VideoLogic DigiTheatre LC 5.1 Speaker System

Connections between the speaker system and computer are fairly straightforward. Six RCA connectors are connected to the sound card via the adaptors included. However, after the first setup, the initial listening test indicated that the left and right channels were reversed in the system. After some brief troubleshooting, the adaptors were identified as the source of the problem. They are not wired out of phase, but are instead wired contrary to the left/right convention their color code follows, as confirmed through a continuity check. Luckily, this problem was identified before running frequency response tests, as in a six channel sound card the center channel and LFE channel are output through the same stereo connection, and swapping those frequency specific outputs could damage the speakers.

In addition to the surround sound connections, there is an auxiliary connection provided via an eighth inch stereo minijack. There is a coinciding selector switch on the front of the bass unit that switches between the "DVD" input and the aux input. In addition, the front panel also includes selection between AC-3 and Stereo operation, which takes the front stereo channel and just distributes it to the rear surrounds as well. The front panel is finished off with the power switch and master volume control.

Speaker connections are made using spring terminal connections. The included speaker wires is simply two-conductor wire with tinned ends. The tinning, or addition of solder to the stranded ends, minimizes fraying during connection, as the wire is stranded for flexibility. The push terminals also offer the option of replacing or adding speaker wire of different length or quality.

Once the speakers are all connected, all that remains is placement. The system does not include any stands for either the front or rear surrounds; these can be order from VideoLogic as accessories, though none of the options include floor stands for rear surrounds. The front speakers have a top speaker and bottom speaker that can swivel on each other, increasing the dispersion of the front channels. However, these simply misalign the tweeter and woofer, which is not ideal for the truest sound. At least the spread is not predetermined, and can be set for a single user in a nearfield listening environment by aligning the drivers.

The rear surrounds need to be placed behind the listening position on ear level with the user, so they can be somewhat awkward in a larger room, though are worth it for the listening experience.