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.
Quick link:
Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
Sony SS-CS5 Review: Sound quality
Have you ever noticed that there often tends to be quite the opposite opinions about a speaker?
I can understand this for more "personal taste" kinda products like clothing, for example.
But for engineering products like speakers? Personal tastes and preferences probably still play a role. But shouldn't it be less?
Why is it that we can't set a universal metric for sound quality?
First time I asked this question to myself has been a pivotal day.
Because it turns out that in the mid 90's, Electrical Engineer PhD Floyd Toole came up with a method called Spinorama. This is exactly what he accomplished with this. Turns out that his book Sound Reproduction is like the bible of audiophiles.
Put it simply, Spinorama is a set of measurements that gives a comprehensive overview of a speaker's performance from various angles.
It allows you to compare the performances of different speakers before even laying your ears hands on them.
Isn't that amazing?
This is why Spinorama was apparently groundbreaking news for audio industry. Hence in the mid-late 2010's, most brands and magazines began publishing Spinorama measurements, despite the challenges of making such measurements.
Fortunately, now we have the Spinorama data for a bunch of quite popular speakers. Pierre Aubert put all this untidy data together and put it into https://www.spinorama.org/. This is a stunning source. Pretty valuable stuff from him right there.
All good up to this point.
Now there comes a caveat.
Since the sound speakers propagate are in the form of omnidirectional waves, all measurements are obtained in anechoic or semi-anechoic chambers (a super-quiet room where soundwaves don't bounce back, here's how different that room sounds [a mind blowing time-adjusted video]).
This is a problem because it means that Spinorama alone, unfortunately, won't give us all we need. Placement and reflections play an equally important role there too.
This is why most A-class brands (like SVS, Bang & Olufsen, etc) often come up with room correction features, adjusted either manually or automatically. The EQ adapts itself to the placement (room, corner, center, etc) for a better (deeper and more accurate) sound. Which is great.
Additionally they often emphasize the importance of placement, here is an example: https://www.svsound.com/blogs/subwoofer-setup-and-tuning/75365187-the-art-of-subwoofer-placement
Anyways...
The source code under Pierre Aubert's work is licensed under GPL (General public license). He didn't perform any of the measurements himself, and instead he compiled all of them into one place, so that makes sense.
At this point, I thought that if there was a tool that combined both the Spinorama with the room acoustics data, it'd be extremely useful.
Unfortunately, it turns out that there wasn't any.
This is where I stepped in and partnered with an Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD in order to achieve this.
We combined Spinorama data with room acoustics and came up with Soundton. A very simple, 2D online tool that allows you to:
- Reveal optimal speaker positions in a room,
- Test with real speakers from real brands,
- Compare different speakers and different positions in the room.
It can be very valuable for the vast majority.
The colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) listening experience.
It works the best with subwoofers since Soundton processes low frequency response waves only.
- Soundton is going to be, say, 80% accurate. Not 100%.
- Because, other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, furniture/windows in place also have an impact on room acoustics.
- If you want absolutely the most detailed room analysis, then what you need is an acoustics consultant. Mind you that's going to require deep pockets and patience though... assuming you find the right person and they get the job done.
Anyways...
I recently had the opportunity to research and learn about the sound quality of the Sony SS-CS5 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers. I found that the SS-CS5 are a pair of speakers capable of handling up to 100W and featuring a 6 ohm rated impedance. In addition to a 5″ woofer and a 1″ main tweeter, the SS-CS5 is also equipped with a 0.75″ super tweeter with a wide-dispersion design for a high-frequency audio response up to 50 kHz.
The sound quality of the SS-CS5, in my opinion, is decent but nothing to write home about. The bass response is decent, thanks in part to the bass reflex design, but the woofer can only extend down to 53 Hz which is not what I would call impressive. The super tweeter does give an improved high frequency audio response up to 50kHz, but I expected more in terms of clarity and detail. It also has a tendency to sound a bit too bright and harsh at times.
The SS-CS5 also incorporates air-core inductors in the tweeters, a silicon steel plate in the woofer, and high quality film condensers, which are all designed to deliver a more natural and accurate sound. However, I don’t think the sound quality justifies the price.
Overall, I find the sound quality of the SS-CS5 to be quite decent. It is capable of producing powerful sound with fine sonic details and the super tweeter does give an improved high frequency audio response up to 50kHz. However, I think the sound is a bit too bright and harsh at times and the bass response is not as deep and powerful as I would like. I also think the sound quality does not justify the price. There are other speakers in the same price range with better sound quality. If you are looking for an affordable pair of speakers with decent sound quality, then the SS-CS5 might be a good option for you.
Sony SS-CS5 Review: Connectivity
The SS-CS5 offers a wide range of connection options for easy setup and use. On the back of each speaker, there is a pair of screw-type speaker terminals for wired connections. The terminals are color-coded for easy identification and are compatible with 4 – 10-gauge wires. In addition, the SS-CS5 is also equipped with a pair of 3.5mm auxiliary inputs for connecting other audio devices.
If you want to set up a wireless connection, the SS-CS5 is compatible with most Bluetooth devices. Pairing is quick and easy, and you can easily switch between devices. The Bluetooth connection is stable and the sound quality is decent, though not as good as a wired connection.
The SS-CS5 also features Wi-Fi connectivity for multi-room audio playback. You can easily connect up to ten SS-CS5 speakers to your home network and stream audio to each speaker individually or to all speakers at once. The setup process is fairly straightforward and you can easily control the audio playback using the Sony Music Center app.
Overall, I’m fairly satisfied with the connectivity options offered by the SS-CS5. It has all the standard wired and wireless connection options, and it is easy to set up and use. The sound quality is decent, though not as good as a wired connection.
Sony SS-CS5 Review: Most & least ideal user profiles
The Sony SS-CS5 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a decent choice for those looking for an affordable pair of speakers with decent sound quality. While the sound quality is decent, I don’t think it justifies the price. There are other speakers in the same price range with better sound quality.
I would say that 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 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.
On the other hand, the least ideal user profile for the SS-CS5 would be someone who is looking for a pair of speakers with amazing sound quality. The bass response isn’t as deep and powerful as I would like, and the sound can be a bit too bright and harsh at times. It is also not the best choice for someone who is looking for a truly high-end audio experience.
Sony SS-CS5 Review: Conclusion
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.