The Speakers
The Z-680 is a 5.1 speaker system, which includes four satellite speakers, a center channel, and the subwoofer comprising the .1 of the 5.1 setup. The 680’s color scheme has been changed from the 560, and is now a dark grey color, rather than solid black, while the satellites retain the same shape of the original system.
Each of the four satellites features a removable cloth grill, hiding a single midrange driver and port. A THX logo is prominantly displayed on the speaker enclosure and grill, just to let your friends know that your system is certified. Geek bragging rights for sure. The unique bullet-shaped aluminum phase plug returns on the the 680’s satellites, and helps produce a cleaner, crisper response from the speakers. Rather than use paper surrounds, the drivers use rubber surrounds, ensuring a long life of excellent sound. The speakers come with reversable stands, that double as a wall mount when inverted. A simple hex screw holds the stand in place, and Logitech took the liberty of including a hex wrench with the system. Speaker wires are connected through screw posts on the rear of each satellite. We particulary like this arrangement, since it allows the use of custom wire should the stock wire not meet your individual requirements. The drivers are fed 62 watts RMS per channel, which it should be noted is a continuous power rating, not a “burst power rating” often used on some systems. When Logitech says 62 watts, they mean 62 continous-listen-until-your-ears-bleed watts. None of the marketing hype ‘6000 watt’ amps seen at the flea market here.
The center channel speaker uses the same single driver, packaged in an oval enclosure. The stand on the center channel can be inverted as well, allowing for placement above or below the monitor. The grill, too, is removable, revealing the driver, dual ports, and THX logo. Spring-clip wire connectors are used on the center speaker, again allowing the use of custom wire. Power for the center channel is 69 watts RMS, giving the system very clear, precise dialogue and center stage effects.
The heart of the Z-680 system is the massive subwoofer. The cabinet size of the new system is slightly larger than the original Z-560, but both systems utilize an 8″ long throw subwoofer. The subwoofer enclosure is ported to enhance the bass output, delivering even more solid bass than the powerful Z-560 subwoofer. Securely mounted to the rear of the subwoofer is the massive power amplifier for the Z-680 system, cranking out a massive 505 Watts RMS. The power is divided among the satellites (62 Watts each), the Center Channel (69 Watts), and the subwoofer (188 Watts). Speaker connections are made through spring-clips on the top edge of the amplifier. A serial connector is used for connectivity to the Digital SoundTouch Control Center. An internal power supply ensures that the Z-680 does not need an ugly wall-wart type power cord.
If the subwoofer is the heart of the Z-680, then the Digital SoundTouch Control Center is the brain of this outstanding system. The Z-560’s control center provided basic system control; power, bass, treble, M3D, and fader input, all in a neat glowing package. The Z-680’s SoundTouch Control Center is like the Z-560 on steroids…bigger, stronger, and it looks cool, too. This new unit gives the system hardware decoding capabilities for Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic, and automatically detects the input when plugged into different systems. The main control panel is a blue LCD panel, which displays all system information or variables during adjustments. Four small buttons under the LCD screen control effects, input, settings, mute, and speaker levels. Pressing any of these buttons switches the LCD to display the menu for the given button, if options are available. A large volume knob is centered on the Control Center, and also serves to adjust menu items when used with the configuration buttons. The power button and indicator are situated near the bottom of the unit, between the headphone jack and aux-in port. The Effect button deserves some additional mention, given the scope of music effects available. The Z-680 supports Dolby Digital, DTS, MPEG, Dolby Pro Logic II Movie, Dolby Pro Logic II Music, 6 Channel Direct, Stereo 2X, and standard Stereo. As previously mentioned, some effects are detected automatically, and cannot be changed (such as a DTS signal), while most 2-channel sources can be changed.
As far as input connections go, the Z-680 covers all options. The rear of the Control Center features two digital connections, Optical and Coax. For standard PC sound cards, three analog direct inputs are also included. The front of the Control Center has a fourth connection option, the auxillary jack mentioned above. Given the number of connections available, the Z-680 becomes a very versatile piece of equipment. In our office, the Z-680 was simulaneously connected to a DVD player, PS2, and 6-channel PC sound card, leaving the aux input open. Given the power of the system, it is not unthinkable to use the Z-680 as small home theater system, provided your speakers can be arranged in such a way to provide sound for both PC and TV viewing.
The wireless remote is a nice addition to the system, giving the user full control over all menus and options of the system. The remote also includes the test tone feature, which sends an audio signal though all of the channels to test speaker placement, and troubleshoot any problems.My only gripe about the remote is the lack of backlighting on the buttons. When using the system with a PC, the Control Center will likely be placed on the desktop within easy reach. The remote comes in handy when viewing movies, sitting further away from the desktop, and if you are like me, the lights will be low for that home theater feeling. Glowing buttons are cool, too.
