Logitech Z506 5.1 Speakers Review

Logitech, no introduction needed, has been the go-to company for computer and gaming peripherals for many years. On occasion, the company does a product refresh, covering the same price point but taking advantage of modern advances. The Z506 5.1 speaker set is one such product refresh, replacing the now aging X-540, reviewed by Greg King way back in 2006 when Techgage was in its infancy.

The Z506 is a 5.1 surround sound system on a budget with a more introductory price point of $100 or less; introductory for a surround system anyway. The size of the unit remains minimal and compact without sacrificing too much on style – this is meant for gaming after all. So what’s changed from the X-540?

The remote is no longer of the wired variety, so nothing to take up precious desk space with a hose-pipe for a cable; in-fact, there’s no remote at all! Wait, what? Well, as is quite common, volume and power are now integrated into the front right speaker instead of a dedicated remote. The only other major difference is that of style, gone are the 90’s super-blocky look and it’s back with the more friendly curved edges. Many of the features that made the original set popular remain, such as the Matrix Mode upscaling, ported Sub unit and the center speaker mount for placing it on top of a monitor.

Taking everything out of the pack leaves nothing to the imagination, it’s a simple setup which doesn’t really require a manual. The sub houses the amplifier and all inputs are connected to it on the reverse. Each of the satellite channels are color-coded using RCA cables. An RCA input is provided on the back along with the three jacks for surround.

The RCA input may be stereo, but the Matrix Mode upscales it to utilize all speakers; unlike the original though, this mode can not be turned off and is always enabled. This does have the unfortunate side-effect of obfuscating stereo separation as you are enveloped with sound.

The eagle-eyed will notice the dial on the back and yes, it does what you think it does; sub volume control. I am going to be rather blunt here and call this quite a significant design oversight. Subs tend to be placed either on the floor or hidden away somewhere, so what good is a volume control where it’s inaccessible? When the remote was integrated into the right satellite, why didn’t Logitech integrate the sub control too?

It can be said that most will not fiddle with the sub volume too much, they’ll set it to a certain level then leave it. The problem comes when you need to check results, crawl under the desk, change the sub volume, crawl out, listen, crawl back, change, and so on. To save some the trouble, set it to just a notch below the mid level, any higher and it’s more of a rumble than a kick-drum.

The support legs lift the sub off the surface and provided a suitable perch with which to place your fingers when lifting. Much to my surprise, while taking the sub out of the box, my fingers nearly punctured the speaker. If there was one major complaint brought up about the X-540 by Greg, it would be the lack of a speaker grill on the sub unit’s main speaker.

It is very unfortunate that this has not been remedied with the new model. There isn’t a realistic excuse either as to why one isn’t provided; grill plates are just a few cents and that added protection would easily recoup itself. Speakers are very fragile and all it would take is to either lift the speaker too firmly or to place accidentally atop of something pointy to trash the Sub – not a smart move.

The satellites from the original system made use of a dual speaker arrangement, not just in the center speaker, but in all satellites too. On the face of things with the Z506, each satellite looks like a dual speaker arrangement, a mid-range and a tweeter. The disappointment comes when you find that the ‘tweeter’ is actually just a molded piece of plastic (not even a port), as can be seen from the reverse.

Each speaker does have some minimal protection, much like the Corsair SP2200’s, with a thin fabric mesh over the front.

The center speaker makes use of a fold-out support which can be used to perch it on top of a monitor, or to aim it upwards if placed on a desk. This is definitely one of the more practical setups I’ve come across, despite its simplicity.

Volume control, power on and headphone output are all handled by the front right satellite, doubling up as the remote. It connects to the back of the sub via an old-skool serial cable, often seen on many speaker setups. The headphone output is very quiet, significantly quieter than the speaker output. Master volume needs to be set to half in order to achieve a reasonable output; should headphones be accidentally pulled out, be prepared for a shock as the speakers spring into life – at quite a significant volume.