[Review] Logitech z-5500

[ahfunaki]

Maybe I'll just wait till we get the 5500s in at work and I'll get whatevers cheaper...heh

Since they both seem to be very good speaker systems

[VirusVooDoo]

I doubt these new Z-5500 satellites are better than the Cambridge/Creative GigaWorks series. The Z-5500 satellites use 3" full range drivers while the Cambridge/Creative satellites use 3.5" midrange drivers and 1" titanium metal dome driver. I don't even think they are better than the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra model which has a 3" midrange driver & 0.75" horn-loaded tweeter in each satellites. Each Z-5500 satellite has a port in the back which means there will be coloration to the sound.

The subwoofer now uses a larger 10" driver instead of the 8" driver in the old Z-680. But look at the size of port it has. That is one huge port which mean it probably won't be as defined as the Cambridge/Creative subs or the Klipsch subs. The Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra sub has dual 8" woofers which can move more air than a single 10" woofer.

I actually have heard these at CompUSA but the settings weren't controlled so I cannot compare it with all the previous speakers I've owned (1st speakers: Logitech Z-560 and 4th speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX) and the current ones I have (2nd speakers: Cambridge MegaWorks 510D and 3rd speakers: Cambridge GigaWorks S700). But my impression of the system is that it's a little better than the Z-680 but not much. I didn't think it is better than the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra that I've heard at BestBuy so many times and much less than my GigaWorks S700. Again, these aren't valid testing environment so I cannot say for sure.

Also, I would like to add that sound IS subjective. What sounds good to one person may not be that great to another. It is all depends on your taste in sound. Don't listen and trust the reviews too much because they can be biased. Go out and demo as many of the products as you can and pick the one you like the best. We can sit here all day and argue and that wouldn't do any good.

Edited October 27, 2004 by VirusVooDoo

[mia-dd]

100% correct,no1 can diagree with virus vodoo.

i already said klipsch are superior sound quality and so are gigaworks but both are analogue u'd need to spend extra bucks atleast 100 for sure to get a decoder...

so what only needs to be anwered is does 1 need decoder or not if money is not a prob id go for Gigawoks anyday.(and extra $125 for DDTS-100 decoder)gives me future oppurtunity of upgradin it to 7.1 (:-p)

s700+ddts costed around $437 as the cheapest deal on net when i ordered z-5500 for $288 so was like $149 diff which is like i had to pay 52% more to actually say that gigaworks are better option.so i got myself z5500, is on its way will get here by 28th(Godwilling)

1 thing if 1s more into games id recommend z-5500 these do louder LF which is needed alot for games:p im not sayin its d be a tight as klipsck/gigaworks(but diff would not be grerater than 10-20%max,but remember ure payin 50% more to gain just 10-20% performance gain)

i'll repeat what i said in perivious post "if u dont want/need external decoder go with gigawoks/klipsch...elsewise no1 can beat z5500 on any given day

have fun

[VirusVooDoo]

Yes for performance/price Logitech speakers come out on top since they are so damn cheap. They do have very good quality though. I know since I did own the Logitech Z-560 which essentially is the same thing as the Z-680 just w/o the center channel and the decoder box.

Also, the difference between these systems are very small. An average person wouldn't notice these things unless he/she ABX test these speakers in a quiet environment with through a good audio source (ie. good sound card like Audigy 2 or Revolution).

If you guys want to read a good unbiased review of all the current multimedia system except the new Logitech Z-5500 go to this:

http://www.dreamnid.com/theear/creative/clgw750/default.php

"So here you have it,the S750 stands with the Ultra 5.1 as the two best PC sourround systems in terms of quality.I feel the S750 will not get the praise it deserves based on its less potent subwoofer,and do we know reviewers love the BIG FAT thumping Z680's.For pure musicality the S700/750 lead the whole MM pack,for bass might and a solid dose of balance the Ultra 5.1 is a winner.There is no clear winner,and no clear cut choice,as what one systems does better the other bests it in another aspect.To me the S750 is of beter overall quality and would be my choice if I had to have only one PeaSee speaker system.What is best for YOU,you decide.Know none will disapoint and both elevate the overall PC speaker bar."

--TheEAR

[mia-dd]

regarding voodoo's:

The subwoofer now uses a larger 10" driver instead of the 8" driver in the old Z-680. But look at the size of port it has. That is one huge port which mean it probably won't be as defined as the Cambridge/Creative subs or the Klipsch subs. The Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra sub has dual 8" woofers which can move more air than a single 10" woofer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

when mid range is 3.5" compared to 3" we say its larger so must do better mids.but when z-5500 comes with bigger driver 10" compared to 8" we become suspecious if z5500 will be able to conrol that(:-p)oh i just read in the review by THE EAR though would interest u:

"What Cambridge MUST DO is use a single 10" woofer in a slightly larger cabinet if they hope to match or best the class leaders here"

so 10"woofer could rather be a plus than a minus.

when we bring in extra accessory like tweeter we say its better than havin no HF specific cones/domes...and we forget what if both these are not in same phase or what evenif these are slightly imbalanced with each other,would ruin the whole experience,and ive heard ppl say that the tweeter starts rasonatin wih sound to ruin the whole experience.

hehe...so we can argue whole day and come to nothin,just like my brother vodoo said go and have a demo urself before decidin... after all listenin is very subjective

(just arguin here,i know all the things u've said are correct (:-p))

Edited October 27, 2004 by mia-dd

[mia-dd]

hey voodoo u got link to some editrial review of z5500

only 1 ive seen is at MAXIMUMPC

so far ive only seen users reviews at futuremark,and this place i think,others were he buyers reviews at cnet,amazon,etc

plz paste here if u got some links

[VirusVooDoo]

I agree. Sometimes size does matter but not always. In this case, the new Z-5500 sub is better than the old Z-680 since it is within a company. It may be better than the GigaWorks sub but we have to took at the quality of drivers. Cambridge & Klipsch are a well-known home theater speaker manufacturers so they stuff they use are quality components. I honest believe that so far no multimedia speaker system has better satellites than the GigaWorks or has better sub than the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra.

Also, please remember that the differences between these high-end systems are minimal. Many of us won't even care for these little differences. What matter is if you are happy with your purchase. I know I wouldn't be sad if I had gone with the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra for it is a great system. Same can be said for the Logitech Z-680 or Z-5500 since I would be saving money too.

The reason I went for the GigaWorks is because of the sound and built quality. Also, I happen to run into a great deal and got these at $260 USD when they are $350 USD. The Logitech Z-680 at the time were $300 USD and Klipsch were $360 USD. This obviously makes the GigaWorks even more appealing. I did not care for an external decoder since I do have the Revolution 7.1 and Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS sound cards which I also got for great deals.

Sorry I don't have any review other than:

http://www.dreamnid.com/theear/creative/clgw750/default.php

Oh yeah, here is what this guy said at the 3dss-forums.com

"theear

(member)

10/26/04 02:43 PM

Re: perhaps a new contender? [re: 007] Reply

No these are not real contenders,just some garbage systems desguised as HTIB systems.

Cyber Acoustics speakers are of **** poor quality,only their top of the line model copied on Logitech's Z560 is of descent quality.

And the other brand...give me a break...a Brembo carbon fiber quad caliper brake.Its pure suckage and reeks of cheese.

The Creative GigaWOrks S700 and S750 are THE best MM speakers below $500 end of story.Any pizza face youngster wanting to debate this with me will get spanked like a monkey.

Second comes,very close second comes the Klipsch Ultra 5.1.

I have yet to hear the Logitech Z5500 I ordered,but so far based on the Z680 I have also.The sub could be improved,the sats remain the same,thus it will be impossible to top the overall performance of the S700/750.

Thank you

If anyone wishes to argue,give me valid points to counter what I posted.I will debate point by point,as I have all the speakers I post about :) "

[VirusVooDoo]

No offense but Maximum PC reviews as well as many of the reviews on the net are just bunch of bull****. They do not have other products to compare which means you don't have guidelines as to which level is good or bad etc... Also, they seems to care a lot for the features rather than the quality itself. Obviously Klipsch and Cambridge speakers don't come close to Logitech speakers (Z-680 / Z-5500) in terms of features. If they start to nitpick every little details in sound quality, I think we would see better reviews. This is why the reviews on Newegg.com don't help since they all rave for the products that they bought. You can't tell which if one product is better than another in certain aspects from these kind of reviews.

This is why I always recommend people to go out and demo as many systems as much as they can before deciding. Listen to more than one so you can actually compare and decide on which one suit you better. Having listening to one you seem to think that certain product is good while there may be better options.

DON'T SAY this product is better than this other products when you haven't heard them. I did own the Z-560, Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX, and currently have the MegaWorks 510D and the GigaWorks S700. I have demoed the Logitech Z-680, Z-5500, Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra, Altec Lansing 621/641, Altec Lansing MX5021 / FX6021 and many others. But since I did not test them in the same environment as with my other speakers, I am not 100% sure about the speakers that I don't have. I am very careful when I give my opinions on the ones which I do not have. I only speak based on my experience with them or with the previous products.

Now do you guys understand why I recommend you guys reading the review by this EAR guy? He has all these products that he was testing plus other more expensive audio equipments so there is no reason for him to be biased towards any one company.

http://www.dreamnid.com/theear/creative/clgw750/default.php

Edited October 27, 2004 by VirusVooDoo

[mia-dd]

Lucky u!!!!!!!

hehe got gigas fer 260 man where did u get these from?must be best deal of ur life

;)

[islanq]

Those are very sexy ;) nice review BTW ;)

[VirusVooDoo]

Lucky u!!!!!!!

hehe got gigas fer 260 man where did u get these from?must be best deal of ur life

;)

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Thanks, I've gotten better deals than that though. I bought the Logitech Z-560 for $100 when it was on sale for like $200.

[mia-dd]

eheeeem!!!!!

[mia-dd]

guys i've a Q regardin z-5500/s700/PMU 5.1 which goes like:

which 1 of these will fill the room with sound coverin 18'X14' plus the celinig is like 12' high?

if all will do,which 1 will be the best think u can compare the loudness of z-5500 to z-680 just in case if uve not heard to z-5500 yet...

[VirusVooDoo]

guys i've a Q regardin z-5500/s700/PMU 5.1 which goes like:

which 1 of these will fill the room with sound coverin 18'X14' plus the celinig is like 12' high?

if all will do,which 1 will be the best think u can compare the loudness of z-5500 to z-680 just in case if uve not heard to z-5500 yet...

584814404[/snapback]

I don't know. That is a tought question. Based on what I've hear and seen, I think the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra may be the loudest and the Logitech Z-680 is very close behind it. I think the GigaWorks is a few decibels behind them.

I don't know if the Z-5500 is louder than the Z-680 or not. To me it doesn't seem like it because the subwoofer is more tamed than the Z-680. It does not seem to overpower the satellites like the Z-680 sub does.

This is a problem with many broken speakers since they usually crank up the speakers really loud. This is why there are so many blown amps. These speakers can go extremely loud but they are not meant to be used as concert speakers. You can't play them at the extremely loud level often or for a long period of time and expect them to last a while. Also, your hearings usually give up before the speakers do.

[mia-dd]

This is a problem with many broken speakers since they usually crank up the speakers really loud.  This is why there are so many blown amps. These speakers can go extremely loud but they are not meant to be used as concert speakers. You can't play them at the extremely loud level often or for a long period of time and expect them to last a while.  Also, your hearings usually give up before the speakers do.

584814489[/snapback]

hehe cant help laughin :"your hearings usually give up before the speakers do."

hey ok if we remove the ceiling factor,i'll be usin a surround setp and the speakers would just be like 6-8' from ground would it still be in adequate for room of 18'X14'

more ova i would neva like to take the volume go over 75% ...ie. by keepin ur view in mind,

so at 75% volume will z-680 fill the room with sound,i know not many have z-5500 to confirm my inquiry at the moment...

[VirusVooDoo]

Of course, even my old MegaWorks 510D can fill the whole family room with sound at only half way. Mind you that the MegaWorks volume control is logarithmic...meaning at half way it is not half of its full volume level. At half way it is more like 1/3 of the full volume.

I don't know the dimension of my family room but it is rectangular and very very big. The length is like twice the width and the width, I think is at least 10 feet long. So just take it as 20 x 10.

Trust me, any of these systems can fill the room. Even my little Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX was able to drown the room with sound at like 3/8 of the full volume. I think the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX volume control is linear.

[mia-dd]

Trust me, any of these systems can fill the room.  Even my little Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX was able to drown the room with sound at like 3/8 of the full volume.  I think the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX volume control is linear.

584814578[/snapback]

Thanks!!!it as ridden me of my worry a great deal

[mia-dd]

i pasted it b4 but dunno wher have they hidden my post here im o again

vodooooo

i need ur aproval on z-5500 i baught these wil be at my bros place by tomorrow(Godwilling),and at my place by 7th nov.tell me have i made the right choice keepin in view following options:

i had $350 at my disposal and needed surround spkr that could connect to PS2/PC/DVD PLAYER now have i made the right choice,cuz i could have gonr fer s700/PMU but would have to settele with my pc which has onboard 5.1 chennal surround sound.

do make ur comments,i've learnt alot abt ur info of audio hardware goin through various forums

-thanx

[VirusVooDoo]

i pasted it b4 but dunno wher have they hidden my post here im o again

vodooooo

i need ur aproval on z-5500 i baught these wil be at my bros place by tomorrow(Godwilling),and at my place by 7th nov.tell me have i made the right choice keepin in view following options:

i had $350 at my disposal and needed surround spkr that could connect to PS2/PC/DVD PLAYER now have i made the right choice,cuz i could have gonr fer s700/PMU but would have to settele with my pc which has onboard 5.1 chennal surround sound.

do make ur comments,i've learnt alot abt ur info of audio hardware goin through various forums

-thanx

584815025[/snapback]

I think the Z-680 or the Z-5500 is right for you. With $350 USD, you can get the GigaWorks S700 or the ProMedia 5.1 Ultra but then you won't have any money left for a digital decoder which is what you want. The Z-5500/Z-680 fits your need perfectly.

Remember what I said above. The differences between these speaker system are minimal which most of us discern anyway. I know I would love a Z-680 or Z-5500 if my budget was in their price range. This is the reason why I had bought the Z-560 instead of the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 THX speaker system in the first place. Sure I wanted to go for the Klipsch or even a full blown home theater system but my budget did not fit their prices. At their prices, Logitech systems are well worth it. Now if money isn't an issue then you can start comparing and nitpicking every little detail between these systems.

The reason I started posting on this forum is to explain that people should not state that one system is better than another without having own or listened to it in a controlled environment (same settings for all of the systems). That is just purely unfair and the review is biased since you don't have any similar competitive products to compare.

[mia-dd]

I think the Z-680 or the Z-5500 is right for you.  With $350 USD, you can get the GigaWorks S700 or the ProMedia 5.1 Ultra but then you won't have any money left for a digital decoder which is what you want.  The Z-5500/Z-680 fits your need perfectly. 

At their prices, Logitech systems are well worth it

The reason I started posting on this forum is to explain that people should not state that one system is better than another without having own or listened to it in a controlled environment (same settings for all of the systems).  That is just purely unfair and the review is biased since you don't have any similar competitive products to compare.

584817196[/snapback]

Thanx voodoo now i am quite contenrted with my purchase...i totally agree with later part abt ppl bullyin abt the products without really havin to listen to em...(:-D but they have to feel good about their purchases just like me (:-p

take care

[mia-dd]

i came across this rumor that z-5500 uses "Tangband W3-871" as a driver in setallies plz confirm guys if its true...

[VirusVooDoo]

Simple. Ask the guys that have the Z-5500 if they can open their satellites and check them out.

All the previous model of Logitech have been using TangBang full range drivers and woofers. It is very likely that they are using TangBang stuff in their Z-5500.

[japroach]

i came across this rumor that z-5500 uses "Tangband W3-871" as a driver in setallies plz confirm guys if its true...

584820800[/snapback]

If this is true, these speakers should be amazing. I can tell you right now the w3-871 is much better than ANY klipsch computer speaker, or any gigaworks product.

Just because the speaker is 2 way, doesnt mean its better than a full range. The extra driver adds crossover components, which adds cost. Also if the crossover is not done right, it can result in a bump or dip in response (I can almost guarantee the crossover will not be perfect, as the components they use have a certain tolerance range).

btw the previous TangBand drivers used in previous speaker sets were custom built for logitech, I am certain that the driver used is TB, but is it the 871?

Note to the reviewer: the only "sound card" that will give you dolby digital 5.1 in games is the Nvidia Soundstorm. The audigy will give 5.1 for movies, but for games it only outputs stereo. These speakers and the digital out from Soundstorm would make an great combo (there are also rumors of a Soundstorm sound card coming out, which would be even better).

Also dont waste money on any monster cabling products, they are extremely overpriced, and for something like a digital interconnect, pointless (imo).

Here is the datasheet for the 871 if anyone is interested: http://www.tb-speaker.com/detail/1208_03/w3-871s.asp

[Liquid]

Im not gonna risk my Speakers just yet but I would open them if i had to.

[japroach]

Im not gonna risk my Speakers just yet but I would open them if i had to.

584824318[/snapback]

Please?

It shouldnt be a risk at all, you seem to know your hardware.