Logitech Z-5 USB Stereo Speakers

USB speaker technology is almost as old as USB, itself.

They were the cool guy at the party. Suddenly you had digital sound without a big, expensive sound card.

Then it quieted down for a while. People calmed down their PC audio — PC gaming started faltering — and speakers on your computer were less important.

The Logitech Z-5’s are a new arrival to the genre, and they do it justice.

Plug them in, and they play. We liked the ease in installation, even in laptops, where the driver disables the onboard speakers, and then they turn back on after you unplug the Z-5’s.

We were most surprised by the sound, though we’re finding it easier to believe that good things can come in‚  small packages when it comes to speakers.

The speakers are omnidirectional and are great desk toys that you can hear all around the room. Maybe that doesn’t make it great for offices, but definitely in dorms and parties. They’re also durable, though admittedly they feel a little fragile with all that cloth grilling around it. It’s not the kind of thing you want to spill a beer on, that’s for sure.

The remote control works, though I never use remotes for desktop speakers. Try and synch it to a universal remote maybe.

My ears are ringing after this month’s audio issue. These ones pass the test.