Rating: 
Summary: Two Snaps and a Clap for Logitech
Review: After extensive research into the many brands and models of THX Multimedia Certified PC speakers in various platforms (2, 2.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 channels), I decided to go with a set of Logitech Z-5300's. I wanted something with decent power, clear, faithful sound reproduction, and, of course, smooth styling, but I didn't want to spend a month's salary on them. So, after all I had heard and seen, the Z-5300's seemed like a logical choice.Well, I went to a big electronics store to try their display to get a better idea of what I would be purchasing, and I had a luke warm feeling toward the speakers, because, though they seemed amply powerful, and the subwoofer seemed more than up to the task of handling bassy music and explosive movies, the sound didn't seem as clear and true-to-life as I'd hoped. I then asked one of the customer service associates about the system used to deliver the audio signal to the speakers, and when I found that it was a simple 2-channel input coming from a rather crappy source, I guessed that the speakers would actually fufill my hopes once I hooked them to my Audigy 2 sound card. Now, for the review. Lemme tell ya...if you had to eat Ramen noodles for a month to be able to spend the $150.00 or so it would take to buy these things online, you'd find that they're totally worth the high blood pressure all that salt would give you. I've rarely heard BIG home theatre systems that could produce sound on the level these speakers crank out (and those that did cost close to $1000.00, if not more, including the receiver). That's another thing. They were cheap! Well, comparitively speaking, anyway. The highs are crystal-clear, the mids are rich and warm, and the bass is enough to put arousing pressure on your eardrums even from the other end of a normal-size house (and to produce a nice rattling of your guts from within the same room). How on Earth they got a 6.5" driver to produce that much bass is beyond me! I think the folks at Bose could learn a thing or two from Logitech's engineers. Also, some people have said they found the mid range to be a little subdued with this system, but I know sound, and these speakers cover their frequency response range seamlessly. Equalization is all it takes to get these speakers to a level of performace to suit any taste. I've had some really good PC speakers before, but never did I have any that actually made MP3's sound like crap. And that's a good thing. I finally heard every little artifact and anomally that illustrate the limits of MP3 sound quality. Then I popped in a Dave Coz DVD-audio disc, and I was able to hear the tiniest details in the music, including spit being blown into the body of his sax. It was as if I had my ear stuck to the bell of his instrument as he played right in my room. The highs, mids and lows were, for all intents and purposes, flawless. So, for music, they're a must. Then, it was time to test their movie-playing abilities. I chose Stargate in DTS for this test, as it has some gargantuan lows, other-worldly highs, and painfully percussive mids. Once again, these speakers reproduced every little detail of sound, from the loudest to the softest, lowest to highest, flawlessly. When I closed my eyes, I could easily envision sitting in a huge stadium-seating, THX-certified theater. When I opened my eyes, I was taken aback at the sight of these little silver speakers on my walls, knowing they were the cause of all this amazing, house-rattling sound. So, for movies, they are also a must. And, their quality doesn't stop there. The ease of use you'll find with these speakers is equally impressive. The control pod is extremely user-friendly and self-explanatory. The connections are kindergarten easy, with color coding and simple plug-n-play inputs. It took me all of thirty minutes from the time I opened the box to have them mounted, hooked up, and ready to go. Oh, and, one more thing...they're just pretty to look at, too! After learning a great deal about what speaker systems must have and do to pass THX Multimedia Certification, I can clearly see how the Logitech Z-5300's earned theirs. So, I'd have to say that, for the money, you'll be hard-pressed ever to find a better set of speakers for your computer. Though speakers are only as good as the audio signal you give them to play (i.e., a THX certified sound card like the Sound Blaster Audigy 2/Audigy 2 ZS), you'll love these things even if they're hooked up to a source that doesn't carry the same certification as these speakers, because they'll at least let you hear the sound from your source at its full potential. I think the quiet, gentle giant named Logitech has finally woken, and it seems poised and ready to give a serious ass-whoopin' to its competition in the world of multi-media hardware. Give 'em a try. You will NOT be disappointed! PRO's: -Sound quality is amazing -Construction is solid and durable
-Extremely easy to hook up and use
-Stylish
-Powerful
-Two year limited warranty CON's: -Center channel doesn't have wall-mount holes on its feet
-Hard-wired speaker cords with RCA-type plugs
-Extremely thick cable running from the control pod
(though this will eventually "break in" and be a little more wieldly) Suggestions: Go to an electronics store and get some male-to-female RCA-type extension cords for these speakers, as the cords that come with them are hard-wired and a little too short for a full-room installation. These cords cost around $3.00 a piece, and you'll probably only need two of them (for the rear sattelites). Also, you may want to place the speakers on little shelves, as they all rotate in the same direction, which makes a full surround installation very difficult as far as focusing the sound when they are attached to the walls with the built-in holes on the feet. Some little shelves will allow focusing to be a breeze. A small price to pay to set these beauties up properly!
Rating:
Summary: AHh-Yes! Truly Awesome!
Review: After purchasing and testing other speaker systems over last year, the buck stops here! With fantastic sound quality and surround-sound, I now can enjoy all kinds of music, from Nora Jones to NatureQuest to Madonna to Andrea Bocelli to Yanni. Of course, for gaming and DVDs, this system rocks! Whatever your needs are (music listening, game playing, movie watching), you cannot get a better system for this price. I rated this product 5 stars for superb quality. RCA cables are used, so the length of speaker wiring is extendable, the construction is strong, yet very stylish, and the system handles high volumes without losing clarity. Let me say that again: The Z-5300 handles high volumes without losing clarity! While I keep the bass volume low, there is a seperate control to increase the bass volume for those who like the the walls to shake. The Z-5300s are just what I have been waiting for! Note: If too much bass is passing through the speakers while the bass volume is at the lowest setting, check your software settings. I had to turn off the bass effects in my software program to get the proper sound quality.
Rating:
Summary: AHh-Yes! Truly Awesome!
Review: After purchasing and testing other speaker systems over the last year, the buck stops here! With fantastic sound quality and surround-sound, I now can enjoy all kinds of music, from rock to classical and everything in between. Whatever your needs are (music listening, game playing, movie watching), the Z-5300s will allow you to hear with clarity all of the sounds that were meant to be heard without interference, distortion, or lack of volume. I have not found another computer speaker system that can compete with the quality or price. I rated this product 5 stars for superb quality. RCA cables are used, so the length of speaker wiring is extendable, the construction is strong, yet very stylish, and the system handles high volumes without losing clarity. The cables and hardware provided allow many different set-up options, such as hanging the speakers. While I keep the bass volume low, there is a seperate control to increase the bass volume for those who like the the walls to shake. Note: If too much bass is passing through the speakers while the bass volume is at the lowest setting, check your software settings. I had to turn off the bass effects in my software program to get the proper sound quality. I have the SoundBlaster Live 5.1 card. Be sure to have the proper sound card installed to take full advantage of the surround sound offered by the Logitech Z-5300s.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding, especially for this price
Review: As the midway set between their budget/entry level Z-640 and their top of the line Z-680s, this set is a lot closer to the high end than the lower. My only gripes are the fact that the remote is wired to the subwoofer and the fact that you can't get "true" 5.1 off a game system like you can with the Z-680s unless you have a seperate decoder (which does make sense because the Z-680s are more expensive). However, the pseudo-5.1 effect that comes with these speakers works pretty well if you don't have that.
The subwoofer is a little bulky compared to other sets similar to this one, but other than that, you can't go wrong here.
Rating:
Summary: Very Well Balanced Package of Hardware & Software
Review: Being an 'old guy' that has been intimately involved with stereo systems for over 35 years, I feel qualified to state that the combination of price and quality has reached a perfect ratio with this system. First note that I am using a Creative Labs Audigy 2ZS sound card with this system. You don't have to be a 'discriminating' listener of music to appreciate the clariy, brilliance and bass drive of this system. Very well done indeed. The ONLY thing I had to do to 'extra' with this system is purchase extensions for my 2 rear speakers with inline connectors. I have surround sound capabilities in my home office now and it is truly, truly enjoyable to listen to music through my PC now. I will soon be adding an XM-Radio peripheral to my system to bring an endless source of digital music to my office. Installation was easy, just read the instructions. Included software for speaker calibration and balance was simple and enjoyable. Special effects were demonstrated on the disks and impressive. Additional software of games etc. was very much appreciated. All in all, I did VERY well by purchasing the sound card and speaker combo here.
Rating:
Summary: Everything I expected and more
Review: Definitely worth the money I paid. Before I had just a little 2.5 system, and these blow me away, both with music and games. Great sound, great price. Got delivered for free in 3 days...not bad at all.
Rating:
Summary: What about the center speaker?
Review: Don't get me wrong - for the price, these speakers are excellent. I would choose this over the z560 anytime if you're wondering about what you should get at this price range. The z560 is a discontinued product anyway. My only rant that keeps me from giving it 5 stars: How are you supposed to stick the center speaker on the wall? A LOT of people will mount these speakers on the wall. The 4 other satellites have holes in them to screw onto the wall. I had to rig the hell out of the center speaker to mount it on the wall. I contacted Logitech about this, and normally they answer my emails, but they ignored this one. My opinion? They forgot about this particular aspect of the center speaker. Otherwise, great speakers.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss This Deal
Review: Excellent Speakers and you can't beat the price. Broke these in with the Black Crows (Shake your Money Maker) followed by Sheryl Crow at three quarter volume. Crisp and Clear! Excellent Bass! THX! (My kids won't let me play them at full volume because it overpowers their playstation) You will not be disappointed. These are configured with an Audigy sound card on my system and I am Very Happy with them. Thanks Logitech and Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Speakers
Review: First of all, Amazon's claim of a shipping weight of 18 pounds is definitely incorrect. 45 pounds is much closer to the mark. The subwoofer in this system is *very* solidly built. With that said: Pros:
- Clear highs
- Amazing bass
- Great price
- Well built--satellites look quite stylish
- Capable of putting out an enormous amount of power. Cons:
- Midranges could be a little stronger.
- The matrix option to mix stereo into surround doesn't seem very effective. I just leave it off since the Audigy's CMSS 3D is much better, in my opinion. The system came very well packed. Setup was pretty simple. Taking it out of all the packaging took longer than hooking everything up. The wires were conveniently color-coded. It took about 15-20 minutes in all for setup. I have an Audigy 2 soundcard, and I'm also in a dorm room, so the room dynamics are probably quite different. Nonetheless, when I played music through them, I was impressed with the quality--it was crystal clear. It handles everything I threw at it with aploomb--from Chopin to Creed to Duran Duran. One time, the guys on the floor decided to see who's set of speakers was actually the loudest. That's the only time I've tried turning up the volume on the Logitechs to full --I was quite surprised at how nice the speakers still sounded, as well as the noticeable lack of distortion at 100% volume. Good luck getting these to distort at any volume. Movies and games are no different. Watching the Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers with these speakers is quite an experience. You can literally FEEL the rumble as Gandalf, Eomer, and the Rohirrim charge down the steep slope, or the rock protesting as the Ents rip apart Isengard and flood it. I also tried out Halo and Unreal Tournament 2003 and in conjunction with my Audigy 2, these speakers really delivered. You can actually feel that rocket going by you as it barely misses in Unreal, or the waterfalls, streams, and other environmental effects in Halo. These speakers offer great value for your money, and they provide some of the best audio I've heard out of a computer speaker system. I'd recommend them to anyone looking to upgrade to a 5.1 system that won't break the wallet. The sub pumps out an impressive volume of bass, and the satellites complement it well, providing excellent highs and good mids. Mids could probably be improved a bit, but at this price, you cannot really complain.
Rating:
Summary: Great value for money
Review: First off, for something under $200, these speakers are absolutely amazing. Sound is clear, and you can turn them up really loud. The sub is HUGE for computer speakers (and actually a bit out of control sometimes). Here is a summary of what i think of these speakers:
Pros:
Great value for money
Good sound
Easy to set up (except getting neat wiring... see below)
Analog means they work with pretty much any soundcard
Lots of power
Cons:
Sub can be a bit too loud
Remote has a thick, ugly cable
Doesn't use standard speaker wire, so it's a bit hard to set up if the wires provided are too short
Overall, if you want computer speakers, you should seriously consider these.
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