DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

5.1 Speakers dilemma...

81 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/5-1-speakers-dilemma.85382/

sagardani
sagardani Original post #1
Apr 14, 2008 at 11:22 PM
I know this question has been asked several times on this forum. But my situation is bit different.

I want 5.1 speakers with budget around 10-12k... So there are only Logitech G51 and AL FX5051 currently available within this budget. FX5051 are under powered (89w) compared to G51 (155w) and cost same as G51. So they are out of question.

There used to be Z-5300 from Logitech and are sadly now discontinued. If you compare the two, Z5300 are much powerfull (280w) and much superior (THX) than currently available G51 and used to cost almost same.

But surprisingly my computer walla (Sujata Comp, Pune) told me he has Z5300 available (must be from the old lot).

So what should I do...? Should I go for Z5300? I have this dilemma because they are discontinued. But considering specs, they seem much better and powerfull than G51 and obviously give more vfm as price is almost same. Lookswise G51 are more funky but Z5300 are very nice, look similar to z5500.

Is anyone using either of them?
So shall I go for Z5300 or G51? (considering Z5300 are available)
kumarmohit
Apr 14, 2008 at 11:31 PM
Even if these figures are RMS, I would say that you should check other features especially SNR and distortion before whipping the money. Go for the one from Logitech which is better. Infact consider the SNR and Distortion of Altec as well.
mayanksharma
Apr 15, 2008 at 12:00 AM
see, Z5300 is indeed any day better than 5051 or G51! I havent listened G51! But yep, FX5051 is one powerful set. Sound is accurately channelized through every satellites. Regarding the price, i was quite shocked too. However, the speaker system completely removes the need of a 6 channel sound card for good! :D The USB plug and play thing is gr8!
See, if u can get Z5300...then dont think much. Go for it.
sagardani
Apr 15, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Underpowered!!! have you listened to them. This wattage business is a very subjective thing. I tell you just one spk of Jamo or DENON with 50w RMS will blow the socks of any sony/logi/panny crap...........
So dont just fall for rated wattage, all commerciall spks fake it to some extent......go, listen, compare and then judge.

Out of the two commertial spks discuessed above I'd always easily recommend Altec 5051 over logitech 5300 (keeping the quality aspect much above)

I want for movies /music. If wattage is just subjective thing then what should I look into them? I can't compare/listen and judge them side by side. Seller won't allow it. Have to decide here only. According to Digit (April) reviews, G51 is best performer compared to 5051. They haven't reviewd Z5300 as its discontinued.So what determines the quality of sound (if not RMS)? And how to judge not by listening side by side?
desiibond
Apr 15, 2008 at 10:40 AM
I saw Z5500 yesterday and man, it's subwoofer looks like a monster. This set is worth for only those who has really really big room. It's somewhere around 6-7 times bigger than ATP3's subwoofer. And if you can't shake your house with music/movies, it's waste of money. Saw this set at Home town, Bangalore and price is Rs.16,500
shashank_re
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Z-5300 is 12k and Z-5500 is ~18k. But the price at Home town(16.5k) is excellent price and it is completely worth the money.
If you can increase your budget by say another 5k,then blindly go for Z-5500.
sagardani
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Z-5300 is 12k and Z-5500 is ~18k. But the price at Home town(16.5k) is excellent price and it is completely worth the money.
If you can increase your budget by say another 5k,then blindly go for Z-5500.

I can't spend even 1 paisa above 12k... And btw 5500 costs around 27k here at Pune... So anyways someone put light on this RMS thing..... If thats not quality measure then waht is ?

What difference will this THX certification make ?
desiibond
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:26 AM
yes. one thing I observed in this months digit mag is totally stupid pricing listed by them. They mentioned Z5300 at 28k !!!
sagardani
sagardani #10
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:46 AM
^^^ Its 5500 not 5300 at 28k.. What difference will this THX certification make ? I heard to have a THX effect, a room should be like that (sound proof, angles betn walls, etc).. So how THX certification of speakers will create effect in normal room?
desiibond
desiibond #11
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:51 AM
^^ Dude.

Z-5300 price is around 15k and Z-5500 price is around 17k

not just that, they mentioned 2x price for Creative speakers.
desiibond
desiibond #12
Apr 15, 2008 at 12:34 PM
the size factor definitely comes in when you have small room.

A 180W woofer cannot be used unless you have big room enough to use it's full potential.

under using Rs.16k product is totally nonsense.
royal
royal #13
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Even I was planning to get Z5300 :mad: Why did Logitech discontinue this model ? :confused: :-(

I definitely would not go for G51 as I feel its overpriced :mad:
mayanksharma
Apr 16, 2008 at 2:19 AM
So anyways someone put light on this RMS thing..... If thats not quality measure then waht is ?
What difference will this THX certification make ?

RMS stands for "Root Mean Square". RMS indicates the true power of the speaker amplifier, which is a fancy mathematical formulation for certifying the average amount of power an amplifier can continuously produce, no matter whats ur volume level is! Plus, the better is RMS rating, better are the speakers! Simple as it gets. :)

THX is defines assurance of quality and standards. Developed at George Lucas studios, the THX standards certifies movies, speakers and movie theatres with a tag-name that says, "The Way its meant to be heard." See, if u ever had THX certified set or film DVD, u must have seen this logo or received the silver THX imprint behind the speakers! Look, for more details, u can try Wiki!
To cut in short, THX lays two standards: Ultra and Standard.
Few more under them. They defines, the complete layout and fundamentals to setup the system for reproducing the sound. It includes special sound processor, that separates the low and high frequencies to provide cleaner sound over the theater's sound system. So, if the speaker is THX certified, u are assured to have Best of Line Product. And it'll sound as been intended by the original mixing engineers. Ohh..one more thing, THX is among Industry's Best Quality Standards for Speakers/Movies and Theatres. :D

Underpowered!!! have you listened to them. This wattage business is a very subjective thing. I tell you just one spk of Jamo or DENON with 50w RMS will blow the socks of any sony/logi/panny crap...........
So dont just fall for rated wattage, all commerciall spks fake it to some extent......go, listen, compare and then judge.
Out of the two commertial spks discuessed above I'd always easily recommend Altec 5051 over logitech 5300 (keeping the quality aspect much above)
ohh really?? :D
Alright show me any "One Speaker of Jamo or Denon" with 50W that will blow the socks of Sony /Logitech !
Prove your talk and i'll believe it. And if u cant then stop cursing others! :D
Huh...5051? Come on dude..Logitech 5300 has been out there since 5051 development wasnt even begun. Z5300 system boasts 35W to all four front and rear satellites and overall 39.5W to the centre channel. Leave the woofer wattage! Now, 5051 has distributed 12W to each front and rear satellites and 13W to centre!! And with that u expect it to compete with Z5300??
One more thing, which model of 5051 are u talking about?
FYI, there are two...FX and GT. And both are way behind than a Z5300!
And why shouldnt one fall for rated wattage? That means u shouldnt go for processors by their Frequency and FSB ratings!! Right? :D
U say, 89W is loud?? :p If, this isnt too much to ask, then do yourself a favour, check out the Creative Gigaworks S750 and u'll know what em talking about!
sagardani
sagardani #15
Apr 16, 2008 at 11:16 AM
the better is RMS rating, better are the speakers! Simple as it gets.
Better in what sense dude? sound quality(?) Now what does this 'sound quality' means here? Is it loudness, is it crisp/clearness, is it abt delivering details, or anything else? I've heard Z5500 at friend's place. No offense but it didn't really live upto my expectations. I was expecting crisp, clear sound and I got disappointed. I don't know if crisp/clear is right word or not... But in spite of being around 500w RMS total, there was missing somerthing I want. No doubt its stunning speaker set and creates earthquake at place but to be honest it lacks something seriously. I call it- crisp or clearness. My Creative inspire 4.1 are crisp than it...! Sounds weird, but thats what I've experienced. So I just want to know by saying so and so Watts RMS, what you come to know about speakers? Power..! Power i.e what exactly? The "duuuuummmm" of woofer? Or loudness? Or crisp/clearness? I asked this because earlier I used to think same a you. Higher RMS, batter the set. But when I heard 5500 and read sam9s's post my thought is changing. Though Im not 100% convienced. So you just clarify what does this "power of speaker" mean:).

I would also give a chance to Klipsch/JBL, which though bit more expensive would beat both Logi/Altec in the sound department.

Which speakers you use man?
sagardani
sagardani #16
Apr 16, 2008 at 6:04 PM
So from this discussion, especially posts from sam9s I arrived at following conclusion- Clarity/crispness is not related to watts (RMS) value.

Am I right or wrong?

Still have these doubts-

1. So what determines clarity or crispness?

2. Power means what exatly? The "dhuuuuummmm" of woofer? or loudness? or something else? (assuming that manufacturer has given correct RMS values)

Heyy dude btw are those ATP5 4.1 channel?
mayanksharma
Apr 16, 2008 at 6:35 PM
@sam9s,
hmm...till now, i havent been to any losses!
Regarding, proving the point....how are you supposed to prove ur talk, coz u dont know anything about them! :p Denon, Jamo or Onkyo...these brands are ofcourse much better than regular speakers in the market. It is because of their high profilic design and amplification rating. U said a 50W Denon speaker. FYI, that includes a separate amplification unit to aid the speaker with that amount of power. Experience..? I have two shops here in Noida. And i've been sharing my best there.
Ok, regarding the Z5300 line, what i meant to say is that the set is ofcourse more popular than Altec's one. Not because its old but becoz, the set itself has its own reputation and name due to the sheer performance it delivered. Z5300 is still and will be better than AL 5051 speakers, no matter how late they are introduced! :p Considering, we now know about 5051 as well. More clearer??? :D :D You said experience? hehe...Fine, tell me in what sense AL speakers are much clearer than Logitech Z5300?? See, if u are saying that line as universal, then change it. And if u are saying that line in comparison to Z5300...prove it! Dont give excuses becoz of forums! :p And regarding the true power and rms thing. See, what i knew holds true this far. Again, em saying if u know anything better please share it here. Better dont give any thinkdigit links to prove that! :D
And ohh regarding, the comparison thing...either u cant get anything, what i said properly...or may be u are in habit of skipping things!!
U said, 200W is something, no speaker can handle! hmm...how come i know different?
A typical Megaworks amplifier is capable to provide almost 500W of continuous power to the speakers and thats too without any loss! Ever noticed, there isnt even any heatsink to dissipate the power. U say, 200W? I've seen pure 1200W RMS speakers pounding the sound that'll throw ur heart away!! :D :D
Just ask my frnd, i'll try my best to clear up the confusions.
Just as speakers go with their power ratings , similarly processors go with frequency and FSB. Read it again. Even if u have troubles, i can help u again! :)
See, i take those curse and words like that back.(i must be going way too catholic anywayz..:D :D) Never meant to offend u or ur feelings anyway. We are here just to share our best. :) Arent we?

@sagardani,
A speaker's power rating (in general) tells you how much A.C. power can be dissipated in the speaker's voice coil without damaging the speaker.
The most honest way to rate a speaker is to give the rating as continuous RMS watts (ex: 150 watts continuous rms power). The first thing you should realize is that speaker ratings are OFTEN exaggerated. Then you should ask if the rating is in RMS or peak watts and are the speaker ratings for instantaneous or continuous power. Most car audio speakers (with the exception of some subwoofers) are rated in peak power or music power. Only a few speakers (generally the higher quality speakers) are rated in RMS watts. While peak power is a legitimate way to rate speakers (as long as the manufacturer tells you that the power rating is in peak watts), it can be deceptive.
Generally speaking, Peak power is 2*RMS power. If a speaker is actually capable of handling 150 watts of peak power it would only be rated to handle 75 watts RMS. If a speaker is rated to handle 150 watts 'music power', it may mean that the speaker will take only very short bursts of power approaching 150 watts RMS. Even if there are two speakers from different manufacturers which have the same power ratings, one of the manufacturers may be more conservative in their ratings than the other manufacturer. The more conservatively rated speaker would be more likely to handle its rated power. So, ratings are just to say that, particular speaker is capable of producing this much amount of power for certain amount of time.
Coming to ur Sharp, Clear, Crisp sound...see, this words typically fits within the high range frequency reproductions. See, the speaker specification chart mentioning the frequency it can handle. Say 20Hz-25KHz! The max. one i.e. above 4KHz, till 16Khzwould concern about the high range sound reproduction. Second to talk, comes the design of satellites, their way of throwing the sound at direction and finally the usage of quality tweeters and metal tappings over them. Things like Impedance also comes into the play then.
U said, ur Inspire 4.1 are crisper than Z5500! See, the user perceptions may vary with their way of listening. But, the fact is different. If the satellites are rated higher with wattage, that means it is capable of producing louder sound than others. Louder in terms of tweeters means high frequency sounds, in terms of squakers means better mid range and in terms of woofer means, better bass loudness. And ohh...that'll include the loudness, i.e. "dhuuuumm" as u say! :D :p Look, bigger the woofer...i.e. >6.5"...better is the bass reproduction. You can almost feel the room shaking experience. That is only possible if its rated accordingly.
Look, setting the speaker on equalizer is very important. No matter how hard u listen, how heavy speakers u have. But, just think, if ur speaker isnt capable of handling that much of volume it is been thrown upon than the only thing to say is that, the speaker cant handle that much of power. Simply putting...as u increase the volume level, more power and heat is going to be handled by speakers. And if speakers cant...Clipping gets introduced.
See, i generally never write this much to explain my point. Just for ur point, i tried explaining the things for good. :)
royal
royal #18
Apr 16, 2008 at 7:26 PM
mayanksharma Wow ... thats some serious gyan session you had there man ... :D :p ;)

And since you are a shop-owner, how about giving hardware to fellow digitians at huge discounts ? :D :D :D What say ? :p
mayanksharma
Apr 16, 2008 at 11:30 PM
hehe! :D
It would be my pleasure bro...
m-jeri
m-jeri #20
Apr 17, 2008 at 8:50 AM
i didnt even had the heart to read it..... :(

@ sam & @may.....

just a lil pointer dont u both think tht quality of a spk is a personal opinon and a matter of hearing it in perfect conditions....now dont kill me....;)

p.s .... i am a altec user now... but my next one is z5500....
mayanksharma
Apr 17, 2008 at 10:50 AM
just a lil pointer dont u both think tht quality of a spk is a personal opinon and a matter of hearing it in perfect conditions....now dont kill me....;)
p.s .... i am a altec user now... but my next one is z5500....
AMEN to the point!

@sam9s,
FYI, That Denon requires separate 50W amplification unit. Thats what i meant! Most of them does. If it aint. Name me, one 50W plug and play Denon Speaker. I may be need to know it then! Gimme raw 5K bucks and i'll put one local speaker sounding better than it!! :p If again, i am contradicting, lemme know! :D

Again, Z5500 specs:
Subwoofer, 5 speakers,
Nominal Output Power (Total)
505 Watt
Max (RMS) Output Power (Total)
1010
Response Bandwidth
33 - 20000 Hz
Input Impedance
8 KOhm
Signal-To-Noise Ratio
100 dB
Output Level (SPL)
115 dB
See, what u are trying to prove is the most idiotic thing, i've heard. You are trying to compare measly 5051 with the finest 5500! Ohh okk! U like giving links. Well, i like directing towards GOOGLE! :D hehe..Just go and find out for urself how good Z5500 is! Again, just FYI, Z5500 has received the Best Editor's Raing award. And the counts just keeps going on. See, i hate to write such big Essays!! :p Never been used to.
Compare everything from top to bottom. And then u are saying they should provide details? Why?
Dont u know the difference between Squakers and Tweeters? U are saying LFE as Woofers!! :p
U said, Altec has 30Hz lower limit and Logitech on the other hand has 33Hz!! True!
Go on, listen to both systems, and tell me the difference! If u are so audiophile, as u say...catch me the 3Hz difference....err..that RICH BASS!! :D :D hehe...Look, man u are creating manhole for urself to leap in! :p
And by god, even if somehow ur fantastic ears can catch that difference, tell me which one's amplifier will provide higher and better power distribution? AL's 89W one or Logitech's massive 505W one?
I dont know, and really cant believe, how on the earth...u say zillions of ppl with shops and arent audiophile. Infact they all are and believe me better than most of us!
Ohh..see, u are giving total harmonic distortion for each speaker unit. Tell me, what distortion would be produced by system during 80% of volume levels? Can u show that?? See, that depends alot upon what kind settings, speakers are being driven at and including soundcard's/amplifier specs! Right?
Look, man...there is more to these speakers than meet the eye...err Ears! :D
Go on, quote this post too, and comment on every funniest line, u can!

Btw, I never contradict my points. Its u who is taking it otherwise! Better, not make the discussion more harsh my frnd. Hey, look if i said anything harsh...pretend i said that in the loudness of my speakers. Dont mind! :D :)
Just for the sake of goodness, lets agree on what madjeri said. :)
m-jeri
m-jeri #22
Apr 17, 2008 at 11:12 AM
+ respect mayan....

p.s stop quoting those nos..making my eyes blur.....

anyways i said personal..coz all those nos dont mean a thing if u got lame ears.. (lamest argument)...but true..and the perfect setup...

but all deciding factor is cost.....
royal
royal #23
Apr 17, 2008 at 11:35 AM
i didnt even had the heart to read it..... :(

:D Me too :D

To tell you the truth . at first I could not muster enough courage to go through all these specs. ;) But then I decided otherwise and forced myself only so that I could have a better idea regarding these things.

:D Who knows , tomorrow I might find someone who knows even less than I do and I will have the rare opportunity to give him a gyan session myself. :D

I must admit that I am nowhere even remotely close to being an audiophile but even I know that Total Harmonic Distortion and Sound to Noise Ratio are important parameters to judge audio quality.(Please dont punish me if it is not so :( )

Anyway the cold war between these two "Sound Bhai"s have been beneficial to us lesser mortals :p
desiibond
desiibond #24
Apr 17, 2008 at 11:53 AM
guys,please stop this pro audio thing. What is needed is 5.1 set under 12k. For that it's better to choose between Logitech's and Altec Lansings. Best way to select is by getting a demo of these.

Home Town is ready to give demo of these speakers connected to 40" HDTV :)

@sagardani, Best way is to walk in to a store like eZone and get a demo of speakers. you can then decide. You will never come to a conclusion by looking at this thread. NO flames intended. This thread is going nowhere.
mayanksharma
Apr 17, 2008 at 12:15 PM
:D Me too :D
Anyway the cold war between these two "Sound Bhai"s have been beneficial to us lesser mortals :p

"Sound Bhais" ?? Cold War??? Lesser Mortals?? :eek:
I mean, come on, how many movies have you been watching recently?? :D :D hehe...Btw, dont miss "Warlords"! ;)

See, to tell u truly...there are already lots of "bhaiyyas" in here. To, my luck...they arent into the discussion yet! :p
As soon as they are, i might pack my things up and run away hard on a pulsar 180!! :D :D heehee
royal
royal #26
Apr 17, 2008 at 12:29 PM
"Sound Bhais" ?? Cold War??? Lesser Mortals?? :eek:
I mean, come on, how many movies have you been watching recently?? :D :D

No offence meant, bade "bhaiyaa" ;)

Agar galtise koi mistake ho gaya to maaf kar dena :D
m-jeri
m-jeri #27
Apr 17, 2008 at 12:58 PM
so i think it concludes..and yeas long post do not give head aches...but a waste of time when i not interested...;)


anyways when u want to buy something u need to have some idea....some preferences...not always we can go with "performance".....
mayanksharma
Apr 17, 2008 at 1:25 PM
@royal,
Arre none taken yaara!
Doston main mistakes aur sorry ki koi jagah nahin hoti hai! :)
Baaki, forum discussions pe sab jaayaz hai! :D

@topic,
I hope, our discussions atleast help the thread starter to make a choice for the appropriate product. :)
royal
royal #29
Apr 17, 2008 at 3:10 PM
@royal,
Arre none taken yaara!
Doston main mistakes aur sorry ki koi jagah nahin hoti hai! :)
Baaki, forum discussions pe sab jaayaz hai! :D


Amen :p
R
Apr 18, 2008 at 12:11 AM
I found this thread bit late, just been looking to upgrade my speakers.
Interesting discussion.
R
Apr 18, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Hi Sam,
I am doing fine, came to this thread via search as I went to nehru place today looking for speakers, dint finalize any yet.

I have creative soundcard along with 4.1 cambridge soundworks speaker, under xp they work fine but Vista 64 does not have driver for it & I cant use them, the asus onboard sound driver does not work with these speaker, hence I need to change. I need to ensure x64 bit driver support with whatever I buy.

-------------------------------------
Sorry I got busy, yet to try the OC settings.
Will do it after 15-20 days, but summers will be on & the heat might prevent me do small testing only.
-----------------------------------------
sagardani
sagardani #32
Apr 18, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Ohhhh guys...... It took me whole 1 day to comprehend whatever sam9s and mayanksharma have written:D .... Still I haven't 100% understood. But I really thank you two to make educate and showed me a path to become a so-called 'Audio Phile';)... This royal dude has correctly said in his post #29 what I wanted to say here.

I started this thread so that I can get help fro expert "Audio Philes" to select speaker for my PC around 12k... And I got this huge ocean of debate and knowledge. To be honest it will take me some time to absorb all this knowledge. But anyways you guys have helped me greatly. So I figured out that- easiest way to select right speakers is not only by going through threads but actually listening them. But its always better to have knowledge (atleast some) and views/opinions of expert bhais like Mayank and sam9s on this forum (yeah... and that creates confusion too:cool:).

So out of Fx5051 and Z5300 (its available), I think I should listen to them first and than take decesion. By the way, I hope all you will rate Z5300 better than G51.

@sagardani, Best way is to walk in to a store like eZone and get a demo of speakers.
Hey desiibond, I live here in Pune, so I don't think I've this eZone option. But I'll try to get demo of them at some computer shop.

@sagardani check out sony HT DAV-DZ270 as well, its a complete HT package just for 15K, includes spks, ampli, dvd/divx player and a usb support as well.
I have listened to it but I dont very well recall the performance, but its decent given the price and the package. I will suggest give it a demo try.......
Yes, the DAV-DZ270 are impressive. But dude sam9s, I want right now for PC. There's no use of upscale DVD player for me right now as I don't have HDTV and its loooooooooooong time for me to think about it. Will those speakers work on PC ? That USB is for what purpose ? Is that a speaker-dvd player combo or I can get only speakers? And again dude, you said RMS is sjubjective. How can Sony give 850W Total Power Output at just 15k that too with DVD player:confused: ? On the other hand z5500 with 505W is at 28k..:eek: ! Or is that- price doesn't depend on watts. Is there compramise by Sony and Logi is more superior than it? I've heard DAV-DZ750K at friends place who also ows z5500. He told me if you want 'puch', Sony is the one! And fore 'tone' he suggests 5500. But my question is- why is Sony so cheap that too with more power and DVD player???:confused:

Anyways I again thank all of you who helped me and gave me THE GYAAN...:p
royal
royal #33
Apr 18, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Just a small request...can anyone arrange for a Z5300 (its still available in some places) and ship it to Kolkata ? :twisted:
desiibond
desiibond #34
Apr 18, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Home Town bangalore: +(91)-(80)-25236622, 25235923, 66621120 66621122, 66621123

They may arrange for a shipping of Z5300. Check with them. They gave a full demo.

but forum reviews say that their delivery is pathetic.
aadipa
aadipa #35
Apr 18, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Just a small request...can anyone arrange for a Z5300 (its still available in some places) and ship it to Kolkata ? :twisted:
Check this thread.
royal
royal #36
Apr 18, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Check this thread.

Thx but no thx :(

I know its almost new but I would prefer a completely new one :p

Home Town bangalore: +(91)-(80)-25236622, 25235923, 66621120 66621122, 66621123

They may arrange for a shipping of Z5300. Check with them. They gave a full demo.

but forum reviews say that their delivery is pathetic.

Ohh :(
sagardani
sagardani #37
Apr 18, 2008 at 2:15 PM
^^^ But will that play *.mkv?? Now a days I download all (compressed HD) 720p movies. I can upload them on USB drive. Will it play it? If not directly, also let me know any conversion method to convert .mkv files into suitable format to play on this player and obviously by maintaining original mkv quality.

And btw, 'USB drive' in the sense what- Pen drive?
desiibond
desiibond #38
Apr 18, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Anyhow upscaling DVD is just more of a marketing gimick rather than any actual benifit. Spks would work on you PC no doubt BUT why would you want to watch the movie on your PC UNLESS you have a 22"+ LCD monitor. Yes listining to music would be one reason you would want them to be connected to your PC, but we have a solution here as well.......USB Support, get a USB drive which these days is rotten cheap (16GB for 1200 and 32GB for 3K approx), or get a USB HDD, stuff all you song on to USB drive or HDD and keep it connected with the player. Now you have all your music and movies as well with this neatly arranged package. You can not only use the USB drive/HDD for music, you can easily upload your divx collection on to it as well and play it (this makes things far easy I am telling you and Divx can also contain 5.1 audio if the conversion is done keeping that in mind). You just gotta make sure before getting the Divx movie if it has 5.1 in it.

No flames intended but this is the worst solution for the problem.

and 16Gb USB for 1200. Please talk some sense man. a 4Gb USB stick from Kingson costs around 800 and 8Gb stick costs a bomb.

So, as per your solution, to play new songs, everytime, he has to copy them to the stick and then play them from DVD player. Just to play songs, why should he turn on DVD player and TV when he can directly play from PC while working on it.
sagardani
sagardani #39
Apr 18, 2008 at 5:11 PM
^^^Thats not the problem buddy, Im watching movies. But my question is again different. How can Sony give 850w speakers + DVD player just for 15k when other dedicated PC speakers like z5500 with 505w cost 28k...!

@sam9s: Even Sony has neither given frequency response range for individual speaker nor for overall set. What do you say about this?

USB Support, get a USB drive which these days is rotten cheap (16GB for 1200 and 32GB for 3K approx)
Where do you get it so cheap:eek: :eek: ?
And
Is there way to convert mkv to DivX by maintaining visual quality and 5.1 ? Converting to DVD (means MPEG-2 right?) is better or DivX (i.e avi)?
shashank_re
Apr 18, 2008 at 5:15 PM
^^Who the hell told you that Z5500 is 28k? It is 16-18k MAX depending on the city.
m-jeri
m-jeri #41
Apr 18, 2008 at 5:28 PM
16 to 18..boy this is going to be good...

please do prove..its 20k here.....u see wat i mean....
royal
royal #42
Apr 18, 2008 at 7:08 PM
If only I could get a 16GB pen drive for 1200/- or a Z5500 for 16k - 18K :D :cry: :D
desiibond
desiibond #43
Apr 18, 2008 at 7:46 PM
16 to 18..boy this is going to be good...

please do prove..its 20k here.....u see wat i mean....

Bangalore Home Town. Call kar aur daam pooch lee. :)
sagardani
sagardani #44
Apr 18, 2008 at 9:24 PM
^^Who the hell told you that Z5500 is 28k? It is 16-18k MAX depending on the city.

uhh I wrote the old price. Today its for 22.5k here at Pune.

sam9s waiting for ur reply...
sagardani
sagardani #45
Apr 19, 2008 at 11:46 PM
^^^ What will you suggest between 5051 and Sony HT and why? I saw yest demo of it and I found subwoofer underpowered. 140w compared to 142w for satellites. But the punch in the sound was awesome. The reason I asked this because commonly its observed that- subwoofer rms > centre channel > front and rear satellites. Is this a typical format?

But in case of sony, its opposite, all 5 speakers have same rms (142w) and sub has 140w... Why this is so?
mayanksharma
Apr 20, 2008 at 1:07 AM
But my question is again different. How can Sony give 850w speakers + DVD player just for 15k when other dedicated PC speakers like z5500 with 505w cost 28k...!

Ok, i visited the Sony World today. My frnd was in lookout for a good LCD! anyways, i found some time to check out DAV-DZ series. I checked out all these three DZ models, i.e. DZ111,DZ230 and DZ270. Ok, talking about technical specifications, even i asked the first thing about the whopping 850W RMS power! The Sony guy told me that the 850W RMS isnt the continuous power. Now, i want all of u 2 take a note here. Z5500 and even Megaworks or other good systems out there has continuous power rating. See, what he told me...."850W is the total power of the system. Only 10% is the actual RMS!" :D :p Lets leave the technical jargons. Time to listen the system. So, what to say about that. As i already said, its Sony! ;) The technology in itself is really amazing. Somehow, the S-Digital Amp managed to save the day. I must say! The DA converter and DSP were very effective in their processing. Secondly, credits to Auto calibration feature. The sound was very well produced and surround effect was quite good. Ok, coming to frequency response and musical experience, i must say, speakers arent that good. Infact, my MMS430 response felt better than them! :D See, this is where the difference is set. Its true, that u need to have that kinda experience or simply a professional like my frnd who works with "HDM" to detect such minute details. DZ series is mostly meant for Budget buyers, who expect good tag name with acceptable performance while watching movies. Now, see the "acceptable" word varies from ppl to ppl. If, u've heard audiophile speakers like Bose, B&W, Onkyo or Yamaha, u can immediately pick the difference! And if u havent and just like the mainstream indian buyers, u'll be impressed and start bragging the SONY name! :D
Ok, by saying that, i dont mean that products from Sony/Creative/Logitech are one and the same. See, good things always come with some price. That u should accept easily! right? MHC-GN/HT or Z5500 or Megaworks or Gigawokrs or FX series are among the top of the line products from Sony ,Logitech, Creative and Altec Lansing respectively! Its just u ought to have that kind of experience and good knowledge to judge things better. :)
And ohh..my frnd somehow managed to select Sony KLV-52X350A(HD 1080p) model during my annoying argument session with that Sony Guy! :)
Anyways, we left the showroom with a weird smile on our faces and quite convinced with what we have!! :D :D

And
Is there way to convert mkv to DivX by maintaining visual quality and 5.1 ? Converting to DVD (means MPEG-2 right?) is better or DivX (i.e avi)?

Conversion to DivX:
Here
Here
Conversion to DVD:
Here
DVD Santa v4 is good for conversion. Just make sure, u have right version and all the necessary codecs including MKVExtractGUI! WinAvi is also good. However, its not free.

@topic,
anyhow..i believe the choice should be simpler by now! Dont think plugging Sony DZ speakers with ur PC can reproduce good sound as 5051 can with PC. PC speakers are manufactured considering their Gaming,Musical or Movies playing capabilities. Hence, the major changes are reflected on frequency response and ranges. Thats why, u've to believe ur ears more than the tagnames and price! Right?
IMO, 5051 should be the choice! :)
sagardani
sagardani #47
Apr 20, 2008 at 8:44 AM
Ok, talking about technical specifications, even i asked the first thing about the whopping 850W RMS power! The Sony guy told me that the 850W RMS isnt the continuous power. Now, i want all of u 2 take a note here. Z5500 and even Megaworks or other good systems out there has continuous power rating. See, what he told me...."850W is the total power of the system. Only 10% is the actual RMS!"
Thanks Mayank bhai...! This is the answer I was expecting. So 850/10=85 must be the actual power. Btw continuous means what exactly dude?

DZ series is mostly meant for Budget buyers, who expect good tag name with acceptable performance while watching movies. Now, see the "acceptable" word varies from ppl to ppl. If, u've heard audiophile speakers like Bose, B&W, Onkyo or Yamaha, u can immediately pick the difference! And if u havent and just like the mainstream indian buyers, u'll be impressed and start bragging the SONY name! :D
Agree man...!

See, good things always come with some price. That u should accept easily! right?
Again agree. Right. "Price shows quality" (guess its always true).

And ohh..my frnd somehow managed to select Sony KLV-52X350A(HD 1080p) model during my annoying argument session with that Sony Guy! :)
Great buddy... How much from the pocket?




@topic,
anyhow..i believe the choice should be simpler by now! Dont think plugging Sony DZ speakers with ur PC can reproduce good sound as 5051 can with PC. PC speakers are manufactured considering their Gaming,Musical or Movies playing capabilities. Hence, the major changes are reflected on frequency response and ranges. Thats why, u've to believe ur ears more than the tagnames and price! Right?
IMO, 5051 should be the choice! :)
All right. I want for movies and music (movies matter more). So I make a shortlist of available options.

*Sony DaVZ270
*AL Fx5051
*Logi Z5300/G51

I heard the Sony DAV-Z570 yestday. Same features as 270 only the front satellites have stand. So I got idea about 270. They are indeed impressive at first glance. you said sony won't produce good sound on PC as dedicated PC speaker. Are u sure man? But if thats so, I've to connect sony to TV (as thats what for its made). And have to convert every mkv (720p) file into DivX:oops:! Buying it right now won't be good idea. My idea of HT is like- a great speakers set + full HDTV. DAV-270 aren't great speakers according to me and + shelling out 4-5k for 'so-called' progressive DVD player is not worth right now. I guess Blue-ray players will be mainstream in India by 2010. So time being I find its worth going for dedicated PC speakers. ANd later directly shift on Blue-ray and full HDTV. As also my work is related to sound too! (not a pro sound editor, but little bit of it). So I'll need 5.1 speakers on PC today or tomorrow. My this purchase is not just for entertainment. And 1080p HTDVs are right now way out of budget and blue-ray is not easily available. Till then 12k for PC speakers will be good investment I guess.
Now, out of Logi and AL, I think Mayank is on Logi's side and sam9s is on AL. sam's explanation of AL is quite convincing. As you said Mayank, u've to believe ur ears more than the tagnames and price! So I'll first listen to them. And then take decesion.
Rockstar11
Apr 20, 2008 at 9:22 AM
All right. I want for movies and music (movies matter more). So I make a shortlist of available options.

*Sony DaVZ270
*AL Fx5051
*Logi Z5300/G51


Logi Z5300 (THX = Movie)
AL Fx5051 ( dual drivers in every satellite = Music)

Go for Logitech Z5300, little bro of Z5500D :D

*youtube.com/watch?v=FXhYueJoEFo&feature=related :lol:
mayanksharma
Apr 21, 2008 at 2:46 AM
@sagar,
Continuous Power refers to the ability of a receiver or amplifier to output its full power continuously at any moment or sound level! :)
That 1080p thingy cost a massive 1.35 lacs inclusive everything! :D
see, if buying pc 5.1 system is ur main priority leave Sony!
Choose wisely between Z5500 and FX5051! Btw, Z5500 price also constitutes amazing logitech sound decoder bundled as accessories. However, i would again say the same thing...the RMS difference these two systems is huge.
So, sure...go on listen them!
Make sure, u've right set of songs to judge everything!
For instance, just take Coldplay's Sparks and DreamLand from AyLa!! Actually, these songs are the ones which i often use to sort my best pick!! ;)
sagardani
sagardani #52
Apr 21, 2008 at 8:54 AM
see, if buying pc 5.1 system is ur main priority leave Sony!
Choose wisely between Z5500 and FX5051! Btw, Z5500 price also constitutes amazing logitech sound decoder bundled as accessories. However, i would again say the same thing...the RMS difference these two systems is huge.
So, sure...go on listen them!
Make sure, u've right set of songs to judge everything!
For instance, just take Coldplay's Sparks and DreamLand from AyLa!! Actually, these songs are the ones which i often use to sort my best pick!! ;)
Yeah buying a 5.1 sys for PC is my main priority. Sony is good for those who want budget DVD HT for their TV/HDTV.
Btw z55500 is out budget man. Costs around 20-22 here at Pune. I was thinking of Logi z5300 which costs almost same as 5051. So I'll first listen to them.

@Mayank and sam:
Btw have you personally heard either of them (5300 or 5051)??
m-jeri
m-jeri #53
Apr 21, 2008 at 9:55 AM
i heard both of them abt 2 weeks backk...went to buy a head phone..but couldnt resist it....

BELIEVE ME ...z5300 will blow the knickers off from 5051....coz..logitech is all abt the bass and sound....

but if u prefer vocals i thinks fx5051 will suffice..or if u gt money go for z5300...

i personally waiting for my savings to go up for z5500..hehhe
sagardani
sagardani #55
Apr 21, 2008 at 11:35 AM
My dear friend....:), Audio Hardware is my hobby, and I am pretty enthusiastic about Hollywood Movies, How can I suggest something so convincingly without even listening. I have listened not only these two but loads n loads of other spks and audio hardware. It kinda my hobby. Believe me its my dream/aim to build an entire Audio/Video Room with my elite hardware with complete movie and gaming experience..... :)

PS :: Along with a small popcorn and a soda maker too..:D



mmm since you have listened to both what your sincere comment on the [/b]clearity[/b] part. Mind you not the loudness n bass but particularly crispness on low acceptable volume. I know 5300 volume is huge, but as I said misses out on the clearity part.
I wish ur dream come true..... Don't forget to invite me~:cool: Imagine man... the experience one gets by films like LOTR trilogy in HD on a complete HT and 1080p LCD TV...:p F*** the popcorn and soda!!:D

Comin to the point-
Having a demo is I guess the only way to select one out of them.
m-jeri
m-jeri #56
Apr 21, 2008 at 11:42 AM
@royal...chk some more places out...its phased out for only abt 1 month or so...here in tvm they had 3 peices left.i know coz they are trying to sell it to me...hehhehe...but i ordered z5500..waiting for it....so u may get lucky....
i am just talking abt one shop..so u know wat to do....

@sam93.....abt clearity...hehhehe well clarity is subjective....i saw transformers...wanted z5300...but listened yanni...some how violins sounded better on altec....but when i increased vol....altec sucks like a vaccum..
coz THX do come in handy in a spk...

Altec is ofcourse a good option if ona budget...u got money go for thx certified sets..in logitech stable i like only z5300 and z5500...otherwise i only go for xreative megaworks..its cost effective too...

expensive than z5300 and cheaper than z5500,,so royal u may want to look into that too....but soemhow creative lost the value nowadays....


but in my opinion

u got money go for any set u like....any
u on budget stick to sub 5k or 6k altecs....coz they way better than creative anf logi's of this area...

i am not talking abt numbers or spec...just pure market thing.....and its true..coz all of u know....
Rockstar11
Apr 21, 2008 at 11:55 AM
i personally waiting for my savings to go up for z5500..hehhe
"Sabra ka phal meetha hoga" :D

Comin to the point-
Having a demo is I guess the only way to select one out of them.
yep. :)
mithaas dono mein hai bhai.. mithaas dono mein hai.. "LG" shakkar hai to "AL" Good (ganne wala good) ab faisla aapke ears par hai... :p
m-jeri
m-jeri #58
Apr 21, 2008 at 12:51 PM
@Rockstar.....WTF???????? ;)
royal
royal #60
Apr 21, 2008 at 1:47 PM
u on budget stick to sub 5k or 6k altecs....coz they way better than creative anf logi's of this area...

i am not talking abt numbers or spec...just pure market thing.....and its true..coz all of u know....

Ok so if I am not able to get a Z5300 then I should go for Altec instead of X540 ? :confused: Because I am definitely not going for G51 :|
shashank_re
Apr 21, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Hey desiibond can you tell me in which Home Town shop in Blore you saw the Z5500 @16.5k....As iam also planning to go for them soooon.
desiibond
desiibond #62
Apr 21, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Marathahalli, next to Innvoative multiplex
shashank_re
Apr 21, 2008 at 4:12 PM
Oh thats near my place.Will check it out soon.And is the price including tax,vat and all?
m-jeri
m-jeri #64
Apr 21, 2008 at 4:28 PM
ther again...z5500 at 17k.....@shashank plz confirm it wil ya....

and

@royal....atlec lansing ther is FX5051....i guess....

or if 2.1 u can have always my vote for ther MXsomething i dnt remember
shashank_re
Apr 21, 2008 at 4:46 PM
I have just called Home Town and thay said the price as Rs.16,900 which i think is excellent.
sagardani
sagardani #66
Apr 21, 2008 at 5:12 PM
Can anyone check price of 5051 ?
m-jeri
m-jeri #67
Apr 21, 2008 at 5:45 PM
****....

i ordered the freakin thing for 20K.........hey in blore can u gimme the full address..i might tell some frnds to pick up....
m-jeri
m-jeri #68
Apr 21, 2008 at 7:10 PM
YUP U ARE RIGHT THERE PAL......

Creative megaworks...that exact same model i refered in a previous post...

but u know abt klipsch..u beter stay awasy..great prduct but service a pain in the ass...and repairs u have no idea believe me..a frnd of mine is like crazy abt bose diveon klipsc goldsmund...believe me he got all of these..spks HT headphones mic..hes a great sounds gy....when ppl like him say u have to believe...
sagardani
sagardani #69
Apr 22, 2008 at 8:15 AM
Its a bit of sad situation here. My parents forced me to postpone decesion of speakers...:cry: In their opinion 4.1 is enough:((how can it be??????:eek:)... So I'll let you guys know when I have them. We had a great discussion here and Im grateful to our bhais- sam9s and Mayank. We've made this thread ideal to those who are looking for 5.1 speakers. I really thank all of you guys... Still Im trying my best to convince my parents:p.
desiibond
desiibond #70
Apr 22, 2008 at 8:42 AM
****....

i ordered the freakin thing for 20K.........hey in blore can u gimme the full address..i might tell some frnds to pick up....

No.92/4,Vanshee Towers, Nr Innovative Multiplex, Outer Ring Rd, Marathahalli, Bangalore - 560037

This one is next to Motorola/Intel office complex. It's a pretty huge building and easy to identity. They have huge collection of peripherals.

also, ask your friends to check in SP Road also. YOu might get it for a lower price there but difficult to find.
m-jeri
m-jeri #71
Apr 22, 2008 at 8:51 AM
THNKS...will chk it out today

@sagar....

if u think of 4.1...its better to go for altec mx5021 2.1 spks....THX certified..kick ass system....

4.1 sucks..used to be cooll..now no point...
shashank_re
Apr 22, 2008 at 9:09 AM
Z5500 in S.P Road cost Rs.18800 inc vat,tax etc.
sagardani
sagardani #73
Apr 22, 2008 at 9:21 AM
@sagar....

if u think of 4.1...its better to go for altec mx5021 2.1 spks....THX certified..kick ass system....

4.1 sucks..used to be cooll..now no point...

I meant to say I currently have 4.1 but now want to shift on 5.1.... Thats why created this Mahabharat thread..:cool:
shashank_re
Apr 23, 2008 at 6:33 AM
Hey guys yeaterday i have purchased Logitech Z-5500 in Home Town! and the price of it was.......................................Rs.14990 only!!!!!!!!!! Yes you read ir right,only 14.9k!!!

When i asked the price,they said 16.9k,i didnot want to bargain as it was 19k in S.P Road. But during the payment,they gave me bill of Rs.14990.I was surprised but i didnot say/ask them anything i blindly handed over my CC.Thats It :)

I dont know whether that price was mistake or there was some disount! But they didnot mention anyrhing like that.

NOTE: All the prcies i have mentioned here are INCLUSIVE OF TAX,VATetc.
m-jeri
m-jeri #76
Apr 23, 2008 at 8:14 AM
WTF????????????????????????

where do u live...is this blore in india......????

oh god why....
shashank_re
Apr 23, 2008 at 9:25 AM
yeah i purchased from Home Town, Marathahalli , Bangalore.

A BIG thanks to desiibond for giving the details of Home Town.
m-jeri
m-jeri #78
Apr 23, 2008 at 9:41 AM
can u buy one more and send it.....???????????
shashank_re
Apr 23, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Man it is tooooooo heavy and BIG dude.I think its ~25kg.Adding Transportation costs will make it 19k i guess.
m-jeri
m-jeri #80
Apr 23, 2008 at 10:30 AM
****.....hmm..i think ill cancel my order and tell some frnds to pick up one...
mayanksharma
Apr 24, 2008 at 1:58 AM
Man it is tooooooo heavy and BIG dude.I think its ~25kg.Adding Transportation costs will make it 19k i guess.
25Kgs?? :eek: :D
Ohh, yeah u are going to love playing UT-III on booms!! :D
Give us a review ASAP!