is The Logitech Z-5500 Worth Buying Today?

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Syric

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Apparently, the Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Digital Speaker System came out years ago, and yet it remains a huge favorite amongst many circles and given price range.

Should I be greatly concerned that it doesn't have HDMI connectors or decode DD True HD and DD DTS Master Audio (whatever this means?!) ?

Is there anything comparable? Anything newer that tops it?

I definitely need optical/coaxial options, which this one has, so anything in comparison would need to offer these options too.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121120
 
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I got my set for $250, so I'm inclined to disagree with its value at 40% higher cost than I paid. I use them via the analog connectors for my PC and optical on my PS3, and the setup works well for as little desk space I lose with the speakers.
 
Syric said:
Apparently, the Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Digital Speaker System came out years ago, and yet it remains a huge favorite amongst many circles and given price range.

Should I be greatly concerned that it doesn't have HDMI connectors or decode DD True HD and DD DTS Master Audio (whatever this means?!) ?

Is there anything comparable? Anything newer that tops it?

I definitely need optical/coaxial options, which this one has, so anything in comparison would need to offer these options too.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121120
Click to expand...

Depends. No one really makes 5.1 computer speakers anymore other than Logitech (decent ones anyway). For a desktop computer setup (especially in a small office), they work great in terms of musics, games, etc., and don't take up much space.

If you're thinking of using it for home theaters, you're better off going with home theater speakers and a receiver.

Price wise, a couple months ago amazon had them for $299 with a $50 MIR from logitech bringing it down to $249. That's the lowest I've seen them in the past year or so.

Should I be greatly concerned that it doesn't have HDMI connectors or decode DD True HD and DD DTS Master Audio (whatever this means?!) ?
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You'll want to do some research then. Good place to start:

http://www.bigscreen.com/about/help.php?id=44
 
rflcptr said:
I got my set for $250, so I'm inclined to disagree with its value at 40% higher cost than I paid. I use them via the analog connectors for my PC and optical on my PS3, and the setup works well for as little desk space I lose with the speakers.
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I would have to agree, for $250 or underi would consider buying them, but not for neweggs price of $350 i find it overpriced
 
stop making new threads... you have 4 open threads in this sub forum seeking advice on audio equipment. you only need one, where you can ask multiple questions.
 
as far as i can see from everyones sig in this thread, nobody is actually speaking from experience, so ill weigh in if i can... *EDIT* rflcptr's got one.

I got my Z-5500 about three years ago. STILL pumped about this investment. I paid $380 for them new, got them from Dell's website.

First, the sound quality is GREAT. Whether its highs, lows, or mids, this thing certainly gives you the bang for your buck. To that end, I'm sure you can search around and find them for less than I spent originally.

Second, the decoding. You're going to need a sound card that can decode and output Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround / DTS. The Z-5500 is capable of recognizing and outputting a dolby digital 5.1 or DTS signal, but it has to be decoded to work properly. I tried using my on-board sound (it was VIA HD Audio), but for whatever reason, it didn't output by those standards; what ends up happening is the receiver detects it as an analog signal, and you can manipulate that signal from your receiver to play as stereo, stereo x2 (plays from your front and back two speakers, no center), movie mode or music mode (both of which will start with your center speaker and spread outward from there, though I find that not much gets picked up by the back speakers.)

So, you go and get a decent sound card (I went out and grabbed a turtle beach montego 5.1 ddl, cost me like $50-$60) and it decodes dolby digital 5.1 and dts. Once you hook this badboy up via an optical cable, you'll have a completely digital throughput that WILL get recognized by the receiver, and it will show up on there as "Digital" instead of giving you the option to use one of the four other analog modes I described above. So, when you're playing a game, you well get true, positionally correct digital surround sound. I'm talking helicopters flying over you, grenade explosions only coming through the back speakers if it detonates behind you - everything is positional, and it is AMAZING for any game you're planning on playing. You can literally hear footsteps getting closer to you if you're playing a first person shooter, and this alone offers a huge advantage.

If you don't have any other immediate front runners for your possible purchase, get the Z-5500. You won't be disappointed.

Any other questions about these, feel free to PM me.
 
Don Juan Formaggio said:
as far as i can see from everyones sig in this thread, nobody is actually speaking from experience, so ill weigh in if i can... *EDIT* rflcptr's got one.

I got my Z-5500 about three years ago. STILL pumped about this investment. I paid $380 for them new, got them from Dell's website.

First, the sound quality is GREAT. Whether its highs, lows, or mids, this thing certainly gives you the bang for your buck. To that end, I'm sure you can search around and find them for less than I spent originally.

Second, the decoding. You're going to need a sound card that can decode and output Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround / DTS. The Z-5500 is capable of recognizing and outputting a dolby digital 5.1 or DTS signal, but it has to be decoded to work properly. I tried using my on-board sound (it was VIA HD Audio), but for whatever reason, it didn't output by those standards; what ends up happening is the receiver detects it as an analog signal, and you can manipulate that signal from your receiver to play as stereo, stereo x2 (plays from your front and back two speakers, no center), movie mode or music mode (both of which will start with your center speaker and spread outward from there, though I find that not much gets picked up by the back speakers.)

So, you go and get a decent sound card (I went out and grabbed a turtle beach montego 5.1 ddl, cost me like $50-$60) and it decodes dolby digital 5.1 and dts. Once you hook this badboy up via an optical cable, you'll have a completely digital throughput that WILL get recognized by the receiver, and it will show up on there as "Digital" instead of giving you the option to use one of the four other analog modes I described above. So, when you're playing a game, you well get true, positionally correct digital surround sound. I'm talking helicopters flying over you, grenade explosions only coming through the back speakers if it detonates behind you - everything is positional, and it is AMAZING for any game you're planning on playing. You can literally hear footsteps getting closer to you if you're playing a first person shooter, and this alone offers a huge advantage.

If you don't have any other immediate front runners for your possible purchase, get the Z-5500. You won't be disappointed.

Any other questions about these, feel free to PM me.
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I had them, but traded for the Klipsch Promedia Ultra. The Logitech Subwoofer is very loud and boomy, but lacks a lot of clarity and definition, especially on the low end.

With the z-5500, there is no need for either a receiver or additional sound card as the system (control pod) has a built-in dolby digital/dts decoder (it does not output a digital signal as the output is the analog that goes to the speakers). However, it cannot decode lossless audio like DolbyHD, DTS-HD, though for a setup like this, it wouldn't matter anyway since you won't be able to tell the difference.
 
Don Juan Formaggio said:
as far as i can see from everyones sig in this thread, nobody is actually speaking from experience, so ill weigh in if i can... *EDIT* rflcptr's got one.
.
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I had a set before I sold them, my brother had a set of Z-680's ( basically the same thing with a smaller sub, and better sounding satellites ). These are not worth $300+ dollars period. You are way better off getting an ONKYO HTIB. What other systems have you listened to? I bet only these Z-5500's because the mids/highs/lows are not "GREAT", they are decent if you get this system for $200 or less, otherwise they are pretty poor in comparison to anything in the same price range today.

You can list all the features you want, but an Onkyo HTIB does all of that, including newer codecs, a ton of more connections, and better sound quality to boot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882120167 ( coming back in stock on the 27th, $299 )
amazon/vanns has them for $320 shipped.
 
My friend has these. They don't sound very good. Their sub plays one note a lot louder than anything else the system plays. The top end's rolled off, and the midrange clarity is lacking. It's like getting into some teenager's car with stock speakers, an aftermarket cd deck, and a 12 in a bandpass box from pep boys. I would pass.
 
lol guess i stand alone on this one.

i havent listened to the onkyo, but i have a friend who does have them, and he said they were pretty comparable to the z-5500s. but you're right, cant speak from personal experience.

maybe im just easily impressed, but even with the price where its at (yes i know you can find other HTIBs for a better value) id STILL buy this thing again.
 
I'm not an audiophile. Have had mine for three years, paid like $220 for them I think? They sound just fine to me, but once again I'm not an audiophile.

However Logitiech customer service simply impressed me. Had had the speakers almost a year and started having issues with the control pod. Called up Logitech, they didn't ask me any questions about when I bought them our anything. They just told me to send back the control pod and they sent me a WHOLE NEW SEALED Z-5500 SET!!!

That's worth a LOT to me and while these speakers aren't the best by a lot of people standards they sound good to me and when I had a problem Logitech EXCELLED at fixing it.

So yeah, awesome speakers IMHO.
 
They are the best 5.1 stand alone computer speaker system you can get. that is largely by virtue that they are one of the only ones these days, but still. there are a few cheaper ones, but nothing any higher quality. Past the 5500s you have to go with home theater gear. That's a good option, but one that costs a good deal more and is also a bit more complex. So if you want want relatively cheap computer 5.1, they are the way to go.

If you are willing to spend more, you can do far better in the HT arena but as I said, a lot more. Probably talking $500 minimum for a good HTIB and more like $1000 minimum for a 5.1 system built from components.

Basically the 5500s are something like a good 22" TN monitor. Not the best monitor you can get period, but a very good value for the price.
 
Sycraft said:
They are the best 5.1 stand alone computer speaker system you can get. that is largely by virtue that they are one of the only ones these days, but still. there are a few cheaper ones, but nothing any higher quality. Past the 5500s you have to go with home theater gear. That's a good option, but one that costs a good deal more and is also a bit more complex. So if you want want relatively cheap computer 5.1, they are the way to go.

If you are willing to spend more, you can do far better in the HT arena but as I said, a lot more. Probably talking $500 minimum for a good HTIB and more like $1000 minimum for a 5.1 system built from components.

Basically the 5500s are something like a good 22" TN monitor. Not the best monitor you can get period, but a very good value for the price.
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No doubt they are a good deal @ $200, but where can you find them at that price nowadays? The Onkyo HTIB is much better, yet cost less @ $300 shipped @ newegg, or amazon/vanns for $320. that I linked above.
 
Nsx241, thank you for the link and opinions! Great information and insight to reconsider what I'm looking at here !! =)

fss69, no receiver yet, but it sounds like a home theater solution of some sort might be better for me vs. this idea now. Hmm.

Ryken - Ugh, yeh, sorry bout that man. It wasn't really my intention to go firing up 4 posts like that, and I never have before. It's just all this audio stuff has really had me perplexed the last few months, and I'd really like to do something about it.

I'm running a pretty darn good rig (see sigy for details). And, using what I have at the moment is like playing a PS game on a PS3 consule. My rig needs (deserves lol) a better sound solution. My speakers are years old (go Logitech Z5300! They've done the job alright over the years), I'm willing to spend more money now on a quality soundcard, etc etc.

So, the whole 4 post thing. Yeh, sorry, but the questions would come after the fact, and I didn't want to congest one post subject/question w/ others that, while related, were ultimately different. Still, I'll try to be more thoroughly thought out next round! Cheers! :)

Don Juan Formaggio - Thank you VERY much for taking the time to give such a lengthy worth-wild opinion! I really appreciate it man! Great insightful info! =)

aZn_plyR - Ya know, the product you linked to does seem to offer a very COMPROMISABLE solution! Especially w/ all the connection options! I might just buy this instead!!! Thank you VERY much for taking the time to suggest this as an alternative option!!

Heatlesssun & Sycraft & Anyone Else I missed: Sincere thanks for your additional opinions and thoughts! You've given me valuable additional information that I won't ignore, and thanks to EVERYONE's input....I'm reconsidering what it is I should ultimately do for a speaker/soundcard solution for gaming/music/movies (I've a 47inch Phillips flatscreen LCD hooked up as my monitor, hence when I'm really looking for a home theatre 5.1 solution for music/game/movies ...to compliment my tv/monitor)
 
450 said:
Get an onkyo home theater in a box (HTIB).
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HTIB's 1.) Are not in this price range 2.) come with bulky unwanted external amplifiers and 3.) often also include dvd/bluray players which further add to bulk and cost without being of any use whatsoever.

If you actually watch dolby digital movies on your pc or want surround sound for gaming, AND have room to PROPERLY POSITION the rear satellites, just go for the z-5500s or some other 5.1 speaker kit with a subwoofer-integrated amplifier and compact sound processing module.

If you're looking for great sound quality i'd suggest throwing surround sound out the window and getting a desktop amplifier like this one

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-383

and use standard speaker wire to run it through a subwoofer with speaker level inputs and outputs to a pair of passive bookshelf size speakers.
 
How is an HTiB not in his price range? He was looking at the Z5500 which is $350 at the moment.
 
Perhaps he meant to write "not good". I have to say personally I'm a bit skeptical about the quality you'd get for $350 for a HTIB.
 
I've had them for a little about 4 years now (got them new from Dell for $150 back then) and they've been excellent. They have plenty of sound for my place and it does sound pretty good. I have them setup for nearer-field monitoring with a compact projection setup. They are wonderful when you need multiple inputs and basic surround decoding yet don't have room for a receiver.

About the newer lossless audio formats, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I run my HD disc player (which decodes True HD and DTS-MA) analog out to the Z5500. At best, there is a very slight difference in what you can hear between the lossless tracks versus the compressed tracks. Sometimes there is no difference that can be heard. I think you would need a better quality setup to really hear the difference.
 
I got Z-5500's about 5 years ago for $200 (Amazon I think), they were solid at that price, sounded good enough.

Sub & control pod died about a year ago, replaced them with Swan 1080's, sound quality is MUCH, MUCH better, Swans were $120 for the bookshelves (2.0 system).

I'm hard pressed to recommend the Z-5500's over a home theater in a box (htib), one of the $200-250 Onkyo's. If you can find the Z's for $180 or less and you want 5.1 & subwoofer 'thumb' (gaming, action movies) over more finess in SQ (music, non-action movies) then go for it, otherwise look elsewhere.
 
I owned the Z-680's (essentially the same as the 5500's) and I currently own a budget Onkyo home theater. I A/B'd them for a guy who was going to buy my 680's off craigslist and it blew my sale. Once he heard the Onkyo, he realized how shitty the Logitechs were.

People will say the 5500s are good, but to be blunt, those people are wrong. They haven't heard good speakers, and they are convincing themselves the 5500s sound good because they wanted 5.1. Don't get me wrong, I was in the same boat when I wanted my 680s. I thought they sounded amazing for a while. Then I listened to some more speakers and setups, and I realized how limited they were. The bass was really loose and boomy, the satellites were tin like with a small soundstage.

Get the Onkyo HTIB. Most HTIBs are worse than the 5500s, but the Onkyo ones are very very good for the price. Also, with the Onkyo HT-S3300 you aren't getting a wasted DVD/BD player as stated above, but you are getting an HDMI capable receiver that will a) sound better b) have much more flexibility with inputs c) do true hd decoding d) hold it's value better and e) have the ability to work with other speakers/subs. It's a much much better deal.
 
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I've had my z5500's for several years and the more I listen to other systems the more dissappointed I am with them. The bass is just way to boomy.
 
I've had z5500's since 2006 and they used to be my pc speakers and they are amazing. I actually use them for my home theatre now. Nothing can touch them as a complete kit for less then $300.

ALL broadcasted HD is still only 5.1 and only blu-rays are 7.1. As far as using DTS or Dolby Digital if your bare ears can hear the difference between compressed 5.1 and "uncompressed" 5.1 then you are an amazing person but the majority of the public would never be able to tell.
 
ryken said:
People will say the 5500s are good, but to be blunt, those people are wrong. They haven't heard good speakers, and they are convincing themselves the 5500s sound good because they wanted 5.1.
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I guess you can call my SVS MTS-01 speakers "not good" if you want, but then given that the subwoofer alone probably costs more than your entire setup, I think some people might question that.

I've heard, and own, plenty good thanks. Personally I'm of the opinion that a nice HT setup is the way to go for PC gaming. However that is about a $1000+ option. You don't get to have it cheap.

That being the case, I'm realistic about lower end stuff. The Z-5500s are fine speakers. We have some at work, I've heard them plenty, they are fine. If what you want is a cheap, small, 5.1 system fora computer, they are that.

Are they as good as that Onkyo HTIB? Couldn't say, I haven't heard it. I'm just a little skeptical of a HTIB at that price. The receiver in it looks a lot like the TX-SR308, a receiver that goes for $200. Doesn't leave a lot of money left over for the speakers. Doesn't mean it couldn't be good, just means I'd want to look before I leap.
 
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I'd say the Z-5500 are still worth it, but $350 is a bit much. I got mine for $200-250 within the first 6 months of logitech releasing it. So mine is the first revision with the hardwired RCA cables coming out of the speakers instead of the newer ones with a standard speaker wire clamps.

I have been thinking of modding mine to add the standard speaker jacks to them.
 
They make my ears bleed they sound so bad. Thin plastic baffles and 3" main drivers aren't worth any amount of money IMO. Yes I've owned them and yes I took them back. Unless you are seriously willing to sacrifice sound quality, there is no 5.1 system worthwhile in the $250 range. Again, this is my opinion. I would much rather have a quality set of studio monitors actually capable of reproducing accurate sound.
 
Entry-level speakers cost almost nothing to produce though. Best Buy used to sell the Insig NSB-2111s for $30/pair, piano black finish with coaxial tweeter/woofer. These speakers are outsourced to 3rd world countries and 90% of your final price is probably the shipping. They get manufacturer pricing, not the kind of jacked up prices DIYers have to pay. Those OEM drivers from partsexpress probably cost 10% of what they charge you.

They (HTIBs) can sell you this stuff dirt cheap and still make a profit. It's also about economies of scale. These HTIBs sell like hotcakes, so even if they only make $30/set they are making it up with volume. Contrast this with "high end" speakers. I picked up a set of Revel M20s for $600 shipped off audiogon from an authorized dealer. These retailed for $2k. I'm sure the total parts of the Revels come up to less than $300. They have to mark them up because they just don't sell many--what you are paying is for marketing and labor costs.
 
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Wow! A lot of GREAT opinions for me to consider here. Never thought I'd get such diverse feedback, but thank you all the same!

I'm still doing more research, so the hunt and debate continues!
 
No way. For $200, you should be purchasing an Onkyo receiver and passive bookshelf speakers. For $350, you get to add a $150 subwoofer (BIC, Energy, whatever).

MUCH better sound with 2.1 than the craptastic Logitech stuff. I still own my set of Logitech z-560's (their original foray) and they suck. I don't care how new the z-5500's are, you still can't get good sound out of 2.5" drivers with no tweeters.

There are 2 types of folks here:
1. those who think Logitech speakers are good and will overpay for them.
2. The educated.
 
So far, I've loved my set of these. I'm really into DnB where your hair stands up on end, and this does the job!
 
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J Macker said:
No way. For $200, you should be purchasing an Onkyo receiver and passive bookshelf speakers. For $350, you get to add a $150 subwoofer (BIC, Energy, whatever).

MUCH better sound with 2.1 than the craptastic Logitech stuff. I still own my set of Logitech z-560's (their original foray) and they suck. I don't care how new the z-5500's are, you still can't get good sound out of 2.5" drivers with no tweeters.

There are 2 types of folks here:
1. those who think Logitech speakers are good and will overpay for them.
2. The educated.
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Not everybody is a audiophile. And not everybody will be able to distinguish the major difference between high-end vs low-end systems.

Uneducated...really?

I've had my z-5500's for almost 4 years now and it's still running strong as ever and I have no regrets.

Best thing is not having to deal with a receiver. My computer room is already a heater with my 30", I can't even think about sticking a piping hot receiver in here.

If I was in the market for a new speaker system, I would not hesitate making the purchase again. I'm only using a 2.1 setup at the moment to minimize desk clutter and I'm still satisfied.
 
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Piping hot receiver, yes uneducated as already mentioned.

And if someone can't distinguish between the two systems, they must be deaf because the difference is huge while the price difference is tiny.

If the Z-5500 fits your needs, that's great, but it still sounds like crap for the price it's going for ($300+).
 
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to state it simply... If you're looking for sound quality, look elsewhere.
If you're looking for loud sound for gaming like *boom* *crash* *kabooooom* then by all means go for it.
 
I have had mine for around 3 years give or take a few months. As I recall I got them for like $199 on one of the crazy insane deals buy.com was having on them at the time.

I still absolutely love mine. They are a bit heavy on the bass but that's easily fixed with a bit of creative tuning and equalization. They will blow away most 'Home Theater In A Box' setups and I've even seen people use them for home theater setups in a small room where space is a concern.

I wouldn't spend more than $250 on them, though. For that kind of money you can buy a 5.1 receiver and a low end sub + surrounds and have a better start to a long lasting setup.


Really to come here and ask for advice is just asking for TROUBLE and it's the same with most other forums. Most people here have this elitest attitude about audio equipment and if you don't use exactly what they use they take great pleasure in chastising you for it. Bottom line is audio equipment is just like picking an ice cream flavor - you really need to try it in person to see if it's the setup for you.
 
Blue Falcon said:
Really to come here and ask for advice is just asking for TROUBLE and it's the same with most other forums. Most people here have this elitest attitude about audio equipment and if you don't use exactly what they use they take great pleasure in chastising you for it. Bottom line is audio equipment is just like picking an ice cream flavor - you really need to try it in person to see if it's the setup for you.
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good call.

to be an example to this analogy, i like altec lansings sound better than logitech for low budget speakers
 
I got my z-5500 for 250 about 2 years ago and haven't regretted it once. Ive used them with both on-board and then an x-fi, they are great. Not a single complaint.
 
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