Logitech Z523

Logitech Z523 Review

Have you ever wondered why more audio companies aren’t building PC speakers these days? Listen to Logitech’s Z523 speaker system and you’ll ask a second question that handily explains the first: How in the world can any company manufacture powered speakers that sound this good and sell them for a hundred bucks? Before the audiophiles in the crowd issue a fatwa on us though, let us be clear in that we are praising these speakers chiefly for their price/performance ratio. They suffer mightily in comparison to some of the pricier speakers we’ve auditioned—Audioengine USA’s $350 A5, for example, but frankly, we haven’t heard anything that comes close to the Z523 at this price range. The Z523 is a 2.1-channel speaker system, meaning it consists of small stereo speakers augmented by a larger subwoofer that handles bass duties. All three speakers are driven by a 40-watt amplifier housed in the subwoofer (sending 9.5 watts per channel to the satellite speakers and 21 watts to the sub). The curvaceous satellites exude a modern art sensibility, with curved faces that tilt their two-inch dome drivers up toward your ears.