Logitech Surround Sound Speaker System Z906 (980-000467) - Best mp3 speakers site, right here

By 

J. Powell –

  

Firstly I got these as a replacement for a Logitech Z5500 that had a control pod failure. So I have owned and used both systems. Now if you currently have a Z5500 and are thinking that these would be an upgrade, they are not and you should not get these. To go from the Z5500 to the Z906 is pointless unless you have to. They both have similar stats and both sound roughly the same.

If you are looking to upgrade to a new set of 5.1 speakers, these are an excellent choice. The satellites sound exactly the same as Z5500. Crisp and clear. Very fluid and a warm sound. Also can get very very loud. They also made them much easier to wall mount by just having a bolt hole in the back of it which is an industry standard. They have removed the cloth covers that the Z5500 had but that is just a personal taste thing.

Now when it comes to the sub-woofer, here is where the difference comes into play. The Z5500 has a 10 inch sub, the Z906, an 8 inch sub. You would think that this would cause the system to suffer compared to the Z5500 however this is not the case. The sub-woofer on the Z906 seems to have more of a bass punch to it then the Z5500. While at high volumes however, the Z906 obviously falls prone to being a smaller sub-woofer then Z5500. On bass test tracks it can bottom out or become “farty” before the Z5500 does. So in a sense, it cannot shake up the house/room as much as the Z5500. It still CAN shake up the room and cause things to move however, this still is a powerful sub woofer and sounds better then any PC sub woofer out there. But the plus of this system is the punch it gives at normal listening volume. Another plus is the actual size of the sub woofer box. It is almost half the size of the Z5500. Makes putting the sub and also moving it much easier. Through design they have kept the great sound of the sub woofer and greatly shrunk the size of it.

The control pod also is redesigned for the better. Its much smaller, doesn’t have a bright LCD screen on it that can be distracting, and doesn’t heat up like the Z5500. Another note is that changing the effect mode of the system is much quicker then the Z5500. It happens instantly, the Z5500 would take about 1 full second to change the effect mode.

The downsides of the system are as follows. The remote control feels really cheap. The buttons have this plastic “clicky” sound/feel when you press a button. Another is having all the inputs on the sub woofer instead of the control pod. Which means you have to have all your devices within roughly 4 feet of the sub woofer. This was probably changed due to the failure of the control pods but its just a minor complaint.

This is an awesome sound system and overall is slightly better then the Z5500 which was already an awesome system. Don’t listen to all the people who bought this set expecting to be way better then the Z5500. This is meant to just be newer design. It isn’t meant to out perform or out class the Z5500 at all. Worth it if you can get it under $350.

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I purchased this product to replace the Logitech Z5500, which had served well. Unfortunately, the Z906 had a number of flaws that makes this a “no-buy” review.

1. The quality of sound coming from the (500w!) system was markedly lower than the Z5500 — particularly from the subwoofer, which is about 30% smaller than with the older system. While apparently good enough to be “THX-certified,” nevertheless when connected to a PC with the same (new) soundcard, the bass was less powerful and tinny,and the front channel speakers, even after adjustment, had a thin sound quality.

2. More importantly, the control unit was a dud. After about 1-2 minutes of playing, the unit would turn itself off and no audio would play. The unit had to be manually turned off and on (accompanied by a loud crackle) to restore the sound, which would then go off again 1-2 minutes later. When calling Logitech support, they advised me to reset the unit (by powering the control unit down, and then pressing the input button for 8 seconds). This restored the sound for a slightly longer time (4 minutes) and then the unit again shut itself off. When I called Logitech Support again, they admitted this new product must have some manufacturing defect and they could not troubleshoot. They advised me to return the product to the retailer, which I have done through Amazon’s easy return system.

When I checked the Logitech forums, I realized that several others (in the US, in Germany) reported the same problem with the Z906. For Logitech’s flagship audio product, this unit was a disappointing downgrade from the solidity, ease-of-use, and better sound quality of the Z5500. If anyone has a recommendation for a replacement system (particularly a non-Logitech system) for use at a PC, let me know.

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 Comments (11)

By 

C. Miller “IdoNotes” (Missouri) –

  

  

I take it to heart to give honest reviews and what/how my expectations are met. The Z906 met my expectations in the sound quality and power areas, but left quite a bit in the appearance/functionality. I will break them down quickly for you to make your own final opinion.

The power of the system was great for a small home theater. Walls shook, floors vibrated, and it was loud enough to not turn it all the way up to be totally immersed. The bass kicked out plenty (being able to tune it more would be a bonus based on room sizing or position). The speakers stayed clear even cranked up.

Sound quality matches the power aspect above as I led into. I hooked a few devices in via optical and RCA with great results. All were clear and I was easily able to adjust the effects for different results.

Now the appearance and overall functionality.
First I will start with the packaging. Smartly organized and a great look. The speakers were neatly laid out and packed under the remote. Each cable was there, 3 short and 2 long. I wish they had been labeled or grouped together, but it was easy to work out once opening. The subwoofer was in it’s own internal box with a nice handle to remove it.

The remote was terribly disappointing in feel and simplicity. I appreciate not too many buttons and making things easy, but the cheap plastic is waiting to crack. The buttons feel like they may pop in and get stuck or break.

Setup was a matter of minutes running the necessary wires and connecting the DVD player to test.

The subwoofer must sit within a few feet of the controller with the cable that connects them. So no way to place it well into a corner for maximum sound. Not to mention every component connects to the back of the sub, not the controller. Long cables would have been needed. Otherwise the subwoofer was of good weight and quality and looked sleek. I was happy with that. More connection possibilities would have been wanted on the back panel.

Each speaker was well made and look great. No external power needs, just the cable that runs to the subwoofer. The single standard mount point makes it dead simple to buy any wall or stand to put them on. They all have rubber strips underneath to stand them on a table or media center as well.

The control unit was a mixed feeling. It was easy to operate and even the kids jumped right in to change settings. The look was a bit cheap, but the amber lights were well lit to show what setting was in use and then faded out after a few seconds of adjusting to save ambient light. That was greatly appreciated. However the short cable to connect to the subwoofer and the type of plastic they used made it look a bit cheap. It is a dull grey and could have used something to step it up a bit.

The speaker wire provided was standard 18 gauge. This allows you to easily get longer cables for large rooms. I wish they had included at least 1 optical audio cable. This would immediately add value and I know those are not expensive cables to include with the pricing on Amazon for one. Tripp Lite A102-02M Digital Optical Audio Cable with 2 Toslink connectors – 2M (6ft) as an example. Search for more options.

So overall I am pleased with it and think they did a good job of entering into a market with a simple to use, set up and affordable theater sound system. They missed out on a few look and quality areas, maybe to save costs, but that would have made this toward all 5 stars. Well worth the cost if you are looking to enter into such a system without breaking the bank for your first or additional smaller system.

UPDATE ON Nov 20, 2011: Well it seems to have died. The control unit now has two of the lights that always stay on. The remote or power button turn it off but then it pops right back on in under a minute with the same two lights. Nothing in the plastic control unit (I discussed above) works anymore. The dials spin but make no change. The buttons click but make no change. Of course this is the only want to get any usage out of the entire thing in through the plastic control unit that plugs into the subwoofer. So back in the box i goes.

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