned till date. I bought these speakers for ₹9,000/- but at the time of writing this article it’s price is around ₹11,000/-. The price may seem a bit excess for a 2.1 computer speaker system but it really depends on the buyers priorities. As someone who has been using these speakers for over 2 years I can give an in-depth review of it’s strengths and weaknesses.

Who Should Buy This Speakers

These speakers by default don’t sound anywhere close to it’s price tag. If you are buying these speakers, you will need to invest in a decent Audio Card and Audio Software, without these the speakers will sound like any other cheap speaker system and probably even worse, the only thing that will not disappoint is the bass from the sub-woofer. These speakers don’t sound that great when connected to iPod Touch either, I had to buy Cowon C2 to enjoy listening music on these speaker (more on this later). So if you want a hassle free sound system which doesn’t require any additional investment or additional time fiddling with audio softwares then invest some more money and go with a Hi-Fi Music System or a good Home Theater system. These speakers are really for the enthusiasts who want a customized experience while watching movies or listening to music.

Audio Performance In Movies

The THX certification means that the speakers were tested to provide detailed audio in movies. I have to say the experience while matching movies is quite gratifying. Watching movies like Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, etc. is just pure fun. The speakers don’t get stressed even in heavy action scenes and with volume raised up to 50%, I never felt the need to push the volume beyond the 50% mark, I mostly stick to 35%-40% volume as it’s sufficient for my room. As I said before these speakers require capable Audio Hardware & Software. On my Dell Studio 1558 laptop with SRS Premium Audio, movies sounded really crisp and punchy. On my deskotp computer with Realtek Audio and SRS Audio Essentials the sound experience is quite good but lack the crispness of Dell’s. So when it comes to movies these speakers shine, the speakers don’t distort at higher volumes or in heavy action scenes. So I would highly recommend these speakers for movies.

Audio Peformance In Music

Music performance is a mixed bag with the Logitech Z623. First of all SRS Software doesn’t help much with these speakers, I tried customizing the SRS Software on both Dell Laptop and my Desktop but never could make the speakers sound the way I want. Bought Cowon C2 media player and with some customization was able to hit the sweet spot. I feel the speakers are too harsh at higher volumes, they don’t distort at higher volumes but the satellite speakers do feel stressed while playing tracks with lots of instruments and resulting in mids and highs sounding muddled. The speakers clearly lack the desired detail and softness that music lovers would enjoy. But at low volumes like when I am sitting at the desk and it’s night, playing tracks at low volumes is quite pleasurable, the bass is smooth and audible and doesn’t drown the mids and highs from the satellite speakers and I tend to listen to songs for hours without feeling any fatigue.

This is not to say the speakers are bad at delivering crisp music at higher volumes, some songs sound way too good and some songs leave you wanting more details and softness. But then again the music quality sounds good only when I connect Z623 to Cowon C2 media player whereas connecting to iPod Touch gives a very average performance. So basically music quality of Z623 really depends on the audio source, connect Z623 to a good audio player and it’ll do justice to the song as well as the price you paid for the speakers.

Final Words

Logitech Z623 is probably the best 2.1 speaker in the market for enjoying movies at home. Although not perfect for enjoying music, it is good enough to not disappoint a audiophile. Overall a really good product from Logitech at a very respectable price.