ears of the individual listener. We think Creative has slightly better mids while Logitech’s bass packs just a little more realistic punch. How do you quantify “punch”? You don’t. You just have to hear it. And what’s funny is that the sub used with the Z-2200 only dips down to 35Hz. The difference may be in the U-shaped sound tube Logitech employs for a longer resonance field. The THX-certified Z-2200 lacks the cosmetic wow factor enjoyed by Creative, but the set is still tasteful and professional looking, especially if you remove the cloth dust covers. The Z-2200 also carries a lot more muscle under its belt. The sub is 120W RMS and the satellites are 40W RMS each. With a >100dB SNR, this set easily hits extreme volumes without even breaking a sweat, and it sounds fabulous at any volume.
The Z-2200 also uses a control pod with volume and bass knobs along with a power button and headphone jack. There is no USB port, but Logitech also doesn’t make portable players. For covering a large space, the Z-2200 is definitely the better choice between the two $150 sets. In the near-field confines of a desktop, it’s an even push either way.

Altec Lansing
251: $99.95
www.altecmm.com

Even if we’d never heard the 251s, the spec sheet tells a lot of the story. The system response is rated at 35 Hz to 18 kHz, so you already see that there will be some clipping in the high ends. Moreover the SNR is only 70 dB, which explain why the audio gets really mushy at very loud volumes. The sub uses a 5.25” driver, which is a far cry from the 8” driver in the Z-2200, and mid-range response is, well, largely absent.
However, we should be careful to keep things in perspective. Compared to an everyday $10 2.0 system, the 251 set is magnificent. The bass may not be that good, but it’s OK and probably better than anything most consumers have had under their desks ever before. And if nothing else, when positioned correctly in a showroom, the 251s offer a persuasive counterpoint against the likes of the. . .

If you held a gun to our heads and forced
us to pick one speaker system that you
should use for your own perfect listening
experience, we’d have to pick the Z-680.
This set has proven so strong and over-
whelmingly popular that it will be nearly
three years before Logitech bothers to
issue a follow-up design to it. Most
competitors are still trying to figure out how
to emulate the design. The Z-680 boasts a
Herculean 505W RMS (1000W total
power). The 188W subwoofer uses an 8-
inch driver and 3” U-port tube x

If you held a gun to our heads and forced us to pick one speaker system that you should use for your own perfect listening experience, we’d have to pick the Z-680. This set has proven so strong and overwhelmingly popular that it will be nearly three years before Logitech bothers to issue a follow-up design to it. Most competitors are still trying to figure out how to emulate the design.
The Z-680 boasts a Herculean 505W RMS (1000W total power). The 188W subwoofer uses an 8-inch driver and 3” U-port tube bass that is, in our opinion, unmatched by anyone. One of the ultra-scientific tests we ran was to watch the lobby shooting spree in The Matrix. Early in the scene, after pulling his trench coat aside to reveal all his weapons, Neo thrusts his palm into the security guard’s chest. Only a perfect subwoofer such as this one is able to capture the depth of that blow and actually strike you, the viewer, with a pulse of force while not overpowering the entire soundscape. Other subs go as deep, but none that we’ve found match the clarity and realism of Logitech.

The 62W per channel satellites and 67W center are equally stunning. Unlike the GMX D-5.1, the Z-680’s treble response is never shrill or piercing unless you force the issue through EQ settings. The mids are blissfully full and sound just as good as any home theater system worth three or four times the price. All told, the set reaches a maximum output of 114 dB, and although Logitech does not list THD numbers, we cranked this set to the point of pain and never observed any muddiness in the bass or distortion in the high ends.
As with the Z-2200, which are very similar, the look of the Z-680s is muted black and gray. The most impressive (and arguably excessive) part of the set is its control pod, which is nearly as large as a paperback book. The pod offers Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II decoding independent of the sound card, which, on top of helping with consoles, can also come to the buyer’s rescue if he has a low-end adapter without built-in Dolby support. The module also includes headphone and Line-In jacks. The several controls offered on the pod can but a little confusing at first, but a little practice will go a long way. When you want to make a serious impression on clients and leave them with a speaker set suitable for anywhere from the desktop to home theater, look no further.

Creative Labs
GigaWorks S750: $499.99
us.creative.com

have to let you be the judge. We preferred the clarity of Logitech’s sub, and we did need to drop the treble settings in the EQ in order to not let the S750’s highs sparkle too brightly. But the mids are excellent and the overall effect is stunning. Creative’s advantage over Logitech, of course, is the extra two satellites. The set’s control features automatic upmixing controls for 5.1 or 6.1 content, but since this is largely channel mirroring, we failed to find much benefit to it apart from perhaps a slightly stronger performance in rear channel separation, although this can also be handled through Creative’s drivers. (The exception was at rare instances on Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors DVD-Audio disc, which uses such imaginative remixing that it really does help to let the sound flow around you through side channels.) Where the S750 shines is in gaming. We played Unreal Tournament 2003 and Call of Duty with this system, and the realism of hearing opponents move all around you is incredible. With fixed 5.1 content, like in a movie there’s really no benefit to going for 7.1 speakers. But in games with dynamic content where positional audio is key to game play, there is no better way to do it and no better set on the market than the S750. Enthusiasts should come flocking to this product.

Hear the Difference
Quality audio can make a difference to your bottom line. Once your client admits to enjoying or at least using one or more audio applications, then the door is open to upsell on quality. If money is an issue, you can at least push for a motherboard with a better audio controller an codec and nudge clients toward an entry-level 2.1 set such as Creative’s SBS 2.1 350 ($29.99) or, if voice apps are the emphasis, perhaps a quality 2.0 set such as the SBS250 ($29.99).
Anyone with a love of music is a shoo-in for a quality sound card and at least mid-level speaker set for satsifactory DVD-Audio playback. The same holds true for those who want to watch DVD movies on their PCs. If our recent cover story on convergence struck a chord with you, then you’ll appreciate the merits of selling audio components that are SPDIF-compatible. Being able to send digital music straight from the user’s PC into the home theater with no quality loss or need to buy fancy convergence components is a huge selling point. Similarly, the ability to import audio from a home theater for conversion into MP3 or some other popular digital format without any of the degradation inherent in analog transfers should appeal to anyone with substantial music collections.
There is no shortage of reasons why customers will want to improve their audio solutions. The trick is to give them a persuasive example of why they should do so that is appropriate to their interests. Demonstrating the experience is critical, and once you’re set up to provide this, the rewards will be music to your ears.