Nice comparison Thomas I purchased several pairs of the Sony @$75 because of my 1st impression of them, and can honestly say that they haven't disappointed when used with multiple amps both newer and old. Sony has both made a huge statement and gained fans with these sleepers.
The fact that we're having this discussion is surprising to me. To me, this is like comparing the performance of a VW GTi to a Ferrari and the GTi actually holding it's own. I have the Sony's and I like them. I am by no means an audiophile and they work for me. Before this I had a home theater in a box and this is a huge step up. My wife and I love listening to music through the Sony's with the addition of a Sony sub through a Denon amp.
I picked up a pair of the Sony speakers with my new turntable. For getting them on sale for $75 I wasn't too worried. After trying them out I was surprised, good sounding speakers and you can't beat the price.
We had a 1st gen Echo in our master bathroom for listening to music in the morning th-cam.com/users/postUgkxABghAEkaIDGZfHRBH3D3rBrlraNmnC71 and while in the shower. I didn't realize how tinny and awful the sound output on the original Echo was until we replaced it with the Studio. It was a sonic upgrade far beyond what I was expecting. Just wow. I love it because it's like having speakers IN the shower. My friend likes it because the music is so loud that she can no longer hear me singing. So that's a win-win.
sony clearly had the clarity in this video. the super tweeter sure does shine. some people find the sony's to be too flat. but that's what makes them so good. more in line with a studio monitor. the buchardt seems more like a bose. people tend to like the bass from speakers and think it = quality.
You're kidding right... The S300 produces bass almost on par with a decent subwoofer... That is the only reason the sony seemed more clear. Your info on these speakers is so little, but its fun to watch you give your "expert" opinion as if youtube is a real world representation of the sound. Dude, the soundstage, imagine, clarity, bass, mids, are not even half good as the S300... I would give it like a 25-35% similarity, the Sony is like a demo for the Buchardt. I have both of them, the sound is WORLDS apart buddio.
@@ArthaxtaDaVince777 ive sampled both side by side and ehat you are saying is just totally horseshit. The sony isnt just 25% of what the buchardt. More like >75%. Stoping spewwing horseshit all over the internet.
@@AbsoluteFidelity The tone and sound signature might be 75% but it does now create imaging nearly as well, have as wide of a soundstage, or produce even half as deep of bass.
The other thing to consider is that a single speaker may sound more appealing against another single speaker, but played as a stereo pair, may have a totally different result. Awesome that you included film score, my favorite genre of music. By the way, I listen to a pair of Bowers and Wilkins bookshelf speakers, the model just below the diamond series, agaist a pair of DefTech D11 bookshelf speakers. I liked the D11 a lot better, deeper bass, better Dynamics. The B&Ws sounded too centered on mid range, but also had nice top end. I picked up a pair of the DefTechs and have been thoroughly enjoying them in one of my medium size listening rooms. Took a few hours to break in, but wow! It's like a decent tower speaker. Did not work so great in my large living room, but was pretty awesome as front channels in a 7.1 surround setup.
Loved the video. I think S300 is more expansive indeed and its bass is a monster (I like strong immersive lows) but Sony seemed to bring more textures on the mid levels sometimes. S300 filled my ears while Sony is more democratic with the details. Gonna listen more.
Listening with headphones I heard increased thickness in the lower midrange of the Buchardt. If I didn't know the difference in prices I could have preferred the Sony. This video is valuable because quality of the budget Sony is shocking.
Let me quote Brent Butterworth: “Any audio pundit worthy of respect would know that you’re not hearing just that featured system-you’re also hearing the acoustics of the room it’s in, plus the response of whatever unidentified microphone was used for the recording, plus the artifacts of the audio codec used to stream the video, plus the characteristics of whatever audio gear and room you’re using to listen to the TH-cam video. It tells you nothing about the performance of the audio gear featured in the video. It’s as absurd as trying to judge the quality of a wine by first mixing it with two or three other wines before you drink it.”
@@DirkPetersen1 The room and the equipment used to make the video can only reduce the quality, it can never add to the quality, that's why videos are useful.
Sony sounded more open and spacious / higher dispersion. I preferred it in this test even if bass is not as strong. The other speaker was a little more closed in or boxy sounding. Of course they may sound a bit different irl Edit: the s300 does sound better in certain areas when turned up. It’s not without its problems:)
I have both, the Sony doesn't come close. TH-cam video compression may have fooled you, but I'm here to let you know the Sony sounds about 1/4 the way to the sound of the S300... The difference is huge and worth the $1200 price tag, a nice intermediary is the Triangle Borea BR03, which is like 60-75% there.
Narekaci Shahbazyan Of course i agree with you, I was just saying thay the Sony speakers are incredible for their price. Seen Z Reviews and other people review those and the s400. They’re beautiful speakers i must say. Just got the Klipsch rp-160m :)
@@ArthaxtaDaVince777 I got them yesterday. Used to have the MA bronze 1 bookshelf speakers, but I wanted a bigger sounding speaker, more bass, and more detailed tweeter. Got these on sale for about 500$. haven't broken them in or played extremely loud yet, but these are one of the best sounding speakers I've heard. Paired with a NAD D3045 and Hegel HD11 32-bit DAC. Got a SVS PB-1000 as well but I've got the high pass for the speakers at 40 Hz and the sub comes in at around 40 - 50 Hz. I did actually consider those Triangles. Not sure why people call Klipsch speakers "harsh" or "sharp" They're extremely detailed and really sensitive, that's it. It most likely their equipment or the room having very little acoustic treatment.
The Sony, for a sub $100 speaker actually sounds pretty good. Danny over at GR Research did a tear down on this little Sony, and was actually a bit impressed at what he found. The measurements were actually pretty good. He even offers an upgrade kit, a bit pricey at $300+, but would be interesting to hear with better internal parts. It may just give the Buchardt a run for its money.
Great job Thomas. Thanks for doing what you do. An informed perspective is very much what helps the audiophile / stereophile community. By the way, if anyone is loving clear mid-range with very well defined bass and high end, do give the DefTech CLR-2002 a try. They are discontinued now but IMHO a broken in pair used as LR channels is simply fantastic.
Thanks for the demo. The voices in the first two sounded more natural with the Buchardt. The last demo sounded more powerful with the Buchardrt. I just ordered the s400.
Both sound fairly close on this demo, however lots of things to consider here the Mic,the speakers I am listening on, and the audio codec . I am glad to see Sony back in the game though.
What I noticed with speakers is that when there is not a lot of low end (bass), clarity really comes out. So, its easy to think the sony has better clarity and detail. However it's not necessary true as both speaker can resolve the same amount of detail. If I had my McIntosh C47, the S300 will pull ahead. Sony Do it 1:43 S300 Do it 2:43 Sony Black Crow 3:43 S300 Black Crow 4:43 Sony Star Wars5:43 S300 Star wars 6:43
i just listened to both vids, the one where you been warning us that maybe there will no be gap between speakers and this one. i listened it with Sennheiser headphones. Buchardt S300 killed it. Those two speakers can't be compared. even in few first seconds of the song there is a big difference in sound. Buchardt sounds so present, details, echo, vocals, full and clear sound.....Everything just sounds way, way better and bigger. So i don't know why did you warn us about possible scenario like with Elac. Sony is good for the price tho....... i would like to hear Buchardt vs Kef LS50 demo
Thank you very much for your effort. I’m new to this hobby. The SSCS5’s clarity is superb. The triangle sounds in the Star Wars theme stand out cleanly when played through the Sonys. In the S300’s the initial triangle sounds are a bit muffled by the bass before the closing sequence. The SSCS5’s isolate high frequency sounds well but lack bass. The S300’s have great bass, but they fall behind when it comes to sound separation.
Cool audio demo. I can definitely hear a huge difference. Buchardts have my win for sound quality, but I also just bought these Sony speakers and have no intention of buying the Buchardts so I guess they both win. :)
😎 Hey Thomas! I was about to buy the Buchardt S300, but after this sound demo, I decided to get the Sony instead. Thanks for saving me a ton of money! 😁 TOTALLY KIDDING! The Buchardts killed the Sony's from what I hear. The Buchardts sounded like the Sony's with a 10" sub. The instruments on the first track (guiro ?) and shaker was much more defined on the Buchardts. The S300's sounded like they had more instrument separation and dynamics as well. Is that what you heard in person or am I way off?
@Free Speech they in no way sound the same. The Buchardt is better than the Sony in almost every category. However they arent "10 times better" which is how the price breaks down. So I would recommend the Sony plus a subwoofer over the Buchardts unless the person had plenty of money to burn.
Thanks gooood listen. I do like the Buchardt's S300.. that said it was about $$ for me right now so I just got the Sony's on amazon Prime for $73 (for the pair) and with the money saved over the Buchardt's "$1,200 a pair WHOA!" and others I can get a nice quality 10-12" SUB(s) = 2.1 or better yet 4.2 speakers to help with the lacking bass on the SSCS5 and round out the system....UPDATE after a 2nd and 3rd listening comparison WOW the Buchardt's impressed me even more as it has much more presence. WIsh I could afford them. The Sony's arrived and they sound great. Hope to be able to get something in the Buchardt's league someday....
Bass seems more in quantity on S300 but bloated. Sony’s seem tighter & cleaner overall. I was surprised as I was pulling for the Buchardts. Of course you can’t compare in absolutes on TH-cam. Thx for the fun!!
I have Sony STR-DH590 2018 Model Sony Receiver.It is hooked up to a pair of Sony SSCS5 Speakers .These speakers are 6ohm.The DH590 Amp is 6ohm and up. Hooked up via analog To a Sony Playstation1 for CD'S .The sound is smooth and velvety.Sounds Terrific....Also this Amp has Bluetooth built in.Streaming SOUNDS GREAT! Total Package highs superb..Mids clear... Bass impressive for their size! 2 different people have said WOW All that Bass in those little speakers? Yes if you have an amp with some Kahunas! Jam on! $$$ just buy them you will not regret it.
The SS line from Sony is part of a home theater family of speakers (SSCS3 - Towers | SSCS5 - Bookshelves | SSCS8 - Center Channel). The extra cheddar with the super tweeters do give some amazing imaging with movies and are as sharp as metal tweeters! They crossover well at 80-90Hz. The curve on these is flat...ish and restrained treble believe it or not. The S300's curve does track fairly flat. Here's the kicker modern home theater receivers can flatten speaker response. The SSCS5 + Sub + flattened response may be a contender to the S300 and cheaper too.
love your mic it reproduced really good quality sound , do enjoy it thanks Thomas. lastly your amp make a huge difference making them sound so good.I LISTENED WITH HIGH QUALITY IEM .
The Sony's sound better and btw I just ordered them and they are now $118 and can't wait. The Buchardt maybe much more powerful sound and bass, but the Sony's sound more crisp and clearer. I would add a sub once I get this and that would take care the rest. So many 5 star reviews online and on youtube on the Sony for the price. Sony is definitely back in the game.
it's something I mentioned in my comparison review of elac vs ls50 vs dynaudio. I would say if you are an audiophile, then no. for normal people , yes.
I checked out the Buchardt s300, and the one thing that stood out were the cabinet dimensions. The size of the speaker is at 330mm depth. That is approaching a mini subwoofer dimensions. The SS-CS5 on the other hand is only 220mm depth. Amonst other things, I am sure that is what is leading to the better bass performance of the S300. Just my 2 cents.
The Sonys are good for a small home gym, while you lift weights. A place where sound isn't really that important and if they get damaged you won't really care.
No comparison, but this is the best sound I've ever heard from the Sonys. They sound sweeter and less shrill on top here, with more bass too. What amp and source did you use?
So I got a chance to revisit this sound demo with my new pair of Monster: Diesel Vektr in ear monitors. I have owned these before but they got stepped on. They are incredibly neutral not adding anything extra to the content, especially in the bass region. They have tons of bass, but do not add any where there is none in the source. They also have incredible detail in the highs and mids. the previous headphones I used were a $50 pair of Klipsch in ear phones. they worked well but were slightly bass boosted. when I listened to the demo before, they added bass to the Buchardts. They were also slightly muddy, hiding some of the details. when I replayed this with my Diesel Vektrs, it was revealing. The Sony speakers were a LOT closer to the Buchardts this time. I was shocked. Obviously the Buchardts had superior bass, full stop, the the mids of the CS5 were comparable and the highs of the Sonys were just a hair more crisp...though the Buchardts high end was more refined (the smoothness of the fluttering flute at the end of the Imperial March). The Buchardts were also a tad more forward than the Sonys though the CS5 wasnt bad there either. I am flabbergasted by how good the SS-CS5 sounded compared to a speaker ten times its price. well, compared to 70% of a more expensive speaker in any case.
Hey Thomas, I picked these Sony ss-cs5 for $113.00 on Amazon Prime days . There has been a lot of hullabaloo on these speakers .For that price they may end up in my garage. I cant wait to find out for myself.
Have to give it to the S300 for sound but...like everyone says the Sony's can be had for $80 and the S300s are currently $1,166. At 15x the price just putting them next to each other says a lot for the Sony's. Just toe-ing them out a bit will smooth out the highs.
I think these speakers are both very good in their own right. From where I stand, if the Buchardt's were bi-wire, I would have bought them over B&W 606s. Certainly the Buchardt's deserve higher spec amp and source than the Sony, still a very competent speaker nonetheless
LMAO! Hey Thomas, whenever someone ask you to explain "The law of diminishing returns in Hi Fi" just hand them a set of headphones then sit them down to watch this video. You can find the SSC5 on sale during year for sub $100...too funny.
To my ear, the Buchardts sounded more present in the vocal of the first cut, the bass drum more realistic and present on the second cut on the Buchardts as well, and the Star Wars was a toss up, but the triangle at the end of the cut sounded like the steel rang more "true" and crystalline on the Buchardts than the Sonys. Of course, that's just listening with a mix of Logitech THX and Yamaha (4.2 total) computer speaker setup. (2.1 X 2, THX sub behind monitor, Yamaha sub on stand under desk) so my opinion to be taken with a grinder-full of salt. .
I considered these Sony`s and Polk S15 for some time but went with Wharfedale Diamond 220. I already have powered studio monitors with accurate flat response covered and wanted small bookshelf for desktop music listening. Diamond 220 just have a wonderful warm musical sound you could listen to all day. These Sony have no character to me.
sony wins. rather amazing, considering the cost difference, with the S300 at least 10 times more expensive, 15 times more when the CS5 is on sale. sony invented digital sound 35 years ago. they know what they are doing.
In the Star Wars section, at 6:06 minutes of the video on the SS CS5 Sony you hear a bass drum beat greater than on the Burchardts you just can't hear it. That difference is noticeable, it is a great detail lost. It makes us suppose that with other types of music Sony provides details that Burchardt cannot, because in the rest they sound quite even
I guess those Sony super tweeters are pretty good. Do keep in mind that when a speaker has less bass, it gives this impression it's top end is very clear.
It's normal, when there is less bass, the focus would be on the top end giving the illusion of more clarity especially with youtube sound demo. The downside is it will lack weight in the presentation and with that scale.
I got my Sony's about a 1ft for the corner of my room and I get a nice little bass lift I think from it. For the money the Sony's are just so clean crisp and detailed, I truly like there sound. I want to upgrade along the same sound signature. I got 1500 to spend. Do you have any suggestions. I have been looking at the Evo 4.2 and the Elac UB62s. I do like 3 way speakers IMO they sound more balanced. But I could be wrong. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Yeah and its pretty impressive Sony has the same sound signature as the S300, they basically achieved with paper mache, resulting is a ridiculous $70/pair for its sound. But don't be fooled, the s300 is on a whole other world.
Perhaps someone can answer this for me but I just cannot understand why in the world you (or anyone) does these speaker "demos" on YT? What do you think you are hearing? Certainly not what the speaker sounds like. Even a comparison between two pieces of audio gear tells the viewer/listener absolutely nothing. Its like trying to look at a video of a TV playing video or a picture of a picture. I know that you say "just for fun" in the desc. and that's cool but there are so many of these that seem pretty serious about themselves. People should know better than this and honestly is just seems really silly.
Sounds like the Buchardt S300 sound better, but of course difficult to judge like this. They sound fuller and richer This was me comparing with this video through just above average Sony speakers from a old Sony mini Set.
Thomas I enjoy your honesty. A used S300 costs between 400-500 euros here in Sweeden.The F160 and the Rubicon 2 costs between 800-1000 euros. The Proac D2 costs the double of the last two maby because it’s most forgiven at 8 Ohm . I’m more attracted by the Proac D28 and hope one day I find out how it performs compaired to those mentioned babys 😁 Keep the good work🔱
Hi thanks for the interesting video. The S300 confirm the potential of 2 ways speakers. I do not quite understand why Sony has decided for a super tweeter really. A decent tweeter, like the one they have used here, is more than enough to cover all the range up. I think they have complicated things. Nonetheless i like the sound coming from the Sony a lot. The limitation of bass is normal. I would rework the xover to make a 2 ways only speaker ... and add a sub of course. Thanks again, gino
Thomas I've heard the GE Titans and like them as far as budget I know higher price doesn't alway mean better. I've heard the MA Silver 300 not the 500 and liked it as well. But I have heard so much positive reviews on the Maggies too.
Now let's see how they stack up to the Andrew Jones' Pioneer books! My, how quickly we forget. lol. About the same price range. I think I may like the Jones' books more though the ss3's may be more detailed in the high end. But at what sonic cost?
I mean the S300 Is has lower bass extension, which will give it a fuller sound. In the second song for instance, during the instrumental intro, the bass was deeper the highs had more sparkle and I thought the Buchardts were clearly better but when the Vocals started, I thought the Sony had a small advantage. With the $1000 price difference you could buy the Sony's and a pretty good Sub-woofer and still only pay half as much as you would pay for the Buchardts. I suspect an A/B test with the Sony's + a descent sub vs the Buchardts would lead many to conclude that spending so much Extra for a bookshelf speaker with better bass extension doesn't really make sense unless you just have no place to put a subwoofer.
Bcos of your review I just emailed Buchardt to see if they will deliver my way. I own the Sony SS CS5. They are cheap but great for AV in a small room. The highs are clear but slightly harsh on the very high frequencies. The low end is lovely for AV. No need a sub for decent bass. But after living with the Sony I must say they lose out to even the Q Acoustics Concept 20. But again, they are like 25% of the price of the Concept 20s here. Thanks for your review!
Awesome, let them know you reached out because of my review! They like to know too if my review had any impact :). I am confident to say the S300 is way better , the better front end you have, the better they sound. Also, you have 30 day return so no need to worry.
Buchardt is much better; cleaned up a lot of crap, truer instrument character, more air and less strain - even on my crappy PC's mini speakers. Buchardt's are also more sonically interesting and rythmic. Thanks for making this comparison, it is very telling.
Seems like the buchardt has more harsh T and S, in other words sibilance edit: but that can also be my headphones and or the mic being used plus the placement in the room plus wal bounce etc
Yeah, that is the problem with sound demo. For me, its worth it but i understand that if you judge it with this sound demo, it's not a surprising conclusion.
No way I pay 6 times more for something that has a notch over the Sony which a untrained ear couldn't hear. No reason to spend 1200 unless you want bragging rights
Thanks for the sound demo. I get that it can´t substitute experiencing the sound in person, and it maybe a placebo effect but still the difference is noticeable. The Bucharest s300 have more depth? It´d be great if you could do a sound demo of the S300 vs the S400 Thanks
The Buchardt S400 sounded better listening thru my Apple iMac clearly on the 1st and 3rd tracks. The 2nd rock track was harder to discern the difference. I also noticed at the beginning of the 1st track the bass was a little "muddled" on the S400 maybe due to the amp./microphone issue you mentioned. I have the Elac Unifi UF5 floor standing speakers. Would you say the S400 is equal or better sounding overall than the UF5 floor standing from your memory? I know its apples and oranges (floor standing vs bookshelf) Thanks for the reviews!
Yeah, you can't compare both. The Elac is softdome voiced slightly dark which relaxes you. It's a very balance speaker and images incredibly well. The S400 is all about energy and getting you excited.
Sony SSCS5 Do it 1:43 Buchardt S300 Do it 2:43 Sony SSCS5 Black Crow 3:43 Buchardt S300 Black Crow 4:43 Sony SSCS5 StarWars 5:43 Buchardt S300 StarWars 6:43
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Nice comparison Thomas
I purchased several pairs of the Sony @$75 because of my 1st impression of them, and can honestly say that they haven't disappointed when used with multiple amps both newer and old. Sony has both made a huge statement and gained fans with these sleepers.
I bought a pair used for $75 and paired them with a Fossi Audio BT 10a for my desktop and they sound great in that role. Nice job Sony
After hearing the demo I might pick up a pair of Sonys to play with.
The fact that we're having this discussion is surprising to me. To me, this is like comparing the performance of a VW GTi to a Ferrari and the GTi actually holding it's own. I have the Sony's and I like them. I am by no means an audiophile and they work for me. Before this I had a home theater in a box and this is a huge step up. My wife and I love listening to music through the Sony's with the addition of a Sony sub through a Denon amp.
I would buy the Sony's and do the upgrade with them. Should make them even better.
I picked up a pair of the Sony speakers with my new turntable. For getting them on sale for $75 I wasn't too worried. After trying them out I was surprised, good sounding speakers and you can't beat the price.
We had a 1st gen Echo in our master bathroom for listening to music in the morning th-cam.com/users/postUgkxABghAEkaIDGZfHRBH3D3rBrlraNmnC71 and while in the shower. I didn't realize how tinny and awful the sound output on the original Echo was until we replaced it with the Studio. It was a sonic upgrade far beyond what I was expecting. Just wow. I love it because it's like having speakers IN the shower. My friend likes it because the music is so loud that she can no longer hear me singing. So that's a win-win.
sony clearly had the clarity in this video. the super tweeter sure does shine. some people find the sony's to be too flat. but that's what makes them so good. more in line with a studio monitor. the buchardt seems more like a bose. people tend to like the bass from speakers and think it = quality.
You're kidding right... The S300 produces bass almost on par with a decent subwoofer... That is the only reason the sony seemed more clear. Your info on these speakers is so little, but its fun to watch you give your "expert" opinion as if youtube is a real world representation of the sound. Dude, the soundstage, imagine, clarity, bass, mids, are not even half good as the S300... I would give it like a 25-35% similarity, the Sony is like a demo for the Buchardt. I have both of them, the sound is WORLDS apart buddio.
@@ArthaxtaDaVince777 And yet you give your expert opinion.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt Well at least I have listened to both...
@@ArthaxtaDaVince777 ive sampled both side by side and ehat you are saying is just totally horseshit. The sony isnt just 25% of what the buchardt. More like >75%. Stoping spewwing horseshit all over the internet.
@@AbsoluteFidelity The tone and sound signature might be 75% but it does now create imaging nearly as well, have as wide of a soundstage, or produce even half as deep of bass.
The other thing to consider is that a single speaker may sound more appealing against another single speaker, but played as a stereo pair, may have a totally different result. Awesome that you included film score, my favorite genre of music. By the way, I listen to a pair of Bowers and Wilkins bookshelf speakers, the model just below the diamond series, agaist a pair of DefTech D11 bookshelf speakers. I liked the D11 a lot better, deeper bass, better Dynamics. The B&Ws sounded too centered on mid range, but also had nice top end. I picked up a pair of the DefTechs and have been thoroughly enjoying them in one of my medium size listening rooms. Took a few hours to break in, but wow! It's like a decent tower speaker. Did not work so great in my large living room, but was pretty awesome as front channels in a 7.1 surround setup.
Oh, I don't know anything about Deftech D11, will read up on it. Thanks for sharing.
Loved the video. I think S300 is more expansive indeed and its bass is a monster (I like strong immersive lows) but Sony seemed to bring more textures on the mid levels sometimes. S300 filled my ears while Sony is more democratic with the details. Gonna listen more.
Listening with headphones I heard increased thickness in the lower midrange of the Buchardt. If I didn't know the difference in prices I could have preferred the Sony. This video is valuable because quality of the budget Sony is shocking.
Let me quote Brent Butterworth: “Any audio pundit worthy of respect would know that you’re not hearing just that featured system-you’re also hearing the acoustics of the room it’s in, plus the response of whatever unidentified microphone was used for the recording, plus the artifacts of the audio codec used to stream the video, plus the characteristics of whatever audio gear and room you’re using to listen to the TH-cam video. It tells you nothing about the performance of the audio gear featured in the video. It’s as absurd as trying to judge the quality of a wine by first mixing it with two or three other wines before you drink it.”
@@DirkPetersen1 The room and the equipment used to make the video can only reduce the quality, it can never add to the quality, that's why videos are useful.
Sony sounded more open and spacious / higher dispersion. I preferred it in this test even if bass is not as strong. The other speaker was a little more closed in or boxy sounding. Of course they may sound a bit different irl
Edit: the s300 does sound better in certain areas when turned up. It’s not without its problems:)
the 300 was superior. much more open and detailed
Imagine pitting a $150 speaker vs a $1500 speaker, it says a lot for the Sony.
It just shows that Sony can still make great speakers if they try, especially for the price you're paying.
I have both, the Sony doesn't come close. TH-cam video compression may have fooled you, but I'm here to let you know the Sony sounds about 1/4 the way to the sound of the S300... The difference is huge and worth the $1200 price tag, a nice intermediary is the Triangle Borea BR03, which is like 60-75% there.
Narekaci Shahbazyan Of course i agree with you, I was just saying thay the Sony speakers are incredible for their price. Seen Z Reviews and other people review those and the s400. They’re beautiful speakers i must say. Just got the Klipsch rp-160m :)
@@thetigergamer4644 Just save your money and get the BR03. It will be perfect for 99% of people.
@@ArthaxtaDaVince777 I got them yesterday. Used to have the MA bronze 1 bookshelf speakers, but I wanted a bigger sounding speaker, more bass, and more detailed tweeter. Got these on sale for about 500$. haven't broken them in or played extremely loud yet, but these are one of the best sounding speakers I've heard. Paired with a NAD D3045 and Hegel HD11 32-bit DAC. Got a SVS PB-1000 as well but I've got the high pass for the speakers at 40 Hz and the sub comes in at around 40 - 50 Hz. I did actually consider those Triangles. Not sure why people call Klipsch speakers "harsh" or "sharp" They're extremely detailed and really sensitive, that's it. It most likely their equipment or the room having very little acoustic treatment.
The Sony, for a sub $100 speaker actually sounds pretty good. Danny over at GR Research did a tear down on this little Sony, and was actually a bit impressed at what he found. The measurements were actually pretty good. He even offers an upgrade kit, a bit pricey at $300+, but would be interesting to hear with better internal parts. It may just give the Buchardt a run for its money.
I think it already did give the Buchardt a good run for the money. If I had either one, I would still be using a sub...
Great job Thomas. Thanks for doing what you do. An informed perspective is very much what helps the audiophile / stereophile community. By the way, if anyone is loving clear mid-range with very well defined bass and high end, do give the DefTech CLR-2002 a try. They are discontinued now but IMHO a broken in pair used as LR channels is simply fantastic.
Great! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the demo. The voices in the first two sounded more natural with the Buchardt. The last demo sounded more powerful with the Buchardrt. I just ordered the s400.
G W haha. S400 is the Russian anti missile system
Well I just purchased on black Friday 2 pairs of Sony and 2 SVS 12 nsd for under $1000. Bet you sound is much better than S400 at half the price.
Both sound fairly close on this demo, however lots of things to consider here the Mic,the speakers I am listening on, and the audio codec . I am glad to see Sony back in the game though.
Both good. Tonal balance on Sony speakers is very good. With this amp, Sony wins. Lovely synergy.
What I noticed with speakers is that when there is not a lot of low end (bass), clarity really comes out. So, its easy to think the sony has better clarity and detail. However it's not necessary true as both speaker can resolve the same amount of detail. If I had my McIntosh C47, the S300 will pull ahead.
Sony Do it 1:43
S300 Do it 2:43
Sony Black Crow 3:43
S300 Black Crow 4:43
Sony Star Wars5:43
S300 Star wars 6:43
i just listened to both vids, the one where you been warning us that maybe there will no be gap between speakers and this one. i listened it with Sennheiser headphones. Buchardt S300 killed it. Those two speakers can't be compared. even in few first seconds of the song there is a big difference in sound. Buchardt sounds so present, details, echo, vocals, full and clear sound.....Everything just sounds way, way better and bigger. So i don't know why did you warn us about possible scenario like with Elac. Sony is good for the price tho....... i would like to hear Buchardt vs Kef LS50 demo
The S300 seemed somewhat more forward. The female vocal seemed more articulated with the S300. Overall I liked the S300 more.
s300 has more meat on the bone!
@@mikegoppert4177 It also doesn't have "SONY" printed on the front... ;)
Thank you very much for your effort. I’m new to this hobby. The SSCS5’s clarity is superb. The triangle sounds in the Star Wars theme stand out cleanly when played through the Sonys. In the S300’s the initial triangle sounds are a bit muffled by the bass before the closing sequence. The SSCS5’s isolate high frequency sounds well but lack bass. The S300’s have great bass, but they fall behind when it comes to sound separation.
Cool audio demo. I can definitely hear a huge difference. Buchardts have my win for sound quality, but I also just bought these Sony speakers and have no intention of buying the Buchardts so I guess they both win. :)
Great comparison!!! The Sonys hold their own...thank you!!!
I've been following you..... after this is subscribed. thank you sir. A+
I love my Sony sscs5's. What an awesome set of speakers.
Just bought a set. I cannot find anything at this price point with such solid reviews.
After three years, are you still happy?
@@dreamdiction yes but I havent used them that much so will need to spend more time with them.
😎 Hey Thomas! I was about to buy the Buchardt S300, but after this sound demo, I decided to get the Sony instead. Thanks for saving me a ton of money! 😁 TOTALLY KIDDING! The Buchardts killed the Sony's from what I hear. The Buchardts sounded like the Sony's with a 10" sub. The instruments on the first track (guiro ?) and shaker was much more defined on the Buchardts. The S300's sounded like they had more instrument separation and dynamics as well. Is that what you heard in person or am I way off?
Yes, you are correct !
s400 is here
you got it? how is it?
Indeed they do sound just beautiful ironically from an average looking front. The guts are higher end so no surprise.
@Free Speech they in no way sound the same. The Buchardt is better than the Sony in almost every category. However they arent "10 times better" which is how the price breaks down. So I would recommend the Sony plus a subwoofer over the Buchardts unless the person had plenty of money to burn.
Thanks gooood listen. I do like the Buchardt's S300.. that said it was about $$ for me right now so I just got the Sony's on amazon Prime for $73 (for the pair) and with the money saved over the Buchardt's "$1,200 a pair WHOA!" and others I can get a nice quality 10-12" SUB(s) = 2.1 or better yet 4.2 speakers to help with the lacking bass on the SSCS5 and round out the system....UPDATE after a 2nd and 3rd listening comparison WOW the Buchardt's impressed me even more as it has much more presence. WIsh I could afford them. The Sony's arrived and they sound great. Hope to be able to get something in the Buchardt's league someday....
How are those CS5s working for you? Still using them?
Bass seems more in quantity on S300 but bloated. Sony’s seem tighter & cleaner overall. I was surprised as I was pulling for the Buchardts. Of course you can’t compare in absolutes on TH-cam. Thx for the fun!!
lol
I like the sound imaging of the Sony speakers base from this clip. Interesting.
I have Sony STR-DH590 2018 Model Sony Receiver.It is hooked up to a pair of Sony SSCS5 Speakers .These speakers are 6ohm.The DH590 Amp is 6ohm and up. Hooked up via analog To a Sony Playstation1 for CD'S .The sound is smooth and velvety.Sounds Terrific....Also this Amp has Bluetooth built in.Streaming SOUNDS GREAT!
Total Package highs superb..Mids clear... Bass impressive for their size! 2 different people have said WOW All that Bass in those little speakers? Yes if you have an amp with some Kahunas! Jam on!
$$$ just buy them you will not regret it.
and I have just as I have and the Sony subwoofer ss-cs9 sound is much more powerful more complete
The SS line from Sony is part of a home theater family of speakers (SSCS3 - Towers | SSCS5 - Bookshelves | SSCS8 - Center Channel). The extra cheddar with the super tweeters do give some amazing imaging with movies and are as sharp as metal tweeters! They crossover well at 80-90Hz. The curve on these is flat...ish and restrained treble believe it or not. The S300's curve does track fairly flat. Here's the kicker modern home theater receivers can flatten speaker response. The SSCS5 + Sub + flattened response may be a contender to the S300 and cheaper too.
Those Buchardt are something!
Your recording of the speakers is great!
love your mic it reproduced really good quality sound , do enjoy it thanks Thomas. lastly your amp make a huge difference making them sound so good.I LISTENED WITH HIGH QUALITY IEM .
I´ve always been a Sony lover since the 80´s. Again they have my win. Thanks for sharing.
A+ as always my friend
The Sony's sound better and btw I just ordered them and they are now $118 and can't wait. The Buchardt maybe much more powerful sound and bass, but the Sony's sound more crisp and clearer. I would add a sub once I get this and that would take care the rest. So many 5 star reviews online and on youtube on the Sony for the price. Sony is definitely back in the game.
Love to see you do a review of the SVS Ultra bookshelf speaker. Those are quite great from what I have heard..
I had the SVS prime floorstanding and they were decent and fun. Hopefully I can get a pair of SVS ultra one day,.
How can you compare a $149 pr speaker with. A $1200 pr speaker? Am I missing something here? Are $150 pr speakers that good now!?
it's something I mentioned in my comparison review of elac vs ls50 vs dynaudio. I would say if you are an audiophile, then no. for normal people , yes.
I checked out the Buchardt s300, and the one thing that stood out were the cabinet dimensions. The size of the speaker is at 330mm depth. That is approaching a mini subwoofer dimensions. The SS-CS5 on the other hand is only 220mm depth. Amonst other things, I am sure that is what is leading to the better bass performance of the S300. Just my 2 cents.
What a BRILLIANT choice!! Good on you!
Many thanks Thomas
you can always get klipsh icon for 120 on amazon or new egg and you get audiophile sound with liveliness
Just picked up the sony pair for 73 bucks. After listening to this comparison I'm happy with my purchase :)
The Sonys are good for a small home gym, while you lift weights. A place where sound isn't really that important and if they get damaged you won't really care.
The Sony’s have my win.
No comparison, but this is the best sound I've ever heard from the Sonys. They sound sweeter and less shrill on top here, with more bass too. What amp and source did you use?
I think the mcintosh MC2100.
So I got a chance to revisit this sound demo with my new pair of Monster: Diesel Vektr in ear monitors. I have owned these before but they got stepped on. They are incredibly neutral not adding anything extra to the content, especially in the bass region. They have tons of bass, but do not add any where there is none in the source. They also have incredible detail in the highs and mids.
the previous headphones I used were a $50 pair of Klipsch in ear phones. they worked well but were slightly bass boosted. when I listened to the demo before, they added bass to the Buchardts. They were also slightly muddy, hiding some of the details.
when I replayed this with my Diesel Vektrs, it was revealing. The Sony speakers were a LOT closer to the Buchardts this time. I was shocked. Obviously the Buchardts had superior bass, full stop, the the mids of the CS5 were comparable and the highs of the Sonys were just a hair more crisp...though the Buchardts high end was more refined (the smoothness of the fluttering flute at the end of the Imperial March). The Buchardts were also a tad more forward than the Sonys though the CS5 wasnt bad there either.
I am flabbergasted by how good the SS-CS5 sounded compared to a speaker ten times its price.
well, compared to 70% of a more expensive speaker in any case.
Yeah, the Sony is pretty good so people who don't like exaggerations. Amazing what they can do with less than $100.
Thomas you did a good job with this. We can see the diff. The Buchs are more organic and real but the sony are a great for what they are
Thank you so much T!
The sony's sounded taller, fun video.
Hey Thomas, I picked these Sony ss-cs5 for $113.00 on Amazon Prime days . There has been a lot of hullabaloo on these speakers .For that price they may end up in my garage. I cant wait to find out for myself.
Have to give it to the S300 for sound but...like everyone says the Sony's can be had for $80 and the S300s are currently $1,166. At 15x the price just putting them next to each other says a lot for the Sony's. Just toe-ing them out a bit will smooth out the highs.
Great review, as always. I really did not like the Sony's - way too shrill for my taste, but others might find them 'revealing', and 'transparent':)
Just turn down the treble🤯
I think these speakers are both very good in their own right. From where I stand, if the Buchardt's were bi-wire, I would have bought them over B&W 606s. Certainly the Buchardt's deserve higher spec amp and source than the Sony, still a very competent speaker nonetheless
Sony highs treble doesnt sound like budget speakers, Nice...
One of life's most pressing questions, finally answered.
LMAO! Hey Thomas, whenever someone ask you to explain "The law of diminishing returns in Hi Fi" just hand them a set of headphones then sit them down to watch this video. You can find the SSC5 on sale during year for sub $100...too funny.
Hello, can you tell me the name of the Pop Rock group from the 2nd track that played. Thanks
Hey...I bought the Sony speakers about 3 weeks ago off of Amazon for 73 bucks. I've got a lot of other different speakers...but for 73 bucks...Get em!
The s 300s sound so much more engaging and bring you much closer to the music.
Yeah, one of my favorite speaker for the price.
To my ear, the Buchardts sounded more present in the vocal of the first cut, the bass drum more realistic and present on the second cut on the Buchardts as well, and the Star Wars was a toss up, but the triangle at the end of the cut sounded like the steel rang more "true" and crystalline on the Buchardts than the Sonys. Of course, that's just listening with a mix of Logitech THX and Yamaha (4.2 total) computer speaker setup. (2.1 X 2, THX sub behind monitor, Yamaha sub on stand under desk) so my opinion to be taken with a grinder-full of salt. .
I considered these Sony`s and Polk S15 for some time but went with Wharfedale Diamond 220. I already have powered studio monitors with accurate flat response covered and wanted small bookshelf for desktop music listening. Diamond 220 just have a wonderful warm musical sound you could listen to all day. These Sony have no character to me.
sony wins. rather amazing, considering the cost difference, with the S300 at least 10 times more expensive, 15 times more when the CS5 is on sale.
sony invented digital sound 35 years ago. they know what they are doing.
In the Star Wars section, at 6:06 minutes of the video on the SS CS5 Sony you hear a bass drum beat greater than on the Burchardts you just can't hear it. That difference is noticeable, it is a great detail lost. It makes us suppose that with other types of music Sony provides details that Burchardt cannot, because in the rest they sound quite even
I think Buchardt sounds way better than Sony. So live and clear. And that bass man!
If it’s this much of a difference on sound demo, can’t imagine how good Buchardt is live!
Yes, the S300 is a class above, if not more.
Suprised at how good the top end is on the Sony. Both sound really good but the mid to bottom of the Buch. Outclasses
I guess those Sony super tweeters are pretty good. Do keep in mind that when a speaker has less bass, it gives this impression it's top end is very clear.
Dude,😮😮😮, the Sony's sound more more clear, tight and articulate. Mind blowin 💥
It's normal, when there is less bass, the focus would be on the top end giving the illusion of more clarity especially with youtube sound demo. The downside is it will lack weight in the presentation and with that scale.
I got my Sony's about a 1ft for the corner of my room and I get a nice little bass lift I think from it. For the money the Sony's are just so clean crisp and detailed, I truly like there sound. I want to upgrade along the same sound signature. I got 1500 to spend. Do you have any suggestions. I have been looking at the Evo 4.2 and the Elac UB62s. I do like 3 way speakers IMO they sound more balanced. But I could be wrong. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I heard more instrument detail in the sonys, but I liked the vocals on the S300s.
Sound similar enough. Sony’s look SOOOO much better and they cost less.
Yeah and its pretty impressive Sony has the same sound signature as the S300, they basically achieved with paper mache, resulting is a ridiculous $70/pair for its sound. But don't be fooled, the s300 is on a whole other world.
Who engineered the Sony speaker's ,that would be a good interview
I have the Sony speakers ,I'm looking for bookshelf speakers for my bedroom any recommendations
Considerarías adicionarle un subwoofer a las Sony? O no vale la pena??
Perhaps someone can answer this for me but I just cannot understand why in the world you (or anyone) does these speaker "demos" on YT? What do you think you are hearing? Certainly not what the speaker sounds like. Even a comparison between two pieces of audio gear tells the viewer/listener absolutely nothing. Its like trying to look at a video of a TV playing video or a picture of a picture. I know that you say "just for fun" in the desc. and that's cool but there are so many of these that seem pretty serious about themselves. People should know better than this and honestly is just seems really silly.
Perfectly correct. Basically idiotic
have Sony all my life, their engineers have good ears. From superb MHC-1700 and MHC 881. Lasted so far 20 years.
Richer & fuller sound fm the Buchardt
Sounds like the Buchardt S300 sound better, but of course difficult to judge like this. They sound fuller and richer
This was me comparing with this video through just above average Sony speakers from a old Sony mini Set.
Thomas I enjoy your honesty. A used S300 costs between 400-500 euros here in Sweeden.The F160 and the Rubicon 2 costs between 800-1000 euros. The Proac D2 costs the double of the last two maby because it’s most forgiven at 8 Ohm . I’m more attracted by the Proac D28 and hope one day I find out how it performs compaired to those mentioned babys 😁
Keep the good work🔱
I really really want to get a Proac D28, just that they are so expensive even on the used market.
I thought the s300 sounded a bit more esoteric. I hear more depth in vocals, airy aura, as well as the warmer low end. The Sony sounded very clinical
Hi thanks for the interesting video. The S300 confirm the potential of 2 ways speakers. I do not quite understand why Sony has decided for a super tweeter really. A decent tweeter, like the one they have used here, is more than enough to cover all the range up. I think they have complicated things. Nonetheless i like the sound coming from the Sony a lot. The limitation of bass is normal. I would rework the xover to make a 2 ways only speaker ... and add a sub of course. Thanks again, gino
This comparison is a clear example of Law of Diminishing Returns.
I think it’s a clear example of your deafness.
@@Sandermaner What do you do pray?
@@SandermanerEver heard of Economics 101?
holysmokes what is the mic setup you are using. it sounds amazing.
Tascam Dr07
Thomas I've heard the GE Titans and like them as far as budget I know higher price doesn't alway mean better. I've heard the MA Silver 300 not the 500 and liked it as well. But I have heard so much positive reviews on the Maggies too.
Now let's see how they stack up to the Andrew Jones' Pioneer books! My, how quickly we forget. lol. About the same price range. I think I may like the Jones' books more though the ss3's may be more detailed in the high end. But at what sonic cost?
The sound picture of Buchardt is larger and more contrasting.
Thank You Thomas.
I mean the S300 Is has lower bass extension, which will give it a fuller sound. In the second song for instance, during the instrumental intro, the bass was deeper the highs had more sparkle and I thought the Buchardts were clearly better but when the Vocals started, I thought the Sony had a small advantage. With the $1000 price difference you could buy the Sony's and a pretty good Sub-woofer and still only pay half as much as you would pay for the Buchardts. I suspect an A/B test with the Sony's + a descent sub vs the Buchardts would lead many to conclude that spending so much Extra for a bookshelf speaker with better bass extension doesn't really make sense unless you just have no place to put a subwoofer.
Muchas gracias! me quedo con las Sony!!!
Bcos of your review I just emailed Buchardt to see if they will deliver my way.
I own the Sony SS CS5. They are cheap but great for AV in a small room. The highs are clear but slightly harsh on the very high frequencies. The low end is lovely for AV. No need a sub for decent bass.
But after living with the Sony I must say they lose out to even the Q Acoustics Concept 20.
But again, they are like 25% of the price of the Concept 20s here.
Thanks for your review!
Awesome, let them know you reached out because of my review! They like to know too if my review had any impact :). I am confident to say the S300 is way better , the better front end you have, the better they sound. Also, you have 30 day return so no need to worry.
Thomas & Stereo ... will do on informing Buchardt!
Wow those sony for I think is 79 dollar in amazon there sound fantastic
Buchardt is much better; cleaned up a lot of crap, truer instrument character, more air and less strain - even on my crappy PC's mini speakers. Buchardt's are also more sonically interesting and rythmic. Thanks for making this comparison, it is very telling.
Слушал это сравнение на своих SC-CS5 ))
I think the amp is the weakest link here. The Onix A55 you used for the Elac sound demo was a lot better.
Seems like the buchardt has more harsh T and S, in other words sibilance
edit: but that can also be my headphones and or the mic being used plus the placement in the room plus wal bounce etc
Sony can hear guitar pitch s300 more bass but love Sony more clearer
The super tweeter on the Sony makes the sound stage come alive with an airy presentation. Good depth of sound
Definitely the Buchardt fuller more bodied sound.
Thanks for review
i thought sony is nice for budget, but once you hear 300, its like the twilight zone.
Good stuff Thomas. I didn't hear that much difference between the 2. The s300 sounded more balanced and defined but not worth 1800 more!
Yeah, that is the problem with sound demo. For me, its worth it but i understand that if you judge it with this sound demo, it's not a surprising conclusion.
No way I pay 6 times more for something that has a notch over the Sony which a untrained ear couldn't hear. No reason to spend 1200 unless you want bragging rights
Thanks for the sound demo. I get that it can´t substitute experiencing the sound in person, and it maybe a placebo effect but still the difference is noticeable. The Bucharest s300 have more depth?
It´d be great if you could do a sound demo of the S300 vs the S400
Thanks
Sadly I no longer have the S400. Sorry.
The Buchardt S400 sounded better listening thru my Apple iMac clearly on the 1st and 3rd tracks. The 2nd rock track was harder to discern the difference. I also noticed at the beginning of the 1st track the bass was a little "muddled" on the S400 maybe due to the amp./microphone issue you mentioned.
I have the Elac Unifi UF5 floor standing speakers. Would you say the S400 is equal or better sounding overall than the UF5 floor standing from your memory? I know its apples and oranges (floor standing vs bookshelf)
Thanks for the reviews!
Yeah, you can't compare both. The Elac is softdome voiced slightly dark which relaxes you. It's a very balance speaker and images incredibly well. The S400 is all about energy and getting you excited.
Thanks for the reply!
Sony SSCS5 Do it 1:43
Buchardt S300 Do it 2:43
Sony SSCS5 Black Crow 3:43
Buchardt S300 Black Crow 4:43
Sony SSCS5 StarWars 5:43
Buchardt S300 StarWars 6:43