Replacing rear speaker on Z5300

[AeonFlame]

I have a z5300 setup connected to my audigy2 zs. Recently, Ive noticed that the rear right speaker has started making an ugly buzzing sound when the volume is raised more than halfway. The same thing happens with the rear left speaker,but to a lesser extent.

Since I am unable to buy replacement speakers for the rear channels, I was wondering if they could be replaced with a pair of desktop stereo speakers, however this leads to more questions that I am unable to answer

1. Should I split a pair of desktop speakers and use one speaker on each channel?

2. Should I use a pair of speakers on each channel, effectively creating a faux 7.1 setup

3. Should these speakers be independently powered, or is the amp capable of powering them?


Lastly, if any of the above is possible, how do I go about connecting the speakers to the RCA cable from the subwoofer?

The rear speakers are currently connected to the sub via RCA extension cables. The cords that were attached to the speakers were too short so I got a male - female RCA cable and split it.

 

[Guest]

By desktop stereo speakers do you mean powered computer speakers ?

Do the damaged speakers contain an amplifier (ie do they have power connection in addition to the RCA connector you mention) ?

 

[AeonFlame]

Yes, powered if need be.

The speakers are the rear satellites of a 5.1 setup. They are connected to the subwoofer which contains an amplifier

 

[Guest]

The problem with using powered computers for this task is that almost all are self powered, amplified. Thus they cannot be connected to the subwoofer's amplifier without removing their electronics and wiring direct into their speaker chassis.

I could do that with ease, but how are your soldering skill ?

Perhaps instead you need to find a couple of passive speakers that replicate the function of the damaged ones. I'm more familiar with Creative systems than with the brand you mention but I suspect most of these systems use fairly low quality small enclosures with simple 2 or 3 inch speaker chassis in them -- thus any speakers from similar setups are pretty much interchangeable perhaps with plugs being replaced.

I frequently find such speaker systems discarded in dumpsters due to the subwoofer electronics failing or because the number of wires involved threatens domestic harmony. I imagine a system could be found cheaply at a garage sale or flea market and cannibalised for your purpose.

 

[AeonFlame]

Thanks for the info.

heres a link to a review of the z5300 The first page has all the specs listed

http/www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=978

 

[rofl_my_waffle]

The buzzing sound is due to signal distortion. Usually poor connection between the computer or more likely just crappy receiver/amp.

I would try to swap front channel speakers for rear channels to make sure its the satellites and not the other components.

 

[AeonFlame]

Tried that. The buzzing moved with the speaker. My setup worked great for a long time before this, and then..........

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info.

heres a link to a review of the z5300 The first page has all the specs listed

http/www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=978

Exactly as I described, really.

 

[AeonFlame]

Can I just replace the speaker ? Its a 2.5 inch 35 watt rms.

 

[Guest]

Yes, try Radio Shack or one of the internet parts sites. Bear in mind that impedance (ohms) should roughly match too.

 

[rofl_my_waffle]

You have to get speakers that accept bear speaker wire. Otherwise it won't work.

Whatever speaker that accepts bear speaker wire like that is going to be times better than the logitech. Might as well just switch the front channels and switch them to the back.

 

[AeonFlame]

Im considering replacing the back pair with a set of bookshelf speakers, or depending on how they sound, using them in front and switch the logitech front speakers to the back. Of course they would need to be 8 ohm speakers.

Would you recommend building my own speaker boxes instead with a midrange speaker and tweeter?

 

[Guest]

If you can open the Logitech boxes and find drive units of the right size, power capacity and impedance to replace the defective ones that should work fine. Though I'd recommend soldering in the wires to the new speaker in answer to Rofl's slightly enigmatic point about bare wires.

As for building speakers -- I wouldn't try it unless your woodwork skills are pretty advanced. And I'm not sure how speakers with tweeters you mention would fit in with sound of the rest of the system and whether they would be efficient enough to work properly.

 

[AeonFlame]

Thanks for the response. I was wondering what he meant about the wires lol.


Do you think I would get better sound out of a pair of bookshelf speakers? I cant seem to find a matching speaker to the logitech one.

 

[Guest]

Frankly my approach, although I own several different brands of speaker/subwoofer systems, is to leave them in the box they came in.

Instead I use a hifi amplifier and a pair of hifi speakers (all bought really old and cheap but decent brands). My reason is that I use the computer for music and I'm much more interested in fidelity than in clever effects. And I can't stand wires all over the place so rear speakers are just not going to happen.

 

[rofl_my_waffle]

You would probably get much better sound out of bookshelf speakers. Just make they they are the same impudence. I think the logitech system is 8 ohms?

 

[AeonFlame]

You would probably get much better sound out of bookshelf speakers. Just make they they are the same impudence. I think the logitech system is 8 ohms?

You would probably get much better sound out of bookshelf speakers. Just make they they are the same impudence. I think the logitech system is 8 ohms?

Yes, 8 ohms. It sucks, because I have an old aiwa stereo with 2 speaker boxes that would have been perfect, but they are 4 ohms. I'll have to look for an 8 ohm pair somewhere else. I will try to get a set that has just above 35 watts rms per box.

Unflrtunately, simply tossing this set and looking for something else isnt an option for me. I live in Trinidad and reasonably priced hifi systems arent easy to come by. The z5300 serves my purposes quite well, and while the sound may not be close to what you would call good, I think my games and movies dont sound bad at all. I dont play music very often on it and again, while its not the quality you are used to, to me it doesnt sound that bad.

The cables dont bother me since I ran them on the walls and ceiling. The rear speakers are suspended on chains and angled properly at the optimal positions

 

[MEgamer]

You would probably get much better sound out of bookshelf speakers. Just make they they are the same impudence. I think the logitech system is 8 ohms?

the z-4s are 4ohms for the sattelites and 8ohms for sub,

i think its like that for all the other models out there.

 

[Guest]

If you have, or can borrow, a multimeter it's pretty easy to measure the impedance of a loudspeaker (but the loudspeaker must be disconnected from the system to give an accurate read).

I'm not sure you'd have problems from attaching a 4ohm speaker in place of 8ohms so long as you keep levels down. However, judging by the damage to the existing speakers, maybe that might prove difficult.

 

[AeonFlame]

ME gamer is actually incorrect. The impedence of the statellite speakers is 8 ohms. I know I can chance the 4 ohm speakers, but I'd rather not.

I dont know how the speaker got damaged in the first place. I never even took the volume past 3/4 way and its on half volume most of the time