# Klipsch GMX A 2.1 or Logitech Z2300 or Z5300?



## goobimama (Jun 11, 2006)

Its been a year with my Logitech Z5500, and an amazing year at that. But the time has come for me to buy yet another set for the other "machine" who's identity will soon be disclosed.

The choice is between:
Klipsch GMX A 2.1 (90 W RMS, Rs. 9700)
Logitech Z2300 (~ 200 W RMS, Rs. 10500)
Logitech Z5300 (~ 250 W RMS, ~ Rs. 12000)

Now I've heard the Klipsch set and they sound pretty darn good. Though not as good as the Logitech Z5500. But i haven't heard the other two so I can't really compare. 

I tried the Altec Lansing MX5021, but they didn't quite cut it, horrible Bass and...not good.

So if anyone has some opinion regarding the choice I have to make, please feel free to say something...


----------



## Chirag (Jun 11, 2006)

Hey u buying new speakers even thought u have Z5500. wow.Give them to me.Kidding. Anyways I would suggest Logitech Z5300. My bro's frnd has it and he says he is happy. 

Anyone knows where I can find Bose Companion speakers in Pune and Mumbai?


----------



## dOm1naTOr (Jun 11, 2006)

Go for Z-5300. Its hell best yar for the money. and its 280w nd not 250. and a THX certified one also. Also cool looks.

But I can't understand, whether u want a 2.1 or 5.1? u are comparing both together??


----------



## goobimama (Jun 11, 2006)

I really want the 2.1 as I don't want clutter. Just for music purposes. (As you might have realised, I already have an excellent speaker system set up for the movies). 

How about we leave the 5300 out of the picture? Then the decision would remain between the 2300 and the GMX A 2.1. 

And i don't think the Bose Companion 3 are so great. They are good, but not worth it at all.


----------



## dOm1naTOr (Jun 11, 2006)

Also u may consider Creative PC works 2.1 which has bout 250w rms...nd sounds gr8 too...but not a stylish one nd only has a wired remote.


----------



## Keith Sebastian (Jun 11, 2006)

Bose Companion 3. Remember sub placement is critical. Sound imaging on these babies is heavenly.

Klipsch is definitely a good alternative. 

Would never consider Logitech's. Many do like them, although they listen to stuff that MTV tells them to listen to.  So, if you're into pop and bass heavy music (or even the Bolliwood stuff you have there), and, don't mind sacrificing butter smooth mids (Bose, Klipsch) go and get the Logitechs by all means. Get the Z2200's not 2300 as the latter (newer ones) have cheaper, smaller and more plasticky drivers.

BTW, Bose come with a lifetime warranty. Realistically it's 30 years over here (Middle East) as guarantee against paper rot (on speaker drivers). But that doesn't matter anyway as people have too much money to burn here.

PS: Read this review on CNET for Logitechs. CNET gives it an excellent rating but real AUDIO ENTHUSIASTS DO NOT agree.
*reviews.cnet.com/Logitech_Z_2300/4852-3179_7-30993080-1.html?tag=nav

Cheers,
Keith

THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITTED FOR SPELINGG. I'M NOT GODD WITH THAT. - Keith


----------



## goobimama (Jun 12, 2006)

If the question was between the Klipsch Promedia Ultra 2.1 and the Logitech Z2300, I would definitely choose the Klipsch. But its the GMX that I'm not so impressed with. 

Now those Bose Companion 3, Seriously? I heard them at my PC dealer's office. And his office is really swanky (carpet floors, wooden architecture) and the sub placement was just perfect, IMHO. But what I find with these Bose is that the mids tend to go a hit towards the higher end giving a lot of treble. The bass is definitely very good. 

The Z2200's i agree are a better set but their aesthetics are a bit in the lacking and that is quite an important factor in this particular case (iMac Core Duo 20 inch).

And no I don't do what MTV tells me to do. I don't even have a TV at home. I dont think ads have an unhealthy influence on my buying decisions...


----------



## suave_guy (Jun 12, 2006)

honestly dont go for logitech coz u already own its flagship model, ur current logitech speakers will be better anyday than any other logitech speaker u'll buy....besides logitech still cant compete with klipsch and bose...i mean its defiantely a worth contender but in the end there cud only be two winners...klipsch and bose....i wud suggest that u can avoid bose when u've klipsch as a choice for pc speakers, agreed that GMX series is not as good as promedia but still its very good....bose pc speakers are not in the same league as bose home theatre speakers like for eg their acoustimass series...

had it been a case that u were actually going for better logitech speakers than it wud have been fine but here i see no point in again going for logitech...

btw if aesthetic appeal is important for you than u can also consider altec lansing FX-6021....mid range is definaltely excellent but in bass it cannot compete with bose, klipsch and logitech....

its a very tough decision...see if u can find brands like polk audio...specially their 2.1 RM 6750 model...its probably available in mumbai and bangalore..

sorry to make u more confused..

ENjoy...


----------



## goobimama (Jun 29, 2006)

Folks, I've finally decided to go in for the Klipsch GMX A 2.1. Probably next month or so. 

The reason for the decision: 

I went again to south Goa to the Klipsch dealer and tested it again. And this time really tested it. It doesn't get that loud, but it is loud enough. The bass is not the best I've heard (Z5500 can kick its azz anyday) but the mids and highs are pretty good (again, not as good as the logitech. Seriously guys, what do you have against the Z5500?). But they look pretty cool and I guess I should try something new instead of going by the same road again...

The Klipsch are definitely better than those MX5021s that I heard at another shop as well as the Klipsch dealer. I don't know how those speaks got a thx certification....


----------



## shovik (Jun 29, 2006)

The Logitech Z5500 is the current best mid class 5.1 system. If can handle all the notes in the music as well as the bangs in your games.
I currently have that system and its the envy of all my friends,


Regards,
Shovik


----------



## reddragon (Jun 29, 2006)

whats the exact price of Klipsch GMX A 2.1  at Grant road ? well  how its being rated in comparison to  Altec L   ATP3 ??????


----------



## goobimama (Jun 29, 2006)

@Shovik: If in case you didn't read my first post, I do in fact own the Z5500. I want another one for the iMac that's why...

@RedDragon: In Goa it is 9700 incl of taxes. And I don't think ATP-3 compares with the Klipsch GMX. The ATP-3 is a damn good system for a low budget 2.1. The very fact that I prefer the Klipsch to the MX5021 which is Altec's only THX speaker system (isn't it?) should say quite a lot.


----------



## suave_guy (Jun 29, 2006)

yes currently altec offers only mx-5021 as a THX certified speaker but in the past they did offered ADA-890(4.1 or 5.1, not sure) which was also THX certified and was pretty popular in US. When altec first came to India arnd year 2000 they did offered that speaker set but discontinued it in 2002.

@goobimama...good and sensible choice u've made by opting for klipsch...
and as u asked earlier that what do we have against logitech z-5500...well we do have klipsch promedia 5.1 ultra THX certified speakers and they definately beat logitech z-5500 in terms of mid range but as far as bass is concerned its a tie b/w the two....logitech bass feels more powerful but klipsch offers much more balanced low frequency response and that hits right at the sweet spot which we always look for in a quality sound...

ENjoy...


----------



## goobimama (Jun 30, 2006)

Well first of all you don't get the Klipsch Ultra's here in India. Just the GMX. Secondly, I've read some reviews and there appears to be a large failure rate with the Klipsch systems, especially the 5.1 ultras. 

And thirdly, what do you mean "we"? Do you have the set here in India? Where did you get it from?


----------



## Ch@0s (Jul 1, 2006)

First of all there is no Promedia ultra 2.1. Its simply the promedia 2.1 which is a decent buy. The logitech is a POS and the klipsch gmx is nothing special. In that price range the altec mx5021 is probably the most accurate speaker by a long shot. In fact other than the promedia ultra 5.1, it is probably the most accurate computer multimedia speaker overall. Probably the setup of the mx5021 you heard was messed up or something cos before my current audio setup, i was using an mx5021 for a year and was reasonably satisfied. Try listening to them again and make sure they are using a decent soundcard. The mx5021 is very revealing and any cheap onboard source will end up giving u colored sound that well frankly would sound horrible to ears. Make sure you listen to them with atleast a live 24bit and 256kbps or higher mp3s or better still audio cds. For ~7000 rupees, nothing bests the mx5021. Someone suggested Bose in this thread... to him/her, all i'll say is rather than buying bose, just donate 90% of your budget and buy an elcheapo intex or something cos frankly there's quite a chance that the intex might sound better than the bose .

Edit: About THX, anything lower than THX Ultra2 is meaningless marketing garbage.

For the truth about Bose, I suggest peepz read this article
*www.intellexual.net/bose.html


----------



## TechGuru#1 (Jul 1, 2006)

Ch@0s said:
			
		

> First of all there is no Promedia ultra 2.1. Its simply the promedia 2.1 which is a decent buy. The logitech is a POS and the klipsch gmx is nothing special. In that price range the altec mx5021 is probably the most accurate speaker by a long shot. In fact other than the promedia ultra 5.1, it is probably the most accurate computer multimedia speaker overall. Probably the setup of the mx5021 you heard was messed up or something cos before my current audio setup, i was using an mx5021 for a year and was reasonably satisfied. Try listening to them again and make sure they are using a decent soundcard. The mx5021 is very revealing and any cheap onboard source will end up giving u colored sound that well frankly would sound horrible to ears. Make sure you listen to them with atleast a live 24bit and 256kbps or higher mp3s or better still audio cds. For ~7000 rupees, nothing bests the mx5021. Someone suggested Bose in this thread... to him/her, all i'll say is rather than buying bose, just donate 90% of your budget and buy an elcheapo intex or something cos frankly there's quite a chance that the intex might sound better than the bose .
> 
> Edit: About THX, anything lower than THX Ultra2 is meaningless marketing garbage.
> 
> ...



Can I ask Ch@0s,what TXH does Logitech 5500 D supports????????


----------



## Ch@0s (Jul 1, 2006)

It is plain THX certified which basically means nothing .


----------



## TechGuru#1 (Jul 1, 2006)

Ch@0s said:
			
		

> It is plain THX certified which basically *means nothing* .



..........*means nothing* that's quite a guud & latest THX certification!.What do yu say????????? rofl


----------



## Ch@0s (Jul 1, 2006)

Absolutely.... means nothing. Tell me which ultra high end speaker is THX certified...  B&W Nautilus, 800 series, Martin Logan reference series, Avantgarde Trio, Jamo D870.... all these speakers cost thousands of dollars and don't have THX certification... does that mean the logitech Z2300 is better than all these ? THX is just a gimmick. All the logitech Z5500, Z680, Z2300, Z2200 and Z560 do is produce tonnes of loose, undefined boomy bass. Now if you want that, go for it but for an audio purist like me, I'd stay miles away from anything logitech or creative.


----------



## goobimama (Jul 1, 2006)

FYI, the place where I heard the Altec Lansing MX5021, had an AMD64 with a Audigy 2 ZS soundcard. I took a couple of CDs as well as my Eagles DVD-Audio Disc (96Khz, 24bit. I don't think you can complain with that). I played rock, pop, trance and hip hop. But I just didn't like the hollow bass effect that it gave. Sort of like a thud.

So this place where I went to check out the Klipsch, they also had a Altec MX5021. So I used the save DVD-Audio (This time it was on my iBook G4) disc as well as some different CDs. The Klipsch GMX gave much better output. The only thing that I liked on the MX5021 was the highs. 

I guess its all subjective... You like MX5021, I love Z5500.... (I must add, you have a killer computer system there...  )


----------



## TechGuru#1 (Jul 1, 2006)

goobimama said:
			
		

> .............. (I must add, you have a killer computer system there...  )



He works @ Microsoft & has recently purchased a High-end JAMO system!


----------



## chota_rod_waala (Jul 1, 2006)

TechGuru#1 said:
			
		

> He works @ Microsoft & has recently purchased a High-end JAMO system!


me 2 soon


----------



## goobimama (Jul 2, 2006)

Btw, I must add that you should not judge the Z5500 by the "6 channel direct" mode. I personally don't use that. I got these Monster Coax cables and use the "Stereo x2" or the "PL II: Music" mode through the digital connection. It gives much better midrange and the bass notes are more distinct than the direct connection. So if you guys are judging it by the 6 channel direct (which is also very good) then you have judged wrong...


----------



## Ch@0s (Jul 2, 2006)

goobimama said:
			
		

> Btw, I must add that you should not judge the Z5500 by the "6 channel direct" mode. I personally don't use that. I got these Monster Coax cables and use the "Stereo x2" or the "PL II: Music" mode through the digital connection. It gives much better midrange and the bass notes are more distinct than the direct connection. So if you guys are judging it by the 6 channel direct (which is also very good) then you have judged wrong...



Monster is like the bose of cables . Nothing really better than ur generic coax cables. If you use either of those modes, you'll not get 5.1 in games but movies will work fine.  It all depends on the DAC and the mode in which the card is working. All creative cards other than XFi resample horribly in hardware. So unless you use a software resampler plugin, it'll sound really bad cos of the crappy resampling algorithm in the EMU10k1/2 chip. The logitech has some consumer dac whereas the xfi/audigy2 has a pretty high end CS4382/4398 dac which is way better than the logitech. So its cos of hardware limitation on live/audigy that it sounds worse over analog than digital. On an XFi, i can guarantee that the analog outputs would sound better than coax unless logitech supplies really bad interconnects .


----------

