Logitech 970155-0403 V20 Notebook Speakers (Black)
See it at Amazon.com for $39.99Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First (4 out of 5)Great Speakers
I was very disapointed by te sound of the built in speakers of my new Gateway computer so I started doing some research.
I wanted a USB powered soulution but was not sure about USB for the driving the speakers. I saw the V20s at a local store for over $80 but decided to pick them up.
I cant belive how easy they were to install. Just plugged them into my laptop and Bam! Clear, crisp (And Loud) sound. You wont drive a concert hall but I have AC powered speakers that dont sound this good.
The only problem is that they deliver a bit too much base and can bounce around the table if not adjusted correctly.
(3 out of 5)Not great but...
So far I've been underwhelmed by the product, but I'm not at all sure it's because of the product or my laptop. After listening to a variety of small portable iPod speakers in the Apple store, I expected a similar result from this unit but did not find that to be true. Also, I get a bit of popping and noise from the USB supplied audio, and I've read in other reviews that this can be a problem with laptop computers and USB sound. Using the headphone jack to supply the sound while still tapping the USB port for power would likely eliminate this problem. But that may not be fair criticism of the product given that ANY USB fed audio device might suffer the same problem on my set up. Of more concern to me was the near total lack of ability to produce bass that these, comparatively LARGE, portable speakers seem to suffer. Now I didn't expect much so please don't count me a fool! But I did hope for a listening experience that would match what I was hearing in the Apple store with the portable iPod speakers. Nope, I don't think Logitech has managed it. In the end, these ARE much better than the laptop speakers however, I must honestly admit that.
(5 out of 5)Wonderful speakers for a laptop
I use these speakers for my Dell Latitude D600 and they are wonderful. The sound is very good for such small speakers, and it really improves the experience of watching a DVD or listening to itunes. You can change the volume with the buttons on the speaker, or with the sound volume button built into the D600. The power drain isn't too high. I was able to listen to music at a pretty high volume for a little over two hours before my laptop battery was about 70% discharged.
There is no software to install - just plug them in to a USB port and you are up and running (no separate power supply or batteries needed - they only need USB power). There are little braces in the back to tip them to the desired angle. There is also a nice little carrying case.
I agree with other reviewers that they can bounce around a little at high volume if on a hard surface, but its not that bad. Thats the only flaw I could find.
(4 out of 5)Very Good Speakers
These speakers sound very good for their size. The physical design is superb. They are compact and come with a great hardshell carrying case that's a little smaller than a typical text book.
They sound very good up to about 80% power. After that, they start to distort a little.
These are perfect to use when ambient noise is not too loud and you want to power your sound via your computer's USB port.
(4 out of 5)Surprisingly nice and loud
I've been basically living in a hotel room with my 12" PowerBook G4. The PB's speakers are fine if I'm sitting right in front of the laptop, but if I'm on the other side of the room, or even a couple of feet away with the sink running, I can't hear it. It's the same if I'm driving in my car and a passenger is watching a DVD on the PB... I can't hear anything over the road noise with the built-in speakers.
So I've been wanting some external powered speakers, but I definitely didn't want to have to lug around another power brick. Saw these at a local store at a competitive price (with tax, it's pretty much the same as Amazon's price) and decided to bite since I had seen them for $20 higher elsewhere.
I am pleasantly surprised. I am kind of an audiophile, and I have a nice stereo system at home, but I'm not looking for super high quality with these speakers. The main thing that I want is loud enough to hear over the sink running or the wind noise in the car. And these are certainly loud enough. I have them at two volume clicks on my PowerBook (out of 16 maximum) and they're loud enough for sitting here typing. When I crank 'em up to 8-10 clicks, they get loud enough that I know I'm disturbing the neighbors in the hotel -- and they sound pretty good to boot!
They have worked flawlessly so far with my PowerBook. I plugged them in and switched the audio output source in System Preferences. Work great, even the volume and mute buttons. The play/pause/forward/back buttons don't work with iTunes on OS X. I have not yet tried these speakers with Windows.
These speakers are VERY bassy. Overwhelmingly so. They sound very muddy without corrective equalization. I have set an aggressive bass reduction and slight treble boost in iTunes' equalizer, and it gives these speakers pretty decent sound balance. Nothing worth writing home about, but certainly good enough for everyday use, and better than the built-in PowerBook speakers.
I am also impressed with the build quality of these speakers. I felt kind of stupid paying $60 for two 1W speakers, but they are cleverly designed and feel pretty sturdy. They look great next to my PowerBook, and the buttons have a nice feel to them. The included carrying case is surprisingly nice as well.
I'd give these 5 stars if they had better (less muddy) sound out of the box and if the transport controls worked with iTunes.