# altec lansing mx6021 or logitech z623



## fromindia

I want to buy new speakers by day after tomorrow. I have short listed 2 speakers which are altec lansing mx6021 and logitech z623.
Please suggest which one is better and why.
If you want to suggest any other 2.1 speakers please do suggest.
All suggestions are welcomed.
Thanking you all in advance.


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## fromindia

Some of the differences between them are

Logitech z623  
Satellite - 2 x 35 watts
                      Subwoofer - 130 watts
                      Tweeter - absent

Altec lansing mx6021 
Satellite - 2 x 33 watts
                               Subwoofer - 66 watts
                               Tweeter - present

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Please do reply


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## RishiGuru

fromindia said:


> Some of the differences between them are
> 
> Logitech z623
> Satellite - 2 x 35 watts
> Subwoofer - 130 watts
> Tweeter - absent
> 
> Altec lansing mx6021
> Satellite - 2 x 33 watts
> Subwoofer - 66 watts
> Tweeter - present
> 
> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
> Please do reply



There is a comprehensive review & comparison available in the Tom'sHardware website regarding five 2.1 speaker sets.

1) Corsair SP2500
2) Creative Gigaworks T3
3) Klipsch Promedia 2.1
4) Logitech Z623
5) Soundscience Rockus 3D

Tom'sHardware link : 2.1-Channel Speaker Roundup

Corsair SP2500




Klipsch Promedia 




Logitech Z-623




I really liked the SP2500. Points to note though:

1) SP2500 have 232W while Z-623 has 200W
2) SP2500 costs $260 while Z-623 costs $140 (amazon.com).
3) Z-623 have THX certification 

According to Tom'sHardware sound quality wise SP2500 & Z-623 are identical. Both have the same sonic feel & character in their sound. SP2500 have more options in the wired remote that Z-623 lacks. On the other hand Z-623 is a good $120 cheaper.

Say, I will get the the Z-623 for sure since it gives me same sound quality & sonic feel of SP2500 at $120 less. Or I can spend $20 over SP2500 to get two Z-623. Now I have 400W instead of SP2500's 232W. Just Kidding!!!!!!!!!

Tom'sHarware comments on: 

SP2500: "The Corsair SP2500 sounds good to my ear, whether playing back hard-hitting games or all sorts of music. *I did notice a kind of hollowness in the mid-range—with vocals particularly—and this does reflect the valley we saw in the frequency response at 3.5 kHz.*"

Klipsch Promedia : "It rarely shows the highest or lowest response in our tests, and has no obvious weaknesses except *a drop-off in the 10 kHz+ range, which is a little surprising when you consider that these speakers are equipped with dedicated tweeters.*"

Z-623 : "*Logitech’s Z-2300 has been the product to beat for years*, and the new Z623 has taken its place as Logitech’s premier 2.1-channel offering with THX certification. Without a Z-2300 on hand, I can’t compare these systems to each other, but compared to the rest of the current playing field, the Logitech Z623 certainly holds its own. It boasts* a flat frequency response* with *gobs of bass* available for games and music at your command. *There’s even a bit of brilliance on the high end*."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*It seems having separate midrange drivers & tweeters as in SP2500 & Promedia does not always gives you excellent top end in the frequency spectrum as a single aluminium phase plug full range driver of Z-623 does a much better job.*

The audio frequency graph of the five speaker sets:




Note that SP2500 with a separate midrange driver & tweeter takes a dip at 500Hz and also creates a valley between 2-5kHz range where cows can graze. Z-623 with a single full range driver have much better frequency response that SP2500 between 200Hz to 20kHz hands down.

Also after looking at the above graph I cannot find a single place where the Promedia's with separate midrange & tweeters had an advantage over Z-623 in high frequencies. *Actually Z-623 is superior to Promedia in producing mids & highs in every respect*. Can anybody help me here? 

After looking at the graph it gives me some relief as the Z-623 & its predecessor Z-2300 is not that bad after all. *And also that THX have some dent on the sound quality of the product it adorns*. I can live with the Z-623 having 32W less power at the top & also without the options in the control pod of SP2500.

Comments & discussions on this subject will be highly appreciated.

Regards, RishiGuru


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## fromindia

THANKS for your suggestion
From your review it is clear that logitech z623 are cheapest and best
BUT there is NO comparison with altec lansing mx6021 in your review.

Actually here only logitech z623 and altec lansing mx6021 are available and I could NOT find their direct comparison on net.
To make the condition worse I can NOT listen to them and compare because they will come on order only.
They both are costing me around Rs 8000.
Therefore if anyone has heard them both and felt any difference then DO PLEASE tell.


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## RishiGuru

fromindia said:


> THANKS for your suggestion
> From your review it is clear that logitech z623 are cheapest and best
> BUT there is NO comparison with altec lansing mx6021 in your review.
> 
> Actually here only logitech z623 and altec lansing mx6021 are available and I could NOT find their direct comparison on net.
> To make the condition worse I can NOT listen to them and compare because they will come on order only.
> They both are costing me around Rs 8000.
> Therefore if anyone has heard them both and felt any difference then DO PLEASE tell.



It depends upon your personal taste. Audio quality is very subjective and varies from person to person. 

Let me tell you the biggest truth about audio quality. The system with the best audio quality among a heard of similar audio systems may not sound the best in your ears, but a audio system with a factory preset equalizer setting thus compromising the audio quality, may sound the best. 

If you are a bass freak, then go for Z-623.
If you are a treble freak, go for MX-6021.

The best balanced system between the two --> Z-623.
The most catchy sound with a feeling of perceived clarity --> MX6021

If both are of same price I would go for Z-623. I like audio quality over percieved clarity. Mind you hearing both sets side my side Z-623 will sound a little blunt compared to MX-6021.

Mind you Z-623 comes with THX certification. MX-6021 does not have that.

You can find review of both sets in an Indian website name techtree:

Logitech Z-623

Altec Lansing MX-6021

If you can grab the Logitech Z-2300, then ignore the above two.


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## RishiGuru

Here is another review in french (Use google translate): http://www.erenumerique.fr/altec_lansing_expressionnist_ultra_des_enceintes_musclees-art-2556-1.html

Translated quote: "

*Measurement and listening*

In earlier action, the response was very far from linear and we had to fumble with the controls long enough bass and treble to achieve something right. And it is not with what could be the neutral point of these markers that we got there. This will be the biggest weakness of Expressionnist Ultra: a response to be adjusted. And even then you can not say that its linearity is exemplary. However, this response is really extensive, as well as severe as in the treble. Serious side, you can go down really low to fully reproduce the most music and there is no shortage of level. From this point of view, is the abundance with a very nice dynamic. The Ultra Expressionnist have no trouble sound to any room!


Even if we forget the resonance at 40 Hz due to our room, it is difficult to obtain a linear response. Even if one forgets resonance with 40 Hz had with our part, it is difficult to obtain a linear answer.

Maximum : 105.9 dB SPL

The problem of lack of response linearity occurs naturally tuned. If playing with the settings of acute and serious about these commands, even with those available on the source, it is usually possible to obtain a proper balance and a record that goes from good to excellent, everything is too often to be redone once the range is changed. The lack of linearity can be made easily result in disaster. The Expressionnist Ultra is not very pleasant job, but to limit themselves to one musical genre or accept a given estimate. This is unfortunate because side noise level and extended bass response, it provides capabilities entirely consistent with its status as upscale."


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## fromindia

Thanks for your quick reply.
I think first I should try for z 2300 if I can find them as they have the best reviews from amazon and newegg.
Only there was one doubt considering z623 that according to some reviews they could not handle jazz, classical and such type of music and sound produced was very boomy giving it an aritficial character.
So if you could shed any light on this point it would be highly appreciated.


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## RishiGuru

fromindia said:


> Thanks for your quick reply.
> I think first I should try for z 2300 if I can find them as they have the best reviews from amazon and newegg.
> Only there was one doubt considering z623 that according to some reviews they could not handle jazz, classical and such type of music and sound produced was very boomy giving it an aritficial character.
> So if you could shed any light on this point it would be highly appreciated.



The Z-2300 is the king of all. The problem is Z-2300 production have been stopped due to the release of its successor Z-623. 

I think it is near impossible to get a brand new Logitech Z-2300. In India there is only one Logitech Brand Store and that is in Kolkata. All the Logitech products are first imported/ shipped to Kolkata's Brand Store, from where they are distributed throughout India.

You can find the details of the brand store in Logitech website:

Logitech Brand Store
Emall, Shop No.-10, Ground Floor, 
6, C.R. Avenue, Kolkata- 72 
Tel: +91-33-22128753

I recently went to their shop from where i bought my Z-2300 is 2008 & they said there is no Z-2300's in stock & their replacement Z-623 is available.

I was chatting with the store keeper and he was saying to me that hundreds of phone calls are coming each day all looking for the out of stock Z-2300. No body wants any other speaker set, they just want the Z-2300.

The last lucky person actually took the demo set which was lying bare open for the last three years having all the dust & daily rigorous full volume demonstration to the customers!!! He sold it at Rs.8000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems now hunting a Z-2300 is like finding a gold mine!!! Best of luck though.


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## fromindia

It seems that it is almost impossible to get Z 2300

So again I am left with the 2 options.
After your reviews it seem Z 623 to be the best option currently available in market.
Also Z 623 has been awarded as best speaker 2010 by pcmag.

But you didn't mention about Z 623 quality in jazz and classical musics. Is it so boomy that it destroys the pleasure of music or is it simply exaggerated by some people.


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## RishiGuru

MX-6021 sound will always seem to be more clearer than Z-623. If you want clarity in sound go for MX-6021. Mind you clarity does not mean better sound quality.

Read the reviews of *techtree* below:

*Z-623:* We tested the speakers by connecting it to a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 sound card. For music we used a batch of lossless audio files. For playing back the files, we used foobar2000. For videos we used VLC Player. 

When playing music we noticed that the big subwoofer was not just occupying space but also moving some serious amount of air. The punch from the subwoofer was powerful enough to knock the wind out of your lungs at higher volumes. It was amazing how comfortably the speaker managed to do it and it never felt as if it was under strain. The bass from the Z623's subwoofer wasn't as tight as I would have liked but it wasn't loose or muddy as well. It does need to be kept under a tight leash though or it can drown out the sound from the satellites easily. We found it best to keep the bass knob at 40% volume. 

The satellites are also pretty impressive but not as much as the subwoofer. The mid-range is sweet-sounding and the treble is clear as well. However, I would have loved to have some more clarity in the top end of the audio spectrum. A treble control knob would have really come in handy here. 

The Z623 can go really loud. Most people would never go beyond 50% of the volume. However if you do, then you would notice that the sound starts distorting slightly after you cross 70%. It's the satellites that give up first and you can tell that the drivers are reaching the end of their travel. The subwoofer has no such problems and rocks clean and hard all the way to the limit. 

Music sounds excellent on the Z623, but it's in movies and gaming where the Z623 really shines. The big subwoofer makes a big difference here and the satellites manage to create a nice soundstage. Gaming especially was fun with the sounds of gunfire and explosions in Modern Warfare sounding just the way they should with a solid impact.

------------

*MX-6021:* The expressionist ULTRA was quite a surprise as I got it out of the packaging. I got chills just thinking about the bass this large sub-woofer could reproduce from its 6.5-inch driver. I quickly hooked it to my PC on a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Platinum soundcard and began with our testing procedure. 

The expressionist ULTRA system produces really clean and clear audio. The tweeter and the driver of the satellites produce really high audio quality. The highs and the mids are really good. They are perfect for vocals and the shrill effects to freeze your tummy in a horror scene. 

The bass, on the other hand, was quite a disappointment. The expressionist ULTRA is quite a loud system. With 200watts to release one can really pump up the volume. The speaker doesn't crack at high volumes. Instead, the bass is lost with the mids and the treble taking charge. The sub-woofer was seriously missing a punch. The MX5021 has a much powerful bass or for that matter, even other serious 2.1 systems have really good bass as compared to the expressionist ULTRA. All-said-and-done, these speakers could have been so much better. Considering the fact that Altec Lansing have a better performing system; the MX5021 which is also cheaper, means that expressionist ULTRA doesn't have what it takes to replace it. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

*My impression*

I have not heard the MX-6021. So I cannot comment. But Z-623 have the same THX imprinted signature tune of Z-2300. Z-2300 is a little more refined. I hear classical, jazz, rock, pop, techo & every kind of song & they sound great on my Z-2300.

It would have been best if you could have auditioned the speakers before buying. As I said before sound quality is a very subjective and it varies from person to person. What I like you may not like & what you like I may not like. That is why some reviewers are in praise of Z-623 while the others are not. Same goes for MX-6021.

But at the end Z-623 have more +ive reviews than MX-6021. Now the choice is yours my friend.


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## fromindia

Thanks for your precious time.
Your comments were really helpful.


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## RishiGuru

fromindia said:


> Thanks for your precious time.
> Your comments were highly helpful.



You are most welcome. Remember what is good on your ears is good for you. The rest are secondary.


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## taj mahal

HEY guys I am also having the same confusion. 
From the above posts it seems that NO one has actually heard both the speakers.
It would be of great help if any ONE has heard both the speakers.
PLEASE guys REPLY.
I am in a very confusing position.
There are more than 280 views and only one person has cared enough to post a reply.  :angry::angry:
Has no one listened to both the speakers????? 
come on guys post some comments.

EAGERLY waiting for a reply with my finger crossed.


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## chazziitr

I have been searching for a speaker system for my computer for the last 15 days. And I can tell you frankly about AL MX6021 and Logitech Z623 that around 70 % of respected people on all the forums feel that Logi is loud but with boomy overpowering bass while AL provides more balanced SQ of the two. I haven't heard any of them but I don't think so many people could be wrong.
But now I think that even 6021's bass would also lack that tight feel. So I'd better save some money and build a passive system.


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