Logitech Z515 Review

Logitech Z515 Review
Logitech Z515 Review

With summer coming I was looking for a wireless speaker setup that I could lug out onto the patio to listen to music while playing with the dog, reading or just zoning out under the sun.  I’m not a complicated consumer, so all I wanted was the option of a wireless Bluetooth interface to hook up to my phone, decent sound and a decent price.  Battery life was a concern, but since for my needs I only needed a few hours at most at any one time, it wasn’t a huge concern. I wrote this Logitech Z515 review to share my experience.

That’s where the Logitech Z515 entered the picture.   So did the product meet my three conditions?  Read on to see (hint: kind of).
I always dread the whole sync up feature on any wireless product.  Past experiences have left me banging my head on a table as the little sync icon spins and spins.  However, I can say the Bluetooth connection worked great between my phone and the speaker.  There was no head banging (at least in frustration related to syncing) at this juncture in my relationship with the Z51

  • For those wanting to do a wireless connection from a PC, the Z515 comes with a USB dongle  that plugs into the PC.  Again, for my setup everything was recognized and I was listening away in no time.
    Performance is king
    So, I had everything connected and ready to go for the real world test.  I keyed up some music, grabbed a beer and hit play.  The roof was not blown off the house.  Honestly, I couldn’t expect earth shattering sound from a portable speaker setup, but some of the distortion I heard at the normal to high volume ranges, along with just a “thin” all around sound was a bit disappointing.  A deal breaker?  Maybe for some.  As for the music, I was playing some Pearl Jam and Judas Priest.  Not the most sonically challenging pieces out there, but it was what was on my phone at the time.

    What’s crazy is that my wife thought it sounded fine.  I am no audiophile by any means, but for me to say something sounds off usually means it sounds like tin cans and string.  Maybe I was just being overly critical?  Or maybe the wireless connection was the weak link?
    After connecting the speaker directly to my phone, I started everything up again.  I detected no real difference in the sound performance.  So I guess the speakers are just what they are.  I did take them out into the yard to listen to while playing with the dog.  Unfortunately, turning up the volume so I could hear the music just added a bit more distortion to the sound.  However, setting the volume to below mid-volume did provide a nicer sound.  So using this speaker in a quieter setting might be its best bet.
    As for the battery life, Logitech claims the battery can pull about 10 hours of duty before recharging.  I make it a point to recharge after every couple of uses (of about two to three hours each), so I haven’t hit the battery life wall yet.
    The price is almost right 
    I paid about a $100 for these speakers. (Update: you can currently get much better deals for the Logitech Z515 on Amazon).  The sound is maybe a bit to shallow for what I initially wanted it for (i.e. backyard usage).  I ask myself if I am being unreasonable to expect good solid sound for $10

  • Like I said earlier, in a more intimate setting, the speaker performs pretty well. I have to say it is actually a really good speaker for indoor use.  Only when you need to crank the volume is when you lose some of the sound quality.
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