I have looked at numerous topics here and elsewhere about the logitech z-5500 system and the problems it has with the audigy 2 zs.....I want a list of all the stuff I need to buy and links to where I can purchase it please....i don't have this surround system yet but it looks to be one of the best....i'm definately going to purchase it but first i want to know what other items i have to buy to install it.....i want to have it running perfectly with no problems right after i install it....

Thank You!

bump

I don't think Z-5500's has any problem with Audigy 2 ZS, and why would be?

There is no problem between the two components. Just compare overall prices from your local stores vs the online vendors like ZipZoomFly and Newegg and see which ones you prefer. Remember.... the box for the Z5500 is huge and heavy. local retail (price+tax+convience if you need to return) VS online vendors (price+shipping+cost of returning for an RMA).

I have the logitech Z-680 (previous model to the Z-5500s) and Audigy 2 ZS and all works terrific for the past 4yrs. The only other thing that you may want to consider is to get some floor standing pedestals for the rear speakers if you are not going to mount them on the wall. Also.... originally..... the Z-5500 speaker wires were attached and you couldnt really use your own wires unless you did a moddification to them....... But I believe logitech has now eliminated the fix wire to speaker connectors where you could use your own wires. My Z-680 had removable wires and I used much better quality wires vs the stock wires that comes with it.

You might want to consider getting the X-FI card over the Audigy 2 ZS just because it is newer card. But on the other hand.... the Audigy 2 ZS card pricing are really good now that it is not the latest model.

Ok, to make long story short, the digital connection between the Z-5500 and the Audigy 2 ZS is not as simple as it sounds. The analogue connection is very straight forward, you just have to plug them in and you are good to go. Now, if you want to use Digital Coax connection (The Audigy 2 doesn't have optical output), and I'm just telling you should definitely should, cuz the sound quality in digital coax is sooooo much better than analogue. Anyway, the Audigy 2 ZS doesn't have a standard RCA type digital connection, so you have to go out and buy a Mono RCA to 3.5mm minijack adaptor, since that's what the Audigy 2 ZS has for digital output. You can get this adaptor at Radioshack for like 4 bucks. After you have hooked everything up, you can switch between Digital and Analogue through the Z-5500 Control Center. For games, you have to use analogue since you can't get surround with Creative cards through digital, at least that's what I have heard, for DVDs or consoles, use Digital. Now, the Z-5500 has it's own decoder, and you'll want to use it cuz you can't disable it and it'll act funky if you use the Audigy 2 ZS decoder as well. So, go to the Audio Console for the Augigy 2 ZS, go to the Decoder tab, and choose "SPDIF Passthrough", this will send the raw digital signal to the Z-5500 and the decoder in the Z-5500 will process it.

That's pretty much it. You'll love the Z-5500 and the Audigy 2 ZS, that's what I have right now, just amazing.

Storm, since you know this much about it, how about Audigy 2 ZS Platinum? Do you know what this card support, what do I need to get the most out of it? Your post wasn't exactly clear to me. Do you use your soundcard for your consoles/DVDplayer as well? How does it works? I have the same speakers.

That is true. You can't get real-time surround for games in digital from any Creative card. You'll need DICE/DDL or DTS-C for that. But you can of course get digital surround from DVD's, because it's pre-encoded and normally just passed through the card to the reciever.

David:

To me, the Platinum is the exact same card with the added front breakout box, and I don't think there's that much to it except for added I/O capabilities. For DVD players and consoles, I did not mean connecting those to your soundcard, you connect them to the Z-5500 as it can accept many connections at the sametime.

I am using SB 2 eX modded (of course) and I have no probs with this speaker set. Just hook it up with the cables that come with it and ure good to go.

Yeah that's analogue, which is perfectly fine. It's the digital connection that's a bit tricky.

I just recently purchased my Z 5500 and Audigy 2 ZS, and this is an awsome combo, as far as the Digital out issue i finally got it to work today, and the sound is great, although the direct connection sound good also, i purchased an RCA to stereo mini jack (Radio Shack) but it wouldn't work until i found another adapter i had, which is a Y adapter (Mini jack mono tip with 2 RCA sockets) i connected the coax cable to the Y adapter and then connected the cable to the control center and the Y Adapter mini to the sound card, and the control center is now reading my input as Coax. Creative says that the Stereo mini would work but it didnt, cant understand why because the signal comes thru the tip anyway, now i'm in sound heaven.

Digital connection is hella EZ to setup too. I have eX version of Audigy so its got the drive with all the connections. SO, wen't to Best Buy, picked up RCA Toslink optical cable, hooked it up to my Z5500's and SPDIF out port on the drive, wen't to creative audio console, switched decoder to SPDIF out, and BAM. Everything is flawless. Of course, at such low quality of digital sound that the dvd's give, it is very hard to tell the difference but I suppose it still sounds better than letting the card decode the signal and pass it over the analog 5.1 connection.

Hey, after reading what WHB said I literally drew out all the plugs and tried to see how he connected them. I'm confused cuz you said he connected one of the 1/8" to the control center but it still read coax??

This thread has been dead forever but someone please help, thanks!