Most of you probably have somewhat of a similar situation as I do; limited room for dedicated computer space. In my house the computer room also dubs as a home office. The combination of computers + work leads to a lot of time spent in a single room. Can anyone else relate? Given that fact you add a small couch, a TV and a gaming console and you can easily find yourself spending the majority of the day in that room.

It?s not uncommon to find a nice main rig setup where you have a fast computer, nice looking monitor, a good speaker setup etc. However throw in that TV, a gaming console, and another computer or two, and things can get pretty tight. With computer prices always falling and ?older? computers still being able to ?do? modern day things, its not uncommon for an enthusiast to develop two or more spare computers.  So all of a sudden you have a second set of speakers in the small room combined with the poor stereo sound of the TV and gaming console.

Picking up a set of Logitech?s Z-640 speakers has transformed my home office into a home theater dream. I already had a set of the more powerful Logitech Z-560 speakers hooked up to my main system, but that left my second PC, the TV and my Xbox with very poor sound. With the way the room was setup, simply hooking them up to my Z-560 setup wasn?t possible.

For $67 and some shipping I had the Z-640s at my door. The early reviews I read on these speakers were that they were underpowered and not generally recommended. However in a 10x12 room and with my previous experience with my Logitech speakers, I was just looking for simple connectivity to 5.1 sound. With only 70 total Watts of output power from the Z-640s I wasn?t out to win any competitions. However my goal was to simply and cheaply bring 5.1 surround sound to my second PC, my Xbox and for the TV.

To complete my goal I would need a simple Audio/Video switch. I picked up a $20 Sony version which allows me to manually select which device I want to use for the outputted speakers. Thankfully the Logitech Z-640s come specifically with the Xbox gamer in mind and include this little adapter which converts the Xbox cables to standard RCA audio cables. With everything hooked up I now had my TV, the Xbox and my Shuttle SFF second PC hooked up to my surround sound speakers.

Besides the excellent price point that the Z-640s bring, they also have a nice sounding bass, packaging, and are great looking. I enjoy the sturdy stands that the speakers come with that I got used to on the Z-560s. As great as these speakers are for only $67, the downside is that they are only $67 speakers. They don?t come with any type of remote, so while watching TV, playing Xbox, or music on the PC, sound must be adjusted through the included center speaker/control pod.

These little speakers are not for everyone. The audiophiles will likely cringe at the thought of them and the output would simply not be suitable for a large room. Despite these hurdles, the little speakers that could have transformed my home office into a home theater. For less then a $100 for the speakers and the switch, I now have 5.1 surround sound for my TV, Xbox and second PC combined with a throaty sounding bass. This upgrade was most noticeable with the Xbox. Previously hooked up to just the stereo speakers on my 20? WEGA Sony TV, the Xbox sounded ok. However hooked up to the Z-640s was a night and day difference. Games like LOTR: Two Towers literally came alive and I felt like I was in the middle of the Battle of Helms Keep. Although companies like Bose make speakers targeted specifically at consoles, they also come at a price of $499. I think Logitech would be smart to try and target the Z-640 speakers specifically at the console market place. Any current Xbox gamer who is playing games through just their TV speakers should seriously consider this $67 upgrade. It will revolutionize the way you play console games.

The Logitech Z-640 speakers have made my home office all that more appealing. With a couch for lounging, a main computer for heavy gaming and ?work?, and now a second PC, TV and Xbox all with home theater sound, there is less and less reason to leave. I even have to thank my wife who on occasion will even bring me up a nice snack to the room. Now I?d never have to leave if it wasn?t for that damn digestive system. Perhaps a diaper is in order.

 

 

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