Two days after publishing a review lauding the Logitech Z-5300E and saying that I wasn’t going to exchange it with the Z-5500, I had a sudden change of heart. My opinion of the Z-5300E sound system did not change, but the price of the Z-5500 did. Seeing that the Z-5500 system could suddenly be had for the exact same price as the Z-5300E, yet had nearly twice as much juice to it, made it a no-brainer to go to the store and make the swap.
I had initially expected to not notice any real differences in sound between the Z-5500 and the Z-5300E sound quality since I don’t have an ear for fine detail, but I was pleasantly surprised. Even though the Z-5300Es had me impressed, the Z-5500s had me even more impressed.
Out of the Box
Setting up the speakers is easy. It’s nearly identical to setting up the Z-5300E system, except here you use traditional speaker wires and use the control center as a medium between your computer and the subwoofer. The whole process is simple and you can get by without consulting the instructions since most of it is common sense. The biggest hurdle to overcome is getting the large and fairly heavy box into your room. From there, all you need to do is connect the speakers to the subwoofer, connect the control center to the subwoofer and your sound card, and then power up the subwoofer. There is a power switch on the rear of the sub, but the only power button you’ll have to use regularly is on the control center.
A gripe I had with the Z-5300E system was that the speaker cables were too short, and that I’d need to go and buy extensions that’d cost at least $20. That is not even close to being an issue with the Z-5500 speakers, as it comes with three 15’ cables and two 25’ cables that leave plenty of cable to play with. Also better about the cables is that they are not fixed to the speakers, meaning I could easily upgrade them in the future. Why upgrade them? Because they aren’t optical cables, and therefore they can’t support the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound feature.
The big thing I wish Logitech would provide is screws for mounting the speakers on the wall. I’d like to mount the center speaker and gain back some desk space, but it’s too annoying to go the store and look for the right screws. For something that cost $300, it’s not asking much to have a few screws thrown in.
Physical Quality & the Superficial Stuff
I was slightly concerned about the quality of the Z-5300E system and wasn’t sure exactly how they’d fair with time. Replacing them with the Z-5500s immediately put my few fears to rest, as I could instantly notice the higher build quality of the Z-5500 speakers. All of the components are slightly larger and heavier (a total weight of around 50 pounds), so they eat up a bit more desk and floor space, but they still aren’t too cumbersome. Also, unlike with the Z-5300Es, you can mount the center speaker on a wall, saving desk space in the long run.
In the looks department, the Z-5500s are a slight improvement, but unless you’re doing a side-by-side comparison the speakers look pretty much the same. They retain the silver and black look with black fabric covers that can be easily removed. The subwoofer is still all black, but there is an added grill that makes it look a little fancier. The biggest improvement over the Z-5300Es, though, is the replacement of the black remote with a silver/black control center with blue backlighting. It’s very stylish, although a tad larger than it need be (bigger than the speakers). The Z-5500 system also adds in a black wireless remote that lets you control all of the functions on the control center, but I’ve only bothered using the remote once. All in all, it looks good and feels just as good, so how does it sound?
Sound Quality
I’m not good at picking up subtleties in music quality, but I quickly noticed a general improvement in the quality of sound after coming from the notable Z-5300E speakers. I thought I had it made with the Z-5300E speakers, but songs are undeniably cleaner and crisper, with individual elements of songs being far more pronounced, bringing new life to a number of songs. This is all without making any improvements to my sound card or using an optical cable. If I were to make those upgrades, I expect I would be completely blown away.
Speakers - Except for the rare movie, the speakers are used almost entirely for listening to a wide variety of music. There’s not one song to date that the speakers failed to bring the best out of whether the volume is at its lowest or near its peak. However, keeping the volume at or above the half-way mark is simply not possible if you’re in the same room as the speakers, as it’s just so loud that you’ll quickly get a headache (even though the sound is clear).
With movies, the speakers do not disappoint. Dialogue, sound effects, and background music are well-proportioned, leaving you feeling very much like you’re at the theatre (it’s THX certified). Ever since getting these speakers I’ve been tempted to splurge on a plasma TV that I could hook up to the speakers, destroying any potential desire to go to the theatre again.
Subwoofer - Given the larger subwoofer, I expected bigger and boomier bass. However, if anything, it was the opposite. The tradeoff, however, has been even deeper notes being picked up and making songs more well-rounded. As much as I like a shaking house (which is still extremely doable), I find the sub for the Z-5500 does a much better job of pulling you into a song and getting you into the rhythm of it all, without ever being overpowering. It’s a very well-refined subwoofer.
Controls
The control center allows you to alter a number of settings, and it lets you hook the speaker system up to a total of 6 devices – making these much more than just computer speakers. You can change the input source (Direct, Optical, Coax), the effect (basically where the juice gets distributed), and then there are a number of settings and levels that you can change, such as bass, center-speaker volume, and so on. You can also change all of these items with the remote. Unfortunately, given my sound card and the lack of an optical cable, most of the features of the control center are wasted, so I just found the sweet spot with what I could alter and all seems to be good. I’ve found keeping it on Dolby Digital Pro Logic II Music as an effect seems to get the best results for my whole setup, even when watching movies. Now all I ever do is adjust the volume and occasionally make use of the mute button.
Price & Warranty
The price of the Z-5500 system had been sitting up around C$390 (MSRP is C$530), but with a clearance sale it brought the price down to C$299 – the MSRP for the Z-5300E. Prior to Christmas when I was researching the cheapest places to get the Z-5500, it became apparent that there was no way I’d get the Z-5500 in my door without spending at least C$350, so getting them at only C$299 made them a steal. Even at the regular price of just under C$400 it’s a good price.
The Z-5500 speakers come with the same limited warranty as the Z-5300Es do, which is basically useless. However, I’m far less worried about the need for a warranty with the Z-5500 system since it feels much more substantial and of higher quality.
Final Thoughts
For the price, it’s unlikely that’ll you’ll get a better set of speakers. These are the best speakers I’ve ever had, and I haven’t even come close to harnessing their full potential. Even if you’re extremely picky about your sound setup, you can’t deny the Z-5500 of being a top-notch system that leaves little to be desired. While I would have liked optical cables and a few screws for mounting the speakers, the lack of them does nothing to sway me away from highly recommending the Z-5500 speaker system. If you’re not looking to spend quite so much money, I’d strongly recommend looking at the cheaper and still remarkable Logitech Z-5300E system. However, if money isn’t too tight and you want speakers that provide you with much more flexibility and are of greater overall quality, get the Logitech Z-5500 computer speakers.
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