The Logitech Z333 is a decent 2.1 speaker system at an affordable price. The main highlights of these speakers are:
- Compact and solid wood enclosures
- Bass (subwoofer) volume adjust knob
- Well designed remote volume adjust knob
- Integrated high-frequency speakers for better output range
- Good overall design and acceptable quality of materials used
Logitech Z333 speaker system specifications:
- Power (RMS) 40 W
- Subwoofer: 24 W
- Satellites: 2 x 8 W
- Inputs: RCA (L+R) & 3,5 mm (attached)
- Outputs: main L+R & 3,5 mm for headphones
- Total box weight: 4 kg / 9 lbs – (2,5 kg / 5.5 lbs subwoofer unit)
Download Logitech Multimedia Speaker System Z333 Product Manual (multilanguage)
The buzzing problem of Z333…
The issue arises during the standby of the speaker system. More exactly, in order to conserve power and prevent operation when not in use, the Logitech Z333 enters a low power consumption state after about 30 minutes. This is a very good feature but not all the way in this case.
This feature is achieved with a circuit that measures the input gain on the line-in (both RCA an 3,5 mm). Basically if no (significant) input voltage is detected the speaker system automatically enters in a soft stand-by mode until is wakened by a (significant) voltage on the input line.
For the Z333 to wake-up automatically from standby it is important that the output device (audio source) connected the speakers to produce a significant audio signal (voltage) thus it is recommended that the volume level of the audio source device is set above 50%. Recommended input volume level is between 60% and 90%.
The output volume of the Z333 itself can be set lower as it does not make a difference for this. The recommended value is 25% overall volume (main knob) and about 50% subwoofer volume (bass knob).
The Logitech Z333 can also be waken manually from standby by operating the ON/OFF switch on the volume knob or by simply reconnecting the speakers to the mains.
When the speakers are entering the low power mode (standby) the power demand from the internal Switching Mode Power Supply Unit (PSU) is drastically reduced, thus it could be expected that some components from the PSU board start producing a slight buzzing sound.
Unfortunately in this case, any buzzing sound gets amplified because the PSU board of the Z333 is located inside the resonant chamber of the subwoofer unit. Any faint noise coming from the board is gaining echo inside the subwoofer enclosure and can easily be heard especially at night when is silence as you can hear in the following video (audio volume is lifted so you can hear the buzzing):
After some PSU board analysis of Z333 (under power, no load) the buzzing noise origin appears to be one high voltage capacitor on the power circuit for the main switching transistor.
This is a blue bypass capacitor that resonates at audible range close to mains frequency at about 50/60 Hz when the switching frequency of the main switching transistor is low as there very little power demand from the PSU.
This Logitech Z333 speaker system was brand new and the buzzing sound was produced since its first stand-by. The culprit for this problem can be one of the following:
- Low quality capacitors or affected batch of high-voltage ceramic capacitors
- Poor PSU board circuit design not developed considering a second, low power demand mode of operation
- Incomplete quality testing both from PSU board manufacturer and Logitech
The 103M 1KV is a high-voltage 10 nF ceramic capacitor in paralel with the start-up resistor (R2) for the main switching transistor. The role of this bypass capacitor is to provide a smoother DC power for the main switching transistor – which it does. Basically the ceramic capacitor was only producing noise at low switching frequency if the PSU was not loaded or with very little load.
The original capacitor (in the image above) may have had some sort of defect or at the best it was not designed with low frequency currents in mind. First time after changing the existing bypass capacitor with another one (the same values) the noise was about the same. Then after changing it once more with yet another capacitor taken from another dead PSU the noise was finally gone.
This is telling us that the issue might be either a slip in the circuit design or improper quality capacitor for the job or a combination of both. Assembling back the subwoofer enclosure is shown in the following pictures:
Can anyone provide the exact specification for this capacitor or alternatives that are working?
Hello. In the guide you said you solved the problem by using a capacitor from another PSU, but you didn’t mention its specs..was it the same type? (103 1kv)
It was the same specs, as those are common enough.
I did this to my speakers. It solved the problem. Thank you!
Thank you for pinpointing it for me. Easy, fast fix after getting these pair used.
Also those fake tweeters…
You can solve the tweeters too. I did it to my speakers. Published a video on youtube.
Thank you for posting this fix. I switched mine with a bulky 1,6kw 10nf, and now is dead silent.
Do all logitech z333s have this issue or should I try to get a refund and get one that doesn’t have it?
Weirdly enough when reaching to my local reseller and logitech support directly they will not admit even the fact there is a standby mode – I guess because I could not locate any official mentioning of that anywhere in user manual / box.
Change the blue part 3 times, and still got the noise… Something more to do?
Have you found a solution at the end?
Hi, I’m not a pro at fixing such problems, but the buzzing sound ist pretty much annoying… my biggest problem so far is to get the PSU board out of the Subwoofer, because it is glued and I don’t want to destroy anything… Can you help me to solve this?
The easiest fix of all, with much less effort is just to pour some epoxy resin or hot glue on top of the capacitor covering it all and joining it with the rest of the board or the large capacitor next to it.
This should stop the vibration from propagating into the air. You can hear the different tones if you just touch it with a screwdriver and see how gets more silent the stiffer it gets.
With me, I used hot glue, and it became almost silent after leaving the glue sit for 1 day (can’t hear it 0.5m away). That kind of glue seems stiff to the touch just a few minutes after pouring, but takes quite a few hours to reach its final stiffness.
Thank you for mentioning this solution.
Thank you! 95% of the sound is now gone on my Z533 speaker after using hot glue.
In the past I’ve used a foot switch to disable the power to the speaker, but now this won’t be necessary.
Thanks so much for posting this. I had my speakers ran differently before at another house and was not getting the issue. I have tried separation, no separation, rerouting of audio and wire swap outs. I’ll give this a try tomorrow. Hopefully it works but it sounds like it will as all my symptoms are the same. Kind of upsetting as I purchase a good bit from Logitech including the replacement keyboard I’m typing on. I also have another set of the next years model with Bluetooth and I was able to separate the audio by plugging into the front jack but the quality was not the same.
Thanks for the detailed description of the fault. Very usefull.
I used a pulse rated film cap as replacement. No more anoying buzzing.
Is there a risk of a fire, short circuit or any other important problem?
Working on PSUs it’s always risky! Testing should be done before re-assembling. Also make sure you clean the board after working on it with isopropyl alcohol.
Thx! I Bought one for 10$ and repaired for 0.1$. Used 3kV 10nF. They should put better capacitor instead of fake tweeters 😀
Hello, i have the same problem mine are brand new too. I have warranty 2 years, if i replace it with new ones ill get the same problem right? And i want to ask, is it ok if i turn the power off by the plug (power strip switch)?
Hello, thanks for explaining the issue. I’m not really bothered by the sound, but does this shorten the lifespan of the device? Thanks in advance!
The buzzing might lead to some damage over a long time, as it represents current noise being pumped constantly by the power supply into the audio amplifier circuit board.
I have this problem when I turn off the speakers. Is that normal?
That is not normal. A fix should be applied.
Hi, in the article you speak a 10KV (ten) ceramic capacitor but in the photos and in the video I see 1KV (one) ceramic capacitor … is it the same?
This is because I only have a 103 10KV available to me … it’s just bigger in size … can I use it?
Thank you
Hello Fabio, it is actually a 1KV (not 10KV – corrected) ceramic capacitor (as in the photographs). You can also use a 10KV as it is equal or higher voltage rating than original. On the other hand, the capacitance should remain close to 10nF as this capacitor has specific filtering role at this value in the SMPSU circuit.