Klipsch Subwoofer 12

Review by M. Elijah "College student" : Crazy for around $109, but requires quality sound card

I brought these speakers about a month ago and they were worth every penny. The subwoofer is amazing its even more powerful than than Sony's 490watt Home Theater Systems(thats saying alot beacause the z2300's sub is only 120watts!) Almost everyday in the dorm we have music battles and this system with 400w peak, is not to be messed with. At first, i thought this system was okay but not great because the sound was excellent at low levels but when turned up the bass overpowered and was too fuzzy(especially because i was using a labtop sound card.) So i brought the Creative 24 bit external sound card and i was shock at the difference the sound was. It was incredibly clear and subwoofer even more powerful but never drowning out the satellite speakers. Total price for both z2300 and Creative sound card was still under $160. From what i found out, the z2300 is only for high quality sound cards only. If you are lacking this, stick with the speakers you have and buy a sound card instead, or buy a system not so powerful like a 2.1 60watt(these were my first and they still sound excellent with a 40w subwoofer).

Review by Robert : Great hassle free 2.1 system at a great price

I've had these speakers for about six weeks and I think they have a great sound. I have them hooked up to a new Alienware system with a SoundBlaster X-Fi card. I use the card for both gaming and music. The system is located in a 11' x 11' home office with the speakers located at each corner of 5' desk and the subwoofer in front of the desk. I have switched from a 5.1 system I got with my previous Alienware system. I'm in my 50's and have seen about every sound gimmick come down the pike. There are a lot of people who love 5.1 and have time to tweak them, I'm just not one of them. I've had the 5.1 system for about five years hooked to a SoundBlaster Live card. I'm pretty adept with computers, so I have kept up with the drivers, played with the balance, moved the speakers and done about everything I can to "feel" the game. I usually play Call of Duty or Far Cry type games. I also play RTS games of the C&C stripe. I must be getting old, because I'm tired of screwing around with sound systems. I'm at a point where I just want to sit down and hear some great sound without going through all of the situational adjustments (FPS game, music, RTS game, SAT TV, etc). If you just want something that has great fidelity and some oomph in the low range, this is your system. What I like: 1. The sound for music is fantastic. I have eclectic tastes in music and all of it sounds great across the board with excellent fidelity. Some songs you can hear every instrument and note. It's as good as the source (mp3, wma, etc) can make it. 2. The stereo effect is wonderful. It's like having a center speaker without having the clutter of a physical speaker on your desk, plus you still get a great sense of left/right effects. 3. The subwoofer will rock you. I have it front of a solid wood desk and it will shake the desk at half bass. When I play COD or MOH, it's like you are on Omaha beach during an artillery barrage. It's as real as I need it. I don't need 5.1 to hear the shell whistling past me to get a great effect. 4. I really like the control. It sits well on the desk next to my keyboard. Nice big dials that index the bass and volume well. There is good size off switch that is easy to hit if you need to kill the sound quickly without searching for a mute button. There is also a plug for headphones. Makes it convenient if you don't want to have to keep reaching around the back of the system. It also has a blue power light which I prefer. 5. Very, very, very easy to set up. Just plug the speakers into the subwoofer and then plug the system cable into the sound card. Turn it on. 6. Uses the system software for balance and treble. It will also use the software equalizer. You may ask why this is important. Half my problem with my last set of speakers is that the computer had an equalizer, the installed SoundBlaster software had an equalizer, the player had an equalizer and the speaker system had a equalizer, speaker balance. Give me a break. There were four sets of adjustments that you had to manage depending on what you were doing at the time (game, music, TV). I never knew which control was in control. My results were mixed at best. Now I just worry about the computers settings and I get great sound in any of my apps. 7. I have not detected the irritating hum my last system had during quiet times or when no music was playing. 8. I like the style of the speakers. Silver with black cloth covers. They seem very substantial. What I don't like: 1. I may be old fashioned, but I want the option to change the length of my speaker wires. I don't know why Logitech has gone this route, but the speaker wire is permanently affixed to the back of the speaker and terminates with an RCA plug. I prefer heavy gauge speaker wire and would like the option to move the subwoofer farther away. This requires me to buy expensive RCA cable as opposed to regular speaker wire. 2. The subwoofer is probably physically bigger than it should be for a small room system. There is no room for it under the desk (that's why it's in front of it:). I'm still experimenting with placement. Make no mistake, this puppy is big. It also has metal heat vanes on the back that give it additional length. If you are working with limited space, make sure you pay attention to the dimensions. 3. While I like the control, it makes placing the subwoofer across the room somewhat problematic. The wire from the subwoofer to the controller is a 6' long thick proprietary cable. The system sound plug then runs from the controller to the sound card. The speakers cords run directly to the subwoofer. This system is meant for close-in. Conclusion: This is a great trouble free set of speakers with great sound. Just plug and play without a lot of fuss. I knocked off a star because of the limited flexibility imposed by the cabling scheme. That being said, I don't think you can beat the sound at this price. To be honest, I have a pretty decent ear and these are as good as any system I have listened to. I feel my money was well spent and I am most satisfied with my purchase. So if you are tired of trying to make the latest gimmick work (7.1 THX) and you just want great sound, this is your system.

Review by M. Stone : Great with a Sharp Aquos HDTV

All the reviews I read were from users with PC's, but this system will hook up to most TV's as well. We have 5.1 surround in another room for a different TV, but needed something to enrich the sound from our new Sharp Aquos LCD HDTV in the family room. The Aquos has only 2 X 10 watt side speakers. We really don't need full surround in this location or a receiver or a DVD since we are using a DVR set top box and can record movies in HD. So the Z-2300 is a very inexpensive terrific sounding solution. The Aquos itself has RCA outputs which easily connect to the Z-2300 via RCA male to male cables [cheap at any Radio Shack, etc.} through a "Y" connector Logitech supplies in the box. The Aquos has a simulated surround sound option which sounds very good with the TV's speakers, but nothing special. Once the Z-23000 is hooked up the sound is pumped through the two Sharp speakers plus the left and right Logitech speakers and the Logitech subwoofer. What a huge difference it makes! The Z-2300's 40 watt side speakers plus the 120 watt subwoofer sound every bit as good as the high priced 5.1 system I have in another room. The lack of a center speaker is not noticable since there are now four speakers facing us. The sub is fantastic. The only thing lacking are two rear speakers, but the sound without them is so realistic I hardly miss them. The only problem is that the way the Aquos is configured. In order to select the simlated surround sound option, the TV's remote can only control the TV's speakers. The only way to control the Z-2300's speakers is through their own wired remote. But that's a small price to pay for the tremendous difference the simulated surround sound makes through the Z-2300's speakers. It's sort of embarrasing not to have sound as good as the Z-2300 when watching HDTV.

Review by androo "androo" : Outstanding speakers for a great price

The logitech z-2300's are incredible speakers. With 200 watts total rms, they overpower all speakers in and above this price range. The 120 watt subwoofer is amazing, with thunderous and crisp bass. When the bass is turned all the way up and volume halfway, my entire desk vibrates, as well as the window blinds. The two satellite speakers provide excellent quality sound. The only other speakers I can compare them too are the pair of harmon/kardons that came with my dell. Each speaker is 40 watts, again, more than any other set of speakers in this price range. Logitech's z-2200, the 2300's predecessor, has received nothing but positive comments for its sheer power and clarity. Check cnet.com reviews and you will see that these are the best speakers available for 100 bucks. These speakers come with a volume/bass control unit and a stereo adapter if you want to hook them up to a dvd player. Pros: - Cheap - Outstanding sound - Easy to adjust volume and bass level Cons: - Don't look at nice as say the JBL sound sticks

Review by O. Johnson "skatterkat" : If you want the skinny on these speakers read this.

First, I will have to say that I am a music engineer/producer, so when it comes to music, I know what I'm talking about. Secondly, I just bought this product and, no I don't work for Logitech, or anyone else who`s related to the company, or their distributors. Setting up: For those who are curious a bit about the speaker set up, it is very easy. The subwoofer acts as the "motherboard", so to speak. Everything hooks into it, from the back. The subwoofer is the power supply source (there's no adapter, just a standard plug, so this will save room on a power strip), and the wired remote plugs into the sub, and the computer. The satellites plug into the sub as well. If you wish to plug the speakers up something else (a videogame console, a DVD player, VCR, etc.) a RCA splitter cord is provided to hook it up. When plugging this thing up, do NOT plug it up to the electrical socket first and then connect the components. Plug it into the wall last. Additionally, there is a on/off feature on the wired remote, as well as a switch on the back of the sub. The ON LED light on the wired remote is a pretty blue color. When you set up the speakers, you should note that the satellites are very directional sensitive. That is, adjusting the angle of the speakers will have a great deal to do with the how the sound is directed towards your head, and thus the overall quality. Take the time to adjust this to the best sounding position. These speakers are decently compact. My computer is sitting on a tiny IKEA computer desk, along with other studio gear, including two rack-mounted processors. I have plenty of room for these speakers. Do NOT sit these speakers next to your head. It's a good idea to have them farther away from you than your monitor is sitting, if possible. As for the subwoofer, do the smart thing and put it on the floor. It doesn't need to be elevated no more than a foot off the ground, if that much. Also give the sub room to breathe, and for the love of common sense, don't block the side air hole, and don't direct the woofer at your computer tower. The Sound: Like I said before, I am a music producer, additionally I am a classically trained musician with 20 years experience (I'm 28). So I know what I'm talking about. Also I should note that I am using a fairly new desktop computer, an Emachines, which is about a year old. I also have a nice Sony 5.1 stereo system. These speakers kick my Sony's tail, all around. The only way it could be better is if it was a perfect surround sound system, and that would be a pain to deal with, unless you have the room and money for it. Some people have said the mids on these speakers are weak. I'm not hearing it at all. What I have noticed is that the upper highs are very strong. If you are having this problem here's simple solution. I'm using Windows Media Player 9.0. On the "rock" EQ setting just move the 16kHz level down a wee bit. If you're using another kind of media player, just turn down the EQ between 12-20kHz down by 5-10%. If you're hearing hiss out of the speakers then you might have them too close to your head to begin with (I can only hear it when I lean over next to it, and if the volume is past 60%). Otherwise, you might have a shielding problem. These speakers are quite loud. Be careful not to damage your hearing with these. I really see no point in turning the master volume past 40% and the sub past 25%. Also keep in mind that these speakers are quality. Don't play hip hop on a classical EQ setting. You should get used to switching your EQ setting (which is easy enough on Windows Media Player) for the appropriate thing you are listening to. If you're listening to talk radio, set it to "speech", and turn the woofer down to zero. The only draw back on this speaker system is that you can't turn the woofer down to perfect zero, meaning that you can't bypass it. That would be a good bonus. But turning down the EQ in the 20Hz to 50 Hz range should do the trick if you want to by pass it. For this price, these speakers are a steal. The quality of these things in my opinion are triple the price, if not more. The z2300 as well deserving of 5 stars. If you want killer sound on your computer without spending a few thousand bucks, this is the way to go. I bought these for my home studio to mix the record I'm working on, and I'm so glad I did it. It far beats spending $400 on a single studio monitor. If anyone wants so advice or semi-technical assistance as far as these speakers are concerned, I'd be more than glad to offer some advice if you wish, just email me at GSFU (at) aol (dot) com.

Review by ped28 : Great Speakers

These are very good speakers. I have seen reviews which say that the components seem cheap, which I do not agree with. The wired remote is solid and sturdy. The sound is loud and the clarity is very good. I think it's good that the speaker wires are hard-wired to the satellite speakers. I don't like dealing with the connections that usually are associated with speaker sets. Here are the only negative things I have observed: 1. Before I received them, I wondered if there was a way to mount these to the wall (ie a standard mounting screw hole), and there is not. 2. The cables are short (6 ft built-in speaker cables and 6 ft wired remote cable). The speaker cables can be extended with use of RCA (female to female) adapters and RCA cables (neither are included). The wired remote is not extendable and must be used within 6 feet of the back of the subwoofer. 3. The satellite speakers are tilted upward and are not adjustable. 4. The midranges are not powerful on these speakers. This can be partially overcome by raising the sound levels of midrange frequencies in your equalizer. Despite the minor negatives, I find these to be an inexpensive, high quality, and fun to use product that I recommend to users who are thinking about purchasing a set. I use them soley for my computer, which acts as my television and stereo. I don't use any other stereo device at home.

Review by The African : Believe me when i say...THESE SPEAKERS ROCK!

Ok, first off i've had these for just one day...got them from amazon today (in 5 days with free shipping...great packaging and great delivery) and they are incredible. I am really picky when it comes to good sound, and i looked around for about 2 months before i findally decided these were the ones to get. The design is so sleek and the THX certification really makes a difference. So here i've got something to say about each part of the system, cuz i know that a lot of you out there want a detailed user review. Sub Woofer- Oh my gosh...this sub rocks. I mean all you bass lovers out there will be smiling the second you turn it on. And for all of you who don't like bass to drown out the music the subwoofer control on the wired remote does a great job of controlling the level of the bass, so don't worry about getting a system like this cuz the bass accompanies the sound from the satellites very well. The bass is punchy very responsive and can handle anything you can throw at it...seriously...trust me i tested it out. I played NFS Underground 2 with this system and i can literally feel the engine roaring and the woosh of cars as they fly by...you will fall in love with this sub. Sattelites- I have two words for these speakers...sleek and strong. The sound is so clear even at high volumes and not harsh at all...i've tried every type of music on them from rap to classical to techno to rock, and they blow every other 2.1 system away! There are two cloth dust covers which can cover the sattelites if you wish and they make it look even better...if that's possible. These speakers are high quality. Wired remote- This thing is soooo cool. The volume knob slides so smoothly and is so accurate. So is the bass control it's so nice having the bass level control right at your finger tips. The Setup- It's so easy it's not even worth talking about. All you have to do is plug in the sattelites into the obviously color coded plugs and hook up the remote to your sub and computer (or game console or tv...that's right they send you an adapter for rca audio setups). Plug it in and your done. I bought these speakers with out ever having heard them b4 and then i went to a circuit city and got to hear them on display b4 mine arrived and i was so glad i bought them. I compared it to the sound of a $250 dollar system from BOSE there as well, and they blew it way with bass and clarity. Logitech is pure quality this is an awesome deal people. If you don't believe how good they could sound, go hear them for your self at some store...but trust me you won't regret buying them right now either...cuz you'll decide to later ne way...lol. But seriously they are the best deal you will get...don't think a system for that price can shake the floorboards? Trust me it thumps!

Review by Li : Logitech Z-2300 vs Klipsch ProMeida 2.1

Logitech Z-2300 and Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 are the best 2.1 systems for computers out there. I recently tested the two side by side and found Logitech has a small edge overall with the dynamic lows as its winning point. Z-2300 also beats ProMedia in design with only one wire coming to each satellite (its competitor having three or four to the control console attached to one satellite.) This being said, ProMedia also has its distinctiveness over its Logitech counterpart. CNET, my favorite review site, gives Z-2300 a wowing 9 star while throwing ProMedia a meager 7.9. I dispute this and believe a difference of 0.5 star might be more appropriate. Compared to Logitech, Klipsch is slightly better in mids and highs. ProMedia sounds a little bit more "open" and crispy. In design, the ProMeida is wall-mountable though with the optional brackets and its aesthetic limitations (see my review on Klipsch ProMedia 2.1). Both systems looks a little cheesy, but the ProMedia looks a little bit more "pro" with its "component black" color than its counterpart which unfortunately uses a silver tone over-emphasizing its plastic nature and bulkiness of the subwoofer. In conclusion, both speakers are very good (if not too good) for MP3s and choosing which one to buy is more of personal tastes than substance in sound quality. Since Logitech is 20 or some dollars cheaper, my decision may slightly leans towards Logitech...

Review by Jakester : Superb speakers!

My judgement may be a little skewed as I haven't upgraded my speakers for about 10 years. I originally bought these for my wife as she's just getting into mp3 music and her old speakers just didn't cut it. She didn't like the Logitechs because the subwoofer was too big and there was not a convenient place to put it. So I gave her my 10 year old speakers and took the Logitechs. Boy did I come out ahead on that deal. I couldn't believe how rich the sound was coming from these speakers, especially the subwoofer. Clear effects, vibrating base, and pure highs and mid-levels. The stand alone controller is a very nice touch, especially since you can plug your headphones into it, a major advance over having to plug them directly into the sound card. If you buy these speakers, you WILL NOT be sorry.