[samssf]

A couple years ago I got rid of my crappy Yamaha HTIB surround system because I was selling my condo and hated the wires, the large receiver, etc. I got rid of a lot of clutter by moving my xbox and other small things underneath the couch, getting rid of the receiver, and buying a Pioneer DHP-800 (can't say enough good things about it).

Anyway, I live in a small one-bedroom apartment, and would like to have real speakers again so that I can play games, movies, my digital piano, and PC games without headphones. I have a way to rig all of these things in a small 12 x 15' living room + dining area.

So I'm thinking of buying the Logitech Z-5500 for $300. I really love the fact that the decoder / amp is built into the sub, since it means less wires and less equipment to deal with. The only thing I'm worried about is lack of mids when watching movies... I always found it somewhat hard to hear vocals on my old Yamaha system, and seem to have a hard time hearing words in general.

So my question is whether or not I should get this system, based on performance vs money, and based on the lack of mids for the things I want to use it for. And when people say it lacks mids, I'm not really sure how it would compare to other systems anyways, and I don't know of any place around town that has one I can listen to.

The other option is to get a Klipsch Pro Media 5.1, but it doesn't have digital inputs. So I would need to run my PS3 digital out to a sound card on my PC (which I dont have right now) and then use that as the decoder, and go back out to the sub. I suppose that would work, but it makes my "home theater" audio dependent on my pc being close by.

Also I have a projector, so I cant output audio from a tv, etc.

Another option is to get a real HTIB, such as Onkyo, but then I would have to have a separate receiver (not sure where I'd put it), and wouldn't be able to use it directly for PC.

Any comments or ideas are appreciated!

 

[Bradan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samssf /img/forum/go_quote.gif A couple years ago I got rid of my crappy Yamaha HTIB surround system because I was selling my condo and hated the wires, the large receiver, etc. I got rid of a lot of clutter by moving my xbox and other small things underneath the couch, getting rid of the receiver, and buying a Pioneer DHP-800 (can't say enough good things about it). Anyway, I live in a small one-bedroom apartment, and would like to have real speakers again so that I can play games, movies, my digital piano, and PC games without headphones. I have a way to rig all of these things in a small 12 x 15' living room + dining area. So I'm thinking of buying the Logitech Z-5500 for $300. I really love the fact that the decoder / amp is built into the sub, since it means less wires and less equipment to deal with. The only thing I'm worried about is lack of mids when watching movies... I always found it somewhat hard to hear vocals on my old Yamaha system, and seem to have a hard time hearing words in general. So my question is whether or not I should get this system, based on performance vs money, and based on the lack of mids for the things I want to use it for. And when people say it lacks mids, I'm not really sure how it would compare to other systems anyways, and I don't know of any place around town that has one I can listen to. The other option is to get a Klipsch Pro Media 5.1, but it doesn't have digital inputs. So I would need to run my PS3 digital out to a sound card on my PC (which I dont have right now) and then use that as the decoder, and go back out to the sub. I suppose that would work, but it makes my "home theater" audio dependent on my pc being close by. Also I have a projector, so I cant output audio from a tv, etc. Another option is to get a real HTIB, such as Onkyo, but then I would have to have a separate receiver (not sure where I'd put it), and wouldn't be able to use it directly for PC. Any comments or ideas are appreciated!

I dont think they make the promedia anymore. : /

The z5500 are a good, compact, all-in-one solution.
They sound amazing for the $$$

I heard them and they sound comparable to my dad's 1200$ polk audio system. I'm not saying it's audiophile grade, but it sounds very good to me (Hell, I use z5300e most of all for music, the lower end version). The bass is definitely overpowered on the z5500 though, like the z5300e, but can be adjusted easily.

 

[samssf]

Thanks for the reply, Bradan. Can you comment on the mids? That's really my main concern. For games, music, and piano they should be good... but the vocals in movies is my only worry.

I just now learned that contained LCRs exist... I might look at getting a different system that's compact + smallest receiver I can find. So I'm open to extra ideas too.

 

[drkazndragon]

i have them and like them. only reason i got them is for cheap 5.1 on the pc. i have better things for my main ht.
bass is very boomy, i think theres a cap mod for this to improve.
and the headphone jack sucks! unless you got an amp. but even so.

 

[Bojamijams]

you can just dial down the woofer from the control pod.. default is too much. 3 full bars is pefect.

 

[samssf]

Can anyone comment on the mids / vocals when watching movies?

 

[iriverdude]

I'd just buy "standard" av seperates. Logitech are typical PC speakers, you can't just switch them around.

Quote:

I really love the fact that the decoder / amp is built into the sub

And I'd say that's bad. Not the typical way. I'd buy a standard av amp and stereo speakers for now. Add the remaining speakers as funds allows. People have complained about the Logitech "thinness" of sound, and the sub is a bit boomy.

 

[Adamora]

hmm, it differs, the bass output i mean, i can barely hear any bass at 3 bars, 8 bars are good enough, 10 is just too much.

The Vocals on my Bluray movies where great, they werent drowned out from the bass, Cloverfield/300/the day after tomorrow where all fantastic.

In cloverfield, i could hear alot of details, the bass was great, vocals where fine, they didnt talk much during action parts, so i dont know if they where drowned out.

300, was fantastic, nothing wrong with the sound in any department, the same goes for The day after tomorrow.

just be careful where you place your woofer, the location really matters, mine was booming and sounded crappy when i first got it, changed location, and BOOM instant change, bass sounded clear and tight.

PS: alot of people who bought this product have the Fuses BLOW on them after a few uses (and if you turn off your electricity at night, they will die faster lol) anyways mine died after a month, after finding out it was the fuse i took out the fuse below the power switch and asked some suppliers for a fuse identical to the one supplied, my Z-5500's have been running ever since.

hope i helped, that wasnt very well written lol.

 

[Ratzilla]

I have logitech z-5500s and I find them very boomy. There is a LOT of bass. The highs are quite good and I think that these speakers are best for highs and bass. The mids are okay. It's somewhat lacking. For music, songs by artists like mariah carey, I really like. There are times when I hear drums in some songs and I really wish it wasn't so boomy. However, for 300 dollars, it's a great deal. It's a lot better than most things in it's price range for what you get.

 

[obobskivich]

the Z-5500 is quite boomy, as others have said, they have the typical logitech mid-bass mountain

the issue with the Z-5500 is the "cool built in decoder" (which is actually not part of the sub, its part of the wired remote) fails quite readily, its basically the weak link of the system (just as the BASH amplifiers are the weak link of the ProMedia system)

currently Klipsch only makes the ProMedia 2.1, and you can't get an external pre-amplifier solution for them, so I would stay back

you might consider Klipsch's Reference Cinema system (if you like the smaller speakers), or something else in that "small package" size (honestly, as much as I'll get flamed for it, Bose would be a better decision than the Logitech in this scenario, the only downside is that I don't like their DVD units, and the "separates" unit is massively overpriced)

my #1 suggestion would be either a good HTIB (browse c|net, where the reviewers know what standing on the earth feels like), or HTIB-like speaker package (such as Reference Cinema) and receiever

now, if you absolutely must have PC speakers, give Creative a look, and give the Z-5300e's a good look (both offer less boomy bass)

 

[Adamora]

If your in a country that has logitech repair centers close, the Z-5500 pod failing on you wont be much of a problem, upon failing if its within the warranty period, they will replace the whole system, due each pod having different firmware or something on that line.

 

[obobskivich]

logitech actually has repair centers?

 

[moonboy403]

The Z5500 is very bad in my opinion. The number 1 problem is the extremely boom bass.

A pair of bookshelf speaker is the way to go.

 

[ChaseD13]

I just set up the z5500 for a friend. It sounds veryyy good for the money. If you know what you're doing and face the port to a wall and adjust the settings it isnt boomy at all. Just put some effort placing the sub well and its FINE.

Any HT needs to be thought out.

It's not even half bad for music.

I think it's probably the best solution in its price range.

Remember- any sub not properly set up will sound boomy or just plain bad. What I do is i turn it all the way down, then slowly bump it up until it feels good. Then turn it down just a notch, and it will blend in better.

The z5500 speakers are pretty decent. It doesnt have a computer speaker sound- the mids are a bit weak, but for 300 there are compromises.

 

[Butter123]

I have been using the z5500 for around 5 years now with x-fi xtrememusic. The speaker was ahead of its time and there was virtually no competition in the 5.1 computer speaker market. The weak point of this system is the lack of a dedicated tweeter. But this problem can be easily solved. I found some aftermarket car tweeters and attached them to each of the satellites and boy did it made a huge difference! Make sure you get the one with build in crossover that does not require drilling or physical modification to the enclosure. As far as the sound goes, it added another layer of spark to the music spectrum. I hope you guys can give this mod a try and revive your z5500.