Or $160.5 Price Matched at Officeworks
I already have a set of these speakers but was looking for new speakers to use somewhere else and saw that these were on sale again. Managed to price match it at officeworks and save almost $140 from the regular price.
Not surprising - the tweeters on these are fake, there's nothing behind the tweeter grilles at the top.
Still, I had them for a few years until the power switch died, pretty good sound for the $99 I paid.
right, used to be $99 lol
there's nothing behind the tweeter grilles at the top.
What tweeter grilles sorry? Top of what? The desk speaker? There is only one grille though, so I'm confused. Can you please clarify?
I've had mine for close to a decade, love them! Still going strong, loud as heck, perfect for gaming and movies.
The THX logo that’s designed to look like a tweeter at the top of the desk speaker has nothing behind it.
@2025: Now I want to change my user name to 2030.
Thanks for clarifying, I never really thought it did anything anyway. Just a fancy THX logo.
there's nothing behind the tweeter grilles
That's not a tweeter grille, it's a vented speaker, and that's a vent. Just like the round hole showing in the subwoofer.
Vents are there to improve the acoustics of the speaker.
"Vented or ported cabinets use cabinet openings or transform and transmit low-frequency energy from the rear of the speaker to the listener."
From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudspeaker_enclosure#Types
For some reason these seem to be put on fb marketplace for very reasonable pricing (usually $20-60) often. I bought one a while ago for cheap and still going strong.
They've been around for ages and the design has never changed, I think people just mark them down because you might be getting a 10 year old set.
Not that it's an issue, they're speakers, they'll probably last for a few more decades still.
The speakers might but the amp probably wont.
Definitely check fb marketplace first. I got the z523 for a good price three years ago - free.
That's what you think.
But what you don't realize is the speakers are cursed to crackle and pop at the worst moments possible.
Not mine. I've owned a number of Logitech speakers and they haven't crackled and popped.
What's the worst possible moment? Making out with a date to classical music and bang…
Perfect for blasting dubstep in your parents house 10 years ago
10 years ago
My OG z5500 and z2300s still going strong, like nearly 15 years later…they don’t make em like they used to I swear.
They were GOAT. Since replaced by Edifiers in most households
When they die I will replace with like s350/360 db or s2000mkii/iii maybe, I don’t really use the 5 speaker config of the z5500s these days anyway. (Using them all front facing atm)
@Jimothy Wongingtons: I've got the S350DB and they're one hell of an upgrade. Only con is the remote which is circular and hard to see the buttons in lower light. They changed to a rectangular remote with the S360DB so i'd recommend that.
Edit: Some sets show rectangular remote and others show circular remote
@Jimothy Wongingtons: Aye Jim , I still run 2 sets of z5500 , it's best just to use the 2x stereo mode if all the speakers are Infront of the tv. It's quite a bit louder in this mode also.
@TrippleDman: i knew you had good taste mate.
louder
yeah it is thats how i been running it for ages.
coincidentally i was thinking whether or not i run some duct and speaker cable to set it up as a 5.1 surround again…but lets be real, i prob cbf
@Jimothy Wongingtons: Yeah no way. Still sounds better than a sound bar. If I had time to play with I would replace the caps on the amplifier board. There is a full audio mod out there for them but seems like a lot of parts and work.
Yeah looking back the Z5500 was a ridiculous steal at the time.. I think they were $300 or something for a complete digital 5.1 system?
Got years of use out of them til I got sick of having cables and crap all over the lounge.
I used to work retail back in the day at a certain place we all ‘love’ - and iirc the rrp was $999
I think I actually got mine at msy.
@Jimothy Wongingtons: Quite possible.. I remember buying it with my Mcdonalds paycheck so it can't have been too expensive lmao. Good times.
z2300 user here, last night I noticed a crackling coming from a speaker for the first time so I removed the front grille to find the plastic surrounding the speaker is cracked (I'm guessing the materials are beginning to break down). I'm gutted, I love these speakers. I removed the grille on the other speaker to see some small hairline cracks have formed on that one too but no crackling/rattling noise coming from that one… yet.
May have to coat these in silicone to try and stop it worsening, ugh.
Damn at least u got a good run out of them
May have to coat these in silicone to try and stop it worsening, ugh.
Are you referring to silicone oil? I've seen quite a few online comments that silicone oil can reduce the brittleness of plastic, e.g.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AutoDetailing/comments/xxlbuz/anyth…
If you were referring to silicone oil, what do you buy with silicone oil in it?
So after reading some forums I ended up fixing my set using black gasket sealer . Seems to be working well as far as I can tell but my hearing isn't the best.
yep, even the replacement model for z5500 (z601?) wasn't as good but I think still the best going in this form factor.
Need a successor with HDMI passthrough. It just needs to handle 5.1 lpcm and your device does the decoding so don't have to pay Dolby or DTS licenses or get hardware.
z906
Man this comment hits home. Got me through my edgy prepubescent teen days..
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/logitech-z623
These were often sub $100, I think ATL around $70?
There are way better options these days, I'd recommend the Edifier MR3
Yeah these are getting pretty old now and more expensive as well for some reason. It’s been years since they were at the atl so this seems like a decent deal now. I’ll check out those edifier ones.
The Edifier doesn't have a 130W sub though.
You have a platinum ozb licence if you remember this deal https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/339761
valid point. i think most people would prefer to have the big thump over linearity. and $36 is a crazy price!!
Weak specs - no digital outputs (SPDIF / USB / BT etc).
These are sick. 3.5mm is all you need.
Once you've listened to pure digital sound you can't go back to analogue.
Yeah I'm not a fan of converting music into analogue "sound waves" - prefer to beam ones and zeros into my brain for the pure digital experience.
@snep: Think of it like analogue TV vs digital TV. Either way, the image that's hitting your retinas is analogue, but the digital transmission of digital TV results in a much better quality picture than analogue transmission (even if the source material is digital at the transmission end). Same goes for speakers.
I think thats only true if your speakers DAC is better or worse than your PC or sources' DAC. With z5500 my "fancy 5.1 soundcard" sounded better than the onboard 5.1 and better than speakers own DD or DTS decoders.
Once you pretend to be an audiophile..
Why would it need "outputs"?
Have had it for 10 years still going strong. Clearly not as great as my $500+ Edifer S360DB when it comes to music as the mid is a bit muddy. Good for gaming and as budget TV speakers the base is deep and can be super loud.
Do you know anything about Audio Engine speakers/monitors? They seem to have good ratings.
Can't believe they still sell this ancient beast, I had 2 and sold them off for a soundbar and a pair of Edifiers. The lack of digital inputs as mentioned above and low clarity were the main culprits.
Have had two of these. Great sound, but the potentiometers in the volume controls have broken both times. Still work, just a crackle when adjusting.
Yeah I also get that damn crackle. Spinning the knob several times cures it for a short while. Contact cleaner doesn't help at all.
Yep just give the knob a thorough rapid turning all around in both directions. Mine does the same but that fixes it up for a few months until it needs another twiddle.
Edit - something to do with the grease inside the potentiometer hardening, and the vigorous sweeping turns of the dial soften it back up again. Or something. Whatever the case, it works a treat on mine!
You are a legend. I’m on my second set of these and both crackle. I thought potentially moisture had ruined them. I’ll give the rapid spin a go!
Another issue with these is the power button gives up over time. First time I got a replacement set of the 2 top speakers cheap from gummie. Second time, my electronically proficient son hardwired the circuit on, and it's been perfect for the past 4 years.
+2 to the pot fix, quick twists either way…
I use a smart plug to turn it off at the plug point and avid using the onboard switch to turn it off.
Helpful video if you want to try cleaning the pots on these speakers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx_QDsohkHE
As the guy says at the end, the pots could be so worn that contact cleaner won't work. That's the case for my speakers, and replacing the pots is really not worth the trouble.
There are pretty good for watching movies on PC. Mine are still going strong after nearly 10 years. Got'em much cheaper though.
These are great if you watch movies or are a teenager with heavy bass music.
As an adult I wouldn't touch these and would get some cheaper bookshelf speakers
I still have my Z2300 which shits all over these, only problem is the speaker cones have cracked and fell apart. Too bad Logitech don't make something similar, these don't even come close.
I had these, as well as Z2300s back in the day (ie high school/uni). Feels like newer offerings (at these price points) don't have the same impact that these old Logitech THX certified ones did! I even remember using them at parties.
That era of Logitech (between 2003 - 2010) when they made the OG Z speakers (Z560, Z680, Z2300, Z5450, Z5500), the MX518/G5/G9/G9x mice, the G25 wheel; that was peak Logitech imo, their products from those days outlived and surpassed any expectations of gaming/PC peripherals in that price range (hell, I still know people out there rocking their Z5500s and G9x's to this day). After 2010 is when Logitech entered into their rampant cost-cutting era and build quality/product reliability went completely down the sh*tter.
I still use my z-680 weekly. Replaced the fuse once after I thought putting it on a smart switch was a good idea (it's not). The remote's power button has almost worn out. LED backlight still works. 500W it said on the box and half of that was in the sub.
That probably applies to a lot of companies, they all just started to cut corners more n more and focused more on making money. I'm still using my Z2300s, treble is all crackling now but the sub still kicks ass.
Had the 5.1, still do, but the Amp Died.
JFC, these used to routinely sell for $70 to $100 dollars a few years ago and that's about what they're worth. They were first released in 2010 and are thoroughly dated now, not to mention they have no inputs other that 3.5mm headphone and RCA.
Wow they still sell these
I had to check the sticker on my sub to make sure I have the same model. Cause I didn't believe they still selling this speaker set.
I've been using mine every day for over 10 years, I bought them when I was playing WoW Cataclysm in 2011.
Been hoping they die soon so I can buy a new set, but so far so good.
I remember buying these about 10 years ago on sale from JB for $100 delivered. They were awesome - one of the only low range speakers with THX certification. had to change as it developed connection issue with on-off switch.
Oooh I also had that. Forgot…had to wiggle the switch…
Yep. That’s the one and used to create a loud static noise through speaker.
It was a good speaker for its time. Sound quality is great but no BT or Optical. Outdated in my opinion. I still have one but only use my Edifier S360DB
the sound quality is disgusting. No mid and the bass is terribly muddy. They're handy to crank and abuse at a house party but that's it.
Buy these secondhand. Plenty on MarketPlace
Still rocking my Microlab 6C desktop speakers from 2014. Resisted all temptations to get something else!
Wow they are still selling these.
My experience with the reliability of ogitech speakers is not great.
I am not an audiophile but please do lots of research on this stuff. I was looking at similar equipment. I found a soundbar with double the wattage, dedicated sub with bluetooth, optical and AUX for $100 sounds miles better than any pc speaker set up I tried before. Also have a look on marketplace, with speakers new does not always mean good or better.
Well do share..
Oh mine was just an old Samsung tv sound bar I found on marketplace, was in perfect condition.
This spins a lot of OzB users out but there are some pretty ripper deals to be found on marketplace. Especially those things within the realm of not really aging - audio equipment, furniture appliances etc etc.
These would destroy your soundbar. No contest. First round knock out
@Pootie Tang: Unbelievably stupid comment to make without knowing the specs of the sound bar. But everyone on OzB is an expert ;)
Sure, but that deal is 5 years old?
Mine still working after 10 years. Was just thinking of upgrading and then I heard some new music through them recently and changed my mind. Keeping them till they die.
Anyone still remember the logitech X540 5.1 system? bought them at JB for $99 back on either 2009 or 2010. Dispite the fauty volume control button which I soldered a after market one on , still rocks like hell.
The poor PC gamer's (AKA me in my high school days) surround sound solution. To this day I've never found another use for the orange and black audio outputs on my motherboard.
I have a similar Hercules set with 16 watt subwoofer and 8 watt satellite speakers. According to Logitech, this set has a 130 watt subwoofer and 35 watt satellite speakers. Do you think the sound would be significantly better?
Boyfriend used to always complain when I listened to music through this. Great bass.
surely you'd be better off getting a pair of edifiers these days
Couldn't agree more, I have these and honestly, I think they sound terrible and represent very poor value indeed.
The mid and high range is so muddy and low quality (I mean seriously shithouse), I was actually surprised at how bad it was. I should have returned them, but I just ran these while also running the TV speaker at the same time and that filled out the sound a bit better. And yes, mine have the constant buzzing issue as well.
I guess if all you care about is bass you might be satisfied. But if you actually want to hear the whole range clearly, you'll be very disappointed with these imo.
I think any decent set of Edifiers for a similar price would thoroughly obliterate these. Centrecom have a special on the R1855 at the moment: https://www.centrecom.com.au/edifier-r1855db-multimedia-2-bl…
Please note: "This Deal ends at 6PM on Friday 14/02"
I think if you heard them side by side, 95% of people would pick these Edifiers. Plus they have a remote control, bluetooth, a sub-out and include optical inputs! All features the Logitech's lack.
Seriously, you'd have to be crazy to pick the Logitech's over these (Edifier's). Not trying to throw shade on the deal itself, obviously that's a great discount if your bent on buying these. But from someone who already has…DON'T DO IT! 🤣
High school kids be happy with just a subwoofer
Nice deal. Have Z2300 on PC and these for the TV. Adds a bit of base compared to low cost TV speakers.
Bought these back in 2014 from a Catch deal and couldn't let them go until recently when I needed to reclaim some desk space. Great price
Like others have mentioned, I got mine from marketplace, but there's a constant buzzing feedback that can be heard when nothing is being played. I have tried placing them away from any electrical circuits as well but it didn't go away. Can someone help please?
I find that this happens on mine due to a grounding issue, and amplified by a 6m long aux cable.
In my case, it's more of a slight hum and high-pitch, but it goes away when I plug it into my desktop PC which is grounded. Turning off the computer's power supply causes it to hum again, so maybe experiment with where you plug in the aux.
Unfortunate that the power supply in the speaker unit doesn't have that third pin for ground, but I'm not an electrical engineer or anything so I wouldn't know the specifics.
Try a different and shorter 3.5mm cable. It could be a loose connection too. try it on another device, see if the issue still persists.
Does the buzz happen when all inputs are disconnected? If so, you either have a defective unit, or in some cases amplifiers can pick up radar signals and produce a buzz. Got any radar motion detectors in your home?
If the buzz only happens when the amplifier is connected to something else, it is usually caused by a bad cable, or by an effect called "ground loop": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)
Try using a different cable first, as you may already have one, and they're cheap on eBay if you don't.
Second, plug both the amplifier and the signal source into the same mains powerboard, so they're both powered from the same powerpoint socket. This often reduces hum to a tolerable or even inaudible level, but not always.
Third step if the above two didn't work: remove the ground loop. Ground loop can be removed by adding an isolation transformer between the amplifier and the signal source. Jaycar sell them, price ($14 ATM) seems quite reasonable, but note there are some negative reviews: https://www.jaycar.com.au/response-ground-loop-isolator-ster…
There are also some cases where the signal source may be producing the buzz. Old CRT TVs often created buzz, but new TVs (and other equipment) may do it too. If your signal source has an optical output, you may be able to use that with an adaptor like this: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/334450336270
Note you'll need to power the adaptor from a USB power supply, like an old phone charger. You might be able to power it from a USB socket on your signal source, but there's a fair chance that will add the buzz back in.
Very base heavy and mid can be clearer. Not bad for $169