Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System (Pair) - Black

Yes...I was finally wanting to upgrade from my used thrift shop Sony CMT cp11 bookshelf tape/cd player with only Bass and Treble eq, at about 30 watts with only two speakers possible. Good little retro unit. I used to have one of the bigger, thicker Sony monster bookshelf 3 or 5 disc changer with those big old speakers with super looking sub woofer dealios. I miss that that system very much. I used to also have some components I got from my dad's old cool system, 2 full size Pioneer speakers that were pretty nice too. I had to let some things go and some things didn't last the test of time. I've had a few thrift stereos that have their own speakers. Issues here and there. Used stuff isn't always a great idea for the savings. I finally had a little saved paired with some early Xmas money and I opted to research pushing my Sony CMT through some better speakers in my price range. I missed feeling the music MORE. More push...more vibe, more of a fulfilling overall wall of sound, spectrum, space, soundstage and all those audiophiliac terms that I am not that familiar with. If it sounds good and I can hear that music wonderfully with some control over it with the source, DSP/EQ...I'm good. I don't crank it to 11 or 9..maybe more like 5 to 8ish these days. So...after much research...and watching many vids from the most awesome reviewer out of many, Randy the Cheap Audio Man...I really narrowed my search down to Cs5's. A pair ..my first ..around Thanksgivingish...73 bucks..GREAT Sale! Had to get that Cs9 subwoofer too. The trio arrived and I pushed it with the Sony CMT...but I felt I wanted a little more of something. Found the Keiid cd player 2 channel 20 watt cd/mp3 cd usb sd card unit...for a damn good deal so I opted to get that one. Got it..retired my old thrift bought Sony CMT cp 11..as I really dug the power and sound and 3 eq offering of the Keiid. Then...hmmm, I wanted to use the other channel, having all 4 surround sound for audio mostly and maybe watching some movies and concerts on dvd and vhs. I ended up getting 2 more on sale...and one more sub for a total of 4 cs5s and 2 cs9s...after of course watching some more reviews on them by Randy the Cheap Audio Man. Hmmm... Great info lead me to make a follow up buy whilst these speakers were on sale which was awesome saving for sure. I then..heard about the Sony 149 priced stereo audio recver via Randy. I had to look into that more. I did. I thought I'd make that buy too. Then...of course..unsure of how long the Keiid would last...as I dug it..but wanted another cd/dvd playing choice as I was running audio and dvd through an old dvd vhs sony unit that might have not been all that great..also a 8 buck buy at the thrift shop..with remote. Worked great..but quality had diminished via vid and sound to my ears. Got the 44 buck Sony HDMI upscale dvd that plays cds. I wanted to keep it all Sony since I had has mostly good luck with Sony over the years...and I felt it would make a great set up to keep it all one brand..all complimenting each other. Knowing very well that there are better speakers, subs, receivers, dvd cd players out there. This seemed to work for my musical needs...which seemed like a BIG upgrade from what I was listening to for the past 5 years. I have 2 speakers Fronts at ear level not that wide of a spread since my room studio isn't that big and I am limited on space. I put the 2 back speakers on the cd bookshelves above or at about 6 to 7 feet up spaced about same as Front speakers. A very nice musical sound box was created..with the two subs below table of where front speakers are spaced about a foot or more apart. Wonderful set up! Light years of where I was with my other bookshelf units..Sony, Aiwa and etc. This set is NICE for the investment ..as opposed to waiting and building a system for more money in time. This is a great sounding system of sound for my collection to be played through and enjoyed with enough power and over all everything I need for where I'm at in life now....hand in hand with awesome savings..I hope all the pieces of this ensemble last a long time... I'll save up and aim a bit higher next time..but this was a pretty wonderful first venture in the audiophile ..build a home audio stereo system that works well with your needs..as opposed to watching tons of reviews and doubting you did the right thing after learning about other awesome productions in that same price range or on sale or close to it. I guess, if you have the budget to expand and have a plentiful variety of speakers, receivers cd transports power amps..components, systems and etc... luck you. We peeps on budgets...find what we dig, need, want..and make it work.cause it works well enough without use needing to upgrade monthly. Rock on...Have a wonderful 2021! Be safe..Be kind. Check out Randy the cheap Audio man and learn..get pointers, advice..info..and make your decision a fun journey like I did. Tell him RiffnWolf or WrathBliss sent you.

I bought these at Amazon warehouse for around 70 dollars. The came in excellent shape, although the box showed some signs of abuse, which was noted on the amazon warehouse listing). For the warehouse price, pretty good speakers. For the retail price of 200, meh.... I put these on the B channel of my recently purchased Sony STRDH190 reciever. On the A channel, I have a pair of Polk monitor 40 speakers (selling at 199 today on Amazon).. Switching between the two, with the tone controls on the receiver flat) and there is a significant difference. The Polks have a much better overall sound and produce more sound output at a given volume level. This is especially puzzling, because the Sony speakers have a 6 ohm impedence and the Polks are 8 ohm, so base on that alone, you would think the Sony's would be louder. The Polks have a much better base response and the highs are also better. The Sony speakers sound somewhat muted and flat in comparison. They don't sound bad, but they are simply not as good as the Polks, which are in the same price range. I think if I had paid $198 (the usual list price) I would have been quite disappointed. So, if you can buy these at a significant discount, go for it. But at full retail, IMHO there are better choices. I will try to update this post after giving the new speakers some break in time, and let you know how much they improve. I'm hopeful. Update to review. After using these speakers for some time and after putting them on the front channel of the Sony STRDH190 receiver, and setting the impedance of the front channel on the amp to 6 ohms, my opinion of these speakers has drastically improved. I am quite happy with them, and considering that I got them from Amazon warehouse at over 100 dollars less than retail, they were quite the bargain. The speakers seem to be matched well with that Sony receiver and as a lower cost stereo system I would recommend both.

I bought these at $168 during OCT prime and not the $278 listed (or $199 they are right now as of this review a few days after sale ) My father was an audiophile for decades, along with being a mechanic. I learned a lot of my life from him about quality audio components, but i suck at writing detailed reviews in order to persuade people to buy a product. I will start by saying, i don't know everything. I know a little, or enough, about many things. Many times, i do lots of research and become very well informed on the products i intend to buy. I strive for Quality, while also lookin for value. CHEAP , doesn't mean "Bad". nor does "Expensive" mean the best there is. With that said, these SS-CS5M2 bookshelf speakers are for my PC. I've been rocking Logitech Z-5300 5.1 for nearly 22 years. I bought them brand new. several years ago i ditched the rear channels (speakers still work) and just maintained 3.1 setup. THey sound good for gaming and movies, but i finally wanted something better. I've had much better for my home cinema setup, so i never bothered with my pc, but it's time to retire these logitech. After many YT video reviews, i enjoyed the YT channel ChepAudioMan the most. With another reviewer that gave more in-depth technical analysis and i chose these speakers. As well as the CS8M2 Center channel to be paired with my 13 year old Sony STR-DH520 AVR. After i got these setup and my AVR setup the way i like, WOW ! I know how "bad" my logitech were going to be compared to these, but compared to my theater system, just wow. Strengths Clarity & Detail in Mid/Highs Thanks to the tweeter + super tweeter arrangement, vocals, acoustic guitars, cymbals, and other high-frequency detail tend to come through quite cleanly. The “extra” super tweeter helps extend the sense of air and sparkle without sounding artificially bright (at least in well-treated rooms). In many test tracks, fine details in cymbal overtones and string harmonics were audible. Wide Soundstage / Dispersion Because of the super tweeter and driver layout, the SS-CS5M2 tends to have a broad “sweet spot” and a more open “soundstage” feel than many conventional small bookshelf speakers. Off-axis listening (i.e. not perfectly centered) remains usable. Good Build & Design for the Price The cabinets feel solid for their class, with good internal bracing. Aesthetically, they are understated and likely to blend into many setups without being too flashy. Decent Mid-Bass for Small Rooms / Paired with Sub In smaller rooms (say 10 × 12 ft, or smaller), the woofer and cabinet do a respectable job providing musical low frequencies (bass to low-mid) — though not earth-shaking. For many listeners, a subwoofer will fill in what’s missing below ~ 50–60 Hz. Trade-offs & Limitations Bass Limitations While the 5.12″ woofer is competent, in larger rooms or for bass-heavy genres (electronic, hip-hop, orchestral weight) the speakers won’t deliver deep, room-shaking bass. The reliance on a separate subwoofer becomes more of a necessity in many use cases. Potential for Brightness / Fatigue Because of the super tweeter and three-way design, some listeners report the highs being a bit “bright” or forward, especially with more aggressive recordings. If your source / amplification is on the bright side, this could accentuate sibilance or cymbal harshness. (Some real-world users note this “bright house sound” tendency in Sony’s speaker heritage.) Audio Science Review Sensitivity / Power Needs These are not ultra-sensitive “loud with little power” speakers. To get decent dynamic range and headroom, you’ll benefit from a quality amplifier that can deliver clean power, especially if you push them. Room & Placement Sensitivity As with many small / compact speakers, performance depends heavily on placement, room acoustics, and speaker stands. Rear port means you’ll want some space behind them (distance from wall) to avoid port interference or “boomy” lows. Value & Verdict For what Sony is charging, the SS-CS5M2 offers impressive bang for the buck. The fact that you’re getting a 3-way design, a super tweeter for extended treble, and solid construction in this price tier is notable. Many competing bookshelf speakers in the same range lean toward simpler 2-way designs. If you match them with a good amplifier, manage room placement carefully, and pair them sensibly (especially with a subwoofer), they can deliver a lively, engaging, and detailed audio experience that far exceeds what many expect from “budget / entry-level” speakers. However, they are not miracle workers. If you need deep extension or intend to drive them very loudly in a large hall, their limitations will show. Also, if you are super sensitive to brightness, depending on your source gear you might find them a bit forward in the top end. Overall: A strong recommendation in their class — for many listeners, these could be “speakers you get and keep,” especially if you build around their strengths.

On sale for $73/pair during Christmas, so total was $292 pre-tax for four pair of identical speakers. I'm a long-time audio enthusiast and have always wanted to stack four pair of speakers in a series/parallel connection. Amazon and Sony made it cheap to play with so I pulled the trigger. When they arrived, I stacked them atop my dual SVS subwoofers after moving my Bryston speakers to another room for a few days while I play with these Sony speakers. Turned each speaker horizontally and stacked four high per side, tweeter above tweeter, woofer above woofer in a sort of array, made the connections and switched on the Levinson No. 585 integrated amp - as most who buy these speakers probably own - and have been listening to them for two days now. I have not listened to a single pair, just this stack of eight speakers. They can't match the single-pair Bryston Mini-T, but at $4k/pair for the Bryston, I'd have been disappointed if they did. They lack the resolution, bass and output of the Bryston. Go figure. But... for the price, they are pretty decent, verging on good in this configuration. Four pair provide a pretty big sound. Push them too hard and they break up, but still reach fairly high volume before that happens. However, I don't often crank audio at very high levels, and at more moderate volume these Sony sound their best. I am having fun with the different window they offer for the music. My wife is no audiophile but her comment was, "These don't sound as good as the Mini-T - the don't have any bass!" Well, they don't extend very deep, nor is the upper bass as clean as that to which we are accustomed. Still, four are fairly impressive to those less spoiled by superior speakers. For $300, I like them better than a single pair of ELAC Debut 6, which I sold. And, yes, I realize that powering them with a $12k integrated amplifier is ludicrous, but it was the worst I could do without going to a lot of trouble. It's a right heavy beast that we can no longer move. Besides, why not? This may well be the first and last time in history that a Sony SSCS5 will be connected to a No. 585 amp, and it is fun, which was the reason for this ridiculous scenario from the get-go. Bottom line - a decent speaker at the sale price, but less desirable at full retail of about $150/pair. However, again, I never listened to just one pair. With a budget of $300 for new speakers only (not used) then four pair of these at the sale price are well worth considering for those who want a big sound, but remember, best with a subwoofer, or two, added. Subs make great speaker stands for the stacks. Fun, fun, fun.

I want to start off by saying that I have quite a bit of experience with speakers in all ranges and have quite a lot of knowledge about speakers and how audio works. And in most speakers, even 300 dollar+ sets, there's a few common issues that usually puts me off as a listener which these speakers have done a great job at avoiding. Typically speakers under $500 have the following issues: Tweeters don't mix well with the loudspeaker in the cabinet and sound like another miss-matched speaker placed ontop of your much better mid/low range speakers. Tweeters are overbearing and sound "washey" or metalic. Sound quality, especially in high frequencies, is greatly reduced when keeping the dust protection panel on. Bass is strong but lacks proper tone. Bass is weak but has gratuitous excursion. Bass has good tone, but relies too much on the addition of a subwoofer or passive resonance speakers resulting in overall lower quality lows/mids. 3-way crossover makes it difficult for your amplifier to get a proper read resulting in underwhelming volumes Audio suffers greatly when not placed in the absolute most optimal position which restricts placement or quality. That's a lot of common problems and, even with the good reviews and lots of research, I expected to hear at least one of them. However I can happily say that I am blown away at how well these speakers handle all of these issues. Up close, far away, with a sub, without, placed properly or improperly, used with other speakers or alone these two mini-monsters absolutely crush all of these issues and sound dang good while doing it. I'm very critical when it comes to audio and I'd easily say that I'd have to be ready to dump 600 dollars into anything to consider an upgrade being a big enough jump to be worth it. I have these connected to an Integra Pre-Amp and are powering them with a Crown 1000 amplifier in a very large room (probably 35x30ft) . Off the rip I think 6 Ohms is perfect for this size speaker in a home theater, especially for fronts, but these go above and beyond just making a few right decisions. These clearly had ALL the good design choices... So if your amplifier can do 6 Ohms, then I'd highly recommend these. I'd also like to add that the volume and atmospheric resonance in these are comparable to 8 Ohm 350 watt speakers, so 100 watts is something my power bill is happy to adopt. These barely break a sweat producing loud, high quality, detailed sound and for once I'm not worried about heavy excursion ripping them apart. I will be using these for music at house parties as well as for movies and gaming and so far I've tested them for all three and have yet to be disappointed. Personally I would not recommend these as side speakers as they're a little TOO in your face. I think side and rear are a whole different ball game. That being said, you could definitely order 6 of these and use them as front, surround, and rear surround speakers; you'd just need to calibrate their volumes and equalize them properly. All in all, I'm proud to say I own these and even more proud to tell people what I spent on them. These aren't just great for how much they are, they're great in general. Unless you're willing to spend a lot of money, there's little-to-no audible difference between these and other very high end speakers and I personally recommend getting these speakers if your setup requires bookshelf sized speakers. Final Verdict: 8.5/10 for audio quality if we completely ignore price and consider 10 the best sound imaginable. 9.7/10 if I factor in price and give in to my bass-head type personality (secretly wishing these had subwoofer level bass). 10/10 for anyone who isn't the pickiest SOB in the world and simply wants what 98% of the world would consider to be perfect audio. (ps: When I say the bass on these are very good I am talking about what you would expect for tone and strength coming from a Home Theater speaker. Unless you want to get those huge cabinet speakers you see in actual theaters, you are never going to get subwoofer level bass out of a front channel speaker. You simply aren't meant to, and for good reason. You do not need a sub to hear sub-frequencies with these as they handle bass incredibly well... but please do not think these can replace a woofer. They're called sub-"woofers" because they push air so hard you can feel it. That's not bass, that's an artificial effect) UPDATE: It's been 2 years and still going strong. Now of course I know a lot about the best ways to configure setups and get the most out of my speakers, but everyone who hears how good this system sounds is blown away. Almost everyone is encouraged to get a setup of their own after hearing how good it sounds. These definitely compliment my center channel and other speakers so well. It almost doesn't matter what speakers I mix with these, it just works. I've tried a few different configurations and have been pushing these hard on a weekly basis. Seems like no matter what I throw at these they just work. I also have a particularly dust-happy room; I am pleased to say that these do not have a tendency to pick up dust as I haven't had to clean them even once. Reliability, functionality, audio balance, build quality are all there. I wish I could give these more stars as I don't think people understand just how rare it is to find a speaker like this in this price range. Not usually a Sony fan, but hats off to the engineers in Japan that designed this - you guys deserve a pay raise.

Thanks to Cheapaudioman on Youtube, I felt comfortable taking a chance on these inexpensive speakers. Cheapaudioman is the best channel on Youtube if you want to enjoy your favorite music a lot more, for maybe just a few hundred bucks invested in decent audio equipment. I have two cheap audio systems in my house, and both are now sporting the Sony SSCS5 speakers. And they both sound great. I might add, I bought both sets used on Amazon for $60 a pair -- and they're perfect, except for a slight scuff on one of the grilles, which I take off anyway. One system consists of a Fosi Audio DAC connected to a 10 year-old Thinkpad streaming Spotify at 320bps. The DAC plugs into an entry-level Sony "190" stereo receiver, which I purchased for $80 as an open-box item at Best Buy a year ago. And it sounds AWESOME. I'm currently jumping around among late-60s Free albums, 70s/80s Fleetwood Mac, 70s-era Thin Lizzy, the Carpenters, 80s pop, and the new Teenage Fanclub album, which is gorgeous. The other system is an 8 year-old Yamaha "micro" stereo, which pumps out only 30 watts per channel. The system never sounded great with its original speakers, so I replaced them with a pair of Klipsch 51m that I bought on sale for $144. It was a HUGE improvement! So wonderful and sparkly! On that system, I usually play a custom Spotify mix of mellow 70s/80s tunes, and it sounded great: Supertramp, Ambrosia, Commodores, Rita Coolidge, Alan Parson Project, etc. When I realized that the Sony SSCS5 speakers sounded even better than the Klipsch on that weak receiver, I bought a second used pair for about $60. The highs are there, just like the Klipsch, but they're not shouty, and the lows are maybe a bit lower and not boomy. They play more detail than the Klipsch, and I can crank them up louder with no irritation. Another Youtube channel, The Finer Things (I think), reviewed these speakers very generously, but they said you'd need a beefy, powerful amp. I don't think you do. These speakers sound great with my 30/30 watt Yamaha micro receiver. The Finer Things guys also specifically said to avoid the Sony "190" receiver, which is my other system. These speakers sound fantastic with that receiver, too. Maybe I'm missing a whole world of audio enjoyment with my cheap equipment, but the pure bliss I experience every day with these two systems seems pretty good. Music selection obviously has a great deal to do with it. Play the music that makes you feel bliss.

Bought these to play my vinyl collection. Old school speakers that connect to a receiver with speaker wire, sound great, , fit nicely on either side of the cabinet where I keep my records.

Balanced sound that is warm without unwanted brightness or muddy bass. Great value for money proposition.