Logitech MX Sound Bluetooth speakers

Affordable Bluetooth speakers

$99.99 From Logitech, logitech.com Features 12W (RMS) power output, 2x 3.5mm audio inputs Needs Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio out

We liked the new MX mice and keyboards released by Logitech recently, which provided ingenious features such as the ability to quickly switch control between two separate computers, and the company’s new MX Sound speakers attempt to provide similar versatility when you’re listening to music on your Mac, iPhone or iPad.

The two compact speakers stand just 160mm wide and 160mm high, so they’ll sit comfortably on either side of your Mac without taking up too much desk space. The speakers provide Bluetooth for iOS devices, and can pair with two devices at once. There are also two 3.5mm connectors for audio input from a Mac or other wired device, and a headphone connector as well. And, just like the other Logitech MX products, the MX Sound enables you to switch between devices — either Bluetooth or wired — quickly and easily. All you have to do is pause the audio on one device and then start playing a track on the other one, and the MX Sound will automatically detect the new audio input and switch over for you.

You’re not going to get hi-fi quality from a set of speakers costing $100, but the MX Sound does a good job for such a compact little set of speakers. They produce a warm, full sound with the massed harmonies of Somebody To Love by Queen, and manage to create an open, expansive soundstage for the widescreen atmospherics of Enya’s Orinoco Flow. The only minor disappointment is the bass output. To be fair, the little bass port (which does double duty as a stand) on each speaker adds some body to the mid-bass on pop tracks like Blondie’s Rapture, but the small speakers do struggle to get down to the deeper, electronic bass of Prime Evil by The Orb. There are bigger and better speakers around, but if you need just a compact set of desktop speakers to enhance music and video on your Mac and mobile devices then the MX Sound will do the trick very nicely, without costing the earth.

The bottom line. The MX Sound manages to squeeze very respectable sound quality into compact and affordable stereo speakers that make a great companion for a desktop Mac, iPad or iPhone. Connectivity is good, too, with quick and easy switching between Bluetooth and wired connections. Cliff Joseph