[Review] Logitech z-5500

[mia-dd]

ive made my mind even ive not orderd my z-5500 by now i would still be goin for it cuz ive gut feeling that sound quality of these d be slightly superior to panasonics scht05...

(:p)

[psnacks]

http://www.techbuy.com.au/products/44728/S...0_inch_sub..asp

[psnacks]

hi,those who need more connections should check this out.

http://www.joytech.net/gb/products/index.p...ct=57&x=25&y=11

i have 1 and have 3 things component and 1 svideo.its has compensation for no loss of quality....all can have digital or analoue audio......superb product for the price.

now back to topic(sorry)....yes the 96/24 for dvd audio is one thing that sets the logitechs apart,but the inputs from my dvd player theres 6 for dvd audio.dont see that many on the logitechs.if i can hook up direct input on them ill get thelogitechs i think................................still a hard 1 to think about :rolleyes:

[aschmidlap]

Question about the Minijack/RCA Y Splitter... Does this cable have a product number or a specific name? How do I know if I have the correct cable.. Im not familiar with these cables and want to make sure I get the right one.

Question #2....I also have the Creative Audigy Platinum EX which has a Optical out jack and Optical cable (supplied)... Will I still need the Minijack/RCA Y splitter if I use the optical cable hookup?

Question #3.... Do I need to do anything to optomize the Optical hookup once I have made it?

Thanks... you may have guessed, I'm new to this forum and relatively green when it comes to hooking up the speakers.

[JimmyT]

psnacks, I would definitely buy THX certified speakers over any other speakers because I'm looking for the best home cinema and gaming experience. I like the clarity of the sound of THX movies (Star Wars, Terminator) and THX games (NFS Underground, Lord of the Rings) on THX speakers.

On the other hand, if you are into music, you may find non-THX speakers better than Creative Megaworks/Gigaworks or Logitechs for music.

And remember that the disadvantage of those great speakers is that they are so good that you'll notice how bad mp3 format is, compared to original CDs. (even the 192kbps)

[DMWhiteDragon]

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

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from what i saw of all the links so far there is 600watts total power RMS

and 300 odd watts RMS which are both correct

Z-5500 are what... 505watts RMS? and yea total power output RMS is 1010watts

(based on a 3db overhead)

so the logitechs are a lil more powerfull...

and yes, power isn't everything, you really have to hear them both to really know what you would preffer... but seeing as that isn't always possible just look at reviews/specs and make a choice :)

[DMWhiteDragon]

And remember that the disadvantage of those great speakers is that they are so good that you'll notice how bad mp3 format is, compared to original CDs. (even the 192kbps)

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True that! esp at high volumes... i backup all my CD's in 256 now at least and it sounds not too bad. Lossless encoding is pretty large but its looking more like we might start having to go that way (my Korn CD was around 180mb)

[mia-dd]

hi,those who need more connections should check this out.

http://www.joytech.net/gb/products/index.p...ct=57&x=25&y=11

i have 1 and have 3 things component and 1 svideo.its has compensation for no loss of quality....all can have digital or analoue audio......superb product for the price.

now back to topic(sorry)....yes the 96/24 for dvd audio is one thing that sets the logitechs apart,but the inputs from my dvd player theres 6 for dvd audio.dont see that many on the logitechs.if i can hook up direct input on them ill get thelogitechs i think................................still a hard 1 to think about :rolleyes:

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i cant undastand what are u sayin, 6 outputs fer ur dvd player just for audio (:-s),only way that makes sense to me is like its fer individual chennal centre,front left,front right,surround left,surround right & subwoofer,.....if thast the case u wont have problem pluggin that to these speakers but u wont be usin its decoder to do digital decodin to do that ud need optical/coaxial only

and if u only wanna buy the spkr that can connect via these 6 connections id recommend go ger gigaworks s700(5.1)/klipsh promedia ultra,these are analogue and do no digital decoding,that wond matter here since ud be doin that in ur dvd player and for thr same price i guess as ud get the digital logis...they'd sound suprerior if u give in analoge signals to them compared to z-5500..

im just guessin what sorrta dvd-a player d give out 6 outputs and fer what purpose...only 1 i can come up is i already describe,gimme more detalis if im not gettin it right

edit:ops!!! guess u were sayin ur dvd player had inputs that are 6 in number,well man thats a dvd player that has inputs fer s-video too.now fer speakers to do have that components simply makes no sense,far as audio inputs are concerned u can give digital signals to z-5500 via optical/coaxial/,u can use 2 digital divicis and not to change the wiring while switchin between them ,and there are these 6 analogue inputs where u can either uise that as 5.1 single source or 3 stereo sources,thats alot of connectivity unless God know what else u wanna plug into it

and fer THX certification i wont buy cuz of that factor since that is "multimedia certification" far as i know the HTIB certification might be far superior than multimedia 1...there are many speakers that are out there that far exceeds the performance of THX certified speakers ,so thats no reason for buyin into these certificates...its just good to have em with ur product but that doesnt make em necessarily better deal,....(now dont get me wrong here im buyin z-5500 thats 1 of the reasons but thats the last resort when i'll be comparin the 2 diff brands from diff league(multimedia spkr vs HTIB))

and fer that 600/300 power i think i saw both vere usin the RMS units bro(:-s)...correct me if im wrong,this au versioon say 600RMS,these are powerful,but i agree 1000% power is not everything,its quality that makes the difference...

even after all the debate,i think ive made my decision i'll go with z-5500 even if i still hold the choice of decidin among em(1 of the reasons is ive not listened to SCHT05 and i liked the bigger woofer of z-5500 and like the look of z-5500)but these cant be ur reasons to buy z-5500 since u can go and listen to both these products

Edited October 23, 2004 by mia-dd

[Redestium]

No doubts now. These are on my xmas list. Going to pick up a A2 ZS as well to replace my A1.

[mojomonkee]

i cant undastand what are u sayin

...

but these cant be ur reasons to buy z-5500 since u can go and listen to both these products

584790038[/snapback]

not to be off topic but holy crap your writing is hell to read. it made my brain hurt.

[psnacks]

the joytech switch box was for plp who want more options if using the logitechs as home theatre not pc.so u can sink your audio and video at the press of a buton..as for the dvd player i should have said outputs for dvd audio.6 of them.direct out.hope that clears things up.i dont see 6 analogue inputs on the back of the logitechs..think im going the panasonics..ive been into hifi and home theartre for over 30 years and the thought of using pc speakers for hifi and home theatre sort of makes me cringe.were i live there is no way of hearing them before buying.plus the speaker wire setup i do not like.and the thx logo is overated,u pay ,u get one.if the thx logo was worth anything no way would they have that hum or hiss plp are talking about now would they.sorry to all plp who love these speakers but because i cant hear them it would be bloody hard to convince me to get pc speakers to do the job i want.......thanx all.

[DMWhiteDragon]

the joytech switch box was for plp who want more options if using the logitechs as home theatre not pc.so u can sink your audio and video at the press of a buton..as for the dvd player i should have said outputs for dvd audio.6 of them.direct out.hope that clears things up.i dont see 6 analogue inputs on the back of the logitechs..think im going the panasonics..ive been into hifi and home theartre for over 30 years and the thought of using pc speakers for hifi and home theatre sort of makes me cringe.were i live there is no way of hearing them before buying.plus the speaker wire setup i do not like.and the thx logo is overated,u pay ,u get one.if the thx logo was worth anything no way would they have that hum or hiss plp are talking about now would they.sorry to all plp who love these speakers but because i cant hear them it would be bloody hard to convince me to get pc speakers to do the job i want.......thanx all.

584794466[/snapback]

Well i wish you luck in your purchase :)

a few little points however... speakers are just speakers, there is nothing that actually makes them "PC" speakers, speakers can however be nicely "suited" to use with a PC...

the best top range DVD home cinema system can only be run from a PC or a PC based system (terrabyte drive with DVDs on, or a tower of dvd drives, output with filters to a 100k digital projector say, filters are best done on a high powered PC as you can change *any* part of the filter system that is based on software... long as you have the power)

as for the plugs, there is a 6 channel direct input on the logitechs... 3 ports which are stereo mini jack inputs. if you have say, 6 individual outputs for each speaker on your dvd player, you get 3 converters and you are done... simple :)

the THX logo is a little overrated... heh, there are ALOT of really good speakers that dont have it. but ones that *do* you can at least be sure they will recreate a cinema experiance (cause yea, we can't all hear before we buy). and you if you buy and they dont? well you have a nice case to sue dont you :) hehe

[DMWhiteDragon]

ok, lets take a little look at both the Logitech Z-5500 and the Panasonic SC-HT05

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products...,CONTENTID=9486

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/s...modelNo=SC-HT05

Power:

Panasonic SC-HT05: 370watts RMS

Logitech Z-5500: 505watts RMS

Frequency Response Range:

Panasonic SC-HT05: 45hz - 20khz

Logitech Z-5500: 33hz - 20khz

Decoder Support:

Panasonic SC-HT05: DD, DTS

Logitech Z-5500: DD, DTS, DTS 24/96

Digital Inputs:

Panasonic SC-HT05: 3 (2 optical, 1 coaxial)

Logitech Z-5500: 2 (1 optical, 1 coaxial)

THD (Total Harmoic Distortion):

Panasonic SC-HT05: 1%

Logitech Z-5500: ??

Extras:

Panasonic SC-HT05: Radio Tuner

Logitech Z-5500: 6channel input can be changed to 3 stereo inputs if needed, THX certified

i wouldn't say the logitechs "kick its ass", but i certainly dont see those being *any* better .... i can't find the THD rating however, which is fairly important in sound clarity, anyone know it?

also, i can't find specs, but based on pictures, the panasonix woofer looks a little small... and any audio guy can tell you in a woofer size does matter somewhat hehe, no biggie tho

[psnacks]

the subwoofer for the australian model of the panny system is 220w not 140w like stated on that website.use my link and that is the one we get here in oz.in your comparision chart under xtras.the panny has 6 channel inputs aswell + a tuner + 4 video and 4 Audio Input selectors

.use this link....... http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?productID=1524 ,its still a toss up as to what 1 i get.

just wondering if 6 channel inputs on the logitechs cancel out the optical input?

[DMWhiteDragon]

the subwoofer for the australian model of the panny system is 220w not 140w like stated on that website.use my link and that is the one we get here in oz.in your comparision chart under xtras.the panny has 6 channel inputs aswell + a tuner + 4 video and 4 Audio Input selectors

.use this link....... http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?productID=1524 ,its still a toss up as to what 1 i get.

just wondering if 6 channel inputs on the logitechs cancel out the optical input?

584794732[/snapback]

600W Total Power Output (RMS)

Built in Dolby Digital + DTS Decoder

Dolby Surround Pro Logic 2

5.1 Surround Sound 2 way speaker system - With 220W Subwoofer

the 600watt rating is the total power rating, the total power rating of the logitech's ia 1010watts... the woofer on the logitech is 188 or 376watts total power output and the panasonic is 140watts, and 220watts total power output

so yea, the logitechs have more power, no matter how you look at it. one thing to note, anything over a 3db overhead on power is bad and anything less means less "grunt"... a 3db overhead means an almost exact double of the RMS wattage output for the "total" powr output rating (ergo the logitechs)... i do wonder why a 370watt rated set is only 600watts in total... that means less than 3db... just means a lil less "oopmh" in the whole setup... but certianly doesn't mean any less quality.. just an FYI

and the 6 speaker input does not cancel out the optical... nor does any input "cancel" any other input. you leave whatever you like connected and just use the unit or the remote to change the input you want the speakers to play (just like my 680's)

EDIT: and also, the code is the same for the AU and US "SC-HT05" so there is no way they are different products... same company, same product code = same product. the AU page is just trying to "cheat" i think... i mean look at the "Wide frequency range up to 50kHz " they purposely dont say freq response... just freq range... which means nothing hehe, it will just read any 50k and down stream to 20k, like the the logitechs.... but yea im from AU too... just a shame they would bandy words like that (just like the wattage)

Edited October 24, 2004 by DMWhiteDragon

[psnacks]

thanks for your help,sold me on the logitechs i think.

this is my dvd player by the way.... http://www.pioneeraus.com.au/home_entertai...676a/index.html

[DMWhiteDragon]

thanks for your help,sold me on the logitechs i think.

this is my dvd player by the way.... http://www.pioneeraus.com.au/home_entertai...676a/index.html

584795307[/snapback]

Well i can only share what i have learned... i cant' gaurentee which is better. it will always come down to what you like the sound of better. Personally im going for Z-5500 (i have to wait will nov) but i of course havn't heard either sets heh, but i do love my 680's :p...

that dvd player tho, seems a hell of alot better than mine lol

i got a Panasonic DVD-RV31... can't see it on the panasonic site anymore

here is a link tho:

http://timefordvd.com/hardware/review/Pana..._DVD-RV31.shtml

got it hooked up to a LG 112cm DLP Rear Projection Digital TV (around 2k left to pay on it, yay for 3 years interest free!). using component cables too and damn they make a huge difference on a digital tv... heh.

but yea the whole setup im pretty happy with... im not rich by anyones standards but i think i have done ok

[psnacks]

thanks,i had a panasonic s-35 dvd player before the pioneer.still works great but gave it to my son to save over use of mine.

that tv u got sounds awsome but i've only got a 51cm at the moment,but i do use component.would never go back to composite or s-video now for that matter.

whats the cheapest in oz you've seen the logitechs ? $505 is about the best ive seen.............thanx.

[DMWhiteDragon]

thanks,i had a panasonic s-35 dvd player before the pioneer.still works great but gave it to my son to save over use of mine.

that tv u got sounds awsome but i've only got a 51cm at the moment,but i do use component.would never go back to composite or s-video now for that matter.

whats the cheapest in oz you've seen the logitechs ? $505 is about the best ive seen.............thanx.

584796357[/snapback]

yea round $505 is the cheapest retail i have seen... im getting a set for $499 through "The Good Guys", so not really much diff (although thats inc gst and freight, the $505 i saw wasn't inc freight)... i guess eBay might have a few deals aswell once there all here in good numbers in AU

from what i have seen we have to wait till nov for them to be avil anyway, maybe 1-2 weeks into it but i doubt the price will change much anywhere if at all. although you could always import it but that might be a lil more expensive :)

[ahfunaki]

I didn't read through the thread cause I'm too lazy at the moment but I can get the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 for about the same price as these. So if I were to buy speakers what would I be better off getting, these or the Klipsch?

[Raum]

This review convinced me to just get these instead of going the route of an actual home stereo setup....this just seems like it'd be damn nice sound with a lot less work involved. I've got some lower end logitech models and damn they sound great, they're normally 100$ or so, got em for 35$. These I can get for 200$.

[Fit4130Rider]

So if I were to buy speakers what would I be better off getting, these or the Klipsch?

The Klipsch for sure. I've got the promedia 2.1's and they sound amazing. I HIGLY approve of the whole klipsch line.

(sorry to go off topic, and no, i wasn't trying to flame)

[Valerus]

Those look fantastic.

[DMWhiteDragon]

I didn't read through the thread cause I'm too lazy at the moment but I can get the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 for about the same price as these. So if I were to buy speakers what would I be better off getting, these or the Klipsch?

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i've never heard the Klipsch Ultra's in action...and i am yet to hear the Z-5500's

but far as my experiance goes, there is alot of good about both sets being said (although the Z-5500's are very new, the ultra's have been around for awhile now)... and i would gather there isn't a *huge* amount of difference between them. as always you are best to listen to them both if possible

[mia-dd]

i've never heard the Klipsch Ultra's in action...and i am yet to hear the Z-5500's

but far as my experiance goes, there is alot of good about both sets being said (although the Z-5500's are very new, the ultra's have been around for awhile now)... and i would gather there isn't a *huge* amount of difference between them. as always you are best to listen to them both if possible

584806885[/snapback]

z-5500 are digital with dts/dolby encodin,with better connectivity options

klipsch are superior in quality but lesser connectivity,no hardware decoding

if ure just stickin ur spkrs to pc and ur pc has A2-zs get klipsch,

if ure to use ur new speakers fer ur dvd player/console gaming,get z-5500

this is concluded from these reviews,but i myself havnt heard to any of these non is avb at my place,but will get my 5500 in 1st week of Nov (Godwilling),i had to go through the similar dilemma while i was makin my decision,and settled with z-5500 cuz of its decoding ability

(and some ppl do say z5500 are quite comparable to klipsch when it comes to quality,more "ooomph"in games with 10" bass driver)

Edited October 26, 2004 by mia-dd