Making all of the necessary connections is very easy, since Logitech color-coded each plug. I will be testing the G51 system alongside my current audio system, the Z-2200 system, which is a 2.1 system. As you can see, the Z-2200 sub is a good bit larger than the G51's sub.



The G51 fits perfectly into my workstation. Another great thing, which I mentioned briefly earlier, is the ability to use an external device with the G51 speakers, thanks to the two auxiliary ports on the back of the sub. I used my iPhone and connected the line out on the back of the dock to the G51 system, which worked perfectly.

I will be testing the G51 system in three different areas: gaming, movies and music.



First up, gaming. This is where the G51 is supposed to excel, and that it did. As many of you know, the Crysis PC demo was just released a few days ago - perfect timing for this review. Although the demo only offers about 45 minutes of 'actual' game play, I found plenty to do around the island to keep me busy for several hours. The G51 speakers sounded absolutely amazing in this game. During gunfights with enemies, I could hear the bullets whiz by and ricochet off of surround objects, very neat.

Next I tried Rainbow Six: Vegas, and once again, I wasn't disappointed. Just like Crysis, I was hearing bullets fly by and hit objects (and people) that I hadn't heard before with the 2.1 setup. Having surround sound was also beneficial because I had a better grasp of where enemies were and where they were coming from.



I also checked out a few movies using the G51. First up was Independence Day. Even though this film is 11 years old, it is still one of my favorites. The special effects were very well done, especially for its time. This movie sounded absolutely fantastic in 5.1 surround sound - I was blown away!

Next up was Miami Vice. I bought this DVD a while back but honestly, I did't really care too much for the movie when I watched it the first time, so I figured I would give it another go. My impressions of the movie didn't really change, but it did sound pretty darn good though the G51 speakers.

My final test for the G51 was in the music category. I spent the most time testing the speakers in this category, since I am listening to music 90% of the time I am at my workstation. If any of you know me or read my blog, you know that my taste in music varies wildly... some even say I have no taste at all. Either way, I had a great time testing these speakers over the past week with all different kinds of music: rock, alternative, rap, country... pretty much anything except techno; that stuff drives me crazy. I mixed things up here, switching from surround sound to 2.1 and back quite a bit. I'm still on the fence about surround sound with music... maybe I'm just not used to the extra sound, but I found myself turning down the rear speaker volume until it wasn't fully obvious. Overall, the speakers performed well with music. I really cranked the system several times to get a good feel of how much power they have and I was impressed. Granted, they still didn't measure up to the Z-2200's in this category, but that was to be expected.

Conclusion

Logitech has produced an excellent 5.1 surround sound solution for gamers that won't break the budget. Sure, we would all like to have the more expensive Z-5500 system, but paying $300 for a speaker system just isn't feasible for many consumers. The G51 system is aimed at gamers and I feel it really caters well to this crowd. All of the games I have played thus far sound great. The advantage that the two rear speakers give you in FPS is priceless and could mean the difference in a frag or a death in many instances. The speakers also performed very well in movies and very respectable in music.

The highlight of this entire system, in my opinion, is the control module. This is, by far, the best control module that I have used with a speaker system to date. The ability to fully adjust the volume of the sub, rear channel speakers and the center channel speaker is invaluable. With this system, you can properly tune the speakers to your exact liking. With my old Z-2200, I was not able to turn the bass down as low as I wanted in some instances (living in an apartment, bass really travels through walls easily and thus, you have angry neighbors).

All of the speakers have a nice, modern look. The Skin Mod system is a pretty neat idea to help better integrate the satellite speakers into your workstation environment. Those with artistic skills (I have zero) can even design their own skins to use. Others, like myself, can check out Logitech's website and download several pre-made skins.

When it comes to installation, things couldn't be easier. All of the connectors on the back of the sub are color-coded for easy installation. All of the satellite speakers have plenty of wire length, even the rear surround sound speakers. I have mine sitting back about six feet or so from where I sit and there is still plenty of slack. You also have a few different options when it comes to mounting your speakers. You can elect to simply place the satellites on a flat surface, or mount them on a wall. The same can be said for the center channel speaker... you can place it on a flat surface, or mount it to the top of your LCD monitor.

If I had to pinpoint some negatives, it would be these two. First, it would be nice to have a button for the headphones, so you could leave them plugged in and simply press a button to activate them. Instead, you have to manually plug and unplug the headphones whenever you want to use them. Second, I wish Logitech had included some kind of grille over the speaker on the bottom of the sub. Granted, the sub is raised off the ground and you probably won't be moving it much, it just seems to be asking for trouble by sitting there, exposed.

As of writing, the Logitech G51 Surround Sound Speaker System sells for around $170.00 USD online.

All in all, this speaker system definitely earned the OCIA.net Seal of Approval!