3DsoundSurge Reviews: Logitech Z-560 Review

Official specs
Manufacturer	Logitech
Suggested Retail Price	US$199.99
Number of satellites and subwoofers	4 identical satellites and one subwoofer.
Satellite dimension	Approximately 15 cm (6") x 10.2 cm (4") x 8.9 cm (3.5") (HxWxD) not factoring the stand which adds about an inch or the removable grill which adds about another 3.81 cm (1.5 inches) to the depth
Subwoofer dimension	28 cm (11 inch) (width) X 28 cm (11 inch) (height) X 33 cm (13 inch) (depth)
Weight	Separate component measurement not available. The subwoofer is approximately 12.3 kg (27 pounds)
Cables	Satellite cables: 1.83 meters for the front speakers and 4.57 meters for the rear speakers. 2 analog stereo channel mini-jack cable (2m) control module mini DIN cable (2m) Standard AC cord (1.8 m / 6 foot)
Floor stands/Wall mount options	The pre-attached desktop stands can be reversed for wall mounting. An Allan (hex) key tool is supplied with the speakers to fasten and unfasten the stands.
Driver Size	3" in each satellite 8" woofer in the subwoofer
Power output/satellite	53 Watts RMS*
Power output for subwoofer	188 Watts RMS*
Total Power	400 Watts RMS*
Maximum Sound Pressure Level	114 dB
THD	N/A
Noise	S/ N ratio > 100 dB (A)
Frequency response	35 Hz to 20 kHz with no +/- dB rating provided
Inputs	4-analog
Input sensitivity for maximum output:	N/A – (input impedance listed as 10,000 ohms
Headphone output:	Yes – amplified
Subwoofer Output:	No
Decoder	No
Stereo to 4 or 5.1 expander	Yes (M3D) See Stereo to 4 or 5.1 Expansion Technologies article for details.
Equalizer or effect mode (e.g. Theatre preset)	No
Controls	Wired SoundTouch Control Center has power, M3D, volume, fader and bass controls

Our Objective Measurements
Measured SPL (loudness)	We found it to be the loudest 4.1 system tested to date somewhat ahead of the ProMedia 4.1 and Sirocco Crossfire reaching between 109 and 110 dB in our two tests. These levels need to be reduced by about 2 dB to be mostly distortion free.
Subwoofer exaggeration	The subwoofer can be exaggerated with about 24 dB at 80 dB and 16 dB at 90 dB. This is ahead of the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1
Measured Frequency response	Our measurements of the frequency response of both the subwoofer and satellites are very good. Approximately +/- 5 dB from 156 Hz through to 20 kHz. The main range outside a +/- 3 dB range comes between 6.6 kHz and 9.4 kHz with a +4.75 dB peak at 7.9 kHz. This is competitive with the ProMedia 4.1 but clearly behind the MM2000 and Crossfire in overall smoothness. Off axis (30 degrees) is somewhat smoother with a smaller peak and still good high-frequency extension through to 20 kHz at –3 dB. This is better than the ProMedia 4.1 off-axis results, clearly better than MM2000 off-axis.
Our Subjective Impressions
Subjective impression of noise levels	I had no issues with noise until near to 90 percent volume where an AC ground loop type hum was audible from 2 feet. This might be addressed on final retail units.
Subjective impression of sound quality	The most significant difference compared to most similarly priced systems is the power and depth of the subwoofer. The subwoofer dynamic range matches or surpasses more expensive 4.1 systems with better quality deep bass (< 50 Hz). Transient response is good but not excellent. Satellite upper bass extension is also above average, somewhat behind the ProMedia 4.1 and Polk AMR-150 but with better power handling ability than both. High frequency quality is good, slightly behind the ProMedia 4.1.Overall satellite quality behind the Crossfire and MM2000.
Music	The overall smooth clean response with good transient response, good stereo image and deep subwoofer are musical strengths. The too strong subwoofer levels are a clear musical weakness for those concerned with getting the most neutral overall sound. In some classical music a relative weakness of the system, the treble, is still quite good even though it at times is noticeable behind good 2 way systems such as the AMR-150, ProMedia 4.1 and excellent systems such as Crossfire.
Games	Game performance is as expected excellent with the good bass extension of the satellites as well as excellent imaging being two key benefits for better positioning in games. The powerful and good quality of the subwoofer and its good exaggeration ability are two other strong aspect of its gaming performance.
DVD Movies	The good quality, deep bass effects and dynamic range in DVD movies are all handled very well by the Z-560. Worth noting no decoder is included.
Summary	It easily earns our Gold Award and Surge of Approval becoming the lowest priced system to gain entry into this elite group. Getting there was of course not with out compromise but those compromises were clearly not sufficient to exclude it from this group!
If you are interested in the Logitech Z-560 you may also find the following speakers of interest. In case we have done a review we offer a link to it, otherwise we offer a link to the official product page.	Altec Lansing 641 Cambridge SoundWorks MegaWorks 510D Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Monsoon MM2000 VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire VideoLogic DigiTheatre DTS More Speaker Reviews Press Releases of Speaker Systems

We will go into much more detail about the Logitech Z-560 and how it compares to some of the other top of the line multimedia systems in this review. For those looking for a shorter read, we are offering a condensed version that is about half the length of our typical detailed review.