A couple of years ago Logitech brought out the Z10s, an interesting set of PC speakers that featured USB connectivity and a digital readout on the front of one of the speakers. They looked good, sounded decent, and were cutting edge in their nod to visually incorporating digital-music playback. Now the company is serving up the Z5s ($99.99), which don't feature the fancy digital readout but offer some intriguing design elements--including omnidirectional sound--and the same USB connectivity.
The black Z5s have a simple, clean, modern look, but aren't quite the knockouts that the Z10s are. From afar at least, the Z5s look more luxurious than they really are. Pick them up and you'll notice that they feel a little light. They weigh in at 1.5 lbs for the left speaker and 1.66 lbs. for the right, and measure 10-inches high by 3.3-inches wide by 3.3-inches deep.
They're compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs and radiate sound from their front, back, and sides. Marketed toward laptop owners, they ship with a little remote that has a quick-launch button that can be programmed to launch iTunes, Windows Media, or the audio application of your choosing.
We'll have a full review shortly, but feel free to get some comments in here while you wait.