Logitech Z 520

usability, price

reliability

77% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

usability, design, price, size, sound

93% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Lightweight ; Stylish ; No power brick

Flimsy bass ; Awkward acoustics ; Limited remote control

If you've not got the space for a subwoofer, the Z-5 presents a highly passable alternative

Easy to set up and use, child-proof metal grille, capable of decent sounds

Sound gets wearing with anything too musically complex

Keep your expectations in line with this system’s price tag and you won’t go far wrong.

Compact design, easy to move around with a laptop, good sound quality

Relatively modest volume, no separate subwoofer

They’re a little pricey for a basic 2.0 speaker system, but they look good and will make a nice companion for your MacBook.

Logitech's omni-directional technology might not seem massively useful in a desktop speaker environment, but it does actually lend an extra dimension to the sound coming from your PC (particularly with games and movies). The fact that they're USB...

Clear treble, accurate mid-range, decent power levels

No option to add a subwoofer, expensive

If you’re looking for a simple and compact pair of stereo speakers that still sound detailed, the Z520 set from Logitech is a good choice. It doesn’t have everything we’d want in a set of near-field speakers but the overall package is tempting.

Project sound both forward and backward, remote control

Bass and mid-range get bloated and distorted at times, some harshness in the highs, no AC power

A basic set of PC speakers with a few quirks, the Logitech Z-5s operate entirely via USB, which means you need a PC to use them. The audio quality is adequate but nothing special.

Clear, crisp audio output. Upward-angled for desktop listening. Dual direction drivers send sound to multiple areas of the room. Aux input auto-disables PC input when it's in use

Can't handle deep bass at high volumes without distortion. No remote control or Mute button. Speaker and audio cables are hardwired to unit

You might expect better bass at high volumes for $130, but Logitech's no-frills Speaker System Z520 does make a good office speaker set, offering crisp output at moderate volume levels.

Quality audio performance for price. Extra drivers add space to stereo field. Remote controls iTunes and Windows Media Player.

Not a lot of bass response. Grilles attract dust and smudges.

The bargain-priced Logitech Z-5 speaker set delivers crisp highs and comes with a remote that lets you control your music library. Just don't expect deep bass.