Logitech Z625 THX Certified 2.1 Speaker System

I couldn't find any reviews from Logitech Z4 owners, so I decided to take a leap and tell you all about it. First off for those of you who don't know, the Logitech Z4 2.1 system was the "mid-grade" and right under the infamous Z-2300. The Z4 remains one of the best mid-grade speaker systems ever made by Logitech. I've owned and liked the Z4 for the past 3 years but I wanted something more... I wanted more mids, more highs and of course, more bass. I was going to go the Z-2300 route and buy them used (since they are out of production as of this review). However, I wanted a system with a warranty, so I decided to pick the Z623. I never listened to the Z-2300, so I can't comment how they compare. Looks: At first glance, the Z623 feels like a more expensive system. Looks wise, they are ugly. The Z4's look more elegant. The Z623 speakers have that upside down raindrop look to them. What were Logitech thinking with this design?? The satellites took up a lot more space width and depth wise, but thats ok since the bigger drivers on the Z623 delivered more rich sound. The satellites felt expensive and did not feel cheap at all. They are made of plastic, but the hard expensive plastic feel. I also like how the satellite speakers have a metal grill protecting the drivers. On the Z4, nothing is protecting them. So the risk of damage is a lot higher. I was always paranoid around the Z4 satellite speakers for that reason. Now with the Z623, those anxieties are gone. Overall Sound: Regardless of looks, the most important part is the sound. Since the Z4's already produced great sound quality, it would take a lot to impress me, and luckily these did! First the bass hits hard and low. At the same volume level, the Z623 packed more bass. If you love bass, and need bass, this is the system for you. The bass is accurate and more boomy then the Z4's. Keep in mind the sub-woofer speaker is much bigger then the Z4's. The Z4's lacked mids and I heard the Z623 lacked mids as well. Comparatively speaking, the Z623 delivered more mids then the Z4 and I was quite relieved. I play games and listen to music and was able to hear small details I didn't hear with my Z4 and now I hear them with the Z623 because the Z623 has improved mids over the Z4 (as it should for being almost 2X more expensive...) One of the important things I look for in speakers is the highs. I want to be able to hear the bullet shells drop on the ground in Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3. I want to be able to hear the trees ruffling in Skyrim. I read a couple of reviews that said the Z623 lacked highs. I disagree. The Z623 does highs wonderfully, and I think if it was any brighter, I would have to tone them down in the EQ on my PC. Even though the Z623 does not have a separate tweeter, the Z623 delivered more highs then the Z4. It was more bright and it met my expectations for highs. FYI: Some people thing where the THX symbol is on the speaker are tweeters, but they are not. They are ports, not tweeters. Like I said, even though the speakers lack tweeters, the drivers were still able to produce very bright highs (more then the Z4). Overall, the sound on the Z623 are much better. The Z623 sound more full and rich. What I mean by this is, I was able to hear small details in the mid and highs that I didn't hear with the Z4. Also note, after about a couple days of usage, the sound started to get better. The mids and lows (sub woofer) started to sound better. Keep in mind like most speakers, it takes some time and use to loosen the coils. After about 4 days, the speakers sounded awesome. I was a bit nervous at first because the speakers didn't sound full. Sound with music: I listen to everything from techno to rap and everything in between. Music was accurate and anything with bass you could feel it. Listening to music on the Z623 breathed new life into all of my music. The Z4's played them well, but the Z623 sound range just made everything sounded more alive and in front of you, if that makes any sense. Sound with gaming: I do a lot of gaming, so sound is just as important as graphics to me. If the sound is not good, the game play suffers because if you can't hear the foot steps behind you, or a dragon coming to get you. With the Z4, the sound was great, but with the Z623, the sound is even better! When I was playing BF3, I heard more detail in the explosions. Even when reloading my weapon, I heard extra "clicking" sounds of the gun that I did not hear with the Z4. In Starcraft 2, I was able to hear more detail with the workers were mining for minerals. When playing Skyrim, the sound of the dragon fire coming towards you comes with intensity and depth that the Z4 couldn't deliver due to lack of mids. Even though the details are small, that make a huge difference because it just enhances the experience and the detail. Usability: At first, I was sad to see Logitech took the cheap route and not offer a separate pod to control the volume. I really liked how the pod worked on the Z4. However, I am now glad they didn't for the Z623. No pod means less wires and more space on your desk. On the right speakers is where you will find the power button, volume control nob and bass nob. When its on, a small faint orange LED light is right above the power button. Its very dim, so it doesn't distract. The volume nob is smooth and doesn't make any "crackling" sounds then you adjust the volume. The bass nob feels smooth also. Over all, the control scheme for the Z623 is better then the Z4. I sometimes like to hear songs from my iPod through the speakers and was glad to see the Z623 does have in audio input. This is something that the Z-2300 doesn't have. Summary: Pros - Sound quality is great, a good improvement over my old Z4's. - Bass is accurate and can definitely shake your room. At high volume, everything on my desk almost fell over! - Mids were still lacking, but from the Z4, the mids were better. - Highs were nice and bright. It sounded as if the speakers had tweeters (but they do not). - Integrated controls on the right speaker saves space for a separate control pod. - Sound is rich and full. - Video game sounds brought out the games. It sounds so clear and crisp that you felt as if you were in the game. - Metal grill on the satellite (and sub-woofer) protect the speakers very well. Cons - Mids are still lacking, but not as bad as my old Z4's. But the lack of mids aren't bad, just wish it had a little bit more mids. - Speakers looks ugly. - Satellite speakers take up much more space then the Z4. - Retail price is high, but if you can snag them for $120 or under, do it. Final thoughts: For those of you who are clinging to the Z4 but are itching for a better upgrade, I would highly recommend the Z623. The Z623 sound quality is just like the Z4, but better. Its better because it packs more bass, better mids and higher highs. Z4 owners are penalized price wise because theirs nothing in the $60-$80 range that can match the sound quality of the Z4. If you want to maintain that sound quality, you have to get the Z623 to be satisfied. I listened to the Z4 replacement, the Z523, but it was not as good as the Z4. If you have the money to upgrade, or if you want to get something that will be better, then don't wait, order the Z623.