I picked up a pair of Sony SSCS5 after hearing your reviews for years as well as other. I'm using them for my desk top speakers. When I first turned them on I was a little disappointed but after an hour or so of playing, if break in is a thing, they sound really really good considering the price I paid of $150. There is literally no comparison for the speakers I had been using at about the same price to these speakers. Thank you for the information you provided. Very happy with my purchase. Side note, I built the CSS 2Dx speakers for my main system and they are incredible.
I bought a set Of the Neumi BS5s based on your original video about them. They're really fantastic, but the treble is a bit pulled back to my ear and if you drive them too hard below about 60hz they get a bit muddy. I crossed them over with my sub at 80hz and turned the treble way up in my receiver and suddenly they're one of the clearest speakers I own. I'm gonna pick up a set of the Sonys when they go on sale next because I've learned that I do like bright speakers a lot more than I originally thought
Randy, thank you for all your videos! I've learned so much as I step into all this. I picked up some ELAC SB 41's last week on a flash sale for $117 to upgrade the generics I've had for a decade+. Showed up Friday and had them on all weekend. SUCH A DIFFERENCE! My system is very beginner - NAS> Apple Laptop > SMSL SU-1 > Sony STR DH-190 > (now) SB41's, but wow. You can tell the upgrade already. I sat on the couch all weekend and listened to old things that sound new again. Thank You for doing what you do! Cheers!!
The glue thing - Few years ago I bought some contact cement and the forst time I used it I gassed myself into a mild stupor for 5 hours. When I looked at the back of it for information, it was made in China. Ever since I joke that it was made from an old recipe from 1910.
Bought the Jamo's at $130 and enjoy them. Probably moving to my boy's room when I get my hands on some Elacs. Wouldn't pay $200 for them. That's crazy.
Grabbed a pair of RB42s yesterday, just waiting for my cable supplies to show up so I can start playing with them. Pretty excited for it. It was a hard call between them and the Sony speakers, but I'll likely pick up a pair of those later for comparison.
I got both and much prefer the RB 42’s.. They can be heard on my channel.. But the best small speaker by FAR is the NHT (Now Hear This) Super Zero✅ It walks over every speaker shown here, IF you add a Sub.. It too can be heard playing a music demo👍 Give it a view & listen if you care to..
I prefer the Sonys. The issue I had with the RB42 is it simply was not enough. Sitting on a desk, it's not bad. I was able to do more with the Sonys with an EQ and incorporated a small sub. The RB 42 are more limited due to the physics of the drivers. I'm trying to sell my RB42s for $75 and not having much luck. I gave them a month of "break in" and back into the box they went. For around $299 you can get a far better speaker. Wharfdale 225 and Emotiva zeros (on sale). For HT, the JBL Studio 570s are Amazing for their price and can also be had for around $299 when on sale. It's worth a look but for $100-150, the jump is multiple levels
The Micca’s sound way better than the Sony’s because they are a two way with great vertical linearity. The bass is not strong but very tonal and I can crank them with my Emotiva amp.
I am not really in the market for speakers, I have 4 pairs, but keeping up with the tech is still worth it. with my Fosi Audio TB10D I use my Advent/Advent II speakers, with my Marantz 2226b I use my BA150, with my Kenwood KR770 I have Kenwood LS-408c, and a pair of Infinity SM-82 as my backups. All of that said, I would consider the Miccas for the size of them.
Sorry to bother but I dont know much about audio. I just ordered the Fosi Audio TB10D and was thinking on ordering the Micca next month. Would they work together well? Thanks
@@tonymolina7744 way cool! Obviously, lots of people love them, but to my ears, their phase coherency was abysmal, and their frequency range sounded like a cheap midrange from the 1970's, glued inside an even cheaper box. I wanted to like them, but my ears said nope.
I picked up a pair of the Sonys a couple of months ago and agree that they provide great bang for the buck. My listening is mostly classical and jazz. They nail small group jazz and vocals for sure. And they're surprisingly lucid for most classical--solo piano, chamber music, orchestral music at low to mid volumes. Massed string sections at higher volumes, however, tend to fall apart. But what can you expect for $130? For 90% of what I listen to, they do very nicely--as well as the old custom monitors I was using.
"Massed string sections at higher volumes, however, tend to fall apart" What would you use for this? Which would you recomment for Mahler and Bruckner symphonies?
@@hipidipi20157max Can't help you there. These are only the second pair of speakers that I've bought in 40 years. All I can say is that you probably will have to pay a lot more than $130.
I picked up a set of the Miccas and the center channel. My wife doesn’t want to see speakers so small was necessary. Also I liked the dark walnut finish, they look nice.
I found the OoO doesn't really match the voice of the RB42's, and also wasn't necessary with the clear sound positioning offered by just the pair in stereo. Placed on either side of the TV, you couldn't tell the dialogue wasn't coming from dead center with just the RB42's.
Keep it cheap, Cheap Audio Man! I love my cheap gear and ssc5's. Although, that really just wet the whistle and I have a fun new hobby. I have never had so much fun being cheap!
I recently bought a pair of Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 from Amazon for $199.97. Planned to use them to replace a pair of old Wharfedale 30Ds for my main PC audio, but found that Emotiva B1+ kicked their a**es. Now, the Emotivas are on my main PC and the Elacs are on the secondary PC where the Emotivas were. The Elac B5.2s are very good speakers, but I think the difference between them and the Emotivas is much greater than the difference between the Sony SSCS5 (a pair of them are on yet another PC) and better Elacs. Younger ears may not agree.
I read someones experience that they thought the Emotivas and the ML 15i sounded very close. I had the 15i bought new at discount and for movies, they were alot of fun and articulate. But on music they got a bit messy, leaving out some nuance, not as transparent as expected and some instruments didn't sound quite right. Voices were fine though. Something about Al woofers I don't seem to like as much as paper/wood pulp. Also find I don't care for Kevlar as well. But still very good speakers overall. The guy I sold them to liked them.
I paid $75 for Sony speakers a few years ago and it's the best I've been able to buy, they've been around a long time without some deal that comes close.
I have audtioned a few of these speakers and I agree with most of what Randy says about them Its also worth a mention that for around $299, you can get into speakers that are on another level (as they should be). These are some of the standouts when we auditioned these against other speakers with some costing 2x-3x more -Wharfdale 225 - for brighter amps -Emotiva zero (when on sale) - for lush amps And best bang for the buck I have found for HT -JBL Studio 570s (goes on sale for around $299). The best match Ive tried with them is a HK 1700 as 5.1 Take a look at these if you have the extra cash and want to get to a higher tier of speaker. Hope this helps someone
Wharfedale can sound really nice with the right amp and room and certain music. Just know they change their sound greatly when you move off axis. Proper toe in can widen the sweet spot a bit but outside of that you lose alot. Emotiva will be far better for movies and still good with music though different sounding with a wider dispersion. The JBL for that price you stated would be hard to beat if you can accommodate a floor standing speaker.
Still rockin' the Pioneer BS-22s I bought in 2016 in my Office/Computer desk near-field audio system......they can crank a bit. All in new...$124.59 ! I also have the Sonys ...and the MIccas along with a Jamo Sub ! A few comments on the Sonys....some people no likey..... I have mine on a HK 3700 amp and they rock.
They will all fall apart at some point when being pushed but I'm wondering which one can you play the loudest in a fairly large room before annoying distortion sets in? Room is 20 feet square. Thanks for all your hard work which has given us all these videos we look forward to and enjoy.
I bought a pair 9f the nuemi speakers specifically for a desktop placement with the desk against the wall. It's paired with a fosi audio bt20a and polk audio psw10110v powered subwoofer. The powered sub accepts line level powered sound from the fosi and passes it through to the nuemie speakers. For a low cost small footprint system, it really sounds great! Thanks for all the vids!
I LOVE my Sony SSCS5 speakers! So much so that I bought a second set! First set was an open box buy from Best Buy, the second was a score from Amazon, supposed to have been an open box for $88 but they drop-shipped a brand new set direct from Sony, still had customs paperwork on the box and everything was new/unopened, can't beat that!! Anywho, I took you advice and ordered the Neil Blanchard Designs for the Sony's, and now have all of the audiophile grade crossover components from his plans and will be doing the build on my week off in June, I can't wait to see how the improvements that both his physical modifications as well as the killer HUGE audiophile grade crossover network sounds, epic I hope :)
Great video!!! Yeah, the smell that some of this gear has when unboxed is absolutely nasty. I had an Eversolo DMP-A8 that when pulled out of the box, was absolutely horrible the smell that the bag had on it.
I get a huge kick out of your videos, even though my go-to system for 20+ years has been a $90 Sherwood 200-watt amp from the (REX close-out table) 1990s powering a pair of inherited 1980s (re-coned) Klipsch Heresys. I've produced music for money with this system! If my components ever fail, I will follow your best current advice to replace them. Class D amps seem tasty, although I don't yet own any.
The Elac 4.1's are legit. I got a pair on sale for $88 and they are really very good, even from an audiophile viewpoint. NEEDS a sub, but they all do. (Also, do yourself a favor and remove the stupid tweeter grills on these, the 5.2's as well. BIG difference...)
I'm sure that helps. I was expecting too much from a shallow box. They could never produce solid bass unless the internal structures were designed for it... but they never are designed for it. I'm glad you like your Songs. 😎👍
I can tell you that the SSCS5s put out good bass. I have them in my 3.1 system, and I can roll off down to 40 for the sub and get a wallop of bass from them. If I roll off at 60 they become more subdued.
Hi Randy, I know you absolutely love the Sony but not trying to spoil the fun, apparently they are the most returned product in Amazon, if that is true, well, something is going on and no pretty for that matter. I have a question though, I've been subscribed to the channel for a long time now and I think you never mentioned any product coming from the second hand market? I don't remember if you did. The reason I'm saying this is because sometimes you can find extremely good deals there. There is a lot of people out there who replace stuff which is practically brand new because they can afford to have always the last version of whatever they like (HIFI, computers, cars, watches, you name it) and sometimes those things from the second hand market are extraordinary bang for your buck. Thanks for the video anyway. Al the best as always from West Spain ❤
Years ago I had the Paradigm 7se which were a great speaker and the one to beat back in the day at their price. I picked up a pair of Realistic Novas that at low volume, sounded nearly as good. Given the price difference I was shocked. However, when you turn up the volume you discover why you pay the difference. The better speaker maintains cohesion and capabilities better. So, if you mainly listen at background levels, you can get really good performance with some low priced speakers. A few may actually sound good at a bit higher output levels as well. But typically, though not always, you get what you pay for as long as other components are up to snuff and your room as well.
I still keep the RB42's and Elac BS41's in my arsenal. Both are just great little speakers. I added the Def Tech D7's when they were closing them out. Those image like a champ
I have a near-field setup of old Sony SS-B1000 5.25-inch 2-ways on 9-inch desk stands, along with a decade-old SVS SB-1000 subwoofer under the desk connected to an old Pioneer THX-Select receiver that is connected to my PC via HDMI-audio and it sounds so good that I don't have any reason or desire to change them out. I also have a set of 20-year old Infinity Entra .5 speakers in the closet that I could change over to if I ever wanted a slightly different sound. I just love the sound of the Sony's in near-field for some reason.
@cheapaudioman Great vid today. I'm in on several of your suggestions over the past two years (Sony, Fluance Reference (an old video of yours), Elac Uni-Fi ($225 like new open box), and recently the Micca RB42). Can I say it? Totally enjoying each and every recommendation. Thanks for help in bringing me audio happiness. 🙃
Unrelated comment here but the specs of the new wiim ultra streamer were released yesterday…. Has ESS 9038 top of the line sabre dac and huge host of features and a 3.5” touch screen display ,for those of us who like that , and it is also clad in aluminum. I used to laugh at the initial products from wiim, but they continue to innovate and improve…. I’m not laughing any more…. I find myself wanting to buy this for the absolutely insane value for money proposition this is… I believe it costs 360 which is unbelievable for all that it offers. I have an eversolo dmp-a6 master edition that I got like 3-4 months ago and I love it, but the wiim ultra is sick at a fraction of the price!
I went looking for a pair of Jamo s809s and was upset to see they're discontinued, so I'm sure it being the end of the road for that line is responsible for the pricing with that line
Putting in my vote for Fluance Signature 2 way bookshelf speakers. They seem to list for 200, I got them online for 170 and have seen them for less. A giant step up from the Moukey 3 ways I was using (which were still quite good for under 100).
You really need to check out the. Auna Linie-600-BK. Awesome very cheap floor standing speakers, each has a pair of 6.5inch woofers, a 6.5inch mid and a 1inch soft dome tweater, Dual rear ports and floor spikes included, for £130 for the pair is easily the best £130 I've ever spent. Oh and they're built like a tank. I've got mine paired with a fosi audio BT20A Pro, at the moment I'm using the Bluetooth on my TV as its source, the only thing I think that they need is a bit more warmth so I'm currently looking into a tube amp, actually would adding a tube preamp add that warmth? On a side note, thanks for your content you are my go to for anything audio related, keep up the good work
Hey Randy I just picked up the Emotiva TA1 and am currently running the Sony SSCS5's w Neils Mods (crossover and enclosure). I run them in high pass on the Emotiva as I also have an Elac sub. would the Micca RB42's or the RSL CG3M's be a waste?. These are for my desktop so listening distance is short, like within 5 feet. But I do like the idea of a physically smaller enclosure.
I purchased the Jamo S803s from Crutchfield for 149.95, before Klipsch bought them out. Klipsch has proceeded to screw that up jacking up the price and making them difficult to purchase in white. They will keep producing them until they replace them with something like the Synergy Black Label B200s, and they will screw that up as well. Klipsch cannot do a decent budget speaker even though the Synergy Black Label B200s are close
Nice, I’ve got the jamos, I’d be happy to pay $150 for the 803s but never liked the 801s and never used the center channel that’s included, got the whole setup for $225 tho so not too bad I guess, ok thanks again Randy!
Another banger... thanks Randy! I'm just gonna ask because I've watched enough of your videos and have bookmarked a ton of stuff on Amazon... I want a pair of speakers that will be good on/near my desk for music and watching movies, but I'm also a musician and would want them to also be used to do a bit of mixing/music-composition from time to time. I was going to default to the Yamaha HS5s for that'flat but I'm interested in a touch more color. They will end up either on my desk (about 6in from the wall) or maybe even mounted to the wall (no sub). I got a DIY class-d amp for now, but that'll be the next purchase after the speakers. Of course I'm considering the Sony's, cause you're on those in every video, but would another of these options work better for a studio monitor stand-in?
I just bought my first HiFi speaker for 214€. It's the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2. The 6.5" model. Good deal right? Now I just need a good amp for them. Thinking about getting a pair of Fosi V3 Mono's for 209€. For the DAC I already have the Creative SoundBlaster G6 (139€) that I've been using for years now. What do you think?
My whole system is Jamo S803 and I have a the C12 subwoofer. My basement is only list a 12 by 12 so they sound good enough. I am running a 7.2 atmos set up. I bought all of the on sale a long time ago and the set cam with the S801 s I don’t use.
the coolest thing would be an excellent cabinet and the cheapest drivers and crossover to find and a few years later upgrade with high-end drivers and a high end crossover. and calling them "Upgrade".
What is best for a center channel? speaker knowing that it needs to handle voice and a lot of stuff is also being pushed towards center channel as well. Thanks
Hi, I have a suggstion, there are some small Hifi Systems which come with relatively good and dirt cheap Speakers. I ordered some Yamaha NX-E800 for 50€ on ebay, they came initially with the Pianocraft 410/810 (i think). If you are interested you could to try finding some and make a Video about those mini System speakers. As cheap Hifi this should be right up your alley, and give a lot of people some better options, for really cheap good stuff. Cheers mate. Love your channel!
I bought a pair of BS41s a while back but am having a hard time liking them. They just seem to be lacking something musically and I don't use them much.
Further to the above, I got them out & carefully pressed down on the woofer edgings for a little bit, played them loud for a few songs and moved the treble knob to about the 1:30 position. Now they are much more likeable
Are the jamo’s better than the Rockville? I have had a pair of Rockville for a few years now as my garage speakers. And bet cheap upgrades makes it sound really decent and still being under 120 for the pair… so my question would be “in a shoot out between the two, which would come out on top.
I have 5 pairs of the SS-CS5 and want one more pair to replace my rear surround SS-CS3. I use one SS-CS5 as my center because I only use one recliner in the home theater. Some pairs I got for as low as $50! All 5 pairs are open box. Running them in 7.2.4 on Denon X3800H ($1200) with 2 Monolith M12 v2 ($699 each). The subs make these Sony sound so good!! I cross them at 80hz currently but experiment with 100-120. Any recommendations on crossover? I plan on trying Danny's upgrade with sonic caps in front LR pair. Might try Neil's too on a pair. I only stream through appletv4k with LG G3, so I don't need high end, and these work perfectly! Pink Floyd 50th anniversary remaster in Atmos sounds great on these! I use Auro3d mostly, though. Oh, and a monoprice unity 2Ch external ($130) to run one of the heights pair since the Denon is a 11 channel processor but 9Ch built in.
Loved the video. I am trying to put a cheap system in my office. I have a pretty decent 7.1 system for my entertainment in the living room. I really would like an HD radio option for my office system. In my car, my HD radio sound better than any of my streaming sources. Also, with tornados and hurricanes visiting us, it nice to have the warnings radio gives you. Is there a HD Radio I can connect to something like the WiiM amp? I can't find anything.
JBL Studio series has sales like the 530 or 570. If you can swing 4 or 500$ you'll have some speakers that will improve as you upgrade your system. I used a tube buffer and a hafler power amp with a marantz pre and it was better with 580 studios than my 5k genelec monitors which are excellent.
What would you say is a better sound for music (mostly Rock/Metal) when paired with a sub: the ELAC B5.2's or the RSL CG2/CG23? Here in Canada the price between them is pretty close and I'm looking to replace my 35+ year old Kenwoods.
Hey, I bought those for my Desktop and was not impressed. It felt like there was a lot missing in the low-end. I really wanted to like them and loved how they look. I ended up sending them back and grabbing Micca RB42, which I am still blown away by.
@@Blacksunshine636 I currently have a set of Dali Spektor 1 on my desk, and an Elac Sub1010 below it, all driven by a pair of Fosi ZA3's in mono. Ordered the Kanto Passive 5.25 (will be here tomorrow) to try out. Low end isnt too much of concern because of the sub. Will be an interesting comparison.
@@Blacksunshine636 Ive got a pair of Dali Spektor 1 on the desk now, and an Elac Sub1010 below it, all powered by a pair of Fosi ZA3's (mono mode). I went ahead and ordered the Kanto passive 5.25 to try out. Should be here in the next day or so. I'm not super concerned about the low end because of the sub. More interested in extreme clarity and depth. Should be interesting!
Hi ! greatly valuable video indeed and thank you very much for it People should think that these small but great speakers could act as insane satellites above two bass boxes one per side for a full range system punching way above its price That is my goal after all Sat above a sub The Wilson Audio Watt plus Puppy of the poor guy
C'mon, recommending the Rockville after you did the video on the off gassing of the glue? I don't care if they are cheap, but I wouldn't put that near any kid's room. Did they come with a California warning sticker? I get that you want to showcase lower cost but decent options. IMHO you shouldn't have included it and recommended the next level up.
"I didn't love this speaker when I first got it in, but I got it back and changed my opinion so I could post an affiliate link." FTFY 4:12 "But I wanted to include it because I want to post an affiliate link." FTFY 7:36
I picked up a pair of Sony SSCS5 after hearing your reviews for years as well as other. I'm using them for my desk top speakers. When I first turned them on I was a little disappointed but after an hour or so of playing, if break in is a thing, they sound really really good considering the price I paid of $150. There is literally no comparison for the speakers I had been using at about the same price to these speakers. Thank you for the information you provided. Very happy with my purchase. Side note, I built the CSS 2Dx speakers for my main system and they are incredible.
I bought a set Of the Neumi BS5s based on your original video about them. They're really fantastic, but the treble is a bit pulled back to my ear and if you drive them too hard below about 60hz they get a bit muddy. I crossed them over with my sub at 80hz and turned the treble way up in my receiver and suddenly they're one of the clearest speakers I own. I'm gonna pick up a set of the Sonys when they go on sale next because I've learned that I do like bright speakers a lot more than I originally thought
That's actually what i need, i don't like excessive Treble
Randy, thank you for all your videos! I've learned so much as I step into all this. I picked up some ELAC SB 41's last week on a flash sale for $117 to upgrade the generics I've had for a decade+. Showed up Friday and had them on all weekend. SUCH A DIFFERENCE! My system is very beginner - NAS> Apple Laptop > SMSL SU-1 > Sony STR DH-190 > (now) SB41's, but wow. You can tell the upgrade already. I sat on the couch all weekend and listened to old things that sound new again. Thank You for doing what you do! Cheers!!
Try the Klipsch Synergy Black Label B 200, you might like them. Great review as usual
The glue thing - Few years ago I bought some contact cement and the forst time I used it I gassed myself into a mild stupor for 5 hours. When I looked at the back of it for information, it was made in China. Ever since I joke that it was made from an old recipe from 1910.
Bought the Jamo's at $130 and enjoy them. Probably moving to my boy's room when I get my hands on some Elacs. Wouldn't pay $200 for them. That's crazy.
Grabbed a pair of RB42s yesterday, just waiting for my cable supplies to show up so I can start playing with them. Pretty excited for it. It was a hard call between them and the Sony speakers, but I'll likely pick up a pair of those later for comparison.
I got both and much prefer the RB 42’s.. They can be heard on my channel.. But the best small speaker by FAR is the NHT (Now Hear This) Super Zero✅ It walks over every speaker shown here, IF you add a Sub.. It too can be heard playing a music demo👍 Give it a view & listen if you care to..
I prefer the Sonys.
The issue I had with the RB42 is it simply was not enough. Sitting on a desk, it's not bad. I was able to do more with the Sonys with an EQ and incorporated a small sub. The RB 42 are more limited due to the physics of the drivers.
I'm trying to sell my RB42s for $75 and not having much luck. I gave them a month of "break in" and back into the box they went.
For around $299 you can get a far better speaker. Wharfdale 225 and Emotiva zeros (on sale). For HT, the JBL Studio 570s are Amazing for their price and can also be had for around $299 when on sale.
It's worth a look but for $100-150, the jump is multiple levels
The Micca’s sound way better than the Sony’s because they are a two way with great vertical linearity. The bass is not strong but very tonal and I can crank them with my Emotiva amp.
"You don't want those noxious fumes in your kids, room, initially." But, once the kids start acting up...
Hey man, I really appreciate these videos, especially the “budget” ones.
Thanks.
I am not really in the market for speakers, I have 4 pairs, but keeping up with the tech is still worth it. with my Fosi Audio TB10D I use my Advent/Advent II speakers, with my Marantz 2226b I use my BA150, with my Kenwood KR770 I have Kenwood LS-408c, and a pair of Infinity SM-82 as my backups. All of that said, I would consider the Miccas for the size of them.
Sorry to bother but I dont know much about audio. I just ordered the Fosi Audio TB10D and was thinking on ordering the Micca next month. Would they work together well? Thanks
@@hipidipi20157max I believe they would.
I bought the SONYs, I could not RETURN THEM FAST ENOUGH. I bought several pairs of Micca. LOVE them. :)
Not for everyone. In a smaller room at lower volumes they're super solid, pulled away from wall a bit.
@@tonymolina7744 way cool! Obviously, lots of people love them, but to my ears, their phase coherency was abysmal, and their frequency range sounded like a cheap midrange from the 1970's, glued inside an even cheaper box. I wanted to like them, but my ears said nope.
Yep. They suck.
It's really interesting how different all of our ear preferences are.
The sony are expensive and above 200
I picked up a pair of the Sonys a couple of months ago and agree that they provide great bang for the buck. My listening is mostly classical and jazz. They nail small group jazz and vocals for sure. And they're surprisingly lucid for most classical--solo piano, chamber music, orchestral music at low to mid volumes. Massed string sections at higher volumes, however, tend to fall apart. But what can you expect for $130? For 90% of what I listen to, they do very nicely--as well as the old custom monitors I was using.
"Massed string sections at higher volumes, however, tend to fall apart" What would you use for this? Which would you recomment for Mahler and Bruckner symphonies?
@@hipidipi20157max Can't help you there. These are only the second pair of speakers that I've bought in 40 years. All I can say is that you probably will have to pay a lot more than $130.
I picked up a set of the Miccas and the center channel. My wife doesn’t want to see speakers so small was necessary. Also I liked the dark walnut finish, they look nice.
I found the OoO doesn't really match the voice of the RB42's, and also wasn't necessary with the clear sound positioning offered by just the pair in stereo. Placed on either side of the TV, you couldn't tell the dialogue wasn't coming from dead center with just the RB42's.
Paid $73 for my Sony's. Best deal ever!!!
What model and where did you get them?
@@vicariousjohnson9823 Sony SSCS5 purchased from Amazon July 2021
Wish I could buy a pair for that price. 😭
@@vicariousjohnson9823 Sony SSCS5'S from Amazon July 21, 2021
They're all $150+
Keep it cheap, Cheap Audio Man! I love my cheap gear and ssc5's. Although, that really just wet the whistle and I have a fun new hobby. I have never had so much fun being cheap!
I recently bought a pair of Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 from Amazon for $199.97. Planned to use them to replace a pair of old Wharfedale 30Ds for my main PC audio, but found that Emotiva B1+ kicked their a**es. Now, the Emotivas are on my main PC and the Elacs are on the secondary PC where the Emotivas were. The Elac B5.2s are very good speakers, but I think the difference between them and the Emotivas is much greater than the difference between the Sony SSCS5 (a pair of them are on yet another PC) and better Elacs. Younger ears may not agree.
I read someones experience that they thought the Emotivas and the ML 15i sounded very close. I had the 15i bought new at discount and for movies, they were alot of fun and articulate. But on music they got a bit messy, leaving out some nuance, not as transparent as expected and some instruments didn't sound quite right. Voices were fine though.
Something about Al woofers I don't seem to like as much as paper/wood pulp. Also find I don't care for Kevlar as well. But still very good speakers overall. The guy I sold them to liked them.
I got a pair of Elac ub5s for 150 second hand. best purchase I've made.
I paid $75 for Sony speakers a few years ago and it's the best I've been able to buy, they've been around a long time without some deal that comes close.
I have audtioned a few of these speakers and I agree with most of what Randy says about them
Its also worth a mention that for around $299, you can get into speakers that are on another level (as they should be).
These are some of the standouts when we auditioned these against other speakers with some costing 2x-3x more
-Wharfdale 225 - for brighter amps
-Emotiva zero (when on sale) - for lush amps
And best bang for the buck I have found for HT
-JBL Studio 570s (goes on sale for around $299). The best match Ive tried with them is a HK 1700 as 5.1
Take a look at these if you have the extra cash and want to get to a higher tier of speaker.
Hope this helps someone
Wharfedale can sound really nice with the right amp and room and certain music. Just know they change their sound greatly when you move off axis. Proper toe in can widen the sweet spot a bit but outside of that you lose alot. Emotiva will be far better for movies and still good with music though different sounding with a wider dispersion. The JBL for that price you stated would be hard to beat if you can accommodate a floor standing speaker.
For some reason, the Cheap Audioman virtually ignores JBL in favor of Elac, Emotiva and Sony. But, I agree, those JBLs are a bargain.
Still rockin' the Pioneer BS-22s I bought in 2016 in my Office/Computer desk near-field audio system......they can crank a bit. All in new...$124.59 ! I also have the Sonys ...and the MIccas along with a Jamo Sub ! A few comments on the Sonys....some people no likey..... I have mine on a HK 3700 amp and they rock.
For me, the q acoustics 3030i’s are the best deal in speakers. No matter what I rotate out of my house, I go back to these speakers. One word. Fun.
They will all fall apart at some point when being pushed but I'm wondering which one can you play the loudest in a fairly large room before annoying distortion sets in? Room is 20 feet square. Thanks for all your hard work which has given us all these videos we look forward to and enjoy.
I’ll 2nd your take on the sscs5’s. Best bang for the buck!
GREAT VIDEO!! Thank you so much for doing it in this format... That's what made me like and subscibe!! Love all the content 💜
If I hadn't been following you as long as I have I would have clicked away after the first speaker. I own the Sony and Neumi and I do recommend those.
I’m surprised Fluance wasn’t included in your list. I purchased my first pair. Quite impressed.
Which ones ? That's the only affordable brand in Canada
I bought a pair 9f the nuemi speakers specifically for a desktop placement with the desk against the wall. It's paired with a fosi audio bt20a and polk audio psw10110v powered subwoofer. The powered sub accepts line level powered sound from the fosi and passes it through to the nuemie speakers. For a low cost small footprint system, it really sounds great! Thanks for all the vids!
I LOVE my Sony SSCS5 speakers! So much so that I bought a second set! First set was an open box buy from Best Buy, the second was a score from Amazon, supposed to have been an open box for $88 but they drop-shipped a brand new set direct from Sony, still had customs paperwork on the box and everything was new/unopened, can't beat that!! Anywho, I took you advice and ordered the Neil Blanchard Designs for the Sony's, and now have all of the audiophile grade crossover components from his plans and will be doing the build on my week off in June, I can't wait to see how the improvements that both his physical modifications as well as the killer HUGE audiophile grade crossover network sounds, epic I hope :)
Great video!!! Yeah, the smell that some of this gear has when unboxed is absolutely nasty. I had an Eversolo DMP-A8 that when pulled out of the box, was absolutely horrible the smell that the bag had on it.
Love my Neumi speakers but this is the type of video to make me want the Elac B5.2s.
They’ll come down to $199 one of these days
I get a huge kick out of your videos, even though my go-to system for 20+ years has been a $90 Sherwood 200-watt amp from the (REX close-out table) 1990s powering a pair of inherited 1980s (re-coned) Klipsch Heresys. I've produced music for money with this system! If my components ever fail, I will follow your best current advice to replace them. Class D amps seem tasty, although I don't yet own any.
The Elac 4.1's are legit. I got a pair on sale for $88 and they are really very good, even from an audiophile viewpoint. NEEDS a sub, but they all do. (Also, do yourself a favor and remove the stupid tweeter grills on these, the 5.2's as well. BIG difference...)
I'm sure that helps. I was expecting too much from a shallow box. They could never produce solid bass unless the internal structures were designed for it... but they never are designed for it. I'm glad you like your Songs. 😎👍
I can tell you that the SSCS5s put out good bass. I have them in my 3.1 system, and I can roll off down to 40 for the sub and get a wallop of bass from them. If I roll off at 60 they become more subdued.
Hey, as a recovering coffee addict, I want you to know I hold you fully responsible for my new found addiction! Also, thanks, cos coffee is life!
Hi Randy, I know you absolutely love the Sony but not trying to spoil the fun, apparently they are the most returned product in Amazon, if that is true, well, something is going on and no pretty for that matter. I have a question though, I've been subscribed to the channel for a long time now and I think you never mentioned any product coming from the second hand market? I don't remember if you did. The reason I'm saying this is because sometimes you can find extremely good deals there. There is a lot of people out there who replace stuff which is practically brand new because they can afford to have always the last version of whatever they like (HIFI, computers, cars, watches, you name it) and sometimes those things from the second hand market are extraordinary bang for your buck. Thanks for the video anyway. Al the best as always from West Spain ❤
Years ago I had the Paradigm 7se which were a great speaker and the one to beat back in the day at their price. I picked up a pair of Realistic Novas that at low volume, sounded nearly as good. Given the price difference I was shocked.
However, when you turn up the volume you discover why you pay the difference. The better speaker maintains cohesion and capabilities better.
So, if you mainly listen at background levels, you can get really good performance with some low priced speakers. A few may actually sound good at a bit higher output levels as well. But typically, though not always, you get what you pay for as long as other components are up to snuff and your room as well.
The Sony speaker is amazing, I got them because I like to swap speakers around from time to time.
I still keep the RB42's and Elac BS41's in my arsenal. Both are just great little speakers. I added the Def Tech D7's when they were closing them out. Those image like a champ
I have a near-field setup of old Sony SS-B1000 5.25-inch 2-ways on 9-inch desk stands, along with a decade-old SVS SB-1000 subwoofer under the desk connected to an old Pioneer THX-Select receiver that is connected to my PC via HDMI-audio and it sounds so good that I don't have any reason or desire to change them out. I also have a set of 20-year old Infinity Entra .5 speakers in the closet that I could change over to if I ever wanted a slightly different sound. I just love the sound of the Sony's in near-field for some reason.
For my old ears treble treble treble. The Sonny lookes great.
Last week I bought the MB42X G2, for my granddaughter, 99 bucks, Amazon.
Good deal.
how are they?? did you do listening to them before you gave them to her? any notes on the sound profile? any info would be much appreciated!
@xScurn they were sent directly to her in North Carolina, so I was not able to hear them.
@@jameskorthals4224 how are they?
Some great value loudspeakers here. Well done Randy.
Despite having expensive speakers I still have my Sony SS CS5 and do enjoy listening to them. 😊
Great video, Randy! Think I'll wait for the Sonys to go on sale and get them for our cabin (along with the WIIM amp)
Got the Rockvilles for 60 bucks and they sound great in my garage
@cheapaudioman Great vid today. I'm in on several of your suggestions over the past two years (Sony, Fluance Reference (an old video of yours), Elac Uni-Fi ($225 like new open box), and recently the Micca RB42). Can I say it? Totally enjoying each and every recommendation. Thanks for help in bringing me audio happiness. 🙃
Unrelated comment here but the specs of the new wiim ultra streamer were released yesterday…. Has ESS 9038 top of the line sabre dac and huge host of features and a 3.5” touch screen display ,for those of us who like that , and it is also clad in aluminum.
I used to laugh at the initial products from wiim, but they continue to innovate and improve…. I’m not laughing any more….
I find myself wanting to buy this for the absolutely insane value for money proposition this is… I believe it costs 360 which is unbelievable for all that it offers.
I have an eversolo dmp-a6 master edition that I got like 3-4 months ago and I love it, but the wiim ultra is sick at a fraction of the price!
are sony sscs5 speakers good enough for being used as home theater height speakers??
I went looking for a pair of Jamo s809s and was upset to see they're discontinued, so I'm sure it being the end of the road for that line is responsible for the pricing with that line
Putting in my vote for Fluance Signature 2 way bookshelf speakers. They seem to list for 200, I got them online for 170 and have seen them for less.
A giant step up from the Moukey 3 ways I was using (which were still quite good for under 100).
I like the Micca. Would it work with the Fosi TB10D amplifier I just ordered?
You really need to check out the. Auna Linie-600-BK. Awesome very cheap floor standing speakers, each has a pair of 6.5inch woofers, a 6.5inch mid and a 1inch soft dome tweater, Dual rear ports and floor spikes included, for £130 for the pair is easily the best £130 I've ever spent. Oh and they're built like a tank. I've got mine paired with a fosi audio BT20A Pro, at the moment I'm using the Bluetooth on my TV as its source, the only thing I think that they need is a bit more warmth so I'm currently looking into a tube amp, actually would adding a tube preamp add that warmth?
On a side note, thanks for your content you are my go to for anything audio related, keep up the good work
by the way, love your channel, the guy to look for on audio stuff
I know they are the next rung up the ladder but I wonder if the Heco Aurora 300 ever comes back in stock?
So which one of these shown has the best mid/high clarity if you had to choose?
The new Micca MB42-G2 might be a good contender, along with the Neumi bs5.
Neumi BS5 are junk
The Sony is great. It actually has very deep bass. It also has depth. The Sony has a warm sound.
The BIC Venturi DV62si on sale at Parts Express fit this category - solid choice for most people.
Hey Randy I just picked up the Emotiva TA1 and am currently running the Sony SSCS5's w Neils Mods (crossover and enclosure). I run them in high pass on the Emotiva as I also have an Elac sub. would the Micca RB42's or the RSL CG3M's be a waste?. These are for my desktop so listening distance is short, like within 5 feet. But I do like the idea of a physically smaller enclosure.
I purchased the Jamo S803s from Crutchfield for 149.95, before Klipsch bought them out. Klipsch has proceeded to screw that up jacking up the price and making them difficult to purchase in white. They will keep producing them until they replace them with something like the Synergy Black Label B200s, and they will screw that up as well. Klipsch cannot do a decent budget speaker even though the Synergy Black Label B200s are close
Nice, I’ve got the jamos, I’d be happy to pay $150 for the 803s but never liked the 801s and never used the center channel that’s included, got the whole setup for $225 tho so not too bad I guess, ok thanks again Randy!
Another banger... thanks Randy!
I'm just gonna ask because I've watched enough of your videos and have bookmarked a ton of stuff on Amazon... I want a pair of speakers that will be good on/near my desk for music and watching movies, but I'm also a musician and would want them to also be used to do a bit of mixing/music-composition from time to time. I was going to default to the Yamaha HS5s for that'flat but I'm interested in a touch more color. They will end up either on my desk (about 6in from the wall) or maybe even mounted to the wall (no sub). I got a DIY class-d amp for now, but that'll be the next purchase after the speakers. Of course I'm considering the Sony's, cause you're on those in every video, but would another of these options work better for a studio monitor stand-in?
Have you tried any Kali monitors? The LP-UNFs are a steal at $300. Surpassed all my expectations and sound impossibly good for such small speakers.
I just bought my first HiFi speaker for 214€. It's the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2. The 6.5" model. Good deal right?
Now I just need a good amp for them. Thinking about getting a pair of Fosi V3 Mono's for 209€. For the DAC I already have the Creative SoundBlaster G6 (139€) that I've been using for years now.
What do you think?
My whole system is Jamo S803 and I have a the C12 subwoofer. My basement is only list a 12 by 12 so they sound good enough. I am running a 7.2 atmos set up. I bought all of the on sale a long time ago and the set cam with the S801 s I don’t use.
the coolest thing would be an excellent cabinet and the cheapest drivers and crossover to find and a few years later upgrade with high-end drivers and a high end crossover.
and calling them "Upgrade".
What is best for a center channel? speaker knowing that it needs to handle voice and a lot of stuff is also being pushed towards center channel as well.
Thanks
Wonder what you think of Kanto speakers
Hi, I have a suggstion, there are some small Hifi Systems which come with relatively good and dirt cheap Speakers. I ordered some Yamaha NX-E800 for 50€ on ebay, they came initially with the Pianocraft 410/810 (i think). If you are interested you could to try finding some and make a Video about those mini System speakers. As cheap Hifi this should be right up your alley, and give a lot of people some better options, for really cheap good stuff. Cheers mate. Love your channel!
Since you purchased several Sony ss-cs5 is there any defects to watch for?
I’ve never got a bad pair. I’d just give them a once over out of the box and a quick listen
I bought a pair of BS41s a while back but am having a hard time liking them. They just seem to be lacking something musically and I don't use them much.
Further to the above, I got them out & carefully pressed down on the woofer edgings for a little bit, played them loud for a few songs and moved the treble knob to about the 1:30 position. Now they are much more likeable
You mentioned a friend that has a crossover for the Sony speakers. Would like to have that information. Thanks. Great Channel!
Are the jamo’s better than the Rockville? I have had a pair of Rockville for a few years now as my garage speakers. And bet cheap upgrades makes it sound really decent and still being under 120 for the pair… so my question would be “in a shoot out between the two, which would come out on top.
I have 5 pairs of the SS-CS5 and want one more pair to replace my rear surround SS-CS3. I use one SS-CS5 as my center because I only use one recliner in the home theater. Some pairs I got for as low as $50! All 5 pairs are open box.
Running them in 7.2.4 on Denon X3800H ($1200) with 2 Monolith M12 v2 ($699 each).
The subs make these Sony sound so good!!
I cross them at 80hz currently but experiment with 100-120.
Any recommendations on crossover?
I plan on trying Danny's upgrade with sonic caps in front LR pair. Might try Neil's too on a pair.
I only stream through appletv4k with LG G3, so I don't need high end, and these work perfectly!
Pink Floyd 50th anniversary remaster in Atmos sounds great on these! I use Auro3d mostly, though.
Oh, and a monoprice unity 2Ch external ($130) to run one of the heights pair since the Denon is a 11 channel processor but 9Ch built in.
listening to you about the sscs 5 was one of the best things i ever did
Loved the video. I am trying to put a cheap system in my office. I have a pretty decent 7.1 system for my entertainment in the living room. I really would like an HD radio option for my office system. In my car, my HD radio sound better than any of my streaming sources. Also, with tornados and hurricanes visiting us, it nice to have the warnings radio gives you.
Is there a HD Radio I can connect to something like the WiiM amp? I can't find anything.
JBL Studio series has sales like the 530 or 570. If you can swing 4 or 500$ you'll have some speakers that will improve as you upgrade your system.
I used a tube buffer and a hafler power amp with a marantz pre and it was better with 580 studios than my 5k genelec monitors which are excellent.
I paid $68 for the Sony speakers. I only use them as a secondary speaker in my 7.1 system
Great recommendations. Thank you.
which are best for hard rock music?
could you do best powered speakers review
What would you say is a better sound for music (mostly Rock/Metal) when paired with a sub: the ELAC B5.2's or the RSL CG2/CG23? Here in Canada the price between them is pretty close and I'm looking to replace my 35+ year old Kenwoods.
I’m looking for a small speaker to hang on the wall of my 400sf condo, maybe Neumi. What say you?
I'd love to hear your thoughts/see a review of the Kanto YU Passive 5.25!! May fit into this group as well.
Hey, I bought those for my Desktop and was not impressed. It felt like there was a lot missing in the low-end. I really wanted to like them and loved how they look. I ended up sending them back and grabbing Micca RB42, which I am still blown away by.
@@Blacksunshine636 I currently have a set of Dali Spektor 1 on my desk, and an Elac Sub1010 below it, all driven by a pair of Fosi ZA3's in mono. Ordered the Kanto Passive 5.25 (will be here tomorrow) to try out. Low end isnt too much of concern because of the sub. Will be an interesting comparison.
@@Blacksunshine636 Ive got a pair of Dali Spektor 1 on the desk now, and an Elac Sub1010 below it, all powered by a pair of Fosi ZA3's (mono mode). I went ahead and ordered the Kanto passive 5.25 to try out. Should be here in the next day or so. I'm not super concerned about the low end because of the sub. More interested in extreme clarity and depth. Should be interesting!
Edifier S1000MKII are decent enough? i need a pertinent opinion. thanks
Hi ! greatly valuable video indeed and thank you very much for it
People should think that these small but great speakers could act as insane satellites above two bass boxes one per side for a full range system punching way above its price
That is my goal after all Sat above a sub The Wilson Audio Watt plus Puppy of the poor guy
Has escuchado los Canbridge Audio Sx50?
Hi you all! Wiim Ultra is presented, the next preamp stremer dac favourite...
What do you think of the Monolith M518HT? It doesn't really fit the video but it's a 5.1 system that goes for less than 400 when on sale
I just make my own, they don’t look too good and sound ok but I love them
Hi , audioman , your opinion on matching Sony or Yamaha to Fosi ZA3 , is it a match made in heaven or hell😄
C'mon, recommending the Rockville after you did the video on the off gassing of the glue?
I don't care if they are cheap, but I wouldn't put that near any kid's room. Did they come with a California warning sticker?
I get that you want to showcase lower cost but decent options.
IMHO you shouldn't have included it and recommended the next level up.
I currently have a Sony HT-A7000 and want to connect decent speakers for a good price. Please help! 🙏🏼
Which speakers are best for nearfield with Aiyima T9?
At $270 Cerwin-Vega la165 banger deal..
"I didn't love this speaker when I first got it in, but I got it back and changed my opinion so I could post an affiliate link." FTFY 4:12
"But I wanted to include it because I want to post an affiliate link." FTFY 7:36
Did you see his paid vacation to Indonesia? Cheap audioman is stepping up his game.
I remember when amazon put the sonys for $73 dollars. Blessed day
Please make a comparison of 250-350€ range
Dali Spektor 2 - Wharfedale 12.1 - Q Acoustics 3020i - Mission LX2 - Acoustic Energy AE100-2
New debate :
Second-hand speakers vs New speakers ?
Used Harman kardon soundsticks is my choice