Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System
by Logitech
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Our Price: $962.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $260.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System
Customer Review: Does what it claims to do very well.
Summary: 5 Stars
I had a Samsung receiver with a 5.1 amp & Klipsh speakers for seven years. Very nice listening experience. It did a bunch of other stuff I no longer needed. When it went the other way in a divorce, I looked hard for a HTPC solution that was just the amp/speakers - smaller, less wires, simpler all around.
The Samsung optical digital in occasionally got tripped up by the bitstream protocol and made very loud and very unpleasant noises or distortions. I was hoping that would go away - maybe a newer device would have more robust algorithms. Yep. The Logitech is perfect in that regard. Sweet.
I could not find a big box or small box store that carried this item. So I dug hard at reviews like this one. I found that 89% of 1100 NewEgg reviewers gave it 5 stars. I wouldn't call that taking a chance, but it's a weird feeling to buy speakers without hearing them.
What I didn't expect was better sound than my Samsung/Klipsh system, but I got it. It's primarily about theater listening for me, and it clearly sounds more theater-like. I'm very pleased with the sound.
Along the way I read that the 6 feed analog hookup (in general, not this unit) could provide a superior connection - letting the sound card do the D/A and blah blah. I tried that first and was not happy with the sound. Next I simply took the optical digital from my computer straight into the Logitech Z-5500 and wow. Just go with the optical digitial.
Cons: Not much at all. It doesn't power up to the previous volumne, so I have to turn it up when I turn it on. I know why they do that but I prefer it the other way. The LCD display can be a little bright in a theater environment. Some programs or commercials are boomy and it makes you want to tweak down the equalization. But it's never a problem for real programs - TV, DVD, Blu-ray, music. Probably about the jerks mixing the local news and whatnot to compensate for most people's crappy systems and trying to grab you attention with extra bass and volume.
Customer Review: Awesome bang for the buck
Summary: 5 Stars
Logitech has always been one of my favorite brands for computer accessories, so when I began shopping for a sound system for my PC, it seemed like a great brand to check out. Of course the reviews for this product are great, which is the reason I bought it! I was debating between this and other Logitech systems, and I'm glad I chose this one. Amazon has a great price on it, unlike the $400 retail price which may be a tad high for what you get. But for under $300 this system is great.
At the moment this system is set up in my game room, and let me say that it gets plenty loud and has enough bass to fill the whole room (20 x 28 with a 14 foot ceiling). The sound from a stereo source such as my Macbook is a little lacking. But after I connected it to my DVD player through the coaxial digital input (the z-5500 has both coaxial and optical digital inputs) it sounded almost perfect. Listening to Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" album is proving very enjoyable. The bass at 1/4 volume is perfect, and performs well when turned up. The subwoofer performed well when I fed it some techno and turned it all the way up. The windows in my house were definitely slightly disturbed.
The satellite speakers perform very nicely and look spiffy with or without the cloth grills. I am still playing with them to get the best stereo image. The system comes with 3 15' foot speaker wires, and 2 25' ones for the rear speakers. These are a little short for my game room, but should be more than sufficient for my office. I know they will definitely be loud enough in my office which is tiny compared to the game room.
The remote is fine and dandy, as is the control panel. The little blue LED looks nifty at night and the knob feels very cool when you adjust the volume.
If you want a great system for your computer or TV, this is a great choice, and Amazon has a great price. If you want a super state of the art system, look elsewhere, but this system performs very well for the price Amazon has it at.
Customer Review: One Word: Amazing...
Summary: 5 Stars
I was recently searching for a new speaker system for my computer, but I was looking for something with all the specs. I looked at all the different [high quality] brands like Altec Lansing and Creative Labs. I did a lot of research for speakers [about a few months] before I decided to get the Logitech z-5500.
Pros-
-Crisp sound... AMAZING quality.
-Able to use it on your tv or home theater system.
-Able to use it for playing games on your tv or whatever you want.
-Remote.
-Nice control box.
-Bass is incredible.
-Volume for it is the best. It has 20 bars for the volume, but you can go past that... 11 more times [boost 11]. My walls begin to shake with the volume on about 4 or 5 [that's pretty loud already].
-There are different settings for the center speaker, the surround, and the sub. [Set it to what you like best.]
-There are also settings for if you're watching a movie, playing music, stereo, stereo x2, 6 channel direct. These settings will maximize your quality.
Cons-
-Too many wires - it took me a while to set it up, but it was worth it. There's a red and black wire [one of those wires that has 2 different ones but are connected] that you need to connect to each speaker. It was kinda annoying. The wires are very long, but the purpose of that is for you to mount the satellites in the corner [I haven't gotten the chance to do that so I have a whole bunch of wires sitting in 1 place]. Not a big deal for me when I get the chance to mount them.
- When you turn off the speakers, there is still a red light that glows from the control box. I don't really like to leave things "on" [even tho it's really off], so I have to put the plug into a circuit breaker and turn the whole thing off every time.
-After I set it up, it was a bit confusing to figure out how to turn on the speakers and later I found out that the switch for the whole speaker is located in the back of the sub. [Not a big deal]
Customer Review: bom boom booom...
Summary: 5 Stars
while one could find louder amps and subwoofs this system does justice for home use and maybe some band uses. I would like to have had either a Coax or Optical digital connector for this thing as its price is outrageous to not give some of the additional perks for the system. Maybe some mounts for the wall would make this thing worth 6 stars and not 5.
if you obtain the proper wiring for digital formats that are programmed into this beast you have one of the best rock boxes you can have on the market. The sub-woofer has an upper limit that is possibly just a bit low yet that might be a good thing as if it were to get higher levels you would be burning more than the 1000 watts to create the low booms that are sufficiently loud at the highest level.
The quality that you get from the digital up-links is incredible and is hard to put words to as its just simply near perfect for what you use it for, were it music or movies... The speakers have no mounting screws or plates and thus a trip to the hardware store is probably required to mount these things I find as long as they aren't in the way were they are mounts aren't needed other than a simple amenity to a room.
The design could possibly use some thought to compacting this thing as its very large (mostly the woofer) and you might have a hard time finding a place for that beast to be. There is also the fact of its weight and one needs some muscle to lug this thing around, I remember struggling up the 10 stairs in my house and saying to myself its got to be 80 lbs and then the stairs make it seem twice its weight... make sure you have a couple of people to haul it to make sure nothing drops and your out close to $400 worth of equipment (its better than a warranty outright to not break it and breaking your arms taking somewhere, the warranty doesn't cover your arms)
otherwise a great system for completing that entertainment center you might be thinking about.
Customer Review: amazing piece of sound system
Summary: 5 Stars
There is no much to add about this awesome speaker system. The speakers are very clear and crispy sound, while the sub is strong enough to shake any small-medium room. Since I live in an apartment (third floor) I actually had to create a custom anti-noise system made out of box pieces because the vibration produced by the sub was too strong that people living downstairs (and not only exactly beneath me) felt it (using only half of the speaker level).
FYI, I have readed that the analog-digital convertors and the DTS and Dolby Digital processor chips are Cirrus, a quite well reputed brand included in high quality audiophile equipments. I personally find the DTS codifier amazing: Try it with a DTS included sound DVD movie and activate the function (for instance HERO and the flying arrows scene). I've heard other systems in a similar range-price and the difference is so evident even if you aren't audiophile. The systems components are really high quality. I strongly recommend to use only optical-fiber cable when watching movies.
I would conclude that this system is excelent for movies in a small or medium room (I haven't tried yet with games but I'd say it'll be awesome). It'd work that good for larger rooms if the surround speakers were bigger and more middly, but the sub can fill out this gap. Music is very good also, but there is an evident lack of medium range that is missed sometimes. However and surprisingly this "fault" gives the music a very deep clarity which is not so common in lower-quality music equipments.
I bought this as a Home-Theater system and I don't have plans in using it for games right now. It has fullfilled all my expectations. My decision was mainly based on comments seen in many websites, and also its hardware components and the THX certification. Just look around and you'll find out more than 90% are positives. I just add myself to the majority. Enjoy it!