Yes. Like the OP, the amp blew in my set of Klipsch speakers after just a few months. When I went to out to buy a cheap replacement set of speakers I ran into another person also browsing for speakers because their Klipsch amp blew. Needless to say I won't be buying anything else from them.
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Logitech Z-5500s the new Klipsch Killers
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Yes. Like the OP, the amp blew in my set of Klipsch speakers after just a few months. When I went to out to buy a cheap replacement set of speakers I ran into another person also browsing for speakers because their Klipsch amp blew. Needless to say I won't be buying anything else from them.
klipsch admitted to a problem, and they extended the warranty an addt'l 2 years, and they replaced them with the ultras if they broke. if that's not superb CS, i don't know what is.
and i hear a lot more about logitech stuff breaking more often. either way, logitech is crap when you're looking for quality reproduction
Well, I just so happened to listen to the Logitech 5500 at my local CompUSA on my way home. It was a brief listen but they do sound pretty good to me, no 'crappy reproduction' as far as I'm concerned. They sounded well balanced and the sub sounded punchy, not boomy. There was a good reason why a lot of sub designers considered a 10-inch driver an ideal balance between punchiness and extension. If I'm starting from scratch, I wouldn't hesitate to buy them. But right now, my trusty Yamaha AV receiver and Energy Take 5.2's are just fine.
To all the replies arguing sound:
These are computer speakers, not B&W's, they cost peanuts compared to a real set of quality speakers, and all of them have their high and low points trying to make the best off the low budget. I agree the Z-680 have a "boomy bass", but, since you connect them to a PC (assuming it has a good sound card to accommodate the speakers), you can set the Freq of the bass, set the sub level and other EQ options custom enough to greatly improve the sound.
Ofcourse, alot of this is, parden me, big bunch of BULL, sound changes greatly in different acoustic environments, so each opinion here cannot be taken to great details, and even more, each person has his own personal taste, that another might disagree.
And the bottom line of a typical ussual audio argument like this: "For your ears to decide."
These are computer speakers, not B&W's, they cost peanuts compared to a real set of quality speakers, and all of them have their high and low points trying to make the best off the low budget. I agree the Z-680 have a "boomy bass", but, since you connect them to a PC (assuming it has a good sound card to accommodate the speakers), you can set the Freq of the bass, set the sub level and other EQ options custom enough to greatly improve the sound.
Ofcourse, alot of this is, parden me, big bunch of BULL, sound changes greatly in different acoustic environments, so each opinion here cannot be taken to great details, and even more, each person has his own personal taste, that another might disagree.
And the bottom line of a typical ussual audio argument like this: "For your ears to decide."
Don't be such an audio-snob 😛 There aren't two classes of speaker, "good" and "everything else", but rather there is a scale, and Logitechs are lower than their competition on it. And boomy bass isn't a function of the sub's volume or EQ settings, but rather construction of the sub, its box, port shape & placement, room acoustics, etc.
So what makes Logitech 'lower than their competition'? Is this an objective opinion or is this based on brand-name 'snobbiness', which is a subjective perception? Do you think you can distinguish quality between Logitech and, say, Klipsch or Cambridge (Megaworks) if you listen to them in a blind listening test where you don't know which one is playing?
The 680s in particular hiss, and as their flagship speakers for a while until the recent release of the 5500s, figure strongly into any comparison between brands, even if they're only one model. Further, their sats are 1-way iirc. I certainly could distinguish between them, the PMUs, and the GWs, and am not an audiophile by a long shot.
The 680's hissed because of the control pod, which Logitech was willing to replace. The later 680's didn't have the hiss. And I bet ya you wouldn't be able to distinguish between the different brands mentioned with certainty in a BLIND test. There are a lot of people here who have compared Klipsch's and Logitech's and people have made decisions based on their preferences. They made choices, it doesn't make them right or wrong. Some make their choices because of the Klipsch name, some made their choices based on listening tests, reviews, quotes from other 'informed' sources, etc...But as long as they are content with what they got, anything else doesn't matter. But it matters if you are a 'fanboy' (AKA die-hard, loyalist fan of a certain brand). The original poster, with his statement 'Klipsch-killer' obviously struck a cord with Klipsch fanboys here...
max pc should stick to PCs, not speakers. they produce the most horrid speaker reviews. they have the ear of a youngster who enjoys over extended port noise. they have no idea what they're looking for. "whoa! it booms! 10+++!!!!!"
while it may be that what sounds good to one differs from one to another, you just can't compare the quality of reproduction between them (ie gigaworks/ultras vs logitechs). they may be MM, but they sound amazing for MM. as far as i am concerned, the ultras rival most HTiB and mini HT systems (no floors, just small bookshelves).
while it may be that what sounds good to one differs from one to another, you just can't compare the quality of reproduction between them (ie gigaworks/ultras vs logitechs). they may be MM, but they sound amazing for MM. as far as i am concerned, the ultras rival most HTiB and mini HT systems (no floors, just small bookshelves).
stonecold3169
Platinum Member
first review I've seen
I just got these speakers in the mail yesterday, I was replacing a set of z-560's, and was comparing these to my old man's PMUs.
My impressions this far:
The sub is TIGHT. The boominess and muddy bass from the z-560/680 is gone and dead, for sure. the bass is actually far better sounding now then the klipsch set... and by far better, I mean it. The sub just does an amazing job, and it's clear that this was logitech's focus.
The sats: Even without the break in period, mid and high range sounds good, although admitably it's a step down from the klipsch. This could very well be cleared up by the break in period, but right now it feels as though logitech overdid the fixing of the highs and they seem too bright for me, like the gigaworks sound to me. I guess it's not really worse, just a very subjective difference. The rear firing ports also work much better then the front firing, and seems to make a much crisper sound.
The control pod: This thing is gigantic. I can post pics of any of this stuff if you guys want, Iwasn't expecting the size of this from the pics at newegg... the control pod is close to half the height of my 21" monitor, standing close to a foot tall. The display is much clearer then the 680's was. the pod looks nice, and just sorta does it's job.
Complaints: I have one giant complaint, and it hasn't been mentioned yet. Removing the bases on these and putting them on stands is a BITCH. The stands have a screw, but that screw feeds into a loose nut on the inside of the speaker, which falls if you remove the base... meaning to put these on stands, you need to rip open the satellites. Not a big deal, but what a pain in the ass, when it is usually a one screw and you're done motion.
That about sums up my personal views, anyone who wants more info, pics, whatever, post here or feel free to PM, I'll do what I can. The set is definitely a gigantic step up from the z-560's, and I would say is on par with the klipsh in sound quality, each excelling in another area. For me, the optical inputs was a nice plus because I run my Xbox through the unit direct... it's a nice layout. Also, while retail on these is $399.99, you can get them on amazon right now for $275 free shipping, and most online retailers are <300, so they are still cheaper then the PMU's.
I just got these speakers in the mail yesterday, I was replacing a set of z-560's, and was comparing these to my old man's PMUs.
My impressions this far:
The sub is TIGHT. The boominess and muddy bass from the z-560/680 is gone and dead, for sure. the bass is actually far better sounding now then the klipsch set... and by far better, I mean it. The sub just does an amazing job, and it's clear that this was logitech's focus.
The sats: Even without the break in period, mid and high range sounds good, although admitably it's a step down from the klipsch. This could very well be cleared up by the break in period, but right now it feels as though logitech overdid the fixing of the highs and they seem too bright for me, like the gigaworks sound to me. I guess it's not really worse, just a very subjective difference. The rear firing ports also work much better then the front firing, and seems to make a much crisper sound.
The control pod: This thing is gigantic. I can post pics of any of this stuff if you guys want, Iwasn't expecting the size of this from the pics at newegg... the control pod is close to half the height of my 21" monitor, standing close to a foot tall. The display is much clearer then the 680's was. the pod looks nice, and just sorta does it's job.
Complaints: I have one giant complaint, and it hasn't been mentioned yet. Removing the bases on these and putting them on stands is a BITCH. The stands have a screw, but that screw feeds into a loose nut on the inside of the speaker, which falls if you remove the base... meaning to put these on stands, you need to rip open the satellites. Not a big deal, but what a pain in the ass, when it is usually a one screw and you're done motion.
That about sums up my personal views, anyone who wants more info, pics, whatever, post here or feel free to PM, I'll do what I can. The set is definitely a gigantic step up from the z-560's, and I would say is on par with the klipsh in sound quality, each excelling in another area. For me, the optical inputs was a nice plus because I run my Xbox through the unit direct... it's a nice layout. Also, while retail on these is $399.99, you can get them on amazon right now for $275 free shipping, and most online retailers are <300, so they are still cheaper then the PMU's.
thanks for the link and your review. i was planning on getting the 680's and was just waiting for the price to drop on amazon. now i see the 5500's and they look pretty sweet - but all the negative comments here have got me worried and thinking about the pro media's. after reading the review and your post i'm inclined to stick with the logitechs. the true seperate tweeters on the pmu's, and the sub, look better, but i love the versatility the logitech control pod gives.
one question, is the pod really 1' tall? could you perhaps measure it? i liked the look of the old pod in the store, but 1' really is huge - if it's that big i might be going back to the pmu's!
one question, is the pod really 1' tall? could you perhaps measure it? i liked the look of the old pod in the store, but 1' really is huge - if it's that big i might be going back to the pmu's!
i think monitor wont be 2 feet in width(height whateva u call it)...keepin that in mind id say most prrobably pod d be 7"-8",
cuz makin it 1 feet d make the woofer 2 feeet,that case im gettin this ova anyother product,2 feet cube meants like u can imagine 26" tv and that huge woofer wow
dont worry go get this 1 lets wait fer the measurements to come though,i believe i wont be wrong
my wod its 7"-8"max
😉 tc,have fun
hey id need help myself im from Pakistan heer voltage used is 220V,these 110V or 220V cuz i'll also have to get step down transformer for these babies
waitin fer quick response
cuz makin it 1 feet d make the woofer 2 feeet,that case im gettin this ova anyother product,2 feet cube meants like u can imagine 26" tv and that huge woofer wow
dont worry go get this 1 lets wait fer the measurements to come though,i believe i wont be wrong
my wod its 7"-8"max
😉 tc,have fun
hey id need help myself im from Pakistan heer voltage used is 220V,these 110V or 220V cuz i'll also have to get step down transformer for these babies
waitin fer quick response
imported_Reck
Golden Member
Feast your eyes on those pictures. Damn all this talk is making me want speakers even more. Too bad my living arrangement won't allow it.
Edit nm newegg doesn't allow links to the pictures which is dumb.
Sure you can....you can probably distinguish that one speaker is a different brand from another but to distinguish id a speaker has a tweeter or not is hard to do, unless the single driver speaker has really NO high frequency response (and the Logitechs have pretty good frequency response in the high end).... and the absence of tweeters a " glaring fault, a veritable beacon of cheapness"? Wow, cool language but if you put tweeters there and the cross over is so bad the mids bleed to the tweeters and vice versa, and then you have phase problems, you can have a very colored sounding speaker or one that has holes in the frequency range. And the GW are not the Logitech's aren't they? And the fanboi is who? I don't own a Klipsch, a GW or a Logitech. But I have listened to them. They all sound equally good to me. The ones with the Klipsch, they have to justify the prices for them somehow...😉
I mean no offense, but if you think they sound the same you probably have deficient hearing. You can see that as a good or a bad thing - I'd advise looking on the bright side of it. You can be happy with very inexpensive audio equipment and save a lot of money. If I'm a GW fanboy, why would I go with the Klipsch PMUs if I could do it over again? 😕 Truth be told, I'm never a fanboy. Everything has its downsides.
I have a very hard time believing these top the Ultras or the Gigaworks. For one thing the ultra subwoofer is much more linear then any mm subwoofer has ever been except for the underrated Klipsch SWS which nearly matches its big brother (ultra). I have no idea how the 5500 sub stacks up against it, but I have heard mixed reviews and until I hear from someone qualified and credible source (which does NOT include ?Minimum PC, Maximum BS? -theear), I will reserve judgment of the subwoofer until then; however, the sats look every bit as wimpy as the z680 sats, with no tweeter and the port which remained, they have made almost no improvements. To make matters worse, they have now hardwired the speaker wire to the sat to upgrading it would now be impossible. Furthermore, and this part is just my preference, including a decoder into a set of speakers is far too in-a-box?ish. For PC?s, a decoder is simply unnecessary as DVD software can do it for you. Perhaps this feature is for consoles which take advantage of digital encoding. But for 400 dollars including a decoder, you know they have to cut quality while compared to the Ultras and Gigaworks. Furthmore, the system can be had for what 284 now? There is no way that they will match the quality of the former brands mentioned, Logitech would lose money. The dealer price for the Klipsch Ultras is 270 dollars and I?m sure the gigaworks is not far behind. I?m guessing its closer to 150 for the z5500?s.
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