Logitech Z-10 Speakers Rock the House
Logitech has always incorporated nice design into great-sounding computer speakers, so it is no surprise that the USB-connectable Z-10 Interactive 2.0 Speaker System was a joy to play with and listen to. Though not without its flaws, the Z-10 is an attractive desktop sound system that pairs quality audio performance with a slick, interactive display.
The look of these polished black Z-10s is modern and spare, yet also attractive. A backlit amber colored LCD display on the right hand speaker contains all the controls. The on-speaker control panel is comprised of a power key, “mute” button, “level” controls for controlling bass, treble, and volume, and more! Above this row lies another set of slick touch sensitive buttons: “display” (which switches through the four different display modes), skip backwards, play/pause, and skip forwards. 
Below the LCD screen is a set of numbers that can be assigned to favorite playlists or Internet radio stations, just like a memory preset on a car stereo! Both left and right units tilt upwards at a slight angle for desktop listening.
Despite the lack of a subwoofer, the Z-10 manages clean, respectable bass. 
The complete lack of distortion when both iTunes software master volume and the speaker volume were maxed out was impressive. Not only did the system achieve quite a loud output, the dreaded digital crackle that means you’ve pushed your sound system too far never appeared.
This is because the Z-10 system uses an audio compression scheme that Logitech calls “Dynamic Bass Equalization,” which squashes the sound before it can overload the speakers, thus preventing distortion but creating a sound defect. With classical and jazz music, which are usually mastered with very little or no compression, this will likely go unnoticed. But on rock/pop songs that tend to be mastered with gobs of compression, the second stage of dynamic-squashing compression added by the Z-10s is quite noticeable.
This is a minor gripe, however, since audio compression can be a useful protective measure built in to prevent the speakers from overloading. If the compression bugs you, simply turn the iTunes volume to only halfway up. Even with the Z-10’s volume at max, the output was still pretty good. The only other real complaint concerns the touch sensitive speaker controls. They’re often not sensitive enough, meaning you will sometimes have to press a button more than once or for a longer duration than would seem necessary. Other times they are too sensitive, reacting when your fingers are close but not touching the controls.
The Z-10 Interactive 2.0 Speaker System is one of the best out there, especially for the low price. Control options, onscreen Windows compatible options, and tons of features set them apart from the crowd. These speakers sound great, are fun to use, and their sexiness far outweighs their minor glitches.
Related Links: Logitech Z-10 Interactive 2.0 Speakers, iPod, Logitech speakers, Speakers, MP3 players
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