I'm moving apartments, so it was time to grab some new speakers for iTunes and iPod use. Being a good little gadgeteer, I did a little research (read: Amazon customer reviews) and came up with the Logitech Z-4 2.1 Speaker System. I chose it because it supposedly offers decent sound and it's cheap (Amazon US sells the white setup for $60, although I ended up paying €90 ($130) because I live in Europe).
The speakers are pretty good. Audiophiles shouldn't bother, but for MP3s the sound is perfectly adequate. I've never owned this style of speaker before, but the separate subwoofer kicks out plenty of bass and the satellites give a clear, full sound and a convincing stereo image. The wired remote is convenient, and has controls for volume and bass, along with headphone and line-in jacks to supplement the line-in on the main body – perfect for quickly hooking up a friend's iPod without digging around under the desk.
Classical music sounds especially good. Yo-Yo Ma's Bach Cello Suites ripped at 224 kbps VBR are excellent. My better half said that it sounded like there was a cello in the room. Couple this with sleek clean white lines which disappear into whitwashed walls and you have a nice, unobtrusive setup. One tip: Put the sub on a few bricks or heavy books. Otherwise, it'll shake the floor and the bass will boom like hell.
Product page [Amazon]
