When we reviewed the Logitech Z-3 2.1 speakers last year, we weren't overly impressed. Their replacement in the Z line, the $100 Logitech Z-4, addresses some of the problems, and the result is a much better and more user-friendly speaker set. They're still not as good across a broad range of audio tasks as Logitech's outstanding Z-2300s, but the Z-4s won't disappoint gamers or music and movie fans on a budget.
With a frequency response of 35HZ to 20KHz, the Z-4s mimic their predecessors, as they do in many of the speaker and subwoofer specifications. The two satellite speakers measure 9 inches high, 3 inches wide, and 3 inches deep; each delivers 17 watts of power via one active concave dome driver and two pressure drivers (all 2 inches in diameter). The subwoofer meanwhile delivers 23 watts of power via an 8-inch pressure driver. At 9 inches wide, 9 inches high, and 9.5 inches deep, the subwoofer is a bit of an elephant, so you'll need ample room under your desk. You have your choice of black with the Z-4 or iPod white with the Z-4i.
Accompanying the Logitech Z-4s is a greatly improved wired remote control, compared to the Z-3s' remote. The new one offers an auxiliary input for any hardware with a standard line-out jack (such as an iPod), and it also has a knob to control the volume of the subwoofer--crucial when switching back and forth between gaming and listening to music. It's also a vast improvement over the Z-3 subwoofer's knob, which sat inconveniently on the rear of the subwoofer itself.
