How to Connect Logitech Speakers to a Computer
Green jack or USB, then set the output device. Here is which connection your Logitech set uses and the settings that fix no sound, hum and boomy bass.
Most Logitech computer speakers connect with a single 3.5 mm plug into the green audio jack, or over USB. Green jack for analog models like the Z200 and Z313, USB for models that carry their own sound card, and both on some sets where USB provides power only. Plug it in, then set the speakers as the output device in your operating system’s sound settings.
The connection itself takes a minute. Nearly all the trouble comes afterward, when the computer keeps sending audio somewhere else, and that is a settings problem rather than a wiring one.
Work out which connection yours uses
Look at what comes out of the back of the right hand speaker or the subwoofer.
A green 3.5 mm plug means analog. It goes into the green line out jack on the computer, which on a desktop is on the rear panel and on a laptop is the single combo headphone socket.
A USB plug on its own means the speakers contain their own digital to analog converter and appear to the computer as a separate sound device. The Z407 and several of the newer sets work this way.
A green plug plus a USB plug usually means the USB is there for power only, common on compact 2.0 sets. Both need to be connected.
An RCA pair or an optical connector appears on the larger Z series and on the gaming sets. Those need matching outputs on the computer or an adapter.
Connecting an analog set
- Shut the computer down or at least turn the speaker volume to zero, so you avoid the pop when the plug seats.
- Push the green plug fully into the green line out jack. On most desktops the jacks are color coded: green for output, pink for microphone, blue for line in. Getting green and blue confused is a common cause of silence.
- Connect the power adapter and switch the speakers on.
- Set the speaker volume dial to about a third and raise it from there.
On a laptop with one combo jack, the socket handles both headphones and a microphone, and plugging speakers in works normally. If the laptop has no jack at all, which is increasingly common, you need a USB audio adapter at USD 8 to 15, or a USB model of speaker.
Connecting a USB set
Plug the USB connector into a port on the computer, ideally directly rather than through a hub, since bus powered hubs cause dropouts on audio devices.
Windows and macOS both install the driver automatically. Logitech does not require its own software for basic audio on any current speaker set, so if a download page offers you a driver, you probably do not need it.
Use a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port on the rear panel of a desktop. Front panel ports share power more often and are a common source of noise.
Setting the computer to actually use them
This is the step people skip, and it accounts for most reports of Logitech speakers not working.
On Windows, right click the volume icon in the taskbar, choose Sound settings, and pick the speakers under Output. A USB set appears by name. An analog set appears as Speakers or Realtek Audio. Then click the device, open the volume mixer, and check that the app you are using has not been muted individually.
On macOS, open System Settings, then Sound, then Output, and select the device.
Windows in particular reassigns the default output whenever a new device appears, so plugging in a monitor over HDMI or connecting headphones will silently move your audio. If sound disappears for no reason, check this first.
Sets with a subwoofer and a control pod
The Z313, Z333, Z407 and similar sets route everything through a wired control pod or the subwoofer itself. The satellites plug into the sub, the sub takes the input from the computer, and the pod carries the volume knob and headphone socket.
Two things to check on these. The satellite connectors are keyed and marked left and right, and swapping them reverses the stereo image without any other symptom. And the subwoofer usually has its own level dial on the rear, set from the factory somewhere near maximum, which is why so many of these sets sound boomy out of the box. Turn it down to about a third and adjust from there.
When there is no sound
Work through these in order and one of them will be it.
The output device is wrong in the sound settings. The plug is in the blue line in jack instead of the green line out. The speakers are powered but the volume dial is at zero. The app has its own volume slider set to mute. On a USB set, the port is on a hub that cannot supply enough current.
If you get a hum rather than silence, it is usually a ground loop between the computer and the speakers, made worse by a front panel jack or a badly grounded monitor. Moving the plug to a rear panel jack fixes it more often than not.
If the speakers themselves have failed and you are replacing them, our roundup of wired computer speakers covers what is worth buying at each budget.
Frequently asked questions
Do Logitech speakers need drivers?
No. Both analog and USB Logitech speaker sets work with the drivers built into Windows and macOS, and there is no software to install for ordinary audio. Some gaming models offer G Hub for lighting and equalizer presets, but the speakers produce sound perfectly well without it.
Why are my Logitech speakers not working?
The most common cause is the computer sending audio to a different output device. Open your sound settings and select the speakers explicitly, since Windows reassigns the default whenever a monitor or headset is connected. After that, check the plug is in the green line out jack rather than the blue line in, confirm the speakers are powered on with the volume above zero, and check the individual app is not muted.
Can I connect Logitech speakers to a laptop without a headphone jack?
Yes, with a USB audio adapter costing USD 8 to 15, which gives you a 3.5 mm output the laptop no longer has. Alternatively, choose a Logitech set that connects over USB directly, since those contain their own digital to analog converter and need no jack at all. Some models also offer Bluetooth, which avoids the problem entirely.
Why do my Logitech speakers sound too bassy?
The subwoofer level dial on the rear of the unit ships set close to maximum on most Logitech 2.1 sets. Turn it down to around a third and raise it slowly until the bass sits behind the music rather than in front of it. Placing the subwoofer in a corner also adds several decibels of low end, so moving it out from the corner is the second adjustment worth making.