Help z-5500 or something else?

[requiemsallure]

What is the new/better equivilent to the z-5500 in today's market. I know that the z-5500 was one of the best sound systems you could get for your money back in 2005 maybe before that, i would do the research on my own but i dont have the time to if you could help me out i would appriciate it.

 

[soundguruman]

any system that sounds good to you is the best system, provided you don't let the smoke out.

 

[requiemsallure]

The thing is... unfortunately I've never had the chance to hear any of the sound systems so I really only know what I have read. In this instance is there anywhere I can go to hear these systems?

 

[rofl_my_waffle]

It depends on what kind of system you want.

If you want an easy setup without a receiver then the Z-5500 is pretty good and pretty cheap.

On the other hand the Z-5500 sounds pretty bland to the many better things you can get. The Z-5500 has weak mid and high tones, it sounds bland even with good bass. If you must get a 5.1 setup and don't want to spend more than $400 then you don't have much of a choice.

If you can settle for a 2.1 setup then there are many things better. M-Audio has a great selection of near field monitors for cheap. Those sound great, you will hear every single note.

Stuff like music is always recorded in 2.1 anyway.

 

[requiemsallure]

what about games? are most games recorded in 2.1 i.e. starcraft 2, Supreme Commander 2, Fallout 3 and a few others not really any shooters though.

is it better in this case to go with a better 2.1 or try to get the best possible 5.1, balancing performance and functionality. I currently have a pretty terrible 2.1 system from philips cost me $40 with the following specs

Sound
•Bass enhancement: Analog Bass Boost, Bass reflex
•Frequency response: 55 - 20.000 Hz
•Loudspeaker Enhancement: Magnetic Shielded LSB
•Music Power: 38 W
•Output power (RMS): Per satellite: 3,5 W ; Subwoofer: 12 W
•Volume Control: Analogue Volume Control
•Wires: Fixed Wires
Loudspeakers
•Loudspeaker Enhancement: Magnetic Shielded LSB
•Satellite speaker drivers: 2.5" Woofer
•Subwoofer driver: 5 1/4"
•Bass level control: On subwoofer
Connectivity
•Cable length: 1.6 m
•Connector: 3.5 mm stereo combine with line-in control
•Power: AC 220V 50Hz
Convenience
•Power on indication
•Remote control: Volume control
Power
•Power LED indicator: Blue
Packaging content
•Subwoofer
•Number of satellites: 2
•3.5 mm stereo line cable
•Quick installation guide
•Remote Control: Wired
Packaging Data
•12NC: 908210004826
•EAN/UPC/GTIN: 0 37849 96062 2
•Gross weight: 4.3 kg
•Height: 304 mm
•Length: 323 mm
•Width: 268 mm
•Quantity: 1
•Tare weight: 0.8 kg
Outer Carton
•Quantity: 4
•EAN/UPC/GTIN: 1 00 37849 96062 9
•Gross weight: 15 kg
•Length: 1084 mm
•Width: 333 mm
•Height: 326 mm
•12NC: 908210004826
•Tare weight: 1.4 kg

 

[ssddx]

it all comes down to what you want out of your new audio system. here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

----

do i play FPS and MMO games more than RTS and other games? surround sound can let you know if something is behind you - can you do without this?

do i watch alot of movies on my pc? do i want surround sound or is stereo fine?

do i listen to alot of music on my pc? would i prefer better sounding speakers instead of a cheaper 5.1 system?

how much am i willing to spend? in total, or right now? (upgrades in future?)

would i be interested in getting a cheap a/v receiver, seperate speakers, and seperate sub.. that i could pair with multiple devices? (and upgrade later)

----

if you decided on a good 2.1 system,
i'd recommend the klipsch promedia 2.1. a little pricey, but excellent speakers for the money. (i had a set). the only downfall is that the sub overpowers the satalites a tad so you will need to adjust the equalizer or lower the sub volume.

if you decided on a $400 or less 5.1 system,
i'd recommend the logitech z-5500. (as you were thinking) it might not be new tech but for the money it is still a very nice system. the system has faults but for the money it is hard to touch another 5.1 with similar features.

if you decided on an a/v receiver 2.1/3.1 system with the potential to upgrade,
the great thing about using a few bookshelf speakers and center channel is that many local electronics stores (hhgregg, best buy, etc..) will have theatre rooms set up for you to test out the equipment before you buy. in the long run you might spend a bit more on equipment but the sound quality is much much better. if you plan on using the speakers for more than just your pc this is definitely the way to go. you can plug in your pc, dvd player, console, and more without needing to buy seperate speaker sets.

afterthought:
best buy also has a few computer speakers on display that you can test out in store. i know they have the klipsch 2.1 and logitech's on display.