[Review] Logitech z-5500

[Redestium]

A 3.5MM MiniJack to RCA Y-Splitter.

And for the other question.  Ther eis a hiss at high volume but that is normal on speakers.  Almost, if not all speakers do that.  Its not very noticable.  God the audigy makes these speakers less good.  God damn audigy.  Me wants M-Audio.

584757771[/snapback]

So Logitech sells this system without all the parts needed to connect it to a standard sound card?

[Daishi]

prolly comes with the coaxial but not the regular plug

[kombolcha]

all you need now is a nice LCD monitor to match your speakers ;)

[DMWhiteDragon]

First off, i got the Z-680's a long time ago, (in fact that Input+Settings thing doesn't show me a firmware version... in fact shows nothing hehe) but i have been very happy with them :)

I do agree with them not being perfect for music however, for instance on my set if you put all volumes on "middle" settings and play "Black Eyed Peas - Lets Get Retared" the bass is *very* distored (after some testing it seems to be the higher range of the crossover at higher volmes and certain freq). I do of course just have a seperate equilaiser setting for music now ;)

Also the "hiss" everyone talks about doesn't really seem to be a problem for me, if i turn them on and put my ear right next to the speaker i can hear it, 4 inchs away... can't hear it, and as the latest control centers have this fixed anyways, i think the Z-5500 would certianly not suffer from it...in fact if you *have* to think of the 5500 as a better 680 set... think of it as a bigger, better "refined" set. everything about the specs and reviews is bigger/better/clearer than the 680s

I am looking to upgrade and i have my Z-680s connected to my PC, HD top box and DVD Player/XBOX (last two share optical, HD box on the coax, PC uses the 3x2 stereo mini jacks to a Herc Game Theater XP 7.1) i also have my rears and fronts on the walls.... (althrough strictly in dolby digital setups, they arn't rears, they are "side" speakers... but i dont care *that* much... lol)

what i would really like to know is, if i take down my 680s... would the 5500's fit in the same wall mounted positions? what i did was swivel the stands and screw them in through the two holes on the stand

from reading all the specs the main thing i loved was "distortion free bass" thats what i wanna have :)

im from australia tho, and aparently we have to wait till nov for the first shipment, my syd suppler got 1025 units and have sold 698 already on "pre-order" hehe, not bad going really, $499 AUD

[tkyoshi]

So Logitech sells this system without all the parts needed to connect it to a standard sound card?

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No they do, this is an issue involving Creative. They are putting a proprietary connector on the card that is NOT standard.

Standard would be Optical or Coax out, Creative uses the Digital Minijack and only ships the adaptor with their OWN speaker systems and will not sell the adaptor separately.

[Liquid]

So the hiss is only noticeable at high volumes? Not at low volumes right?

584757971[/snapback]

Yes high volumes only. Very common on speakers, nothing to worry about.

[Redestium]

No they do, this is an issue involving Creative. They are putting a proprietary connector on the card that is NOT standard.

Standard would be Optical or Coax out, Creative uses the Digital Minijack and only ships the adaptor with their OWN speaker systems and will not sell the adaptor separately.

584763652[/snapback]

So is that just with the Audigy 2? :unsure:

[tkyoshi]

So is that just with the Audigy 2??:unsure::

584764167[/snapback]

Correct, I think the Audigy also has digital out so it would apply to that one as well.

However if you have the Platinum/Platinum Pro then it comes with standard optical SPDIF out.

[absolutmp5]

pleese someone pleese answer some of my questions on page five i am really lost.

[DeX]

Heard these babies on the Logitech demo at a gamers event. They're pretty damn hot! Still a pain in the pocket though, thats why I'm sticking to 2.1.

ANd besides, its always better to dream :) .

[DMWhiteDragon]

Hey my first post. Just a few questions.

I want to get a speaker system hookup for my ps2 and dvd player. i just dont know enough about hooking up so il ask these questions.

1. since these speakers dont use speakerwire how long are the cables that come with them, liquid gave 25' as the length for the rear channels. is that in feet? and how long are the wires for the front channels

2. Also is possible to hook a av reciever to this system.

3. how do you use the surround sound feature, from dvds and video games off the ps2 or a dvd player.

4.  would you recommend using the z-5500 for a home theather system?

5. how would i try to hook up my tv to the system. I do have a headphoen jack in the front of the tv but i was hoping their was a alternate option.

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1) no idea whatsoever hehe

2) if you mean can you connect normal stereo inputs from the RCA red/white/yellow, then yes. the 3 stereo mini jacks work as either 6 speaker input for say a PC, or as 3 seperate stereo inputs. You will of course need RCA -> Stereo Mini Jack connectors :), this is of course another + from the 680s as they can't do that.... its early so maybe i got what you were talking about wrong here

3) for surround sound to work correctly, you need to get information to all 6 speakers at once, and for dolby digital and DTS you need a decoder aswell. the easy way is to use the Optical out on your PS2 or DVD player and connect that to the speakers (using of course optical cable from a store, doesn't come with the speakers). Now i believe the PS2 doesn't have an Coax digital out... but your dvd player might.... so if your lucky you can connect both at the same time :)

also, like the XBOX, you should will be able to use the optical out for all sound on the ps2, not just games/dvd's that use surround sound

4) Absolutely, with support for DTS 96/24 (Studio quality sound) its even more viable than the 680's are as a HT system

[coolkoombaya]

Im just wondering, if you connect 2 sets of the Logitech Z-5500 5.1 speakers, and make a 10.2 system, that is, u have a set of speakers near the floor, and the other set near the ceiling, that will create a more imerssive enviroment. But how do you connect these two sets together, like into a DVD player or PC sound card. Im in Australia, so I gotta wait until November 15, for them to be released, and Im getting one set. If its mad, I'll get another, but how do i connect them?????

[Liquid]

Im just wondering, if you connect 2 sets of the Logitech Z-5500 5.1 speakers, and make a 10.2 system, that is, u have a set of speakers near the floor, and the other set near the ceiling, that will create a more imerssive enviroment. But how do you connect these two sets together, like into a DVD player or PC sound card. Im in Australia, so I gotta wait until November 15, for them to be released, and Im getting one set. If its mad, I'll get another, but how do i connect them?????

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No that wouldn't work.

1. I just wouldn't work

2. Name a 10.2 channnel source... ;)

[mojomonkee]

just read this review.... doesn't seem critical at all. seems more like someone spent a large hunk of cash and needed to prove to themself it was worth it.

[hjimmy]

Liquid,

It seems like you only use the digital in with no analog input on your speaker? In creative sound card, the digital out is either dolby digital or DTS. If you need all 6 channels to do digital out, you need 2 digital out right (like connecting to creative dtt-3500)

It seems like you do a real-time dolby encoding on your sound card, so you can send dolby signal to your speaker (to overcome the issues above). Is that correct? But by doing so, i mean, Dolby is pretty compressed anyway, isn't it better to just connect audio card to speaker with both 6 channels direct + digital out? So if you play games or do normal work, use 6 channels direct, if you watch movie then switch to digital out.

P.S. is the headphone jack on the back of the control panel?

[Redestium]

Could you take some shots of the back of the control center and, if possible, the back of your sound card? I want to see how it's connected exactly.

[Liquid]

Could you take some shots of the back of the control center and, if possible, the back of your sound card?  I want to see how it's connected exactly.

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Will do ASAP, I modded my audigy plat deck now to use the Coax out on it so i just have a cable coming from inside my computer lol.

AWWK! My mom has my camera, I have to wait till she gets home.

[AcdShdw]

oh crap dude u got them hehe enjoy

[Liquid]

oh crap dude u got them hehe enjoy

584776846[/snapback]

Oh I am enjoying them very much.

I got more pics too at

PhotoZONE Image Gallery Beta

[JonathanSmith68]

Once again, is there anyway we could see the back of the control thing? I'm also interested in seeing what it entails. Thanks

Edit: :blush: didnt read the previous post, sorry. *awaits paitently*

[Redestium]

Will do ASAP, I modded my audigy plat deck now to use the Coax out on it so i just have a cable coming from inside my computer lol.

AWWK! My mom has my camera, I have to wait till she gets home.

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Thanks bud. (Y)

[hog]

nice review.........i think you should make a video of that bass test lol

[Liquid]

What you have been waiting for.

[DMWhiteDragon]

What you have been waiting for.

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i assume that bit on the end is the switch between 6 channel and 3x2 channel for the 3 left mini-jacks?

[.....]

No they do, this is an issue involving Creative. They are putting a proprietary connector on the card that is NOT standard.

Standard would be Optical or Coax out, Creative uses the Digital Minijack and only ships the adaptor with their OWN speaker systems and will not sell the adaptor separately.

584763652[/snapback]

I don't have an Audigy 2, but it seems to be a regular optical mini-jack. An adapter to connect up a regular optical cable to one of these is about ?2, and most optical cables come with the adapter now. Mine is over a year old, and was a cheap ?10 cable (quality doesn't matter; it's digital and optical doesn't need shielding) and it still came with the adapter. Infact I'm using it right now with my iMac.

First off, i got the Z-680's a long time ago, (in fact that Input+Settings thing doesn't show me a firmware version... in fact shows nothing hehe) but i have been very happy with the:):)

Hold down input / settings on the reciever unit for 5-10 seconds and it'll tell you. This does not work with the remote, you need to press the buttons on the actual unit. (when it is in standby)

Doing this will reset all your settings though, so make a note beforehand if you've spent a while tweaking the system.

I do agree with them not being perfect for music however, for instance on my set if you put all volumes on "middle" settings and play "Black Eyed Peas - Lets Get Retared" the bass is *very* distored (after some testing it seems to be the higher range of the crossover at higher volmes and certain freq). I do of course just have a seperate equilaiser setting for music no;);)

The bass level on the z680s should be set to one bar from off, and anything higher than three bars will distort at higher volumesHoweverb> even at its lowest setting some would argue that it is putting out too much bass. I know I wish there was somewhere inbetween that and zero at times.

Bass is not supposed to drown out the other sounds (like it does when you start approaching the midway point on the setting) it is supposed to accompany it. However most people just think the louder it is the better it is...

Also the "hiss" everyone talks about doesn't really seem to be a problem for me, if i turn them on and put my ear right next to the speaker i can hear it, 4 inchs away... can't hear it, and as the latest control centers have this fixed anyways, i think the Z-5500 would certianly not suffer from it...in fact if you *have* to think of the 5500 as a better 680 set... think of it as a bigger, better "refined" set. everything about the specs and reviews is bigger/better/clearer than the 680s

There was only a hiss "issue" pre 1.1.2 firmware, it has been fixed. There is still some degree of white noise (hiss) when the speakers are on, particularly noticable when nothing is playing, but this is typical of a powerful speaker system.

from reading all the specs the main thing i loved was "distortion free bass" thats what i wanna hav:):)

For the price, I guarantee you that it will not be "distortion free bass" It may not distort until higher levels, but it will definitely distort. Different people have different impressions of what actuallisi> distortion. For example, you said you only notice it when it's set half-way or above. I notice it on anything louder than one bar when the system is at higher volumes, however this is not a problem as even the lowest setting is too high at these levels in many cases (especially from analogue sources as they tend to have "muddy" bass.

The speaker cabling is the main reason I won't be upgrading though. The speakers may be slightly improved, and certainly look a bit nicer (although I think the z680s will actually look better in my setup than these) but the fact that it uses RCA cables means that there will be quite an extra cost added on to them, as the cables they come with are too short for me. (and I have a small room) Had they used standard speaker wire like the z680 I would probably have picked them up, but I have already spent over ?100 on the wiring in my room, and am not prepared to do the same again for inferior cables.