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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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System
Customer Review: If it says Logitech...
Summary: 5 Stars
I do alot of comparison shopping. Sometimes it will take me months to make a final decision. Well, with the Logitech Z-5500, I made no exception. So, when my OEM Boston Acoustics bit the dust, I suddenly found computer speakers on the top of my wishlist. I have to say, I made the best choice! I have also learned that if the label is Logitech, it is quality!
Out of the box, which was huge and heavy, I was amazed! The images you see on the web do these spaekers no justice esp. since aesthetics were just as important as sound quality. I was afraid the control unit would look cheap and plastic. Nope, it's solid and looks handsom on my cherry wood desk. It is alot of work to set-up though. It's easy, just time intesive with all the wires and plastic sleaves.
The speakers stand about 10 inches with rubber skids so they stay-put. And they are one unit with the legs so they do not fall apart when touched, like the Boston Acoustics.
The Control Center stands about 11-12 inches. It's five buttons are pretty simple and straight forward. The volume dial is like those on an amplifier in a home stereo component system. Power On is Blue and Off is red. On the right hand side is an output for headphones and below that an input jack for an ipod or equipment of that ilk. You can hook it up with analogy jack (3) or the digital jack (1). Until you see the connectors, you don't really realize just how sturdy and powerful looking this system is!
The Subwoofer, holy cow! It's big and heavy, so if you do not have space for it, start making room in a corner somewhere. Don't count on hiding it under a bed, couch or next to the computer case. It's too big for the first two and must be a minimum 2 feet away from any electronic equipment - that includes the computer!
I would guestimate it as 2' x 1.5' x 1.5'.
Then I fired it up. It rivals the Bose speakers in my home stereo system.
I started with some Classical and was marveled by the depth. I kept turning it down and lowered the level on the base. Four notches up; I was afraid I'ld wake the neighbors. Then I tried some dance music. I imediately stopped that! I didn't need the police at my house. ha-ha. Then I popped in a DVD. Forget about it! It's Star Wars the way you NEVER heard it before, not even at the theatre! Finally, I played a game, no need to know which one. If you are a gamer, even if you have today's top of the line video card, you are REALLY missing something until you experience Logitech's Z-5500. It's a whole new level of realism I think we all overlook.
When my partner got home, who thought I was nuts for spending this much money on speakers, I ran the same audio experience. The response? Big eyes and a dropped jaw. Now, I'm in danger of loosing my speakers to a ceiling projector TV. I hope Amazon can help me with a good deal on one of those.
In sum, I've never heard sound this defined and clear.
My only issue, I found these speakers cheaper elsewhere, retail; not refurbished. I informed Amazon about it & their price is still the same. But, for the most part, amazon is still one of the lowest prices with the best shipping cost. So, unless you qualify for a deal elsewhere...
Customer Review: Strong Sound Delivery, but Not Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased the Z-5500's as a replacement for my Klipsch Pro Media Ultra 5.1 (KPMU 5.1) system. Those of you familiar with the KPMU 5.1 know it's a beautiful product with rich, warm, powerful sound and an impressive dynamic range (due to excellent case construction and its BASH amplifier).
Of course, the KPMU 5.1 has a history of burning out its amp after a couple years, and follow-on repairs just push that inevitable event to the right for awhile. So, I went looking for something with as much power (or more) to replace my KPMU 5.1 and settled, after reading a number of reviews, on the z-5500.
I've used Logitech speakers in the past for less demanding applications, and I was honestly a bit leery of the z-5500's. Logitech's higher end products always deliver powerful bass and very (very) bright treble, but I've never cared for the midrange - too metallic. The z-5500 suffers from this a bit, but you can lessen the impact with some creative pre-amp mixing. I think the metal speaker cones and plastic cases and stands may have a lot to do with the brightness of the sound they deliver.
This leads to my only real complaint about this system: way too much plastic. Unlike the KPMU 5.1's particle board and metal construction, Logitech went on the cheap for materials on the satellite speakers. The sub box is particle board and, especially if you corner load it, performs very well, but the satellites feel...cheap. In fact, the construction is so cheap I had to replace my first set of z-5500's because one of the stands and cases on a satellite broke during shipment.
Set up was fairly quick, especially since Logitech ditched the plug connectors for its satellites and went with standard two-line leads. My office is already pre-wired with some mid-to-high grade Monster Cable, so the z-5500 was truly a "drop-in replacement" for my KPMU 5.1 (thank goodness).
Once set up and running, the z-5500 performs pretty well, especially at higher volumes, where the sound blending tends to mute the shallower mid-range. Positional sound is very good, and the control pod allows for fairly good fine tuning. If you're using this with a computer (as I am), you'll likely need to work with both your sound card's controls and the speakers' control pod to get the sweet spot properly caged. Once you nail it, the overall sound delivery is very satisfying, though I'm toying with the idea of swapping the z-5500's satellites with those from my KPMU 5.1 to do some comparison testing. The z-5500's are rated for higher power, but I've never pushed the KPMU 5.1 to its upper limits, so this might be an interesting experiment (and possibly fix my minor mid-range complaints).
Overall, I'm satisfied with the z-5500. It's not a must buy, but if you're looking for a reasonably priced, powerful 5.1 system for computer (and possibly, home theater) application, it's worth giving this one a good look.
THE GOOD: Excellent sub, control pod, high volume performance
THE BAD: Mid-range lacks depth, but mostly fixable with some creative mixing
THE UGLY: Plastic cases and stands on satellites, metallic silver-grey paint scheme on same looks little cheap.
Customer Review: Disappointed after reading all the hype.
Summary: 3 Stars
Compared to those cheap stereo speakers that come with new computers, of course these are going to sound much better. Personally, though, I bought these to replace an old Kilpsch Promedia 5.1 Ultra system. In comparison, the 5500s sound a lot muddier, and a lot of the details I used to be able to hear with the Klipsch were no longer distinguishable on the Logitech 5500s. (I don't really consider myself an audiophile, but even I noticed the difference in sound quality, which says something...)
But, these 5500s *are* cheaper than the Klipsch, so lower quality is to be expected. However, the drop in quality is a bit too much, I think, for the difference in price. That's not to say these 5500s are not a good fit for certain situations. I suppose gaming doesn't suffer too much, and if you keep the volume cranked up all the time, you probably won't care about any subtle details anyway. The bass is overpowered, as is to be expected in most PC systems, but also quite messy. For example, instead of being able to hear accents and unique tones in a sequence of bass notes with the appropriate breathing room around them, all you get is a long continuous muddy and overpowering sound. It could be good for games and some kinds of music, but for most types of music, it takes away a lot from the experience. As for the mids and highs, they are quite weak, especially the mids-- they're almost non-existent. Granted, sub + satellites don't produce great mids, but I was hoping for at least something better. Messing with the EQ helps somewhat, as you can adjust the relative volumes of the various frequencies, but it does not help with the clarity or texture of the sound. Plus there are response and dynamics issues that simply can't be addressed by amplitude modulation of individual frequencies alone.
In frustration, I decided to switch out the 5500 satellites and plug in my old Klipsch sats. The mids and highs did sound better-- definitely clearer, a little brighter, but somewhat harsh. I'll probably switch back the original 5500 sats though, because those have an impedance of 8 ohm, whereas the Klipsch sats are 6 ohms. The 2 ohm difference probably won't damage the amp, but you never know.
One thing I will say, is that the control panel is pretty nice. I would've liked more weight on the volume knob (actually, more weight on the whole control panel overall), but it does provide some useful functions and information.
In conclusion, it's hard to categorize these speakers. They're definitely impressive if it's your first time listening to a 5.1 system. At the same time, any self-proclaimed audiophile would probably never give these a second look (or listen). I fall somewhere in between. I'm not really caught up in all the expensive audiophile gear, but I do appreciate good sound. (Playing in university orchestra for 4 years sorta makes you sensitive to sound quality.) After reading a lot of the reviews, I had high expectations for these speakers, but in the end they still sounded like "entry level" speakers. Maybe I was just spoiled with the Klipsch. Too bad their (Klipsch's) amps have such a high failure rate.
Customer Review: Truly a very big bang for your buck
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought these last Fall to replace a cheap "fake 5.1" set of speakers I had purchased some years earlier to go with my PS2, back when I didn't really know much about audio.
Since then I've learned a lot, and really, these Z-5500's are fantastic. Logitech goes on and on proclaiming how THX certification is a wonder thing, blah blah. But when you put in a Dolby Digital or DTS DVD and crank these up, you'll realize what they're talking about. It really does sound like you're in a movie theater.
I can't imagine wanting anything more than these for a 5.1 all-in-one system. I saw some reviews that claimed they really aren't as loud as most people say. Well I have to say that's not true. I haven't dared to turn the volume up past about 50%, because by that point I'm probably already seriously disturbing the neighbors. On my first "real" test I was watching The Fellowship of the Ring. You know in the prologue, the scene where Sauron is defeated and a huge explosion levels the battlefield? The entire ROOM was vibrating. Any louder and things just MIGHT have started to fall over. After that, I decided to turn the bass down a few notches (from its default position) for the remainder of the movie.
The bass isn't "boomy" at all, it's rich, and blends very discreetly with the rest of the audio (as do the other 5 speakers-it's very natural sounding, if they're positioned right). However, at lower volumes the bass might be a little too absent for some.
These speakers sound absolutely amazing at moderate to loud volumes for:
-DVDs with Dolby Digital or DTS audio
-PS2, GameCube, or Xbox games with Dolby ProLogic II, Dolby Digital, or DTS audio (the GameCube is only capable of analog stereo/DPLII, but Resident Evil 4 sounded really great and the rear speakers were doing their job pretty well)
-High Definition Digital Cable shows which feature Dolby Digital (Law & Order, CSI, Lost, etc.)
-Of course regular stereo sounds fine too, it just doesn't shine like the others do.
Music isn't quite as impressive sounding on these, but it's very far from bad. Just don't use the 2x sound mode, or ProLogic II "Music Mode." They're pretty lame.
A few extra things to note:
-Yes, there tends to be a "pop" or "thud" when switching between sound modes or inputs. It's not annoying to me, nor that loud.
-No buzzing coming from the speakers when silent. This is good.
-The subwoofer is bigger than you think it is, even if you think it is quite big already.
-I sincerely wish there were more than two digital inputs. If you have more than two devices which you want to get digital audio from, you may want to look into some sort of digital audio switcher/selector. Honestly, this is the same problem many HDTV's have (not enough component video inputs).
Bottom line: If you're looking for a complete 5.1 setup that can provide stereo, 6-channel direct, Dolby ProLogic II, Dolby Digital, DTS, and DTS 96/24 audio decoding, THEN LOOK NO FURTHER AND BUY THESE NOW. ^_^ Don't forget to get some digital audio cables though.
Customer Review: You won't be disappointed
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's face it. Most PC speakers suck! They lack presence, tend to muddle mid-range / mid-bass, the highs tend to be harsh and tinny, present a poor soundstage, and almost always lack proper power. And bass...hah! That's a joke. Not all subwoofers and amplifiers are created equal, and this Logitech does nothing but epitomize that point.
PROS:
First, the meat: This sub / amp combo is beefy. There's no other word for it (common, I know...but you get the point). The amp has plenty of power, even at lower volumes, and the sub is punchy and accurate and yet, possesses enough excursion to accurately render sub-bass at ~30Hz without bottoming out. At half volume, there's no audible distortion or muddying of the sub / mid-bass notes. (Half volume is plenty loud, believe me).
Second: The satellite speakers have excellent mid / high recreation (which you would expect from a THX rated component) - though not *quite* in the audiophile range. (Hey...we're talking ~$3xx for the whole deal, remember). The present a solid sound stage with accurate reproduction and little to no distortion at higher volumes. The driver's themselves are slightly on the small side, but again, we're not talking audiophile grade components here.
Overall, for the cost (I paid less than $300 when I bought this a year ago), you simply won't find a more cost-effective or better sounding setup for your PC.
CONS:
The design of the satellite speaker bases are somewhat lacking. While the speakers themselves are solid, the bases are a rather flimsy ABS plastic and only possess two mounting holes, which are difficult to get to due to the design of the speakers and their limited swivel movement. It is possible, but use caution and BE GENTLE.
The Control Module connection to the sub is a little on the short side. It would have been nice to see that be a little longer. Same for the 6-channel direct connections. You can replace those yourself, if you wish, but at this price point, those cables really should have been longer. Ditto on the satellite speaker wiring. Again, I used my own...but I guess Logitech didn't figure on Bedrooms larger than 10'x10'. :)
The Control Module does not have HDMI in, so no Dolby TrueHD - You'll have to set your sound card / blu ray player to downmix Dolby TrueHD to standard Dolby Digital. DTS-Master HD seems to work, though (or at least downmixes to standard DTS).
Final Thoughts:
Unless you're willing to spend considerably more $$ on a small 5.1 or 7.1 setup for your bedroom, this Logitech should fit the bill nicely. You will need to spend some time tweaking your sound card's EQ to get the best midrange reproduction possible out of the satellites, but if you know what you're doing...it shouldn't take long and it's well worth the effort.
I feel you will be hard-pressed to find anything that offers the clarity, accuracy and presence that this system offers without spending well above this price point.