Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System

Let me start by saying that this is my third speaker system that I have owned for my Gateway PC.I started out using the speakers that came with the computer system itself which is actually a speaker bar that mounts under my 24" monitor. Those speakers are OK for basic use, but being the electronics geek that I am and appreciate great sounding music and movies, I quickly realized that 6 watt speakers mounted to a speaker bar was not going to cut it. The good thing about this speaker bar is that it does have simulated 3D sound which does sound kinda cool when watching movies.OK, so it was time to upgrade and decided that I wanted to get a great sounding system with lots of bass and clean sound. I also decided that surround sound was not very important (at the time) and settled on the Logitech Z-2300 2.1 set up. I figured that when watching movies, since the set up had so mch power, It would be good enough for me. Purchased them, had them for a few months and let me tell you, LOVED these speakers.... for music! When I listened to music, it sounded almost flawless. Great pounding bass, mid and highs were clear for a PC set up at the price I paid. Was very happy with them until I started to watch movies... As far as the front of the soundstage and lows, the Z-2300 got the job done, however I really did have buyer's remorse only due to the fact that the spacial surround effects of the soundstage was missing. Could not totally enjoy watching movies so I then decided, I was going to make one last leap and purchase a REALLY GOOD 5.1 set up.At this point, since space is an issue with my home, I decided to step up to a 2.1 set up with simulated surround, again from Logitech and decided on the Z-Cinema set up. Long story very short, I HATED them... they looked nice, had a nice remote but the sound quality was mediocre and the bass was almost non-existent, especially when watching movies. I literally had them hooked up all of about an hour; disconnected them, boxed everything up and back to Amazon they went... very disappointed.This is where the Z-5500's come into play. Now, just like a consumer should, I did some research on the best set up to buy... I for one was looking for build quality, power ratings, and of-course, best bang for my hard earned buck! I decided that I was going to stick with Logitech and get a TRUE 5.1 set up. Altough space is an issue, I decided what they heck and made the purchase.I received the box and without delay, I started to unpack everything. I have read reviews that Logitech does not do a good job of packing the system but let me tell you, I disagree as I thought that everything was well laid out, wrapped, strapped, and tight. They even label instructions to keep the Sub away from your electronics and even thought of wrapping plastic straps around the sub so you can easily lift it out of the box.. that was a nice touch... nice job Logitech!FIRST IMPRESSIONS--Satellite speakers are of very nice build quality. They are heavy, and the drivers are constructed of quality materialsThe Subwoofer is big, but not too big that you cannot fit it in an average size room with furniture. If I can fit it in my small place, then most people should not have an issue with space. Again, build quality/fit and finish is exceptional for the price you pay. The heat sink takes up about 3/4 of the rear of the sub abd should keep it cool. Connections are well laid out.The Control Pod is A LOT bigger than I expected. This was the biggest surprise when I was unpacking the box. Looks really nice on my desk, great build quality, and did I mention the thing is BIG!! It is about 4" wide, 8" tall, and 2" deep.. Nicely laid out overall.It does come with a remote that is nothing special, just a simple remote to operate all functions that you would use the control pod for. All black and fits nicely into your hand.Comes with speaker wire and cables needed to hook everything upHOOK UP--As stated, I purchased my Z-5500 set up for my desktop PC. It is a Media Center Entertainment PC with a High Def sound card. So, I needed to hook them up to this PC.I started with connecting the control Pod to the sub, then the 6 channel direct wires that come with the set up (your basic green, orange, and black analog wires) that connect to the back of your control pod to your PC's sound card. Then, the speaker wires were next... I started with the front left, right, then center.. you will know which speaker wires connect to the front since one of the bags in the box will have three shorter bundles of speaker wire (front left, center, and right) and a separate bag with two longer bundles for the rears. The only issue that I had with the installation process is that the rear speaker wires were not long enough. I rectified this problem by cutting and modifying the fronts since I had too much cable for the fronts. I cut off the excess from the fronts and spliced them into the rears and wahlah, problem solved.At this point, plug the sub in, switch the sub on, along with the control pad and you are in business!!LISTENING--One word... WOW!! Even compared to the Z-2300 set up that I had, the Z-5500 are so much better in every sense.. Music sounds crystal clear... turn the volume up and you do not lose any of the sound fidelity at all. At higher levels, this set up actually sounds better and let me tell you, I have not heard a system that carries sound quite like this one. Today I was playing music and had to go outside, up the driveway and to the street to meet up with my son as the bus was dropping him off. I only had it turned up between ¼ and half way and could hear it outside. I can also hear the music throughout the house with no problem.You will not be disappointed... for the money, I think that this set up exceeds expectations at this price range. Especially considering you can hook up several pieces of equipment at the same time, has 6 channel analog, digital fiber optical and digital coax connection for even higher quality audio. Not to mention that it has Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital and is THX certified. The best part about it is if you connect a digital cable to this set up, it will automatically switch to DIGITAL when the system detects media that was originally recorded in Digital (DTS etc)This is the first system that I have owned where BOTH music AND movies sound perfect, with plenty of power to accurately and precisely recreate a soundstage that will leave you speechless! Plenty of bass, mids and highs sound incredible... the effects when watching movies is theater like... I actually find myself looking behind me at times during surround effects... I can go on and on about this system...TIPS!--1. If you are planning on buying this system and will be connecting it to something that has a fiber optic connection, PURCHASE A FIBER OPTIC CABLE! Let me tell you, it DOES make a world of difference compared to the analog cables. I listened to the set up with the analog cables the first day, then the second day I went out and purchased a FO cable and made a huge difference.. it's like the system "woke up".. satellites sound much better, cleaner, more depth... it is worth the extra money, believe me.2. If you are going to buy the FO cable, MAKE SURE that you remove the plastic ends from each end of the cable... they will look like ends that belong there but they are not... they are just plastic ends used for shipping and to protect the ends from dirt and debris. You will just need to pull them straight off.3. One more thing about connecting a fiber optic cable - it is not as easy as connecting the cable from the control pod to your PC, you will also need to change the default setting for your sound device or else you will not hear anything when you set the Z-5500 to the "Digital" setting. For VISTA, usually, you can go to the control panel, click on "Hardware and Sounds", then "sounds". This will bring up the window for your sound card settings. Be sure that you click on "Digital Output Device (S/PDIF)" and press the "Set Default" button as this will change your default to digital setting and will run the audio signal through your FO cable instead of the Analog cables.4. This is a great investment for this 5.1 set up, but it is what it is, a surround sound set up. If you will be connecting this set up to your PC, you will get your monies worth and really appreciate the product if you have a High Def sound card. Look behind your PC tower and look for the audio ports.. this is your sound card and if it is 5.1, will have several ports with different colors. Typically, a good sound card will have a green, orange, back, and blue ports... also, if you see a square(ish) port that is lit up in red, that is an optical port which means that you are set up with a good quality 5.1 high def sound card and can take advantage of all of the z-500 features.5. If you have a large room and you will be running length of speaker wire longer than 25' (and let me say that you will use that up in no time), you may want to go out and purchase better quality speaker wire (maybe 14 gauge) and get yourself about 100' of it to make sure you have enough. I myself will be doing that soon; I do think it's worth the investment.6. When connecting the satellites, be sure to place them where they will rest before you run the speaker wire, this gives you an idea of what the set up will look like and a perspective on how you will run the wire.7. If you can, place the sub near the corner of your room to maximize bass response, keep it about 2 feet away from electronics (is NOT magnetically shielded), especially your TV and DO NOT place the sub right against the wall... the sub will need to breathe as air passes through the heat sinks, front driver, and side bass port. They need to be away from a wall in order the avoid damage or potentially shorten the life of the sub.That's it really... I really do recommend this product for anyone that enjoys music and movies. You cannot go wrong at this price range... Logitech has done a great job with this system..

I like to think that I make reasonable, prudent, and quality-conscious decisions when it comes to tech items, and this Logitech Z-5500 digital sound system reflects those words along with two others that comes to mind: HIGH PERFORMANCE! From the highs and mid-range sounds to the deep, deep thundering bass that only a huge, double-reflex 13"x13"x15" cabinet of a sub-woofer could manage to produce, the Logitech system is an incredible performing product. That it has close to 600W peak power is one thing, but to deliver it in the manner that this system does with superior DAC controllers and amazing line filters is a whole different ball game compared to less sophisticated systems.The "new" system from Logitech, the "replacement" for this beautiful sound array is supposed to be so much better than the Z-5500, but something got lost in the translation for me, personally, and I'm perfectly satisfied to continue on with this system and not "go forward" and choose the new "all-digital" Logitech system that is so "advanced" vs the Z-5500. With all due respects I have to pronounce the Z-5500 a better choice for myself, and my musical tastes and feelings vs the new system, and all others for that matter in terms of "computer speakers"--such as these are called.The Z-5500 is soooooo easy to set up and enjoy, too! I hooked up the system to my 3 favored devices (via Toslink connections) which surround my work station in my studio where I spend most of my time when working or enjoying my computer systems and audio-video devices, in about 10 minutes and I was ready to enjoy fine, fine sound reproduction. I have a Nyrius (available here at Amazon.com also) 3-Way Toslink Switch which I use to segregate the sounds from a Samsung Blu-Ray player, a Samsung LCD 40" HDTV, and the PC itself with its dedicated Asus Xonar Essence ST PCI Sound Card, all 3 devices having the requisite Toslink or Mini Toslink to Toslink ports to allow this conversion to take place, and BAM! I was done with setup but to pick the presets and features on the Logitech Controller device that I wanted to use, after configuring the speakers, of course.There are those who argue with me about "pure sound" and that "the best features of the Asus Xonar Essence" PC sound card are its dedicated DAC devices, which are supposed to be superior to the Logitech Controller's DAC's, but I really don't care to take up that conversation when I am 100% satisfied with the sounds emanating from my speakers as I set it up originally. No doubt I might change my perceptions of the Logitech DAC's (Digital Audio Converters) if I were to hear the "pure sounds" of the Asus device's DAC's, but for convenience's sake I will stick with my Mini-Toslink to Toslink cable from the Asus sound card to the Logitech controller, and be happy in my ignorance, I suppose.The Z-5500 continues the Logitech device system of separate titanium-tweeters/mid-range satellite speakers (5 of them), the dedicated Logitech controller where you make selections as to sound preferences, volume and the like choices, and a big, bad, (HUGE in fact) 13"x13"x15" sub-woofer with a gigantic 10-pound electro-dynamic MAGNET in the enclosure, for the ultimate bass "thump", "push", or "blast" (take your pick), and it's a winning combination for certain! One of the dedicated tweeter/midrange speakers is placed in the "Center" position for the most amazing voice and tympany-associated sounds from a Center speaker in the mix, while there are two speakers used for "Left" and "Right" traditional stereo output, and the last two are the "Surround Sound" speakers in the digital progression of defining the big-ranged output.I have the left and right channel speakers up high on my credenza on the top shelf (3 shelves in front of me, looking toward a wall and the Samsung HDTV), the surround sound satellites on the lower level of the desk, left and right, and finally I have the big sub-woofer placed ON THE FLOOR (carpeted) near my footwell in the work station, for the ultimate big bass explosions that inevitably come from that amazingly powerful bass reflex speaker, the most powerful I've ever experienced, frankly! I cannot tell you all reading this how heavy the bass sub-woofer is, but suffice to say it would easily "crack glass, bend metal, perhaps snap a redwood beam" if necessary, I mean it can be LOUD! However it's not a bad loud, it's like heavy compression and release of a never-ending "sound bomb" going off underneath the desk and it travels throughout my home like an indigenous bass blast emanating from all corners of the floor level of the place. CRAZY!Suffice to say this is one, major-league powerhouse of a sound system, and whether you are playing rock, jazz, classical, reggae, new wave, alternative music, whatever...the system is true to life and really entertaining to listen to. It can overwhelm you if you are inside my studio, this is surely true, with the volume turned up too high, so I literally never have the system cranked past 40-50% on the controller's slider-scale, never past about 40% of the system's capability because it is just beyond description how loud that actually is! 130 decibels, or higher? Perhaps! I like playing things like Steppenwolf's "Born to be wild", (or Hendrix's "Fire" or perhaps "Purple Haze", maybe Led Zeppelin's--really a Jimmy Page riff when you get down to it--"The song remains the same" or "Whole lotta love") all of which are anthems to the psychedelic past lives of the greats of rock 'n roll, when breaking in a new system, and the Z-5500 did NOT disappoint, to say the least!!!That bass reflex/sub-woofer has a warning on the box when you open it for the 1st time, and that warning is to: "Keep at least 3-feet away (the sub-woofer) from electronic components, computers, and anything sensitive to electro-magnetic energy", in large type which is Red/Black/White, sort of like a HazMat warning on a case of some hydrogen cannisters (!), a very foreboding thing to read when you are first setting up the system. Also this warning: "Heavy! Lift with caution"!! Once you actually pick up/lift the sub do you find out why that warning was placed so prominently, as it feels like 200 pounds of dead weight, concentrated into a small box, and it IS difficult to maneuver so I just put it under the desk and did my install "around" the sub rather than "with it!"Even the Controller is a substantial piece of equipment, as it sits angled "Up" on a 6" base with a satin-finished chrome/alloy face, blue LED Off/On switch, and up at the top of the piece is the control interface and LED display, soft green lit with blue script, with five buttons to push for "Input", "Effect", "Settings", "Level", and "Mute", with a HUGE control knob in the center of the face of the display for controlling volume, and volume alone. It all sort of "fits into place" easily, however, and I have mine sitting directly above my place to sit at the work station on the top level of the credenza where it's ready for any input I give it. And that's saying just a little bit about the controller because it is awesome the things you can do with it, adjusting and fine tuning all that power and grace that only a speaker system like this affords.It is just totally AWESOME in every aspect, the Z-5500 speaker system, and you learn to both enjoy and respect its presence and abilities quickly because you have no choice...it commands any room you have the system in, and gives no quarter either with respect to defining the sound output of any device you happen to be using. This is heaven, this is sound control, and it's all done the Logitech way.There is plenty of speaker wire to maintain a good distance between the requisite parts and pieces of the system, so you won't have to be making a trip to Radio Shack for more wire as you might have to do with a lesser speaker system. Nope, they thought of everything with the Z-5500 system, and then some! As for outputs and inputs it's all self-defined and simple to figure out: each speaker has a dedicated plug-in on its backside for a red wire and a black wire, and the other end of the wiring goes directly into the back of the sub-woofer to its logical counterpart, ie "Left side", "Right side", "Left surround", "Right surround", or "Center"...your choice! It is idiot-proof totally, and simple to assemble.There is a dedicated plug-in for the Logitech Controller directly below the speakers' connections, and you just run the other end of that up to the controller and you're ready to rock! The controller has the inputs for analog or Toslink sound (optical/digital hook-up) cables, and Logitech furnishes the analog wiring and you furnish the Toslink wiring, because it can be long, short, or in-between...for my setup I used 12-foot Toslink cables to be safe and sane, you might use the 6-foot size if you have everything closer together than I do presently.The whole system is certified THX, Dolby Digital, and DTS and those initials are finely stenciled, in black, onto the front of the controller at the bottom edge so it's not too prominent. If you remove the satellite's acoustic cover you'll find just THX stamped on its front, bottom surface...very subtle and nice.That's my take on this incredible sounding, and looking for that matter, speaker system by Logitech. It's a shame that they don't make it anymore, but maybe you can find your dream set post-production era in an obscure 'Net storefront somewhere...I did just that the other day, and they wanted $1299 for the set, "New, never opened, packed and sealed by Logitech" the ad said! WOW! That's saying something with declaration right there...so in some circles I guess these are considered the ones to have, even now vs. the new, improved, and "advanced" all digital replacement for this amazing system.You know, I am glad I got in on the Z-5500 while they were at the end of the production run, even though they were not discounted to any great extent here at Amazon.com. I figure I got the best of both worlds when I bought these because they were proven, established, and universally considered the absolute best computer speaker system available at any price. I love the Z-5500's for all of my uses, be it HDTV, BluRay or DVD movies, or for PC convenience and use with my AppleTV library of 1200+ movies, or iTunes with almost 3TB of music and video performances by great artists.If I wasn't satisfied with the Z-5500 I'd swap them out in a NY Second or Two for the new, "advanced" replacement that Logitech has created, but I'm not dissatisfied at all. For me these are as good as it gets for computer speakers, and I'll be keeping them a long, long time.Wavey Davey - 8-20-2011