need help choosin a speaker system

[completeandutterNEWB]

i need to kno which speaker system i should get
Creative Labs MegaWorks THX 5.1 550 Speaker - RETAIL (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?description=36-116-118)
or
Logitech's THX certified Z560 4.1 surround sound system Retail (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?description=36-121-101)

i'm leaning toward the Creative ones cus they hav 500W and they're 5.1 but he logitech isn't bad and i can afford either one so im just asking to see if there's a quality issue with either one (i.e. do the amp's die or are the speakers bad or sumthin like that)
suggestions would be great thanks:D

[completeandutterNEWB]

why did this thread come up twice? hmmm perplexes me

[David M]

I would go for sound quality over brute watts...unless your putting on a Who concert out your bedroom window for the neighbors. Watts don't necessarily convert equally to dB levels anyway. Sound companies have all kinds of ways to yank your chain...peak watts, RMS (root mean square) <-- the true power, continuous watts...make sure your comparing apples to apples. Also speakers have different efficiencies and frequency response curves. Check the SNR (signal to noise ratio) of the amp....the lower the number, the worse it is. This makes a big difference for "clean" sound.

In that case?.....go to a retailer...and have a listen for yourself. Thats really your answer...how do they sound to you? And to make it more complex?...it won't sound the same in your home as it did in the store.

If you want to cheat?....buy both systems from a no-hassle return policy retailer...set them up in your home...and return the ones you liked the least.

Well I will be damned....Roger Daltrey just came on the radio! Go get em Pinball Wizard.

David (going deaf) M

[completeandutterNEWB]

ok i checked everything out
both wattages are RMS but the logitech's subwoofer has a higher RMS wattage than the Creative's but the Creative has more RMS watts per channel than the logitechs
the creative has a SNR of 99dB
the logitech has a SNR >75dB (thats wut it ses on the site)
and they both have a few reviews saying that the amps blow but i guess thats unavoidable
since im looking for computer speakers/ home entertainment speakers i think i'll go with the Creative's because the sound quality is better and they hav 5.1
thanks for helping me choose :)

[njskatchmo]

my friend has z560, and they work well.

[Briab Guy]

I have a creative labs and have been very happy with it.

[Hi Ho]

I would recommend the Logitechs. I have the Z-640's and they sound excellent. Logitech makes some very high quality speakers.

[glc]

You can argue speaker specs all day and into the night, but what counts is how they sound to YOUR ears.

[Hi Ho]

That is true. I rarely compare specs. I compare the actuall sound of the speakers. Watts are NOT everything. I just bought a 50 watt Polk Audio subwoofer for my home theater and it is louder than many 200 watt ones I looked at.