If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
In summary, the Sony SS-CS5 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers offer a decent sound quality with a wide-dispersion super tweeter for a high-frequency audio response of up to 50 kHz. The bass response is decent, but the sound can be a bit too bright and harsh at times. The SS-CS5 also offers a wide range of connection options, making it a great choice for those who want to set up a multi-room audio system.
The most ideal user profile for the SS-CS5 would be someone who is looking for an affordable pair of speakers with decent sound quality and doesn’t mind the sound being a bit too bright and harsh at times. The least ideal user profile would be someone who is looking for a truly high-end audio experience. If you fit into the most ideal user profile, then the SS-CS5 might be a good option for you.
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Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
Sony SS-CS5 Review: Sound quality
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
The sound quality performance you'll end up getting from a speaker will always depend on your room acoustics - particularly room dimensions and speaker positions.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is also why it's not unusual to see completely different reviews of the same speaker.
In one case the speaker might be placed in a sweet spot inside the room and hence the user might be satisfied. In other cases the same speaker might be ill placed and hence user might even have returned it.
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The point most people miss here is that it mostly isn't even about the engineering behind the speaker itself. It's about where you place the speaker inside which room.
So, in order to solve this problem, I've partnered with Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD Andrea Cicero from AC Acustica and created Soundton - a simple, 2D, browser accessible online speaker placement calculator.
With Soundton, now there's a way to figure the sound quality of most speakers before you buy them.
Read more about its working principles at soundton.com.
The end colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) acoustics.