Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System

Manufacturer:	Logitech
List price:	~~$79.99~~
Our price:	that is 100% off!

Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System

Average rating: Stars

Terrible Sub design

OK, bare with me here...

I got a set of these with a purchase of a DELL computer in the fall of '03. The sub went bad in a matter of less than 3 months. The internal amp just died. Just all of a sudden up and died one day.

Contacted Logitech and they sent me a whole new set without requiring me to send them back anything. (Probably would have cost more in the shipping than it was worth the effort to.)

Starting about November or December of '04, I noticed a rattling noise coming out of the sub. Sounded like the speaker had come loose from its mount. Disconnected the sub and attempted to take the grill off and see for sure. No success. Couldn't get the grill off. Unscrewed the back panel to have a look inside. Again, no success. Some wiring holds the panel close to the case.

Anyway, a little while later, I started noticing crackling sounds coming from my whole speaker system. Finally discovered that it was due to the sub. Because the sub started to cut out on me again, and when it did, the crackling would stop, but of course, I had no bass. Leaving me to believe that the internal amp was causing the crackling.

The sub continued to cut out from time to time, and I could get it to kick back in by pounding on the side of the case with my closed fist. Talk about "getting this old bucket of bolts" going again. Ironically the thing has been working somewhat well for the past week or so, but as of today (5/19/05) it looks like it's finally cut out on me this time for good. So here I am looking for a replacement set.

BTW, I will now have two complete sets of satellite speakers. If anybody needs a replacement. Let me know. We can work something out.

EDIT: Forgot to explain the title of my review.
I said that it's a terrible design for one main reason. There is no ventilation. It's an enclosed box. It also gets extremely hot, which leaves me to believe that the heat is what burns out the amp. Therefore, I'm leaning towards to the Z-5300e system which includes a sub that has a "blow hole" for just over $100.

Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System - Logitech

Love it!

Good price, great value!

This system was a real steal for $40 ... I'd highly recommend it! Pretty easy to use, and cool blue light on the center speaker (which is bright, but very space-age).

Logitech - Logitech Z-640 6 Speaker Surround Sound System

The best sub $100 5.1 speakers by Logitech

I've bought 2 of these since they came out, and I couldn't be happier with them. The sound quality speaks for itself, and the construction of these speakers is both classy and functional. The feet are reversible (so you can mount them on a horizontal or vertical surface), and have rubber grommets on them to cut down vibration against whatever surface you mount them to. Those two features alone make these some of the best and highest quality speakers you can get for the money. Since I've had to mount my speakers in a variety of positions on a variety of surfaces (including a couch and the back of a computer chair), I can tell you that the adjustable feet on these speakers are definitely one of the best selling points for them. Most speakers in this price range come with feet that are only meant to sit on a desk. Some don't even have feet, just little rubber pads at the bottom of the speakers.

Also, compared to their replacements, the X-530, the Z-640's have seperate volume controls for the fader and the center speaker. This makes it very easy to focus the sound on the center of the room without having to rely on a sound card's equalizer. Also, the Z-640's have a button for Matrix mode. Matrix mode takes the stereo signal and balances it between the front and rear speakers, which is a great way to turn a stereo source into a semi-surround sound experience. This feature is missing from the X-530, but is found on Logitech's more advanced Z-3500, Z-3500e, and Z-680 (along with the controls for Center and Fade). In fact, the Z-680 has much more in common with this set than any other speakers made by Logitech. The only difference is that the Z-680 has a built-in Dolby Digital Decoder. And you can buy the Creative Labs DDTS-100 (a standalone Dolby Digital Decoder) for about $120, add it to these speakers, and have yourself a functional replica of the Z-680 for $100 less.

Sure, some people don't like the extra bright blue LED in the middle of the center speaker, but a piece of black electrical tape will easily cover it and blend in with the speaker so well that you'd never know that LED was there.

Because of their excellent sound, great design, super price, versatile mounting, and their fader and center volume adjustments, these speakers deserve a 5 out of 5, and are still superior to the X-530 that's supposed to replace it. Just do the math, 640>530!

Now that Logitech stopped making the Z-640, the only comparable replacement for them is the Z-5300 or the Z-5300e. But, both of those systems cost 2-3 times as much as the Z-640. So in short, if you've got these speakers, you already know how good they are. If you're looking at getting a 5.1 speaker setup, and you want to spend less than $100 on quality speakers, you need to hunt down a set of these. You'll thank me as soon as you try them.

Pros:
Excellent sound quality
Versatile mounting feet
Seperate controls for Center volume and Front/Rear Fader
Matrix Mode for converting stereo to surround sound
Front Headphone Jack
Sleek and subtle design
Includes an adapter for Stereo RCA inputs (from a game console or other stereo source)

Cons:
No longer produced
Bright blue LED in the middle of the center speaker (which is easy to hide with a piece of black electrical tape)
Replaced by the sorry X-530's or the expensive Z-5300 and Z-5300e

Discount Electronics

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