Performance:

Setting up the G51 system was a snap. All of the individual speaker wires are color coded to avoid any confusion when it comes to installation. The center speaker is built with a stand that folds back, allowing you to place it on top of a flat screen monitor. The control pod is small, intuitive, and very easy to operate, so adjusting the settings on your system to meet your personal taste is very easy.

The fact that there is no LCD readout does not adversely affect operation, because Logitech has created a simple, intuitive system of LED indicators to tell you what you are adjusting and to what level you are adjusting it. Another nice feature of the control pod is the ability to mute the speakers or the integrated microphone input separately. This is a great way to avoid being kicked for screaming profanity into your microphone during your more “enthusiastic” gaming moments.

As far as sound goes, I was reasonably satisfied with the performance of the G51 unit. The sound quality was good, although I noticed a “softness” to the overall sound field. This is not to say that sound was not clear, which it was. I just noticed a minor lack of crispness in the highs and midrange, as if there was a thin veil between myself and the speakers. The bass is definitely boomy, but it also lacks a certain level of definition that I have come to expect in my speakers.

A moderate improvement in clarity of sound can be had by activating the Matrix mode on the control pod. This feature electronically upmixes a 2.1 sound field to 5.1 surround. There are two options with matrix mode. The “game” option really boosts the bass, and applies some sort of filter to the mids and highs. The upside: a more dynamic sound in gaming.

The downside: a very odd “warbling” effect when listening to music or movies. Luckily there is an alternate “music” setting for those times when you are using your rig for something other (yeah, right) than gaming. The music setting helps eliminate some of the softness by boosting the clarity of the highs and mids, but there is still a touch of the “warbling” sound.