I have serious gadget envy.
Ummm, can I have one? I've been good!
From Wired:
Wired News: These Speakers Go to 11:
It's Logitech's awesomely loud Z-5500 speakers.
Logitech's brand-new Z-5500 is a magnificently muscular speaker set for computers, game consoles and home theaters.
Costing about $300, the 500-watt system features five satellite speakers and a subwoofer with a huge 10-inch speaker. One of the largest on the market, the subwoofer really pumps it out. Put your hand next to it when it's cranking, and you can feel the wind.
In fact, the Z-5500 goes to 11. No kidding. When you reach the top of the volume dial, keep turning. The system goes into a boost mode, numbered 1 to 11.It's an undocumented feature; a little Easter egg for juvenile fans of loud music -- like me.
Even at 11, there's no distortion, and there's no annoying buzz when the speakers are not in use.
Admittedly, the Z-5500 is played at sub-ear-splitting level most of the time, and it produces satisfyingly deep, rich and detailed sound. Thanks to the giant, house-shaking subwoofer, the system rumbles, even at low volumes.
The Z-5500 is one of the few systems that is LucasArts THX-certified, a guarantee it accurately re-creates the sound of a movie theater.
The system has a variety of inputs, including digital optical, which hooks into my Power Mac G5's digital optical-out port for flawless six-channel sound. Many DVD players, home theater systems and game consoles also have digital optical-out.
The system also has three stereo mini-jack connectors. Hook it to an iPod and you have the loudest iPod speaker system in the known universe.
The mini-jacks can be plugged into a PC sound card, individually or in combination, to deliver two, four or six channels. Otherwise, they can be plugged into three separate sources -- a CD player, game console and DVD.
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