Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Speaker System

dmwhitedrago... from NY

Member Since
Dec 2004

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User has 1 Months of experience with this product

after alot of use i have come to much preffer thes ...

Strengths:

great low/mid/high quality.

Weaknesses:

none to speak of

Posted Dec 12, 2004 - after alot of use i have come to much preffer these over my old Z-680 set. There is alot of changes (it is not just the woofer like some people claim... check the site) the mid range is alot clearer and the woofer is no longer "boomy" but can still output thunderous shakes that rock my mirror on the wall. the woofer along with its increase in size has gained alot of clarity in its bass frequency output aswell, alot more defined i would say :) The added support of DTS 24/96 means i can play games/dvds that support it which is nice, and yes there quite a few poping up although i have only 3 titles so far speaker wire is just composite cable from your local radio shack, so cheap and easy to extend... and if you like voiding your warrenty the wire is very easy to completely replace. just like the 680's however you can notice a small amount of extra clarity if you remove the grills... however i would only do this if you have them wall mounted and have no issues with things being thrown around :) connectivity is just as simple and easy, 3 stero minijack inputs for direct 6 channel sound, or you can switch to 3x2 stereo inputs if you preffer. the set does not come with any digital cabling, however Coax digital cable is just composite cable... cheap and easy to hook up. and of course you have the option of optical the SPL on these are rated at >115db and using my own SPL rating tools i have a reading of 108db and thats not at max volume... to put it simply, these speakers do output some grunt in great quality... they are by no means the best speakers you can get for your home theater/pc but for there price range... they certaintly are :)

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cbrooker from CA

Member Since
Jun 2002

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User has 2 Days of experience with this product

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box wa ...

Strengths:

Incredible sound, great sound output options, window-rattling bass, excellent control console.

Weaknesses:

Speakers are connected to wire--some may find it preferable to attach speakers to their own speaker wire.

Posted Nov 10, 2004 - The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was that the subwoofer was much larger than I would have expected. It is easily as large as the subwoofers found on premium home theater setups. Looking at the subwoofer, satellites, and console, it was clear that this was as serious as a computer speaker setup gets. It was not going to disappoint, either. I logged onto Napster, and the first song I played was "In the Club" by Blur. I am not a huge Blur fan, but heard the song recently and recalled it had quite a bit of bass. At the volume around 40%, and the subwoofer at 30%, the whole place was shaking. Shaking, but the sound was impeccable. Next, I threw in Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon," switched the speaker output to Dolby ProII Music, and was then treated to a real show. It really seemed like I was at a PF concert. The vocals were coming from the front speakers and the sound effects were swirling throughout the room. No musical detail was hidden. Every sound was distinct, sharp and clear. I have never heard music sound better than this. This speaker system does not come cheap, but I will tell you it is worth every penny. Listening to music through it is bliss. If you are looking for a new set of speakers, and these cost as much as $150 more than you would be ordinarily willing to pay, make the investment. You'll be happy that you did.

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sampson2269 from CO

Member Since
Jan 2005

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User has 1 Days of experience with this product

Price grabber is a very nice site i use it all the ...

Strengths:

Okay These things are insane the base in them is just crystal clear among with everything else the surround sounds just awsome, i can't recomend these things enough to anyone a definite buy.

Weaknesses:

I Cant seem to find any weekness everything about these speakers are awsome bout the only weekness would be that they don't have removable speaker wire.

Posted Jan 31, 2005 - Price grabber is a very nice site i use it all the time for finding the best prices on everything the nicest part about them is that they automatically caculate the shipping for you on all the products your searchging for

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FeldmanSkitz... from MN

Member Since
Sep 2004

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User has 3 Weeks of experience with this product

This is the best speaker system I've ever heard. M ...

Strengths:

Great sound, incredible bass. Extremely easy to set up and use. THX-certified (meaning: they're theater-quality). They look great.

Weaknesses:

Um...the speakers could swivel a bit more on their bases to make them easier to aim. The box they come in is pretty heavy...

Posted Nov 22, 2004 - This is the best speaker system I've ever heard. My roommate was watching Lord of the Rings, and I thought the deep rumbling I was hearing through the wall was a nasty thunderstorm brewing outside. You really can't go wrong with this setup. If you have the cash and you want the best speakers you can buy with that cash, you'll have a VERY hard time finding something better, if you can. Which I doubt.

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wblackledg from IL

Member Since
May 2005

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User has 2 Days of experience with this product

WOW!!

Strengths:

10 years ago this sound quality would have cost you at least $1200

Weaknesses:

Wall Mounting. Its goofy... The main controller is the size of a brick.

Posted Jan 11, 2006 - These things sound great!! The box it comes in is the size of a large dorm room refrigerator. (~60 lbs) I believe I read that the wires are permanently fixed to each speaker. This is not the case. However you get about 12 to 15 feet of wire per speaker, so you may want to buy a spool of 100 feet of 16 / 18 gauge at Radio Shack or someplace before you begin. The controller is very large and sort of clumsy. It comes with a ~6 foot “pig tail” that hooks to the subwoofer, so plan on having the subwoofer near the controller. Plus you must connect the 3 way mini-jack speaker wire to it and to the computer, however an extension should work if it needs to be farther away. The last big problem I had was with the wall mounting. If you plan on setting these on a flat surface, your in great shape. I mounted the rear speakers on the wall, and they twist/pivot on an “equatorial” type mount that is really sort of strange. Someone in another review here mentioned, you’ll understand it when you see it and play with it. Basically if you want to mount it on the wall (without a mounting board), then I suggest you have a professional mount it (and not pay him until its done), or you have a house with the wall studs running horizontal and not vertical (not really likely). Its hard to explain in words what the problem is, but the base of each speaker is in a Y shape with the drill holes at the top two ends of the Y. Therefore you must turn the base (Y) sideways to mount it and hit the stud behind the drywall/sheetrock. When you turn it sideways, you can’t pivot the speakers in a desirable direction. Like the other review said, you’ll see what I mean when you get them and try it. As far as the speaker system itself, I had the volume up only 50% in my basement and I could hear the base thumping on the street outside the house. If you need louder speakers you are either deaf, or dead.

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attikusrex

Member Since
May 2004

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User has 14 Days of experience with this product

This system is absolutely amazing. I had it hooked ...

Strengths:

Crisp sound, realistic sound and thumping bass - and it's like a receiver!

Weaknesses:

if I were to choose one...it would be the lack of treble control

Posted Mar 25, 2005 - This system is absolutely amazing. I had it hooked up via analog for a while and it was better than my ADA885 Altec Lansing THX certified speakers. Though I got those for around $250 I didn't hear the humungous difference everyone was speaking of! So at that point it was worth my money but didn't know if the upgrade was really necessary (the ADA885 rocked!!!) But then I bought a digital cable and now everything's clear. THX movies are awesome, games are awesome, music is awesome. These are very comparable to my friend's PolkAudio housespeaker system...in fact I like these better, they provide the clarity and don't provide the white noise! I must say, this is definitely worth it especially with an optical/digital connection...this is very, very sweet and I got it at a rockin price of $240 ($269 is still a steal!) The bass is absolutely amazing and the sound is just soooo freakin clear...I mean especially compared to 2-way speakers! These have no flaws (except one small one as I mentioned, hah!) But I've figured out how to adjust the treble via software so everything's fine in that area and that item didn't disappoint me much. Oh yeah they come with speaker wire now...so you can even probably splice some existing house speakers into this amazing system which can provide up to 1K of wattage (this matches ~ $200 receivers!) It's amazing how far small computer speakers have gotten today, truely, truely amazing! I definitely recommend this for anyone who has 2.1 and wants an upgrade...and those with the ADA885, I can recommend this too if you can get it at about $270 (the ADA885 really rocked my house :). Otherwise I don't know if I would upgrade unless you really want true surround sound and to be able to use digital audio. Good stuff, good job logitech (own their mice too and gamepad...they haven't let me down once!) Oh yeah, I also listened to Onkyo's home theater system, as well as the Klipsch (the Klipsch were good...BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THESE), I also listened to the megaworks, same thing... I was tied up on what speakers to get, I felt like getting true surround, this ended up on top. + digital audio connections + multi-input connection just like a receiver + clear midrange and highs + thumping bass + good technology that definitely works without being 2-way + now it's real speaker wire - no treble control (why?!?! Isn't this easy to implement!?)

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tweety66 from WA

Member Since
Nov 2004

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User has 3 Days of experience with this product

These things i turned half way up and they knocked ...

Strengths:

quality of sound, bass, options

Weaknesses:

nothing

Posted Dec 14, 2004 - These things i turned half way up and they knocked a couple of pictures off of the wall in my room and the walls were shaking everywhere else. everything is crystal clear and the power is awesome. i highly reccommend these speakers to any gamer or computer multimedia user.

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kroos from CO

Member Since
Nov 2004

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User has 4 Days of experience with this product

Incredible speakers, I never imagined PC audio cou ...

Strengths:

Audio quality, ease of use, multiple connection options.

Weaknesses:

Documentation not up to the quality of the product.

Posted Nov 10, 2004 - Incredible speakers, I never imagined PC audio could sound this good. I'm using a coaxial digital connection to an Audigy 2 ZS soundcard......96 kHz sampling on stereo, amazing 5.1 with Dolby Digital and DTS decoders built in for DVD's! The control pad is very intuitive, and remembers settings by input. Variable effects selectable based on input type. Sub is tight and clear. The satellites are really crisp and sweet too, the sound is sweet. These speakers sound great at all volume levels, including "irritate your neighbors" loud!

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gman757 from TX

Member Since
Oct 2003

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User has 2 Weeks of experience with this product

These are the best sounding computer speakers I've ...

Strengths:

Unbelievable sound. Kickin' bass. Handles a variety of connections.

Weaknesses:

Subwoofer is rediculously large. Control panel is huge too. All inputs are made through the control panel which can be awkward.

Posted Mar 19, 2005 - These are the best sounding computer speakers I've ever heard. Period. The quality is so good, you could easily use these speakers in your living room and connect your DVD player and Playstation2/Xbox to it if you wanted to. I keep the volume down to about 30-40% to keep things reasonable. But heck, if you want to go deaf, it will even let you boost the volume above 100%! It will decode Dolby Digital 5.1. and Pro Logic 2, no prob. It has a nice remote. It has 3 surround sound inputs - coax, optical, and the usual 3 cable PC card. The only thing that could be a problem is that the inputs are on the gigantic control panel, which means that you will have a bunch of wires coming onto your desk or wherever you decide to put the control panel. Also, the subwoofer is huge....makes it hard to put under your computer desk and still have room for your feet! But if you want good sound, you need a big sub, and Logitech delivers.

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beetz12 from SC

Member Since
Aug 2005

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User has .5 Days of experience with this product

OMG You Have To Get These!!!!

Strengths:

great bass, remote control, ease of use, and much much more...

Weaknesses:

The subwoofer is Huge and takes up a lot of room.

Posted Nov 10, 2005 - These are by far the BEST speakers I've owned. I had been using a Philips 2.1 system before upgrading the Logitech Z-550 speakers. I thought the speakers I had before was nice, but these speakers completely blow my old one out of the water! First of all, theses speakers are EXTREMELY loud, the quality remains high at EVERY volume! At even the loudest setting, there is still absolutely no hissing or static. With these speakers, you will ever need listen to music on full volume, but if you ever do, prepare for a lot of angry visitors :). I just got these speakers today, and I'm already pissing off my roomates . We each have our own bedrooms, and are separated by two doors and a wall. I was playing some music with just one volume bar (out of twenty), and yet it still woke him with both doors CLOSED!!. I was like OMG these speakers are good, and I had to reduce the volume to 1/2 bar before the complaint stopped. The only potential problem with these speakers is the size of the sub and the amount space it takes up. The dimensions of the sub is: 12/14/14 l/w/h, and the units are in inches. Before getting these speakers, you should definitely make sure that you have the space to put it. The sub contains powerful magnets, and the direction recommends that you place it at least 2 ft away from other electronic equipment. Underneaths of beds work well =P. The connection cables between the subs and the satellites are very long, so you shouldn't have much trouble. Two of the cables are Extremely long, but if the other 3 don't reach, you can always pick up longer wires from a local store. It's definitely worth it! Having a good sound card is important if you want to get the full benefit out of these speakers. My old soundcard doesn't support 5.1 audio, so I got the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS Pro, which I tested with my old speakers before installing the Z-5500. Let me tell you, the card made a huge difference! But if you're not willing to pay that much, at least make sure that your sound card has the outputs: front/rear/center, since they are required for direct connection between the speakers and your computer. It will probably still work if your sound card has just one input; however the sound quality will be seriously compromised. Although a good sound card + the Z-5500 may seem a bit pricey at first, the enjoyment you will get out of it over its life time is more than worth it. You can easily spend over $1k on more expensive sound systems out there, and it may still not be as good as the Z-5500. Notice that this is one of the few items with a perfect 5 star rating. That alone speaks for itself.

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usametric

Member Since
May 2002

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User has 2 Months of experience with this product

Scary!!!

Strengths:

Seemingly endless volume. More power than you will ever need. Near perfect sound reproduction.

Weaknesses:

Vista driver support.

Posted May 4, 2007 - I absolutely love these speakers. I rarely get them past half way as they are loud! I'm thinking about using them in my living room as they blow my Sony entertainment unit away! Example: I was listening to Chemical Brothers - Influenced, and it actually moved my door in the office until it was almost closed!! I am not making that up. The only draw back, and its a big one, is lack of driver support for Vista. And, you may have to start replacing your 128 Kbps MP3's as the lower encryption becomes noticeable at higher volumes. Bottom Line: I highly recommend this product, I'm sure Vista support will come down the road. Lastly, if these speakers don't put a smile on your face, nothing will.

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tqli07981

Member Since
Jan 2005

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User has 10 Days of experience with this product

Bought this system two weeks ago. Set up is strai ...

Strengths:

Sound Quality, Control center and remote control.

Weaknesses:

None

Posted Jan 13, 2005 - Bought this system two weeks ago. Set up is straight forward. This system is so powerful, specially for a home office setting. Both movies and music sounds terrific. It offers plenty of inputs for various devices. The digital input works with both regular DVD player or sound card of your PC. I have a Creative SB Audigy 2ZS, which has digital out put. I use digital input for both music and movies. The control center and the remote are both functional and convenient. Anyway, I totally agree with all the raves by other reviewer and this is an awesome system.

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Anonymous

Member Since
Nov 2004

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User has 10 Days of experience with this product

My last speakers were "Cambridge Soundworks FPS 20 ...

Strengths:

Great Sound, Superb Bass, If I could explain in words you could hear sounds from the speakers themselves

Weaknesses:

Subwoofer is heavy.

Posted Dec 18, 2004 - My last speakers were "Cambridge Soundworks FPS 2000 Digital" Not the greatest now, but certainly great back in 1999. Now with that in mind these speakers blow away everything. The bass is awesome and the speakers are also loud. I suggest buying them if you have the money. When the order came to my door the box was big and heavy and I was amazed at how I miss judged the size of this. Make sure you don't put the sub near your computer or monitor, but you can with the speakers.

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niander99 from PA

Member Since
Nov 2003

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User has 5 Days of experience with this product

These speakers are the best set on that market tha ...

Strengths:

Very clean, strong hitting bass. Much more clarity over previous model.

Weaknesses:

A little pricey, other than that, NONE

Posted Dec 20, 2004 - These speakers are the best set on that market that you can buy, for the price range. 500W of screaming, heart pounding bass and beautiful mid range. Would recommend these speakers to anyone looking for high end performance on their games and music.

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N/A

User has 7 Days of experience with this product

Behold the BEHEMOTH!

Strengths:

Crisp, clear, incredible sound, loud LoUd LOUD, optical input, remote control, quality construction with great looks, handy control modual.

Weaknesses:

A bit pricey

Posted Aug 3, 2007 - This device, coupled with my Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer sound card can really make my windows rattle! The only problem is that my wife won’t let me use it to its full potential while she’s home =( I was not expecting the subwoofer to be the size of a dog house, but I guess that’s what you need to get the huge sound that you do! I use my system mostly for gaming and the surround sound, crisp audio, booming base, and directionality is awesome! Now that I’m playing games with the new sound card/speakers, I feel like I’m hearing whole new games.

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62 W/Channel, 69W Center, THX Certified - MPN: 9701150403

after alot of use i have come to much preffer thes ...

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box wa ...

Price grabber is a very nice site i use it all the ...

This is the best speaker system I've ever heard. M ...

WOW!!

This system is absolutely amazing. I had it hooked ...

These things i turned half way up and they knocked ...

Incredible speakers, I never imagined PC audio cou ...

These are the best sounding computer speakers I've ...

OMG You Have To Get These!!!!

Scary!!!

Bought this system two weeks ago. Set up is strai ...

My last speakers were "Cambridge Soundworks FPS 20 ...

These speakers are the best set on that market tha ...

Behold the BEHEMOTH!

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