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When I made the switch and bought the Mac, the speakers I had just wouldn’t cut it. So, I ordered new ones. I’ve been anxiously waiting for them to get here… and finally the wait is over.

After doing some research, I went with the Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 505-Watt 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System.

The technical details are as follows:

• 5.1 speaker system with 4 satellite speakers, center speaker, subwoofer, and Digital SoundTouch control center
• Connects to PCs, DVD players, CD players, portable MP3 players, and game consoles
• Digital SoundTouch unit controls volume, surround sound effects, and more
• Supports Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS 96/24, and Dolby Pro Logic
• 505 watts total system power (62 watts x 4, plus 69-watt center speaker and 188-watt subwoofer)

The new, larger 10-inch long-throw subwoofer driver with flared bass port delivers 188 watts of thunderous bass. Polished aluminum phase-plug satellites combine two drivers into one–the clarity of a tweeter with the richness and fullness of a separate mid-range. The Z-5500 Digital actively adjusts frequency response in real time for the cleanest, most accurate sound reproduction. The Digital SoundTouch Control Center lets you control volume to all speakers, set inputs, and much more. And the separate wireless remote is great for home theaters and video game consoles. Cloth grilles are removable for a pro-audio look. Pedestals rotate for easy wall mounting or desk placement. Center channel can be mounted on wall, above or below monitor. You can also simultaneously connect 6 audio sources including PCs, video game consoles, and DVD, CD & portable music players… and control it all from the Digital SoundTouch Control Center.

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THX Certified Speakers Unboxing

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One of the callers from the 888-PIRILLO line is having trouble connecting his home theater system to his PC. He can hear sounds coming from it, but when he plays games and such, he’s not getting surround sound.

If all the cables are connected properly, and your sound card can handle it… you may need a different type of cable. Make sure that the speakers, sound card and cables you have are all capable of supporting Surround Sound. I asked what kind of cable he’s using. He’s using a standard mini-jack… which will not give him 5.1 Surround Sound. I let him know he’s going to have to have at least five cables. 5.1is the most common surround setup: pairs of front and rear speakers, plus a front center “dialog” speaker. Look for Dolby Digital or DTS in games and DVDs.

Perfecting your sound is a three-step process. To start you need to correctly configure your soundcard. All the big players provide some sort of Control Panel or configuration software that lets you adjust the card’s settings to suit your speaker system. At the very least it should let you pick the number of speakers you’re using or choose headphones. In many cases there are wizards to make the process easier.

Next you’ll need to set your application software, be it a DVD player or the latest game. For games the usual options are for A3D, EAX, DirectSound or alternative. Some DVD players now offer virtual Dolby or a full Dolby software decoder built-in – this provides you with a Dolby certified decoding system that will then work with any speaker system.

The final step is to check your speakers. The optimal positioning is to have the satellites at ear height and equally spread out. Any central speaker should be placed either above or below the monitor, while the subwoofer can technically be placed anywhere, though towards the front of the room is best.

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Home Theater Speakers and your PC