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.

Good speakers worth their money. Have to remember that they are bookshelf speakers. Bass is not pounding but a lot depends on the music and the production sound. Old cd music is a challenge.

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.

CheapAudioMan on YouTube rates these Sony speakers as among his favorites and calls them an excellent value. They hold up next to speakers costing twice as much. He suggests pairing them with a Fosi class D amp, also available here for a very modest price. My tests confirms his findings. I was surprised at how the audio quality of the SSCS5 speakers bloomed in the first few hours of listening. They went from tight and thin, to bigger, louder and richer, minute by minute. In my listening tests, they were combined with the Fosi 50Wx2 amp, on stands with isolation pads, about a meter from the wall, in a lightly treated room using 3 four foot sound absorbing panels, in a LEDE configuration, and one 4 foot bass trap. I used a whole list of recordings I have used as standards over the years and a list of Rick Beato's best engineered recordings. Once the speakers opened up, I fed them classical, movie soundtracks, classic jazz sides, classic rock, alternative, punk, R&B and chill. Good: These speakers demonstrated a high degree of detail and good stereo imaging and a bit of a forward sound stage. The vibe reminded me of the Sony MDR V6 headphones, widely used in professional media production - not perfect but very respectable for the money and with a midrange clarity that makes for good mixes on nearly any playback system. I heard lots of little nuances with air on top, detailed middle and dry, clear bass. They are easy to listen to and engaging. Bad: The super tweeter does more for the tweeter below it than it does for itself. It gives too high frequencies somewhere to go where they mostly contribute a breath of air, way up there, and keeps the regular tweeter unburdened and singing sweetly. Some say the super tweeter should be positioned above ear level and I agree - let it pass over you, not in your face. Also, with this small woofer, the bass is limited, mainly in volume. It can get lower than specs indicate, but it is not meaty. It is, as I said, dry and clear. You can hear bass players' fingers working and sternum-tickling low tones but they are lean. A sub, crossed over at about 100 - 80hz would put muscle on these good bones. Summation, you can listen to these all day, TV dialog will be clear and easily intelligible, music will be clean, crisp and airy, strings and female vocals, acoustic instruments, guitars, synths and percussion will sound downright luxurious. Good bass players will be one step back, where most for-radio mixes put them. The boxes themselves are not too big, not too expensive and handsome. These are an excellent value in the end.

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.

These are VERY impressive speakers! Some of the best I have ever heard and serious contenders for best speakers under $1,000/pair. I've listened five figure speakers in high end stores and plenty of monitors in the studio. These compete with the best of them. While the price is very reasonable (<$120/pair), they did not cut corners on the design. The cabinets are solid, they have a flared bass port on the rear, a solid set of binding posts. Inside is a proper crossover network (not just a capacitor on the tweeter like some cheap speakers) and foam damping material. You've got a lightweight, yet rigid woofer made out of their proprietary "foamed mica" composite material. The tweeter and super-tweeter (something, I might add, you usually only find on esoteric high-end gear) are both soft domes, which are known for their "natural" sound. I happened upon these one day while perusing through a Best Buy. As soon as I saw their design, I knew needed to give them a listen. The sound was even more impressive than their design suggested! Standing between them, they cast a lucid sound stage! I heard elements in the mix coming from behind the speakers, elements in front of the speakers. The treble was clean and articulate, the midrange was smooth and un-cluttered and the bass was solid and pure! I was hearing all the artifacts of the low bitrate MP3 demo tracks. I compared them with the Klipsch models (which were kinda honky and etched by comparison), the Pioneers (which were somewhat veiled) and whatever else was in the display. The Sony SSCS5s and the SSCS3 absolutely mopped the floor with the rest. Nothing even came close. Sure, I'd heard that kind of sound... just not in an "entry level" priced unit. For over a year now, they've been my main stereo speakers, powered by a Denon AVR-3803. Movies, TV and digital recording all sound great. But they're really cook with gas when I play vinyl on my turntable with an Audio Technica AT-440MLb cartridge. I've used these in two other systems (one for my housemate, another for my parents) and they've all been very impressed. I do have them paired with a subwoofer, however they have enough bass that (within a few feet of the wall or on the floor) they really can stand on their own for most music. While they do sound good off axis, you really really really owe it to yourself to get the super-tweeters up at exactly ear level and aim them directly at your listening position. Only then will you experience the true magic of the soundstage these things create. I can sit in from of them and listen to the music, not the speaker. Forget whatever other speakers you're considering. Or at least compare them side-by side with these and return the ones you don't like. I've heard better speakers, sure. But the "better speaker" I've heard cost a heck of a lot more (like $1,500+/pair).

I'm thoroughly impressed with the Sony SSCS5 bookshelf speakers - they've completely transformed my listening experience! I've paired them with my Sony STR-DB930 receiver, and the combination is absolutely fantastic. The sound signature is remarkably well-balanced, offering rich, detailed audio that punches well above its price point. What truly stands out is the speaker's ability to deliver solid, controlled bass while maintaining crystal-clear midrange reproduction. Vocals come through with stunning clarity, and the overall soundstage is impressively wide and detailed. Whether I'm listening to music or watching movies, these speakers fill the room with immersive, high-quality sound. These three-way speakers with their three-driver design prove that Sony hasn't forgotten their audio heritage. They handle different genres with ease, from classical to rock, delivering each note with precision and warmth. The build quality is excellent, and the classic design looks elegant in any setting. For anyone looking to step into the world of high-fidelity audio without spending a fortune, these speakers are an absolute no-brainer. They compete with speakers costing twice as much, making them one of the best value-for-money propositions in the audio world. I wholeheartedly recommend the Sony SSCS5 - they're a testament to Sony's commitment to delivering exceptional sound quality at an accessible price point.

First, my normal system is just a PS Audio Sprout100 , Sonus Faber Venere 1.5s, and I've also used my Elac Unifi UB5s quite a bit. I also play some vintage equipment occasionally (which with the warmer sound, makes these Sony's quite nice). My main listening room is just 13' by 15.' I purchased these out of pure curiosity and to see what so many reviews were about. I've heard some respectable reviewers talk about these and figured it would be a great way to learn more about what they mean when they describe their impressions. So, I hope my impressions might help: The highs and upper mids lead the way with these speakers. Listening to my usual tracks from classical music to Led Zeppelin I noticed the highs and mids were amazingly revealing, meaning details stood out more with these speakers. They never sounded harsh to me at all, but very detailed, and the imaging was slightly better than my $1,000+ Sonus speakers (in fairness they are 7 year-old technology). There was depth and layers to they sound that pulled you into the darkness. However, it only took me a short time to realize the bass was seriously lacking in comparison to my Sonus and Elacs. Particularly the higher frequency bass. With that said, you can tell the Sony's were built to accentuate the upper levels; built with a smaller cabinet than my Sonus and Elacs. I wasn't expecting much bass and I'm not a bass-head but I did start to miss it. A separate sub-woofer might solve this problem. So back to what I said about the highs and mids leading the way: I felt they were almost literally leaving the lower end behind, especially with classical music. I wanted to yell "Wait, slow down!" "Go back and pick up that bass note!" Placing them closer to the wall (6" away) did help a little but that's usually not the type of solution you want to use because I can cause muddy sounding bass. I did enjoy how voices rendered on the Sony's. They seemed slightly forward and with a nice presence although when listening to Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars, they failed to push the gritty fullness of his voice. The same with Lana Del Rey. The Sony's produced a beautiful voice at the top-end but failed to get that upper-low throatiness. While this was disappointing for me, like most people I had to remind myself that I was listening to $140 speakers (and in my case I got them on sale for 73 bucks!), in which case I was still very impressed. By the way, the Sony's at low volume levels were nice and didn't seem compromising at all. I was happy how they were able to fill the room. All in all, keep in mind that in running a 2-channel hifi system, you demand more of your speakers. They have to, with no help from other speakers, produce a full spectrum of sounds in an accurate yet enjoyable way to the listener, whereas in a home theater application, I could imagine these speakers being perfect with the help of a sub-woofer and maybe even a good center channel. For someone who is just getting into HiFi with some nice HD music, these speakers are an excellent place to start.

Small and compact but great open sound.

These speakers are good value for the asking price of under AU$150 when purchased. They arrived newly manufactured from Malaysia in perfect condition. They are designed as part of a home theatre set of speakers so you may need a subwoofer for a strong base. I use them as stand alone bookshelf speakers for my Sony HAP S1 player and they provide a crisp authentic sound.

Antes de hacer la compra me documente e invetigue, y la relacion precio, beneficio, calidad con estas bocinas sony valen cada peso (dolar) invertido, la calidad de los materiales en la construccion de las bocinas es muy bueno y lo mas importante la calidad de sonido es excelente, de hecho me gustaria que amazon incorporar dentro de su linea de ventas la bocinas SS CS3 (la version de piso), dado que no son muy caras y la calidad es iguamente excelente, Sony sigue siendo garantia de calidad en productos de electronica de consumo y profesional, esta bocinas sin ser nada espectacular y caras brindan una calidad de sonido excelente por un precio razaonable (algunas marcas de prestigio en electronica de sonido inflan demasiado sus precios y la calidad de materiales y sonido es excelente pero de plano es demasiado dinero por lo que ofrecen), las bocinas sony SS CS5 son un gran producto que valen la pena, brindan 100w a 6 ohm... mas que suficiente para un cuarto pequeño o mediano

So. I'm trying to process this. These speakers. I kept reading about them, watching reviews and thinking there's no point in me trying them as I have what are considered the best in the price range of bookshelves already. I own the Emotiva B1+ AND a pair or Elac Unifi UB52 speakers. But I decided to go ahead and give them a rip. So they come. I hook them up, and played some prodigy. My setup is a Zone 2 on a Onkyo amp with a SVS SB1000 pro hooked via high line. These Sony's DESTROYED the Emotiva's. The high end on the Emotiva's was rattly and out of control in comparison. The Elac's faired much better but the sound of the Sony just punched through better. With the Elac's I had to adjust bass volume on my sub to even it out. With the Sony's I could turn the sub volume to MAX and it punched through and just sounded amazing. Honestly I am still trying to process the magic of these. Steve Guttenberg says that if you can buy the Emotiva over this to do it, but honestly I'm not so sure. I think paired with a sub, for the price and even for double their price and more you won't beat these. So. Not only am I keeping these. I ordered another pair. They have altered my reality of hifi speakers and branding and pricing, ect.. These are indeed unicorns. Don't hesitate to buy, just do it. Get a sub, even without a sub they are impressive especially with classical. There's just something about these that allow them to punch through the bass and still keep it together. More than impressed. I'm going to go now and have a deep introspective into my place in the universe.

Perfect hifi speakers at this price. Reveals all quality difference in recordings, formats, amplifiers and even in interconnects and cables. Still experimenting with the possibilities. Worth more than the price!