Installation of these speakers was simple due to the fact that they are only a 2.1 setup. I put both of my satellites onto my desk where they would sound the best. I also put the subwoofer under my desk in the corner so that it would have the best sound. I plugged the control pod and satellites into the back of the subwoofer then plugged the power in. The speaker and control pod wire was not as long as I need and limited where I was able to put my subwoofer and computer. I ended up having to move my computer so the subwoofer could be in a decent location. I think this is the first and only negative aspect of the speakers, as far as design goes. For the subwoofer placement it would have been nice to have a longer control pod cable so it could be placed farther away. For the satellites I think copper speaker wire or removable RCA connections would have been better. This would have added the ability to put the speakers anywhere in conjunction the subwoofer.
Test setup
I have these speakers setup in the living room which is a good room to test in since it is the largest. If your room is smaller than a living room then this will serve as a good baseline for their ability to fill a room with adequate volume. Before I just cranked the speakers up to the maximum volume I burnt them in slowly for about a week. Doing this will normally give you better quality sound and prevent damage to your speakers. I then pushed the speakers to see what they could do. I tested the speakers with MP3 playback, DVD playback, PC games, and Playstation 2.
MP3s
I first started testing with some MP3s of different genres in an effort to cover everything. I normally only listen to Christian punk however I also played some rap, techno, and classical music to see how these speakers sounded. The sound from these speakers is amazing and full. The highs, mids, and bass from the satellites is impressive and I was easily able to separate all of the ranges out and not have one overpower the others. The subwoofer also is very impressive, especially with techno and rap when the bass hits. The subwoofer also does a good job not to overpower the satellites and having the ability to control the volume bass also helps.
PC games
Gaming was a joy with these 2200s especially after using the Z-340s for so long. I loaded Valve’s Counter Strike: Source beta and Counter Strike: Condition Zero. While playing both of these games I was really impressed with what they were able to do. I really noticed how I could tell where sounds were coming from in relation to where I was. The quality and overall volume of both the satellites and subwoofer was also very impressive. The volume got to be too loud for my personal comfort somewhere in-between a quarter and half way turned up. However running the volume above the half way mark did not cause any distortion.
DVD
I then fired up Monsters Inc. DVD which is THX optimized so these speakers can really be tested. I was really surprised when I started the movie up and it went through the THX intro movie. The sound quality was exceptional and very detailed. I didn’t really think these speakers were going to sound as good as they do since they are not a 5.1 system. Much to my surprise they sounded great and having the ability to adjust the volume and bass separately made it simple to get the movie sounding just the way I wanted it. One of the biggest things I noticed while watching the movie was how crisp and vibrant all of the sound was. When Sully would hit the ground it would actually sound like a large object hitting the ground. When people would start screaming the highs and mids were able to fully capture the emotion. Being this impressed with Logitech’s 2.1 system I have to imagine that their 5.1 system would leave me speechless.
Playstation 2
Since these speakers do come with a game console adapter I wanted to see how they sounded with my Playstation 2. I plugged the RCA connections from the Playstation 2 into the adapter and then plugged the mini jack from the speakers into the adapter. I put in Capcom Vs. SNK 2 to test with and used the TVs built in speakers to compare against. The second the game loaded I could tell there simply was no comparison to my TV. The speakers sounded excellent just like they did with every other test they went though. Ryu’s hadouken was much more powerful sounding and all of the other sounds associated with the game were greatly improved.
Conclusion
I just want to say in this first sentence of my conclusion that these are the best 2.1 speakers I have ever heard. These speakers performed exceptionally in every testing environment and were more than loud enough for a large living room. The satellites have very good range of highs and mids even without a tweeter built in.
The subwoofer is extremely powerful and has a huge punch for a 2.1 setup. I really like the THX-certification, it is great to have this feature to have if you intend on using these speakers for DVD playback. I am very impressed with these speakers and would highly recommend them to anyone searching for a 2.1 setup with a good amount of power.
I would say these are a bit overkill for someone who just wants basic sound only because of the price and should go with something like the Z-340s. However if you are an avid gamer, watch a lot of DVDs, or want quality music you will love these speakers.
Because I am so impressed with these speakers I am going to give them a 9.5/10 and award them the OCmodshop Seal of Approval. I would really like to thank Logitech for the sending these speakers to review.
Pros/h4>
- 200w of awesome power
- THX certified
- Amazing sound quality
- Satellites and subwoofer extremely powerful
- Great remote control
- Removable satellite grills
- Wall mountable
- Adapter for game console use
- Everything packaged well
Cons
- Satellite cables are hard wired
- Cable are too short
