Customer Reviews

Logitech LS21 2.1 Stereo Speaker System

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(55)
3 star:		(40)
2 star:		(31)
1 star:		(35)

 

 

Despite a few bad reviews, I decided to try these speakers out. These speakers are really cool looking and make a great first impression. I have to say, I was expecting them to sound like my music was playing out of a tin can, but they really proved me wrong. They actually do have a nice full sound. I also like that the on/off switch and main volume is easily accessible and I don't have to reach very far at all to adjust it. Another nice touch is the fact that there is a knob on the sub woofer to adjust the base. Most sets with a small sub woofer like this one don't have that. As for the sound of the sub woofer, I think that it is great, however this is the first pair of speakers that I have had with a sub woofer. I would say that these are an overall good pair of speakers, and I have already recommended them to a friend.

I purchased 5 speaker sets in the price range of $20-$30. My intent was to find the best set for teachers to use in their classroom at this price range. Out of the 5 sets this was the only one I returned. The sound was okay, but the all the others were noticeably better.

Logitech S220 2.1 Speaker System (Black) - good sound, but if the max volume was any softer then it would not work well in a classroom. $24
Logitech X-140 2.0 Speakers - Loudest Volume level; Easiest hookup with only 2 speakers; bass levels are okay without a subwoofer, but subwoofer would improve music; Best of the group for listening to someone talking. $27
Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 Multimedia Speaker System (Midnight) - I would describe this set as being in the middle of the road compared to the 2 described above. Sound volume, music quality and talking quality are clearly in the middle.

EDIT: 9/2/2011
I just purchased the Altec Lansing VS2620 Speakers for Computers and MP3 Players (Black) It has good volume and the sound quality is as good as any of the others I reviewed in this note. I purchased it for $20, but see it has gone up a little - still a good price.

My Recommendation - Depending on what you want to mostly use them for...
-Overall Good Choice - Altec Lansing VS2620 Speakers for Computers and MP3 Players
-Music - Logitech S220
-Talking and Volume - Logitech X-140
-The Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 has gone up in price on Amazon ($87) and is $38 on [...]. I would not pay that much. If I was going to spend that much I would purchase the Bose Companion 2 Series II at SamsClub for $60 plus tax. You can simultaneously hook up a computer and DVD/VCR and the sound is great.

I bought these speakers as a replacement to a 4 year old Creative SBS330 system since one of the satellite speakers was beginning to short out. Out of the box I noticed the speakers are very well made and are easy on the eyes. After I plugged them in and fired them up, my enthusiasm began to walk away. I noticed the satellites were much clearer than my previous system. However, the subwoofer was barely putting out anything it seemed. At low volumes it was barely kicking at all with the bass knob on the back cranked to maximum. At higher volumes you could start to hear it better. The sub had a hard time handling songs with deep and low bass booms.

Needless to say, I decided to put my old Creative sub back in with the new satellites and am quite pleased with the results. The reason I make so many references to my old set of speakers is that they were a $20 set back in 2005, while these Logitechs are a tad bit more expensive and a lot newer. I expected to get at least as good or better sound from the system overall and was disappointed.

Bottom line: If you don't like your music cranked up all the time and want to hear the bass at lower volumes, you may want to look elsewhere. I would do some shopping around and see if you can find some displays that you can try out in this price range and compare. If you're on a shoe string budget and just want some speakers that will be passable, these will most definitely do.

I bought this set at a local Fry's for about $24 including tax. Since I am not very demanding in my sound needs, this set was perfect for me. They're a lot better than the speakers on my monitor that I had been using, that's for sure. If you're a music enthusiast then I would recommend passing on this set as even someone like me can tell that the subwoofer is very weak even at max volume. Then again I'm not the type to crank up the volume nor do I want the ground below me to be shaking so personally, it's not that big of a deal. I actually don't *really* need a sub but this set was just $5 more than the one without it so why not?

Pros: relatively compact, nice design, long wires, wires on the satellites can be wound up in the back, gripped feet on the satellites and remote so they don't slide, headphone jack on remote, price

Cons: weak sub, sub volume knob is on back of sub (but I don't think you'll be setting it any less than max)

If you aren't demanding and just want decent set of speakers then I would definitely go with these. However, if you want power and higher sound quality, you're better off investing in a more expensive set that can live up to your needs. You get what you pay for, afterall.

Alright, I didn't purchase these trough Amazon, I bought them rather spur of the moment at Meijers for $30. My previous setup was an Altec Lansing ACS52 set with a Radio Shack subwoofer. Being over 10 years old, even though they were considered a rather good set of 2.0 speakers when new, the were starting to show their age, the output for the subwoofer had come loose on the circuit board and would create an annoying 120hz buzz whenever the cable shifted too much, so it had been in the back of my mind to replace them and I had looked at some of the mass market products like this in walmart. When I saw these in the store, I grabbed them, I have never really been disapointed in Logitech products before, I love their corded laser mice, and it had the best specs of any on the shelf.

Really quick note about the specs.

RMS Total: 7 watts
RMS 'sub'woofer: 4 watts
RMS satellites: 1.5 watts x 2
Peak total: 14 watts

My old Altec Lansing (AL) set put out 22.5 watts RMS each and my sub uses 15 watts. This setup was plenty powerful to shake me pretty good when I was at the desk, and give good sound when not.

First, the 'sub'woofer, the 'sub' is driven by a 4" speaker in a 3/8" ported MDF box, and shares space with the amplifier. When I bought the system I had the delusion that the amp would be in one of the speakers and the sub would connect to this, given as a how that's how the AL set worked, and I planned to run first to my old radio shack sub, then to the logitech sub with the line out on the other sub. But that's not how this unit works. As mentioned, the amp is in the 'sub', and the speakers connect to it with a normal 3.5mm headphone jack, this was remedied by plugging the sub into my computers built in 5.1 analog audio channel.

I do not believe there is any sort of low pass filter on the 'sub', as most mid range can be heard quite clearly without the satellites plugged in, though truly high end does seem to get lost, be it by design or just function of the the woofer. On a hearing test it kicks in around 45hz sounding really harsh. High end is decent, could be better, goes clearly up to my hearing limit of 15khz, which is pathetic since I'm only 21 :(.

Volume wise, again, these aren't really going to impress if you've had better speakers before. For what they are, they are crisp and clear when used at a reasonable volume, but distort as volume increases. That's not to say they can't be cranked, if I cranked em up right now I'd wake up my whole house, but even trying to watch a movie from about 6 feet away on my couch it gets a little distorted.

Over all though, these are a pretty good set of speakers for the price. If you need a set five minutes ago, then by all means, grab these at walmart or something, but I think that if I had spent a little more time researching, I would have saved myself $3 and gotten the Logitech S220 system, as it is closer to what I'm used to.

You get what you pay for, in general, and this computer speaker set is no different. After spending the last 5 or 6 years on a cheap set of speakers I've dropped on the floor more than I care to mention, it was time for a replacement. With several options in this price range, it's easy to find a medium quality set of speakers that will do everything you need with minimal fuss, and these Logitech speakers are just what I wanted in quality on the budget I had.

Set up is very easy; just plug everything in and you *should* be ready to go. I will say that on my Vista Basic Dell desktop I had to reboot in order to get this set to work. Not a big deal; just a minor annoyance, but I wanted to mention that. I've never had a sub-woofer before, so I can't compare it to other sets with that option, but I think the additional bass power helps me hear better, and I am quite pleased with the sound.

If you're looking for a theatre experience, you need to consider higher-end speakers, but for the average user who doesn't need all the bells and whistles of a premium sound system, you'll be very pleased with the value and quality this set provides. Great for the budget-conscious, a speaker set for the kids, or for someone looking for something better than a blue light special without a lot of fuss. I'm very pleased with this and I think most other users who are not sound-oriented will be as well.

08/16/2011 Just wanted to add that these speakers worked so well and have been so durable that we bought a second set for a workstation in the home office. Hubby is very pleased with his new ones, and the old set is still sounding great. They really are a great value and I recommend those who aren't sound connoisseurs to give them a try!

Sound of everyday stuff like videos, movies, tv shows, games etc is ok. However when you start to get to music, especially bass driven music, i.e. hip hop, you realize how useless the sub is. The bass, turned all the way up or even just half way, sounds like your striking a balloon with a spoon. I simply beleive they threw in a small sub with no purpose but to trick purchasers into thinking they are getting a better package for the price. Although inexpensive, dont expect the sub to do anything except take up space. I had some Altec Lansings [...] with a sub that would shake my room, and having these Logitechs makes me miss them.

Bottom line.
If you desire nice looking decor and everyday speakers for movies and such for a cheap price, then go for it.

However I would recommend getting something without a sub, especially since these speakers connect to the sub, which connects to the computer, so you cannot get rid of the taking-up-space subs.

If bass is important to you, spring the extra [...] and get something of better quality.

I needed speakers for my pc but I didn't have a lot of space for them. These speakers are compact, they sound great (love the bass!), and I couldn't believe the price.

I'v owned this speaker system for 2 months, and my left speaker already blew out. The volume is alright, the bass is really good. But I would not recommend this speaker system to anyone. 1/5 stars.

OK, so I think Bose makes some fantastic computer speakers. But I didn't want to pay the Bose price. I needed speakers for my office PC (I have a Mac I use for video editing with great speakers, but I didn't need that for the Windows computer where I do all my office work).

So I picked up the Logitech LS21 set. I use Logitech Marble Mice for all my computers and they've been flawless. I use a Logitech USB headset for Skype calls and it's built like a tank. When I received the LS21 speakers, I was very pleased at the quality of workmanship. Installation was a snap. The sound is just what I wanted and expected. The bass is decent, the high end is fine for what I'm using it for (which is mainly listening to the beeps of my accounting program and the occasional wacky youtube video some of my friends send me).

No, it's not a Bose. But it's a fraction of the price. If you are looking for an audiophile system, this won't satisfy you. If you are looking for some basic speakers with acceptable bass and high end, it's fine. And the little remote control for volume, on/off and headphones is just right... not to basic, not too fancy.