Review on Enhanced Logitech X-540 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System with Subwoofer - Maximizing your Audio Experience by Matt Sirmons

I've had a great Harman/Kardon 2.1 desktop stereo with a powerful subwoofer for a long time. Last year I added a Creative 5.1 sound card to my PC build which has allowed me to get the most out of my 2.1 system. That Father's Day my wife asked me what I wanted and I knew it was time to upgrade to a 5.1 surround sound system. The Logitech X-540 system got great reviews, had the performance I wanted, and was priced right. Setup went smoothly and after a reboot I was able to tweak the Creative 5.1 sound card software to get the most out of the new system. My first impressions are mostly positive. Pros: - The sound is crisp and clear, which seemed tinny at first until I tweaked the sound card's graphic equalizer. I'll let the sound experts from other reviews discuss the details. Overall, I like the sound quality, which is perfect for PC. As mentioned in other reviews, the bass is good too. I'm still playing with the crossover in my sound card software, so I haven't set it up yet. Rotating speaker stands are a genus; You can rotate to stand on the table or rotate to hang on the wall. I was pleasantly surprised that the center speaker fits snugly against the monitor and doesn't fall off. - The speakers are well made and don't hum when you turn up the volume. Adjust the bass and use the matrix button for PCs that don't have a 5.1 surround sound card. My previous system had a power switch on the Sub-Walker, and that too was hard to come by; I left the power on most of the time. Love the fact that Logitech uses RCA cables instead of speaker wire for each speaker. Cons: As mentioned in other reviews, the cables are too short. I preplanned the satellite speakers and bought a 25ft extension cord to hang the rear right/left speakers on the opposite wall, but the front right/left speaker cords need to be 8ft, not 6ft. The center wire was 8 feet and just right. There is no speaker grille on the underside of the Subwalker. Yes, the subwolf sits on the ground and shoots down. However, if for some reason you have to lift the Subwalker to move it, there's a tendency to get too far underneath and stick your finger in the speaker. General Impressions: - I think a lot of the negative reviews about this system are due to the fact that they don't have a 5.1 sound card. I wouldn't buy a surround sound system without it. I moved my 2.1 system to my wife's computer which doesn't have a sound card and it's not the same. I don't think I'll be using this system for TV (no reason, just preference). While this system is great for a PC, I prefer a larger system for my TV. I currently have an older, more powerful Sony bookshelf surround system that works great with my Direct TV receiver, Wei and DVD player. After hanging the rear speakers on the opposite wall, I hope to enjoy true surround sound. experience (still waiting for my extension cords). Even without speaker separation, the system still sounds great.