Greetings all,
I'm having issues deciding on which system to get. I just recently got an Audigy 2 ZS for Christmas and am thinking I need to upgrade my Altec Lansing 2.1 sound system for something that really takes advantage of this new card. I've been researching for days (Probably spent 12+ hours total so far) trying to find the correct system. Well, I've finally come to a crossroads, as seen above.
I'm not into watching movies all that much and on the rare occasion I do, it's not on my PC. My main habits are excessive gaming and even more excessive music listening and I'm looking for a system to fit the bill. Basically I've come to these two systems and here is where I'm torn:
The Z-5500 seems like a really great system. It has high quality audio for both gaming and music, which is definitely what I'm looking for. However, it includes many features which I presumably will not be taking advantage of. Things like digital connections. Since I understand that these are fairly exclusively used by movies, I'd have no use for a nice coax or optical connection. Unless I'm wrong here, correct me if I am. The Z-5500 is also a great looking system.
But the Z-5300e is about $150 cheaper than the Z-5500 and the Z-5300e contains all the features I want, minus the mostly DVD features, which is great. But, I'm questioning the audio quality. I really want something that's going to floor the hell out of me when I listen to my music. Something that's going to have good all around sound, low, mid, high and be very crisp and clear, like nothing I've heard before. From what I understand, the Z-5300 is a bit lacking in this area. So, essentially, is it worth it to spend the extra $150 to get that improvement in sound, or is it less than I've read? I have no way of listening to the two systems and comparing before hand and thus, I am looking for some knowledgeable people who have had both systems. If there really is a significant difference between the two in terms of audio quality, I will opt for the Z-5500, as I figure not only will it give me awesome sound, but also allow me to be future proof and if I ever have need to hook it up to a DVD player or a home theater, it's got that ability.
Thanks.
Edit: One last question: I have the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum with the front panel deal. It has an Optical In/Out on it. Instead of fooling around with the rear "Digital In" and buying new cables and such specifically for that, could I just connect an optical cable straight into the front without fuss?
In addition, I have to admit, I'm somewhat leaning towards the Z-5500. I've discovered some YouTube videos and while not the best (for obvious reasons) the Z-5300 and Z-5500 do seem to have a bit of a difference concerning their sound. Though I guess it is difficult to really come to a conclusion with different setups and different music coming out of each system.
I'm having issues deciding on which system to get. I just recently got an Audigy 2 ZS for Christmas and am thinking I need to upgrade my Altec Lansing 2.1 sound system for something that really takes advantage of this new card. I've been researching for days (Probably spent 12+ hours total so far) trying to find the correct system. Well, I've finally come to a crossroads, as seen above.
I'm not into watching movies all that much and on the rare occasion I do, it's not on my PC. My main habits are excessive gaming and even more excessive music listening and I'm looking for a system to fit the bill. Basically I've come to these two systems and here is where I'm torn:
The Z-5500 seems like a really great system. It has high quality audio for both gaming and music, which is definitely what I'm looking for. However, it includes many features which I presumably will not be taking advantage of. Things like digital connections. Since I understand that these are fairly exclusively used by movies, I'd have no use for a nice coax or optical connection. Unless I'm wrong here, correct me if I am. The Z-5500 is also a great looking system.
But the Z-5300e is about $150 cheaper than the Z-5500 and the Z-5300e contains all the features I want, minus the mostly DVD features, which is great. But, I'm questioning the audio quality. I really want something that's going to floor the hell out of me when I listen to my music. Something that's going to have good all around sound, low, mid, high and be very crisp and clear, like nothing I've heard before. From what I understand, the Z-5300 is a bit lacking in this area. So, essentially, is it worth it to spend the extra $150 to get that improvement in sound, or is it less than I've read? I have no way of listening to the two systems and comparing before hand and thus, I am looking for some knowledgeable people who have had both systems. If there really is a significant difference between the two in terms of audio quality, I will opt for the Z-5500, as I figure not only will it give me awesome sound, but also allow me to be future proof and if I ever have need to hook it up to a DVD player or a home theater, it's got that ability.
Thanks.
Edit: One last question: I have the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum with the front panel deal. It has an Optical In/Out on it. Instead of fooling around with the rear "Digital In" and buying new cables and such specifically for that, could I just connect an optical cable straight into the front without fuss?
In addition, I have to admit, I'm somewhat leaning towards the Z-5500. I've discovered some YouTube videos and while not the best (for obvious reasons) the Z-5300 and Z-5500 do seem to have a bit of a difference concerning their sound. Though I guess it is difficult to really come to a conclusion with different setups and different music coming out of each system.
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