Logitech Z Cinema Speaker System

[PAGETITLE=Introduction] Among the major manufacturers of PC speakers, one particular market segment has been eerily silent for about the last year - large high-end multichannel speaker systems. Klipsch has already headed for the door, and new high-end systems from the big-name manufacturers at the last two CES events have been of the 2.1 variety. That trend led me to comment in our forum in September 2007 that "customers are more interested in having a pair of very high-quality speakers instead of five speakers of middling quality for the same price", and attributed this shift in focus to the failure of the "Media Center PC" model, which caused enthusiasts to take the PC into the home theater (giving birth to the HTPC phenomenon), instead of building the home theater around the PC. The first example of this trend came at the 2007 CES, when Razer and THX unveiled their otherworldly Mako 2.1-channel speaker system, a $349 2.1-channel system that was actually designed in partnership with THX Ltd. The second, however, came at this year's CES, when Logitech unveiled their newest high-performance Z-series PC speaker system, the Z Cinéma. The Z Cinéma puts a twist on the typical 2.1-channel system, one which I suggested in late 2006 with my first review - that the addition of a virtual-surround algorithm like Dolby Virtual Speaker or SRS TruSurround could add a new dimension to the performance of traditional 2.1-channel speaker systems, eliminating the need for rear speakers completely. In the case of the Z Cinéma system SRS Labs' TruSurround HD algorithm is used to synthesize an encircling surround sound experience by relying on psychoacoustics - that is, taking advantage of the way our ears and brain perceive the directionality of sound to create the impression of speakers where there are none. The Z Cinéma system pairs this technology with two improved two-way satellite speakers similar to the design of the Z Cinéma system, and a monstrous subwoofer. Finally, the system also includes a remote with complete Windows Media Center functionality - the infrared receiver in the speakers can double as the PC's own infrared receiver. All this is controlled and fed - digitally - through a single USB link to the host machine. Logitech graciously provided a sample of their newest high-performance speaker system, and in this article, I'll put it to the test. Does this pairing of virtual-surround technology with a 2.1-channel speaker system make for a compelling surround sound experience? [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=Packaging; First Impressions] The Z Cinéma box is two things - large, and heavy. It's covered with high-quality photography, and clearly describes the Z Cinéma system's unusual approach to surround sound. Its weight is reassuring - welterweight speakers tend to, as a general rule, deliver welterweight performance - but it's not unmanageably heavy. In the box, the subwoofer is packed between two styrene plastic shells, with the upper shell encasing the satellite speakers and included accessories. In the Z Cinéma's package, you get the subwoofer and satellite speakers themselves, a quick-start guide, a more in-depth instruction manual, a software installation disc, the included Media Center remote, and a USB cable for connecting the speakers themselves to the host PC. They're even kind enough to provide a set of batteries for the remote, so everything you need to get started is in the box. My Z Cinéma system's travel wasn't without incident, however. The heaviest component, the subwoofer, suffered some superficial cosmetic damage to its faceplate either in packing or in transit. However, the subwoofer's enclosure itself was not compromised, so the damage isn't enough to affect performance. Next, we'll take a look at the features of the Z Cinéma system in more depth, to see how each contributes to the system's performance. Type: 2.1-channel (two satellite speakers, subwoofer) System Frequency Response: 40-20,000 Hz (+/-3dB) Subwoofer Configuration: Bass-Reflex, Self-Amplified. Subwoofer Driver: 8 inch long-excursion. Subwoofer Power Output: 110W RMS (4 ohms @ 45Hz) Satellite Configuration: Two-Way, Bass Reflex, Bi-Amplified. Satellite Drivers: 1" textile-dome tweeter, 3" poly-cone midwoofer. Satellite Power Output: 26W RMS (Midwoofer, 4 ohms @ 335Hz) + 9W RMS (Tweeter, 16 ohms @ 17.4kHz) Satellite Cable Length: 6 feet. Amplifier Type: Hybrid Class-D/Class-AB, actively crossed-over. Subwoofer Dimensions (H x W x D, mm): 292.4 x 290.6 x 413.9. Satellite Dimensions (H x W x D, mm): 250.4 x 115 x 112.4. System Requirements: USB Port, CD-ROM drive, 256MB RAM, 20MB available hard drive space, Windows Media Center (for full remote functionality) [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=Features Overview] We're taking a look at Logitech's latest high-performance speaker system, the Z Cinéma. The Z Cinéma system relies on a combination of potent high-fidelity loudspeakers and intelligent DSP processing to produce a convincing surround sound experience. Here's a look at the Z Cinéma system from a technical standpoint. The Z Cinéma System is a 2.1-channel system, yet with just a pair of satellites and a substantial subwoofer, it promises a complete surround sound experience. It accomplishes this by using a DSP algorithm to produce a virtual sound field that extends past the speakers themselves. There are a number of such algorithms that have been developed by a variety of companies, such as SRS and Dolby. By applying phase shift, crossfading, and frequency-response transfer functions, these algorithms effectively trick your ear and brain into hearing sounds that seem to come from thin air. In the case of Logitech's Z Cinéma, they've chosen SRS Labs' TruSurround HD processing. Because the number of speakers required is reduced by three, Logitech is able to splurge on the satellite speakers themselves, and has stepped up to a two-way configuration that's similar to that used in their Z-10 two-piece speaker system, combining a separate midwoofer and tweeter driver in a svelte enclosure that's trimmed with glossy black plastic and brushed aluminum accents. The two-way configuration provides greatly enhanced high-frequency extension, but it also allows the satellite speakers to deliver high frequencies with less distortion, and greater clarity and definition than a single "full-range" driver, thanks to the low-mass "dome" diaphragm geometry. Each satellite is vented at the rear, which adds warmth and richness to their lower midrange and upper bass performance. The subwoofer is similar to others in the Z series - it uses a massive front-firing bass driver, and is vented to the side with a gaping reflex port. It's a configuration that has worked well for Logitech in the past, and is capable of quite high output. The driver itself has a thick, stiff paper cone and a beefy large-roll foam surround, allowing it to accommodate large 'excursions' of the cone and generate tons of air movement both from the cone itself and from the enormous port. The back panel of the subwoofer contains connections for the satellite speakers and the USB input connection for the host PC, as well as a heatsink to dissipate waste heat from the Z Cinéma's hybrid amplifier. The right satellite speaker also contains a 3.5mm headphone output jack, as well as a 3.5mm stereo line input, for connecting a portable music player. Source switching is accomplished through the infrared remote control. Open up the Z Cinéma subwoofer, and this is what you'll find. The Z Cinéma's subwoofer is devoid of any large transformers - the power supply is the small sandy-colored circuit board mounted to the base of the sub's enclosure. The switching-type power supply eliminates any need for massive transformers - it simply steps down the line voltage. The amplifier circuitry itself is mounted to the back panel, and the Class-AB section (which provides power to the satellite speakers) dissipates its heat through the rear panel heatsink. The brawnier 110-watt Class D amplifier that powers the subwoofer requires no heatsinking, thanks to its special all-digital "switching" design. The enormous bass port is curved in the shape of a 'U' to allow the compact enclosure to accommodate its length. The Z Cinéma system also includes a wireless infrared remote, which integrates full Windows Media Center functionality, as well as controls for the system's volume, channel levels, tone settings, and the SRS TruSurround mode. The system also provides visual feedback via a LED display on the right satellite speaker, which also houses the system's IR receiver. Next, we'll take a look at the control software provided with the Z Cinéma system, and what my listening testing revealed. [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=Software; Testing] From the impressive hardware and technology we've seen so far, it's clear that Logitech isn't messing around with the Z Cinéma system. The Z Cinéma speakers integrate their own audio codec processing, which eliminates the need for a sound card altogether - preserving a pure digital path from the PC to the loudspeaker drivers themselves. The Z Cinéma speaker system requires you to install a control program from the supplied CD-ROM in order to use the SRS TruSurround HD functionality, whose DSP processing is done in software. The control program allows software-based control of the system volume, channel levels, and tone controls, and provides on-screen display of the current system settings whenever a change is made. This display can be fairly cumbersome and blocky at times, but thankfully it can be disabled altogether, with only the illuminated display on the right satellite speaker providing visual feedback. The on-screen display worked fine with Windows Media Player, but wouldn't reflect changes made in foobar2000, which I use to play FLAC files. Testing. To perform listening testing, I used my reference PC, which is outfitted with a high-quality ASUS Xonar sound card, as well as a silent cooling...

Logitech Z Cinema Speaker System

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