Logitech Z-5500 review

You might not be able to afford a cinema projector, but you can still immerse yourself in cinema-quality sound with a set of good surround speakers.

And judging by the immense size of the box, Logitech's new Z-5500 speaker set wants to bring that shake, rattle and roll into your home.

PC sound cards and speaker sets are now capable of creating 7.1 sound: that's a whopping seven satellites partnered with a subwoofer to produce the deep bass frequencies. But quantity of speakers doesn't necessarily mean quality, so Logitech has settled here for a well-designed 5.1 set.

This is a gorgeous-looking set of speakers. The satellites are finished in smart silver and black and feel solid and well-built. And the subwoofer is one of the largest we've seen. Along with the speakers comes a silver control panel which provides a clear LCD display and a volume knob. At the rear of the control panel there are inputs for optical and coaxial digital cables. This means you can connect your PC should you have a sound card or motherboard with a digital output, or your DVD player, CD player and games console.

There are three analogue mini-jack inputs which allow you to either connect a 5.1 sound card, or you can use them as three separate stereo inputs. Handy!

The benefit of using a digital connection to the Z-5500s is that they have built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding. Plug in a standalone DVD player or an Xbox and you have instant surround sound.

To put the speakers to the test we used the Hollywood action flick, The Fast and the Furious, for its high-octane blend of car racing and hip hop music. While the Dolby Digital track sounded good, switching to DTS left our jaws on the floor. Sound whizzed effortlessly around the room and the giant subwoofer made the rumble of souped-up street cars so visceral and believable that we had to check someone wasn't revving a car next door. Whatever volume we dared try, the Z-5500s kept the sound crisp and effortless.

Music was impressively reproduced too. The satellites were a little lacking in the high treble, but this didn't affect our enjoyment of the Z-5500s. Gentler music was reproduced deftly, and dance and rock music positively thundered.

The Logitech Z-5500s are an excellent set of speakers. The built-in decoder allows you to use them in the lounge or with a PC and their sound quality is beyond reproach. The only thing that makes them miss out on a Recommended award is their high price.

Author: Sasha Muller