Logitech Z Cinema Speaker System

Rob Williams · 03-12-2008, 03:09 AM

Logitech unveiled their Z Cinéma speaker system at this year's CES, to plenty of fanfare. The system blends a refined two-way satellite design with a robust, powerful subwoofer. We take the latest high performance Z-series PC speaker system for a spin, and find lots of cause for excitement.

You can read Rory's full review here, and discuss it here!

Merlin · 03-12-2008, 06:59 AM

I'm still spoiled with the Klipsch 5.1 system surround, I don't think a 2.1 could satisfy me, now.
And it's oly 50.00 USD more

Merlin

sbrehm72255 · 03-12-2008, 10:55 AM

Nice enough speaker system I guess.........

As much as I would like to get a better set of PC speakers, there's no way I could justify paying $300 for a set, for that price I'd rather spend it on a Quad core CPU.

werty316 · 03-12-2008, 01:04 PM

NIce set of speakers however the $300 pricetag is just a big

Greg King · 03-12-2008, 03:25 PM

From reading the review, the best part of these speakers is that one of the major concern of Rory's can be adderssed on the cheap by Logitech by redoing the software that comes with the speakers. It's nice when the complaint isn't of the actual product itself but rather the software that comes with it.

Rob Williams · 03-12-2008, 05:38 PM

I agree with that one.

$300 for speakers WOULD be worth it to many people. Some people value music and and gaming fidelity over actual performance, so this would be a reasonable purchase. Or, it could be that the consumer already has a kick-ass computer and just wants an audio upgrade.

b1lk1 · 03-12-2008, 07:38 PM

They look worthy of the pricetag to me. I didn't notice if it was possible to use them without the intrusive software maybe?

Rob Williams · 03-12-2008, 11:31 PM

I believe the software is only required to enable the SRS TruSurround HD functionality. Other then that, I don't think the lack of software would impact the sound quality of speakers that much.

Kougar · 03-13-2008, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbrehm72255

Nice enough speaker system I guess.........

As much as I would like to get a better set of PC speakers, there's no way I could justify paying $300 for a set, for that price I'd rather spend it on a Quad core CPU.

Is there a PX you use? I found my 5.1 Logitech sound system in the return/discount wall at the local one... you've probably noticed the prices (even after 25% & 50% markoffs) are still above Newegg prices.

But very occasionally there is a good buy...

Box and styrofoam were pretty well gouged out and broken on this one, and apparently was bought then returned ontop of that so they marked it down unusually low, or may have been because it also was a model being replaced. Was much less than the ~$300 original price anyway, no actual damage to the set. Their quality has sold me on Logitech, very good sound and I don't even have a soundcard.

sbrehm72255 · 03-13-2008, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kougar

Is there a PX you use? I found my 5.1 Logitech sound system in the return/discount wall at the local one... you've probably noticed the prices (even after 25% & 50% markoffs) are still above Newegg prices.

But very occasionally there is a good buy...

Box and styrofoam were pretty well gouged out and broken on this one, and apparently was bought then returned ontop of that so they marked it down unusually low, or may have been because it also was a model being replaced. Was much less than the ~$300 original price anyway, no actual damage to the set. Their quality has sold me on Logitech, very good sound and I don't even have a soundcard.

None really close anymore these days, but I got my fair share of good deals at AAFES over the years.............

That's where I picked up my Bose HT system years ago, year end close out and a old service buddy was the factory AAFES sales rep and I picked it up at whole sale close out pricing and at the time I was also working for AAFES as well, so I only paid like 25% or retail when it was all said and done. It's a shame that I don't live around there anymore though, I used to get the same deals on computer HW as well back in the day, now I'm stuck paying the same as everyone else for the most part (But I do still have some good friends on active duty Overseas)............

03-13-2008, 07:19 PM

Ok, sound newbie question here. I like the sound (ahem) of these mostly for the pseudo surround feature which from the review appears to work well. I'd like to use them in the living room to output sound from my SKY HD box. I have a media center underneath it, and was wondering if it would be ok to feed the audio out of the HD box, into the MC tv card audio and back out these speakers without losing too much quality and keeping the surround sound features.

Please keep any replies at numpty level as although I can hold my own in any I.T orientated conversation, I've never really delved into the world of sound.

Cheers

Rory Buszka · 03-25-2008, 12:38 AM

Hello. (Wow, this thread went a little nuts -- but it's understandable -- the Z Cinema is big news in PC audio.)

The only analog input to the Z Cinema speakers is through the stereo line input on the right speaker, which is technically the 'Aux' input. Keep that in mind if you plan to use these speakers for anything but a computer. I suppose if I had a wish list for this product, I'd have wanted a stereo line input on the rear of the subwoofer as well, since sometimes you just want to bring in audio from a source that isn't your PC.

In fact, I wonder why more manufacturers aren't doing an optical digital connection. For my everyday listening, I run an optical cable directly out of my Asus Xonar D2 into my Harman/Kardon 7.1-channel receiver, and into a pair (only a pair...) of high-quality main speakers and a powerful 500W powered sub. I'm inclined to wonder if we'll start seeing PC speakers in a year that ditch the analog input altogether and move to an optical or coaxial digital connection.

04-09-2008, 08:52 AM

I'm falling for the Cinema Z in much the same way I fell for my ex-wife. What I am eager to avoid are the same compatibility issues that led to us falling out.

Will the Cinema Z speakers work with my Apple Mac ok? I'm not sure I could afford another expensive divorce...

Rory Buszka · 04-09-2008, 03:03 PM

Hi, Rory here.

I didn't test the Z Cinema speakers with a Mac. I suspect you'd be able to *use* the Z Cinema speakers on your Mac in a pinch, but you may not get the SRS TruSurround effect, which is handled by the driver software.

06-20-2008, 12:06 PM

does anyone know if the remote is capable of learning TV's signals? is it a learning remote? or PC/MCE only?

03-12-2008, 03:09 AM	#1
Rob Williams Editor in Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 8,921	Logitech Z Cinema Speaker System Logitech unveiled their Z Cinéma speaker system at this year's CES, to plenty of fanfare. The system blends a refined two-way satellite design with a robust, powerful subwoofer. We take the latest high performance Z-series PC speaker system for a spin, and find lots of cause for excitement. You can read Rory's full review here, and discuss it here! __________________ Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 @ 3.20GHz, ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, OCZ 8GB PC2-6400, EVGA GTX 285 1024MB Seagate 500GB, 750GB & 1TB, Pioneer 22x ODD, Corsair 1000HX, Thermalright Ultra-120, CM Storm Sniper Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Ultrasone PRO 750, Gentoo Linux (KDE 4.3.2, 2.6.31 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter Profiles: Last.fm \| Xbox Live \| Steam

03-12-2008, 06:59 AM	#2
Merlin The Tech Wizard Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Woodstock,Ga Posts: 1,847	I'm still spoiled with the Klipsch 5.1 system surround, I don't think a 2.1 could satisfy me, now. And it's oly 50.00 USD more Merlin __________________ WinVista 64 bit , Intel i7 920 watercooled loop #1red 1/2" tubing, MSI Platinum mobo, GTX280 GPU watercooled loop #2 blue 3/8" tubing... Silverstone Strider 1000 watt, HAF Coolermaster case...150 gig Raptor..2 ea. 1 TB WD Green Synology NAS 207 Network Server with 2 Hitachi Terabite drives Last edited by Merlin; 03-12-2008 at 07:07 AM.

03-12-2008, 10:55 AM	#3
sbrehm72255 Tech Monkey Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Back Woods of MO Posts: 787	Nice enough speaker system I guess......... As much as I would like to get a better set of PC speakers, there's no way I could justify paying $300 for a set, for that price I'd rather spend it on a Quad core CPU. __________________ Mountain Mods U2 UFO Chassis / Gigabyte EP45T Extreme / Intel Q6600 / Kingston DDR3 1375 2 x 1 gig + Patriot DDR3 1600 2 x 1 gig / Sapphire HD4870 Toxic / Seagate 7200.10 250 / Lite-On SATA DVD RW / OCZ Game XStream 700w / Soyo 24" LCD / Ubuntu 7.10. Cooling: CPU Loop: Thermochill PA120.3 Radiator / Swiftech MCP655 Pump / Swiftech APOGEE GTZ / "T" Line GPU Loop: Swiftech MCR120 / Swiftech MCP350 Pump / Swiftech MCW60 / Swiftech Micro Rez.

03-12-2008, 01:04 PM	#4
werty316 Partition Master Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 408	NIce set of speakers however the $300 pricetag is just a big __________________ Chuck Norris doesn't go hunting.... CHUCK NORRIS GOES KILLING

03-12-2008, 05:38 PM	#6
Rob Williams Editor in Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 8,921	I agree with that one. $300 for speakers WOULD be worth it to many people. Some people value music and and gaming fidelity over actual performance, so this would be a reasonable purchase. Or, it could be that the consumer already has a kick-ass computer and just wants an audio upgrade. __________________ Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 @ 3.20GHz, ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, OCZ 8GB PC2-6400, EVGA GTX 285 1024MB Seagate 500GB, 750GB & 1TB, Pioneer 22x ODD, Corsair 1000HX, Thermalright Ultra-120, CM Storm Sniper Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Ultrasone PRO 750, Gentoo Linux (KDE 4.3.2, 2.6.31 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter Profiles: Last.fm \| Xbox Live \| Steam

03-12-2008, 03:25 PM	#5
Greg King Tech Junkie Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,976	From reading the review, the best part of these speakers is that one of the major concern of Rory's can be adderssed on the cheap by Logitech by redoing the software that comes with the speakers. It's nice when the complaint isn't of the actual product itself but rather the software that comes with it.

03-12-2008, 07:38 PM	#7
b1lk1 Staff Writer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ontario Posts: 635	They look worthy of the pricetag to me. I didn't notice if it was possible to use them without the intrusive software maybe? __________________ Gigabyte GA45 UD3P/E7200 Mushkin HP2-6400 2X1GB Sapphire HD 4830 512MB X 2 w/Dell 2407WFP-HC OCZ ModXstream 600W PSU Creative X-FI Fagtality w/Sony 5.1 and Technics 300W Amp and 3 way towers Seagate 7200.11 1TB w/Vista Premium Ultimate 64

03-12-2008, 11:31 PM	#8
Rob Williams Editor in Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 8,921	I believe the software is only required to enable the SRS TruSurround HD functionality. Other then that, I don't think the lack of software would impact the sound quality of speakers that much. __________________ Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 @ 3.20GHz, ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, OCZ 8GB PC2-6400, EVGA GTX 285 1024MB Seagate 500GB, 750GB & 1TB, Pioneer 22x ODD, Corsair 1000HX, Thermalright Ultra-120, CM Storm Sniper Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Ultrasone PRO 750, Gentoo Linux (KDE 4.3.2, 2.6.31 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter Profiles: Last.fm \| Xbox Live \| Steam

03-13-2008, 07:19 PM	#11
Unregistered Guest Poster Posts: n/a	Ok, sound newbie question here. I like the sound (ahem) of these mostly for the pseudo surround feature which from the review appears to work well. I'd like to use them in the living room to output sound from my SKY HD box. I have a media center underneath it, and was wondering if it would be ok to feed the audio out of the HD box, into the MC tv card audio and back out these speakers without losing too much quality and keeping the surround sound features. Please keep any replies at numpty level as although I can hold my own in any I.T orientated conversation, I've never really delved into the world of sound. Cheers

03-25-2008, 12:38 AM	#12
Rory Buszka Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 440	Hello. (Wow, this thread went a little nuts -- but it's understandable -- the Z Cinema is big news in PC audio.) The only analog input to the Z Cinema speakers is through the stereo line input on the right speaker, which is technically the 'Aux' input. Keep that in mind if you plan to use these speakers for anything but a computer. I suppose if I had a wish list for this product, I'd have wanted a stereo line input on the rear of the subwoofer as well, since sometimes you just want to bring in audio from a source that isn't your PC. In fact, I wonder why more manufacturers aren't doing an optical digital connection. For my everyday listening, I run an optical cable directly out of my Asus Xonar D2 into my Harman/Kardon 7.1-channel receiver, and into a pair (only a pair...) of high-quality main speakers and a powerful 500W powered sub. I'm inclined to wonder if we'll start seeing PC speakers in a year that ditch the analog input altogether and move to an optical or coaxial digital connection. __________________ Rory Buszka Last edited by Rory Buszka; 03-25-2008 at 12:39 AM. Reason: It's my party; I'll cry if I want to.

04-09-2008, 08:52 AM	#13
Unregistered Guest Poster Posts: n/a	Will the Cinema Z work with Mac? I'm falling for the Cinema Z in much the same way I fell for my ex-wife. What I am eager to avoid are the same compatibility issues that led to us falling out. Will the Cinema Z speakers work with my Apple Mac ok? I'm not sure I could afford another expensive divorce...

04-09-2008, 03:03 PM	#14
Rory Buszka Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 440	Hi, Rory here. I didn't test the Z Cinema speakers with a Mac. I suspect you'd be able to use the Z Cinema speakers on your Mac in a pinch, but you may not get the SRS TruSurround effect, which is handled by the driver software. __________________ Rory Buszka

06-20-2008, 12:06 PM	#15
Unregistered Guest Poster Posts: n/a	does anyone know if the remote is capable of learning TV's signals? is it a learning remote? or PC/MCE only?

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