Logitech z680 Spotted! Best Buy B&M app. 285 after 10% off!

[MontyBurns]

Every review I've read of these speakers puts them over the Klipsch. But if you ABSOLUTELY care about getting "the best," then you owe it to yourself to listen to them for yourself and make your own decision. Go to a store that has both of them.

 

[Lore]

I've called two stores: Best Buy #190 in San Jose and Best Buy #499 in Emeryville. San Jose has 4 in stock and Emeryville has 3. Use the SKU I posted earlier (4838965) if you want to quickly call and verify stock. Chances are, they haven't even put them out on the floor yet and you'll have to ask them for it from the back.

Edit: Yes, I chose these over the Klipsch because of the digital pod and its ability to take digital inputs. Further, the fact that the pod decodes DTS and DD5.1 is a bonus.

 

[Lore]

Here's my quick review of them with direct playback from my Apple iPod.

+ Easy set-up
+ Control pod has an intuitive interface
+ AWESOME floor-thumping bass: it can play the low, rolling beats of TLC's No Scrubs but can also handle the quicky punchy bass of trance tracks
+ I played all sorts of different tunes (Sade, Nelly, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Ayla, TLC, Eminem, Star Wars Episode II Soundtrack, some trance) and they all sound great. The vocals come through nice and clear and the bass is simply outstanding.
+ You can turn the bass down to nothing, which should take care of those of us who don't like to have heart-thumping bass ALL of the time.

- The control pod's LCD display is hard to see if you're not looking at it straight on.
- The vocals from Eminem's "Till I Collapse" sounds oddly harsh, like someone turned the treble way up. This might just be the iPod or the fact that I didn't leave the sub at the default setting (I took it down a few notches).
- I'm missing 1 speaker wire
- The control pod's big knob skips up and down sometimes. It's digitally controlled so I can see why this could happen, but it's annoying nevertheless. I could be turning it down and it'll jump one notch up instead of down.

All in all, these speakers sound amazing compared to my DTT2500s (which, mind you, weren't that bad! In fact, they were great with the vocals, just really weak on the bass front). I kept the subwoofer set between the third and fourth bars (from the left), otherwise it was a little too much for some songs.

All in all, a very very subjective review, but I did want to throw those observations out there.

 

[tuan121]

is there a decoder i could for the z560? a after market one?

 

[Lore]

I seem to remember that back in the day when the Klipsch 4.1 speakers first came out, there was a common complaint of hiss coming from the speakers even when nothing was plugged in/playing.

This is the case with this Logitech Z-680 I purchased from Best Buy... is this due to the amp in the sub? I wonder if Logitech will do anything about this.

 

[happybob]

if you read the reviews, you'll notice the same thing mentioned by one of the reviews. it seems to be sound card dependent. the reviewer noticed it with the hercules sound card but not with the audigy.

 

[Lore]

Originally posted by: happybob
if you read the reviews, you'll notice the same thing mentioned by one of the reviews. it seems to be sound card dependent. the reviewer noticed it with the hercules sound card but not with the audigy.

But this wasn't even connected to anything, so it's definitely not sound card dependent. Besides, I thought that article was talking about the squeals when switching to a source with AC3 or something?

 

[unsped]

you can throw a midiland ads-4000 on your z560's, or z640's if you want a decoder. its what i did

 

[happybob]

Lore-

you are right, my bad. in this case, it sounds like the noise is coming from either the cables or the input/output jacks picking noise from the surrounding magnetic field. not quite sure...

so how do you like these speakers? do they sound good with music too? does the bass sound solid or boomy? should i sell my klipsch 5.1 on ebay and get these?

 

[Lore]

Originally posted by: happybob
Lore-

you are right, my bad. in this case, it sounds like the noise is coming from either the cables or the input/output jacks picking noise from the surrounding magnetic field. not quite sure...

so how do you like these speakers? do they sound good with music too? does the bass sound solid or boomy? should i sell my klipsch 5.1 on ebay and get these?

Wherever the hiss is coming from, I returned it and hopefully will be getting a new set @ a better price when they arrive at various online stores. Some reviewer told me on ExtremeTech's forums that his did not have any hiss or other background noise whatsoever, so maybe I just got a dud.

They sound excellent with music -- that's all I was able to test them with. The bass can pack a tight beat or can roll if necessary. I didn't have any music on hand that would really test the response rate of the sub, but I do have an IASCA CD on me which I can use to test in the future. I wouldn't sell the Klipsch just yet; in fact, I'd go and buy the speakers from Best Buy, set them up in the same room that you would have them in normally, and compare them to your Klipsch set. If you find them to be nicer than your Klipsch, by all means, sell them. Otherwise, just keep your Klipsch.

But you really have to test both sets side by side in order to know what is better (And that's what no website has done just yet). Listening to them in the store does them no justice.

 

[riko]

Has anobody seen what the advantage to having the little tin nipples on the satillites is? Do all output sources pass all of the audio signal or does it get munched up or clipped by different sources. Eg, would a 16 bit sound card pass DTS-ES info through to a 'hardware' decoder. Would a Audigy II do the same. What's the advantage to having the z680's decode the signal? To use it, I'd have to plug it directly to my dvd player?

The mu metal used for shielding is there standard specs for protecting equipment and is it regulated. Is there certification required? Do any of the speaker manufacturers have white papers or info guides on shielding, sound quality specs and measurement, is anybody looking out for our interests or monitoring the industry?

Anodized aluminium... hmmm So the fact that it's "clear coated" makes a big diff in the sound quality or wear aspects? Had polished aluminium heads on my Jag a way back and they never oxidized at all even in the cold damp winters [always looked 'hot']... (yeah drove my bser in the snow too). Ahhh esthetics.... but I bet the rest of their components are beyond inspec tion and reproach.

Got the z560's, and was going to get a 3rd set, but after lookiing into building my own and the lack of real quality info from the manufacturers I'll pass. The price alone of the 680's should be shouting "GOUGE" at you.

Has anyone ever seen a measurable difference if they use gold. I've seen both sides argued. The deflating practicalists and the exclusionary technoticks.

Do you know why they are so few surveys these days? They're (you know who) watching this glass cage of semiparatechnobabble. They're never going to worry about their products or how they are viewed; needing to provide clear concise info... just look at all these sites filled with people that know everything and will tell you how to fix it, what the best is, what price to pay.... it's like family.

Has anyone asked them for information asides me? Just cause I got 6 ears, 4 eyes, 3 horns and cloven hooves doesn't mean I don't deserve a response.

Instead of getting lead around by the nose ring, why not hold back your easily earned bucks and demand some accountability or features you want.

Tax revolt,
Wic

 

[tedinde1]

HUH??

 

[riko]

Sorry and apologies, I forgot to mention I don't exactly believe everything equipment manufacturers, or anybody for that matter, tries to tell me. I like to confirm things from at least 2 independant sources. Everything. I always interpret a reluctance to divulge information as avoidance and subterfuge, and unltimately as misinformation.

1st sentence and also the 3rd paragraph

" What are the advantages of using aluminium on the nose cones of the Logitech z-560, and whatever other models they make with them, speaker systems? Is it just for looks. [ Right now I make a mental tracking note, ' how far does this manufacturer go to in sacrificing function for esthetics? ' (Then the 2nd mental note starts up,... is the perceived "enhancement" (esthetics) a greater benefit to my experience than the functioning would have been if they used the correct/optimum/cost effective substance to make the cone?)]. Is aluminium a good metal to use for speakers? Sorry 'anodized' aluminium (just a chemical coat to keep it shiney that is a better marketing word than 'polished').

Doesn't everyone think like this? They should. They should be assimilated.

2nd sentence and rest of paragraph

The "new" Logitech z-680 speaker system has decoding. I use a PC sound card to my z560's with the center/sub channel split up to a different set of speakers. Why would I want/need decoding from the speakers? Would the input source to the z680's be carrying all the signal that can be separated to the speakers and that would ultimately provide a THX certifiable Dolbt Digital or DTS experience. In my mind, unless you had a source that was DTS, DD specific there's not going to be the full correct signal provided on the channel so where would the Z680'2 get the info to make it 5.1 DD / DTS. If you did, then there'd be no use for hardware decoding.

2nd paragraph

Everything produces electromagnetic radiation, well almost, least most of the things we want to concern ourselves with. Manufacturers sometimes provide information indicating that their speakers (with a magnetic cores and electric components) are 'sheilded'. This means that there is supposed to be a 'barrier' between the speaker and other components so they don't interfere with each other. Usually the speakers effecting displays, board components, etc. This shielding is made with 'MU' metal and is a percentage iron, nickle, etc. Does anyone know if there is a certification process and how is this enforced. I ask this because I had issues with this before and of course none of the manufacturers want to answer these questions. I know everybody knows all this already so that's why they never put any of this information on the web voluntarily unless it means 'clever' marketing to them.

Gold reference is to the debate that goes on between 'our' experts over which cables are best, the ones that use gold connectors? Some will convince you it makes an easily measureable diffenence in the listening experience, and other's put it down. I can't notice a difference, aplogies to the purists.

Looks like most people just swallow whatever they are fed, and if the forums and communities aren't being monitored by business you're probably one of the people that likes wearing clothes that have names and logos all over them to 'express' yourself.

I am so away, very different, but doesn't mean I'm wrong, (whether I have a tail and hooves) It'd be very interesting to see support from the consumer (forum community) rather than statements of defense for the businesses. Instead of sniping at me, what would happen if you opened your mind a little and gave these thoughts credence.

I know you'd all rather talk about YOU have to down load the latest driver, this feature isn't supported for this version and model of that, and much the same. Filling in for an industry that obviously isn't doing it. Guess I'd defend them too if they made me feel productive and needed.

Cheers,
Ricardo