TrustedReviews Reviews Logitech Z-5450 Wireless Speakers

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=3141' target='_blank'>http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=3141</a><br /><br /></div><i>"There’s no doubting that flat screen TVs have really taken off in a big way this year. The chances are that for most people who are buying a new TV, it will be LCD or Plasma rather than a bulky CRT. But when it comes to entertainment, having a big screen is only part of the equation – some would argue only 50 per cent. The other half is audio. The vast majority of people are quite content to simply use the built-in speakers in the TV. However, on some TVs, such as a couple of the budget ones we tested here, the quality of the audio output is less than stellar. Even for TVs where the sound quality is excellent, the best you’ll get is stereo. Certainly, some TVs offer pseudo surround modes but it's still no substitute for a decent surround system, that can really bring alive DVDs, or even watching sport. There are two major reasons why many people simply aren’t interested in surround sound. Firstly, it’s perceived as expensive – and with a least five speakers, a sub-woofer and an amplifier to buy, it can be. Then there’s simply the hassle."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/3141-4869.jpg" /><br /><br />So completely true. In order to have rear speakers one must route speaker cable across the room, which can often be awkward and inconvenient. Logitech Z-5450s are a set of 5.1 speakers that offer an impressive sounding 315 watts of RMS power, <i>and</i> the rear speakers are wireless. For only around $200, I think this appears to be a great deal. Now I simply have to figure out the inputs on the speakers before I go and upgrade my very old Cambridge Soundworks speakers.

[Janak Parekh]

Has any DMT poster tried one of these wireless setups? And, if so, how do they sound?

--janak

[Suhit Gupta]

Has any DMT poster tried one of these wireless setups? And, if so, how do they sound?
I have only heard them in stores. For example, Magnolia Hi-Fi, where I bought my TV, had wireless speakers that sounded fantastic (of course, Janak, you won't necessarily trust my judgement here because you were much more sensitive to audio artifacts from speakers in our office than I was). Unfortunately they were also very expensive. I have not heard the cheaper ones like the Logitech ones posted here.

Suhit

[Phoenix]

This looks like a really nice speaker set, but at the end of the review they state the following:

Verdict

Thanks to rear speakers that only require power and receive their signal wirelessly Logitech has produced a set of surround sound speakers that have a vastly increased chance of gaining the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). The drawback is that due to signal contention Wi-Fi bandwidth is drastically reduced when the speakers are on, which will prevent video streaming. Unless that’s a deal breaker, this set comes highly recommended.


Well, that's going to be a bit of a deal breaker for me and probably a lot of others as well. Logitech is going to have to figure out a solution for that. Then again, I wonder if it's indeed just a band issue or if the reviewer's specific computer could have had anything to do with it.

[Janak Parekh]

(of course, Janak, you won't necessarily trust my judgement here because you were much more sensitive to audio artifacts from speakers in our office than I was)
Actually, no, our setup in the office was pretty good by my ears. ;)

Phoenix: thanks for the comment. I'll actually go read the review now. :oops:

--janak

[OSUKid7]

This looks pretty nice. I may consider getting these before going back to college next month. I'm working on rebuilding my PC (Media Center PC) and it would be very nice to have a 5.1 setup without having to run wires around my limited dorm room. Not a bad price either.