Logitech X50 : Stylish, sound packed and so portable
Finding a Bluetooth speaker that is cheap but of good sound quality is a challenge. The Logitech X50 with its vibrant colour choices, priced at LKR 5,000/- and available at Logitech authorized resellers is a popular choice. Read on to see how it holds up.
Kicking things off with the packaging
Logitech is known for their not-so-easy-to-take-apart packaging seen on their controllers and speaker setups. The Logitech X50 on the other hand is a polar opposite.
Packed in a bright yellow box, the packaging can be easily opened by simply cutting the seal at the bottom of the box. Once done, the back opens up to reveal the inner housing.
This includes various reading material and also a microUSB cable that you can use to charge the Logitech X50. The speaker itself is sealed within a plastic compartment that is tabbed at the top.
Hands on with the Logitech X50
The first thing you notice about the speaker is that it doesn’t look like a speaker all. Well, at least for us, it doesn’t. It looked actually like a fancy cup holder. That being said, the Logitech X50 comes in a number of vibrant, attractive colors. Measuring 3.8 inches by 3.4 inches, and weighing around 140g, the device is extremely light.
The Logitech X50 features a 1.5” driver that is wrapped around a circular body. At the top of the speaker is a space that can be used to hook the speaker to a cord or to a buckle so that it can be attached to a strap while traveling.
The top of the speaker features a triangular grilled pattern to protect the speaker diaphragm and also to keep the body strong. Towards the left of the body of the Logitech X50, you will find a Power/Pair button along with volume controls. At the center of the body you will find the microUSB port for charging the Logitech X50.
Interestingly, the Logitech X50 also packs an auxiliary port. So if you’re trying to connect a device that doesn’t have Bluetooth, all you need to do is get a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable and plug in one end to your device and the other into the speaker. The back of the speaker is completely sealed and has the Logitech logo etched into it.
Using the Logitech X50 speaker
Given that the Logitech X50 has a 750mAh battery, charging it doesn’t take too long. We were able to fully charge the device in a little under one hour. From there, we began testing. In order to pair the Logitech X50, you would need to first switch it on via the button. From there, you will need to pair the speaker with your phone or tablet via Bluetooth. A blue blinking LED is a sign that the speaker is ready for pairing. Once paired, the blue LED will remain constant.
As for music, I’m a Metalhead so that was the first genre that I played. From there, we proceeded to play everything from Rock, to Rap, Hip-Hop, more Metal, Classical Music, Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Trap and a load of EDM. For a LKR 5,000 speaker, we were actually impressed. At moderate volume levels, the Logitech X50 certainly adds some punch to music with little distortion. However, loud volumes are the Achilles Heel of the Logitech X50. The speaker is rated at 3W but in all honesty, when you max out the volume, not only does it become a tad unbearable to listen to but there is also heady distortion. This is especially prevalent if the track you’re playing has a lot of low frequency effects such as bass lines and bass drops.
Can it last the day?
The Logitech X50 provides a continuous music playback of 5 hours which would essentially mean that if you were on an 8-hour drive, your speaker would be dead before you reached your destination. Then again, because of it’s a 750mAh battery, charging time is rather fast. A workaround I found was to carry an extra powerbank just in case the Logitech X50 was out of juice.
Overall conclusion
The Logitech X50 Bluetooth speaker is a relatively affordable and effective speaker. It offers really good music playback capabilities at moderate volumes. EDM fans will instantly fall in love with the thump that the Logitech X50 creates for a 3W speaker. If you’re playing music which is extremely loud, , then you can expect a significant level of distortion. This is especially true for genres such as metal and EDM.
If you’re on the lookout for a small, compact speaker that also looks really cute, give the Logitech X50 a go. What it lacks in battery life, it certainly does make up for in terms of sound quality and portability.
( The author is a senior tech writer at ReadMe – a leading technology news provider. Visit them at www.readme.lk)