[Review] Logitech z-5500

[DMWhiteDragon]

andrewfee

ahh, i just didn't do it when it was off...works now... 1.1.2 :)

for the "Bass" issue, i do agree completely thats its what you like and enjoy... sound can be a *very* personal thing

however "boomy" people claim the woofer to be though, in movies i think it makes the sounds alot more realistic... watching The Day After Tommorrow for example... the sound of a huge tornado ripping apart buildings and smashing things to the concrete.... would have alot of "whack" ergo... alot of bass. i wanna feel the waves crashing... i want to feel the explosions... i want to BE there ;)

i've yet to hear a system <$500 AU that can recreate the sounds in movies the way this system does...

but again... i guess its down to personal prefs :)

EDIT: oh yea, as for distortion free and the white noise, i know there will always be both to some degree, but what i am hoping for is a real upgrade from the Z-680's... i guess the only one who can tell me is Liquid? .... crank some bassy music and let us know liquid! :)

Edited October 21, 2004 by DMWhiteDragon

[JimmyT]

The 6-ch audio is line in right? You can connect the speakers to analogue as well? (If I connect them to digital, I won't be able to listen to my DVD-Audios).

[DMWhiteDragon]

The 6-ch audio is line in right? You can connect the speakers to analogue as well? (If I connect them to digital, I won't be able to listen to my DVD-Audios).

584777666[/snapback]

Im a lil tired, but if you mean you want to connect normal stereo analogue inputs to the speakers, then you switch the right most switch to "stereo 1-3" and then all the 3 left jacks are now seperate stereo inputs...thats a nice easy way

So you can then connect say, your PC, a CD Player and something else heh

I am a little confused about you not being able to listen to any source if you use digital...but if you want surround you need to be able to get information to all 6 speakers... digital is simplest way, or you can use the 6 left mini jacks to connect to your PC, long as your PC Sound Card/On Board Chip supports this in some way...

If im off the mark here... let me know :p

[coolkoombaya]

Um, say u want to connect, 2 sets of z-5500, can u use the Y-splitter thingy,that connects to the front/rear/ centre/sub analogue connectors on the sound card? I think u can do that, but im not sure, but I've read of many people somehow getting 2 or more sets of z-680 5.1 speakers and doing that. The sound will be from the same source, but come out of two sets of speakers. Anyone with and idea???

[Dean W]

Nice Speakers I want them!

[JimmyT]

I am a little confused about you not being able to listen to any source if you use digital...but if you want surround you need to be able to get information to all 6 speakers... digital is simplest way, or you can use the 6 left mini jacks to connect to your PC, long as your PC Sound Card/On Board Chip supports this in some way...

If im off the mark here... let me know  :p

584778329[/snapback]

You answered to me but this will clear it up for you:

From Creative Audigy 2 help:

Note: SPDIF output not available during playback of protected digital audio contents authored with DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology.

From Extremetech (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1164622,00.asp):

You can also redirect output via digital only, however if you want to listen to DVD-Audio, you'll need to use the analog audio output. One limitation still found in Audigy 2 that you can run with either analog or digital output, but not both simultaneously.

And it's not only DVD-Audios. Windows Media Player 10 and iTunes are using DRM, so if you buy music from msn music or iTunes, you won't be able to listen to them using the digital connection.

[Redestium]

You answered to me but this will clear it up for you:

From Creative Audigy 2 help:

Note: SPDIF output not available during playback of protected digital audio contents authored with DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology.

From Extremetech (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1164622,00.asp):

You can also redirect output via digital only, however if you want to listen to DVD-Audio, you'll need to use the analog audio output. One limitation still found in Audigy 2 that you can run with either analog or digital output, but not both simultaneously.

And it's not only DVD-Audios. Windows Media Player 10 and iTunes are using DRM, so if you buy music from msn music or iTunes, you won't be able to listen to them using the digital connection.

584779437[/snapback]

That really sucks. :o

[notuptome2004]

For some Exstra knolage the Sound blaster Audigy 1 series does not support 24bit audio truely it it uses 2 DACs 1 DAC isa 16bit DAC the other is a 24bit DAC but because of the 16bit DAC the sound downsamples now the SBA2 series is compuled with 2 -24bit DACs so the SBA2 series isa true 24bit card rather then a Halfbreed.

[QuarterSwede]

That really sucks. :o

584780843[/snapback]

Pretty much. DRM really really sucks in my opinion. My digital outputs are much much cleaner than my analog ones so I refuse to use the analog. Thankfully, I have no problem listening to DRM'd music on my S/PDIF out since I use Augidy 2 drivers to drive my SBLive! 5.1 card and 2.1 Boston Acoustics speakers.

[Redestium]

Pretty much.  DRM really really sucks in my opinion.  My digital outputs are much much cleaner than my analog ones so I refuse to use the analog.  Thankfully, I have no problem listening to DRM'd music on my S/PDIF out since I use Augidy 2 drivers to drive my SBLive! 5.1 card and 2.1 Boston Acoustics speakers.

584781521[/snapback]

So if I have an Audigy 1 or Audigy 2 ZS is there anyway to have a digital connection with these speakers and still be able to listen to my songs purchased from the iTMS? I'm not up on all the speaker lingo so excuse that. :p

[Liquid]

Im gonna test all this DRM lingo right now. Give me 5 minutes!

[Liquid]

Ok, downloaded 3 protected WMA tracks. An SPDIF out on my audigy 2 so its digital audio.

All files work fine. So i duno who said any crap that it wouldn't work :s

[Hypoxiaicon]

I dunno why people are so quick to put these speakers down as crap...

[tkyoshi]

Only DVD Audio will not output to Digital Out.

And since DVD Audio is still quite new, it's not much of a concern.

[Liquid]

I dunno why people are so quick to put these speakers down as crap...

584781713[/snapback]

They are jelious or mad because they bought z-680s just out of the return date :p

[Liquid]

Only DVD Audio will not output to Digital Out.

And since DVD Audio is still quite new, it's not much of a concern.

584781718[/snapback]

I can now confirm this. And no it wont work for some reason. May just be the player. I don't know.

[tkyoshi]

It's actually due to some licencing issue.

Your player should usually warn you when you start it anyway that if you're using digital out you will not hear anything and to switch to analog.

[DMWhiteDragon]

You answered to me but this will clear it up for you:

From Creative Audigy 2 help:

Note: SPDIF output not available during playback of protected digital audio contents authored with DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology.

From Extremetech (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1164622,00.asp):

You can also redirect output via digital only, however if you want to listen to DVD-Audio, you'll need to use the analog audio output. One limitation still found in Audigy 2 that you can run with either analog or digital output, but not both simultaneously.

And it's not only DVD-Audios. Windows Media Player 10 and iTunes are using DRM, so if you buy music from msn music or iTunes, you won't be able to listen to them using the digital connection.

584779437[/snapback]

Thanks for that, and yea i have heard a lil about encrypted content over digital... i've never tryed DVD-Audio so i have no idea what will happen on my Game Theather XP 7.1... does this do the same thing?

and yea, a real pain... :(

[DMWhiteDragon]

They are jelious or mad because they bought z-680s just out of the return date  :p

584781721[/snapback]

lol, very true most likly, my Z-680's are WAYYYY out of return date, so my solution is to give them to my parents as a present... and buy a set of Z-5500's for a present to myself ;)

[psnacks]

http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=2133

would any one get these over the logitechs,as im buying some soon and need dvd-audio.does the logitechs let me hook up 6 channel direct?....thanx all

[mia-dd]

very attractive deal indeed,

what eva i say dont buy into it since ive alreday ordered my z-5500.

since u are to listen to dvd-a z-5500 set might be better option cuz it do dts 96/24 decoding which is studio quality sound compared to master quality sound of dts.

moreova i cant belive the same produch havin diff specs ova diff sites

this address here shows same set is like 370W.(:-s

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/s...let/ModelDetail?

storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&modelNo=SC-HT05

how ever the reviews all i read about these were encopuraging

also it claims to have 50khz of HF response.

am confused myself,i dunno hat whould have i done if i knew about this option avb to me b4,Thank god ive already made my decision.

Edited October 22, 2004 by mia-dd

[psnacks]

yes,i think the australian model got beefed up a bit buy panasonic..its a hard decision to get the panasonic or the logitechs..............plz help ppl.....thanks

[Hypoxiaicon]

Logitechs (Y)

[psnacks]

http://www.cnet.com.au/hometheatre/box/0,3...40000147,00.htm

heres a review on the panasonic.but specs have been updated since.

and its going for $548 australian at the moment.logitechs are $505.

Edited October 22, 2004 by psnacks

[mia-dd]

http://www.cnet.com.au/hometheatre/box/0,3...40000147,00.htm

heres a review on the panasonic.but specs have been updated since.

and its going for $548 australian at the moment.logitechs are $505.

584785073[/snapback]

i thought z-5500 wont be avb in au till nov. where did u come up with this price from quite a surprise

wow 600 RMS,more connectivity(2 opticals+1 coaxial)plus frequency response upto 50KHz,plus a woofer driver in each satellite and not to mention a radio tuner....yummy yummy!!

man where have they been hiding this product for so long and not much difference between the prices of z-5500 and these puppies

very difficult decision,only 1 who'd be a better judge here be the person who have listened to both these systems

hands up guys im dumb stuck here

my suggestion snacks:listen to both these offers b4 buyin any1 of these,panasonic sounds like a great offer plus cnet gave it 8/10

on the other hand z-550 offer THX(which is just a certification),dts 96/24,SNR>93.5(claimedby official specs)and i just saw that cnet gave 8.3/10 to logitech z-680,(now z-5500 has a lot more to offer than z-680...)which havours z-5500...

now basin my decision solely on cnet rating i'll go for z-5500 but my decision here will be more biased cuz ive already ordered z-5500,wait till u get response from some other person here,otherwise go with ur heart,far as i c u cant go wrong with any of the choices only time will tell wait another 2-3 months till more reviews come out on both the products

Edited October 22, 2004 by mia-dd