2. speakers
  3. 170581-3654

Cheap $88 Sony SS-CS5 Speakers - Awesome

I have been working on refreshing the power supply on my 1979 vintage EAR 509 amps.  Found cracked/bulged caps and wanted be proactive.   Absolutely stunning amps. Lifetime keepers.

Wanted a cheap set of workbench speakers for trialing so I didn't blow my main speakers if made a mistake.  Vintage amp repair/update what a pain with bulged caps/ broken wires, undersized fuses from past owners and non-stock circuit changes.  Shout out to Dan Meinwald and EAR UK for absolutely superb customer support. 

Anyways picked up a cheap set of $88 Sony sale speakers at my local to me ABT electronics.  SS-CS5 3 way bookshelf.  One ebay LX5 speaker i got either blew or had a bad woofer during my testing.  So I needed something. 

What a surprise, the cheap Sony's just sound great.  They don't even break down on bass drum kicks.  Sweet, detailed sound and are just rocking.  They go fairly loud though I don't listen loud.  I am listening through a Linn Axis with Ittok/Sumiko Talisman (superb table, really) EAR 868PL and the vintage EAR 509.   They are on stands 4 feet apart nearfield (cause amp burn in).

The speakers are incredible bargain for what they are.  Enjoying my burn in session immensely. Maybe I found a sleeper. To some of you maybe I didn't.  These are too good for bench test speakers I think.  Might want to give them a try.
linnlp12
213runnin
914 posts
 

Another impressed owner here, feeding them with the Schiit Vidar and Freya.  The imaging is really good!  Warmth with detailed highs, a neat trick there.  The budget speaker market has really improved in the last several years.

 

I've got a pair of the old Pioneer BS-22 that i'd been somewhat unimpressed with and left them in storage.  I recently took them apart and soldered all the interior connections, which has changed my mind on them.  I might just try that with these Sonys.

jafant's avatar
jafant
20,502 posts
 

linnlp12

Thank You for the report. Over the years, Sony, has been known to build a few "sleeper" loudspeakers.

This goes for Car Audio applications as well.

Happy Listening!

secretguy
1,853 posts
 
seanheis1

471 posts

I tried them. They were too bright and crisp for me in near field. A lot more clarity than Pioneer BS-22, but I enjoyed the Pioneer’s warm tone more. 
In far field I think I would have liked them more. Still impressive for $100 any way you look at it. 

I love those little Pioneers. I have a bunch of them lying around and looking for a way to use them. LOL.

reubent
7,093 posts
 

Amazon had these on sale for $88 earlier today and I jumped on a pair. I needed a pair of stand mount speakers to use with the Audio Refinement Complete Integrated Amp in my office. Source will be the excellent sounding Raspberry Pi based streamer I recently built up.

reubent
7,093 posts
 

So, the Sony speakers I purchased from Amazon on 12/14 have still not arrived and they are showing "possibly lost" in the tracking system. If they don't arrive soon, I've got a line of a couple of really nice used speakers on Craigslist. The Craigslist speakers are more expensive, but they are classic older speakers that I'm sure are much better than these cheap Sonys.

More to discover