Is it worth upgrading?

AFK_Matrix

AFK_Matrix

AFK_Matrix

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Ok i am no audio expert tbh but do like to hear good quality sound. I am mainly a gamer but do play some movies on my system in sig.

At the moment i have the Creative T700 7.1 speaker system and an Audigy 2zs.

Now what i am thinking about buying is the following:

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music - Retail (SC-034-CL)
&
Logitech Z-5500 THX® Certified 5.1 505 Watts Speakers - Retail (SP-021-LG)

Am i really going to see a massive improvement over my old setup with these?

I was also looking at the HDA Digital X-Plosion 7.1 DTS Connect PCI Dolby Soundcard (SC-003-HT) as it has DTS but is this better than the xfi??

Are there any other speakers u would recommend, i would like to have the remote and i like the lcd volume control as well.
 
AFK_Matrix said:
At the moment i have the Creative T700 7.1 speaker system and an Audigy 2zs.

Now what i am thinking about buying is the following:

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music - Retail (SC-034-CL)
&
Logitech Z-5500 THX® Certified 5.1 505 Watts Speakers - Retail (SP-021-LG)

Am i really going to see a massive improvement over my old setup with these?
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I'm sure you'll hear a big improvement. Not that I've used either an X-Fi or the Z5500, but the speakers you have currently are pretty poor. All the creative speakers made by creative themselves (rather than the Gigaworks and Megaworks range made by Cambridge Audio for creative) are pretty ropey.

Btw you should find out about the X-Fi's digital out, it may only do 5.1 digital out in movies (if it's anything like the Audigy) and only stereo digital out in games. In fact looking at the XtremeMusic board, I don't see any optical out at all, looks like you only get that with the drive bay. Of course you can always just use anlogue out instead.
 
Thanks for ** comments mate.

Just reading a few reviews and comments about the Logitech Z-5500 speakers and people are saying that the huge subwoofer gives of a lot of EM radiation and if placed near ** computer it will cause serious issues, can someone who has these speakers comment on this pls?

If this is the case will have to hold off buying them :( as at the mo i have a very small room and would have issue placing the subwoofer, as the one i have at the mo on my creative setup is right next to me computer. Would putting this z-5500 subwoofer in the corner at the back of the room be ok though?

Will look into the digital output from the xfi, i take it digital output is better than analogue? Would the HDA Xplostion do digital output?

Sorry for all the questions but as i said i am a bit of a sound noob.
 
Subs aren't positional so you can put it pretty much anywhere, as long as the wires will reach your PC. If its right next to your PC case it could maybe interfere with your soundcard. Btw that sub is very big, so check it's not too big for your room. The whole set may be overkill for a small room actually.

If you do get them, you may want to consider fitting some sort of spikes on the underneath of the sub, which will isolate it from the floorboards and limit the amount of sound reaching your neighbours. From what I've read the Z5500 can make your whole house shake :eek:

Dunno about the other questions.
 
Fish you mention putting the sub near the pc case, I get no interference with my pc but my sub is 4 inches away from my pc case with the logitech 5400 speakers, is this safe on the pc. Some people have mentioned magnets damaging the pc.

Back to topic, Matrix I have the 5400's and they are truely awesome, if it wasnt for the sub size I wouldve got the set your after. The sub for the 5500's is bigger than the 5400's. If you like I can take a picture of the sub next to the case so you can see just how huge it is.
 
Yeah that would be great mate would appreciate it, don't think i can get these speakers just yet my room is just too small but me and some mates are going to be renting somewhere soon in May so will make sure i get a big room :D

Really would like some advice on the soundcard though, I think its between the XFI Xtreme and the HDA Digital X-Plosion. I am leaning towards the X-Plosion as it has the digital connection. But would the X-Mystique do just as well, do i really need the X-Plosion?

What are the differences between the X-plosion and the X-Mystique apart from the £40 difference that is :p
 
Theres a note that comes with the 5500's "keep at least 2 feet away from anything electrical due to magents and blah blah etc.."


When i first opened them up and tested , anything within 2/3 feet close to my pc from the sub made the sub pick up radio.

Have it in the corner of my room away from anything and its great :D

atm I only use onboard coax out, my old audigy2 was a bit of an improvement, but I'm waiting it out for a cheap second hand mystique :)


Also my room isnt exactly big, but I'm wanting these speakers to last a good while, if I want to I can make the house shake, and next door too.

Pop over to the HDA thread *ill get link in a sec* Lots of info and a few reviews soon from the newer hitech card :)

Ninja edit// http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17508657&page=1&pp=30

Last few pages mate :)
 
I just turned my sub around so the airhole is facing the wall (im lazy and cba to rach round the back to the power switch...ended up in more work but yeah) and now it sounds awful :rolleyes:

damn lazy-ness.

@James, I think thats why the note came with the sub not my pc ;) heh
 
Thanks James you put my mind at rest about the positioning of mine.

I'm one of those people that hates too much base anyway, the sub is always practically turned off. And with that particular sub if you crank it up a couple of bars it bounces you round the room :)
 
dannyjo22 said:
Thanks James you put my mind at rest about the positioning of mine.

I'm one of those people that hates too much base anyway, the sub is always practically turned off. And with that particular sub if you crank it up a couple of bars it bounces you round the room :)
Click to expand...


Thats the best part ;)
 
Psypher5 said:
Thats the best part ;)
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P1010024_1.JPG


Yeah i'd agree with that..
 
james.miller said:
pc's arent affected by magnets. however, the amp in the sub could be affected by the pc. and subs......subs are positional. they are very positional.
Click to expand...

They're directional (some of them), but not really positional. 5.1 can have just a single sub because your ears don't pick up on the direction the bass is coming from, they pick up all the directional cues from the sats. Of course you don't want the port facing a wall, but as long as the sub is somewhere in front of you, that should do.

Never been a fan of excessive bass here either, I just want to hear the amount the band intended.
 
So does the sub being in front of you mess up the postional cues from rears? No it doesn't. The sub may be a little positional, but it's nothing compared to how positional the other 5 speakers are. If it was each speaker would need it's own sub or the positional sound would be totally messed up.
 
Well it's carrying the bass portion of the same sounds that come out of all the other speakers. If you've got a loud explosion coming out of the left rear, the sub carries most of that sound, and the left rear only carries the high frequencies of it, but the explosion still sounds like it's coming from the left rear, because your ears focus more on the directional cues of higher frequencies. That's why 5.1 can get away with just a single sub but it needs 5 postional woofers and 5 positional tweeters.
 
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