Aja on 15/12/2008 at 22:18
Quote Posted by Matthew
I'm going to hijack this thread slightly and ask a question I'd been pondering over in TechTroub: would a set of THX-labelled speakers like the Creative Gigaworks S750s or the Logitech Z-5500s be an audible improvement over my basic Creative T7700s? If so, would it be only in volume or in quality too?
I don't know about those particular creatives (either set), but I have the Z5500s, and, for the money, I've never heard a better set of surround speakers. They aren't audiophile quality, but they're loud and crisp and clear and the bass is powerful but not muddy (you can definitely listen to music with them in addition to games and movies). And the control center can decode DTS too, so if you have any DTS-encoded DVD-Audio discs (I have one or two), you can play them with an Xbox. I'd recommend them without hesitation, provided you have the space for the rather large (and rather excellent) subwoofer.
Sulphur on 16/12/2008 at 16:33
Quote Posted by Matthew
I must confess to being slightly clueless about how one defines quality in this instance! I suppose nice, clear high notes that aren't too overpowered by oomph-oomph bass, and not 'fuzzy'.
Either system should be fine, in that case. They're definitely not audiophile-worthy, but they're extremely good near-field speakers. I don't own the S750s myself; like Aja I have the Z-5500s, so I can only prattle on about those. :D
The Z-5500s satellites handle highs pretty well, and the sound overall is crisp and clean, with beautiful imaging. They're lacking ever-so slightly in the mids and lows, however.
Also note that the sub on the Z-5500 is a bit over-powered and boomy, but that can usually be fixed by turning it down a bit. As Aja said, it's kinda huge - and quite heavy. (I think I'll have to enlist help packing it when I move house this weekend.)
As Aja said, do note that the Z-5500 comes with more options than the S750s, if you want them. It's got those additional inputs (coax and optical) so you can connect your console(s) to it if you like, and the receiver can do Dolby Digital and dts with zero hassle, so no worries when it comes to DVDs and console games.
At the end of the day, though, I'd still say get the speakers demoed before you buy 'em. That's key.
Aja on 16/12/2008 at 16:52
Quote Posted by Sulphur
The Z-5500s satellites handle highs pretty well, and the sound overall is crisp and clean, with beautiful imaging. They're lacking ever-so slightly in the mids and lows, however.
Also note that the sub on the Z-5500 is a bit over-powered and boomy, but that can usually be fixed by turning it down a bit. As Aja said, it's kinda huge - and quite heavy. (I think I'll have to enlist help packing it when I move house this weekend.)
The mids do suffer a bit, but compared to other, similar speakers the Logitechs do a decent job. As for the subwoofer, it can get quite loud -- I usually keep it below 2 notches for normal usage. And every so often I crank it to half and am pleasantly surprised ;)
Matthew on 16/12/2008 at 17:20
Thanks for much for your advices! Unfortunately the only computer shops near me stock generic junk speaker-wise, so I'll be mail-ordering whatever I do go for.
Fragony on 17/12/2008 at 13:08
Quote Posted by Malf
Don't know what the hell you're on about here Fragony, but my Altec Lansing 5.1 set-up running through my XFi Gamer Xtreme (ye Gods, how I hate these names) does the job perfectly well for me.
When I don't want to piss off the Neighbours, I use a set of Sennheiser PCX 350 headphones. They're very good quality and incredibly comfortable, yet I still prefer to use my 5.1 speakers when possible.
Saying you need to spend 20k on a surround sound set-up to rival a reasonably priced stereo one stinks of audiophilia, and that's something I gave up chasing long ago.
To give you some idea: I got the 5.1 speakers in a sale for about £45, my XFi for £50, and my headset cost me £115.
You
do know that simple (
http://crawley.slyip.com/blog/tech/2007/02/13000-speaker-cable.html) household 2-core power cord offers similar quality to the most expensive Monster cable, right?
I admit I am a bit of a snob when it comes to audio, but there is really such a thing as ok sound and great sound and if you want great sound it costs money.
Inline Image:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/Fragony/001.jpgGaming paradise
Gorgonseye on 17/12/2008 at 17:15
I can't help but feel the size of the speakers makes the actual screen you play on look silly.
mothra on 17/12/2008 at 18:53
for a moment i thought this is the a/v forum showing off their setups...stupid me
june gloom on 17/12/2008 at 20:27
That is one ugly chair.
Fragony on 18/12/2008 at 02:07
You obviously know shit about design and it wouldn't fit through the door of your trailer anyway.
