How to Make an $80 Speaker Beat $1,000 Speakers
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2022
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Patience got mine for $73 I didn't need them but could not let them pass for the price haven't seen them less since but I have seen them by more than twice cost. So if you have time wait they over order and have to dump them for floor space when the next shipment arrives.
Half of the sound or more is the room man...Also eq? Digital crossover/multi driver small speakers are far more interesting than messing and spending money on crossover parts. 85 dbs isn't that loud to be honest.
@@81giorikas Right? Dynamic music should hit 90 at least.
@@gaziltapig Yes. If you want uncompressed (which is...dynamics literally) you may swing 3-4 db for example. Imagine a movie. 6 db is double the perceived loudness. So going from dialogue to explosion requires headroom. If you peak at 85db, you can't do soundtracks etc like that. Anyway it is better to spare than to not have headroom usually.
its funny. I have these speakers. Got them on sale for LESS. Had no idea someone would be doing something like this. I used them with a sub. I am a pro audio guy. I think they sound fine for the money. Not sure if I would work on the crossover.. half tempted to buy that plan though. I am not really interested in boosting the low end, I would be more interested in getting "crisper" mids and highs though if possible. Since it has a super tweeter and a ridiculous frequency response going far beyond what a speaker needs- maybe if there is any over-lap in tweeter capability.. rather than having one reverse polarity, I would be interested in having a 2 way tweeter where one handles one high band and the other handles a lower band and the woofer can be narrowed to more mid "punch".. I suppose it can have low end.. would be cool to have a low cut filter that can be tuned with a pot... that may be asking for too much . or maybe just a 3 option switch where you can have it open, have it roll of at 60Hz and have it roll of at 70 Hz, that would be cool.. or just have it roll off at 60 without a switch.. for me with the sub, this would be ideal if there were a split tweeter band going on.
Hey Randy. The secret to system design is to “Remove what shouldn’t be there.” I spent years working on the car audio competition scene for sound quality. The people that thought they would win would keep adding more and spending more. The people that always won spent their time tuning out distortion, resonance, and removing anything that was unpleasant to hear.
Crossovers and high quality EQs were key. It really bothers me that EQs seem to have fallen away from affordable home audio. You can do so much more with so much less with an EQ.
Amen!😉🤗😇
I love eQ's. I try to do videos on them whenever I can
By EQ, are you talking about adjustments on the speaker itself or an equalizer, whether physical or digital?...not to mention room correction, treatment, etc.
Thanks for the information too.
Do you use analog or DSP to EQ in your home setup? Or DIRAC? I'm pulling the trigger on minidsp SHD and still fact-finding and doing information gathering. I'm excited about trying it, and especially measuring. The room needs to be helped as well and I'm thinking once I get the unit I'll mostly use it for the included mic to take measurements and treat the room first, before going deeper into eq, delay, filters, and Dirac etc.
you got that right, I have a nice set of separates, a high-end amp, and one sub. BUT I treated the doors back seat and trunk.
Mind you the sub is only an 8" but a good one. Boom sound is awesome.
Im a retired electronics hardware design engineer and this is the BEST description of speaker crossover design EVER. Totally accurate, right down to how the rolloff in a tweeter becomes "angry". And by a non-technical type to boot. Impressive.
Ha. well thanks. Even a broken watch is right twice a day.
I would probably like to say that the description is true, but on a level that is adapted for those who know nothing about filters and speakers.
Impressive description? Well, I'm not entirely sure about that….
@@asterixx6878 cheap audio man, not audiophile snob…
@@asterixx6878well, "impressive" is subjective so if it is to him then it is to him.
@asterixx6878 Being able to explain something technical to a laymen in a way that is easily understood IS more impressive then word-souping someone to fuel your own ego lol. 100% of the time, always. And i personally feel this isn't an opinion either, nor is this statement coming from a laymen when it comes to crossover network design either. Being able to communicate something complicated to a laymen in an easily understood way is a very valuable skill that not many posses. It's called being a teacher, and we need as many as we can get in all fields of study.
I personally appreciate the people who teach in this field well, and do work to tear down the intentionally walled, and ego fueled garden that is good quality sound.
Pompous, hubristic, arrogant. All words that come to mind when i think about a response like asterixx's to a compliment on one's ability to teach information in an understandable way.
YOU CHANGED MY SYSTEM!!! You convinced me to buy the Sony SS CS 5. My system was boring, to say the least. No power! No kick in the chest! No bass to speak of. It was weak. I had a Kenwood 3800 amp at 40 watts per channel. A pair of 3 way with down directional woofer Fluance floor columns that led me disappointed. I bought the SSCS5’s and a Yamaha RN 303 at 100 per channel x2. I installed the the Yamaha, put the SSCS5s with wall mounts on each side of my 65” tv. So I put the FLUANCE columns as “A speakers” and the SSCS5 as “B speakers”. My system now sounds like a very expensive Hi Fi unit! It’s come alive! My highs are crisp, clear from the ringing of a triangle tinkling in the background to the ride and crash cymbals. The midranges… all I can say is wow! The guitars, the vocals, the pianos are so close to reality. Sony put the bass back in my system! It kicks! The low cellos in the london symphony orchestra is so satisfying! Listening to music is fun again! It is SOOOOOO ENJOYABLE! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ryan Guilbeau, Chuckey, Tennessee
As much as I enjoy Randy, this vid turned out to be a sales pitch instead of any qualitative comparison. More meat please
You and Neal are what the internet was all about. Sharing institutional knowledge across the globe allowing average people to become a little more than average. Thank you. Joe
Wow, thank you
@@cheapaudioman It was easy, Neil paid me to say it. Oh no, I now have your humor too!
This is getting me excited about these speakers! My mother-in-law bought the Sony stereo combo with these speakers for her gymnastics business and is about ready to retire. I pointed her in these direction as a good cheap option and she says I can have them when when she is done needing them. Sure takes the anxiety about tearing apart speakers away when they are freebies for your first time doing something like this.
Thank you Randy and Neil for this opportunity to improve our sound. You guys are amazing.
When I need to fill a 20 minute gap, absorb info, and make it feel like it went by as fast as a roller coaster ride… Randy always delivers!
you know when I edited this and looked at the length I thought... how did I babble on for 18 minutes
@@cheapaudioman Proud subscriber
Yes you can't always just replace the parts with better quality ones, especially with inductors they can have different dcr and therefore can not only effect the level/sensitivity of the particular driver but can also effect the crossover point, both can screwup the phase. So good choice in just starting from scratch!
Thanks for bringing this option out to the public. Neil is such a smart and interesting person and really cares about sound.
he is.
@@cheapaudioman lAllppPlp
This may have been mentioned but I have stacked these speakers (Sony SSCS5) like they did with Advents back in the day, tweeter to tweeter, wired in series to avoid creating a low ohm situation. They sound fabulous to my ears using a Schiit Aegir amp, a $300 Schiit passive preamp that's no longer being made, and an LG V30 phone that's dedicated only to music (Stereophile gave this phone a Class A rating several years ago for its musical performance). So, 4 speakers, an old phone (available Ebay NIB for just over $100), a good Chinese amp with a 3255 chip, and you'll have a tough to beat system for less than $500. Keep up the good work Cheapaudioman.
I bought a pair of the Sony SSCS5 speakers for my daughter. They sound particularly good at $120 for the pair. I even A/B compared them to some ADS B7's and some B&W DM100's They held their own quite well. I would probably pair them with the matching Sony sub to get a bit more bass. She may not need that yet. They definitely punch above their class. Glad you like them as well.
This is the exact kind of content I was hoping you would start doing! I would love to see you do a series on DIY, from builds to minor mods.
Finally!! I was wondering if you'd ever make a video on this. Glad you did!
My long time friend (we met 52 years ago) Mark Merlino owned two speaker companies Qysonic and Lantana and was the designer/engineer. His most popular speaker was the 'Tad', and he made ones twice as big and half has big. I had the big towers. He worked with the legendary John Iverson. The tower had an interesting rear port. over the opening was two layers of what looked like plastic corrugated cardboard. There was an opening the size of the port cut into the bottom layer and the top layer was solid. The air coming out the port was redirected to the sides through the openings in the corrected material. I'm not a sound engineer so I can't say what that design did but I have a critical ear and his speakers all sounded amazingly good. When hearing the Tads for the first time most people started to look around for the much bigger speaker they sound they heard must be coming from. He'd say, nope, that sound is coming from these little speakers. I believe one of his speakers got good reviews at The Absolute Sound or Stereophile magazines. Maybe someone remembers. I'm 70 and my photographic memory hasn't worked in ages.
I just bought a pair on ebay and emailed Neil about the parts. I can hardly wait to start this project
Loving the DIY stuff btw man
How cool is that! DIY with training wheels with Neil. This could be the start to a new DIY adventure into binging you’re so with happiness. Kudos to you two!
Thanks Randy. On your advice I found and scored a pair for $70 at a pawn shop. They wanted $85 but 70 was all I had. Salesperson wasnt thrilled but yeah. Im pretty sure i paid the difference with my labor removing the mouse turds that were inside. Yes I asked if they tested speakers b4 selling them. They told me all their speakers were tested by a local company that I knew of. Well apparently said company never laid them on their side or they would have heard the black nuggets rattling around inside. As far as i can tell they're fine. So... the Sonys musta been stored in a barn or owned by a hoarder. True story. Moral; always rotate used speakers b4 you buy them, to hear ant loose parts or even treasures left behind by rodents or whatever !
I bought a pair of of speakers that retailed for $1000 for $115 at a garage sale. The owner thought they were broken. When I asked him to demo it there was this loud rattling noise like the drivers was torn.
When I open them up at home there were a bunch of little toys on the inside. Apparently his little kids must have stuffed them in there through the ports. The speakers were flawless after I removed all the toys. 😂
@@narikaba439 lol that’s an awesome story! Nice score!
Update: Ordered & received the plans from Neil, chose the "full-monte" mod and replaced the entire crossover. Ordered the parts from PartsExpress and finished the crossover replacement this morning ... each speaker gained a full 2 lbs with the new parts. I'd post pics, but doesn't look like we can do that here. Won't drone on with flowery language, suffice to say Neil "nailed" it, these SS-CS5s sound amazing. I own several sets of speakers and for the ones I own and am familiar with, I would say the upgraded SS-CS5 compares favorably with the SVS Ultra Bookshelf and Polk Legend L100s that I own. Remarkable! Fun project and again, well executed crossover replacement. Thanks again to Neil and to this channel for telling us about it. Now, I think I need to upgrade my other set of SS-CS5s!! Highly recommend doing this upgrade!! BTW, I agree with you on the Linton comment. I bought a pair of Linton's, but was disappointed with the bass ... sent them back.
did you lose sensitivity after mods? Did it maintain the minimum 5.1 ohms that stock speakers had
Picked up a pair of the SSCS5s last year to be run by my old SX-780, and loved them. Recently picked up a pair of vintage Pioneer S-710s that replaced them for better bass. Now after seeing this I want to revisit these Sonys!
I completely understand why you recommend these speakers so often. I bought mine for $80ish on sale. I initially paired them with a cheap Fosi amp. Was impressed. Yesterday, I paired them with a brand new SMSL DA9 and a subwoofer. Streamed some Rush and Pink Floyd. I couldn't believe my ears! My mind is blown at how good that combination sounds. This might be all I need for a while. Thank you for saving me a ton of money.
I have a whole 5.1 setup with this series of Sony speakers. Absolutely unbeatable value. Such a fun sound.
wow cant wait to give this mod a try ,hope he looks at the neumi bs5 next , lots of potential there for a good front ported
Hi Randy..Just emailed Neil regarding the plans for the SS-CS5's. I've had these guys for a few months, and I really like the sound of them. An upgrade certainly can't hurt! $20 for the plans is a great deal!
Thanks for making this video!
I also ordered the OP amp upgrade for the Aiyima A-07 from Sparkos Labs as well. The Sony's and the Aiyima should make a great setup when all is done!
Well how did it do?
Been waiting for this one! Thanks Randy! I got them and have been on go since.
Enjoy!
I use the SSCS5 nearly everyday. Looks like you gave me a new project Randy 👍😂. Great video
Nice 👍
It would be cool if Neil did a mod for the SSCS3s. I'm more of a tower guy myself.
However, I may still pick up a set to mod for the bedroom. The wife said I can't put a full 5.1 system in there because the speakers take up too much space.
Amazon just had 10 pair used like new for 66 bucks.
I bought two pair and I'm excited to do Neil's mod to one pair soni can a/b them.
Absolutely love your channel and has me excited about audio again.
I'd watch some of the other channels and while interesting, I'll never buy components that cost as much or more than a house😆
Crossovers are the secret sauce within the speaker. Thanks to Randy and Neil for this endeavor!
You bet!
Neil is an amazing guy and very talented. Neil, Thank You for doing all the hard work and Thank You Randy for bringing this all together.
You're entirely welcome, John!
Ooooo....I've been waiting for this vid! I really have enjoyed these speakers, and I will probably do this mod.
I bought these speakers for 79 bucks. I figured, what the hell? They are nice! I saved the box they came in thinking that I would send them back or sell them. I love them. They crank! They sound really good.
Awesome video. I purchased the Sonys as studio monitors based (on a good part) on your reviews. Congrats on the rising subscriber level. Modded components can be extremely rewarding when done correctly. I use high-end computers & proprietary software to mod AUDIO and one of the forms of distortion I address is a form of distortion virtually every speaker introduces into the sound. Would be willing to demonstrate. Let your ears tell you. Best wishes!
I have 2 pair of these running into a marantz sr5015 configured as Stereo with 2 zones running at the same time (Stereo A and Stereo B) they sound good, but running 2 pairs at the same time sounds even better
At $74.99/pr. they are a fabulous speaker! I love mine, and you got me curious to try the mod.
I enjoyed this video. You are correct having a nice crossover can make all the difference. Crossovers can be expensive to make but definitely worth it. I like to take vintage speakers and repair or replace the original crossovers.
I have a pair 30 year old Onkyo PS-103. Will the Sony SSCS5 sound better and should I upgrade?
Thanks for sharing but there is so much ads that I did not really get the objective of the video.
Great video. I'm about to upgrade the crossover of my Focal Electra 926s with new caps, inductors and resistors. Wondering h9w they will sound.
As to reverse polarity on the tweeters, well here is what I found and what I know that makes sense. Years ago I took open a Radio Shack 4 way automotive speaker box, and found that the top tweeter was wired in reverse. I read somewhere that this was done to give the tweeter a wider dispersion of the sound. The problem that I can guess is it creates holes in the sound stage and in some high frequency's. I learned from having two bass speaker in the car, bass tubes side by side, if one is wired out of phase, I'd see them moving but had almost no bass. I can only guess two high frequency speakers side by side will cancel out any shared frequencies if one is out of phase.
PS: I was expecting a demo of these speakers you were taking about but there was no demo....
This isn't the first time I've heard about this. First of all, it's difficult to find a 3 way bookshelf speaker, most are 2 way. But from what I heard, the drivers are actually quite good, it's the crossover where Sony kept costs down. Very interesting video. Thanks alot! I actually have a pair. Heating up the outer glued piece may help in removing it.
I wish Neil would share some of his measurements. That might be a much different video, but it's one of the most interesting parts. I think it's great of him to offer his design to upgraders.
I really didn't love the SSCS5's after getting them. They did have some good qualities to the highs, but were just too shrill for me all of the time, except at low volume. I decided to upgrade my set with the GRR kit a few months ago, which is not a small amount of work. (no, I won't be joining a speaker cable or power cable cult). His crossover kit along with the cabinet damping made a huge difference. I won't get too much into how they sound here, but I no longer feel like someone cranked up a treble knob. They still won't do ear bleeding volumes, but do play more than reasonably loud. I do use a sub with these, and they sound so right now that they've been my main two channel speakers since modding them. For me they've beaten out previous speakers I've used such as Elac B5's, UBI5's, Klipsch RP-160M's, Vienna Acoustic Haydn Grands, Rega R5, Beovox S60's.
I love the big Linaeum tweeters. Linaeum LS2's are what I have on my systems "B" speaker outputs. I'll turn them on when I want something a bit different. Other speakers do visit the B outputs for A/B comparisons, but it's the LS2's who live there.
I'm sure he will if you'd like him to and reach out to him. The measurement differences are as I described them though
Matt, I would be happy send you the response graphs. I measured the drivers, with and without the stock crossover, and the speaker as a whole, and the driver's impedance sweeps, and then used XSim to model the new crossovers.
Really cool you have the LS2 speakers! I have a pair of LT1000s and my son has the LS2 - they use essentially the same 6" high Linaeum TLS mid/tweeter drivers. And they are quite rare. I have been building the MLTL (mass loaded transmission line) speakers for the TLS and for the 1.5" high Linaeum tweeters made by Radio Shack. These are much more common, and are relatively easy to find. I also have a version with a 1" soft dome tweeter.
The LT1000 speakers are transmission lines, but are old school, and have significant dips. I found out that our knowledge of TL has significantly improved in the last decades, and with good computer acoustic modeling, like the program Hornresp, that TLs can have essentially flat and smooth output all the way down to their fundamental frequency.
The MLTL-6 speakers I designed (with the small Linaeum and the dome tweeters) are essentially flat in room down to about 32Hz.
@@NeilBlanchard The LS2 were the first speakers I picked up to use on my 2-channel specific system that I was setting up at the time. I hadn't actually heard of them until I found them for sale locally. Voices and instruments like piano sound amazing with the LS2's TLS. I bet they sound great in your transmission line design!
Excellent video, really enjoyed this one. $20 is a great deal for a guy like me, I've never put my own crossover together,much less picked/purchased my own parts from a distributor. I have a pair of these speakers packed away in it's box. Got mine brand new for 75 before tax. I've listened to them on few different types of gear. Their FR is probably all outta whack but I liked them as well, their hi end at low volumes I like,very clear, does image well. The woofer in that thing is pretty damn tough. The resonance for me is worst part about this speaker when I would crank them up, at first I thought it was bass. Probably should extra line the inside of the speaker box with that dampening stuff. This will be a good project for me, for 20 bucks this gifted Mr.Neil has done the math for me. Right on 👍
I think you'll enjoy it.
@@cheapaudioman yeah I think so too. I emailed Mr. Blanchard
How cool is this!? Really cool video. Really makes me want to snag a set of these next time they go on sale, and do the mod.
Hey, Randy! I'm excited about this idea, and will be watching the prices, for sure! I think this project might be a great upgrade for my home theater. I'm not sure I can make the upgrade myself, but I have a talented friend that could handle it easily. With home theater in mind, I saw from the Amazon link you provided that Sony has (matching??) center channel and Atmos speakers, as well. Do you have any experience with or knowledge of these speakers?? Maybe the subject of another video?? Love your videos! Keep on keepin' on!! ~Frank
Hometheatre and sound...
Love this STUFF
What an awesome video. Sounds pun like a really smart guy that just wants people to enjoy this Sony the way it should have been built.
Hi Randy, may I ask, do you think this sony bookshelf would be good for desktop use? scale 1-10?
my old computer speakers have a 4 inch full range driver and a 2 inch tweeter. the tweeter barely did anything so i ended up removing the crossover capacitor and i tied the tweeter straight to full range signal. the speakers sound so much better now.
My bargain basement speakers are Infinity Primus 150s that I picked up on close out for $30 a piece, new. Stereophile has a glowing review of them and they are very good speakers but after a decade or so I'm now using Andrew Jones designed Pioneer towers, center channel and Atmos speakers. They cost a little more but I still got them at really good sale prices.
These Sony speakers you rave about interest me. I don't know if I should mod my old Spica TC-50's (1st gen) or pick up the Sonys and mod them. Cost would be a tiny bit more. Any opinions?
I recently watched Steven Soderbergh's movie, "Kimi." While the movie was sort of a mixed bag (in my opinion), I noticed that the set designer had put a pair SS-CS3s (the tower version of the CS5) in the main character's apartment. One of the side-effects of audiophilia is that anytime audio gear shows up in a show or movie, my immersion is immediately broken, and I start thinking about the equipment that's on screen.
Yeah, like the Macintosh gear in Matt Damon’s characters apartment in “The Departed”
@@labernese Asbsolutely. Or like Alan's huge Simaudio/Dynaudio/VPI setup in Sharp Objects.
After watching your video about the schiit mini+ I was planning on getting the eq. I’m torn now on which option. What do you recommend? The schiit or doing this crossover mod?
Why didn't you mention that GR-Reascher made a modification kit for this speaker?
As luck would have it I was at Best Buy and spied an OPEN BOX buy on the Sony SSCS5 speakers for $90 out the door! Ironically I'd just watched one of your videos about the Douk Audio X1 tube amp, which I ordered for my first foray into the world of HiFi stereo tube amps. I'll test out the Sony speakers on the tube amp, should be fun! I'll order Neal's crossover guide to see what's going on there too. I've built a few crossovers from scratch in my day, so this sounds like a fun project, thanks for sharing your reviews!
Hi Randy I have these same speakers and think this is great help. What do you think about swapping out the foam or other damping material with something better?
Neil goes through all of that in the plans.
Great video. Crossover upgrades do make a huge difference.
i got microlab solo 7c. love it. thinking about upgrading it by removing inner amp and replace components just for fun
What's a good replacement for Pioneer AJ floor standing? Wife says it's too tall, so looking to move to bookshelf size (I plan to keep the AJ center modified by Dennis Murphy (philharmonic audio)
Love the videos. Lucky to get a pair of Q acoustic 3020 for £75 used like new. Very good as you know. Really enjoying them, your review was on the money. Keep it up !!
I remember the old days in the 70's and 80's when the crossovers often came with switches or control knobs to tailor the mid and hi range speakers from the crossover itself. In fact I had a pair of Nova 8B 12" three way speakers that sounded better than you ever expected in the first place plus they had low, mid and high slide switches on the back to allow tailoring of the mid and high frequencies - I wish I had never sold those Nova's cause at their cost they were WAY better than some of the two way stuff im seeing today at MANY times the price, were being raked over the coals on these stupid expensive two ways with wimpy little 4 - 6" woofers.
I would rather buy the crossover mod pre-assembled. I am not that adventurous to mod a crossover myself. Any chance of getting the mod crossover pre-assembled? TY!
I bought the plans I already dig
it, the first physical mod is cool!!
Thanks for the video!!
Great for my son; he is a student.
He has tot save money, and wants tot enjoy good music...
Hi, I'm left with a pair of Bose jewel cube, going to purchase a Smsl Sa300 and a Edifier T5 subwoofer. I'm not an audiophile but do you think this setup works? Going to place them in a 50sq room, I know they look cool but do they sound cool? Thanks
Any instructions on filling with rockwool or other materials, was this tried in any way?
This is the kind of stuff I love seeing, taking something great and making it even better. Do even ask...is there hope for the SSCS3? That might need more than an xover mod.
Thanks to Randy , I bought a pair of these speakers about 9 months ago, and Randy is completely right about these being the Nirvana of speakers at this price point. My previous speakers were Elac B-5s and they were junk compared to these. I paid $ 150 dollars at Amazon. I also have a pair of Klipsch RB-51 speakers for $250.00. Needless to say, I constantly compare the two. In my opinion overall I think I value the Sonys sound over the Klipsches.. The only advantage that the Klipsch has is that it definitely has superior bass response. If I had to choose just one set of speakers I’d definitely take Sonys.
Hey what do you recommend for mounts if we wanted to mount these horizontally? There's nothing on the back of the speaker to hold a plate?
Hey Randy : I was wondering if I could get a three way crossover to use in my current system , which are floor standing 30" with 6 " driver on a 2 way system as well a 10" passive speaker
The biggest bang for your buck and effort will be to replace the iron core inductor in the crossover with an air core inductor having the same inductance value (the thicker the inductor wire the better). The use of iron core inductors in series with the drivers delivering the midrange typically is the weak point of mass produced crossovers. Replacing them with air core inductors having adequate gauge wire can really open up the midrange. Oftentimes it is the single biggest improvement you can make to a speaker. The next thing I would look at adding adhesive damping to the inside of the cabinet, and perhaps adding a brace or two, if cabinet resonances are audible.
Most of my equipment is not that expensive, it is many decades old, and thanks to my experiments in modification I think it would compete with some really expensive more modern stuff. There are some mods like treating capacitors that you can do and and do and do. Besides the big main capacitors, look at how many small capacitors are in a CD player or amp. The only thing bad about modding is that to be scientific, you end up playing the same tracks over and over again, to better hear how much improvement you've made. I started out modifying cassette decks of all things. At the time I only had 1990 era CD players. The cassette deck began to catch up and then surpass the CD player, especially in naturalness of tone and lack of harshness. What prompted me to give cassette decks another look was an old ad by Revox in a hi fi magazine where they called the cassette "underrated." Don't expect dynamic range though on most cassettes. It's amazing the sound quality you can get with tape that small in width and travelling at only 1/78 inches per second. Reel to reel can go up to 30 inches per second with much bigger tape width. Tape is as analog as you can get.
One would think that I have everything you have ever recommended this is not true but I am on this project as well. I just completed the Aiyima A07 Sparkos op amp upgrade love this stuff. I have been trying to decide between my sony sscs5's or my Mission 761's for my desktop setup.
very cool
Hey Randy! what would be for you the best possible DAC/Amp under 200$ to pair with the SSCS5 ?? Thanks!
Most speaker crossover are merely passive 6db configuration, higher order crossovers optimize the drivers focus and the roll-offs are better but, the frequency transitioning has to be considered. Higher order passive cross do consume power so that too has to be taken into consideration.
Picked up a copy of the plans just as a fun technical read.
Love lineum, my mother has the lx5 very nice sounding
I have the Aiyima A07 and the Sony bookshelves and subwoofer. I am happy with the current setup. After watching this, I might go the crossover mod route or the Sparko op amp. Or, just do nothing. I am able to do some tweaking on the ap's equalizer. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. What do you all think?
Curves are published. Using Equalizer APO which is a free program if you are using a windows desktop or laptop to stream from the web(or audio files or CDs) has no cost and you can play with the settings to customize to your listening environment. With the Sony speakers being both hard to take apart and the crossover upgrade being expensive, trying Equalizer APO first to see if it suits your needs seems a no brainer
Thank you Randy. Reached out to Neil already. Can’t wait to work on them.
Would you say the modded cs5’s beat out the elac ub52’s sound stage? I have the Sony’s now and love them in my living room but want something nicer in my game room and it’s between modding some cs5’s or getting the ub52’s.
Great job as always Randy. But PLEASE - in one of your recent reviews about when you talked about changing out the Sparko Op-Amps for the Aiyima 07 (which many of us did to great pleasure), you indicated that you may try the same with the Aiyima A08. I know you're busy with tons of requests and a limited scheduled, but if you could try those Sparko op-amps in the Aiyima A08, I'd (we'd?) greatly appreciate it. Curious to see if the effect would be as great and noticeable with the A08 as it was with the A07. Thanks mannnnn....
....thank you Randy,...for motivation. I am thinking to go this way, because I am, let say not likeing a lot the performance of speakers which cost 1K - 2K......I will try couple more and if not, lets do upgrades...
Would it be worth it to use them like studio monitors or just dedicated to listening to music
Great video! I am now a fan of your channel as I just happen to have a set of SS-CS5 for my home theater. I just might try this mod. Thank You! I also have SS-CS8 center channel and SS-CSE Dolby Atmos speakers and wonder if there are mods for them as well. From Okinawa, Japan.
when i was a poor student i often switched x over parts ie changed electro to polycaps and parallelled cap s etc , an easy upgrade!
Randy, How do you sell your used Speakers. I'm looking into selling a pair of KEF Q350s - about 1 year old in excellent condition. I have never used e-Bay or Craigslist. THX all. Any advice is appreciated.
How much is the average cost of the parts for the cheapest mod? i would like to know before buying the manual many thanks!
modding something good to great. Love it!
Hey Cheap Audio Man! What is that silver-face vintage receiver at 15:00? Ive been looking for something like that.
Do you think you could do a review of the Hidizs DH80S DAC/AMP. It's a $139 portable unit and I'm wondering what you think about it.
Question, I'm not sure how old those Sony's are, is it possible the caps in the crossover had aged a bit, further emphasizing the difference between the mod? Perhaps it was negligible, just a thought.
Replaced rhe caps on my SB T200s, compared replaced to old side by side like you did and a huge difference. Old caps had less bass, too much treble. Crossover moved from 3khz to 4khz, 10db difference at 4khz.
Stock minimal impendence was 5.1 ohms. Did the mods change this? I can't go any lower using these in a surround set up with AVR.
Hi, my name is Ryan Guilbeau in Chuckey, TN.
I’d like to ask a question concerning woofer hook ups.
The equipment I have is a Yamaha RN303 stereo receiver. I have 4 speakers taking up the A/B channels on the back. If the B speakers are taken up… how would I hook up the woofer or can at all? Thank you for your help.
Bought just because it has a Super-Tweeter to add to my portfolio. I do plan to add tube connectors and internal sound dampening. Just doing that should improve it a lot. About $40 investment. I paid $80 for mine.
I woould love to see a great inexpensive way to connect my Thorens 125 turntable up to one of these systems. How do you do a good phono input on the cheap?
I have been waiting for this! Definitely interested in trying Neil’s upgrades.
very well thought out. and just not one approach
Have you done a review on a modified version of this speaker?
Perfect timing, my Sony’s are already in parts right now 😂
I am all about tweaking equipment. I like to make my stuff "mine" by doing diy mods, etc. Great video.
Thanks 👍
Reverced polarity is there for a reason, to get the phase in a second order/12db crossover right, you removed that?