Another speaker thread

entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
edited January 2005 in Hardware
I recommended the Logitech Z-5500 speaker set to Madball just the other day. Now I think it's time to upgrade something or another, and I think I've settled on speakers ;D

I've been reading some more reviews, and it seems that quite a few say the 680s and 5500s are a "bit boomy" on the bass. Then they point to the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1, but say that the satellites sound less natural than Logitechs'. I also could use stands, so does anyone know if they actually make floor stands for these?

So what should it be? Granted, these are all C|NET reviews, but that's only because they're the easiest to find :p

Logitech Z-680
Logitech Z-5500 Digital
Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1

Is the extra $50 or so worth it for the 5500s? Speaking of prices, that price (the cheapest) is from Securemart.com . Somehow it looks like I shouldn't trust them, but anyone know? I could always go with Mwave or Amazon for a little bit more.

My last question (I realize this is getting lengthy) is about a soundcard. I keep hearing good and bad things about every high-end soundcard out there, and that's to be expected in different reviews. But there doesn't seem to even be any "genera" concensus. What should I take? Audigy2 ZS, M-Audio, or Turtle Beach? :confused: I'd need one that can do digital (preferably optical) out.

Oooh. I lied. I need to find a DVD player for my computer, since I won't have one when I sell my current audio systems. All it needs to do is be able to read DVDs, though writing may be nice if it's cheap. Any favorites?

Sorry for running off at the mouth, but there's a lot for me to consider. :)

Edit:
Something else I just considered. Right now, for the most part, I'm used to having 2 2.5' RCA floor speakers. The 5.1 DVD reciever thing isn't the best for input. What happens when I get one of those sets? This was semi-answered previously in a thread, but if I just play it in stereo through the 5.1 set ... will music sound as good? If I'm going to gain a lot in games/DVDs, but lose a lot in music ... that really changes things. I might not even do this, then.

Comments

  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    The Z-680's I havent heard sound bad during one thing. DVD's Cd's or games. They are great!




    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007AKDP/qid=1104605366/sr=8-5/ref=pd_csp_5/102-5499443-5259300?v=glance&s=pc&n=507846
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=29-118-104&depa=1

    OR

    http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=29-121-101&depa=1
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    Isn't 7.1 overkill? I don't ever plan to have 7.1, since I think it's unnecessary, and if I did I'd need a new card by that time anyway. So isn't that just paying for headroom I'll never need?

    Why'd you pick the 680s over the 5500s, by the way?
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    never heard the 5500's i went with what i knew

    oh and compuplus has the turtle beach in stock for less than newegg and i love them. Customer service is great there

    I am thinking of replacing my phillips acoustic edge with it then get a pair of 680's

    http://www.compuplus.com/insidepage.php3?sid=0399428ql2l5131&id=1002398&comboid=466
  • entropyentropy
    kicks thread

    Eh, I've decided on the 5500s. There's just too much goodness there, and hearing that you *can* extend the speaker wire tipped me over the edge. ;D

    Now I just need an id...
     Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    kicks thread

    Eh, I've decided on the 5500s. There's just too much goodness there, and hearing that you *can* extend the speaker wire tipped me over the edge. ;D

    Now I just need an idea for a soundcard and for a DVD player. I think I'll go with that Turtle Beach Gnome last linked, unless anyone has any other suggestions.
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited January 2005
    Got a set of Z680s this christmas, fantastic speakers.. I believe the 5500s have quite a bit in common with the Z680s, but with a larger diameter subwoofer. I'm sure you wont be disappointed.. Gaming will never be the same.. :thumbsup:
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    Awesome :D I can't wait. But I really can't decide on a soundcard.

    1) Is digital optical any better than digital coaxial?
    2) I found this regarding the Audigy2 ZS
    You can NOT hook this card up digitally to a receiver. I LOVE this card, but I feel this is important for customers to understand this fact, and very deceiving from Creative. The digital output on the card uses a proprietary digital signal. For the techs out there, a normal (electrical not optical) digital signal is a sine wave. The crest of the wave registers as "on" and the bottom of the wave registers as "off". The creative digital-out uses 8 points on the sine wave to create the signal. 1 point for each audio channel. This will only work with computer speaker sets designed for this type of proprietary signal. It will not work with home theatre receivers because it is not a standard digital signal.
    Is that true? If so, I'm up sh*tcreek without a paddle. I wanted Creative because of the better 3D sound than M-Audio, and honestly it can't be a *ton* worse at playing music.
  • rykoryko new york
    edited January 2005
    here are my suggestions...

    dvd player = philips dvp642 about $70 from amazon.com. check out this review....seems promising. http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20465

    sound card = whatever you can afford, but i have heard good things about all 3...

    http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductdesc.asp?description=29-120-103&depa=0

    or

    http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductdesc.asp?description=29-118-106&depa=0

    or

    http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=29-121-101&depa=0
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    i looked at the chaintech and out of thoise 3 ive heard the best about the Turtle beach card.
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    God, you know, Buyer's Remorse SUCKS, lol. I just ordered the 5500s, Audigy2 ZS (seemd like the best... I just hope it works right...), Lite-On DVD ROM drive (no burner for me!), and some funky IDE blue EL wire. So yeah. There went all ~$400 of my Christmas money. Hopefully I can sell my current stereos/speakers, though. Thanks for your help everyone :)
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited January 2005
    entropy wrote:

    1) Is digital optical any better than digital coaxial?

    Simply two different mediums to transmit the same digital signal to the receiver. I used to get this question a lot when I worked in a home theatre department :)

    Optical has always had more of a 'wow' factor, but the end result is pretty much the same. A good tip for anyone looking to purchase a digital coax cable: look for a simple video composite cable. They are cheaper, and almost identical in construction. The video composite cables (usually yellow) are designed for high frequency video transmission, which is much like the digital audio signalling. They always seem to mark those dig-coax cables up quite a bit in price.
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    Well, staying true to my typical luck, I found out that the Audigy 2 ZS can't send a digital signal to anything but Creative Labs speaker systems; that quote was accurate. Conniving bastards - I found no mention of this anywhere. Only after a bunch of digging did I find it.

    So, I went to cancel the A2 ZS from Amazon. Doesn't show up that I ordered it. At all. Frickin' lovely. So either a) they're charging me for a card I no longer want and cannot cancel or b) they're sending me a free card! ;D Wishful thinking, hm?

    I ended up ordering an M-Audio Revolution 5.1. It's supposed to use less CPU than the Revolution 7.1, and I don't really need 7.1 anyway. So yeah. The digital was a big thing - I really didn't want to use analog.

    Btw, you're definitely right about the digital coax cable. I talked to an audio professional about making my own digi coax and saving a few bucks. He told me since it's a computer setup, and not some $15,000 system (which, btw, would KICK ASS :D), that using a 75-ohm shielded video cable will give me just as good of results.

    Thanks again for help everyone :) I'll post pics once I get them / get 'em set up :D
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    all i know is the z 680's my friend has I heard them again tonight and i freaked sooooooo awesome
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    It's ... beautiful :bawling: ;D
    OMG2.jpg 308.7K
  • chandomchandom Tallahassee, Fl
    edited January 2005
    Ohhh... I still think the speakers, with out the grill, on the Z-680's look better. However, I just love the looks of the new control pod on the Z-5500's.
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    Ok, I realize this is probably beating a dead horse, but I gotta. These things rule. JUST RULE! My stepdad and I rocked out with them at 100% for like an hour when I got them :D The "Boost" is another story. It distorts everything. Not like any sane person needs MORE than the normal amount. I've got them at 5 1/2 notches, out of 20, and I can easily feel my chest vibrating and downstairs every note is audible :D

    The M-Audio Revolution 5.1 is amazing. I really haven't heard anything this good. Thrax was right: "WTF was I doing without 500w all this time?!" The only thing I don't like is, as has been said a lot, it's not the *greatest* for games. I didn't feel what I was expecting to in Half-Life 2, though I haven't extensively played around with settings for games.

    Two things, though. Should I set the F/R, SR/SL and center to "Cube" speakers, or large? They're cube .. shaped .. kinda. They look how the cube speakers show on the control panel, leastways. But these are by no means "cube" speakers. They're louder than my 2 1/2 foot speakers. And is there any way at all to force it to output on the Coax all the time? It sounds OK on the provided cables, but I'd like to run my turntable straight to the inputs on the Logitech system, not the soundcard - and then I could free up some room, too. Any thoughts?

    Really, though. If anyone here doesn't have these / the 680s, you need to get them NOW! ;D
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    the 5500 are 300 right? ill stick with the 680's on my list for 198
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    AH CRAP! Z-680's and the 5500 went way up in price
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    I bought mine on Amazon for $260 shipped, I believe (free shipping ... awesome since they're 60 lbs total).

    Yeah, I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between the two. These are redesigned, have a retuned subwoofer (2" bigger somewhere or other) and have a new control pod. The 5500s *might* have a little more digital decoding capabilites, since it technically is the Z-5500 Digital Surround Sound system. Who knows? Marketing schemes are shifty.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    Just like winamp/ensonique/WMP or any other sound engine, the quality of the game's audio engine will ultimately determine how the game sounds on a 5.1 setup. World of Warcraft, for example, has superb fidelity and excellent positioning.. Half-Life 2 is ok.
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited January 2005
    Really? I would've thought Half-Life 2 would be top-notch. Hm.

    Do you know how I can force it to use the coaxial, though?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    No, no idea. Mess with the control pod; there might be a way in there.. Or your sound card control panel.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    hmmmmmmmmmmm

    I just ordered the M-audio 5.1 card ill get the 5500's next check
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