Product Reviews

While a pair of built-in stereo speakers is now standard on most laptops, they're still notoriously tinny. Logitech's AudioHub is a self-contained digital speaker system, containing a subwoofer and two tweeters, which clamps behind your laptop. Its two tweeters extend outwards to give the impression they're part of the computer. In contrast to a conventional set of speakers, which come with a spaghetti junction of cables, the AudioHub only has two: the power cable and a USB cable which also carries the digital audio signal. The unit also works as a powered USB hub, providing three extra sockets, which will be handy if you have other kit to plug in.

Setting up was a simple matter of connecting

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the speakers to a spare USB port. But we found the cable was very short, and didn't quite reach to the socket on the left panel of our 15 inch widescreen laptop. An extension cable is included, but that spoiled the seamless look of the whole setup. The AudioHub comes with a removable webcam stand, a nice idea but poorly implemented, as it wouldn't attach securely. Another potential annoyance is that the unit restricts access to the back of your laptop. Ours didn't have any cables running into the back, so it sat flush with the AudioHub, but you'll need to check the same is true of yours. And if your laptop is bigger than 15 inches, like the affordable 17-inchers we're seeing a lot of now, the tweeters will be obscured by the screen.

We were pleased with the sound quality. Its 2.1 virtual surround may not be cinema-quality, but bass reproduction was meaty without drowning out higher frequencies. There was no distortion when we cranked up the volume, either. With its glossy black finish, the Logitech gizmo also looked smart strapped behind our laptop.

Despite its design flaws, we quite liked the AudioHub. It's compact and light, yet powerful enough to fill an average-sized room with sound. For laptops up to 15.4 inches, it's an intriguing and unique audio upgrade.