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

Showing 3 responses by arch2

A lot of the YouTube reviewers have been raving about these little guys. Cheap speaker technology has drastically improved over the last few years.
I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about with these things so I stopped off at Best Buy on my way home from work tonight. I missed the $88 sale, that ended last night, but I picked them up for $119. What the heck, if I don’t like it I’ll just take them back. Darn if these little things aren’t good. Listening to them right now. It’s positively impressive. Of course no deep bass but man within their range they are pretty astounding. Imaging is as good as anything. Smaller sound stage of course but much bigger than expected. I think my speaker cables are heavier than these things LOL. Well, no need for them but I guess I’m keeping them.
blkwrxwgn, I think I missed the boat on Amazon too. Those are showing $118. The thing that is so amazing with these is not that they sound like a Wilson speaker (they don't) but you expect them to sound like a $118 Sony speaker, and they don't. They look like they should be attached to a boom box.