Logitech Z-5500 Digital Soundroom

[ikjadoon]

Someone at AVS Forums tried to explain this to me, but I'm not sure I perfectly understood it.

Even if my Blu-ray player can decode the DTSHD-MA, my speakers have to be compatible with it, too? I thought speakers were just, you know, speakers. They play decoded sound. Right?

~Ibrahim~

 

[Darren]

Someone at AVS Forums tried to explain this to me, but I'm not sure I perfectly understood it.

Even if my Blu-ray player can decode the DTSHD-MA, my speakers have to be compatible with it, too? I thought speakers were just, you know, speakers. They play decoded sound. Right?

~Ibrahim~

Post a link of the explanation from AVS Forums.

But the Z-5500s are connected to a receiver/POD, you can not turn off the receiver otherwise the interconnecting speakers will not operate. The speakers can not output the sound because the receiver is the go between, its the go between or receiver that does not support DTS HD Masters and DD TrueHD.

Secondly, DTS Masters requires 24.5 Mbit/s via HDMI cable, whereas connecting the Z-5500 using a digital fibre or coaxial cable will not provide enough bandwidth. For regular DD and DTS MA it will work fine though

Edit:

The only way to combat the bandwidth issue and to successfully connect the Z-5500s to a blu-ray player is to connect it using the analogue cables, you'll get surround sound but it will not be the trade mark DD True HD or DTS HD MA or even regular Dolby Digital or DTS. It will just be generic multi-channel surround sound.

 

[ikjadoon]

Wait, so if do analog, I get the loseless stuff, just without a logo? Or I just get surround sound, lossy still?

I had wanted to do this:

Blu-Ray Player with decoders DTSHD-MA/Dobly TrueHD-> HDMI cable -> PRO-11FD -> Optical cable out -> Logitech Z-5500

That won't work, unfortunately. You do need a receiver. Even though your player decodes into hires multichannel PCM, your TV will force the player to downmix it to stereo. Stereo is also all that an optical connection can handle. So, stereo is all that will come out of your TV to feed your Logitech speaker system. Decoding alone is not enough. You need a receiver to process the multichannel PCM.

Optical cannot carry the new lossless codecs or multichannel PCM. But, it's fine for DD 5.1 and DTS, both of which sound great on Blu-ray. So, you should run optical from the player to the Logitech instead of routing audio through the TV. Set the player to bitstream for Dolby and DTS. You'll be good to go.

I think they were right in saying that I should worry about the "loseless" codecs when I get a full home theater set with a dedicated reciever and all. I've heard, though, that all Blu-ray's have backup DD/DTS tracks just in case you can't use the newer loseless ones.

Is the bolded thing what you're talking about, the bandwidth issue? I'm fine now, but it's a hassle moving the optical from the TV to the player, but I guess I'll have to manage, lol.

~Ibrahim~

 

[Mussels]

Someone at AVS Forums tried to explain this to me, but I'm not sure I perfectly understood it.

Even if my Blu-ray player can decode the DTSHD-MA, my speakers have to be compatible with it, too? I thought speakers were just, you know, speakers. They play decoded sound. Right?

~Ibrahim~

I think you're makin a mistake. your blu ray player can decode, or pass through.

Passthrough, you get no sound. unsupported by speakers.

Decoding, its turning it into another signal so that you at least get some audio - but unless it has a digital encoder built in (really unlikely) its probably just decoding down to stereo.

If you go analogue, you're talking a different ball game. you cant get lossless over analogue, since the cables have resistance and get interference.


The quote you highlighted in bold, is pretty simple really. If something decodes the signal before it gets to the speakers, its going to come out stereo. WITHOUT ENCODING, optical and coaxial SPDIF can ONLY do stereo - and if ONE piece of hardware along hte path does any decoding prior to the z-5500's control pod, poof, back to stereo you go.

 

[Darren]

Wait, so if do analog, I get the loseless stuff, just without a logo? Or I just get surround sound, lossy still?

I think it is still lossy, you will definitely not get the logo, and it you'll get a generic form of surround sound.

I think they were right in saying that I should worry about the "lossless" codecs when I get a full home theater set with a dedicated receiver and all. I've heard, though, that all Blu-ray's have backup DD/DTS tracks just in case you can't use the newer loseless ones.
.

~Ibrahim~

Indeed, most blu-ray discs will have a backup solution which is regular DD/DTS. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you'd need to connect the Z-5500 directly to the Blu-ray player and select the backup DD/DTS from the movies options, the HD codecs will be unplayable. (Because optical and coaxial cable was designed for 2.0 initially, the only way to get 5.1 down the those cables is to compress it into regular DD/DTS)

I had wanted to do this:

Blu-Ray Player with decoders DTSHD-MA/Dobly TrueHD-> HDMI cable -> PRO-11FD -> Optical cable out -> Logitech Z-5500

The part I have bolded is where the issue lays. You are trying to squeeze DTSHD-HA and Dolby True HD through the TVs optical out to the Logitech's Z-5500s, the chances are the HD bit streams will get converted to stereo once it reaches the Z-5500s receiver, if you are unlucky you'll hear static and get no sound at all.

The bottom line is, if you want to enjoy DTSHD-MA/Dobly True HD you need receiver with full support such as the Onkyo HT-RC160 . You'd need the appropriate bookshelf or floor standing speeds to interconnect to it.

Think of it as growing up, you're putting your "toys" away and upgrading to more adult hardware.

 

[Mussels]

The part I have bolded is where the issue lays. You are trying to squeeze DTSHD-HA and Dolby True HD through the TVs optical out to the Logitech's Z-5500s, the chances are the HD bit streams will get converted to stereo once it reaches the Z-5500s receiver, if you are unlucky you'll hear static and get no sound at all.

technically, its converted back BEFORE it can even go onto the cable

Its either converted to stereo, or doesnt get passed as its incompatible. thats all there is.

Z5500's are great, but they are NOT compatible with the new blu ray standards.

 

[ikjadoon]

OK.....I think I got it. I think I'll be fine with DD/DTS, but my next upgrade will definitely be a set of nice HT speakers.

Thanks for clearing it up; I can sleep now, lol.

~Ibrahim~

 

[DaveK]

I was looking at surround sound for the living room and was just looking for a cheap kit, there was a 1000w Samsung for 200, besides being cheap I was also looking at it because the rear speakers are wireless but the living room is set up for "wireless" where you plug speakers into the wall and then from a main hub into the DVD player, the Z-5500 are better speakers and doesn't need a DVD player with it but I don't know what connection the "wireless" uses, what type of cable do the Z-5500 speakers use? Because the "wireless" looks like it uses a jack, but there's 2 ports at each speaker wall connection.

It's confusing and I can't find any info about it :S

 

[allen337]

new z5500s use 2 wires

 

[DanishDevil]

As far as the speakers connecting to the subwoofer, it's just good 'ol speaker wire, as you can see by most of our users on the first post.

 

[TheGuruStud]

technically, its converted back BEFORE it can even go onto the cable

Its either converted to stereo, or doesnt get passed as its incompatible. thats all there is.

Z5500's are great, but they are NOT compatible with the new blu ray standards.

Who's going to waste money on BR?

I'll just watch the rips PC FTW!

 

[ikjadoon]

Who's going to waste money on BR?

I'll just watch the rips PC FTW!

Way off topic, but I didn't know you could add a Physx card with your main GPU as ATI?! Or is that a typo?

~Ibrahim~

 

[mudkip]

Way off topic, but I didn't know you could add a Physx card with your main GPU as ATI?! Or is that a typo?

~Ibrahim~

isn't a typo , it does work

 

[mudkip]

Btw.

I've a Z-5500 set too. Bought second handed for 150 euro's.
Using it with my mediaplayer watching 1080p/720p movies.

Gives a nice sound for this price, although it's definitely not high-end but better than most speaker sets

 

[DanishDevil]

Gimme the info from the first post, or I'll post that you're lazy

 

[TheGuruStud]

Btw.

I've a Z-5500 set too. Bought second handed for 150 euro's.
Using it with my mediaplayer watching 1080p/720p movies.

Gives a nice sound for this price, although it's definitely not high-end but better than most speaker sets

If we had rooms the right size for the best acoustics, I think they would sound really good.

Mine are pretty decent with the xonar d2 and small room. High volume is where you can tell they're lacking, but for movies and stuff, they're very crisp.

 

[mudkip]

Gimme the info from the first post, or I'll post that you're lazy

Yes i'm that lazy

If we had rooms the right size for the best acoustics, I think they would sound really good.

Mine are pretty decent with the xonar d2 and small room. High volume is where you can tell they're lacking, but for movies and stuff, they're very crisp.

My room is friggin small , if I turn up the volume to 2 I already have a DTS experience

 

[TheGuruStud]

Yes i'm that lazy


My room is friggin small , if I turn up the volume to 2 I already have a DTS experience

Mine needs to be well over half for good volume, but I think that's b/c the xonar doesn't over-amplify like a lot of audio solutions. The equalizer doesn't work like you would expect. It's actually like a "true" equalizer or some crap. You can't just increase a slider, otherwise, it cuts down the other frequencies volume when the raised freq. occurs. I actually have to lower all freqs except the ones I want boosted. It's a pretty crazy card coming from using creative (douche bags) and onboards, etc. But I'm happy with it. I set the output to DTS and 192 khz 24-bit. I don't care if it's possible to hear the difference or not, I'm gonna use it damnit lol

 

[DanishDevil]

Added mudkip

 

[mudkip]

Well I can post this for now:

1. Xtreamer ,mediaplayer
2. Firmware: lazy
3. lazy
4. lazy
5. speaker wire
6. no?
7. Movies with DTS

ps. are you really danish?

 

[DanishDevil]

Nope.

 

[Gerben]

I also recently bought this set. To replace my Bose321. Quite happy with it. The satellite speakers arn't as good as the Bose321 IMO, but the bass makes it overall quite good.
Now, I have it connected via the 3 wires via my P5Q-e motherboard. And when I listen to music, and Skype or Xfire makes a noise, the volume goes down. this is the same when I play GTAIV.
So maybe a soundcard will solve this with optical?
I was thinking of this one : click
Would that improve sound above my onboard sound? Because I want better, but don't want to spend like 100 euro on a fancy soundcard. Also, is a optical cable expensive?

PS, I'm new to this forum, and to soundcards etc etc, so don't be hard on me.

 

[Mussels]

fill out your system specs.

Sounds like you're on windows 7, it has a feature to dampen other sounds when making VOIP calls (and its likely treating any sound from skpe, under that category)

 

[aCid888*]

I love my Z-5500's...the PS3 wouldnt be the same without them.

 

[Gerben]

fill out your system specs.

Sounds like you're on windows 7, it has a feature to dampen other sounds when making VOIP calls (and its likely treating any sound from skpe, under that category)

Read my sig for my specs. Im on vista ultimate 64bit