Product Review: Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Surround Speaker System
The Logitech z-5500 Digital 5.1 Surround Sound speaker system has received all around great reviews and can form an integral part of any home theater system. The speakers feature Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, THX certification, a powerful subwoofer, and comes with 25 foot long speaker wires long enough for most setups.
The Logitech z-5500 spews out earth-shaking bass and provides connectivity options to virtually every digital or analog source of sound imaginable to man. The system is easy to setup and feature a great multi-function control center with LCD screen and a remote.
After six months of using the system for my home theater I can easily say they are the best computer speakers – or any speakers – that I have had, I love them, and I am disappointed. Why? Because these speakers were so good, that I have become spoiled and picky.
The first time watching a movie on my home theater system became distracting as the sounds overpowered the images. Music choices have all sounded excellent, from every genre at every level of volume. I found that the midrange tones are fine in spite of many comments that the speakers are lacking.
The surround sound is excellent, to the point where I still turn around in the middle of a movie to see what I think someone is doing behind me in order to realize my speakers are playing tricks on me. As lovable as the speakers are, they do have their downfalls.
About three months after purchasing the system, my subwoofer suddenly began rumbling on its own as soon as the control center was turned on. Logitech promptly replaced it for me, and I only had to wait about 10 minutes on the phone. I have read complaints that there is no online tech support for the products, but I did not find picking up the phone to be a problem.
The customer service representative was courteous and promptly told me exactly what I needed to do in order to replace the item. After mailing back the control center and the remote, I was provided with a brand new system within 10 business days.
The speakers proved impossible to screw into the walls, regardless of what anyone else has said. Instead, I recommend building or purchasing small platform shelves to save time and effort. The wiring is rather thin but can, and should, be replaced by better quality speaker wire to really bring out the fine shades of sound provided by the Dolby Digital converter.
The Logitech z-5500 comes with a 10-inch subwoofer encased in a box that should hold a 12-inch subwoofer. The additional bulk looks fantastic for those who are easily impressed, but I would rather save a few inches of space.
The Logitech z-5500 Digital 5.1 Surround Speaker System runs for $399.95 through Logitech itself. I found the speaker system for barely over $200 by comparison shopping online. For the price I paid, I am satisfied. If I had paid Logitech’s price, I would want my money back.
Before purchasing these speakers, keep in mind that you will need a sound card capable of 5.1 channel speakers if your computer is not already equipped with one. I also found that many other devices will not connect to the control center without a stereo mini to dual RCA adapter – at least not a Nintendo Wii, a computer monitor, a wide-screen HDTV, or my DVD player.
This review of the Logitech z-5500 Digital 5.1 Surround Speaker System may come across as negative, at least compared to the many reviews I read when I was shopping for new speakers. These speakers do sound amazing aside from the odd instance of the defective first subwoofer, probably due to unfortunate human error on the factory line.
