Pretty Good... for the price...

After listening to the Klipsch Promedia 2.1s for about 3 years now, I was wondering if there were better speakers available now. Surprisingly, in an industry that changes their model line up like underwear, I was shocked to still see the Klipsch Promedia 2.1s on sale at my local Best Buy. In fact, the price was slightly higher than I paid for them originally 3 years ago ($160 now).

Sitting next to them were some budget-minded Logitech X-240 2.1 desktop speakers. They are a lot smaller than the Klipsch in size, but how would they sound?

The Logitech X-240
For $55, I was sure that it would not sound nearly as good as the Promedias. However, the price is right for a pair of good quality speakers. But is it really a quality set?

On the placard, it was described to have 50w max total while the subwoofer itself puts out 15w. That leaves 17.5w for each of the mid range speakers.

The mid range speakers are hooked up to the subwoofer via a standard stereo 3.5mm jack. This means it can double as an unpowered set of stereo speakers. This can also mean that you can hook up another set of speakers that you deem better. Unfortunately, the control stand is hardwired to the subwoofer, making it hard to untangle wires and also carrying the set around.

The subwoofer is about the size of a small toaster. It looks pretty good with the matte black finish on pressed wood boards. The glossy ported hole gives it a more upscale look. The two mid-range speakers are only a single driver each, but is about the right size for a desk. A vertical stand holds the controls, which isn't very many. I later found out that it was vertical because it was designed to hold an iPod (though there is no iPod connector).

The controls are simple. It only consists of a volume knob and a red power LED bar that also serves as the power button. The line-in and headphone jacks are also on the same stand. No doubt that Logitech intended us to use the line-in jack for the iPod since there is no iPod-specific connector. In fact, you may be able to use any MP3 that have dimensions close to an iPod to stand on the control box.

The bass adjustment knob is actually on subwoofer itself, so you'd have to crawl on the floor to adjust it if you placed it under the desk..


Sound Quality
The single driver mid range speakers sound pretty muddy in the mids and highs. The bass sounds flabby and imprecise. However, when all three drivers are going and the bass level is set right on the subwoofer, the overall sound quality is pretty good for a set of $55 desktop speakers. Don't expect it to sound anything like the Klipsch, but don't expect it to sound like the crappy bundled speakers your computer came with either.

Pianos sounds crisp enough, but lacks that subtle twang. Similarly, guitars lack this subtle sound as well. Vocals seem to sound the best thanks to the mostly mid-range calibrated single driver. Thumping drums, however, doesn't sound very accurate and can be best described as flabby. However, you can still feel the thump, which is impressive coming from a small toaster-sized subwoofer that only as a 5" driver. If you're playing video games, accurate bass is less important, but being able to feel the action is, so the X-240 can serve as a budget stereo desktop speakers for that purpose.

The Logitec X-240 doesn't get too loud, but there are no apparent distortion even at it's maximum volume no matter what the audio source is.

The Upshot
I was pretty impressed at how a $55 set of speakers sound. Individually, the speakers themselves just doesn't do any justice. However, when played together and balanced correctly (the right bass level), it sounds pretty good. There are better sounding speakers out there, but they do cost almost twice as much as the X-240. Do yourself a favor and listen to them before you pass judgment. Then ask yourself if the speakers that cost twice as much just next to these are worth it.

I do wish it was able to give highs more presence, so I decided to return the set for something else. My iRiver H320 mp3 player deserved much better.