Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System
by Logitech
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System
Customer Review: AWEsome System!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
10-31-04 Update: Kudos to Amazon on fast shipping... I got them in two days! But Amazon's pricing fluctuation still gets under my skin. The day they shipped my speakers the price was down to $286. That was for one day and still not listed as a sale price, then the next day back up to 306.99 again and has remained there. BTW - you can get these at CheifValue for 279.99 in case you're interested. Today (10/31/04) they have a $5 off coupon and $10 shipping!
About the speakers - I'm listening to Matchbox Twenty right now. These bad boys really rock the house, no kidding! Everything Logitech says in their marketing material about the Z-5500's is true.
I'm using Real Media for CD's and it sounds great, everything from ABBA to Ja Rule to Zeplin. Windows Player just sucks in comparison. If anyone uses a better media player than "Real" please let me know.
I've heard certain musical sounds from this system that I don't recall hearing on any other. If, so they were drowned in the mix. This clarity is most notable in the mid to high frequency range. Lows are exceptionally clear as well and you don't get the normal grinding rumble as with most subs. Instead, you'll get a crisp and clean deep bass.
Movies are absolutely astounding on this speaker system. Of course I had to watch Matrix (the first one). Some others were Armageddon, Twister, Blade I and Gladiator. The sound rivaled my 10k home theater system. Again, no kidding! While watching Twister I felt like I was in the "----ing" tornado. Even more so than my big system. I'm assuming this is because I have these set up in my home office where the room is smaller and probably better acoustic ambience. I would not like to think that my $2500 home theater speakers are inferior to the Z-5500's ;-(
THX and dts worked great on my system with the Audigy 2 soundcard. The Direct Connection (analog) sounds great in itself but utilize the Digital connection and you'll be awe-struck! It really brings you into the movie...
Playing Games - haven't tested much in that respect due to time constraints but with these speakers I'm inclined to get back into some serious gaming. Dangerous for me as I already have problems with getting a good-nights-sleep. What I have played Star Wars "Attack of the Clones" and the sound was nothing less than amazing especially when compared to the TDK speakers that previously interfaced my PC to my ears. Other than that I really don't have much of a comparison with the exception of trying out a few speaker models in retail locations including these.
The speakers are very appealing to the eye. One cool feature of the design is if you want to mount them on the wall you just have to rotate the speaker stand 180 degrees and they're wall mountable as is.
The Control center is very easy to navigate. I really like the large dial that controls the volume plus other level adjustments for the various settings to include center, surround, sub...anything that requires an up/down adjustments. The other selection are made by repeatedly pressing the appropriate button. Example: "Input" - Press once = Optical = Press twice = Coax - Press a 3rd time = Direct. From there if an effect is associated with the input you would select "Effect" and press the necessary times to select the desired effect. Very simplistic, and that's a good thing because speaker controls should not be complicated.
The Display is very easy to read, unlike the previous version (the 680's). I can easily see/read the display from several feet away and it's not too bright yet easily readable in the daytime.
A couple of nice extras are the headphone and auxiliary jacks on the side of the Control Center. That is something that I really needed.
The only improvements I can recommend are very minor but here they are:
Speaker wire connections - the wires are fixed so you are limited to the length of wire that comes with each speaker. Although you can buy extensions to fit the RCA type connectors. I feel this may inhibit the sound quality as opposed to the ability to direct wire the speakers with a custom length of good speaker wire.
Even though I really don't have any complaints about the display it would have been nice to include contrast/brightness adjustments for those who would prefer the ability customize the view. But really this is not a big deal at all.
The remote control could use a little dressing up so that it would look like it is a part of the "Nice Package". Instead, what you get is a plain black remote with black buttons and small white lettering. Very Plane Jane in appearance but it does offer enough controls to make it usable.
The main power switch is on the sub with a standby switch on the Control Center. This is acceptable but it would have been a plus if Logitech would have included the logic to be able to detect sound input in the standby mode which would turn the speakers on.
Bottom line - these are all minor issues and are nothing to really complain about. The design and sound that these speakers produce deserve no less than 5 stars in my opinion.
10-26-04 Update: After much hassle of back and forth emails, Amazon finally agreed to do the honorable thing and make it right. ...my system is on its way! Once received I'll write a detailed review of the Logitech Z-5500
10-24-04 Honestly, I have tried these speakers and would give them 10 stars! But that is not why I'm writing here today. Out of my 10 stars Logitech Z-5500 gets 5 and Amazon gets a big fat zero!!!
Here's the deal: Just two days ago Amazon's price (not on sale) was $279 with free shipping. This was one of the lowest prices around. I didn't buy then because I was waiting on an Amazon Gift Certificate so I could afford the speakers. Now (2 days later) that I've got it I come back and the price is now $306 still with free shipping.
I know a lot of people were waiting for these to come in stock and I'm sure they're a fast seller. I'm not sure but it looks a little strange that Amazon jacked up their price to cover what would normally be shipping charge that just happens to be "free". Hmmm? Just my thoughts so don't "dog" me on this review since I didn't take away from the speaker rating. Thanks!
Customer Review: Phenominal Speaker setup
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Oh and Did I mention WOW ?
I have three cables for 5.1 going from my sound card into the box. I have the digital out going from the soundcard, into the logitech for 5.1 dvd movies through my computer. As well i have fiber optic coming out of my sattelite into the setup box so i can listen to 5.1 while watching tv. Maybe not 5.1 but emulate pro logic it sounds great. So im definetly making use of all the inputs on the back of this baby.
This has a lot of features, and different modes you can use. It has Stereo (which is just front l/r speakers outputting sound), Stereo 2(front left/right, rear left/right), Pro logic II Movie (i dunno? Uses the center channel, less of the rears more of the sub, pro logic Music (heavy on the sub, uses all speakers). As well it's easy to scroll through the inputs Coax, Direct 6channel, optical.
The remote it comes with is pretty useful you can adjust volume, sub levels, surround output (dont know what this does yet). It is wicked fun!
I paid $270 shipped from Amazon (forget ripoff COMPUSA), got it in TWO Days. I love audio always have, always will. This was a 5.1 for my computer, but I also wanted 5.1 for movies that I watch in my room.
This comes with cables for analog games which is how games output. However I bought a coaxial for digital out for games, and a fiber optic cable for my sattelite to the box. Total cost through circuit city $70. Total cost through amazon $30. Shop amazon! :)
Initial impression
Lets just say setup wasen't easy. It is pretty standard, connect one speaker, another speaker, another speaker. it just takes a while to light up everything connect everything. It took me probably 1 1/2 hours, but i took breaks to vacuum and relocate my pc so everything would fit in fine. The speaker cables are big, but my front left wasen't long enough. So i bought a little extension 6' cable so I could hide it nicely. I didn't use any gold connection cable just regular circuit city $4.99 for 6'.
Also this setup is large and man impressive. The sub is massive stands just taller then a 2 liter bottle of coke, and maybe 3 bottles across x 3 1/2 bottles deep.
Games
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I have connected this with the included three direct cables to get 5.1 sound from my games. It works great it's loud, it thumps, and it scared my sister when she was sitting here and a zombie came up behind her in Doom 3. It's loud, it's clear. I dont know about 500 watts, i've had it to max and it's loud, but 500 watts? Who knows, it's really loud and i'm happy with it anyways. Sounds fantastic and as you move around in games i can see sound shift from one speaker to the other, it fills the room great, and if you've never had a nice speaker setup (with a sub) your in for a surprise. This is a lot of speaker, and will easily last 3 years unless you must have the newest and greatest setup every year.
DVD's
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I also have a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum. I had initially planned to hookup the front plate which has a Digital Coax out so when I played DVD's it would play 5.1 sound. However that dosen't work, I played with it a lot and it wont work. However, my 5.1 card has a digital output on the back of it, I bought a 0.99 cent mono adapter from radio shack and run a coaxial cable from the digital out of the sound card into the standalone cool set top receiver. Now when I play dvd's on my computer (didn't want to buy an additional dvd player for my room) it outputs 5.1 clean signal to my settop box that came with the logitech and that decodes either a dolby digital or dts signal. Works brilliant. Sound is clear, loud, shakes the walls, shakes the room.
TV
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I've got optical going from sattelite into this baby. Sounds great, emulates 5.1 through pro logic or stereo or stereo2. Works fine works great, sports sound great. I always loved 5.1.
Comparison
I was torn between this setup and the Klipsch 5.1 Ultra which is similarly priced, and also a 5.1 setup. I ultimately chose these because of the various input connectors on the setup box. If I chose the klipsch i couldn't hookuped my sattelite to it, or my dvd's wouldn't decode in 5.1 they would be strictly analogue. Sound quality wise i have a set of 2.1 klipsch (200 watt)for sale, they sound great, but aren't 5.1.
I also have a 5.1 setup for my home theater a sony 500 watt setup. That's with the big screen. Comparison wise? Hard to say, that one is about 3 years old but still sounds great (paid $600 with receiver). This definetly compares to it, and i'm more tempted to watch movies upstairs because this subwoofer is awesome. However I got the big screen downstairs and it comfortably seats 10 of my buddies so we'll be hanging out downstairs also. So I would say this definetly can go head to head with the home theater in a box $500 setups out there. Im not so sure about the $1500+ setups though. Actually I dont think it will compare to those :)
Conclusion
Long review I know! Lots to say. This setup kicks ass, sound quality is great and will easily last me a long while. I make use of all the features, am impressed by the sound quality, and thump shake shake cause im a bass kinda guy.
If you want the best, lots of options and I mean lots, lots of connectivity great sound nice thump get this setup. You wont be sorry it looks great, sounds great and will easily outlast 2 computers.
-Neil
Customer Review: a universal home theatre system for all your inputs
Summary: 5 Stars
This product was chosen as the centerpiece to my home entertainment system - for me it functions four different inputs of entertainment.
1. xbox/gaming
2. DVDs
3. music
4. television
here are my thoughts on how it performs individually in each category. product is connected with monster thx 1000 digital optical cables.
1. Xbox/Console gaming- the system far exceeded my standards. combined with the xbox 360 and dolby 5.1 surround, the sound quality, clarity, and placement is amazing. tested with rainbow six vegas2 , i was locating enemies from the sound of their footsteps and guns shots via the satellite speakers & 5.1 surround, giving away their positions. It will sound like iraq in your living room. my opinion is that this system best performs its purpose at gaming above the other categories.
2. DVDs - As home threatre speakers, once again these outperformed almost every aspect I could have imagined. It's like having your own movie theatre when it comes to sound quality and effects. theatrics and sound effects perfectly replicate real life sound; watch a war movie and the neighbors might think there is a gun fight in your house. soundtrack and sound effects seem to be excetptionally louder however than other areas of sound during movies. I've watched over 15 movies now with the system and they all seem to have this problem.
The only problem I have with them functioning for movies - voices are usually too soft to hear; you must turn the volume up louder - but then you have the problem of every action and theatric track exploding when the sound picks up in the movie. If you like playing your stuff LOUD and I mean loud, then this might not be a problem for you. But if you have other people in your house, they might not feel the same. Music and effects seem to be two-fold the volume of voices. I'm constantly turning the sound up and down between scenes- but thanks to the remote this is not that difficult.
3. Music- I've only been able to play music through my xbox thus far, I do not have a sound card supporting coax/optic inputs yet for access to my computers mp3s. I've read up that the auzentech xplosion cinema is a great option here for about 100$ and also converts non-dolby source to 5.1. If your incoming source to this system is not 5.1, you won't have surround sound, but i assume almost all systems made today are like this(that are somewhat affordable). Once again for music, the system is just as solid as it is with video games. all aspects of sound are crisp and clear, perfect reproductions of how it was meant to be heard. video gaming and music- this system was designed for it.
4. Television - the system does not stand out for its TV(/cable dvr) performance, however i suspect it wasn't even really designed for such use as these are computer speakers. If a channel is not broadcasting 5.1 dolby, only the front 2 and center will output sound. Most of your basic cable channels will all output in stereo. HD channels seem to broadcast 5.1, so you may be avoiding basic cable alltogether with this setup. The stereo itself however is not bad quality, but it is not the full potential of this system either once you have heard it full surround; listening to stereo will be a chore. Voices are not as difficult to hear as with DVDs, volume can be left at an acceptable level.
Thoughts,
The simple fact that I can run my computer, video games, DVDs, and HDTV/cable through one system is epic to me. no need to buy a audio receiver that in-itself alone would cost the same price as this system, this was clearly the most price efficient choice for me, and I didn't go wrong. The ability for this system to handle so many different uses is astounding, and I highly recommend it to all who are interested. this truely is a home theatre system in itself, even though it is not marketed as one.
To clarify a few of my worries i had from reviews here, or things i wasn't expecting before i purchased the system:
- the sub is not some massive destroyer, it won't shake your walls off if you don't set it maxed out with the volume more than half up.
- i didn't count on my tv/z5500 remotes interfering with eachother, although they are both IR so it makes sense. just something that may be overlooked. my main unit is inches from my TV however, and was my only placement for it.
-all four satellites turn in the same direction on their base. if you sit them up straight this is not a problem but when wallmounting the rears -it will be difficult to face both inward. when turned- both will face the same direction (LL) you will want them pointing inwards at eachother. some flipping around and clever base positioning will be required here.
- if you want surround through 3 devices, you will have to unplug a cord and swap inputs unless you find a use for the 6.1 channel direct input. I can't find inputs on any devices i use, i would of rather had another optical input in its place. My xbox and cable DVR unit (for tv) are both connected using digital optical wires. I have to unplug and switch when i want to use one instead of the other. 2-1 selectors are available, but not worth my time and i suspect they would have conflicts with quality. the coaxial input will be reserved for the computer/sound card when later purchased. but how many people will actually have these hooked up to three systems? thats your choice.
Customer Review: First Impressions
Summary: 5 Stars
I just received my Z-5500 speaker system on Thursday and wanted to give my first impressions. It may be a little too soon but if my impression changes over time I wanted an initial record.
The box arrived by UPS two days after my order, one day after it was shipped. I think it came from PA so it wasn't a long trip. The large box arrived without external damage though it looked re-taped. Inside, the packaging seemed to be intact so I don't think this was a return.
I brought the heavy box upstairs and started the hookup. The most difficult part was figuring out what connections to make to my sound card. I have an optical cable on the way - I hope it is the right one. The controller says Effect: 6 Ch Direct 96/24 so I think it is the best connection I can make until the optical cable arrives. The computer is a Dell XPS-410. I didn't realize the XPS-410's sound card supports 7.1. The connections I made to the Dell are:
Logitech FRONT to DELL line-out/headphone. Use the (green) line-out connector to attach headphones and most speakers with integrated amplifiers.
Logitech REAR to Dell surround sound connector. Use the (black) surround sound connector to attach multichannel-capable speakers.
Logitech CENTER/SUB to Dell center/subwoofer LFE connector. Use the (orange) center/subwoofer connector to attach a center speaker or single subwoofer. NOTE: The LFE (Low Frequency Effects) Audio channel, found in digital surround sound audio schemes, carries only low frequency information of 80 Hz and below. The LFE channel drives a subwoofer to provide extemely low bass extension.
The switch on the back of the controller is set to 6 CH. DIRECT. The controller says:
Input: Direct 96--24
Effect: 6 Ch Direct
I think this is the correct setup but once the optical cable arrives I shouldn't need to be concerned about it.
For the first couple of days I used the speakers just for music. I have a pretty good collection of MP3s recorded at 256 Kbps (Amazon) and 320 Kbps (recorded from CDs). Today I'm watching some DVDs I've recorded onto my hard drive. I'm not sure what format the audio is (simple stereo, Dolby, etc.).
Music: I think my recordings are pretty high quality. Until now I've been using earphones (Shure) and the sound has been great. The sound from the speakers is better than I could have hoped for. While these are fairly expensive computer speakers, they certainly don't cost the same as high quality stereo speakers so I wasn't sure what to expect from them. The bass is punchy but balances well with the the rest of the music. At higher levels, I have to back off the bass a little so the house doesn't thump so much. I can get much more audio out of these speakers than I can ever use in this house. Bottom-line... I'm extreemly pleased with how these speakers sound for the music I listen to (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Nickelback, Nine Inch Nails).
Movies: I can't remember the audio settings I selected when I did my recording but I assume it wasn't the highest quality settings. It is probably all stereo. Because of this, I can't really comment on how surround sound sounds. Besides, my current speaker setup is much less than optimal. However, the sound quality is pleasant to listen to. The voices are crisp. I'm watching "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" right now. There's a lot of bass in the background music but it doesn't overpower the rest of the audio. Bottom-line: Without an optimal setup I'm quite pleased with the performance of these speakers.
The speaker components appear well built. The controller is a lot bigger than I expected. Something else I'm impressed with is the fact the remote controller controls every function of the speakers with the addition of a "Test" function. I'm not much into plastic but I guess that's the way computer components are built today. I miss the look of my old Cerwin Vega AT-12's or Bose 901's. Fortunately, I'm not missing the sound from those speakers.
I've read some of the other reviews, the forums and the FAQ on the Logitech site. I'm aware that these speaker have (or had) a tendency to pop. Logitech seem to have a program to replace those popping speakers for free (see their FAQ). These speakers don't show signs of popping yet. I also understand that after two years some of these speakers have failed. I don't think I push speakers to their limits so I don't expect this to be a problem. But, considering their relatively low price compared to what I was used to paying for speakers, I don't think I would be too disappointed with 2 good years of service.
After a few months, I may update this early review but I suspect my impressions won't change too much. I'm very pleased with the quality of the speakers and service from Amazon.
Customer Review: Excellent choice for home theater! Highly recommended!
Summary: 5 Stars
This speaker system was purchased specifically for home theater and NOT for a computer sound system. After a great deal of research comparing traditional surround receivers and speaker sets, "surround in a box" systems, and the directly comparable Creative computer speaker system (by spec would be equally at home as a home theater surround system) I settled on this one.
Based on reviews, either this Logitech or the Creative decoder/THX speaker set would have worked very well and sounded great. What it finally came down to was price. The only thing that gave me pause was the Creative decoder had more available inputs. I could've used an additional optical input (one for the Blu Ray, one for the TV) but it was much less expensive to and easy to put a simple manual Toslink switch Digital Audio Optical Toslink Selector Switch for Fiber Optic Connections (Silver) in than the extra cost for the Creative system. Further, this Logitech system is a much neater and cleaner installation with a single cable to the sub woofer containing the amplifier and outputs to the other 5 speakers rather than the multi connector box arrangement of the Creative system.
So.... for LESS than $300 DELIVERED, I got a neat, clean, kick-a** surround system.
Installation:
Couldn't be easier. How many of us have struggled in a small space or cabinet to get the speaker cables for 5 or more speakers, sub, etc hooked up and then still try to keep it looking neat when pushed to final spot? NOT an issue with this. The decoder/control head needs only the optical input routed to it and the control cable routed to the sub woofer containing the amplifier and speaker connections. In my case the sub is in a relatively open spot making the hookup of the 5 speakers far easier than any system I have put in previously. One note; the control cable with the HD-15 connector is perhaps a little short for the most flexible placement of the sub woofer. I have read reports that it cannot be easily extended with a monitor extension cable. I did not need to extend so no issue in my case. I suspect problems came from those using HD-15 extension cables that did not pass through all pins. The speakers are readily shelf or wall mounted and use standard spring terminal connectors on both the amp outputs and speaker inputs allowing longer or upgraded speaker wires. End result: A neat and unobtrusive wife-friendly (no exposed wires) installation with little space taken on my media shelf.
Setup:
Simple and straightforward. It perhaps does not have all the hi-tech gee-whiz type of balancing utilities of other systems but there are plenty of easy to affect adjustments and my setup by ear has resulted in a spacious surround experience.
Operation:
Couldn't be simpler. Turn it on, adjust volume as needed, listen. That's it. The remote is small (but not TOO small), comfortable to use, and very simple. Buttons needed most are right there. The best of the remote is the direct access to center, surround, and sub woofer volumes. Since I've not yet found any two movies or TV shows balanced the same, it is extremely nice to quickly and easily change any of these levels to preference. Example: The recent Discovery HD Theater presentation of "Planet Earth" was heavily center channel weighed and was quickly altered to preference. Also, one can change sub woofer levels easily so late-night viewing doesn't annoy the neighbors (at least not so much).
Sound:
Logitech claims THX certification on this system. Since the metrics of such certification are not published so it isn't really known what you are getting with certification, one can only assume that, at least, THX will only allow their logo on something that sounds pretty dang good. And it does. I've seen reviews that suggest that this system is not well suited to music playback. Perhaps. I couldn't say; this is for home theater and I am getting crisp, clean sound which, to my ear (and agreed to by my wife) is stunning. After tweaking, I have an spacious and immersing movie sound experience.
Conclusion:
I couldn't be happier with this system. It was easily installed and setup then quite simply does what it's supposed to do; deliver great surround sound. I've heard many systems over $1k (sometimes WAY over) in many surroundings and can't hear much, if any, more sound quality for the extra moolah. I could've afforded a lot more for surround but if not necessary, why? I'll use the >$700 I saved from buying a much more expensive to buy Blu Ray movies to enjoy on this one.