The office consumes the back end of what would otherwise be known as a family room. Ok, not quite true – it consumes the entire room, if one considers all the electronics crammed into the room are for the purpose of game reviews. So the task was how to create a full sound without overwhelming the rest of the house. Logitech stepped up to the plate and delivered with the X-540 speaker system.

Logitech, one of the leaders when it comes to speaker systems, created the X-540 with value and quality in mind. The six-speaker set, which includes front and back rights, front and back lefts, a center speaker that can be mounted onto a flat-panel monitor, and a subwoofer for those floor-vibrating pulses, retails for about $100, can crank out 70 watts of RMS power and 140 watts of peak power of 5.1 sound is geared for use with a PC, GameCube, PlayStation, Xbox, DVD player, CD player or MP3 player.

The speakers come compactly packed in a box that is just about 13” all around. There is an adapter in the box for multi-system connectivity. Set-up is a breeze with the color-coded cables. The speaker stands also serve as mounts for placing the speakers on a wall. However, if there was a drawback there, it would be that while the speaker system is capable of producing a surround-sound environment, the length of wires prohibit placement totally around a fair-sized room. As mentioned, the center speaker has a modified clip to all it to sit atop a flat-panel monitor. While perhaps not as solid as a real clip, still the way the base tips back and then puts enough pressure on the back of the monitor, creating a solid foundation with extended lip that hooks over the top of the monitor, was very nicely done. It seems so simple and yet works well.

You want specs? …

Ok, here are the specs of the speakers:

• Total FTC power: 70 watts RMS: Sub-woofer: 25 watts RMS (into 4 ohms, @ 100Hz, @ 10% THD) 

• Satellites: Left/Right: 7.4 watts RMS x 2 (into 4 ohms, @ 1khz, @ 10% THD); Center: 15.4 watts RMS (into 4 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD); Rear Left & Right: 7.4 watts RMS x 2 (into 4 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD

• Total Peak power: 140 watts

• Frequency response: 40 Hz - 20 kHz

• Drivers: Satellites: (2) 2" drivers per satellite

• Subwoofer: 5.25" ported driver

But what does it all mean? …

The speaker set comes with Logitech’s FDD dual-driver technology that is a fancy moniker for drivers that ensure a uniform sound from the speakers. The controller has a total of four buttons on it – one for overall volume, one for bass output volume, the power button and the Matrix button, which uses the drivers to automatically create a 5.1 surround sound from even two-channel sources. And there is a headphone jack on the controller to take the sound into headphones.

The sound this system delivers is excellent, though those who have a refined ear will likely want to push the sound to the speakers through a pre-amp board so they can refine the mid-range, treble and bass sounds a bit to their individual liking.

The system was used on a PC, with a Creative Labs audio console driving the effects. Winamp was used for the CDs played and whether driving the cleaner sounds of a band like The Wallflowers or the pure power of a rock band like the Scorpions, or even live albums like U2’s Rattle and Hum, the system delivered crisp audio that filled the room.

In games that allowed for surround sound, there were environmental noises dancing from the appropriate speakers. One thing that seems prevalent in terms of how I like good audio is that it must be loud. The cleaner the sound, the better rendered the nuances of game environments, the louder the volume seems to ease up. Fill that work room? Sure, the X-540 speakers did that, but even in the garage, the vibrations of the bass subwoofer was evident.

The X-540 speakers delivered great sound and when one considers the price point, this is a great value. If you are using stereo speakers on your PC or a game console, you may think about upgrading to a full-bodied surround sound.

Pros:
Clean, crisp sound that delivers both when it comes to game sounds, dialogue, or music. The sound is even through all the speakers, whether you compact the array or spread out the speakers to create a full-room sound.

Cons:
The speaker cables for the rear speakers were not long enough to track around walls very fall. It’s minor and petty.

Verdict: 9.2
The X-540 is value-priced and Logitech has packed a lot into this price point. The sound is great, from games to music. Crank it, baby, these speakers can handle it and still deliver clean sound.