I did a bit of digging here and now I do (strongly) suggest X-540 over VS3251.
1) The dual driver design is lot lot lot better than single midrange driver that VS3251 offers. It results in cleaner and wider sound. I have myself experienced the difference when I checked Z-2300 and MX-5021. Z-2300 has more powerful satellites but the dual driver design of MX-5021 gave superb clarity and I am sure this applies to X-540 and VS3251 too.
2) The centre channel has higher power than other four satellites. This is a bit plus when watching surround movies or gaming where you get very clear vocals from the center channel and the audio from other channels (like explosions and traffic noise for ex) will not drown the vocal track from center channel.
3) The frequency range of VS3251 is 40Hz-17kHz and that of X-540 is 40Hz-20KHz. This will be really helpful when it plays high frequency sounds and it will do so with ease thanks to wider spectrum and this was evident in many reviews
Let’s check what online reviewers say:
VS3251 reviews(couldn’t find many on this):
Macnn:
Naturally, I was eager to fire up some Pink Floyd to see how the VS3251 System performed Gilmour’s guitar solos. After listening for a while, I felt that the 9-watt satellites did not quite do the higher notes justice. The sound is not as lush or vibrant as more expensive systems, but for the money, the VS3251 does not disappoint. It is a fantastic holiday upgrade for the few gamers still lost in the abysmal two-channel audio world. For well under $100, the VS3251 is not a superstar, nor does it come with THX certification, but it does come with a kicking loud sound with clear, warm bass and otherwise acceptable performance for a reasonable price.
Goodgearguide:
Sound quality on the VS3251 is generally quite good. It's well balanced, without a noticeable bias towards treble or bass. The midrange is powerful, but not to the point of overpowering the rest of the audio. While the entire range of audio is fairly well represented, it isn't necessarily so well reproduced. Treble has a distant and twangy edge to it, while midrange isn't very sharp, tending towards slurring at times. We found bass performance to be a little strange. At lower volumes it's punchy and quick, perfect for games and movies, although at higher levels it tends to reduce the entire audio output to a dull rumble. Nevertheless, audio performance is quite strong, and while not quite what we'd call "high-end", it definitely differentiates itself from a lot of the more average models we've seen. It should also be noted that 5.1 audio is only available when the unit is connected to a 5.1 compatible sound card, and that most DVD players and gaming consoles will only deliver stereo (2.0 channel) sound.
Tweaktown:
Movies and music are not great, so don't buy this system to relive the emotion of a great concert or a well recorded piece of music, because you will be disappointed by frequency response and tonal accuracy. To a lesser extent, film is the same, although I see no issues with enjoying any TV program or sitcom that is not recorded in high bandwidth like films are. Even casual radio listening would be fine here, as that’s another heavily compressed medium.
Finally, I don't think AL has done a bad job at all in designing this system. As a PC or console gaming system, it does exactly what it says and for a great price!
X-540 reviews:
Overclockersclub:
Don’t pass up this 5.1 speaker system from Logitech when you’re shopping for a new set of computer speakers or home entertainment speakers. The bass that is produced by the subwoofer is so clean hitting that all of the songs I played sounded a tad better than before. Having a master control unit to control the master volume, bass, and 5.1 or 2.1 setup is perfect. When my speakers are hooked up behind me and I’m not watching a movie or playing a game, I like to just use the 2.1 setup. At full blast, I honestly felt like I was sitting front row at a Carlos Santana concert listening to him play some of the meanest guitar solos ever known to man. My gaming got elevated to a whole new level because I actually jumped when I got shot from behind because I heard the sound behind me and it just made the game more realistic. I felt as if I was getting shot at when Tony Montana went on his rampage and shot up his house. These 5.1 surround sound speakers really do put you into the game, movie, and studio.
Techgage:
The audio of the 360 sounded far better than the speakers on my television and with the 720p settings of the Dell, the experience was awesome to say the least. With the hi-def components plugged into the back of the monitor, I simply used the provided adapter to run the audio component plugs into the X-540. From there, it was only a matter of turning up the volume or turning it down.
Filefactorygames:
I’m happy to say the speakers passed with flying colors. I was impressed by the X-540’s abilities to move information around the speaker spectrum. Bullets ricocheted around me, an artillery shell landed somewhere behind me, making me jump, and I was pretty sure the German gunner up on the cliffs was shooting at me, specifically. Put the right audio through these speakers and they’ll happily show your ears a good time. If you're on a budget, the X-540s will do you well. If you have a little more than $100 to spend, there are of course far higher quality speakers out there, including some from Logitech.
Thinkcomputers:
The Logitech X-540 Speaker System has proved me to stick up to its label. Every aspect that was described on the box actually worked. I was very surprised. I knew that these speakers would be somewhat decent, but I really wasn't expecting to get that much from a mid-range set of speakers. The experience with the X-540 was very pleasing even though the installation became somewhat difficult with the short cables.
Tech2:
We were hearing Jamiroquai on CD, Sting, Sarah McLachlan in flac and numerous MP3 files from varied genres. For videos we had Iron Man MP4 file with a surround track. Plus we have few free AC3 files downloaded off the net, mixed especially in surround to use for 5.1 systems. And off course Prince of Persia was played. The sound was loud and distortion free, only thing is mids do come out as too forward for me at least. This will dampen the otherwise good performance of low end.
Gamezone:
Clean, crisp sound that delivers both when it comes to game sounds, dialogue, or music. The sound is even through all the speakers, whether you compact the array or spread out the speakers to create a full-room sound.
In games that allowed for surround sound, there were environmental noises dancing from the appropriate speakers. One thing that seems prevalent in terms of how I like good audio is that it must be loud. The cleaner the sound, the better rendered the nuances of game environments, the louder the volume seems to ease up. Fill that work room? Sure, the X-540 speakers did that, but even in the garage, the vibrations of the bass subwoofer was evident.
I am yet to find a full fledged reivew on VS3251 that says that these perform good in entire frequency range.
My Verdict: X-540 hands down!!!
