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: For the money, the Z-5500 exceeds expecations in every respect - Also Helpful HINTS!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying that this is my third speaker system that I have owned for my Gateway PC.
I started out using the speakers that came with the computer system itself which is actually a speaker bar that mounts under my 24" monitor. Those speakers are OK for basic use, but being the electronics geek that I am and appreciate great sounding music and movies, I quickly realized that 6 watt speakers mounted to a speaker bar was not going to cut it. The good thing about this speaker bar is that it does have simulated 3D sound which does sound kinda cool when watching movies.
OK, so it was time to upgrade and decided that I wanted to get a great sounding system with lots of bass and clean sound. I also decided that surround sound was not very important (at the time) and settled on the Logitech Z-2300 2.1 set up. I figured that when watching movies, since the set up had so mch power, It would be good enough for me. Purchased them, had them for a few months and let me tell you, LOVED these speakers.... for music! When I listened to music, it sounded almost flawless. Great pounding bass, mid and highs were clear for a PC set up at the price I paid. Was very happy with them until I started to watch movies... As far as the front of the soundstage and lows, the Z-2300 got the job done, however I really did have buyer's remorse only due to the fact that the spacial surround effects of the soundstage was missing. Could not totally enjoy watching movies so I then decided, I was going to make one last leap and purchase a REALLY GOOD 5.1 set up.
At this point, since space is an issue with my home, I decided to step up to a 2.1 set up with simulated surround, again from Logitech and decided on the Z-Cinema set up. Long story very short, I HATED them... they looked nice, had a nice remote but the sound quality was mediocre and the bass was almost non-existent, especially when watching movies. I literally had them hooked up all of about an hour; disconnected them, boxed everything up and back to Amazon they went... very disappointed.
This is where the Z-5500's come into play. Now, just like a consumer should, I did some research on the best set up to buy... I for one was looking for build quality, power ratings, and of-course, best bang for my hard earned buck! I decided that I was going to stick with Logitech and get a TRUE 5.1 set up. Altough space is an issue, I decided what they heck and made the purchase.
I received the box and without delay, I started to unpack everything. I have read reviews that Logitech does not do a good job of packing the system but let me tell you, I disagree as I thought that everything was well laid out, wrapped, strapped, and tight. They even label instructions to keep the Sub away from your electronics and even thought of wrapping plastic straps around the sub so you can easily lift it out of the box.. that was a nice touch... nice job Logitech!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS--
Satellite speakers are of very nice build quality. They are heavy, and the drivers are constructed of quality materials
The Subwoofer is big, but not too big that you cannot fit it in an average size room with furniture. If I can fit it in my small place, then most people should not have an issue with space. Again, build quality/fit and finish is exceptional for the price you pay. The heat sink takes up about 3/4 of the rear of the sub abd should keep it cool. Connections are well laid out.
The Control Pod is A LOT bigger than I expected. This was the biggest surprise when I was unpacking the box. Looks really nice on my desk, great build quality, and did I mention the thing is BIG!! It is about 4" wide, 8" tall, and 2" deep.. Nicely laid out overall.
It does come with a remote that is nothing special, just a simple remote to operate all functions that you would use the control pod for. All black and fits nicely into your hand.
Comes with speaker wire and cables needed to hook everything up
HOOK UP--
As stated, I purchased my Z-5500 set up for my desktop PC. It is a Media Center Entertainment PC with a High Def sound card. So, I needed to hook them up to this PC.
I started with connecting the control Pod to the sub, then the 6 channel direct wires that come with the set up (your basic green, orange, and black analog wires) that connect to the back of your control pod to your PC's sound card. Then, the speaker wires were next... I started with the front left, right, then center.. you will know which speaker wires connect to the front since one of the bags in the box will have three shorter bundles of speaker wire (front left, center, and right) and a separate bag with two longer bundles for the rears. The only issue that I had with the installation process is that the rear speaker wires were not long enough. I rectified this problem by cutting and modifying the fronts since I had too much cable for the fronts. I cut off the excess from the fronts and spliced them into the rears and wahlah, problem solved.
At this point, plug the sub in, switch the sub on, along with the control pad and you are in business!!
LISTENING--
One word... WOW!! Even compared to the Z-2300 set up that I had, the Z-5500 are so much better in every sense.. Music sounds crystal clear... turn the volume up and you do not lose any of the sound fidelity at all. At higher levels, this set up actually sounds better and let me tell you, I have not heard a system that carries sound quite like this one. Today I was playing music and had to go outside, up the driveway and to the street to meet up with my son as the bus was dropping him off. I only had it turned up between ¼ and half way and could hear it outside. I can also hear the music throughout the house with no problem.
You will not be disappointed... for the money, I think that this set up exceeds expectations at this price range. Especially considering you can hook up several pieces of equipment at the same time, has 6 channel analog, digital fiber optical and digital coax connection for even higher quality audio. Not to mention that it has Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital and is THX certified. The best part about it is if you connect a digital cable to this set up, it will automatically switch to DIGITAL when the system detects media that was originally recorded in Digital (DTS etc)
This is the first system that I have owned where BOTH music AND movies sound perfect, with plenty of power to accurately and precisely recreate a soundstage that will leave you speechless! Plenty of bass, mids and highs sound incredible... the effects when watching movies is theater like... I actually find myself looking behind me at times during surround effects... I can go on and on about this system...
TIPS!--
1. If you are planning on buying this system and will be connecting it to something that has a fiber optic connection, PURCHASE A FIBER OPTIC CABLE! Let me tell you, it DOES make a world of difference compared to the analog cables. I listened to the set up with the analog cables the first day, then the second day I went out and purchased a FO cable and made a huge difference.. it's like the system "woke up".. satellites sound much better, cleaner, more depth... it is worth the extra money, believe me.
2. If you are going to buy the FO cable, MAKE SURE that you remove the plastic ends from each end of the cable... they will look like ends that belong there but they are not... they are just plastic ends used for shipping and to protect the ends from dirt and debris. You will just need to pull them straight off.
3. One more thing about connecting a fiber optic cable - it is not as easy as connecting the cable from the control pod to your PC, you will also need to change the default setting for your sound device or else you will not hear anything when you set the Z-5500 to the "Digital" setting. For VISTA, usually, you can go to the control panel, click on "Hardware and Sounds", then "sounds". This will bring up the window for your sound card settings. Be sure that you click on "Digital Output Device (S/PDIF)" and press the "Set Default" button as this will change your default to digital setting and will run the audio signal through your FO cable instead of the Analog cables.
4. This is a great investment for this 5.1 set up, but it is what it is, a surround sound set up. If you will be connecting this set up to your PC, you will get your monies worth and really appreciate the product if you have a High Def sound card. Look behind your PC tower and look for the audio ports.. this is your sound card and if it is 5.1, will have several ports with different colors. Typically, a good sound card will have a green, orange, back, and blue ports... also, if you see a square(ish) port that is lit up in red, that is an optical port which means that you are set up with a good quality 5.1 high def sound card and can take advantage of all of the z-500 features.
5. If you have a large room and you will be running length of speaker wire longer than 25' (and let me say that you will use that up in no time), you may want to go out and purchase better quality speaker wire (maybe 14 gauge) and get yourself about 100' of it to make sure you have enough. I myself will be doing that soon; I do think it's worth the investment.
6. When connecting the satellites, be sure to place them where they will rest before you run the speaker wire, this gives you an idea of what the set up will look like and a perspective on how you will run the wire.
7. If you can, place the sub near the corner of your room to maximize bass response, keep it about 2 feet away from electronics (is NOT magnetically shielded), especially your TV and DO NOT place the sub right against the wall... the sub will need to breathe as air passes through the heat sinks, front driver, and side bass port. They need to be away from a wall in order the avoid damage or potentially shorten the life of the sub.
That's it really... I really do recommend this product for anyone that enjoys music and movies. You cannot go wrong at this price range... Logitech has done a great job with this 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: Good, but you get what you pay for...
Summary: 3 Stars
I just got my Z5500 speakers about a week ago, and here are my first impressions...
Sound: Overall, for the price, the sound is good. Like other reviews have said, the midrange is weak, and they are not the best speakers for listening to music. Movies sound great so far. I've watched both Fellowship of the Ring DVD up-converted on a Blu-Ray player, and Batman Begins blu-ray, both sounded wonderful. Cable length is probably enough for most applications, but you can always use regular speaker wire if you need longer wire runs. It's probably a good idea to upgrade the wires anyway, but I haven't yet. Despite the subwoofer's huge size, I was a bit disappointed in the bass it puts out. I have it set up in a corner against two walls, and it still doesn't really impress me. It's ok for movies, but some music sounds a bit flat.
Appearance: The Z-5500 system looks good, blending in with most black/silver A/V equipment. Take note though, the sub is HUGE! Read the specifications for it and imagine where you will put it. It's not a small PC speaker set sub like you may be used to. The receiver thingy is also pretty large, although it doesn't really look like it in the picture.
Cons: There are several things about this system that have annoyed me so far, with no realistic fix, which is why I'm only giving it three stars. First, the stands on the surround speakers are a bit tricky to remove. I wanted to mount them to speaker stands, and they look silly having a stand on top of a stand. At a glance, you just have to remove a Philips head screw, but they have filled the groove with epoxy to prevent you from doing this. I couldn't figure out why, so I used some needle nose pliers to get the screw loose, then I realized why they don't want you taking it off. I heard this rattle inside the speaker once the stand was free... There is a hex nut that comes loose after the screw is removed! What a poor design. To get the hex nut out, (and you will want to or hear it bouncing around during playback), take the grill off, take the needle nose pliers and remove the rubber grill holders, and remove the four screws to take the speaker apart. You may have to also loosen the two screws in back that secure the wire holders. Get the nut out, and reassemble. Now you have an extra hole in your speaker!
The other nuances are that there is no auto standby feature. I have a 14 year old set of Sony speakers that can detect when there is an active source hooked up to it to save power. These new ones don't. Also, there is no way to dim the display that I can find, and it's too bright in a dark room while watching a movie. Another annoying thing is that when I listen to digital music from my cable provider, it often hiccups every time I change the music channel, and the rear speakers turn off. Changing the source and changing it back fixes it, but it happens about every time. If you are going to hook up an Ipod or PC to it with the 1/8" mini jack, be ready to hear a LOT of hum coming from all speakers, especially the center. The remote is also a pain; most universal remotes I've tried cannot control the volume on this, so you have to use the small, unlit remote. It may also be a challenge for some to remember which Input each device is on. For example, if your cable DVR is on coax and your blu-ray is on optical, you just have to remember that. I taped some small labels to the remote so that the electronically challenged member of my family can switch between devices with some clarity.
Other thoughts: This is not any fault of Logitech by any means, just a big hiccup in technology that I discovered the hard way. My plan was to hook up both my cable HD-DVR and Blu-Ray player to my TV using HDMI cables, and output the audio to the Z-5500 using an optical digital out cable. Easy enough, and I would never have to change the input on the speakers. The Cable DVR worked great; however, the Blu-Ray has absolutely no sound delivered to the Z5500, regardless of setting. Some Google research has taught me that while you would think any new HDTV would pass along any audio coming in from HDMI out through the optical, it's just not true. Usually only Cable 5.1 gets passed on, but others don't. So if you are planning on hooking up your PS3, Xbox, and DVR to the TV via HDMI and outputting the sound to the Z5500 via one optical cable, get ready to be disappointed. It just doesn't work. Some TVs may support this, but my new Sharp 52" LCD doesn't. To fix it, I had to use optical for the blu-ray, and coax for the DVR, which now means I must change the input not only on my TV, but also on the receiver every time I change between them. Again no fault of Logitech, but you may quickly run out of inputs on this system. I don't have any other devices yet, but if I do get even one more, I'll have nowhere to hook up the sound cable, unless it's a PC using the three mini plugs.
Overall the systems works great for the money, but be aware you may quickly run out of inputs on this system. The sound is enough to fill a fairly large room, but be aware of some shortcomings with this system.