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Logitech Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Trying to enjoy film, TV, gaming and music on your PC? Tired of mediocre PC audio? The Logitech Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System accurately reproduces dialogue, film soundtracks, explosive gaming audio and subtle ambient sound.
Average Customer Rating:
out of
5
(34 Reviews)
23 out of 3468%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
i feel lucky
Date: September 18, 2009
By dirty dan
from starke, fl
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I was returning a pair of logitechs that I had purchased for a friends birthday present that I had tested and was very disappointed. I was on my way out of the store empty handed and downhearted when a kind young gentleman that worked there inquired about my situation. To make a long story short he pointed out the sale on these z cinema systems. Hesitantly I bought a set and set home to test them.(I live a right fair piece from the city which ecxaserbated my aggravation with this whole process) anyway I couldn't believe my ears when I cranked these babies up. I kept them and immediatly(gladly) made the long journey back to the city too buy another for my friend. I have never been blessed with much luck in my life but at the price I got them and the enjoyment I have gotten out of them for the last year+ I feel that I was lucky. thank you.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: More than a year
Review 2 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Good Quality, Bad Features.
Date: September 16, 2009
By s3kShUn7
from Tucson, AZ
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
3
out of
5
Ease of use:
2
out of
5
Ergonomics:
3
out of
5
Note to people purchasing: These speakers do not have a button on them to turn on, off, up, or down the power or volume on them. You HAVE to use the remote. And, with non-functioning windows 7 drivers, this causes a huge issue, because you WILL end up turning your speakers up too loud on Accident. This is incredibly frustrating. Also, if the USB cable becomes detached, you have to plug it back in and Restart your computer for them to function. The dependence of these speakers on Itunes and Media Center makes it so that if either of these programs stops responding due to faulty Speaker Software, yes, these do effect that, then they won't work until you CTRL-ALT-DELETE and end the process. Wow. They have great quality, and the bass from the subwoofer can drive so well that your house will shake, but when you accidentally way turn up your volume too much, you may end up shaking your house at midnight, when you where trying to watch something you recorded on your TV tuner at midnight. No fun. But good Quality. Hence my 3 star rating. But, when they work, they are great to show off.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One week to a month
Review 3 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Best purchase ever
Date: September 13, 2009
By OOOROD
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
These speakers are the best computer speakers ive ever bought. The sub enclosure is huge even though the sub is only 8 inches it sounds amazing. This speaker system has the clarity of a 5.1 . The clarity is amazing even when its at very high volume. The bass is awesome it makes the room vibrate. You wont get distorted sound at any volume level. Oh but i do have to say.. im using a program that amplifies the sound. The program is called DFX.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One week to a month
1 of 1 found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Great speakers.
Date: September 11, 2009
By Trevor B.
from Los Angeles
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
For much of my life, I've always thought that graphics was the most important part of a computer system, so I'd overlook the speakers on my setups. I've used the regular 2.0 speakers that come with pre-made systems and thought they were fine. About 2 years ago I purchased the S-220 to "upgrade" my speakers. It was better but not by much. Only the bass sounded better.
After 2 years I decided that it just wasn't cutting it enough. I started researching speakers and sound cards to see what I could get. Turns out both are very expensive. So I turned to this alternative that I found, the Z Cinemas. Because they are USB, no sound card is needed. After contemplating, I decided to go with the Z Cinemas rather than buying a sound card and speaker system. The Z Cinemas were about $80 new from a place I found. VERY cheap compared to the other option of a sound card and speaker system that goes for $100 + $120.
After the speakers arrived, I was surprised at the size of just the box. It was bigger than I had expected, but did not get in the way. Let it be known though, even though these are 2.1 setup, the bass is heavy. The biggest bass unit I've ever had or seen compared to my friend's systems.
After removing all components from the box, installation was a breeze. Just hook up the speakers to the subwoofer then hook up the USB cable form the subwoofer to a USB port on your computer. Plug in the AC, install the software, restart your computer, and you are good to go.
I am using Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit and was slightly worried about previous reviews about the speakers not working or constantly crashing. This is not the case. I have not had a single crash and they have been working perfectly. My music sounds 5 times better than the S-220 speakers. My music is crisp and clear and the bass is great.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a great speaker system but don't want to buy a sound card, the Z Cinemas are perfect.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: One week to a month
1 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Best Speakers I Ever Had
Date: August 27, 2009
By SonicBlueFocus
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
I am simply impressed by the sound of these speakers. The sound is very clear and the bass is so awesome!!! I just got rid of my Bose speakers and these speakers exceed by far.
0 of 1 found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Audiophiles Rejoice
Date: August 18, 2009
By SpeakerGuru
from Boston, MA
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
4
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I upgraded to the Z Cinema speakers from two, yes two sets of Z-2300's (used a splitter cable). The sound quality on the Z Cinema speakers is far, far better than the Z-2300's. The bass doesn't hit nearly as hard, nor the volume get quite as loud as the 2300's, but these fallbacks are greatly overshadowed by the improved clarity and tightness of the sound. I would highly recommend these speakers for people who are looking for crystal clear sound; however, teenagers and those looking for nothing but heart pounding bass and volume will likely be disappointed.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: Less than a week
4 of 4 found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Great Sound
Date: August 8, 2009
By Ramrod
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
4
out of
5
Ease of use:
3
out of
5
Ergonomics:
3
out of
5
This speaker system really does sound as if there are speakers all around you. I put this system in so I could watch and control movies from my media center. It works great with movies and music. The only problem I am having is Vista Home Premium is locking up sometimes when I resume from sleep mode.
Review 8 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Great System - Very Innovative
Date: July 23, 2009
By imagekeeper
from California
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
These speakers were installed by the numbers on a quad core Vista 64 system using an Intel D975XBX2 mainboard after uninstalling the existing audio drivers and disabling the on-board audio hardware in the system BIOS.
The system worked perfectly with the 1.00.000 software first time …but my keyboard went crazy, repeating the first key pressed forever. The latest Vista 64 drivers (vs 1.00.013) did not solve the problem so I moved the USB connection from a powered USB 2.0 D-Link hub to one of the two USB 2.0 ports on a PCI USB card and things are perfect.
I like a full body sonic massage from my music like most guys I know but I also like to hear each and every instrument as a distinct component of the music I listen to, which is largely classical. As a test of both volume and clarity I played Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3 and was very satisfied with both the volume and the clarity. The piece goes from almost inaudible passages to overpowering volume, from symphony without voice to the marvelous sounds of Dawn Upshaw’s soprano voice.
I also played Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album and was very satisfied with the volume and clarity of the Z Cinema system from the beginning heartbeat to the ending background chatter. The clocks chimed each one distinct from each of the others.
Even the mp3 files I use for background music on my web site played with more nuances than I realized were present in the music.
I have not played any surround source files (games or movies), only stereo source files so I can’t comment on the ‘Surround’ effect but I do find that SRS gives the stereo music a more open, large room feel without sacrificing any clarity. I leave it turned on now.
The listening experience on the Z Cinema system in my computer room is on a par with the Z 5500 system in my studio, which is THX certified and is also optimized for clarity, not volume.
On a properly configured computer the Z Cinema system is a joy. The only thing I would like is a Bluetooth link between the controller and the speaker system, and ditto for the Z 5500 controller; line-of-sight infrared communication links are too easily blocked in a cluttered environment.
Some thoughts to consider…
The Z Cinema system is optimized for clarity of sound, like the Z-5500 Digital system I have in the studio, not for blowing out all the windows in the house …however much fun that might be. In my computer room (14’x9.5’) there is more than enough volume for everything from classical to rock-and-roll, but probably not enough volume to damage human auditory systems. If I had perfect pitch I could tell you the exact resonant frequency of my computer desk, the floor and the walls …if I can feel the sound as well as hear it that should be loud enough for most listening.
This system is more dependent on software than any other PC audio system I am aware of. As a result the local computer can make or break the Z Cinema system depending on factors that are not under Logitech’s control. My system is a high-end, quad core 64-bit system with 8 gigs of RAM running Vista Ultimate 64. The Windows Media Center software is installed so that is what the Logitech software uses on my system.
This system is dependent on the USB bus unlike other PC audio systems. The USB bus does have some issues that can adversely affect the components attached to it. As noted above I had to use a USB 2.0 port directly connected to the PCI bus in the computer for the Z Cinema in order to avoid conflicts with my keyboard (Kensington Slimblade Bluetooth via USB receiver).
In over 5 hours of constant music play I only experienced one break in the playback and that was before I moved the USB to the PCI/USB port and before I upgraded the Logitech software to the current version, I have not experienced a break in the playback since those changes. I have noticed similar breaks when playing movies on this computer (not recently though) and I suspect the breaks have more to do with the local computer than with the Z Cinema system or the Logitech software.
I have also checked the CPU usage in Task Manager when playing music from a CD. I do not see an increase over what the Window Media Center / Windows Media Player consume on their own, which is considerable in short bursts. I’m sure the Logitech software consumes some CPU cycles but it is not enough to show up on the charts.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: Less than a week
7 of 7 found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Exellent value for the money
Date: July 16, 2009
By sueeee
from Frederick, MD
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
Got this on sale for $79.99 + shipping. Super easy setup..couple of standard windows reboots and done. Have Windows Vista (not by choice) but seems cranking clear distortion free sound is possible without the volume even half way up. I don't understand why people are having trouble with the amount of volume you get. I am suspecting it is a configuration issue. I didn't get it loud the first time I listened to a song but after configuring the speakers in the "sound" properties in the control panel It was LOUD and I am someone who listened to death metal in the 80's. I can't see a situation where I would have to turn it all the way up unless I wanted the police to come over LOL!
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One month to a year
Review 10 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Awsomeee
Date: July 11, 2009
By sid
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
These speakers are amazing, they are so easy to set up. there are no little tiny wires that u have to twist on to make it work, its as simple as 2 plugs and turning it on with the amazing remote.
Review 11 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Great Speakers..i dont know about other reviewers
Date: July 10, 2009
By audiophileee
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
These speakers are phenomenal. I have a self built high end computer and these speakers work great with them. I do not have any problems with skipping, the volume is perfect and the sound does not get distorted at higher volumes...as said by other reviewers. Believe it or not all sub woofers work best near a wall or corner, so if your desk is conveniently near one i would recommend putting it near the wall or corner of the walls. These speakers sound amazing, they have tight accurate bass and nail the highs and lows of all my music. At 80$ these speakers are a steal!
Review 12 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Not good
Date: July 6, 2009
By big b
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
1
out of
5
Features:
1
out of
5
Performance:
1
out of
5
Ease of use:
1
out of
5
Ergonomics:
1
out of
5
I had this system if that's what you want to call it for about like two month's and it's been a pain, i hate this system the volume is low and it alway's cut off when it want to and then you have to reboot it.so overall rating for me is one star and that's for the cool designs.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: One month to a year
2 of 9 found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Great speakers!(especially on sale for $60-80)
Date: June 23, 2009
By amplifierfire
from Silver Spring MD
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
4
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
3
out of
5
I also have have the klipsch ifi that I use for my PC speakers. The Z- cinemas share many similaritites with the Klipsch. Both are seemingly quieter than many cheaper PC speakers and have less apparent bass. Both do have very tight clean bass and low overall distortion. Another similarity is that the volume control is very linear in it's control on both speakers. I think this is one of the reasons the Z's are accused initially of being weak is that 10 is actually a usuable volume. Not a distorted mess like many multimedia speakers. Many other I have heard are maxed out at 1/2 volume and only get more distorted.
The Z's are brighter than the ifi and often require decreasing the treble. I was suprised actually by how much the sound improved with over the intergated audio in my gateway desktop.
The software is generally ok. It seems to crash if your computer goes to sleep but is easily restarted.
It can be set to very unobtrusive or annoying if you would like. THe SRS works well and cleans stereo material up but tends to brighten it too much. This is easily cured with the simple but usefull tone controls. The surround effect is really only noticable with 5.1 material. This is actually a nice feature as many surround effects distort the music. With 5.1 material it works as well as can be expected with the rear sounds making a 120 degree arc of a soundstage. The remote is nice with an ipod like scroll wheel. The only drawback is that the speakers are either controlled by the remote or software with no control on the speaker itself.
It can be set to very unobtrusive or annoying if you would like. THe SRS works well and cleans stereo material up but tends to brighten it too much. This is easily cured with the simple but usefull tone controls. The surround effect is really only noticable with 5.1 material. This is actually a nice feature as many surround effects distort the music. With 5.1 material it works as well as can be expected with the rear sounds making a 120 degree arc of a soundstage. The remote is nice with an ipod like scroll wheel. The only drawback is that the speakers are either controlled by the remote or software with no control on the speaker itself.
Overall, many people equate boomy bass and sizzling treble with good sound. If that is your cup of tea than these speakers are not for you. If you prefer clean sound and do not plan on using them as the sound system for your rave, you will enjoy these speakers(especialy if you bougth them for $60 online like I did.) These speakers are quite solidly built and overall a good purchase.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One week to a month
3 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Fantastic speakers, great quality
Date: June 23, 2009
By Ben
from Leeds, UK
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I bought these speakers yesterday for £120 and they're definitely worth the money! The bass although cannot be made as high as with my previous set is more than crushing enough when I blast death metal through them at any volume. I've read quite a few of the other reviews that people have written and I'm left asking how people had any problems at all. One person said the bass is absolutely terrible when you set them up for the first time and it ruins sound quality which is true, but can easily be rectified by turning the bass up! (Seeing as when I turned them on they came preset with bass on like -10dB) I did that and now they're fine. They never cut out, they play at all volumes, they never crash (I've had my PC on for over 24 hours and I've had no issues as of yet), and the remote is a great touch. I'd definitely recommend these to anyone looking for some new speakers with great sound quality. Also, if some of the other reviews have left you wary, I'd definitely say give them a try, because if you have no problems with them like me then you'll love them.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: Less than a week
Review 15 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
PC audio quality isn't dead
Date: June 7, 2009
By Roj
from Ottawa, Canada
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
I bought these as a replacement for my Monsoon PM-14s / Xonar DX combo. The Monsoons are flat panels with a clear and detailed soundstage, punchy, tight bass, crisp clean highs and with the exception of the remote, excellent build quality. They are classics and a very tough act to follow.
The Logitechs (a brand I generally do not associate with sound quality) actually surpass the Monsoons in audio quality and add mid-bass performance which the PM-14s lack. The sound is detailed and clear, the bass solid and punchy with no boom, the highs balanced with the rest of the system (Bose falls flat in all of those categories).
It does not surprise me that some reviewers don't like these speakers. Most gamers equate boom with bass and and loudness, no matter how muffled, with power. These speakers are not about boom and bust – they are about quality sound in a PC environment.
Suffice it to say that while I certainly would not recommend many of the other members of Logitech's speaker lineup (the useless THX Certification is amusing), I will definitely recommend these to the discerning buyer who cares about what he's listening to while he's working, surfing the web or what have you. The build quality across the board is excellent and visually appealing – and remember I own Monsoon speakers which are at the very least visually striking, never mind their obviously superior sound quality.
I originally bought a set of Z-Cinemas for my wife's laptop, not wishing to spend extra for a Xonar external sound card and lacking 64-bit drivers (at the time) for a similar M-Audio product. After listening to them for ten minutes, we got back in the car, went back to Best Buy and picked up MY set.
I'm very pleased.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One month to a year
7 of 7 found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
sick set...awesome
Date: May 21, 2009
By specialav
from newark nj
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
5
out of
5
Performance:
5
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
i dont get the bad reviews their pc must be bad bought these from tiger direct for 80 yams! and man these things knock! i run em on itunes and use the EQ depending on what music im listening to their amazing for the buck! definetly worth 300.00 when i pump em on full idle you cant hear yourself speaking!!!!!......logitech the new bose!!!!in speakers
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: More than a year
0 of 2 found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Exellent machine
Date: May 11, 2009
By Steves1990
from Belgiuem
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
5
out of
5
Features:
3
out of
5
Performance:
4
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
Ive got it a while now and i do like it it great the bass is grate u realy feel te surround just 1 thing its not wildly loud but loud enough though
Technical Expertise: Newbie
I've used this product: One week to a month
1 of 2 found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Pretty bad sounding containers
Date: May 3, 2009
By A dude
from California
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
1
out of
5
Features:
1
out of
5
Performance:
1
out of
5
Ease of use:
5
out of
5
Ergonomics:
5
out of
5
They sound horrible. The only thing great is the design, and the remote. This may not be a great review, but this should do. Just not buy this product. i recommend Z-2300. They are THX certified, and are cheaper.
Technical Expertise: Proficient User
I've used this product: Less than a week
5 of 7 found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
No wonder it was on discount.
Date: April 20, 2009
By Jay
from USA
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
3
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
1
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
3
out of
5
I love Logitech's audio systems. I have 2.1 and 5.1 systems which can rattle the house.
The Z Cinema is not the same. Thinking the USB would be superior to the analog, I bought it on sale at $80. Should have been a warning.
The base doesn't drive at all despite fiddling with every setting in Windows Media and the speaker itself.
Anything past halfway on the volume gets distorted. Even uncompressed audio files sound muddled and distorted.
Buy a Z-2300. It's a superior system for about the same price.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One week to a month
1 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Z Cin?ma Advanced Surround Sound System
Works great for me
Date: April 6, 2009
By KevinH
from Kerrville, TX
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Quality:
4
out of
5
Features:
4
out of
5
Performance:
4
out of
5
Ease of use:
4
out of
5
Ergonomics:
4
out of
5
I see a bunch of people had some problem or another. In contrast, my experience with a Z Cinema system has been great. I installed the software that came with it and that worked fine. I then uninstalled/re-installed the current software, worked fine. Interfaces fine with iTunes. More than enough volume available, though I am using it in a home office room, not trying to fill a noisy bar or something. Sound is great though I did turn the bass down a notch, seemed a little boomy. I have Vista Home Prem SP1 32-bit. I am sorry there isn't support for LINUX for the surround sound and interface to Banshee.
I got it sharply discounted at TigerDirect, who charged $37 shipping; I wasn't happy about the shipping cost until I saw how much it weighed. A really solid system. My alternative would have been 2.1 analog speakers to replace an old set, so for twice the price of what I was going to pay I got a real good digital system with remote control! I'm quite happy.
I got it sharply discounted at TigerDirect, who charged $37 shipping; I wasn't happy about the shipping cost until I saw how much it weighed. A really solid system. My alternative would have been 2.1 analog speakers to replace an old set, so for twice the price of what I was going to pay I got a real good digital system with remote control! I'm quite happy.
Technical Expertise: Tech Savvy
I've used this product: One week to a month
3 of 3 found this review helpful.
