Logitech Z-5500 speaker setup but can't get 5.1

Hi everyone,

The other day I brought Logitechs Z-5500 surround sound system which I haven't wanted for well over a year now. I have set them all up. I connected the three cables (black, orange, and green) to the back of my pc for 6-channel setup but I get nothing through the speakers. I am connecting them using an S-bracket on the rear of my pc. I have also tried connecting them via the backpanel but I still get nothing. I have been into my sound card settings and enabled 5.1 and also set it to S-bracket when connected via the S-bracket. However, when I change the effect on the control centre to stereo r stereox2 I can get sound. I just can't get the 5.1 to work. I am sure I must be missing something but I don't know what :-S I have only previously had crappy pc speakers in the past so I have never setup of had 5.1 before. Any ideas anyone? Thanks.

-dwarfer16

I have a z-5400 surround system which is very similar to the z-5500 but I think yours has a different control centre.

It seems very strange that you can get sound when you select Stereo x2 and not on stereo, all what stereo x2 is doing is playing the output on stereo mode but also to the rear speakers.

What software are you using when you are having this problem? I can only imagine that the problem is down to the software or drivers.

Are you using Windows XP and what sound card/mobo are you using?

It does work on stereo and on stereox2 but it doesn't work on 6-channel direct even though that is how I have connected it. I have a KT3-Ultra2 MSI mobo with a buildin soundcard Avance AC97. I have only tried it playing mp3's and a few tv progs on my pc so far. Could that be why? I am trying to test it with a dvd through my pc today. But I thought even if the sound wasn't 5.1, you should still get sound but it just wouldn't be surround...but I get nothing!

For movies and tv shows id install ac3filter and set it up for 5.1 system, that will output stereo to all 5 channels.

For MP3s im not totally sure, if you are using winamp you might be able to get a plugin which allows output to all 5 channels. It could be how the logitech box is working, when on 6 ch direct really you are only getting 2 channels sent through from a stereo source so would only come through 2 speakers.

Make sure that within windows you have set your speaker setup to 5.1 surround.

I personally dont use the analog connections as im using an X-Mystique and connect it via digital. I can give it ago later using analog and see what happens but it may not be much use as I have a different soundcard, speakers and operating system.

I have the Z-5500 it is awesome and i only paid £160 for it form amazon.What content r u playing? If it is stereo such as a CD then it will only come out of stereo left and right, the other 3 speakers (Centre + Surround) will not be used. If u r palying surround content i.e. a DVD that outputs a surround signal then it will play through all the speakers. My soundcard is the x-fi fatal1ty so i can enable cmss 3d which upmixes stereo content so it plays through all the speakers. If u r getting no sound i may suggest that u check that the cables are plugged into the correct connectors, it sounds to me like u have mixed up the cables to the connections, dont wish to seem patronising but often that is the case in problems like this. Also on the control unit at the back there is a switch that turns it from a direct connection into a stereo connection for 3 inputs.

connect it via spdif and set to dolby pII modes on the z5500

Thanks everyone for your posts. I don't think that I have connected it incorrectly as sound still comes through the speakers, but only when set to stereo or stereox2 on the control panel. This is even when the connectors are connected for 6-channel setup as they are at the moment. I have also enabled 5.1 on my sound card.

I'm not sure about speakers as this is my first decent set ever (and what a set!). But I would of thought that even if the sound isn't 5.1, it should still come out the speakers even if set to 5.1, it just wouldn't be surround and wouldn't come through the central speakers?! I may be wrong. I will test this tomorrow by playing a DVD on my comp which should hopefully play 5.1.

Also this may seem like a dumb queston but I'm guessing that the 6-channel connection is an analogue connection? I read in a post that someone uses digital? Either via digital coax or optical? I actually have these two connections on my sound card and on my dvd player. I am wondering what would be the best way to connect these up? At the mo I'm obviously connecting my comp via the 3 leads (whatever they are called), but I will need to take a trip to Maplin soon anyways! Any ideas? Thanks.

-dwarfer16

What sound card is it connected to?

The speakers are digital so I would guess you don't want analogue

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/...i=&p_topview=1 is worth a look at

MY sound card is built on my mobo which is MSI KT3-Ultra2. The sound card is Avence AC97 I believe. I will go to maplin today and get an optical and coax cable for my comp and dvd player and hopefully give that a go :-D Cheers.

-dwarfer16

Right, my problems continue! I went to Maplin today to go digital, I brought an optical and coaxial cable. My dvd player only has a coaxial connection so I connected that via coaxial and have connected my pc via optical. When I set the unit to optical (i.e. my pc), I can get music played through winamp on stereo and stereox2, but from reading the manual it says that PLII Music should upmix any stereo sound to 5.1 but I get nothing on this setting. I have tried a plugin in winamp but it still doesn't detect it as surround.

My DVD is even more annoying! connected it all up but I have tried several DVD's and get mixed results, I tried Star Wars EpII to start with, I got sound straight away when the menu loaded, but when I started the film I got nothing. I checked that 5.1 was enable on the dvd setup and it was but I still get nothing from the film. Yet on the control centre, it is registering that it is receiving Dolby surround, this is the only effect it will have, I tested it by turning off my dvd player and then the DOLBY on the screen change to no digital input. So the system is registering it is surround I think but not playing it! Yet it played sound upto the menu of the DVD! I also tried Gladiator, this actually worked in the film but if I played it when the centre was set to coaxial it would detetect no signal, I would have to press Direct and then press coaxial again, then it would play sound!! But still it wasn't surround! Ahhh going crazy! Any help would be greatly appreciated! Cheers.

-dwarfer16

could be a faulty control centre box and its not outputting and detecting things correctly, especially since you tried it on DVD player via coax and it didnt get any sound from the star wars dvd.

In terms of the PC im not sure what you onboard sound is like but it would be much better to get a different soundcard if you want to use digital. I tried my onboard sound a while back via digital and I had mixed results like you have. The X-Mystique I am using is much better as it has Dolby Digital Live and will play music through all speakers when the drivers at set to 2ch input and to output via SPDIF DDLive.

Try some more DVD's via Coax, when you are playing a Dolby Digital 5.1 stream it should just come up as Digital on the box and you cannot change the affect. If you still have problems id suggest sending it back for a replacment.

Hope this helps.

If you're watching DVDs through a program such as PowerDVD, make sure its not an OEM version (one that came with the DVD drive or system) these are 2 channel versions.

You will need to buy a retail version to get full 5 channel sound support.