Logitech AudioHub USB Speakers Review

The Logitech AudioHub Speakers features a subwoofer in the center and connected satellite speakers on either side.

The Logitech AudioHub USB Speakers are plug and play, so installation is easy: plug in the USB cable and Windows breezes you through automatic driver installation. There's also a quick start guide that explains where everything goes in case you get lost, but the AudioHub is well-designed enough to make the guide a helpful extra rather a necessity. If your setup makes using the built-in USB cable difficult, Logitech helpfully included a three-foot extension cable. The Logitech AudioHub is Windows Vista compatible, and works with every version of Mac OS X. I noticed Windows will set up the AudioHub even if the unit doesn't have AC power, which is cool, but you won't be able to use the AudioHub until you find an outlet for that power cord.

An overhead view of the Logitech AudioHub, showing off its "parallelogram attached to a triangle" design.

The need for a power cord bothers me a bit; I understand that powering both a hub and speakers - and quite possibly just the speakers alone - requires more power than USB 2.0 can likely provide, but Logitech markets the AudioHub USB Speakers as a notebook product, which implies portability, and finding a power outlet every time you want to use the AudioHub seems counterintuitive. For this reason alone (not to mention the unit's USB hub feature and that the AudioHub doesn't actually hook on to your notebook), consider the AudioHub something you'd want to use as part of a fairly stable laptop installation - as part of a dock setup, for example.

Windows installs the AudioHub as a separate audio device (the AudioHub Speaker), which gives you a number of useful features: first, because the AudioHub is a separate sounds source in the Windows Sound and Audio Devices control panel applet, it automatically disables your laptop's default speakers while in use, and has its own default volume levels, separate from your laptop's internal sound card, so you don't have to worry about messing up any volume settings when you plug the AudioHub into your computer.

Second, Windows automatically switches to the AudioHub when you plug it in, and switches back to the internal sound card when you unplug the AudioHub, so there's no messing around in the Windows Control Panel every time you want to use the AudioHub speakers. Third, the large volume control dial on the right side of the AudioHub also acts as a power button; turning it on and off mutes and unmutes the Windows audio settings.

The Logitech AudioHub mounted behind a notebook with a 11 inch-wide screen.

The AudioHub's sounds quality is excellent, with plenty of power and a striking amount of clarity and definition, all 15 watts RMS per channel. To test the AudioHub's sound reproduction capabilities, I used it with my laptop over several days of heavy testing, playing both mp3s through iTunes and audio from a baseball game broadcast over the Internet. In every situation, the AudioHub lived up to its promise, delivering complex audio that not only sounded better than what I'd heard of those same recordings in the past using three different sets of headphones and the laptop's built-in speakers, but - even better - gave me new insights into the music I was listening to. In one case, the speakers did such a good job highlighting some digital distortion in one group of MP3s that I had to turn the volume down to save my ears - not an ideal situation, but one that highlights how well the AudioHub plays exactly what you give it.

# A cable organizer built into the back of the Logitech AudioHub helps clean up cable mess.

The subwoofer, which comes standard with 2.1 package, is also a nice addition to this unit, by an extra thump to any audio you play - something you won't get from standard laptop speakers. You can't control the level of bass on the speakers or the Windows volume control, so certain types of music might require some fiddling in your favorite music player to get the level of bass you want, but it creates a much more rounded audio profile than you'll get from either built-in notebook speakers or most headphones.

The Logitech AudioHub as a USB Hub
The Logitech AudioHub has three USB 2.0 ports mounted to the back part of the central section, right behind the right speaker. Because the AudioHub uses powered ports, devices like the iPod that won't work properly on unpowered hubs work without complaint on the AudioHub. I plugged an iPod, a scanner, and a printer into the ports and ran all three at the same time without any problems, so there shouldn't be any power issues, but two things about the hub bother me: first, their placement means you won't want to use the USB ports for anything but devices you don't have to unplug that often, like printers and scanners. Many smaller laptops come with only one or two USB ports, so sacrificing a USB port to a hub that makes it harder to plug in things like flash drives. Second, there are only three ports, which seems a little small for a hub, especially one large enough to hold multiple speakers.

The Logitech AudioHub features a three-port USB 2.0 hub on one side.

Other Features of the Logitech AudioHub
The Logitech AudioHub includes two other features of note: first, if you have a webcam, you can mount it on top of the included stand, which fits into the front of the AudioHub. The stand would be useful for webcams mounted to the top of your notebook screen that you can't angle up to meet your face, or going back to the theme of permanent setups that floats around every angle of this product - for when you need to move your notebook and want to keep your webcam set up.

Second, there's a nice large plastic attachment to the back of the AudioHub that serves as a cable organizer for all of the cables you'll be plugging into the AudioHub. The cable organizer is a simple wrap-and-forget setup, but can be really helpful if you're trying to eliminate the obnoxious clutter that disorganized wires always seem to cause.

Included in the package is a webcam stand for permanently mounting your webcam.

Recap
With its variety of features and excellent sound, the Logitech AudioHub is worth a close look if you want to replace your laptop's default speakers with something with a little more power, and give yourself a few more USB ports in the process. However, the AC-powered design, placement of the USB ports, and additional features like the webcam stand all underscore how the AudioHub is a much more useful product for people who have a permanent place to use their laptop - anything from a desk to something with a dock and a monitor - rather than those who prefer to use their computer wherever they can find a seat and some WiFi access. For that reason, I give the Logitech AudioHub a conditional recommendation.

By Eric Hanson, Contributing Editor