SONY SS-CS5 Bookshelf Speaker Review. The cheapo primo.

Sony SS-CS5: just google them for current pricing.

Preamp & Power Amplifiers

Source: Bluesound Node 2i
(all music is hi-res streamed from Tidal)

DAC: Denafrips Ares II or Venus2

Speaker & Power Cables: Maze Audio Ref4
(rest in peace Kent)

Interconnect Cables:
Analysis Plus Oval One RCA
Oyaide Tunami Terzo XX V2 XLR

Your results may vary based on your ears, room, and associated equipment.

[mikes]

Pretty sure cheapaudioman cuddles with his like a teddy bear. 😀

[edbrumbaugh]

Great speakers. I bought two pair on Amazon, one pair at $88 and one at $118. I also modified them with the Neil Blanchard Designs crossover modifications ... while the speakers are very good stock, they are absolutely suburb with the Neil's crossover modifications. After the crossover mode, I'd rate them against speakers in the $1, 000 range, i.e., they now sound every bit as good as my SVS Ultra bookshelves, and damn close to my Polk Legend L100s. Definitely worth the buy.

[alanmodimages]

I bought these last year. I love them. I have them paired with a Rythmik L12 Sub and a Schiit Bifrost2 DAC. The sound fills the room with brilliance and presence. I also use them as practice speakers for DJ'ing in a more near field monitor style. Eventually I might upgrade to to KEF 350's, Wharfdale 4.1's or Bro 3's, but for my application right now I could not be happier :)

[ouslander]

5 way Binding post-

-Banana plugs, inserted into the top open end of the binding post.
-Bare wire inserted through the same hole and clamped.
-Bare wire wrapped around the metal post and clamped.
-Pin connector, inserted into a hole drilled through the metal post and clamped by the screw-down portion of the binding post.
-Alligator clip.

Now we know.

[robertbonar]

Well done, Nemo. I too bought these out of curiosity after seeing all the positive reviews. They were beyond my expectations. They are very well balanced, have a very wide soundstage and are reasonably well built. I have a system that you would definitely not call audiophile but for my ears delivers excellent sound that these speakers translate exceptionally. After hearing all the reviews, I was surprised at the level of bass they delivered. More than enough for my listening environment. The treble can get fatiguing at times, depending on the recording and volume level. When I cranked them a bit, my sound meter was bouncing off of the 90dB level regularly and they never showed any sign of breaking up. I highly recommend them.

[nadtz]

I got super lucky and snagged a pair of these renewed from Amazon for $57 a couple of years ago. One of the best insomnia fueled purchases I've ever made. I use these as my computer speakers with a decent USB dac and amp and for the money they punch well above their weight for my needs. Doesn't hurt that they are also surprisingly good at gaming as well.

[JAEH]

i have a 5.1 system in my room with these as my Fronts and Rears with their SS-CS8 Center. Super good!!

[jeffsloane]

I've owned these and the B1+ for a year and likely watched more than half of the reviews on YouTube. This is an excellent explanation of how these speakers sound and fit into today's low cost offerings. Hat tip to you Nemo!

[whocares]

I heard the Focal 806s live in a stereo place and the pricer Dynaudio Emit 10s. Wish I could hear those Sonys live too. I miss the days when I could walk into an audio store and listen to lots of speakers. It's hard making Sound/$ calls these days. I actually owned a pair of Sony electrostatic hybrids that were amazing in the day! Again thanks for your very objective reviews of these. Some reviewers talk way more about the good vs. the bad. These vs. the Emotiva B1 vs. the Klispch rp500m II would be an interesting contest.

[TM-fxpi]

I bought these a while ago. Think I paid $68 on sale !!!! Can’t really beat ‘em for that price. Drive em in a small bedroom with an Aiyima D03. Sounds great !

[NosEL]

I bit a couple years ago on these from Best Buy for like $68 during a X-mas sale. I think they are decent as well, for under $100 they are great lol. I agree that the higher frequency's are their sweet spot/selling point. Low or moderate volume and they are pretty cool..my issue with them are they have quite a bit of resonance, although it's mostly with the mid bass/bass so a non critical listener might mistake the resonance for bass lol. I still have them and purchased some schematics to upgrade the crossover and enclosure..I just haven't gotten around to pulling them out of the closet and doing the work. For me a speaker that sounds great for the price is the Polk R200 when on sale for around $570. I know it's quite a hike over $200 but it's a Solid balanced speaker. God Bless everyone, Happy Holidays and keep on rockin'!!

[AudioElectronicsChicago]

excellent bookshelf speakers, especially for the price they are

[privateuser]

they're surprising for the price, when on sale everywhere for $99, they go down in price even more at best buy as open box got several pairs for $48 each to use for surrounds, but I gave some out as gifts, put them in my friends living room as inexpensive HT, they pair well with the jbl 530c center ($79 on sale), connect to inexpensive av receiver, my friend absolutely loves them, I was surprised how good they sounded. I'm used to way higher end speakers, but for a small HT set up, they're decent, agree with you, way better than a sound bar.

[fletchermunson]

Nice thing about using cheap good speaker for your TV is you can get two paid and use one for a center changel.

[colinpearce]

4th and 5th connections - Lugs; Alligator Clips

[jakub]

Thanks for the video, I was excited when I heard you were going to do a review on these. Using them for my desktop setup with a SMSL SA300 and an iFi Zen Dac V2, gaming is on another level ✌️👍

[davdidit]

I am listening to this review on those speakers. I don’t have a lot experience with more expensive speakers. I have a slightly more expensive system but these sound nice.

[DUARTE]

I think these would sound great in my bathroom. Time for an upgrade!

[amanieux]

Great no bs honest review. Do you have a better alternative to CS5 for low volume, super near field desktop setup under $300 a pair ? Thanks

[rickymedina]

I bought 6 pairs from several fb marketplace sellers several years ago in brand new condition for $30-$40/pair and I can confidently say, best money I ever spent