Verdict: Great sound quality and rear wireless satellites.

It's unusual for a company to have two products in direct competition with each other, as in the case of the Logitech's Z-5450 and Z-5500 sets. Both cost around £200, include Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, and have six channels. So what's the difference between them, and which one is the best?

The main advantage of the Z-5450 is the wireless connection to its rear pair of satellites. The allure of surround sound is clear, but for many people, it isn't strong enough to incite them to litter the room with cables. The Z-5450 largely solves this predicament with wireless rear satellites (although they still need mains power). Each satellite has its own integrated receiver, 42W amplifier and 2.3m mains power cable. The system also includes an additional optical S/PDIF socket - which the Z-5500 lacks - so you should have no problem leaving your PC, DVD player and games console permanently plugged in.

The downside is a slightly lower maximum volume than the Z-5500. This was most noticeable in DVDs and games soundtracks that vary between tumultuous explosive scenes and calmer sections, when it's fun to crank up the volume to avoid the quieter moments getting lost. Even so, the Z-5450 could hardly be described as quiet; your immediate neighbours might complain, but you won't get a petition signed by half the street. There may also be fewer complaints from any other occupants in your house, as the Z-5450's subwoofer is more compact that the Z-5500's hulking great block.

In music tests, the two systems exhibited a similar sound, with a bright and breezy top end that helped to give games and DVDs plenty of impact and spatial definition. It also flattered most genres of music. However, even at moderate volumes, the Z-5450's bass performance didn't sound as focused and authoritative as that of the Z-5500 and the Creative S750.

The Z-5500's slight edge for quality and higher maximum volume makes it our top choice but, if the wireless speakers are a significant draw, then the Z-5450 certainly won't disappoint.

• Media PC components - 22nd August 2008
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• Audio hardware - 29th February 2008
• Graphics cards - 24th January 2008

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