[Review] Logitech z-5500

[MobiusTech]

ok i went ahead and bought an Audigy 2 ZS Notebook PCMCIA card. this will defeintely take full advantage of my speakers correct?

[kak]

Yeah, but I think it uses a proprietary adapter for their coaxial. You might just have to buy a convertor. I have a LiveDrive and just use the optical out.

[Daza]

on the far right corner theres a yellow port, this is the SPDIF connector and yes it will fit with the cable below. Optical does not provide "better sound" unlike analogue, digital works or it doesnt so theres nothing in between the both do the same job and yes optical has some advantages (i.e. provides a better interference free transmission medium at short distances) although just make sure you get a properly shielded coaxial cable and you shouldn't have any problems.

Hmm, I just searched google and I don't know which one to buy. Are the ends the same on both of the ends? Thanks again man! :)

Are you sure this is going to fit in my laptop though?

585563083[/snapback]

[MobiusTech]

on the far right corner theres a yellow port, this is the SPDIF connector and yes it will fit with the cable below. Optical does not provide "better sound" unlike analogue, digital works or it doesnt so theres nothing in between the both do the same job and yes optical has some advantages (i.e. provides a better interference free transmission medium at short distances) although just make sure you get a properly shielded coaxial cable and you shouldn't have any problems.

585565531[/snapback]

i got the older alienware 5500 (not a typo). you are showing the newer alienware 7700. :)

[G0rd0n]

WTH? My audigy LS doesn't have an coaxial out...Now I have a coxial cable and no place to use it...

[plaskos]

WTH? My audigy LS doesn't have an coaxial out...Now I have a coxial cable and no place to use it...

585566124[/snapback]

Gordon, work with me here I'm trying to help you out, haha. You missed my last post on the previous page, you need 2 items to make this work. Here's what my last post said

"I think you got the wrong idea..

If you want to do digital out from your Audigy LS you only need ONE wire going from your Digital Out port which is orange on your sound card, it's on the far end of your sound card. Now that orange digital out port is only 3.5 mm big, which is not the standard RCA connection your speakers take. So you need a cheap 4 dollar adaptor to go from 3.5mm (1/8inch) to female RCA.

something like this

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetai...349&newdeptid=2

after that you need to hook it up to the sound touch control centre using something like this

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetai...348&newdeptid=2

thats as far as the installation goes, the rest is settings through windows and such

but one step at a time /phew"

you're half way there, you just need that cheap 4 dollar adaptor so you can start using your coaxial cable. After you get that adaptor you have to configure your software to make it work, come back here on instructions how to do it when you're ready.

Good luck!

[G0rd0n]

All the ports on my Audigy LS are for RCA cables. That's why I can't fir the coxial in my digital out port on it. The Audigy LS, unlike the Audigy 2 ZS, does not have a coxial port on it.

[plaskos]

All the ports on my Audigy LS are for RCA cables. That's why I can't fir the coxial in my digital out port on it. The Audigy LS, unlike the Audigy 2 ZS, does not have a coxial port on it.

585569217[/snapback]

They're not RCA, they're mini phone plugs, 1/8 of a inch big. RCA is very different. But the goal is to go from the port on your Audigy LS - TO - a RCA plug so that you can use the wire you bought. To do that you NEED to buy THIS item

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetai...349&newdeptid=2

do you see how one end is a MALE mini plug? THAT end is plugging into your ORANGE port on your Audigy LS. See the other end of that adaptor? It's a FEMALE RCA port, which your Coaxial cable plugs into.

Get it?

On a side note, I just got my shipment today :D

I'll be testing it with my motherboard's onboard optical and then with my Audigy 2 ZS using coax using the SAME adaptor as you should be using Gordon :)

[Synomenon]

The thing is, coaxial is digital so you just can't connect it to that adapter. It won't work. He'll need some kind of 1/8" analog to digital coaxial converter and you would need expensive equipment to do that. 1/8" plug = analog, coaxial = digital, you just can't connect them together and have it work.

[Cyrana]

I have it and it plugs in just fine.

You need to use an optical cable, and you'll need the mini toslink adapter though. I got one for like $3.00 at a local electronics store (radio shack).

ok i went ahead and bought an Audigy 2 ZS Notebook PCMCIA card. this will defeintely take full advantage of my speakers correct?

585564028[/snapback]

[G0rd0n]

LOL. I think I might have bought the wrong adaptor...

I got this: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?cata...ct%5Fid=274-871

Should I have gotten this instead: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?cata...ct%5Fid=274-897 ? :blush:

[Joseph Zollo]

I just ordered a set of Z-5500's to replace my Z-680's (they're going into my living room).

Quick Question: My motherboard has a a built in optical output port (SoundMAX AC97). If i were to buy a high end card like an audigy, would my sound quality significantly improve?

[Hypoxiaicon]

I just ordered a set of Z-5500's to replace my Z-680's (they're going into my living room).

Quick Question: My motherboard has a a built in optical output port (SoundMAX AC97). If i were to buy a high end card like an audigy, would my sound quality significantly improve?

585570246[/snapback]

Yes.

But, The Audigy 2 LZ/ZS Pro DO NOT support Optical at all.

You will need a Coaxial Cable to 3.55mm Jack to fit into Creatives Digital Out 3.55mm Jack.

~~ Only the Platinum and Platinum Pro support Optical Outputs ~~

[plaskos]

I just ordered a set of Z-5500's to replace my Z-680's (they're going into my living room).

Quick Question: My motherboard has a a built in optical output port (SoundMAX AC97). If i were to buy a high end card like an audigy, would my sound quality significantly improve?

585570246[/snapback]

I've been asking the EXACT same thing, I'm waiting for someone to explain the advantage to an Audigy 2 ZS when we are FORCED to DISABLE the audigy's decoding anyway since the sound touch control centre has to do it. So basically the sound is just passing through any kind of sound card we have to the speakers so the sound touch control centre can do the decoding. I have the Audigy 2 ZS and my motherboard has onboard Optical and onboard Digital Coax out so the good news is I just picked up a Monster cable Optical AND Coaxial wire, and I just got my speakers today (still boxed up) so I'm gonna test BOTH and post the results soon enough.

[G0rd0n]

Can someone answer my question?

[Daza]

ok i went ahead and bought an Audigy 2 ZS Notebook PCMCIA card. this will defeintely take full advantage of my speakers correct?

585564028[/snapback]

Woops i thought you had a later model of that laptop, anyway it seems like the older version has a 3.5mm SPDIF port all you needed was a 3.5mm male to RCA adapter (female) this would of allowed you to take full advantage of the speakers. As for taking "full advantage" any SPDIF compatible sound card can take advantage of it (including onboard audio) it just passes 010101 data from the SPDIF port to the external DAC... i hope that makes sense? To make things more clearer if you copy a file from a CD-R to a HDD when opened there wouldn't be difference when viewed.

[plaskos]

Can someone answer my question?

585571590[/snapback]

Yes Gordon that is what you need, it has the male 1/8 inch on one end and a female RCA plug on the other, I don't know how many times I've repeated that :|

I've also posted a link to one like 6 times now

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetai...349&newdeptid=2

[Synomenon]

Yes Gordon that is what you need, it has the male 1/8 inch on one end and a female RCA plug on the other, I don't know how many times I've repeated that :|

I've also posted a link to one like 6 times now

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetai...349&newdeptid=2

585573298[/snapback]

Will that adapter really work? The RCA plug end that he is gonna put into that adapter carries a digital signal. What about the 1.8 inch end? Isn't that gonna be analog? Don't you need special equipment to convert a digital coax / RCA or optical INTO an analog signal?

[mrogers]

Holy crap some people need to learn to READ.

You are NOT converting the signal to analog when you get the RCA to 1/8 inch adapter!!!!! It is simply ADAPTING from one size (standard digital coax with an RCA-type connector) to Creative's 1/8 inch-sized digital out, which just HAPPENS to be the same size as 1/8 inch plugs used on analog connections.

Like plaskos and others have said MANY MANY times, you need a 1/8-inch MONO to RCA-style adapter.

EDIT: Oh and one other thing I've noticed some confusion on: what exactly "RCA" plugs are. At least one person thought they were the 1/8" standard headphone-style plugs; they are NOT. RCA is the type of plug that you use to plug your VCR, DVD player, or game console into your TV--you know, those red/white/yellow plugs? That's the size. But also know that it is just a type of plug, not a type of signal, so for whomever thought that RCA=analog, it does not. It depends on the type of signal you're sending through the wire, not the size of the plug. So RCA does not always equal analog and 1/8" does not always equal analog.

Additional: IsLNdbOi, this "special equipment" you keep talking about to convert a digital signal into analog...I'll give you a hint: in this case, it's silver, has a big knob on it, a blue LCD, and the Logitech logo. That's right, it's the Z-5500 control center.

Edited March 5, 2005 by mrogers

[G0rd0n]

OK, I got everything to work now, finaly. Thank you, plaskos. But since I plugged the coxial cable into the orange port of my soundcard, i now don't have s port to plug the orange RCA cable into. Is this normal?

[X@vier]

1) I have bought the new revised Logitech Z-5500 Speakers that come with the new speaker wire.

2) I have a Alienware Area-51m Laptop that comes with an onboard Audio: 5.1 channel out (SPDIF) / Line Out that uses C-Media 3D Audio Configuration Software.

Will my soundcard take full advantage of my Logitech Z-5500 and it's 5.1 Sound capability with THX, Dolby Digital Pro Logic II and DTS Digital Surround Sound? Or do I need a new PCMCIA/USB Sound Card? Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! :)

585562751[/snapback]

Bro, I was asking the same question, if u look on page 28 u'll see what I'm talking about. All u need is this cable

CLICK ME!!!!!

I hope that helps, if u have any more questions just ask.

X@vier

[plaskos]

OK, I got everything to work now, finaly. Thank you, plaskos. But since I plugged the coxial cable into the orange port of my soundcard, i now don't have s port to plug the orange RCA cable into. Is this normal?

585574867[/snapback]

No problem. And you made a typo here " i now don't have s port" but I think I know what you mean.

You know the wire that came with the speakers, the Green, Black, and Orange on each end, those wires are ONLY if you want an analog setup, the one you have working now is a digital setup so you don't need them at all. The only time you might consider using them is when you're playing games and want to use EAX or if you want to play a DVD-Audio disc. The reason why those don't work with digital output is a long story that is explained a few pages back.

By the way all my knowledge of these speakers come from previous pages of this thread as 99% of the issues have already been addressed by others.

[plaskos]

Ok so I first tried the speakers with my Audigy 2 ZS using Digital Coax for the first 2 days, then I tried it with my Motherboard's Optical Out. They are the exact same, either way the Sound touch control centre is doing the decoding, the only difference is the lack of Creative software to play with.

Quick question, what mode to most people play their standard mp3's in? Dolby Prologic 2 Music or stereo x2?

[G0rd0n]

I use Stereo X2. It seems to me that almost everyone has an Audigy 2 ZS. Kinda makes me wonder if I should get one if it provides significant improvement over my LS. But seeing your observation makes me think twice, plasko. Hmm.

Edited March 8, 2005 by G0rd0n

[thollian]

very nice speakers...