# [MOD]Z-5500 Rewiring satellites



## DJ.BigBear

Inspired by a friend of mine who did the same mod... here it is...
Complete rewiring your Z-5500 Satellite cables for far superior audio quality.

needed parts:


start by installing pure silver cable to Front & Rear L/R satellites.


next, installing silver plated copper cable to center satellite.


Installing Y-shaped plug with the cables


ok... the hard part is done!
all you need to do next is hooking up all the cables.


thadaaaaa!!!!!
all done....

next project is Capacitors modding!


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## saxahonker

Can you hear a discernible difference?


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## DJ.BigBear

Z-5500 Capacitors Modding

while completely opening and desoldering the original Capasitors was really complicated, i decided to add the capacitors by paralleling new capacitors with hi grades cables. (actually, completely changing the caps will give better result)

using Nichicon Gold Tune 15000uf 100V


finished:


not only it will give u more powerfull bass, it also make it deeper and less boomy.
not to mention the vocal clarity thus making it more revealing.
better not forget the sound staging









next project is... Z-5500 Panel mod!


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:


Originally Posted by *saxahonker* 
Can you hear a discernible difference?

depends on how many glasses of beer u drank bruddah









all i can say is that.... it will start to show that your speaker is not all that good....








and eventually u'll start to spend more money on CDs too


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## CyberDruid

I love tthis stuff...


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## DJ.BigBear

currently pairing my modded Z-5500 with modded X-Fi Xtreme music.
now i believe that they are performing at max.

it may not beat other soundcard in music, but definetly beat others in movies and games!









it will take a while till the control panel mod is finished, still confused on which caps should replace the original ones.

unmodded:

Back side of the PCB


Front side of the PCB

well i could try changing the opamp to LM4562 or AD8599....

but... maybe later...

enough experimenting for now boys...
i'll post the final mod later


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## odie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear* 
Inspired by a friend of mine who did the same mod... here it is...
Complete rewiring your Z-5500 Satellite cables for far superior audio quality.

needed parts:


start by installing pure silver cable to Front & Rear L/R satellites.


next, installing silver plated copper cable to center satellite.


Installing Y-shaped plug with the cables


ok... the hard part is done!
all you need to do next is hooking up all the cables.


thadaaaaa!!!!!
all done....

next project is Capacitors modding!









I don't know how to break this to you, but running new speaker wire to the speakers will not change the sq, unless you are running them over 100ft away. You are talking about AC current, and a small 18ga speaker wire will deliver 600+watts rms over 100ft easy. Changing the caps and coils could change the the frequency res..., but at a sacrafice of the speaker trying to do things it can not do at high volumes. If you listen to the system at normal or lower volumes you could drop the cut off frequency about 10-20hz, and be safe, and you could rebuild the sub sonic high pass on the sub if it has one. For x-over building check out http://the12volt.com/ or you can download this http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=winisdpro box building program, and I think it has a x-over builder program in it. Other than gold, copper wire would be the best bet for quality of sound, but after the $ raise of copper, you will see it mixed with other metals to save $.


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## DJ.BigBear

well.. actually u're right... i shouldn't say "improve", but it does lessen the distortion produced by lousy cables(which is quite significant).
i mean... that's exactly why ppl invented hundreds of dollard worth of audio cables, sunshine.
so basically you're right, it's not improvement if it's only regaining what is lost.

i think i should post about the differences in rewiring.
not only that u get less distortion, all the sound that was overbright before will become less "intoxicating", not to mention the center speaker will hold @ higher volume.

again u're right about the caps, it will insist the speakers to produce something they cannot produce at higher volumes, i did told ya earlier:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear* 
all i can say is that.... it will start to show that your speaker is not all that good....









but we're talking about Z-5500 here, is there actually someone uses 80% volume on it daily? LOL

as for your idea in x-over, that's a nice idea but as of now,i dun think it's necessary. thx anyway bro


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## odie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear* 
well.. actually u're right... i shouldn't say "improve", but it does lessen the distortion produced by lousy cables(which is quite significant).
i mean... that's exactly why ppl invented hundreds of dollard worth of audio cables, sunshine.
so basically you're right, it's not improvement if it's only regaining what is lost.

again u're right about the caps, it will insist the speakers to produce something they cannot produce at higher volumes, i did told ya earlier:

but we're talking about Z-5500 here, is there actually someone uses 80% volume on it daily? LOL

as for your idea in x-over, that's a nice idea but as of now,i dun think it's necessary. thx anyway bro









To be more accurate, you will not hear a difference, buy yes if you looked at it on an o-scope, you will see a diff., however, it sure is fun to rewire if you enjoy the task.
If you can find it Radio shack used to have a book on speaker box building that used the cheap Radio Shack speakers, and I was amaized at the output and quality of sound I got after building the system with $3-$8 speakers.
BTW the reason they make all the expecive cables is because they have lowered the margin on electronics soo much, that they had to make $ somewhere else. I regularly install $5k+ systems in homes and cars, I will only spend the $ on high end low level rca cables for the uper end of the frequency band, but when it comes to subs, go cheap and save the $. Ever wonder why you can get a HDMI cable on E-bay for 1/10'th the cost of Best buy? That is how BB lowers the price on the electronic equipment, and that is how they install for "free"


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## DJ.BigBear

well i guess u do have a point there mate.... not all of it... but indeed i got your point








but really... my ears are not fooling me.... it does make a significant differences. tried it on music, movies and gaming(not much diff in gaming tho).
if there's any way to let you hear the differences...








ofcourse i wouldn't suggest anyone to mod their speakers if the differences were too small.


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## USlatin

DJ rocks... great thread bro... loooots of pics...!!! REP+


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:


Originally Posted by *USlatin* 
DJ rocks... great thread bro... loooots of pics...!!! REP+

Those are from my friend's mod pic. I just did exactly like those, so I think reposting his pic will do just fine









Really amazing what boring ppl can do huh?








That friend of mine was almost bored to death when he started this project.


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## JacKz5o

Mmmm mods........


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JacKz5o* 
Mmmm mods........

mmmm yummy...
LOL
really, it doesn't matter how big the improvements are, but still i like modding..


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## G|F.E.A.D|Killa

yes mods but i just cant bring myself to rip apart my z5500 for a little mod when they sound great as it is.


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## DJ.BigBear

but the recaps does give a HUGE improvements over bass quality


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## G|F.E.A.D|Killa

these things pound as it is.


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## DJ.BigBear

the quality of sub is not always about bass power...
the recaps make z5500 produce fuller bass and less bass trailing (less boomy), which is very good because z5500 bass is too boomy.


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## Xecuter2

What caps are needed exactly, and could you explain where they need to be soldered to? I am really considering the cap mod, seems simple enough since you are not remove the old caps, just adding in the new ones.


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## DJ.BigBear

i'm using nichicon fine gold 15.000uF 100v









please don't mind the glasswool, i was experimenting with it... and it sucks!








it's better if u put a sweat based garment to cover the interior walls of the sub.

it should be better if u just remove the old caps and put in the new one.
i myself, want to do the recaps all over again, with bigger caps... ad removing the old one.


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## Xecuter2

Are the points where those 3 cap wires are soldered to on the board already? Or did you kind of rig it up to contact the old caps.


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## DJ.BigBear

probably better if u solder it to the board if u're planning to keep the old caps.
look at the pic carefully.


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## Xecuter2

Do you know where I could buy 2 of them?


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## tlan

Great Mod Bigbear









And about the cabling, it's all about training the ear









I mean my bro can't hear the difference between MP3 and SACD.

And i don't even wanna listen if it's a lossy format.

Good cables keep distortion at reasonable levels + damping factor maintains it's purpose (although good connections will make a bigger difference)

Maybe a high end / high pass filter will make the satellites sound better?


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Xecuter2* 
Do you know where I could buy 2 of them?

whoa... since i live in indonesia... i really dunno where to buy those in US.
try local electronic components store.

@tlan
yes... maybe high pass filter will make the satellites sound better, but... i think i've reached the limit where any more mods will not worth the money...
unless.... i got unlimited flow of cash ofcoz


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## tlan

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear* 
@tlan
yes... maybe high pass filter will make the satellites sound better, but... i think i've reached the limit where any more mods will not worth the money...
unless.... i got unlimited flow of cash ofcoz

















yeah i get your point


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## frostbite

Having a lower gauge cable conncted to a speaker with miniscule tinsle leads is the most piontess thing to do, your trying to get all that power you've created only to get kicked back by the tinsle leads.

But I suppose if you dont over do it it should be worth it


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## DJ.BigBear

@frostbite
what are you trying to say exactly? this is pointless?
what do you know? i'm the one doing the mod, i'm the one experienced it.
i'f u don't like it, u don't even have to read this thread.


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## frostbite

Dont get angry because Im proving a point, I have my opinions dont I?


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## FaLLeNAn9eL

Quote:


Originally Posted by *frostbite* 
Dont get angry because Im proving a point, I have my opinions dont I?

There's an old saying that goes: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything".


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:


Originally Posted by *frostbite* 
Dont get angry because Im proving a point, I have my opinions dont I?

yes you're right... but keep posting like those, there will be no one left to contribute anything anymore.


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## frostbite

But why mod the :turd: z-5500 to try and make them sound better, this cost money and time unless you have too much. Is it not better to just buy the higher end equipment in the first place?

There is a reason for Audiophile grade equipment being so costly, and you cant compare it to cheap multimedia equipment like the z5500


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## Xecuter2

Uh, the z5500's plow over near all home theater setups for 1k. It is not even close in comparison.


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## frostbite

Quote:



Uh, the z5500's plow over near all home theater setups for 1k. It is not even close in comparison.


Well I was talking about audiphile grade equipment which is 2 channel so if you were to have more channels it would cost sooo much

Take the company Linn for example, If you can buy 5 Klimax Music systems @ $97,000 USD each and still have a roof on your head, you will have the all respect


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:



Originally Posted by *frostbite*


But why mod the :turd: z-5500 to try and make them sound better, this cost money and time unless you have too much. Is it not better to just buy the higher end equipment in the first place?

There is a reason for Audiophile grade equipment being so costly, and you cant compare it to cheap multimedia equipment like the z5500


anyway, the intention on this thread is not to persue audiophile grade.
it's called getting optimum results for your audio setup.
since it cost way cheaper than getting yourself an expensive amp + speakers + sub.

one can learn to truly appreciate something if he knows its limit and capabilities.
and by doing this mod i learned the limits of my own setup.

i keep telling ppl i'm not much of an audiophile... not at all to be exactly.
if i was, i would not buy X-Fi z5500 in the first place. 
i'd rather buy Onkyo Soundcard + Yamaha RXV1500 Reciever + Quad speakers + Yamaha YST SW800 Sub.


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## frostbite

Quote:



Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear*


it's called getting optimum results for your audio setup.
since it cost way cheaper than getting yourself an expensive amp + speakers + sub.
one can learn to truly appreciate something if he knows its limit and capabilities.

and by doing this mod i learned the limits of my own setup.



TBH you really dont need a sub if you mid/bass speakers are capable of low freqs

But still if it teaches you something its is worth it in the end


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## ErBall

Frostbite i get exactly what your saying, and I personally own the z5500, and my dad owns an audiophile 2 chanel setup with vandersteen 5a's and McIntosh amps. But i have to disagree with you about comparing the two. By that i mean, there really shouldn't be any comparison involved. With such a delta in price its kinda a moot point.

point in case: kids modding their Honda's in comparison to a Ferrari. 
Why do they do it if they could just buy something better.

Modding the z5500's may not make it audiophile, but at the end of the day this is still overclock.net, and its a modding community. And i say good job for modding.

Just my .02


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## mhsbrian

Quote:


Originally Posted by *frostbite* 
Well I was talking about audiphile grade equipment which is 2 channel so if you were to have more channels it would cost sooo
much Take the company Linn for example, If you can buy 5 Klimax Music systems @ $97,000 USD each and still have a roof on your head, you will have the all respect

Pfft,

Thats like telling someone if they don't have the most high quality instrument they aren't the best musician. Being a musician, a traveling musician; you come across people like this guy a lot. People with the green will recommend you drop what you got and upgrade when what you have perfectly suits your needs.

If your a professional then sure, if you got $100,000 to shed out go for it. But what your saying is such a pointless argument in a internet forum with real life working people that live on a budget.


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## soloz2

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mhsbrian* 
Pfft,

Thats like telling someone if they don't have the most high quality instrument they aren't the best musician. Being a musician, a traveling musician; you come across people like this guy a lot. People with the green will recommend you drop what you got and upgrade when what you have perfectly suits your needs.

If your a professional then sure, if you got $100,000 to shed out go for it. But what your saying is such a pointless argument in a internet forum with real life working people that live on a budget.

but likewise you could be the best tuba player in the world, but if you have a crappy tuba only sound so-so... and never get far.

it's not a pointless argument, I would say maybe not the best way to argue the position, but not a pointless argument.


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## mhsbrian

Quote:


Originally Posted by *soloz2* 
but likewise you could be the best tuba player in the world, but if you have a crappy tuba only sound so-so... and never get far.

it's not a pointless argument, I would say maybe not the best way to argue the position, but not a pointless argument.

I play many wind instruments.

A good sound is 90% the player and 10% the horn.

I own about 15 different saxophones and I sound the same on all of them. One of my saxophones cost me $9,000. I can't tell a difference in sound on my Yamaha-Z which only cost me $1,500. The fact is that my $9,000 saxophone is a hand made Mark Vi Selmer and and has the best key action I've ever came across. That being said, the key actions allows me to move between scales and runs easier but no means does the horn make me sound like a new player.


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## DJ.BigBear

i've been neglecting my Z5500 for quite sometime....
since i use headphones too much









so... to make up for that, i just spent 3 hours tweaking x-fi to suit trance and techno.....
i got nice fidelity.... but i can't get the punch deeper.... i need to further mod my z5500......


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## BugBash

I did the capacitor Mod to a little set of 2.1 speakers last nite,

I replaced the 4700uF capacitor with a 10,000uF one that was nearly three times the size!

Results:

MASSIVE improvement in Stereo Imaging
BASS Tightened up, making changes in Bass/Drum notes more obvious
Voices sound more natural
Treble much cleaner, cymbals sound like cymbals not a pan of sausages

Overall well worth the hour it took to find my capacitor box and fit one into the sub unit!

I will borrow a camera this weekend to show the MOD and also to do a review of something else for OCN


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## DJ.BigBear

niiiiceeeee


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## rx7speed

is it just me or is there no real damping or bracing inside the sub box?
other question is how much for teh caps?


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:



Originally Posted by *rx7speed*


is it just me or is there no real damping or bracing inside the sub box?
other question is how much for teh caps?


yep... no real damping.... what to expect? this is a generic <$300 speaker setup









and the caps is not that expensive.... about $5-$10 each


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## rx7speed

well guess if nothing else it's time to put some damping on this sub.
dj mind being a guinnie (sp?) pig for us and try it out









any source for teh caps or is it already listed in the thread


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## H3||scr3am

needs a panel mod DJ bigbear


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## DJ.BigBear

lol..... i'm using nichicon gold caps, just the same capacitance as the ones replaced.

already using some glaswool inside the sub to dampen a bit.

modding the panel didn't give me noticable improvements... i need to mod the main PCB inside the sub.


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## BugBash

As promised (a little late!)
a couple piccys of my MODed Sub, first up is one of the Unit itself, I cant remember the model no. at the moment but its a few years old!

The second piccy shows the inside of the Sub, to the right is the Pathetic little Capacitor that the manufactor deemed `Price is right so fit it`
In the Middle is the nice FAT `For Audio` 10,000uF Capacitor that I fitted with great gains allround.

Now then, If you are using an OLD, say 70`s 80`s or even a 90`s Amplifier
You TOO can do this MOD and get great gains!

DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT if you dont know what your doing!!

Open your Amplifier, there will be a PAIR of Capacitors near the Main Transformer, you will know they are the main supply capacitors because they will say anything from 35V upto 100V (IF you got a reallly beefy amp) with a reasonably large uF Value.

note down the voltage, you will need a pair that are THE SAME VOLTAGE or HIGHER

*DO NOT PUT ANYTHING WITH A LOWER VOLTAGE IN THERE, THEY WILL EXPLODE!!!!!!!!!*

Get yourself a pair of nice FAT capacitors from Digikey or whereever you can find them.
note down on your Amplifer PCB which sides are the NEGATIVE PIN,

THEY PAIR DO NOT GO IN EXACTLY THE SAME ORIENTATION, one provides the POSITIVE DC voltage to the Amplifer and the other the NEGATIVE DC

so make sure that the pins on the NEW Capacitors go in the board the SAME as the OLD ones!! Negative to Negative (Capacitors ALWAYS have the Negative side marked)

Make double sure that the capacitors are fitted pin correct to the old ones or you will get the same effect as putting too small a voltage one in there

*BANG!!!!!! * and a very messy smelly sub!!

Enjoy!! If ya want to do this MOD, take pictures of the insides of your Amplifer and Post em here, we`ll give ya what help we can!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!


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## triggerc

DJ, my only problem with the z5500 is that I feel the bass is a little too artificial and full, it lacks the clarity of the bass in something like the new gigaworks. Do you know of any mods that I'm able to do to alleviate that problem?


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:



Originally Posted by *triggerc*


DJ, my only problem with the z5500 is that I feel the bass is a little too artificial and full, it lacks the clarity of the bass in something like the new gigaworks. Do you know of any mods that I'm able to do to alleviate that problem?


stop those rubbish.... it's BOOMY..... BOOMY..... BOOMY BASS..... not "a little too artificial and full".........









yea, not much we can do about it... all the mods can do is just to help it clean the bass beat a bit, and adds more pressure.

it's a plus minus situation..... you can trade it with gigaworks.... but you will miss the the pressure power delivered by z5500.

if you want.... get HT setup instead


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## DJ.BigBear

z5500 mod project from my friend.


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## MasterShake

looks damn nice. wonder how it sounds.


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## rx7speed

how much of a difference did dampening the cabinent make dj?
also about how much did you use?


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MasterShake*


looks damn nice. wonder how it sounds.


pretty nice if i might say

Quote:



Originally Posted by *rx7speed*


how much of a difference did dampening the cabinent make dj?
also about how much did you use?


too much dampening = no sound pressure
too little dampening = very dry

just put a thin layer of good dampening material


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## lanman31337

I was reading this thread partially and you mentioned that the new speaker wire and connectors sounded so much better, and that the big name/big money wires are so worth it. Allow me to introduce to you Monster Cable VS Coat Hanger.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...2&postcount=28


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## odie

Ok, I have watched this thread for quite a while now, and I still don't see anyone doing the cheap upgrade that could really make a big diff. The cap upgrades are great, and prob... make a noticeable improvement, the speaker wire upgrade well, ohms law would state you should not hear a diff..., but what about the enclosure itself? Rebuild the the enclosure to the exact air space with the same port, only make the box with 1in thick MDF, this will far surpass any sound dampening you can do inside the box. Furthermore you could change the air space and port size to accomidate the type of music you listen to. You could make it boomy, or flat. Great thread Big Bear. BTW spray the inside walls of the box with rubberized undercoat spray. They "z-5500" prob... did not put polly fill in for a reason. Polly fill will make the woofer react as if it were in a larger box, and the box may be built to the specs they wanted.


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## DJ.BigBear

this thread is never about encouraging ppl to mod their Z5500 to achieve night and day differences.
it's about me and some of my friends, had spare time and nothing better to do.

yes, there will be lotsa improvements over total redesigning of the speakers....
but for the money, i think getting a HT setup would probably be better choice.

but really.... this mod is not something i would recommend to you ppl.
it's not worthless, but it's half pointless


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## Bad_Dude

It seems I can only buy it from Ebay but they are shipped from China or Hong Kong. Where in the US can I buy some audio capacitors? And dampining material?

Thanks.


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## odie

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bad_Dude*


It seems I can only buy it from Ebay but they are shipped from China or Hong Kong. Where in the US can I buy some audio capacitors? And dampining material?

Thanks.


You can get the capacitors at a radio shack, and the local car stereo shop will have some sound dampening material.

Again, I would rebuild the box first, it will cost very little "prob less than the dampening or caps" if you have access to some common wood tools.


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## Bad_Dude

Quote:


Originally Posted by *odie* 
You can get the capacitors at a radio shack, and the local car stereo shop will have some sound dampening material.

Again, I would rebuild the box first, it will cost very little "prob less than the dampening or caps" if you have access to some common wood tools.

Hi,
What and how would you suggest the box be rebuilt? I am no expert in building sub boxes. So I would need guidance.
Also, would Radio Shack carry the Nichicon Gold tune or just generic caps?
Thanks.


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## DJ.BigBear

you don't have to use nichicon, but never use generic caps....
plenty of other options.


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## Chipp

Panasonic's FM series are usually easy to get a hold of and are a quality product.


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## odie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bad_Dude* 
Hi,
What and how would you suggest the box be rebuilt? I am no expert in building sub boxes. So I would need guidance.
Also, would Radio Shack carry the Nichicon Gold tune or just generic caps?
Thanks.

I wouldn't say chane the box at first, but using some 3/4in MDF "about $18.00 a sheet" with some good bracing. Just try the same box with better and thicker wood. The z-5500 stock box prob.. took some time to design, but to save $$$$ they would downgrade the wood quality and thickness. Just make it stronger, and you may be supprised with the sq quality improvement. Most Studio monitors sound great because of the enclosure. A speaker is a very simple devce, it is pretty hard to make a horible sounding speaker. Pick up a book called "The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook".

As for changing the box, take a look at this site http://www.linearteam.dk/
these guys know what they are talking about and the help section is a wealth of knowledge. The offer free box design programs.


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## RadiatedAnt

A lot of people are talking about how replacing the onboard opamp will imrove the audio and how the bass is boomy, well you can kill two birds with one stone when you buy an excellent sound card. Put the Z5500s through a direct 6 channel passthrough, bypassing logitechs lesser opamp and using your soundcards op-amps. In this case it is the HT Omega Claro+ and this has been a good investment, actually the best investment from all of the computer parts I have bought building my rig. The bass is noticeably tighter with no boomieness that I had before on a creative audigy 2 zs. I am interested in the Cap mod and that is all I will do. But there is seriously no need to replace the onboard op-amp as it is indeed very risky and not worth it imhho.


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## Bad_Dude

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear* 
you don't have to use nichicon, but never use generic caps....
plenty of other options.

I found some Elna 10000uF 71V, will that work? I noticed you use 15000uF. Does it really matter the uF value?
Thanks.


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## DJ.BigBear

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bad_Dude* 
I found some Elna 10000uF 71V, will that work? I noticed you use 15000uF. Does it really matter the uF value?
Thanks.

yes you can use that, but elna tends to give out short bass. but try it first, who knows it suits you well.

@radiatedant
changing opamp is not that hard and risky...
but it is true that if you are new to soldering, probably it's better if you ask someone else to do it for you, someone specialized in this area.


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## Bad_Dude

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear* 
yes you can use that, but elna tends to give out short bass. but try it first, who knows it suits you well.

@radiatedant
changing opamp is not that hard and risky...
but it is true that if you are new to soldering, probably it's better if you ask someone else to do it for you, someone specialized in this area.

Hi,
Perhaps, you could help me buy the needed capacitors? I can paypal you for the costs. I would understand if don't want to.
What do you think of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Top-Grade-Japane...QQcmdZViewItem
And these
http://cgi.ebay.com/2PCS-10000UF-M-1...QQcmdZViewItem
Thanks.


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## Bad_Dude

I did the hotrod oamps mod on my X-Fi and it sounds great. I believe the oamps swaps are only good if you use analog converting from sound card, otherwise using digital signal is useless. As for the Logitech Oamp mod, I would think the digital to analog sound is the reason for the mod.
Does any one knows how many Oamp chips are on the Z5500?
Thanks.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *RadiatedAnt* 
A lot of people are talking about how replacing the onboard opamp will imrove the audio and how the bass is boomy, well you can kill two birds with one stone when you buy an excellent sound card. Put the Z5500s through a direct 6 channel passthrough, bypassing logitechs lesser opamp and using your soundcards op-amps. In this case it is the HT Omega Claro+ and this has been a good investment, actually the best investment from all of the computer parts I have bought building my rig. The bass is noticeably tighter with no boomieness that I had before on a creative audigy 2 zs. I am interested in the Cap mod and that is all I will do. But there is seriously no need to replace the onboard op-amp as it is indeed very risky and not worth it imhho.


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## Bad_Dude

I am going to open up the sub tomorrow. Is there a guide or some hints on how to open it easily?
What kind of insulation should I add if needed to the sub to make it sounds better?

Thanks.


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## odie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bad_Dude* 
I am going to open up the sub tomorrow. Is there a guide or some hints on how to open it easily?
What kind of insulation should I add if needed to the sub to make it sounds better?

Thanks.

polly fill will work great, it is cheap, and available at almost any fabric store. Spraying the inside walls with rubberized undercoat would not be a bad idea while you are inside. "available at the local auto parts store.


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## Dooglas

I know this thread is super old but you seem to be a really knowledgeable guy about this stuff. I left my Z-5500 on +11 volume for about 3 hours and blew the subwoofer completely (too busy dancing with girls). I need to replace it now and I can't find any guides online about how to do that. I am thinking about getting one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/LOGITECH-Z5500-Z...item19b7384145
and just swapping them out. Is it as easy as that?


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## Bad_Dude

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dooglas* 
I know this thread is super old but you seem to be a really knowledgeable guy about this stuff. I left my Z-5500 on +11 volume for about 3 hours and blew the subwoofer completely (too busy dancing with girls). I need to replace it now and I can't find any guides online about how to do that. I am thinking about getting one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/LOGITECH-Z5500-Z...item19b7384145
and just swapping them out. Is it as easy as that?

Does it have to be a Logitech brand sub? I would imagine you get a better sub in there locally.


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## Bad_Dude

I want to get some hi pass filters into my satellites. Every time the bass hit with my music hard, I can some times hear the pops on my left front one. Which frequency bass blockers can I get to best suite these satellites?

Thanks,


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## odie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bad_Dude* 
I want to get some hi pass filters into my satellites. Every time the bass hit with my music hard, I can some times hear the pops on my left front one. Which frequency bass blockers can I get to best suite these satellites?

Thanks,

They are called caps, and are available at any radio shack. You will need to pick the frequency that you want to cut off the speakers at, and match them to the cap. Do keep in mind a passive cap in line will limit current to the speaker, and put a slightly different load on the amp. Some amps can not play when a cap is in line.


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## Dark-Asylum

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bad_Dude* 
Does it have to be a Logitech brand sub? I would imagine you get a better sub in there locally.

If it's not the z-5500 sub the control pod will be useless which is honestly one of the most useful features of the entire system. I don't think you can use the control pod on any other serial port than the one on the sub and also, I read about a member on here who was trying to use the entire system without a control center and it makes controlling the volume annoying since it automatically places all 6 channels at 100% independently of windows volume so you have to adjust it accordingly and don't have the extra versatility of the control pod.

to the guy who blew his sub: honestly, you might as well just replace the sub with the same thing, it's freaking amazing as it is and you'll get to retain all of the features for your purchase...no need to put in a freakin cinemark powered sub in your room. you could even try telling logitech what happened and see if they will honor the warranty.


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## Xecuter2

Any 10" 8 ohm sub that can do 200W~ would work great in the logitech box as a replacement. He needs just the sub (speaker) not the amp or anything else replaced. It would be as easy as taking the amp section off and unscrewing the old sub/screwing in the new. Heck, find an 8 rated for a bit more power, and I can pretty much guarantee it won't blow as long as you make sure you don't hit distortion at +11 volume...


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## Chipp

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Xecuter2* 
Any 10" 8 ohm sub that can do 200W~ would work great in the logitech box as a replacement. He needs just the sub (speaker) not the amp or anything else replaced. It would be as easy as taking the amp section off and unscrewing the old sub/screwing in the new. Heck, find an 8 rated for a bit more power, and I can pretty much guarantee it won't blow as long as you make sure you don't hit distortion at +11 volume...

Well, not quite. The box is designed for a specific driver, and to a large degree, the power handling of the driver is determined by the box it is in. Different drivers, all rated 200w RMS at 8 ohms, will not only all perform differently based on their individual characteristics, but could do anything from sound like garbage to tear themselves apart.


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## semtex1301

Hello!
I just opened up my z5500 console and i was wondering if there are some caps that can be changed for a better sound. I am planing to change the op amps anyway with some LM4562MA. Here are some pictures
The first one - the opamps 6 of them R45801(I) i cant say the last letter is 1 or i, anyway :http://www.alldatasheet.com/datashe.../TI/R4580I.html
The second one the entire back side pcb where all the key components are (DSP -- CS 494003-CQZ, DAC-- CS 5351 KZZ, CS42526-- i don't know what this is..)
The third one detail of the DACs.
You can also see the caps in the console. Does it worth replacing some of them?
I have more pictures taken if you want some more just say so.
Thanks


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## fighter312sqraf

Semtex1301, which passive components we will have to replace when we will put there LM4562MA?


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## semtex1301

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fighter312sqraf* 
Semtex1301, which passive components we will have to replace when we will put there LM4562MA?

The ones circled in red.


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## Volvo

Might wanna consider modding my Altec Lansing MX5021. It's quite a popular model for modding.


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## DJ.BigBear

try googling, there are many mods for it, try googling "jimmy auw blog"

i never knew my thread is still alive after all these time....


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## svy

Hi,
I recommend to alter negative feedback for TDA7294 on T-shaped


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## fighter312sqraf

Semtex, sorry I wrote it wrong. I mean if I will have to change any PASSIVE devices surrounding red rounded OPAMPS, it means any other devices to change if I replace OPAMPS. THX


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## Bad_Dude

That capacitor for the power 4700uF, 25V, does it have to be exact value or could it be bigger values, like 10000uF, 50V? I know the sub Capacitors can be larger values but what about the power cap?
Thanks,


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## Bad_Dude

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DJ.BigBear* 
Z-5500 Capacitors Modding

while completely opening and desoldering the original Capasitors was really complicated, i decided to add the capacitors by paralleling new capacitors with hi grades cables. (actually, completely changing the caps will give better result)

using Nichicon Gold Tune 15000uf 100V


finished:


not only it will give u more powerfull bass, it also make it deeper and less boomy.
not to mention the vocal clarity thus making it more revealing.
better not forget the sound staging









next project is... Z-5500 Panel mod!

How to take the amp board apart to get at the capacitors?
Thanks.


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## Kentsfield93

Nice one!

I will do this too









But I don't know where to buy the capacitors.

Which Capacitors can you recommend? Would be nice if you can tell me some.
By the way: some of the pictures don't work


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## Thedark1337

Hi. The Panasonic FM series of capacitors are very well known. If you open up the subwoofer and found out the voltage you need, then you just find the same voltage or higher. Never buy a lower voltage than recommended, it could blow up on you


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## computeruler

I don't understand the point of wasting all that time on a terrible set of speakers.


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## Thedark1337

this is overclock.net The point is getting better sound out of speakers by modifying it. If you don't understand that then go to underclock.net


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## Sistum Id

Quote:


Originally Posted by *computeruler* 
I don't understand the point of wasting all that time on a terrible set of speakers.

How are they a terrible set of speakers?


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## Thedark1337

Logitech makes decent speakers. Including mine. Although i don't use the USB connection, i use aux in


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## Kentsfield93

I am VERY happy with my Z5500 System.


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## ljason8eg

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sistum Id* 
How are they a terrible set of speakers?

Because for the MSRP, (or anymore than $200 really) they're not very good. I've had them. They don't sound good, at all.

Doing all these mods is much like polishing a turd. It would be mush wiser to just save up for a better set of speakers.


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## Thedark1337

Who cares? QQ More, this is just to help people get more involved with modding


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## ljason8eg

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Thedark1337* 
Who cares? QQ More, this is just to help people get more involved with modding









You can "mod" nearly anything. The question becomes is it worth the time/potential trouble/gain in quality or function? Its really not on the Z5500. Crappy speakers will still be crappy, just with more money sunk into them.


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## Thedark1337

no.... the sound quality WILL Change. Do it yourself you will notice a difference. I have modified my headphones and they sound tons better. Before you say placebo effect, eventually that change will just sound normal for the headphones. Burn in works wonders, and why don't you just stop QQ about wasting time? Some people have all the time in the world to do this, some have jobs to allow them to do this, so your point therefore is moot


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## otrosdones

Nichicon will serve these to my logitech z-5500 are the ones I could get.

*NICHICON KG GOLD TUNE 15000uF 63VDC CAPACITOR?*

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-X-NICHICON-KG-...ht_1022wt_1026


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## otrosdones

jajajaja no answer support request


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## J.M.D

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Thedark1337* 
this is overclock.net The point is getting better sound out of speakers by modifying it. If you don't understand that then go to underclock.net

lol..

Z5500's are descent set of speakers after all. I too have them modded a bit i.e just by putting some dampening material inside all satellite one's and it does sound better than before. Improvements especially on the mid - high area. And for god sake i found enough dampening material already inside the Subwoofer enclosure. Now my next Mod would be the Cap-Mode if situation permits.


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## outercript

Well I just changed the stock wires with a new set of RCA AWG 16 Cables and it sounds better.

It may sound even better if I rewire the satellites just as DJ did, but i dont think I have the time for that.

Probably Ill try the cap mod, but i still have to find where i can get those Nichicon in Mexico.


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## frostbite

this thread is over 4 years old


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## J.M.D

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *outercript;14902270*
> Well I just changed the stock wires with a new set of RCA AWG 16 Cables and it sounds better.
> 
> It may sound even better if I rewire the satellites just as DJ did, but i dont think I have the time for that.
> 
> Probably Ill try the cap mod, but i still have to find where i can get those Nichicon in Mexico.


Oh i am afraid you resurrected the thread again.








Yes you could be right about the rewiring. And if you do the cap mod, then please feel free to share with us too here @ OCN.


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