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

Alright, well I've had a Panasonic 5.1 with tower front speakers and wireless speakers w/stands for rear speakers, and I believe an 8 or 10 inch sub, and I loved that system, but it was never quite enough for me even though I payed just over half a grand for the sucker. Well now I use that Panasonic for my xbox360 and dvd's, but I wish I had known that this system would be so distinctly better before I had bought and then set up that Panasonic those years ago... I honestly feel I've wasted money and time putting up with sound when I could've had this system at a significantly better price and been MUCH happier with the sound quality. Let's get right down to actually reviewing this system though.. Before I list the pros and cons, let me say that I consider myself a soundfreak, but I am no audiophile, and while I've owned my fair share of sound systems and headsets and tested just as many sound systems, I am no expert, this is just from my point of view. Pros 1)Controllable level of surround sound 2)Controllable level of the center speaker 3)Controllable level of subwoofer 4)Easy use of the main console 5)VERY distinct sound quality, and while some people complain of the subwoofer being "too boomy", the system makes up for it by utilizing 3" full range drivers in each surround speaker which can actually give you the distinct rich kick sound of rock music, while you feel the kick from the subwoofer. 6)One thing I hated about my Panasonic is that when you would turn it up loud, the subwoofer would drown everything out, and that simply isn't the case with this sound system. Each surround speaker can hold it's own and still produce very distinct notes with the subwoofer pounding your chest in, which to me is a HUGE bonus. 7)The rear speakers produce a good level of sound and quality which for me is also a huge deal because some surround systems I've either owned or tested have had very weak rear speaker volume level and quality. 8)The sound with this system is very rich, you will not be disappointed with clarity even at the highest levels, or with the surround sound. My advice would be to try out the song, "Aint No Rest For The Wicked, by Cage The Elephant", that really showcases the quality of the surround sound and the rear speakers. Cons 1)The subwoofer is boomy like other reviews have mentioned, but if you're looking for a 5.1 system in the price range that this is offered in (or even at some higher price ranges), you will not find a better deal than this system. 2)It's not a component system (separate tweeters and midrange drivers), and so you do lose a little bit of clarity that other systems can offer you. 3)It doesn't have an onboard equalizer which I'm sure some people find as a necessity, but for me that's not a big deal because it's out of the box sound is more than enough to do the trick. 4)The speaker mounts don't come off of the speakers, and while I know other reviews have mentioned this, it can't hurt to mention it again. This can also create a challenge for wall-mounting speaker users (like myself), because it's very tough to drill holes for these speakers when your drill barely has room to operate. My advice if you're going to wall-mount would be to use Gorilla Hooks from the infomercials that we all hated seeing.. They actually do the trick quite nicely, and they are MUCH easier to do then screwing them into a wall stud. 5)There isn't an adjustable frequency response range on the subwoofer, which I know is something stupid to gripe about but it was a nice feature of one of my other sound systems. Tips for Wall-Mounting and basic set up 1)Like I listed earlier, use Gorilla Hooks for wall mounting, save yourself some time and effort. 2)Mount the rear speakers a bit higher than the front speakers, this will create a distinct surround sound for you and give you the best quality. 3)Make sure that you have enough wire (if you'd like it to look professional) to either hide the wires or make them look uniform and straight. For me it's not a big deal, but to other that can be a big deal. Also the good thing is that this wire is adjustable in length because of the way that Logitech put them, and that will come in handy I'm sure for some people. 4)There is a note in the package, but just so you're forewarned, the subwoofer isn't magnetically shielded, so you'll want about 2 feet between it and any other electrical equipment, so visualize if you'll actually have enough space for the subwoofer in the first place (because it is a large sub), and secondly if you'll have enough space to give it an exclusive spot in the room. For me this required a re-work of my rooms set up, but after hearing the quality of this system, I'd do it all over again no questions asked. 5)Make sure that you have a decent sound card that will do this system justice, otherwise you would probably be better off just getting a different possibly cheaper system (if you can find one..), because you won't be getting the full quality out of this system. If you're inbetween this system and any other comparable system for the price range, save yourself the time and research and get this one. I spent hours and hours reading reviews and tech specs on all different 5.1 systems, and this one wins out no questions asked. You will be more than impressed with the sound quality, and to me, it feels like I'm listening to a system that is worth over $1000 easily. This system has way more than you'd expect for the price, not only the best value I've seen, but some of the best quality I've heard. *Edit I know when I first pulled out the system that I couldn't get the center speaker working, and I know this sounds stupid, but make sure that you switch your effect on the main console, to me the Music setting sounds the best, but to each their own.