Wireless TV Speakers

When I bought a plasma TV a few years ago, I committed a cardinal sin: I got Big-Screen Fever. I didn't think the whole thing through; I plunked down a wad of cash, wrestled the monster into my car, and ripped open the box when I got home.

Once installed, I marveled at the size of the screen, the crisp high-def images, and the exquisite colors. Then I turned up the volume, and heard... nothing. No speakers—what was I thinking? I didn't even consider that a multi-thousand dollar TV wouldn't have speakers—when will I learn to read the entire spec sheet?

Once I got over the shame, anger and sheepishness of my folly, I kluged together two old boomboxes and made the ugliest, crappiest-sounding TV speaker system you've ever seen or heard. 

After a month of the bubblegum and baling-wire audio solution, I decided to invest in a surround sound system. The problem is that my couches are 10 to 15 feet from the TV, and running cables for the rear audio speakers would be a royal pain. 

Even worse, I have hardwood floors, so I couldn't hide the speaker wires under any carpets. I had visions of people tripping over the wires, accidentally pulling the speakers off their stands, and ultimately suing me for the reckless endangerment I caused with exposed wires running across my floors.

So when I saw the Z-5450 Digital 5.1 Speaker System from Logitech, I got excited. The front three speakers are wired into the amplifier, but the rear two channels are completely wireless. This could solve all my problems, BUT....

I've tested a lot of early wireless speaker systems, and they pretty much sucked. They were prone to interference, dropouts and annoying static. I had given up on the concept, but the Logitech system had some glowing reviews, and I decided to give them a try.

In a few minutes I had the subwoofer, the center channel speaker, and both front speakers connected to what Logitech calls the Control Center. This small box, slightly larger than a paperback book, has all the inputs and outputs, plus the on/off switch and about six control options. The system comes with its own remote.

Connecting the two rear wireless speakers was a snap. I placed them 15 feet away from the control center, and within minutes they were broadcasting a solid test signal. There was no fumbling around to get them in a location where they received a signal; they were crisp and connected from the first time I powered them up.

The five speakers and the subwoofer are pretty unobtrusive; matte black and on the small side for speakers, but they are more than adequate for my 13-by-25-foot living room. I used optical audio cables to input sound from my DVD player and TiVo. 

The input options on the Control Center are okay for a simple setup but not for a complicated multidevice home theatre. You get two digital optical inputs, one digital coaxial, and a couple of stereo-mini connectors. One plus: using a male-to-male stereo cable, I can plug my iPod in to use the speakers for music.

The quality of the speakers is pretty good. Logitech boasts they are the world's first THX-certified wireless rear speaker system that features independent wireless rear channels of audio. You have a couple of different options for maximizing sound—THX and Dolby options for movies and gaming, then a stereo option for music.

In the months I've owned this system, I have never experienced problems with the wireless transmission to the rear speakers.  They use a 2.4GHz frequency to transmit the signal, and I've never heard a static interruption or degradation of sound quality.

The manufacturer suggested price for the speakers is $499, but you can find them for less than $300 if you shop around.You can find more product information on Logitech's web site.