Logitech Z5500 Digital PC Multimedia Home Theatre Speaker System - 505 Watt (Total)

The product itself is of a very high quality build. The most notable feature is of course the massive subwoofer, for a PC speaker system you will struggle to find a more beasty (its the only word to be used) unit. This is not however what defines this system, you are given 5 very high quality speakers, which when played even at extreme volumes will produce undistorted sound, which I was very impressed with, my old 5.1 system was quite the opposite.The system also has added compatability. For instance it has a digital optical input, coax, 3.5mm additional jack on the side and the traditional three 3.5mm jacks for connecting to a sound card. This added compatability turns the system into a home theatre system, though perhaps not as effective as one. For example once mounted the speakers cannot have their direction adjusted they will point where they were designed to and nothing more. But we must remember that these are PC speakers after all, such power isn't needed for watching movies or standard television. The system proves itself as extremely high quality for PC speakers, and the added compatability is indeed very impressive. They would perhaps not compare to a home theatre system of a similar price, but neither would that home theatre system perform well if it was used with a PC.The control panel itself, can tramsmit any input into several effects:Dolby pro logic II movie, Dolby pro logic II music, stereo, stereo x2 (through front and surround speakers), or simply direct which allows external hardware to dictate the process (my sound card which cost nearly as much as the speakers :)) The control panel also allows you to adjust the surround delay, which I find very useful it makes the rear speakers more apparent when listening to music if you have a large delay, though when watching tv it is intolerable as any delay in speech can be.I've read of interference with windows media centre computers, I can only put this down to the hardware that such PC uses. My laptop for example has a built in infra-red sensor which to my suprise I discovered while using an infr-red keyboard on another computer. The remote does not interfere at all, which suggests that its hardware related. If you are unlucky enough to have such interference then perhaps you could look into disabling the infrared device in the device manager or else simply adjust the volume by hand.Something to note also, you may expect the speakers to have phono plugs, but with this system you simply get two wires (colour coded) the ends of these wires are exposed contacts twisted with a factory finish. These contacts slide into the speakers and subwoofer (also colour coded)and are locked in place by a spring loaded system. Which also means, you can buy standard speaker wire from your local hardware store, in order to extend the reach of the speakers, no room is too big if you purchase extra wire which is mostly quite cheap.In conclusion this system is of the best quality I have thus far observed in PC speakers, my only complain perhaps is that the remote is infrared and with my layout the control panel is often out of sight, a bluetooth remote would be much preferred but even the most expensive TV's don't have such remotes. I think as a solution I should simply stop being lazy and adjust the volume myself.

Before I say anything, I'd just like to note that through amazon these speakers had a frustratingly long process time (estimated at 1-2 months, but were dispatched just after 2 weeks) but I chose to go with amazon and not ebay or other seller as I wanted full confidence when spending this kind of cash. Well, my Z-5500's arrived friday morning 7AM sharp via citylink less than 15 hours after they were dispatched, and I've spent all weekend setting up my new room now that they arrived. I have my new HDTV cinema setup and ikea lounge chair with my 5.1 system perfectly configurated to my seating position. All wired up digitally to my PC and PS3. With the frankly gigantic subwoofer hidden tidily behind my HDTV far enough away to not cause any damage to nearby electricals (even at 1/3 bass output my neighbour thought I was having a party..)I have to say I am somewhat surprised how simple the z-5500 was to setup out of the box. I've watched so many video reviews and unboxing videos that I literally knew the system inside and out when I finally had it in my hands. But its all so well designed that it doesnt have the usual 'brain-storming fiddly setup' that high range systems of any media usually require. The clarity, given the right input, is staggering. Dolby really is given so much to work with in this system. All the channels, especially in games on the PS3, are perfectly balanced in Dolby Pro Logic II Movie Mode. The 96khz audio input is also a great bonus as the audio is quite clearly non-compressed and given the right acoustics sounds almost as if it's not coming out of speakers in the first place. I would note that the control pod is alot larger than the photo's seem. It is bigger in height than the satellite speakers, and I can't help but feel that it could have been smaller. When it is essentially a volume/input selector and connection pod. But you have to remember these speakers are reaching their 5th year in production now so a modern version would probably solve this. However it is quite clear that logitech do not need to update this system. Afterall what could they improve? The 500watt system has more power than any house can even handle. It has all the studio-quality inputs and outputs any audiophile could want, and it looks incredibly slick in a modern living room. Most importantly its hard to imagine this system sounding any better. Just watch the dark knight on blu-ray with this system setup via dolby digital and you'll realise just how much of a bargain this system is. So glad I decided to get them over the G51 fake-surround speakers. More than worth the price jump =)