Note: This video is meant to be short and succinct. For a full-on review of these speakers, click on the description box and follow the link! Meanwhile, the Sony Core's are still legit. Not miracle workers by any means, but the value is still there! EDIT: For those of you who aren't familiar with my old videos - this is straight up old-school Zero Fidelity! I put no thought into what I wanted to say. I just sat down in front of the camera, hit the record button, and bam - video.
I was waiting to see which models complete at retail. I have a home in Asia so no discounts and probably double. Klipsch? You mentioned powered speakers that might competitors; which ones? Audio Engine? Any chance of a future comparison video? My room is 30’x20’… Btw, there’s a LF thunk in your audio (I listen on headphones). Not a big deal but just an fyi.
I bought these speakers 2 weeks ago for and am stunned. On a separate note, have you ever listened or familiar with XiangSheng Tube DAC -05B? Very curious about that DAC
Thanks for revisiting these great little speakers. I bought my set two months into the pandemic, and my purchasing decision was based on your original review (and I saw many), so thank you. I have been extremely pleased with the sound quality, and the sound stage has left many people not believing what they are hearing. I know these speakers may not be the best compared to higher end, but for my apartment setting in Queens, NYC, this set of speakers sound amazing.
I've owned these SS-CS5 speakers for about 18 months now (picked them up for $73.00), and I absolutely love them. I picked up the STR-DH190 for $98.00 to power them perfectly at 100w rms each, and for $171.00 total, I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am. They perform beautifully in my home office/music room, with surprisingly solid bass response, especially at higher volumes. Taking everything 1 step further, if you have the space to accommodate a 2.1 setup, the Sony SA-CS9 active subwoofer can be found on sale for $98.00 at times, and will really round out your setup. Just run your speaker cable from the receiver to the subwoofer, then from the subwoofer to the speakers, and you're good to go :) Great review BTW!
Lucky you. Where I live the speakers cost 250$ and the receiver strdh190 around 300, but I bought them along with PS HX500 and all my setup is Sony and they all work together beautifully and they are all Hi Res audio. Love Sony.
I bought these last night ($88), along with the center channel on sale ($85), I went ahead and bought the 10" Sub ($114). This is for a 3.1 setup in my 12 x 14 home office paired with a 4k 55" TV. I will use for movies and music. I have a Sony AVR to run them (STRDH590). Hopefully this will make a decent budget system.
Track down a pair of small speakers - less than $100 - but 5.1 is very neat with a lot of movies - or - a concert or opera on DVD. I've got older Sonys powering a 5.1 system and it works great.
I’m curious to know how you find the sub. I got this sub and was incredibly disappointed, I also have an 8inch sub from Klipsch and the latter is so much better than the former! The Klipsch produces better sound and vibrations when compared to the bigger sub.
A pretty fair assessment. I have Sony's floor-standing Cores (SS-CS3), which i did manage to catch on sale at $200/pair, and while I've had higher-end speakers in the past, I'm quite amazed at how much these speakers do right, and not just for the low cash-outlay, although that's a pretty big deal in itself. One consideration for me was having something with a relatively small footprint, but still moving a decent amount of air for reasonably-good LF response. But, as you mention about the CS5, it's about a good balance of attributes, and I enjoy these things every time I sit down for an hour or two's listen.
@TheAboriginal1 I think the main advantage of the 5s over the 3s is in ease of placement, although that's tricky, and a double-edged sword: for me, the ideal placement for the 5s is on stands...which potentially gives them a similar physical footprint as the 3s, while the 3s literally push more air (offering deeper LF response) by virtue of being a mini tower. (The second LF driver doesn't hurt, either.) And, for my music listening, the LF response of the 3s is *just* good enough to feel no need to add a sub, which was also a consideration in my choice.
I just picked up a pair advertised as used/damaged for $59.00 and it turned out that they were new in box. The shipping box had been damaged at some point but it had been repaired and the contents were in perfect condition with the original packing. Apparently the original purchaser noticed that the box was damaged and returned it to Amazon w/o even opening it up.
If you are able to cross them over at 80 hz to 100 hz and add a little sub, these speakers are absolutely fantastic. They make me smile every time I listen to them!
Sean, reminiscing as well as recapturing the past is one of the best things to do in a while. In our local parlance in Ghana, we call it "Sankofa ". A nice one there!!!! A Happy Holiday season we wish You!!!
I just picked up a pair of these and I think you are spot on. They are just a smidge bright, but not annoyingly so. For under $100 they are very nice, a well balanced speaker that images nicely.
These are actually my latest and greatest impulse buy. $50 CAD at a surplus store for a brand new pair (albeit in a wrinkled box, but the speakers weren't hurt). They're smaller, they look nicer, they sound better in DIRECT mode, and are much nicer to the tone controls than my Sound Dynamics R515 towers. And quite honestly the Sonys kick the shit out of them. A lot of it is just down to the listening space as well as the Sonys being rear-ported and easy to drive (my towers are front-ported and 12 ohms) but it's very good for a ~$200 speaker.
I appreciate the honesty and lack of hype of your review. The last bookshelf speakers I owned approximately the size of the Sony's were Dynaco A25's. For the size of the box..... they had a huge sound field.
Jeez the A25 was a 2 way with a 10" woofer and a Seas tweater. They have nothing in common what so ever. One is one of the most classic speakers ever sold the other is the Sony, a decent value. I own both, how dare someone equate the two.
It is truly a great time to be into audio. I really enjoy the level headed reviews like this; where a product isn't hyped, but the strengths and weaknesses are discussed.
GET ON MY LEVEL, SON! haha. So real talk: I only have a couple hours to return them. In fact, I'm heading out the door right now! As much as I'd like to keep these as an affordable reference, I have wayyyyy too much audio gear as is. Lookin' forward to your review lil' 1.
Sean, thanks for speaking about these Sonys. I bought them on Amazon in July for $73 for the pair. At the time I was thinking I would have the GR Research modifications done on them. Then I listened to them as is and also with a pair of REL T/9i subs. After that I decided to not do any modifications. It would have ruined the value proposition. Paired with the RELs the combination shines. I true audiophile marriage. Very satisfying. The RELs compliment them perfectly with bass and sub bass which let’s face it these speakers given just their size are not going to produce sufficiently. But the Sonys do deliver pretty good treble and mids. So with the RELs you have the full spectrum covered. Listen to Steely Dan Aja and Gaucho and you will be pleased at the cymbals all the way down to the bass lines. Jazz is produced very well. If I were a reviewer these Sonys below $100 would be one of my bargains if not the top audio bargain for 2021.
Hey ya'll, I've been wondering about getting a speaker upgrade kit from GR research. I have a pair of 1 year old Kef Q-150's... upgrade the innards for 290$ or no? Thoughts please?
I was amazed when I hooked up these Sonys to a Emotiva A5. And then even more amazed when I high passed the Sonys at 130hz. Very clean! Below 130 was handled by diy midbass module. Crossover minidsp. Next up is a crossover upgrade to sweeten the sound.
@@tomons8059 if that was referred to me. They are very linear and detailed speakers. They are small, so of course they are not going to produce optimal bass and sub bass. So when I pair these Sonys with a pair of REL T/9i subs, the combination is fantastic. Basically, full range and detailed. At the current $88 these are one of the big bargains of 2021.
In a word.... Amazing! I used them in two rooms. 12x24x8 and 12x12x9...filled both rooms easily. Used with a B&W subwoofer and without. Compared to my KEF LS50 Meta and Klipsch RM600P....better than Klipsch and darn close to the KEFs. A true 🦄
COVID lockdown forced the home stereo into the digital age. Picked up these Sony's, a Modi 3 DAC, and a used Sony Blue-Ray player to play CDs thru a mid-90s midrange priced Yamaha. The details heard from the discs I thought I knew was amazing. Great for apartment - just enough bass can be had out of the Sony's with the Yamaha Loudness knob - but not thundering enough to disturb the neighbors. Works perfectly for Roku TV and movies as well. Voices are clear and separated. Hats off to all the audio reviewers on TH-cam. Y'all are a real help.
Just got these on Amazon for $98. Going to use them with an also recently purchased Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB-BK turntable and a Pioneer SX-10AE receiver. I think I should have a good listening experience!
I think you could built a nice budget movie theater sound system at home with these. 11.4 format with 4 budget subs and amp, you'll probably still be under 2k.
At what point do you run into diminishing returns? I have three 5.1 systems and they're very good. I've heard a 7.1 system and I can't tell the difference. 11.1? Would add some complications to the AVR if nothing else.
Had them. They sounded really good. Bought the Klipsch RP-150M. Returned the Sony's since the Klipsch were better in almost every way. Bought the Sony's again for a "second chance". I WANTED to love them, but the Klipsches had won me over. Sad to say I can't recomended them over the Klipsch reference line for a bit more. However they are BETTER THAN THE POLK T15!!!
I picked them up for under 70 on Amazon, I was looking for desktop speakers to go with the Vista spark. It sounds great after a year of working from home just wanted to thank you for the reviews it helped me make a choice with out the option to go into a store
I got lucky on an open box deal at Best Buy back in 2021 and found these for something like $50 total. I run them on a dedicated 2.0 amp in my library and they are great. I run Klipsch on my main 5.2 setup but these are honestly just as fun for a fraction of the price. The clarity is refreshing especially for genres like classical.
For what its worth . . . I experienced a change in sound for the better after a couple weeks break-in of daily use. My theory is that the 5.12" woofer is a bit too stiff initially out of the box. Mids improved and mid-bass. Also, with the rear porting, I find the best improvement to bass at 9 to 14" from the wall. I use a very mild toe-in (6 degrees) with the front speakers 12' apart on either side of my Sony 4K LCD panel. I get an excellent soundstage and instrument separation this way. My listening/watching distance is at 12'. One of the reasons these speakers get mixed reviews is that they are very specifically designed and very finicky about placement. Equal distance triangle configurations sound best to me for front stereo. So, if I were to use them as computer stereo speakers with a class D amp, I'd try inside of 4' apart at 3.5' listening distance. Right now, I am configured for 5.1 surround home theater but often listen to music in strict stereo mode. Sony SSCS5s are my front and rear surround speakers. My rear set is side firing at ear level and the front surrounds are ear level while sitting, too. I use a couple of different AVR modes for listening depending on bass constraints for others in the household. My leanest sound to suppress bass transference through the walls is strict stereo mode without the SSCS5 rear surrounds, subwoofer and center channel (neither are Sony). I just add +6db to the bass on my Denon AVR and occasionally I will subtract -2db from the treble. This allows me to get away with more volume. These speakers like that! Just pushing the front pair with extra bass from the amp is a totally satisfying experience. In my opinion, these do not behave as nearfield speakers and easily fill a 20' x 25' room. Of course, with the house cleared I will often listen with all 5.1 speakers, too!
Hi Sean, have always enjoyed n look forward to all your videos. Please keep them coming. Would like your opinion and take on these italian speakers called Zingali with their omniray technology. Are these speakers any good? I'm looking at the Zingali home monitor 2.10 series. Thanks
I tried them with my classic Pioneer SX-1980 ( 270 WPC ) and they sounded so good combined with a subwoofer that a retired my Klipsch Forte II’s that I was using with that receiver in my small dedicated listening room.
Appreciate the post. I have a pair for my iMac27 computer audio. They're nothing like my studio B&W Nautilus, but perfect for music & commentary such as yours. Happy holidays, bro.
Informative review as always, Sean. Now I wonder if I should upgrade my Dayton Audio B-652 Air pair in my exercise room. They were $55/pr w/ free shipping last November ☺️. What really caught my eye was that new Luxman L-595 in a camera pan early in your video. Really curious as to your take on the gains achieved moving from the Luxman L-550AxII you previously received and this step-up model with similar internal topology. From Luxman’s specs, it looks to be internally close, if not identical, to the L-595AxII, minus an input and the meters. The volume knob design is awesome, tho.
It's not hype. I own a pair of those speakers. They are every bit as good as claimed. And they still sound good even when cranked. And man you won't believe the bass on them. Not even at 15 percent volume and our house will rock. Fits amazingly with my Sears stereo system from the 70s. Those Sony SSCS5's are an unbeatable value. In fact I wish I had another set because my reciever can handle 4 speakers. But for the other 2 I'm still using the vintage sears speakers.
I have a little surround system in one part of my house running a Sony STR DN1080 with fronts being a pair Q Acoustics 3030i and my rear speakers being these Sony Core SSCS5 Bookshelf speakers. For a 15'x 9' room the Sony's really carry their weight especially at low sound levels. Feel like if I wanted to pull the Q3030i's out and use the Sony's up front in this room, they would be just fine with a sub. I've pushed 100w into them on several occasions and the didn't blink. They are a bright speaker so a little mid/top end roll off with an EQ would do them a favor. Enjoy your reviews.~S.G
Hello, how are you? Good video, I have seen these Sony speakers on Amazon Mexico, their price is around 230 dollars, you mention Klipsch and Polk in the video but you don't mention a specific model, what would these models be? On the other hand, my main idea is to buy a Marantz NR1200 or maybe a Denon DRA-800H, I would like to play with a subwoofer to also watch movies and play on Xbox, what do you think about this?
I bought these for $88 about the same time you released this video. They’re wired to my secondary system in my mid-sized workspace. I stream Apple Music on my iMac through a Cobalt DAC powered by some cheap Chinese Class D Fosi amp. If I max out the volume on Apple Music, then run the EQ to tweak the lower-end bass boom, these speakers handle everything like a champ. A bit bright, but they check all of the other boxes. I don’t max out the bit rate when streaming wirelessly, but when I hardwire the computer at one gig I will. Then the Sonys really makes most Spatial Audio tracks shine. It’s actually quite amazing. They’re certainly not on par with my Warfedale Lintons , but theses Sonys will blow away most, if not all, sub-$1,000 speakers. Very impressive! Thanks for the review. Great job as always.
I picked up a pair based on the hype and the "unicorn" status I've been watching videos about. I can see what the hype is about on tracks that mostly stay above 200hz. But the sub 200hz performance was the deal-breaker for me. They have volume sub 200hz, but it's a hollow boom-box-with-a-base-port sound. Ended up running straight to the RP600m's, at a discount, and I'm pleased.
I'm super happy with these speakers. They sound fantastic paired with Audiolab amp. Just the right amount of detail and "flavor.". I've heard more expensive speakers that aren't as engaging to listen to.
@@Fer2Music i have not bought any speakers yet, but i have canton ergo (91dc) i use with my audiolab 6000a play now and it sounds great. But i have seen others use speakers from focal and elac with great results. What do you have?
i use the core series bookshelf, towers, sub, and atmos modules in my room. Have then hooked up to a sony str-za3100es AVR 5.2.2 setup. sound really good with movies in my bedroom.
Dude right on the money. A little sharp but still good enough. Which 2 channel amp so you recommend for these the Yamaha or the Sony (the models that cost
I got these speakers from Amazon for $73. I've got them hooked up to an old Hitachi sr603 that puts out 30w per channel into 8 ohms. Plenty of power for these speakers in a small room.
@@ZeroFidelity That makes sense. I plopped them on my desk where my Spendor’s were and got immediate fatigue. The grills helped a bit but i had to cover the tweeters with my hand.
I have to pair bookshelf speakers with a subwoofer to be really satisfied with the sound. Not to fill the room with bass but just to get a fuller more well-rounded sound.
I have the towers that i use for my surrounds, I have very large fronts. Once in a while I listen to them for music just for fun. They sound really good with a sub. Supposedly they don't sound as good as the bookshelves but I wouldn't know.
I really appreciate you going back to these speakers. I've been leaning toward them heavily as a replacement for my very basic Dayton Audio home theater speakers. I noticed on Amazon that there's a set of companion Atmos speakers. Do you have any experience with the Sony SSCSE speakers? Thanks again for the solid review! ~Frank
I got these and the center channel. After balancing the bass and treble on my Sony STR-DH790, I have to say they are significantly better than even $200 speakers I've purchased that were larger than these. I will say that for the powered subwoofer, I preferred to go with the Jamo C 910. It just seemed to be a better-built sub for the same price, and integrates quite well in my little bedroom system with the Sony SS-CS speakers. I'm not a fan of 'bounce-off-the-ceiling' style ATMOS speakers, so I wouldn't recommend going that route either. 45-degree speakers at the top of the walls, or full-on ceiling speakers are the better way to go for ATMOS.
I bought these speakers based on the hype because I was curious. I bought them at Best Buy so I could take them back if I wanted too, easily. In my opinion it's the mid-range that suffers on these. The mid-range is not very full, or informational, it's just okay. I listen to a lot of electric and acoustic jazz That said, it was a no-go for me because the mid-range is where it is at, for realism. Now some people have changed the crossovers with good results. So if you're handy? Just my two cents. In my opinion you're better off buying the C-note speaker at parts-express and putting it together yourself. Quality crossover engineering, and components. And the fun of putting it together.
I bought a pair from Best Buy a few days ago. After hours of listening with all types of music. It's a no go for me. Way too bright and lacks midrange. Nothing remarkable with Soundstage or imaging. These are going back. I prefer Polk speakers. Just my 2 cents
Its crazy the amount of good reviews about these speakers there are. But I feel that they did change something since the original. Hard to tell what. Although under 100 is a pretty good value and they do scale a bit. I feel thats all they are worth. So definitely wait and get them when they are on sale. Unless there are two different versions and you are actually getting a better speaker buying the off sale version 🤔
I got a set of these and found them a little flat in the mid-range and way too thumpy bassy in the bottom end. Where's my mid-range?? And how come the super tweeter didn't seem to work? So I went hunting down in the bowels of the beast to the crossover circuitry. AHA! Found it! BOTH super-tweeters were actually wired in reverse! They were being partially canceled by the tweeter. So I fixed that first by reversing the wires where they were soldered on the circuit board. There's a 10mfd cap and a series 2 ohm resister across the woofer coil that's killing any mids there. Took that out. Better, but still too low. Took two layers of wire off that huge iron-filled inductor and...............TADA! Got mids now! And the tweeters are all working too!! Now they sound like much more expensive speakers. Apparently when they did their computer designing they choose too low a frequency for the crossover. There simply was not enough mid-range. Remember, this design has a woofer, a tweeter, and a super-tweeter. There is no mid-range there! That five inch woofer can supply some of the lower mid-range frequencies with no problems. That tweeter will not pass those frequencies. The cap going to it is simply too small. And its not designed for those freqs. Mine sound wonderful now! Simple fix!!
I'm 2 year's late to this video but I just got these used-like new off of Amazon for $68.99 so I'm pumped especially when they're priced now for $198.99
@@ZeroFidelity this Saturday ! Looking forward to hearing them. Gonna try them with several different amps/receivers, sources, DAC. Stands just came today. They’ll be in a small room. Should be fun.
I just got my set of these. Your review was right on. I enjoy them. However, I already had a pair of Markaudio bookshelves. Those are superior in my opinion. There is even greater clarity. So, I'll send the Sonys back. I needed to see what they could do. No regrets. I just got better with Markaudio.
I'll disagree with you about the miracles part - I've never heard speakers in this price range or anything close that handle detail in the treble as well. Supertweeter, maybe?
I have a polk psw 10 subwoofer, and I was thinking to upgrade my speakers to listen to hard rock and heavy metal specifically. What would a better choice, Sony SSCS5 or polk xt 20?
Is this way better then any soundbar or Bluetooth speaker though? I have H.K. studio 6 speaker and the JBL boombox 2 . I'll have to put them next to my ssc5 because im not to sure the Sony would sound better.
I'm new to speakers but it seems like Sonys core series has a center channel, sub, reciever and floor standing as well. With the reciever would I be able to run these all together as a 5.1 system?
Hey I got these on Black Friday and I wanted to know besides speaker wire what else will I need to have a nice functional set up for a home studio. Like do I need an Amp or a receiver or anything like that? I have an audio interface as well I just don't know how to get these speakers powered up
Hey Sean, interested to know if you think these Sony's are better than the Andrew Jones designed Pioneer SP-BS22-LR. Both these speakers can often be had for less than $100. I bought the Pioneers and think they sound pretty decent for the price.
I got some for 113 dollars and the old dh100 amp from Sony for 40 dollars used. Be here Wednesday. Got a klipsh 400w 12 in sub (yes 200w continuous haha) coming Monday. So my little apartment will be bumping soon.
Could you buy a dozen of them, stack them on their sides in banks of six, wire them in series/parallel to keep the impedance acceptable and make a cheap, functional line-array?
Hi, I want to ask you about the combination Triangle BR03 + SA3 + PA3 ... You had a video with the combination BR03 + IOTAX SA3 and it sounds more good but I do not know how it will be when I add IOTAX PA3 amp ... Somewhere I read that the sound won't be as good as with PA3 ... Can you advise me anything?
Thanks for the review. I can't trust these other audio yt channels' opinion about how good a speaker is because I know they go through dozens of speakers per year. So their opinion on long term use means nothing to us peasants that just want a pair of good speakers that will last a long time.
Note: This video is meant to be short and succinct. For a full-on review of these speakers, click on the description box and follow the link! Meanwhile, the Sony Core's are still legit. Not miracle workers by any means, but the value is still there! EDIT: For those of you who aren't familiar with my old videos - this is straight up old-school Zero Fidelity! I put no thought into what I wanted to say. I just sat down in front of the camera, hit the record button, and bam - video.
This review is just fine. Good camera works is ok. But we really just need to hear what you have to say.
I was waiting to see which models complete at retail. I have a home in Asia so no discounts and probably double. Klipsch? You mentioned powered speakers that might competitors; which ones? Audio Engine? Any chance of a future comparison video?
My room is 30’x20’…
Btw, there’s a LF thunk in your audio (I listen on headphones). Not a big deal but just an fyi.
I bought these speakers 2 weeks ago for and am stunned. On a separate note, have you ever listened or familiar with XiangSheng Tube DAC -05B? Very curious about that DAC
Thanks for revisiting these great little speakers. I bought my set two months into the pandemic, and my purchasing decision was based on your original review (and I saw many), so thank you. I have been extremely pleased with the sound quality, and the sound stage has left many people not believing what they are hearing. I know these speakers may not be the best compared to higher end, but for my apartment setting in Queens, NYC, this set of speakers sound amazing.
I've owned these SS-CS5 speakers for about 18 months now (picked them up for $73.00), and I absolutely love them. I picked up the STR-DH190 for $98.00 to power them perfectly at 100w rms each, and for $171.00 total, I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am. They perform beautifully in my home office/music room, with surprisingly solid bass response, especially at higher volumes. Taking everything 1 step further, if you have the space to accommodate a 2.1 setup, the Sony SA-CS9 active subwoofer can be found on sale for $98.00 at times, and will really round out your setup. Just run your speaker cable from the receiver to the subwoofer, then from the subwoofer to the speakers, and you're good to go :) Great review BTW!
Lucky you. Where I live the speakers cost 250$ and the receiver strdh190 around 300, but I bought them along with PS HX500 and all my setup is Sony and they all work together beautifully and they are all Hi Res audio. Love Sony.
I bought these last night ($88), along with the center channel on sale ($85), I went ahead and bought the 10" Sub ($114). This is for a 3.1 setup in my 12 x 14 home office paired with a 4k 55" TV. I will use for movies and music. I have a Sony AVR to run them (STRDH590). Hopefully this will make a decent budget system.
Hell yeah!
Track down a pair of small speakers - less than $100 - but 5.1 is very neat with a lot of movies - or - a concert or opera on DVD. I've got older Sonys powering a 5.1 system and it works great.
I’m curious to know how you find the sub. I got this sub and was incredibly disappointed, I also have an 8inch sub from Klipsch and the latter is so much better than the former!
The Klipsch produces better sound and vibrations when compared to the bigger sub.
I live in a condo and do without a sub. It still sounds very good, but the volume is never up very high.
@@ZeroFidelity Just bought myself an Onkyo TX-NR579 AVR today for like $35
This is still the most valuable budget pair of speakers in my opinion. Honestly it sounds a lot better than some 300 or 400 dollar ones.
🤣😂
@@sheek1982 Not sure why you're laughing. These blow Klipsch, SVS and Martin Logan out of the water.
Hey Sean, thanks for bringing back the “after the hype” videos
I didn’t expect an after the hype for these but I’m happily surprised
A pretty fair assessment. I have Sony's floor-standing Cores (SS-CS3), which i did manage to catch on sale at $200/pair, and while I've had higher-end speakers in the past, I'm quite amazed at how much these speakers do right, and not just for the low cash-outlay, although that's a pretty big deal in itself. One consideration for me was having something with a relatively small footprint, but still moving a decent amount of air for reasonably-good LF response. But, as you mention about the CS5, it's about a good balance of attributes, and I enjoy these things every time I sit down for an hour or two's listen.
What is your view on the CS3s? I had a pair and swapped them out for different towers. I think the CS5s honestly out-perform the CS3 towers.
@TheAboriginal1 I think the main advantage of the 5s over the 3s is in ease of placement, although that's tricky, and a double-edged sword: for me, the ideal placement for the 5s is on stands...which potentially gives them a similar physical footprint as the 3s, while the 3s literally push more air (offering deeper LF response) by virtue of being a mini tower. (The second LF driver doesn't hurt, either.) And, for my music listening, the LF response of the 3s is *just* good enough to feel no need to add a sub, which was also a consideration in my choice.
I just picked up a pair advertised as used/damaged for $59.00 and it turned out that they were
new in box. The shipping box had been damaged at some point but it had been repaired and the contents
were in perfect condition with the original packing. Apparently the original purchaser noticed that
the box was damaged and returned it to Amazon w/o even opening it up.
Yeah, they scale well and they also complement warm sounding vintage such as Sansui and early vintage Sony receivers and amps.
Yep. I had em' on the Iotavx sa3 for most of the time they were here. Great match.
Been rocking this speaker for a minute now. I don't care how much they are worth. They are just awesome!!
Yep. Handles everything above 80hz flat and clear. What more you want for $100 bookshelf
If you are able to cross them over at 80 hz to 100 hz and add a little sub, these speakers are absolutely fantastic. They make me smile every time I listen to them!
@@ramondelgado6778 I got crossover at 80hz and they sound fabulous 😁😎
Sean, reminiscing as well as recapturing the past is one of the best things to do in a while. In our local parlance in Ghana, we call it "Sankofa ". A nice one there!!!!
A Happy Holiday season we wish You!!!
Short and sweet loved it. Are you planning on doing more revisit vids? I like the concept.
Yup!
@@ZeroFidelity I know of three pieces you could revisit 😀
Sounds like they would make great rear speakers for anyone on a budget👍
I just picked up a pair of these and I think you are spot on. They are just a smidge bright, but not annoyingly so. For under $100 they are very nice, a well balanced speaker that images nicely.
I really liked your conversational style and ‘plain & simple’ (in a good sense) assessment.
These are actually my latest and greatest impulse buy. $50 CAD at a surplus store for a brand new pair (albeit in a wrinkled box, but the speakers weren't hurt). They're smaller, they look nicer, they sound better in DIRECT mode, and are much nicer to the tone controls than my Sound Dynamics R515 towers. And quite honestly the Sonys kick the shit out of them. A lot of it is just down to the listening space as well as the Sonys being rear-ported and easy to drive (my towers are front-ported and 12 ohms) but it's very good for a ~$200 speaker.
Oh wow...50 CAD? You scored a tremendous deal! They are on sale for 198 a pair in Canada right now.
Which store??
I appreciate the honesty and lack of hype of your review. The last bookshelf speakers I owned approximately the size of the Sony's were Dynaco A25's.
For the size of the box..... they had a huge sound field.
Jeez the A25 was a 2 way with a 10" woofer and a Seas tweater.
They have nothing in common what so ever. One is one of the most classic speakers ever sold the other is the Sony, a decent value.
I own both, how dare someone equate the two.
He lives!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a big fan of this series!!
It is truly a great time to be into audio.
I really enjoy the level headed reviews like this; where a product isn't hyped, but the strengths and weaknesses are discussed.
You beat me to it !
GET ON MY LEVEL, SON! haha. So real talk: I only have a couple hours to return them. In fact, I'm heading out the door right now! As much as I'd like to keep these as an affordable reference, I have wayyyyy too much audio gear as is. Lookin' forward to your review lil' 1.
@@ZeroFidelity lol!
Sean, thanks for speaking about these Sonys. I bought them on Amazon in July for $73 for the pair. At the time I was thinking I would have the GR Research modifications done on them. Then I listened to them as is and also with a pair of REL T/9i subs. After that I decided to not do any modifications. It would have ruined the value proposition. Paired with the RELs the combination shines. I true audiophile marriage. Very satisfying. The RELs compliment them perfectly with bass and sub bass which let’s face it these speakers given just their size are not going to produce sufficiently. But the Sonys do deliver pretty good treble and mids. So with the RELs you have the full spectrum covered. Listen to Steely Dan Aja and Gaucho and you will be pleased at the cymbals all the way down to the bass lines. Jazz is produced very well. If I were a reviewer these Sonys below $100 would be one of my bargains if not the top audio bargain for 2021.
Hey ya'll, I've been wondering about getting a speaker upgrade kit from GR research. I have a pair of 1 year old Kef Q-150's... upgrade the innards for 290$ or no?
Thoughts please?
RJ, do you run SONYs full range or via high pass filter?
@@IliyaOsnovikov Hi. Full range.
I was amazed when I hooked up these Sonys to a Emotiva A5. And then even more amazed when I high passed the Sonys at 130hz. Very clean! Below 130 was handled by diy midbass module. Crossover minidsp.
Next up is a crossover upgrade to sweeten the sound.
Sean. Hope your starting to feel better. Wishing you and your family all the best in the New Year
$88 a pair right now on Amazon. Just ordered a pair. I have zero use for them. But I had to do it. Need to witness the hype for myself!
Join the party!
You will love them especially if you can play them with one or two subwoofers. See my post. These are one of the best bargains of the year.
Can you comment after you've heared them? Would like to read your thoughts.
@@tomons8059 if that was referred to me. They are very linear and detailed speakers. They are small, so of course they are not going to produce optimal bass and sub bass. So when I pair these Sonys with a pair of REL T/9i subs, the combination is fantastic. Basically, full range and detailed. At the current $88 these are one of the big bargains of 2021.
In a word.... Amazing! I used them in two rooms. 12x24x8 and 12x12x9...filled both rooms easily. Used with a B&W subwoofer and without. Compared to my KEF LS50 Meta and Klipsch RM600P....better than Klipsch and darn close to the KEFs. A true 🦄
COVID lockdown forced the home stereo into the digital age. Picked up these Sony's, a Modi 3 DAC, and a used Sony Blue-Ray player to play CDs thru a mid-90s midrange priced Yamaha.
The details heard from the discs I thought I knew was amazing. Great for apartment - just enough bass can be had out of the Sony's with the Yamaha Loudness knob - but not thundering enough to disturb the neighbors.
Works perfectly for Roku TV and movies as well. Voices are clear and separated.
Hats off to all the audio reviewers on TH-cam. Y'all are a real help.
get a real cd player and be amazed
I also picked a pair up for $88. I'll probably give them to a niece or nephew to get them started in hifi.
Good to see you back..Peace be with you
I have these speakers and the center speaker too and they're awesome.
I have them too, they sound great especially for the price😸
Mine came in today. I plugged up my 12” Klipsch sub with them and they sounded AMAZING!! $89? CRAZY!
Just got these on Amazon for $98. Going to use them with an also recently purchased Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB-BK turntable and a Pioneer SX-10AE receiver. I think I should have a good listening experience!
I think you could built a nice budget movie theater sound system at home with these. 11.4 format with 4 budget subs and amp, you'll probably still be under 2k.
Right now, you can get a whole 5.1 Sony rig for under $500. Crazy value. And yep, this opens the door to those 11.4 formats as well!
At what point do you run into diminishing returns? I have three 5.1 systems and they're very good. I've heard a 7.1 system and I can't tell the difference. 11.1? Would add some complications to the AVR if nothing else.
@@Ebergerud Yep, good point! All depends on the available room size, I guess.
Had them. They sounded really good. Bought the Klipsch RP-150M. Returned the Sony's since the Klipsch were better in almost every way. Bought the Sony's again for a "second chance". I WANTED to love them, but the Klipsches had won me over. Sad to say I can't recomended them over the Klipsch reference line for a bit more. However they are BETTER THAN THE POLK T15!!!
I think most anything is better than Polk 😆
I picked them up for under 70 on Amazon, I was looking for desktop speakers to go with the Vista spark.
It sounds great after a year of working from home just wanted to thank you for the reviews it helped me make a choice with out the option to go into a store
I got lucky on an open box deal at Best Buy back in 2021 and found these for something like $50 total. I run them on a dedicated 2.0 amp in my library and they are great. I run Klipsch on my main 5.2 setup but these are honestly just as fun for a fraction of the price. The clarity is refreshing especially for genres like classical.
I need to go buy one again.
Do it!
@@ZeroFidelity lol! Said the devil on Thomas's shoulder.
I snagged them for $73 new at Best Buy 2 years ago--great value for my kid's system.
Well shit, might as well set up a pair in the GARAGE while your at it XD
For what its worth . . . I experienced a change in sound for the better after a couple weeks break-in of daily use. My theory is that the 5.12" woofer is a bit too stiff initially out of the box. Mids improved and mid-bass. Also, with the rear porting, I find the best improvement to bass at 9 to 14" from the wall. I use a very mild toe-in (6 degrees) with the front speakers 12' apart on either side of my Sony 4K LCD panel. I get an excellent soundstage and instrument separation this way. My listening/watching distance is at 12'. One of the reasons these speakers get mixed reviews is that they are very specifically designed and very finicky about placement. Equal distance triangle configurations sound best to me for front stereo. So, if I were to use them as computer stereo speakers with a class D amp, I'd try inside of 4' apart at 3.5' listening distance. Right now, I am configured for 5.1 surround home theater but often listen to music in strict stereo mode. Sony SSCS5s are my front and rear surround speakers. My rear set is side firing at ear level and the front surrounds are ear level while sitting, too. I use a couple of different AVR modes for listening depending on bass constraints for others in the household. My leanest sound to suppress bass transference through the walls is strict stereo mode without the SSCS5 rear surrounds, subwoofer and center channel (neither are Sony). I just add +6db to the bass on my Denon AVR and occasionally I will subtract -2db from the treble. This allows me to get away with more volume. These speakers like that! Just pushing the front pair with extra bass from the amp is a totally satisfying experience. In my opinion, these do not behave as nearfield speakers and easily fill a 20' x 25' room. Of course, with the house cleared I will often listen with all 5.1 speakers, too!
Hi Sean, have always enjoyed n look forward to all your videos. Please keep them coming.
Would like your opinion and take on these italian speakers called Zingali with their omniray technology. Are these speakers any good? I'm looking at the Zingali home monitor 2.10 series. Thanks
I tried them with my classic Pioneer SX-1980 ( 270 WPC ) and they sounded so good combined with a subwoofer that a retired my Klipsch Forte II’s that I was using with that receiver in my small dedicated listening room.
I like when you do a re-look of something you reviewed back in the day.
Great speakers for the price and for what they are!
I still use a pair of them for desktop duty!
Appreciate the post. I have a pair for my iMac27 computer audio. They're nothing like my studio B&W Nautilus, but perfect for music & commentary such as yours. Happy holidays, bro.
Informative review as always, Sean. Now I wonder if I should upgrade my Dayton Audio B-652 Air pair in my exercise room. They were $55/pr w/ free shipping last November ☺️. What really caught my eye was that new Luxman L-595 in a camera pan early in your video. Really curious as to your take on the gains achieved moving from the Luxman L-550AxII you previously received and this step-up model with similar internal topology. From Luxman’s specs, it looks to be internally close, if not identical, to the L-595AxII, minus an input and the meters. The volume knob design is awesome, tho.
It's always good to see you reviewing some budget products. You know kpaceguy is reviewing a sscs system too.
It's not hype. I own a pair of those speakers. They are every bit as good as claimed. And they still sound good even when cranked. And man you won't believe the bass on them. Not even at 15 percent volume and our house will rock. Fits amazingly with my Sears stereo system from the 70s. Those Sony SSCS5's are an unbeatable value. In fact I wish I had another set because my reciever can handle 4 speakers. But for the other 2 I'm still using the vintage sears speakers.
I have a little surround system in one part of my house running a Sony STR DN1080 with fronts being a pair Q Acoustics 3030i and my rear speakers being these Sony Core SSCS5 Bookshelf speakers. For a 15'x 9' room the Sony's really carry their weight especially at low sound levels. Feel like if I wanted to pull the Q3030i's out and use the Sony's up front in this room, they would be just fine with a sub. I've pushed 100w into them on several occasions and the didn't blink. They are a bright speaker so a little mid/top end roll off with an EQ would do them a favor. Enjoy your reviews.~S.G
Hello, how are you? Good video, I have seen these Sony speakers on Amazon Mexico, their price is around 230 dollars, you mention Klipsch and Polk in the video but you don't mention a specific model, what would these models be?
On the other hand, my main idea is to buy a Marantz NR1200 or maybe a Denon DRA-800H, I would like to play with a subwoofer to also watch movies and play on Xbox, what do you think about this?
I bought these for $88 about the same time you released this video. They’re wired to my secondary system in my mid-sized workspace. I stream Apple Music on my iMac through a Cobalt DAC powered by some cheap Chinese Class D Fosi amp. If I max out the volume on Apple Music, then run the EQ to tweak the lower-end bass boom, these speakers handle everything like a champ. A bit bright, but they check all of the other boxes. I don’t max out the bit rate when streaming wirelessly, but when I hardwire the computer at one gig I will. Then the Sonys really makes most Spatial Audio tracks shine. It’s actually quite amazing. They’re certainly not on par with my Warfedale Lintons , but theses Sonys will blow away most, if not all, sub-$1,000 speakers. Very impressive! Thanks for the review. Great job as always.
Merry X-Mas Sean hoope to hear fro soon in the New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I ever see these for $88 I'm buying them just the heck of it.
Probably not anymore.
I would buy 4-6 pairs if I found them at 88
I picked up a pair based on the hype and the "unicorn" status I've been watching videos about. I can see what the hype is about on tracks that mostly stay above 200hz. But the sub 200hz performance was the deal-breaker for me. They have volume sub 200hz, but it's a hollow boom-box-with-a-base-port sound. Ended up running straight to the RP600m's, at a discount, and I'm pleased.
I'm super happy with these speakers. They sound fantastic paired with Audiolab amp. Just the right amount of detail and "flavor.". I've heard more expensive speakers that aren't as engaging to listen to.
What audiolab amp do you use for these? I have audiolab 6000a play and thinking about buying a pair of sony's
@@rackans3949 which one did you buy?
@@Fer2Music i have not bought any speakers yet, but i have canton ergo (91dc) i use with my audiolab 6000a play now and it sounds great. But i have seen others use speakers from focal and elac with great results. What do you have?
i use the core series bookshelf, towers, sub, and atmos modules in my room. Have then hooked up to a sony str-za3100es AVR 5.2.2 setup. sound really good with movies in my bedroom.
Dude right on the money. A little sharp but still good enough. Which 2 channel amp so you recommend for these the Yamaha or the Sony (the models that cost
I got these speakers from Amazon for $73. I've got them hooked up to an old Hitachi sr603 that puts out 30w per channel into 8 ohms. Plenty of power for these speakers in a small room.
These speakers totally sound like they have two tweeters despite reviewers who say they are not hot up top ☀️
The driver integration only becomes compromised if your ears are rightttt near em'. At a distance, they should be alright.
@@ZeroFidelity That makes sense. I plopped them on my desk where my Spendor’s were and got immediate fatigue. The grills helped a bit but i had to cover the tweeters with my hand.
I have to pair bookshelf speakers with a subwoofer to be really satisfied with the sound. Not to fill the room with bass but just to get a fuller more well-rounded sound.
I have the towers that i use for my surrounds, I have very large fronts. Once in a while I listen to them for music just for fun. They sound really good with a sub. Supposedly they don't sound as good as the bookshelves but I wouldn't know.
I really appreciate you going back to these speakers. I've been leaning toward them heavily as a replacement for my very basic Dayton Audio home theater speakers. I noticed on Amazon that there's a set of companion Atmos speakers. Do you have any experience with the Sony SSCSE speakers? Thanks again for the solid review! ~Frank
I got these and the center channel. After balancing the bass and treble on my Sony STR-DH790, I have to say they are significantly better than even $200 speakers I've purchased that were larger than these. I will say that for the powered subwoofer, I preferred to go with the Jamo C 910. It just seemed to be a better-built sub for the same price, and integrates quite well in my little bedroom system with the Sony SS-CS speakers. I'm not a fan of 'bounce-off-the-ceiling' style ATMOS speakers, so I wouldn't recommend going that route either. 45-degree speakers at the top of the walls, or full-on ceiling speakers are the better way to go for ATMOS.
I bought these speakers based on the hype because I was curious. I bought them at Best Buy so I could take them back if I wanted too, easily. In my opinion it's the mid-range that suffers on these. The mid-range is not very full, or informational, it's just okay. I listen to a lot of electric and acoustic jazz That said, it was a no-go for me because the mid-range is where it is at, for realism. Now some people have changed the crossovers with good results. So if you're handy? Just my two cents. In my opinion you're better off buying the C-note speaker at parts-express and putting it together yourself. Quality crossover engineering, and components. And the fun of putting it together.
I bought a pair from Best Buy a few days ago. After hours of listening with all types of music. It's a no go for me. Way too bright and lacks midrange. Nothing remarkable with Soundstage or imaging. These are going back. I prefer Polk speakers. Just my 2 cents
Did you guys break it in? Mine sounds terrible but after a couple of days playing it’s a keeper.
Would a Cambridge CXA 81 pair well with the Sony SS-CS5's ? Any recommendations?
Its crazy the amount of good reviews about these speakers there are. But I feel that they did change something since the original. Hard to tell what. Although under 100 is a pretty good value and they do scale a bit. I feel thats all they are worth. So definitely wait and get them when they are on sale. Unless there are two different versions and you are actually getting a better speaker buying the off sale version 🤔
I got a set of these and found them a little flat in the mid-range and way too thumpy bassy in the bottom end. Where's my mid-range?? And how come the super tweeter didn't seem to work? So I went hunting down in the bowels of the beast to the crossover circuitry. AHA! Found it! BOTH super-tweeters were actually wired in reverse! They were being partially canceled by the tweeter. So I fixed that first by reversing the wires where they were soldered on the circuit board.
There's a 10mfd cap and a series 2 ohm resister across the woofer coil that's killing any mids there. Took that out. Better, but still too low. Took two layers of wire off that huge iron-filled inductor and...............TADA! Got mids now! And the tweeters are all working too!! Now they sound like much more expensive speakers. Apparently when they did their computer designing they choose too low a frequency for the crossover. There simply was not enough mid-range. Remember, this design has a woofer, a tweeter, and a super-tweeter. There is no mid-range there! That five inch woofer can supply some of the lower mid-range frequencies with no problems. That tweeter will not pass those frequencies. The cap going to it is simply too small. And its not designed for those freqs. Mine sound wonderful now! Simple fix!!
These work great as rear channel speakers with my old 5.1 Onkyo AVR at 80 WPC.
I'm 2 year's late to this video but I just got these used-like new off of Amazon for $68.99 so I'm pumped especially when they're priced now for $198.99
I think you should also include the actual music coming from the speakers. With good headphones we can relate better to your review.
Amazing price for good sound, wish I could unhear my current speakers and be happy with these!
Starting fresh with this pair as my first set of speakers. Looking forward to the experience
Just got mine !! Still in the box. $88.
Free them!
@@ZeroFidelity this Saturday ! Looking forward to hearing them. Gonna try them with several different amps/receivers, sources, DAC. Stands just came today. They’ll be in a small room. Should be fun.
I just got my set of these. Your review was right on. I enjoy them. However, I already had a pair of Markaudio bookshelves. Those are superior in my opinion. There is even greater clarity.
So, I'll send the Sonys back. I needed to see what they could do. No regrets. I just got better with Markaudio.
I'll disagree with you about the miracles part - I've never heard speakers in this price range or anything close that handle detail in the treble as well. Supertweeter, maybe?
I'd be curious to see what you think of the RP-600M / 8000F in 2022
I have a polk psw 10 subwoofer, and I was thinking to upgrade my speakers to listen to hard rock and heavy metal specifically. What would a better choice, Sony SSCS5 or polk xt 20?
Loving these take 2s!
Random question Sean…What is that cabinet? I’ve seen it before in a Thomas and Stereo video too and I think it looks nice.
Do you have a recommendation for speakers that aren't really bright at the top end? I can't listen to sharp highs for long periods of time.
Is this way better then any soundbar or Bluetooth speaker though? I have H.K. studio 6 speaker and the JBL boombox 2 . I'll have to put them next to my ssc5 because im not to sure the Sony would sound better.
Is there any alternative in a similar price point that you can recommend?
I'm new to speakers but it seems like Sonys core series has a center channel, sub, reciever and floor standing as well. With the reciever would I be able to run these all together as a 5.1 system?
These are going for $229 yikes (COVID) So now would you say something different could beat these out? maybe the klipsch r-41m at $159?
Got these on sale at Best Buy for $75, very pleased at that price point.
Love these after the hype videos
It seems that in my country they discontinued selling these. Does Sony have a follow up line which is similar price and at least this good? Thanks
Hey I got these on Black Friday and I wanted to know besides speaker wire what else will I need to have a nice functional set up for a home studio. Like do I need an Amp or a receiver or anything like that? I have an audio interface as well I just don't know how to get these speakers powered up
Just got them today. They say 6 ohm. My amp can go either 4 or 8 ohms. Witch should I choose? thanks for the referral. $129.00 shipped
Wich speakers are better for you, PSB Alpha P5 or Sony SS-CS5
Let's go!
Hey Sean, interested to know if you think these Sony's are better than the Andrew Jones designed Pioneer SP-BS22-LR. Both these speakers can often be had for less than $100. I bought the Pioneers and think they sound pretty decent for the price.
This is kinda a weird comparison, but how are these speakers vs the powered Edifier R1280T ?
I got some for 113 dollars and the old dh100 amp from Sony for 40 dollars used. Be here Wednesday. Got a klipsh 400w 12 in sub (yes 200w continuous haha) coming Monday. So my little apartment will be bumping soon.
Yes on sale for 88 dollars. I bought mine several years ago for about the same price and going to get another pair
For an entry level hifi would you recommend a stereo amp from sony STRDH190 or yamaha R-S202BL?, thank you
Honestly, both will work just fine. I lean slightly towards the Yammy due to the Yammy's slightly smoother treble.
Have you heard the Sony SS-HA1? Seems similar with better cabinet rigidity/geometry/materials.
Could you buy a dozen of them, stack them on their sides in banks of six, wire them in series/parallel to keep the impedance acceptable and make a cheap, functional line-array?
Hi, I want to ask you about the combination Triangle BR03 + SA3 + PA3 ... You had a video with the combination BR03 + IOTAX SA3 and it sounds more good but I do not know how it will be when I add IOTAX PA3 amp ... Somewhere I read that the sound won't be as good as with PA3 ... Can you advise me anything?
Do you think it’s worth replacing 3 way crossover controller on these?
What are the model numbers of the two that you compete with the Sony’s thanks
Thanks for the review. I can't trust these other audio yt channels' opinion about how good a speaker is because I know they go through dozens of speakers per year. So their opinion on long term use means nothing to us peasants that just want a pair of good speakers that will last a long time.