Unpacking the speakers one could feel that they really aren’t for the card-carrying audiophile, millennials and those looking for ‘as great’ alternatives to a premium HiFi’s will love these. At 8 inches tall, the Logitech speakers aren’t the smallest in the bunch, and you should keep their height in mind if you plan to have both of them situated on your desk. The glossy black finish, although attractive, easily shows fingerprints and scratches. We love the distinctive gold finish to its innards, it gives it that premium element and aligns it along our classic faves.  

Although there’s no (or very little) distortion when both the volume and bass are at their peak, the highs do get muddled and piercing when the volume is maxed and the midtones can get lost. But for the price (R2000 list price) — and understanding that this is a 2.1 system, not a 5.1 — it’s a very decent buy.

At a Glance

The boasting feature of the Z533 is what Logitech calls “powerful sound that move you.” The speakers have forward firing drivers with a distinctive gold finish to their innards This is meant to help enlarge the idea “sweet spot” — the position in the room where the sound sounds the best.

The system can be operated without a computer, as it comes standard with a 3.5mm headphone adapter for easy connection to Smartphones, Tablets, Televisions, MP3 players, Gaming Consoles: PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and literally every other devices that has a RCA jack. If you’re like most people and have your music collection already loaded on to an iPod or Zune, this is an especially convenient feature to have.

The down-firing subwoofer adds rich bass, although it can get a bit boomy when it’s at the upper limits. Likewise, ignoring the subwoofer altogether results in tinny sounds. Of course, as with all stereo systems, how it sounds will depend greatly on how you set it up. Things like the flooring you have, the size of the room, and the sound card in your computer will all affect the listening experience you have. I used it in our wooden floor test room (all the floors here are wood) and that bass comes out superbly. When listening to uncompressed files such as Michiko Ogawa’s  jazzy masterpieces though, sound quality lacked heavily. Then again, who in their right mind would dare play Michiko on a sub 3K system?

Final Words

If you’re looking for speakers to fill your home office or spare bedroom with sound, these are a solid buy for the price. They look great, and sound output is sublime, given you don’t have any of Ogawa’s offering on file. But don’t expect them to replace your home theater. 

Logitech’s Z533 system will set you back R2000 

SA introduction of the SMS Audio line is all thanks to the guys at Gammatek. “With the new products from SMS Audio we are providing consumers with even more options to enjoy the mobility and convenience of music with professional sound quality.” Comments Zev Cherniak from Gammatek. There are two models in the line: the Sync Wireless On-Ear and Street Wired over-ear editions.

If you fancy picking up a set of the wireless Syncs, then it’ll cost you R2999. The on-ear wired Streets are R499. Both these earphones are available in cool silver or shadow black from Gammatek.