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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
secretguy
1,766 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
7,056 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
7,056 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.

hesson11
237 posts
 

I recently stuffed, makeshift style, some felt strips around the tweeters (simply taped to the grille cloth), and these great-sounding speakers sounded even just a bit better. I recently traded them out in my system with my Harbeth P3ESRs and my Graham Chartwell LS6s, and while the Sonys were not in the same league, I sat for extended periods just enjoying the fact that the little things sounded so, so good for what they cost.

reubent
7,056 posts
 

Amazon shipped my Sony's on 12/14 and they were promptly lost by the carrier. Yesterday I requested a replacement order and they are in transit for delivery tomorrow. Should be fun to see what $88 sale speakers sound like. They will be replacing a pair of $39 Radio Shack Presidian speakers that I bought on closeout after reading a similar internet thread years ago. This is for a toy/experimental system in my office.

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