I picked up this set from a Buy.com sale and thought I'd share some thoughts.
After "reading between the lines" in the reviews, and deciding these weren't all that they were cracked up to be, I ordered them for chitz-n-giggles to see for myself why so many others thought they were so great.
Money was not an object (I've always been into audio), and I had it narrowed to the Z5500's, and the Klipsch ProMeda 2.1's. Altec Lansing hasn't had anything top of the line for years, which is sad. They used to have some very impressive 2.1 sets. For $89.99, this Cinema Z was an obvious "trial" set I could unload on Craigslist for a small profit if need be.
I am replacing a set of Labtec Edge 418's with a 5.25" woofer (flat panel satellites with the world's best 5.25" sub - no joke, excellent midrange and rolled off highs - typical for flat panels). I've had these for ~8 years, so they continue to impress.
My main system consists of a Denon flagship 4802R AVR driving a 7.1 set of Polk RTi/CSi/FXi series speakers and an SVS Plus/2 sub. I've done a few reviews here and at the AVS Forum, so I know a little about a little.
I ordered them on Sunday and they arrived on Wednesday (Cally to Ohio - very fast shipping, and arrived in perfect condition). That's always a nice start. Thumbs up Buy.com.
Set up was a breeze. I don't have Windows Media Center on this particular PC (just Player), but I don't plan on doing anything but listening to music, and these worked upon simple setup.
The songs I used to demo the 2.1 setup were:
Donald Fagan:
* Morph the Cat
* Tomorrow's Girls
* The Goodbye Look
Steely Dan
* Hey 19
Diana Krall
* Cry Me a River
* If I Had You
Drumline Soundtract
* Drum Battles
Mike Stern
* Upside Down
Morphine
* You Look Like Rain (very hard track for speakers to reproduce properly)
Pat Metheny
* All the Things You Are
* Cafe Del Mar
* Minuano
Patricia Barber
* Two for the Road
Sound Effects
* THX Subwoofer Test
The Rippingtons
* Smooth Jazz Cafe
Underground Bass Masters
* UBM Subwoofer Test (failed miserably under 40Hz)
Yes
* Owner of a Lonely Heart
Allison Krauss
* Now That I've Found You
* When You Say Nothing At All
* The Lighthouse's Tale
Blues Travelers
* Run Around
I know, the list is extensive, but these are some of the best recordings and bass tests out there, so download them and you'll see why.
These speakers shine in some areas, and lack in others. For the money, they are actually a decent buy. The remote is amazing (worth $75 alone - has a quality feel, too), and the software is pretty cool as well.
The satellite speakers (I would almost classify them as bookshelf due to their size) are a bit of a misnomer. They have a very capable 3" midrange which is inexcusably crossed over as a woofer. Then they have an oversized 1" dome tweeter which struggles to find a nice blend between voices and cymbals. Normally, when you have a huge 1" dome tweeter, you also have a capable midrange and woofer. Here, you have the 1" dome, no midrange, and a lacking mini 3" woofer. It's no wonder the midrange is somewhat lacking.
Female voices sometimes struggle with these speakers. Highs are crisp. Bass is rolled off under 35Hz. The subwoofer is lightweight, and the amp is nothing to write home about. HSU makes an HT 8" sub that trounces this, but you pay dearly for that technology. This 8" puts out some decent bass from 35hz to 110Hz, but there is port noise at high volumes. You need to give this sub ample room between the wall and tower. It's too bad there aren't crossovers and gains on the back of this sub - but what can you expect in this price range? The 10" sub in the other Logitech subwoofers allow for deeper bass, as well as higher output. They, along with this sub, is a bit sloppy. That tight, punchy bass you hear in a quality home speaker and bookshelf is lacking with these subs. They use mid range drivers with impressive Xmax, and thin mdf cabinets. Adding extra insulation and bracing inside could make a huge difference.
All in all, for the average listener wanting a 2.1 setup for music, gaming, and the occasional movie, these are above average PC speakers for the price. At retail pricing, you can do better. At $100, they're hard to beat. They don't have the tactile bass response of the Klipsch ProMedia's, nor the midrange of the other Z satellites (although not as fatiguing). They have outstanding highs (very few bookshelves have a 1" some tweeter). The 10 band eq on Windows Media Player is a must. Raising the midrange too much will become fatiguing - as will the treble. Apply a nice house curve and these won't disappoint. These could be the best sounding PC speakers at low volume on the market. That 1" dome tweeter is incredible.
