Hear Every Detail: Logitech Unveils Theater-Quality Surround Sound Speakers

[Mussels]

Even in that situation, these are still junk. For the amount of money they are charging, they should have better quality speakers (at least give us a proper 2 way design on the sats, ffs.), and HDMI inputs.

And for your space? Polk RM6750's with amp of your choice. Sats are the same relative size, and sound several times better. Polk Audio RM6750 Black 5.1CH Home Theater Speaker...

and as far as i can see, those only have two stereo inputs? no SPDIF, no DD/DTS? what am i missing?

 

[Wile E]

and as far as i can see, those only have two stereo inputs? no SPDIF, no DD/DTS? what am i missing?

They need to be amped. I'm just showing you that Home Theater doesn't mean you have to have large floorstanding or bookshelf speakers. There are plenty of Micro sat options that sound infinitely better than anything Logitech produces.

And I call BS on not being able to fit Small bookshelf speakers anyway. Where there's a will, there's a way. Get a different desk, buy some speaker stands, hang them on your wall anyway and just learn how to use Spackle and paint, or redneck engineer a solution.

There simply is no excuse to buy these speakers for this amount of money, period.

 

[Easy Rhino]

sorry but that is no where near "theater quality."

 

[cadaveca]

sorry but that is no where near "theater quality."

Sure it is...in a 4x8x8 box of a room. Screaming loud, crappy sound, either too much, or too little bass. Seems like ever theatre I've been to.

 

[Easy Rhino]

Sure it is...in a 4x8x8 box of a room. Screaming loud, crappy sound, either too much, or too little bass. Seems like ever theatre I've been to.

ahh, i see what you did there.

 

[cadaveca]

ahh, i see what you did there.

Well, it brings up a critical point.

I've not met one person that actually set up thier speakers in the same fashion they are tested with. Usually testing involves placing mics in a "sweetspot" where the audio is near-perfect, and in most theatres, that spot just doesn't even exist.

Get this, the THX certifcation has nothing to do with theatre sound, even.

THX Certified Multimedia Products are designed and engineered for PC gaming and multimedia on the desktop.

Did you catch that?

Distortion-free Playback: THX Certified Receivers and speakers are designed to recreate Reference Level with minimal distortion.

And that is all THX means.


:shadedshu


yippie. Yahoo.

Manufacturing receivers and speakers that can achieve THX Reference Level is no simple task. It requires a tremendous amount of power to drive an audio system effortlessly without clipping or distorting. To ensure the audio products can reach this peak performance, THX developed a set of standards as part of its THX Ultra2, THX Select2 and I/S Plus certifications

distortion-free bass.

Nuff said.

 

[Easy Rhino]

meh, i could give a rat's ass about george lucas' idea of quality audio...

the theaters around me all have very good audio. clean and crisp and rarely too loud or too soft. also, the surround in most occasions punches through nicely. that being said, i can see how a lot of theaters lack the proper acoustics and equipment to match.

im a bit of an audiophile so im willing to spend a bit extra on a nice setup for our media room. i also am not willing to be raked over the coals though for great sound. it is amazing how simply doing a couple hours of research on sound design can stretch a budget. if any of you lived in my area i would invite you over for a screening of master and commander on bluray. you would think i spent $20,000 on the setup but that's not even close.

 

[cadaveca]

Sure. Definitely possible.

It's also possible these speakers can do a pretty good job...in the right environment. Chances are, it wasn't someone's messy bedroom they were "tested" in, either.

THX means minimal distortion, not distortion-free, so there's something to be said there.

 

[Easy Rhino]

even in a laboratory these speakers won't sound theater quality though.

 

[Jack Doph]

Perhaps half the issue here is the non-standardised methodology of what is classed as "theatre quality".
Sure, the original standard of THX was quite good (in keeping with the equipment available at the time for most theatres/home users), negating the need for anything less than 40Hz was, in my opinion, just outrageous.
Since then (early 80's I believe, but I cannot find the link atm :/), the standard has been upgraded.
All it boils down to is:
1. the hearing of the user;
2. usage of the set-up in question (games/music/movies/mixture thereof/whatever);
3. cost of said equipment.

Most people will look at the dollar value long before anything else comes into the equation - we all know that.
The [semi]audiophiles amongst us know that *ANY* speaker-set designed for the PC will be crud to our delicate hearing p), but they *DO* fulfill a role in the market segment they cater to.
What matters then is how well they cater to this segment and I believe Logitech does so quite well.
As has been pointed out many times before, this may not be at a pre-conceived price-point, or even alluded to such, but it *DOES* fulfill its role for those using these PC set-ups.

Again.. an audiophile or music purist, wouldn't touch anything marketed as or designed for "PC/iPod user", as this is substandard, especially when mated to on-board sound.
For gaming, however, they do the job just nicely and that's all that matters to the consumer in the end.

One can talk endlessly about the pros & cons of PC sound and/or speaker-sets, but in the end the major players are targeting their segment of the market rather well, with equipment of acceptable quality for the roles they're meant to play.
If you want true audio-fidelity, you wouldn't even bother with this market segment, or speakers for that matter (outside of the sound-scape environment).

All a user can be recommended to do, is buy the best they can get for the PC and encourage the use of an EQ for personal listening pleasure
The brand of said equipment is, ultimately, of no real consequence at all.

 

[Easy Rhino]

Perhaps half the issue here is the non-standardised methodology of what is classed as "theatre quality".
Sure, the original standard of THX was quite good (in keeping with the equipment available at the time for most theatres/home users), negating the need for anything less than 40Hz was, in my opinion, just outrageous.
Since then (early 80's I believe, but I cannot find the link atm :/), the standard has been upgraded.
All it boils down to is:
1. the hearing of the user;
2. usage of the set-up in question (games/music/movies/mixture thereof/whatever);
3. cost of said equipment.

Most people will look at the dollar value long before anything else comes into the equation - we all know that.
The [semi]audiophiles amongst us know that *ANY* speaker-set designed for the PC will be crud to our delicate hearing p), but they *DO* fulfill a role in the market segment they cater to.
What matters then is how well they cater to this segment and I believe Logitech does so quite well.
As has been pointed out many times before, this may not be at a pre-conceived price-point, or even alluded to such, but it *DOES* fulfill its role for those using these PC set-ups.

Again.. an audiophile or music purist, wouldn't touch anything marketed as or designed for "PC/iPod user", as this is substandard, especially when mated to on-board sound.
For gaming, however, they do the job just nicely and that's all that matters to the consumer in the end.

One can talk endlessly about the pros & cons of PC sound and/or speaker-sets, but in the end the major players are targeting their segment of the market rather well, with equipment of acceptable quality for the roles they're meant to play.
If you want true audio-fidelity, you wouldn't even bother with this market segment, or speakers for that matter (outside of the sound-scape environment).

All a user can be recommended to do, is buy the best they can get for the PC and encourage the use of an EQ for personal listening pleasure
The brand of said equipment is, ultimately, of no real consequence at all.

i still think that in the end for the money a consumer can purchase for slightly more money a HTIB that sounds far better than this logitech setup. sorry for the run on sentence but it is late and i need bed.

 

[Wile E]

Perhaps half the issue here is the non-standardised methodology of what is classed as "theatre quality".
Sure, the original standard of THX was quite good (in keeping with the equipment available at the time for most theatres/home users), negating the need for anything less than 40Hz was, in my opinion, just outrageous.
Since then (early 80's I believe, but I cannot find the link atm :/), the standard has been upgraded.
All it boils down to is:
1. the hearing of the user;
2. usage of the set-up in question (games/music/movies/mixture thereof/whatever);
3. cost of said equipment.

Most people will look at the dollar value long before anything else comes into the equation - we all know that.
The [semi]audiophiles amongst us know that *ANY* speaker-set designed for the PC will be crud to our delicate hearing p), but they *DO* fulfill a role in the market segment they cater to.
What matters then is how well they cater to this segment and I believe Logitech does so quite well.
As has been pointed out many times before, this may not be at a pre-conceived price-point, or even alluded to such, but it *DOES* fulfill its role for those using these PC set-ups.

Again.. an audiophile or music purist, wouldn't touch anything marketed as or designed for "PC/iPod user", as this is substandard, especially when mated to on-board sound.
For gaming, however, they do the job just nicely and that's all that matters to the consumer in the end.

One can talk endlessly about the pros & cons of PC sound and/or speaker-sets, but in the end the major players are targeting their segment of the market rather well, with equipment of acceptable quality for the roles they're meant to play.
If you want true audio-fidelity, you wouldn't even bother with this market segment, or speakers for that matter (outside of the sound-scape environment).

All a user can be recommended to do, is buy the best they can get for the PC and encourage the use of an EQ for personal listening pleasure
The brand of said equipment is, ultimately, of no real consequence at all.

These do not do their job nicely. A 5.1 set that costs half as much will sound just as good, and fulfill the role of the gamer perfectly. There is absolutely no reason to buy these speakers.

 

[Jack Doph]

These do not do their job nicely. A 5.1 set that costs half as much will sound just as good, and fulfill the role of the gamer perfectly. There is absolutely no reason to buy these speakers.

With all due respect, the system you showed as an example doesn't even have the same sensitivity or frequency response & cannot, therefore, be put in the same class, even if the components used are of a far higher quality..

Once again.. I agree with you on an audio level.
BUT!
For what they are AND the market they cater to, Logitech, Klipsch et al, do a decent enough job to cater to said market.

If you want true Fidelity.. why are you even looking here?

 

[Wile E]

With all due respect, the system you showed as an example doesn't even have the same sensitivity or frequency response & cannot, therefore, be put in the same class, even if the components used are of a far higher quality..

Once again.. I agree with you on an audio level.
BUT!
For what they are AND the market they cater to, Logitech, Klipsch et al, do a decent enough job to cater to said market.

If you want true Fidelity.. why are you even looking here?

No, what I posted earlier is better in every way. Better, more flat response, higher sensitivity and, when paired with a good receiver, also more powerful. Logitech overrates their stuff, in case you didn't know. They list their RMS output at a much higher THD than the likes of Onkyo and such.

And you still seem to be missing something here. These speakers cost $350. You can get "good enough for the gamer" for at least half of that. Sonically speaking, these offer no benefit over a much cheaper computer speaker set.

I'll say it again. There is no reason to buy these at this price. $200? Sure, worth every penny very likely. But for $350, they need to be offering much, much more than they are. Hell, these don't even have HDMI input. It's just unacceptable all the way around. They are severely price gouging.

These are in no way worth what they charge. That, by definition, makes them a piece of shit.

 

[Jack Doph]

No, what I posted earlier is better in every way. Better, more flat response, higher sensitivity and, when paired with a good receiver, also more powerful. Logitech overrates their stuff, in case you didn't know. They list their RMS output at a much higher THD than the likes of Onkyo and such.

And you still seem to be missing something here. These speakers cost $350. You can get "good enough for the gamer" for at least half of that. Sonically speaking, these offer no benefit over a much cheaper computer speaker set.

I'll say it again. There is no reason to buy these at this price. $200? Sure, worth every penny very likely. But for $350, they need to be offering much, much more than they are. Hell, these don't even have HDMI input. It's just unacceptable all the way around. They are severely price gouging.

These are in no way worth what they charge. That, by definition, makes them a piece of shit.

Yes. And no.
To begin with the sensitivity of this new set would have to be around that of the old set (>115Db & 33-20KHz - far outstripping your given example, but let's not get picky).
Home HiFi caters to a different market and this is what you fail to see.
Yes.. these Logitech speakers are a ridiculous price - we all agree on that, but at the same time, the market they cater to is willing to pay such a price, for whatever reason might miff you or me.
Such is as it is.

IIRC, the Z-5500 came with a 3a fuse. That didn't inspire confidence in its 505w RMS rating..

4A actually, but point is certainly taken

Perhaps this seems clear as mud, when it's clear as day to me: HiFi is for the audio-sensitive people amongst us (yes.. this includes me).
PC-audio speakers is for the gamer's market, as was already pointed out by Mussels as well.

Never the twain shall meet

 

[Wile E]

Yes. And no.
To begin with the sensitivity of this new set would have to be around that of the old set (>115Db & 33-20KHz - far outstripping your given example, but let's not get picky).
Home HiFi caters to a different market and this is what you fail to see.
Yes.. these Logitech speakers are a ridiculous price - we all agree on that, but at the same time, the market they cater to is willing to pay such a price, for whatever reason might miff you or me.
Such is as it is.


4A actually, but point is certainly taken

Perhaps this seems clear as mud, when it's clear as day to me: HiFi is for the audio-sensitive people amongst us (yes.. this includes me).
PC-audio speakers is for the gamer's market, as was already pointed out by Mussels as well.

Never the twain shall meet

No, Logitech's specs are full of shit. Totally exaggerated. They do not hit their ratings AT ALL. What I posted has much more honest specs listed. Those speakers I posted are better in every single way. They take less power for a given volume, have a flatter response curve, have more clean output on the sub, and have better overall frequency response. When paired with a decent amp, the sats have more power output as well. For the record, the sub actually hits below 30hz with proper placement. Polk rated it in a test chamber, not in an optimal placement setting. I know, because I own that set for my gaming only computer with limited space.

And a gamer willing to pay the price for these makes them no less a shit product.

Gamers will continue to fork out outrageous sums of money for inferior products unless somebody continues to try to educate them, and points them in the right direction. At very least it will force manufacturers to lower their prices, but preferably, it will force the to release a higher quality product for the price. We need more of a push towards audio quality in the industry. We are desperately missing things like the ProMedia 5.1 sets, or the M Audio LX4 sets of yesteryear. Instead we pay similar prices for 1/3 the quality. It's sickening what companies like Logitech have done to the industry.

 

[Jack Doph]

Gamers will continue to fork out outrageous sums of money for inferior products

This is the point I'm making here
For every market, there's a customer willing to pay the price.
Anything beyond said market is, in all reality, quite academic.
Neither you nor me would pay such money for such a product, but the vast majority out there would, because *it sounds good* to them & it's easy to use & set up.
Regardless of what we might think, this is a good move (business-wise) by any company - be it Logitech, Klipsch or whomever.

 

[Wile E]

This is the point I'm making here
For every market, there's a customer willing to pay the price.
Anything beyond said market is, in all reality, quite academic.
Neither you nor me would pay such money for such a product, but the vast majority out there would, because *it sounds good* to them & it's easy to use & set up.
Regardless of what we might think, this is a good move (business-wise) by any company - be it Logitech, Klipsch or whomever.

Unless we educate said gamers, and they again demand more.

 

[WhiteLotus]

I got my z-5500 for new at half price. So i'm happy with them, why are these superior/better/different?

 

[BumbleBee]

Also look into Paradigm.

I got a pair of Paradigm Cinema 110 in my bedroom. love them.

 

[Jack Doph]

Yes to both of the above
Education is the key, but how many will be persuaded to "see the light" (for lack of a better phrase)?
You buy your PC, and your printer and whatever else and "oh.. are those speakers any good?".
"Yes sir, they will shake your house's foundations whilst playing WoW!".
"Awesomesaucenecessity! I'll take them too!"

Not..
"They're OK if you're stuck in a student's dorm, but in all reality.. you should go the shop xyw for a much better system that will shake your neighbourhood to its foundations, with clear resonance to boot".

Easy sale.
Been there.
Done that.
AND .. totally disagree with such methods, but such is the way it is :/

 

[Wile E]

I got my z-5500 for new at half price. So i'm happy with them, why are these superior/better/different?

Half price as in $175? If so, they are worth that much.

 

[WhiteLotus]

Half price as in $175? If so, they are worth that much.

As in I complained to Logitech that my £15 speakers were going to crap after 3/4 years of use, and they gave me a 50% of coupon. I used it to full advantage and scored the z-5500 with 50% of what ever the retail price was back then. About a year ago.

 

[Jack Doph]

As in I complained to Logitech that my £15 speakers were going to crap after 3/4 years of use, and they gave me a 50% of coupon. I used it to full advantage and scored the z-5500 with 50% of what ever the retail price was back then. About a year ago.

Nice move mate XD
Well.. as Wile_E pointed out, for that price, the Z-5500 is quite acceptable indeed

 

[Mussels]

Nice move mate XD
Well.. as Wile_E pointed out, for that price, the Z-5500 is quite acceptable indeed

i got mine for $300 Au, about 3 years ago. rating them based on logitechs RRP is stupid, as their RRP is waaaaaay above what most places charge.