Z-5450

Logitech's latest high-end speakers should appeal to anyone who has ever tripped over cables or laboured to hide the wires connecting a surround-sound setup.

The company's Z-5450 Digital Speakers system features wireless rear satellites. That convenience comes at a high price, however. And although the shipping set we tested sounded great, the speakers couldn't quite match the output of less-expensive, more-powerful wired surround setups, including Logitech's own Z-5500 package. Both music and DVD movies sounded clear and crisp through the system's five satellite speakers and generous 200-watt subwoofer, though deeper-bass soundtracks - such as the one for The Fifth Element, with its rumbling starships--lacked a bit of detail. According to Logitech, the rear satellites are capable of switching among 38 channels in the 2.4-GHz band to avoid interference with cordless phones and other wireless devices. Throughout our tests, we didn't detected any distortion or dropped connections from the rear-channel speakers.

Setup was easy (each of the rear speakers requires a power outlet), and the system produced remarkably transparent sound with minimal tweaking of speaker placement.

The Z-5450 speakers are a sensible choice if your room would benefit greatly from going wireless. But in our experience, wired systems from Logitech and Klipsch offer better sound and slightly more solid construction for less. If wireless isn't a priority for you, one of those options may be the way to go.