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11 SEPT 2004 |
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Logitech X-530 Multimedia Speakers |
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Having taken a look
at many of the audio products in
Logitech's multimedia speaker line,
Logitech has again introduced another
multimedia speaker set for gamers on a
budget. It is called the X-530.
The X-530 is a 5.1 speaker setup that is
composed of 4 satellite speakers and a
subwoofer. This speaker boasts an
RMS power of 70 Watts.
Although
Logitech currently has other 5.1
multimedia speakers available, this
speaker set is different than the others
because it contains the newly introduced
FDD2 satellite technology
designed by Logitech to bring bigger and
better sound.
Let's find out how
well this speaker set sounds compared to
Logitech's higher end models such as the
Z-5300.
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Based on the given features
and specifications below, the multimedia
speakers seem to look very promising.
Features:
-FDD2
technology produces rich and uniform sound
-matching front and rear
speakers to provide balanced sound
-dedicated center channel
-dynamic real-time bass
equalization
-ported subwoofer design
brings deeper bass
-headphone jack
-master volume control
buttons on subwoofer and satellite speaker
-speakers can be easily mounted on a wall
Specifications:
-Sound Pressure Level:
103dB
-70 Watts RMS
-Satellites(7.4Watts for front and rear
speakers, 15.5W for center speaker)
-Subwoofer(25W)
-140 Watts Peak Power
-Dimensions:
Satellites:
8” (H) x 2.5” (W) x 3”(D) with 2" drivers
Subwoofer:
9”(H) x 6(W) x 9.25”(D) with 5.25" driver
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FDD2
is also known as Frequency Directed Dual Driver
technology. Each of the satellites contains two
identical drivers. Although Logitech does not have
the technical details behind the technology, basically
it works by creating a uniform sound field.
Conventional speakers have an uneven sound field which
means that the volume levels of the sounds you hear will
be different when listening at different angles.
What this means is that you should be able to hear the
same sounds at different angles. Overall this
means better sound quality.
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The speakers came in the
usual box similar to other boxes we've seen in
other Logitech branded speaker sets. There
is the trend of displaying the the exact power
of the speakers at the front of the box.
The back of the box shows a nice large picture
of all the speakers put right next to each
other. Logitech's package box has always
displayed the right information in a simple and
attractive manner. Inside the box, we can
expect to find the use of foam to package the
speakers. Two of the satellite speakers
were located at the top of the box right when I
opened it. Underneath, the next layer of
foam contained the rest of the speakers.
There was the subwoofer and the other satellite
speakers including the center channel speaker.
The package includes the
usual small instruction booklet and all the
necessary wires to help you get set up.
Logitech has included the wires needed to
connect the speakers to the sound card in your
computer. Other than that, the package
contained everything that was needed.
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When seeing
one of the satellite speakers
for the first time, I was very
impressed with the design.
Each satellite speaker sports a
modern black design. The
satellite speakers (excluding
the center speaker) stand a bit
tall. Although any company
can make a stylish black
speaker, we now take a look at
what makes this satellite
speaker unique. Rather
than conventionally using a
grille that is placed in front
of the drivers, Logitech took a
different approach by
integrating the grille into the
speaker. There is a very
thin layer of netting that
tightly covers the dual drivers.
You can actually see through the
netting allowing you see the
intimidating drivers right
behind it. The 2 inch
drivers are silver in the inside
of cone, but has rubber on the
outside of the cone. By
creating the speaker this way,
it removes some of the potential
loss of sound when it goes
through a conventional grille.
With these speakers, the sound
will be able to emanate more
directly to you.
When looking at the back of the
speaker, you will see a cord
coming out from the back.
Unfortunately, conventional
speaker wire is not used.
What that means as a result is
that if the wire goes bad on a
speaker, you will lose the
entire speaker since the wire is
not replaceable.
The base of the satellite
speaker is made of plastic which
is lightweight. Since the
speaker is already fairly
lightweight, it may topple
easily with just a small tug on
the wire. As an
audiophile's preference, I would
like Logitech to increase the
weight of the base of the
satellite speaker to help
eliminate unwanted sounds from
the vibration of the speaker
itself and to give the speaker a
more expensive feel to it.
The front right satellite is the
only speaker which has extra
wires on the back because the
wires are used to connect it to
the sound card in your computer.
The center speaker is very
similar to the satellite
speakers except it has slightly
more power at 15.5 Watts rather
than 7.4 Watts. The center
speaker sits horizontally rather
than vertically. It also
has dual drivers. The only
other difference is that the
center speaker can be tilted up
and down to compensate for the
listener's height.
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The subwoofer is rather compact and
slim, therefore it looks like it stands tall. In
actuality, the subwoofer is very close to the size of a
standard shoebox. The front of the subwoofer has a
very small port which is where the air is redirected.
The 5.25 inch driver is located on the left of the
subwoofer which is behind a solid non-removable grille.
The back of the subwoofer is where all the connections
are made. There are connections for each channel
of the speaker. There is also a volume knob to
control the volume of the subwoofer directly. The
subwoofer is powered with the attached AC plug which is
integrated with the subwoofer.
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Installation of these speakers was
very easy. The installation of many multimedia
speakers these days is so simple, that it really should
no longer be considered a complicated issue. I'm
glad that the manufacturers have mastered this part.
To install these speakers, you will have to note the
color of the plug connected to each satellite speaker.
Then you match each colored plug with the color on the
back of the subwoofer. Even though the back of the
satellite speakers themselves are not labeled indicating
where it should go, you can't go wrong matching the
colors. Once you have all the speakers in place,
you just have to plug the AC cord from the subwoofer to
an outlet. Don't forget to connect the wires from
the front right satellite to your computer to make the
connection.
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I tested these speakers with my
Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 sound card. Based on my
overall experience, these speakers were extremely clear.
With the FDD2 technology in place,
I was very surprised at the clarity of these speakers.
Subtle sounds in games, music, and movies were more
easily heard. When I placed the speakers
appropriately in a 5.1 configuration, gaming was
incredible. Equipped with my Sound Blaster Live!
card, I could easily distinguish the direction of sounds
and where they were coming from. When playing one
of my favorite Half-Life mods, Natural Selection, the
bullets shot from my gun were precise and clear.
The subwoofer is the part of the system I would really
like to commend Logitech for. From the shoebox
size sub, I had expected poor bass and response. I
was blown away at how much bass this extremely small sub
could produce. Unlike the other budget speakers
that Logitech offers, Logitech was able to bring their
signature 'thump' from the Z-5300 and Z-680 speakers to
their budget X-530 series speakers. The gun shots
in Natural Selection had the same 'thump' and bass that
I had grown used to with the Z-5300. I was simply
impressed!
When playing Doom 3, the directional sound worked just
as well. Again, the bass did not give up easily
and provided satisfying sounds. This subwoofer
will certainly please those looking for budget speakers
that are interested in gaming and for those who like to
listen to music heavy in bass.
Although the subwoofer had bass that rivaled the Z-5300
at moderate volumes (the bass knob on the X-530
subwoofer was turned all the way up), it is obvious that
the small size of the subwoofer does prevent it from
doing much lower bass sounds. Since the subwoofer
on the Z-5300 is much bigger, by nature it can produce
deeper sounds. I am still certainly impressed that
the bass can go from 40HZ-20kHZ which is only 5HZ
different from the Z-5300 which goes from 35Hz-20kHz.
With the automatic equalization built in the subwoofer,
there was very minimal distortion at the highest volume
levels.
When playing music using Windows
Media Player 10, I did notice that the music would only
play on 4 of the satellite speakers. The center
channel was absent of sound when playing my MP3 files.
I would like to see Logitech integrate the matrix effect
into these speakers to allow music lovers to be able to
hear their music in the important center channel as
well.
The volume control on the satellite speaker is very
accessible. This is where you can also turn the
power on and off as well as plug in your headphones if
necessary. As a 5.1 speaker system, I would very
much prefer the volume control to be accessible via a
remote just like the Z-5300 speakers.
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With the
style and clarity of these speakers, I have found it
difficult to go back to the Z-5300 speakers that I have
been using. These speakers are very compact,
especially the subwoofer. The small sizes of the
speakers makes it ideal for those who have limited desk
space or for those college students who are on the move.
These speakers are simply superb for gaming, music, and
movies. The only thing these speakers lack is the
power of the Z-5300 which is capable of up to 230 Watts
RMS. I would like to see Logitech include this
technology in their higher end speakers. At the
price of $79.99, these speakers are definitely worth the
money. I would say that the quality of these
speakers are excellent for those purchasing their first
5.1 multimedia speaker system or for those who want the
clarity that are present in Logitech's higher end models
but just can't afford them. I really could not
really find anything wrong with these speakers for the
price you are paying. Yes, the subwoofer doesn't
have the depth of bass that the Z-5300 or Z-680's but it
does come close. I have reviewed quite a few
budget 5.1 multimedia speaker systems, and I would have
to say that this stands above the rest!
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Reviewed by
ronald@digitalreviews.net |
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