Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 505-Watt 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System

List Price: $413.97 Discount Price: $233.36

Features:

• Product Type - Speaker
• Localization - English
• System Components - 5.1 Speaker
• Response Bandwidth - 33Hz - 20KHz

Accessories:
Logitech Cordless MX Duo 967300-0403	Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones	Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Sound Card	Sennheiser PC150 Noise Cancelling PC Headset	Creative Labs Sound Blaster Extigy Sound Card

Customer Reviews:

Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 505-Watt 5.1 Digital...  [Posted on 2008-06-30]
All I can say about this unit is WOW. The unit is heavy so make sure they deliver it to your door step. The instructions are very stright forward. The wires are a little short if you are putting the speakers on the wall which is easy because of the swivel mounting. Twist it one was it works on the desk or twist it the other way and it mounts on the wall.
I bought some extra wire from Radio Shack. I wanted to use white wire so it didn't show up coming down the wall. The easy way to keep the wires stright is to put a piece of masking tape on the end of each wire with the location of the speaker, ie RR(right rear), LF(left front) etc. I tried some heaver wire but found there was not that much difference in the sound quality. I didn't try shielded wire because of the cost and I don't hear any interference with regular wire. The rest of the setup is pretty stright forward. Just plug the wires in the back in the correct place that are marked. Make sure about the correct color speaker wires to the correct terminals. The way I have used the remote is on line of sight to a distance of about 20 ft. You may be able to get more distance.
The sound is as good I could ever imagine it would be. You can adjust the Center speaker to hear stronger vocals or turn up the surround to bring a more balance sound where you are sitting. If you really want to make thunder turn up the sub and listen to the windows rattle. Just make sure it is not to close,(two foot minimum) to your monitor, computer, TV, or any games or DVD,s. The magnet is strong and heavy. The worst thing about this unit so far has been that I can't get the optical 5.1 to work with my computer.
This is the second time I have had really quick delivery service from Amazon. I ordered this unit on a Wednesday and it was here on Friday using regular shipping.

Sub is almost the size of a mini fridge! [Posted on 2008-07-02]
Bought this item on Sunday, and was delivered by Tuesday. So far this thing bumps, seriously! Would definetly recommend to serious gamers, film enthusiast or ones just looking to iritate their neighbors. If your thinking about buying, just stop and buy it!

First Impressions [Posted on 2008-07-05]
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.

Best on the market... [Posted on 2008-07-05]
I bought this system to replace my Klipsch 4.1 system and the first thing I noticed was the ENORMOUS subwoofer. Great, it should have house shaking bass. I was so wrong! The sub on the Klipsch system was roughly half the size of this one and managed to knock things off the walls. My next issue was that the speakers do not have tweeters, just large mid range speakers. Logitech claims these work just as well, but this is clearly a lie. I hooked the Klipsch satellites up to the Logitech head unit and sub and heard the incredible difference the separate tweeters make. For the price of this system, I feel slightly ripped off. I do love the adjustments, screen and inputs though.

PROS
-Lots of inputs
-Screen, remote and adjustments
-Good mids
-Wires are reasonable long, no stupid proprietary plugs
CONS
-Weak bass
-Poor highs
-Cheap plastic construction and plastic bases
-Huge subwoofer (I could barely find a place to put it!!)
-Controls on the remote are better than those on the control pod

If you're thinking about, NIKE! Just do it! [Posted on 2008-07-15]
I was so hesitant because one the price was a little steep and convicing my wife took some time. This was an upgrade for me from z5300e, I'm currently using the SB Extreme Gamer, sound card.

Pros:
The sound is amazing, twice as nice as my z5300e.
Remote control, actually comes in handy since I watch movies from bed.
Price, was a con at first for me but compared to other systems, it's well worth it's value.
My wife always thinks someone else is in the house us when I play games/movies.

Cons:
The sound console that sits on your desk is rather large, as large as the satellite speakers.
I have to recaulk my windows and reframe pictures because the bass is off the chizart.
I wish I had bought this 6 months ago.
My wife always thinks someone else is in the house when I play games/movies.

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