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A few weeks back I decided it was time to start shopping for some new speakers. My current Altec Lansing set was purchased at a clearance price, and it was a great deal considering it came with four speakers and a subwoofer. But at the time, I was just happy to have some decent speakers.

This time around I was looking to spend a bit more cash and the only requirements I had were that I wanted a 2.1 stereo set and I would prefer that they matched my current setup, which, for the most part, includes a white Macbook with an external display, keyboard and mouse.

I went through a couple of reviews sites and I remember bookmarking the Logitech Z-4i’s a while back because they matched my Logitech S540 wireless keyboard and mouse set.

The reviews were mostly positive and the price was right ($76 on amazon) so I went ahead and ordered them. I’ve had them for about a week and a half now and I’ve been pleased so far.

The white and silver speakers, which are also available in black and silver, include two satellites, a subwoofer and a controller with overall volume and bass controls as well as a convenient on/off switch which is normally placed on the speakers themselves. I set the satellites up on each side of my monitor and placed the subwoofer under my desk. I ended up placing the controller on my keyboard tray because it is a wired controller and when I’m not using my computer, the cable is tucked away and out of view.

The speakers sound very crisp and I noticed an immediate difference when I played a song with my old speakers and then played it again on the Z-4i’s. You can also turn these up pretty high without any distortion. In fact , I didn’t go past 3/4 of the way up on the volume dial to test distortion at high volume levels. By the time I got to that level, it was more than my ears could handle, and yet the sound was not distorted at all.

If you’re an audiophile, you probably drop a lot more cash on speakers and these ones won’t wow you. But they’ve been great for listening to music and podcasts in iTunes, and for speakers in the sub $100 range, you’re getting great value for the amount you’re spending. The mid and high frequencies are bright and that’s where these speakers really shine, but if you like to feel your music and turn up the bass, you won’t be too impressed.

A few added bonuses that I was not aware of when I made the purchase were that the controller has a port for headphones and an input for an mp3 player or another auxiliary device. I had been using a splitter for my headphone jack to have the speakers plugged in at the same time as my headphones. I usually listen to music over the speakers and then put my headphones on later at night or when I’m recording or editing my podcast. With the Z-4i’s, I was able to ditch the splitter and plug my headphones straight into the controller when one of those situations arised.

The satellites can also be taken off their metal stands and can be wall-mounted. The design of the Z-4i satellites would look great mounted on a wall, especially if you already have your monitor mounted

The addition of the bass control on the controller is also a nice feature. In almost every speaker set I’ve owned or tried, the setting is on the subwoofer itself, which is usually out of reach, so being able to adjust the bass setting on the controller makes going from gaming to listening to music hassle-free.

As one Amazon reviewer said, “the bass volume control is one of the best features. I have a roommate and these are great because I can listen to iTunes as he sleeps without bothering him. And when he leaves I can blast them shaking the room!!!

I’d definitely recommend this set if you are a gaming, music and/or movie fan looking for some affordable speakers to go with pretty much any Mac, but they’d look especially good next to a white Macbook or iMac.

Product Page [Logitech]