Logitech X-530 vs Z-5300 vs Z-5500

[Joshatdot]

I know everyone here raves about the Z-5500's, but what about Logitech's other speaker systems?

From what I've Googled-Froogled:

X-530 $50-75
Z-5300 ~$150-175
Z-5500 ~$250-300

Is there a huge sound/quality difference between these 3 systems?

I am looking for a replacement for my Xbox & future "next-gen" sytem. Right now I got Yamaha TSS-1B, I got it about 3 years ago for $80, it's a nice lil 5.1 DD/DTS system, but not alot of power. I want it to be a nice mini-home theater.


edit:
Also, Should I be looking for a 7.1 speaker system?

 

[Darksolace]

I personally own the Z-5300 series with a Sound Blaster Audigy 4 card and I love the sound. I am an Audio Production major at Ohio University (Go Bobcats) and I can say that these speakers rawk.

2 things I could say if you wanted some cons:

1) They sound MUCH MUCH MUCH better with an aftermarket sound card, they get a bit muddy if you don't

2) VERY VERY Bassy. Just about everything other than games has to have the bass turned all the way down... if not, again, a little too much bass.

If you want a solution answer, for the money you may be better off buying the exact same set-up I have than going and buying the more expensive speakers and NO sound card.

Hope that helps!

 

[akahuddy]

I've never heard all three so I can't really give you a good compare/contrast here...

I'd take into consideration just how big of a room you're going to be using these in and how much power you want. I have X-530's and they work uber-great for my 8x15 dorm room.

How much of an audiophile are you? I like music and good sound in movies, but not enough to pour tons of money into that subsystem to enjoy it.

 

[Joshatdot]

I am a audiophile-lite, I like my sounds to be clean, natural & clear. If I could I would totally goto school to be a Sound Engineer, Post Production Editing or something...but Ima Hardware Tech Geek, and I don't think my current school offers anything like that, so I am taking a CIS degree (Computer Information Systems)

 

[phamily]

well you have to take in account of what kind of sound card you have. but generally, the z5500 gives you the home theater sound, not too boomy or punchy. If its just for your computer, the x-530 which i have, are a decent 5.1 package. It should satisfy you're audiophilic needs. =]

 

[Parge]

I have the Z-5400's, almost exactly the same as the 5500s, but less power. In my opinion the 5500s are an overkill anyway if you care about money.

 

[Monstrousm]

Hey Joshatdot, I have two of those three systems installed in my house right now.

I can tell you from experience that the X-530s do not sound very good in large rooms, but sound great in smaller rooms. The bass on the system isn't very impressive either, but again, good enough for small rooms. Since you are planning on playing from an Xbox cord away from the front speakers, these shouldn't be what your looking for. They don't play well at a high enough volume and they like to rattle when you play bassy music or any good shooter.

The Z-5500s perform at a much higher sound quality. A little over-bassed but it can be toned down. These speakers have digital input so they sound amazing when playing from an X-fi or a game console. These are probably the best-bet for your mini-home theater.

Just to let you know, the Z-5300s aren't really worth the extra money compared to the 530s. Their not ten times better like their name suggests.

For gaming at the 5.1 level, the digital sound of the Z-5500s are far superior to the Z-5300s and the X-530s. They play louder, clearer and without the limitations of analog sound. Also the Z-5500s have multiple digital inputs. Your Xbox plays optical digital sound, the speakers have two optical inputs, so when you get your "Next-Gen" console you can plug it in and play on both without having to change you connections.

The wireless Z-5450s are quite good as well, I'm listening to them right now by the way. The rear speakers can be placed almost anywhere in your room as you aren't restricted with the cords. They are however, quite expensive and less powerful then the Z-5500s, but none-the-less still digital and have a great sound quality.

If you can get a good deal on the Z-5450s or the Z-5500s, I'd definately recommend them over any other 5.1 speaker set.

Wow, that was a long post, I own too many computer speaker sets.

Hope that helped, MonstrousM

 

[Joshatdot]

I guess I'll save up for the Z-5500's. I use Optical out on my Xbox and Computer. Thanks everyone for you input and opinions!

 

[NumenorLord]

If you can, get the Z-5500s or even the Z-5450s if you're feeling rich (I have the Z-5450s and they totally rock).

 

[astrallite]

If you are going for Logitechs, be wary of the fact that they aren't going to work as well as a tweeter-midrange speaker for home theater application.

Tweeters play the high frequency sounds in a system, and are very directional. They "beam" which means they need to be aimed at your ears to hear them correctly.

Logitechs use single full-range drivers, which means that the entire driver is beaming, so you have limited response in large rooms compared to a tweeter-midrange speaker, which will have better dispersion because the midrange driver isn't beaming.

 

[Parge]

If you are going for Logitechs, be wary of the fact that they aren't going to work as well as a tweeter-midrange speaker for home theater application.

Tweeters play the high frequency sounds in a system, and are very directional. They "beam" which means they need to be aimed at your ears to hear them correctly.

Logitechs use single full-range drivers, which means that the entire driver is beaming, so you have limited response in large rooms compared to a tweeter-midrange speaker, which will have better dispersion because the midrange driver isn't beaming.

Lol, that lot is gobbledygook to me!

 

[astrallite]

If you are going for Logitechs, be wary of the fact that they aren't going to work as well as a tweeter-midrange speaker for home theater application.

Tweeters play the high frequency sounds in a system, and are very directional. They "beam" which means they need to be aimed at your ears to hear them correctly.

Logitechs use single full-range drivers, which means that the entire driver is beaming, so you have limited response in large rooms compared to a tweeter-midrange speaker, which will have better dispersion because the midrange driver isn't beaming.

Lol, that lot is gobbledygook to me!

Words is hard to convey some concepts, especially online.

I didn't really get it either actually for the longest time when people were explaining audio concepts. Lucky I had a friend with bookshelf speakers at home and when I listened to his system I was like "Wow!" And when I heard how affordable it was, I was like "Double Wow!" Sometimes you have to see/hear to believe.

 

[Joshatdot]

If you are going for Logitechs, be wary of the fact that they aren't going to work as well as a tweeter-midrange speaker for home theater application.

Tweeters play the high frequency sounds in a system, and are very directional. They "beam" which means they need to be aimed at your ears to hear them correctly.

Logitechs use single full-range drivers, which means that the entire driver is beaming, so you have limited response in large rooms compared to a tweeter-midrange speaker, which will have better dispersion because the midrange driver isn't beaming.

The 5 speakers (not the sub) are all just 1 driver per box??

Hmm...I would prefer 2 drivers, for fronts and rears (center channel doesn't really need 2 separate drivers, its mainly voice)

My Yahama TSS-1B's are the same, and kinda why I want to upgrade.

*sigh* Maybe I'll piece-by-piece buy a component speaker system =\

 

[astrallite]

The 5 speakers (not the sub) are all just 1 driver per box??

Yep, all of their speakers are 1-way Tangband "full range" drivers.

Hmm...I would prefer 2 drivers, for fronts and rears (center channel doesn't really need 2 separate drivers, its mainly voice)

Eh...maybe for PC speakers. Almost all real center channels use at least 2 midbass drivers and a tweeter, and some have five or more drivers. The center channel handles almost all of the dialogue in the movie, which is basically the bread and butter of the movie! The reason for so many drivers is for greater horizontal dispersion.

Again, a single driver is great when your head is in a vise and the speakers only need to output sound to a very small area. Not too useful when you need a combination of accuracy and wide dispersion.

My Yahama TSS-1B's are the same, and kinda why I want to upgrade.

*sigh* Maybe I'll piece-by-piece buy a component speaker system =\

Well, all-in-one surround speaker boxes sell for two reasons. 1) They are reasonably priced. 2) They don't require much thinking; you have everything you need. It's like buying a Dell versus piecing together your own system. Sure, it costs more and you get less performance, but it takes less effort, which is enough for most customers.

Wanting better (anything) is very simple, just a few minutes of basic research and you can pretty much off-the-bat find something that both performs better and is cheaper than the mass market junk.

 

[Decad02]

Would this be decent for a bachelor's apartment or 1 bdrm apartment?

Logitech X-530 5.1 Speaker System Black 70W RMS 140W W/FDD2

And do you need a sound card to take advantage of 5.1 (or even 2.1) or will onboard sound work?

thanks (hopefully I'm on topic)

 

[halcyon]

I can't speak to the lesser models but I can tell you that for personal surround the Z-5500's are quite entertaining for PC speakers. Clear and robust sound, the utility of the decoder, and a sub-bass radiator that swats flies and kills bacteria.