Logitech X-140 Multimedia Speakers (2.0)

Having read the other reviews for these speakers, I thought I'd give my opinion. I bought these to replace my Logitech R-10s because of their lack of clarity and bass response. What's the point in having compact speakers that don't sound good enough to make you want to listen to them?!

My first impression was that these X-140s are a bit bigger and a lot heavier and more substantial. They look and feel like they're built to last. They have two extra features too - a tone control for treble/bass balance, and an aux stereo minijack input on the front so you can connect an MP3 player without disconnecting them from your PC.

The X-140s are two-way as you can see through the metal grilles. The top tweeter cone takes care of high frequencies while the bottom cone takes care of the bass. Splitting things up like this gives much better clarity and bass response. The sound quality of these is sooooo much better than the R-10s without taking up much more desk space. The most impressive thing is the stereo imaging - these really create a realistic sound field if you sit in the middle.

Another major plus for me is that they come with a standard mains plug rather than one of those bulky transformer plugs like the R-10s which take up way too much room and usually stop you using the next-door sockets.

Some other reviewers have commented that these speakers don't go very loud. Well, I'm not sure that you can expect to use 2.5 watt desktop PC speakers for a house party. I want something that sounds really good without taking up too much space. If I wanted serious volume/bass I'd need something with a subwoofer, but then it takes up loads of space and irritates the neighbours! And these are only £15 which is a major bargain.

To summarise, I am really happy with these. They're well made, built to last, give excellent sound for their size/power, and look like they'll last for years. You have to give 5 stars for getting all this for £15.

Let me clear something up in this review.

The 1 stars all mention a high pitched whine. I have tried to get these speakers to produce this noise every which way I can think of. Speakers on max, with computer on max, slowly dropping the sound on both, forcing the treble to high levels, forcing the bass... you get the picture.

(I'm not going to comment on the review that said they pick up HeartFM, I live in an area that gets fantastic HeartFM radio reception and even with the radio on and sitting next to them they get nothing, kay?)

There is NO high pitch whining that will give you a headache. One of the reviewers states hers whined and then died under a year later.... I'm wondering if maybe a few people had loose connections... or maybe these speakers are just popular among the bat community and the whine is actually just inaudible to us humans.

So on to the actual speakers themselves. One thing to note folks. When you plug these in make sure you switch the setting to Speakers OK! I forgot and had mine set to the headphone setting, sound quality was appalling and I was questioning the quality of the speakers.

Having got the settings correct I will vouch for the sound quality. They are certainly on par with my old expensive set that I used for many years. Sound is crisp and sharp and the bass is pronounced but without giving you that annoying "THUMP THUMP THUMP" that makes you feel like you should be sitting in a decked out Ford Fiat.

Wires are nice and tidy but they also offer PLENTY of length to reach power points and the tower, they tuck away lovely and do come out looking incredibly neat. The line connecting the two speakers is the same, nice and long but not so long it causes problems.

In a similar vein they also take up little room on my desk, which leaves me more room to collect dirty coffee mugs and plates.

Unlike most cheaper speakers these have a headphone plug and an input on one of the speakers along with inbuilt volume and 'tone' control. Nice and convenient if you live in a flat like me and are forever swapping between headphones and speakers!

So, is there anything wrong with them? Well, yes of course, if you compare them to anything £70 and up!

My only real jibe with these would be the 'Tone' button. Could do with a little more control. But I have come from using a whopping set of speakers with loads of little satellite speakers spinning around a central bass box covered in dials. (My budget was considerably more then!)

For the budget bracket these set in these do stand out. Functional and stylish with crisp sound and little dials for you to play with, what more can you ask for.

So please do not have any concerns if you're feeling put off by the reviews.

I know this was a tad on the long side but thank you for reading!

I have played a wide variety of music through these speakers and I cannot fault them. Classical piano is crisp and clear, rock music comes out with a good bass thump, male vocal, female vocal - you name it.
I sit working at my desk surrounded by the full and gorgeous sound. Who could ask for more - no buzzes, no booming bass. I read some reviews with curiosity and amazement. What are they expecting for less than £20?
It seems some want them - a full PA system.
I operate a recording studio so I think I am qualified to comment on quality. These speakers are quite remarkable in performance and they look great too.