Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System - THX, Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Certified - Black

I had the Logitech Z680 system since around 2005 before getting the Z906. The Z680, for the time, was a phenomenal set of speakers for a computer system. 400+ watts made my house shake. Now, 23 years later, the Z680's finally died on me...not the speakers, the electronics that are contained on the back of the bass speaker. I was deeply saddened and simultaneously almost in a panic as my music is extremely important to me and there was no way I was going to be able to use the el cheap-o 2 speaker setup I kept for just whatever. I also live on a fixed income, so I needed to be able to afford something as good or better for a similar price I paid for the Z680 setup. I naturally went back to looking at Logitech. There was the Z5500, but way, way too costly. Then found the Z906. The price, for me, was still a little high, but not so much so that I couldn't somehow work it out, so I purchased it after reading all the info I could all over the internet about them. When they got to the house, the first thing I notcied was a big 2"x3" hole where it looks like someone was carrying the box and ran into the corner of a desk or something. Unfortunately the puncture went all the way through to the inside box and into the grill of one of the satellite speakers and dented it pretty good, enough so that I had to take the faceplate off the speaker and gently tap the grill away from the speaker itself so it could work properly as the grill was actually pressing down some on the speaker itself. Once everything was back together, I set the system up on my computer. I'm at the computer at least 10 hours a day, and my music is important to me, so I have a very nice sound card for my system. I'm not a gamer though, so the speakers weren't important in that way for me at all. I The system is really easy to set-up, it's just a little time consuming, especially if you want to do it right the first time. I didn't need the supplied wire for the satellites as I simply had left the wires for my old speaker system setup where they were and they were perfect for the Z906 satellites. Plugging everything in to the bass was also nice and easy, everything is labeled nicely, so I had no trouble moving all the stuff that was plugged in to the Z680 bass over to the Z906 bass. The control panel is a bit nicer than what came with the Z680, and much easier to adjust to whatever one needs, though you still have to have two hands to do so - one to hold it down and the other to press the buttons. My advice here - *USE THE REMOTE CONTROL*. This makes things so much easier. It's actually the one of two things I like best about the Z906 over the Z680 I had, the other being the bass weighs about half as much. The one con I had about the Z906 system is that Logitech went el cheap-o and didn't supply speaker stands. I found that to be pretty lame on their part. Once it was all set-up, I turn on some music (I'm extremely eclectic and can listen to anything from head-banging skin-head stuff, to Mozart and Wagner...I *won't* listen to (c)rap or this bubblegum pop BS nowadays). Again Logitech didn't disappoint. These speakers *WILL* make the house shake. They have plenty of highs and the bass does a great job of thumping if the music calls for it. Every kind of music needs to have the sound set differently for it. For example, I wouldn't leave the bass set as high for Beethoven as I do for Black Flag. So I don't understand the reviews saying bad things about either too much or too little bass or highs (tweets). The levels of this system can be set to do whatever one wants for whatever type of music one is listening to. If you want to listen to Chopin, then turn the bass down to what you want for that. If you want to listen to some Disturbed, then turn the bass up for that. I also am able to adjust things even more on my Linux system computer, and I'm sure people using that garbage called Microsoft Windows are able to do so too, but I believe they simply don't know they can or maybe even simply lazy and don't *want* to have to make adjustments for the music they're listening to at the moment. Whatever. I just know that these speakers, with the correct adjustments made for each type of music I might be listening to, can, for instance, make me feel like I'm in some fine music hall, center seating, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 'Ode an die Freude' is playing live because I'm back in time and it sounds that good...at least to me, heh. Overall, these are well worth the price if you want something halfway decent and can crank up and really impress your neighbor(s)(hood) or make them come looking for you with torches, pitchforks and rope! Learn to adjust the levels for what you might be playing, then sit back and enjoy, because these speakers *for your computer* will *NOT* disappoint. Put in a nice sound card to make sure you get the best from them, I have an Audigy RX which works perfectly for me, giving me all the power the Z906's will want and the clarity and surround sound and everything else a non-pro audiophile will want. These Z906's are fantastic at movies too.

If you're thinking about it, just put it in your cart and hit check out. I am 1000% positive you cannot find sound like this for this price range anywhere else. I researched speakers for months, wanting to upgrade from a 2.1 Logi computer system. And let me tell you, I could not be more pleased with landing on these. If you're a beginner/intermediate DJ, I think these are perfect to have at home. I do say at home for a reason, one of the only downsides is ease of transportation. You could probably get away with it if you detached the tops and carry everything separately. The woofer is at least 20 pounds (give or take), so transporting that is another story. Regarding sound, I've walked outside while practicing my sets and you can definitely hear it from the down the street at only 75%. The bass is so warm, and the highs hit so well I find myself lowering the eq's to try to keep up. My cat loves them, rolls around on the ground right in front of the woofer (I think he likes to feel the rattle of the bass), and rattle they do. Walls, cabinets, furniture, you name it. But they are oh so perfect for practicing sets, movies, casual listening, and house parties (sufficient for probably up to 50 people at a high volume). I have seen other reviews say that the woofer can get hot, but I nipped that by simply placing a small fan facing at the board on the back. Breaking them in did take longer than expected, but the difference is quite noticeable. All in all, this is a great product that is well worth your money if you like great sound for a great price!

Very good base sound from this unit that you can feel. I use it with my Samsung UN65HU8550 UHD 4K Smart TV. Hookup was easy using an Amazon brand TOSLINK fiber optic cable from the TV to the subwoofer unit. The remote control is a huge plus and I keep it next to my TV's remote control. I also have an AppleTV connected to its other optical input. The sound is very clean. Each pair of satellite speakers are adjustable relative to the others in the system both from the control unit and the remote control unit. You can, for example, increase/decrease the base, center channel, front left and right channels and rear channels independently relative to the rest. There is a general volume control that increases all channels. It has DSP settings for non-dolby digital source sources. It handles DTS-HD and AC3 5.1 and 2.0 perfectly. Actor dialog coming in from the center channel speakers are very clear. The sound is very strong without distortion. If you would like a great sounding surround sound system without having to spend lots of money on a separate 5.1 receiver and speakers, this system might be for you. I would recommend it for a small to the medium-sized livingroom. I purchased this system when there was a sale on Amazon and during that time it was an exceptional value. My only wish would have been the speaker wires not to be black, but white, so they would be less noticeable on the walls. But I plan on replacing the wire soon. I also wished the rear speaker wire length were a few feet longer, but I will remedy that when I replace the speaker wires. Other than those two minor mentions, I really like the system. I also found these mounting brackets perfectly suited to this speaker system. VideoSecu Universal Satellite Speaker Mounts / Brackets for Walls and Ceilings (White,Black Available) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WNAFSU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00 UPDATE 07/22/2019 ================================================== I have owned this system for four years today and I am just as happy with them as I was in 2015. Recently I moved into a new home and had to take down the speakers from the wall. Since then I learned from researching the net that you get a better surround sound experience by having the speakers at ear level instead up high. Plus I didn't want to put holes in the new walls using the old mounting brackets that I mentioned earlier in this review. I found an excellent high-quality alternative using speaker stands that are perfectly compatible with the Z906 speakers. I purchased two pairs of Atlantic Adjustable Height Speaker Stands - Set of 2 Holds Satellite Speakers, Adjustable Stand Height from 27 to 48 inch, Heavy Duty Powder Coated Aluminum with Wire Management PN77305018 in Black https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000289DC6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I can certainly appreciate the difference having the speakers at ear level and I highly recommend these stands because they are made from both cast iron and steel poles. I also would like to offer a tip to new users of the Z906 speakers. If you are installing them for the first time, the Logitech Z906 controller has a built-in pink test. No need to download a pink 5.1 audio test file off the web. When the system is on, simply hold down the [INPUT] button for 5 seconds and then let go. The controller will go into test mode by generating a tone in sequential order for all five channels in this order, Left Front, Center, Right Front, Right Rear, Left Rear, and Subwoofer. This will help guide you to make sure your rear surround sounds are wired correctly. Perhaps I overlooked this trick in the manual five years ago, but it really helped me a lot when I had to reinstall this system in my new living room. I hope that trick helps you too.

I had a Cambridge Soundworks Megaworks 510D for about 10 years now, and it finally gave out (amp/receiver/sub won't power up). I had used that system both for 4.1 music (in office/living room), 5.1 movies (in living room), and as a 2.1 PA system for music in a approximately 30x30 wooden floor dance area. That system had great quality, filled each of the areas use with clear treble and booming bass. My goal was to replace this system with something of equal quality. I tried out the Sony MHCEC909iP Mini Hi-Fi Shelf System , Logitech Surround Sound Speaker System Z906 (980-000467) , and the Logitech THX-Certified Speaker System Z623 . The 906 is the best system out of these 3, hands down, for all the above applications. The 906 has the best clarity out of these systems and at only 40% volume makes my floor vibrate with the bass. This system seems better than the 510D that it replaced, but I cannot do a side by side comparison as the 510D no longer works. Rating the other systems in order, I'd say the 623 is better than the Sony. I am primarily basing this on their quality for music in 2.1 modes and the distance they can throw sound. Additionally I viewed a number of Blu-ray movies in 5.1 mode on the 906 and it was quite amazing. 6 inputs (the 5 advertised on the sub + 1 auxiliary on the control unit) let me hook up all my devices at once, which is a HUGE bonus to me. I have (on the sub) a X360 and PS3 each hooked up via the 2 opticals, TV out to the SPDIF (Digital RCA), an HTPC via 3x 1/8in, an airport express for airtunes via 2x RCA; and (on the control unit) an auxiliary cable for laptops/ipods. Each input remembers its "effects" setting -- you can choose 3D for 5.1 sources or to "upchannel" lesser sources into 5.1 (C gets a FL/FR mix, RL/RR get a LPF of FL/FR); the 4.1 setting will take a 2.1 source and map FL/FR to RL/RR (good for music); and the 2.1 setting is for no-upchanneling. As a note: the PS3 and X360 both turn on and off their optical output while in XMB/Dashboard, so some of the sounds get clipped on this system. The system's optical inputs seem to take a moment to "warm up" when a signal is supplied -- since these devices do not supply a constant signal, the beginning of sounds get clipped. During gameplay or movies, a constant signal is provided and is not a problem. I suspect this is a sort of safety feature to prevent audio popping. I have not tried optical inputs/outputs using any other devices, only ever used analog before. Maybe this is normal behavior for this type of connection. The remote is small and plastic, but doesn't feel cheap to me; felt very light without the batteries in, it felt better with the batteries. The control unit feels solid to me. The amp/receiver/sub unit is a bit heavier than it looks. The satellite speakers are definitely heavier than they look; they're also quite sturdy -- as one fell off of the stand I had and it damaged the floor and not itself (hardwood floor) [it still sounded fine, no rattles or hisses or dampening]. I don't know how this unit compares to the 5500. I have listened to a 2300 fairly often at work and the 906 seems a bit clearer. Both have room shaking bass. I am going to purchase Atlantic Satellite 77305018 2 Speaker Stands (Black) to go with this system, I will attempt to edit this post or post a review there detailing if they're any good with this system. Edit/Update: The stands are compatible and work great. (Update: They work great. Stable and solid.) While I would believe that a dedicated Amp/Receiver and a multi-thousand dollar system could outperform this system, I believe that this system is sufficient for most people not attempting to fill a large hall with sound.

Overall: worth it. I paid $400 for the system. I feel like its worth exactly that price. PROS: The subwoofer and satellite speakers are quality. The reciever and remote are simple, but they do their jobs. This system doesn't have all of the sound options and details of a more expensive surround sound system. It has everything that matters though. You can easily switch between inputs, and you can adjust the levels of each speaker and the subwoofer individually using only the remote. I didn't even need to look at a manual. Also, this system gets LOUD. If you want party music that will rattle the neighbors windows, this sytem will do the job. It's a bit rude to use the speakers at even half strength in my apartments. I have 2 inputs (tv/pc) and both devices use this new surround system flawlessly. CONS: No brackets. No speaker mounting materials included. The speakers have one 1/4" machine screw hole in the back for mounting. You either set your speakers on something, or you'll need to go buy mounts to put up on the walls yourself. Remote & Reciever. You will need to use the remote in direct LOS of the small RF window on the receiver; no idea how far out though (my living room is small). You will also need to attach the receiver to something- it is so lightweight that the stiffness of its own cables raises it off of the surface beneath it while it is at rest. The wires. :-/ The only disappointment in the box for me are the wires. These are 3 short, and 2 longer lengths of thin 20/2 wires. If you don't need more than maybe 21 feet of total wire length between your subwoofer and the rear speakers, you might be ok. Example: Three of my speaker positions needed more wire length than the wires had, and I have a tiny studio apartment living room. The wire casing on the 20/2 speaker wires that this kit comes with is also unacceptably thin. Be very careful when you are securing your speaker wire. A normal, tiny zip tie wrapped around these wires, using the loosest possible pressure to keep them in place, will strip the outer jacket right off of the wires, leaving bare wire along lengths of your run. Additional Advice: I went out and purchased thicker 16/2 low volt wire with an outer jacket to connect my subwoofer to my satellite speakers. My longest wire run ended up being more like 35'. Your local datacom supply store stocks this wire. #16 wire (a.k.a. 16/2) is the ideal speaker wire, and it will provide excellent power to your satellite speakers, for reliable operation. There are no problems with zip ties squeezing your wire casing off of your speaker wire the wire is properly coated twice.

My previous Logitech 5.1 surround sound system lasted me about two decades. A month ago the left front speaker line died. Not the wire or the speaker itself, but the output from the subwoofer which contains everything. So, I looked at what was available that was similar. Got the Z906. Absolutely fantastic, and a definite upgrade from a 20-year-old system in case you were curious lol. Running a very modern system including a sound blaster card, and the speaker sound fantastic. Just spend a little time making sure the balance is right with all the speakers for the room, but very happy with this as my 5.1 computer setup. Definitely recommend.

I have mixed feelings on this sound system because it deserves two different kinds of rating. First of all I want to say this: in all fairness, some people rate this lower than they should because they are using it for a home theater system. That's nonsense. The fact is, this is a sound system for a computer or videogame set up. As such, it is one of, if not THE best on the market. That has caused some people to use it for their home theater, which is understandable and doable for a cheap way out, but you should not expect the ultra highs and lows of a real home theater sound system. I have an expensive home theater system in my living room, but I don't even think about comparing this to that quality of sound. It's not fair, this entire system – amplifier and speakers – is only 350 bucks; come on now! Twice that wouldn't buy one of the subwoofers for my system, or the amplifier by itself. For the money you can't beat this sound system. When it comes to the sound this speaker system produces, it is absolutely phenomenal. I mean, I'm hearing background noises, echoes, reverberation in castles and dungeons, and deeper base in explosions than I ever heard before in games, and I thought I had a decent sound system before. Modded Skyrim sounds amazing, like you are right there, and other games have an appreciable realistic sound. The high-end over 15,000 Hz is a bit weak, so Logitech should make some improvements in the tweeters in the next rendition. Otherwise, the speakers are of a very good design and weight, and I like that all five satellites are the same. The AC 3 sound circuitry has good separation, and I highly recommend people use the optical cable. If you don't have one, get one, it's worth it. BTW, Logitech should include one, but they don't. I thought that was a bit cheap on their part. The speaker wire gauge is OK, but a bit thin, so you might want to replace that. It was smart of them to include longer cables for the rear. I'm only using their cables for the front three, but my rear speakers are farther away so I use a thicker gauge. Logitech did well by letting it be a standard connector on both ends, rather than RCA plugs, so you can easily swap it out. What about system design? Part of it is good, like the separate unit for adjusting sound for each speaker and the nice, long attachment cable so you can locate it anywhere. Part of it is downright stupid. Logitech, you screwed up by not putting an exterior heatsink on the amplifier. You had one on the previous version of this sound system and should've kept it. The amplifier is inside the sub woofer, and it gets hot, real hot, even when you're NOT playing music or games. There's no reason for that, it should back down. Heat is the worst enemy of electronic circuits, and that means the heat inside the subwoofer box builds up because there's no ventilation. None can be added without screwing up the sound qualities of the sub. The ducted port does not count because heat cannot escape from it. Whoever suggested this in the design committee should be moved to the mailroom. I use my computer for work and play, thus I have to shut the sound system off during the day because the stupid thing gets so hot. For this price, I know Logitech is not using the high-quality Japanese capacitors that can take more heat, which means the amp will most likely have a short life span if used a lot. Conclusion: if you want a great sound system for computer or videogame set up, you cannot do any better. You can also turn the sub woofer on its face and cook eggs on the back plate. Nevertheless, my games sound fantastic, and that's what I bought this for. For sound I give this system five stars. For design I give it three stars It only deserves four stars at best. I'm giving it five stars to offset the unfair people who are down-rating it it as a home theater system.

Great speaker system all together. I've been using the Z506 set for a long time. It was okay for $60 but it's under-powered and I was only able to hook it up to my TV by 3.5 aux cable. After many a house party with the Z506, it just can't produce clear audio when it's cranked up. I'd been holding off getting something new for the TV because I wanted 5.1 surround but this idea of a separate receiver seems insanely antiquated. No good reason a TV can't send audio right to a unit that runs the speakers. Thankfully I came across this system which does just that. My TV is about 4 years old and was on the lower end of high-end TVs at the time. It has an optical audio out and that's fine for this system. If the source audio is 5.1, the Z906 recognizes it and switches to 5.1. For stereo sources like music from your iPhone, the 3D effect is nice. It moves the sound around the speakers in an appealing way which gives the impression of very rich audio. Dolby 5.1 (when your source audio makes it available) is great. I frequently spin around with my heart pounding because I think someone is in the house. Then I realize it's just the rear speakers doing their job. The sound often seems like it's right behind you, even though I have my rear speakers mounted at 7.5ft above the floor. I love the ability to tune the audio level of the rear satellites, front satellites, center speaker, and sub individually from the remote. The lighting system on the control pod makes this intuitive and easy to do from the couch. This is especially nice if you switch to vastly different audio sources that change the way the sound comes across. Once you're used to it you can adjust the balance in 10 seconds to make it right. Regarding volume, these are perfect for a moderate-sized living room with a high ceiling. The sub seems like it barely has to operate at half speed to do its job just fine. I'm not a fan of a ton of base but it's definitely capable. The speakers are clear and sharp all the way up to about 9/10ths volume. At 10/10ths they don't get grossly fuzzy but they do lose some of their edge. If I have one critique, it's depth. I spend about 20 hours a week wearing Bose QC15 sound canceling headphones (I listen to music and consume other media while I work). I've become accustomed to the deep, [maybe even artificially] rich sound from Bose. The Z906 seems a touch flat by comparison. I think this is more my point of reference than reality, but there you go. Not enough to knock off a star. Setup was easy and the wires were long enough for my setup. If you think you're going to need to run a rear speaker a little further — or maybe need to run your wires all over to keep them hidden — you might want to order extra speaker wire. I used the VideoSecu 5 Black Universal Speaker Mount Brackets for Walls and Ceilings 1XZ (Black, 5 Pack) to mount my speakers. The mounts worked great without adding much cost. I'd say this system is a great value. No, it's not a $1600 adaptive Bose system. It doesn't try to be. For a bit over $300 (and saving you money on a receiver), I think this is the best you can do. To get a better system you'd likely be in for $600+ when all said and done. If you're looking at $200 speakers and you're not sure, just spend the extra and get these.