Logitech Z 5500 Digital Review

Logitech announced these a while ago as the successor of the Z-680 series. Armed with an even bigger subwoofer and -for the first time- two digital connections. But are they still a worthy purchase more than 5 years after its release?

First digital speakers

Logitech promoted these as the first digital PC speakers on the market. What this means is that multiple devices can be connected to them by digital connections and that the speakers can perfectly output Dolby Digital and DTS sound, which is great for people looking for home theater systems. So what connections do you get? Well it includes optical, the best digital connection after HDMI, coax and the good old analog connection, which is actually still the best for PC gaming.

Switching and operating the different modes is easy with the small remote. It controls every setting of the speakers including the amount of bass, surround and of course the connection output. And while it all works great I’m a bit sad that it’s impossible to turn off the unit’s control panel when not in use. This makes it hard to enjoy movies in the dark with the bright blue light always in the corner of your eye, you get used to it though.

Sound

The speakers excel in most areas. It’s absolutely perfect for games. The bass makes every game come alive. Logitech promoted these as being the best for your gaming experience and it wasn’t a lie. Movies are also amazing but problems can arise when you’re trying to adjust the bass to the satellite speakers, because the bass easily overpowers the satallites. Lastly it doesn’t fail in music performance either. Because music is still stereo, Logitech added a few options to the Z-5500 speakers to convert stereo sound. Generally you shouldn’t do this but the Stereo 2x actually works great and doesn’t hurt the performance one bit.
Stereo: Z-5500 produces sound only through the front 2 speakers.
Stereo X2: As the name suggests you’ll get stereo sound with both the front and rear speakers.
PL2 movie/music: Z-5500 tries to recreate Dolby Digital. This is called Pro Logic.
And lastly for games: 6ch direct. This is the standard for most games. Basically all modes are available for developers without restrictions.
If you only want speakers for music I would get high end stereo speakers though. The options Logitech gives us are great but can’t compete with high-end stereo speakers. But the speakers are really good all-round, especially for the price.

Value

Overall these speakers are amazing value. I’ve had them for 4 years now and they haven’t lowered in price and there’s a reason for this. People looking for surround speakers for their PC or Playstation will find that they either are too expensive or lacking digital connections, surround or both. I think the Z-5500 for a lot of situations is almost in a league of its own.

I have to admit though one time I had an issue when the speakers suddenly lost power, but this was quickly fixed when Logitech send me a replacement part for free even though warranty had expired.

Conclusion

You simply can’t go wrong with the Logitech Z-5500. It performs well in almost all areas, only possible downers is the balance between high and lows and the purchase price. But remember: these speakers are actually amazing value.

Buy the Logitech Z906