9 reviews for Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System (Pair) – Black

1. 

   5 out of 5

   iPPK – January 23, 2020

   Great Speakers. Highly recommended for the Improved Soundstage it adds to your Home theater. Running it with Marantz SR7012 Receiver and very Happy with the changes noticed in the sound field.You have to Play Blu-ray Disc on Blu-ray player with Dolby Atmos compatibility to notice the actual Dolby Atmos sound. I don’t think Streaming services YouTube or Netflix offer Dolby Atmos movies/TV shows at the time of the review, please check.The Speaker is Sturdy. Comes with rubber feet which holds the speaker in place on top of floor standers. I’m using 14 gauge wire approx 20 feet to power them.The Rubber feet are sturdy and you don’t have to worry about Speaker falling off. The top of my speaker is a Piano gloss, so it holds pretty tight.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Mdooley301Mdooley301 – March 24, 2020

   Now, I am not an techie or an audiophile, but I do like and can certainly tell the difference between good and bad audio components, especially speakers. I have a couple of very expensive home theater setups both using power conditioners and Sony ES components with ridiculous costing interconnects and speaker wiring out to Polk LSi speakers and Polk subs.My desktop setup is very modest, using a Fosi Audio DAC, a V2 50×50 amp and a P1 tube pre-amp with upgraded tubes. All are connected with custom made star quad RCA cables and 12ga twisted pair speaker wiring. I am using my laptop to stream Hi-Res audio via USB using the Equalizer APO/PEACE software. An inexpensive but very clean sounding and solid setup altogether.I have been using my LSi7 $800/pair bookshelf speakers and a BIC F12 sub for a while. Overkill for a desktop setup?Yeah maybe…Anyway, I saw these Sony 3 ways on sale for $73/pair. They have very good reviews. I decided to give them a try because I wanted to get my LSi7’s back to their surround positions. I was expecting a downgrade in sound so I was not that excited. It is a desktop setup anyway for listening at lower volume levels, so I did not want to spend a lot. Well, let me tell you something. These little Sony SSCS5 speakers sound better than my Polk LSi7’s!!!!! More detailed with a better soundstage and better separation. HOW CAN THIS BE?? For $73.00 for a pair?????? Come on. I can’t get over how good these sound. I am listening to the Rippingtons- Built to Last album. Wow, I am flabbergasted and amazed. I guess I will be doing my critical listening at my desktop now?? I will need to see a therapist.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Guy – May 15, 2020

   Update: I tweaked my receiver (yamaha rxv683) settings and changed the default audio settings from “front presence speakers” to “Atmos Enabled Speakers” in an upfiring position on top of my main fronts and upped the atmos speakers dB to +2 db louder each than their respective front speakers after using the yamaha ypao automated speaker calibration mic and now have very nice full home theater sound. You’ll want to download the dolby atmos demos from the dolby website and play them for calibration, you should hear the feather wizzing around you and slightly over above your right side. The atmos speakers work in conjunction with the rest of your speakers so you don’t want the atmos speakers too loud otherwise you’ll hear too much coming from the front and it will drown out the other speakers which will ruin the illusion of the sound bubble. It needs to be loud enough but balanced with the other speakers that sound passes through evenly through space according to your ears.The difference is that the experience is like being in a sound bubble with objects that can be tracked in space through sound. It’s subtle in some ways but not subtle. It feels like I’m in the environment of the movie. That’s what it should sound like when the set up is correct. Without atmos you only get peripheral sound effects like you get an idea of the transition of objects in space from front to back, left to right, but no depth to the details of the location of the sound. With atmos and proper tweaking I am now getting that depth. It will vary greatly depending on your setup and situation. Everyone will have varying experiences with atmos and it may take some tweaking to get the most out of it.Original review:Bought it at less than 100 when it was on sale. Its a great addition to my 5.1 setup now making it 5.1.2. Overall I do hear a subtle difference in that when compared to traditional surround sound it also subtley increases the soundstage to be more enveloping from above. Definitely not very noticeable but it makes a difference to me.These speakers aren’t going to wow you in that you will now suddenly be able to pin point where an object is flying above you, you probably won’t get that from just having them sit on your front tower speakers. I wish I could say these did that but it doesn’t, but they do what they’re supposed to do which is increase soundstage as a lesser substitute for in-celing speakers for a reasonable price and without the hassle.I use this with Atmos enabled movies, most of the time I also use the upmix to atmos even with other non-atmos media. I’m using a yamaha rx-v683 receiver. These speakers sit on top of my two front tower speakers.I would say that the only thing i don’t like about them is the lack of banana plug support. It connects with bare wire using clips like the cheaper systems that do not expect large copper wires.I haven’t tested the audio range with these, but without in-ceiling speakers I don’t expect full range sound to bounce from the ceiling. Bass and lower mid ranges still come from the other speakers mainly, and the atmos speakers only add atmospheric backgrounds that are usually more apparent when the sounds are higher frequency and very loud. I also wish it came with adjustable angled feet so I could adjust the angle of the speakers facing the ceiling.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Matt – June 26, 2020

   These are VERY impressive speakers! Some of the best I have ever heard and serious contenders for best speakers under $1,000/pair. I’ve listened five figure speakers in high end stores and plenty of monitors in the studio. These compete with the best of them.While the price is very reasonable (<$120/pair), they did not cut corners on the design. The cabinets are solid, they have a flared bass port on the rear, a solid set of binding posts. Inside is a proper crossover network (not just a capacitor on the tweeter like some cheap speakers) and foam damping material. You've got a lightweight, yet rigid woofer made out of their proprietary "foamed mica" composite material. The tweeter and super-tweeter (something, I might add, you usually only find on esoteric high-end gear) are both soft domes, which are known for their "natural" sound.I happened upon these one day while perusing through a Best Buy. As soon as I saw their design, I knew needed to give them a listen. The sound was even more impressive than their design suggested! Standing between them, they cast a lucid sound stage! I heard elements in the mix coming from behind the speakers, elements in front of the speakers. The treble was clean and articulate, the midrange was smooth and un-cluttered and the bass was solid and pure! I was hearing all the artifacts of the low bitrate MP3 demo tracks. I compared them with the Klipsch models (which were kinda honky and etched by comparison), the Pioneers (which were somewhat veiled) and whatever else was in the display. The Sony SSCS5s and the SSCS3 absolutely mopped the floor with the rest. Nothing even came close. Sure, I'd heard that kind of sound... just not in an "entry level" priced unit.For over a year now, they've been my main stereo speakers, powered by a Denon AVR-3803. Movies, TV and digital recording all sound great. But they're really cook with gas when I play vinyl on my turntable with an Audio Technica AT-440MLb cartridge. I've used these in two other systems (one for my housemate, another for my parents) and they've all been very impressed.I do have them paired with a subwoofer, however they have enough bass that (within a few feet of the wall or on the floor) they really can stand on their own for most music. While they do sound good off axis, you really really really owe it to yourself to get the super-tweeters up at exactly ear level and aim them directly at your listening position. Only then will you experience the true magic of the soundstage these things create. I can sit in from of them and listen to the music, not the speaker.Forget whatever other speakers you're considering. Or at least compare them side-by side with these and return the ones you don't like. I've heard better speakers, sure. But the "better speaker" I've heard cost a heck of a lot more (like $1,500+/pair).

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Jacob – August 13, 2020

   Wow these speakers are nothing short of astonishing. First time I turned them on I nearly cried, I cannot beleive a tower costing $100 can produce such an immense enveloping sound stage with such resolution and clarity. Completely blown away. Honestly, I feel like with these towers surround sound is not even needed, that’s how amazing the sound stage is. I started with a set of two micca mb42x and the matching center channel. Those speakers produce great detail and what I considered at the time to be great sound stage, however they produced very little bass and didn’t quite have enough oomph to fill the room. I ended up replacing the miccas with these and putting the miccas as rear surrounds. Now I am getting immense room filling sound and I have a new definition of what good sound stage is. These towers can produce a decent amount of bass, but only if you have the ability to turn up the bass on your amplifier. Seems about a 5db bass boost is works best in my situation. If you have good room acoustics it might be better but getting a sub is a must of you like lots of bass. I use a Dayton audio sub-800 which really adds some good low end to round out the system. I would not recommend any of the cheap subs on Amazon, instead get the Dayton audio sub-800 or sub-1000 on Parts Express. They both cost about $100 and are much better than any of the $100 subs on Amazon. Over all love these towers, highly recommend!EDIT: After about a month of daily use I have found the bass seems to have improved quite a bit. I can now whole heartedly recommend using these without a sub.

6. 

   5 out of 5

   Joshua Rhine – August 13, 2020

   I want to start off by saying that I have quite a bit of experience with speakers in all ranges and have quite a lot of knowledge about speakers and how audio works. And in most speakers, even 300 dollar+ sets, there’s a few common issues that usually puts me off as a listener which these speakers have done a great job at avoiding.Typically speakers under $500 have the following issues:Tweeters don’t mix well with the loudspeaker in the cabinet and sound like another miss-matched speaker placed ontop of your much better mid/low range speakers.Tweeters are overbearing and sound “washey” or metalic.Sound quality, especially in high frequencies, is greatly reduced when keeping the dust protection panel on.Bass is strong but lacks proper tone.Bass is weak but has gratuitous excursion.Bass has good tone, but relies too much on the addition of a subwoofer or passive resonance speakers resulting in overall lower quality lows/mids.3-way crossover makes it difficult for your amplifier to get a proper read resulting in underwhelming volumesAudio suffers greatly when not placed in the absolute most optimal position which restricts placement or quality.That’s a lot of common problems and, even with the good reviews and lots of research, I expected to hear at least one of them.However I can happily say that I am blown away at how well these speakers handle all of these issues. Up close, far away, with a sub, without, placed properly or improperly, used with other speakers or alone these two mini-monsters absolutely crush all of these issues and sound dang good while doing it.I’m very critical when it comes to audio and I’d easily say that I’d have to be ready to dump 600 dollars into anything to consider an upgrade being a big enough jump to be worth it.I have these connected to an Integra Pre-Amp and are powering them with a Crown 1000 amplifier in a very large room (probably 35x30ft) . Off the rip I think 6 Ohms is perfect for this size speaker in a home theater, especially for fronts, but these go above and beyond just making a few right decisions. These clearly had ALL the good design choices… So if your amplifier can do 6 Ohms, then I’d highly recommend these.I’d also like to add that the volume and atmospheric resonance in these are comparable to 8 Ohm 350 watt speakers, so 100 watts is something my power bill is happy to adopt.These barely break a sweat producing loud, high quality, detailed sound and for once I’m not worried about heavy excursion ripping them apart.I will be using these for music at house parties as well as for movies and gaming and so far I’ve tested them for all three and have yet to be disappointed.Personally I would not recommend these as side speakers as they’re a little TOO in your face. I think side and rear are a whole different ball game. That being said, you could definitely order 6 of these and use them as front, surround, and rear surround speakers; you’d just need to calibrate their volumes and equalize them properly.All in all, I’m proud to say I own these and even more proud to tell people what I spent on them. These aren’t just great for how much they are, they’re great in general. Unless you’re willing to spend a lot of money, there’s little-to-no audible difference between these and other very high end speakers and I personally recommend getting these speakers if your setup requires bookshelf sized speakers.Final Verdict:8.5/10 for audio quality if we completely ignore price and consider 10 the best sound imaginable.9.7/10 if I factor in price and give in to my bass-head type personality (secretly wishing these had subwoofer level bass).10/10 for anyone who isn’t the pickiest SOB in the world and simply wants what 98% of the world would consider to be perfect audio.(ps: When I say the bass on these are very good I am talking about what you would expect for tone and strength coming from a Home Theater speaker. Unless you want to get those huge cabinet speakers you see in actual theaters, you are never going to get subwoofer level bass out of a front channel speaker. You simply aren’t meant to, and for good reason. You do not need a sub to hear sub-frequencies with these as they handle bass incredibly well… but please do not think these can replace a woofer. They’re called sub-“woofers” because they push air so hard you can feel it. That’s not bass, that’s an artificial effect)UPDATE:It’s been 2 years and still going strong. Now of course I know a lot about the best ways to configure setups and get the most out of my speakers, but everyone who hears how good this system sounds is blown away. Almost everyone is encouraged to get a setup of their own after hearing how good it sounds. These definitely compliment my center channel and other speakers so well. It almost doesn’t matter what speakers I mix with these, it just works. I’ve tried a few different configurations and have been pushing these hard on a weekly basis. Seems like no matter what I throw at these they just work. I also have a particularly dust-happy room; I am pleased to say that these do not have a tendency to pick up dust as I haven’t had to clean them even once. Reliability, functionality, audio balance, build quality are all there. I wish I could give these more stars as I don’t think people understand just how rare it is to find a speaker like this in this price range. Not usually a Sony fan, but hats off to the engineers in Japan that designed this – you guys deserve a pay raise.

7. 

   5 out of 5

   S. Lahousse – September 5, 2020

   After reading a ton of reviews, researching a lot of speakers, and even trying to convince myself that the pair of Polks I had sounded fine, I took the plunge and ordered a pair of these speakers. I couldn’t pass them up… $73 and they were on my doorstep the next day. I auditioned them against the Polk Audio 5.25″ bookshelf speakers I bought in the early 2000s, and it was night and day across the spectrum on both receivers I hooked them up to. They are currently being powered by a Sony STR-1800 from the 70s with tone setting flat, and they fill the room with sound I would have only expected from much larger speakers. Bass is much better than I expected, and I do not feel the need to add a subwoofer. HOWEVER, on the other two more modern receivers, bass was lacking at the flat settings. The newer receivers don’t have quite the same warmth, though neither could be considered even remotely high end, so that may have something to do with it. In the end, after hearing these speakers, I would have paid much more for the sound they deliver. I did not expect that from Sony speakers. Has me questioning if I should have gone for the floor speakers…

8. 

   5 out of 5

   Michael J – September 5, 2020

   Let me be short and sweet. I currently own the veritable Adcom GFA-5802 amp, GFP-750 pre-amp, Sony’s new HAP-1Zes music streamer, Teac TN-400 turntable, all of it feeding Thiel CS2.3 speakers and an SVS sub. I’ve owned Definitive Technology speakers, NAD, Rotel. I’m trying to put together a college graduation gift for my music-loving son and wanted the best I could buy for around $2k for everything. I was more than skeptical about these Sony SSCS3 speakers and actually have a pair of Definitive Technology M65 speakers on the way now. Those won’t be opened. They’re going back. These Sony towers are simply astonishing at $159 each. Run, don’t walk. I promise you’ll not be able to buy these at this price in 3 years from now. I’m playing them next to my Thiels and I’m actually a little annoyed they’re that good.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Chuck – September 6, 2020

   I bought these last week on Amazon for $118 (including shipping). How good could a pair of speakers be in that price range? Well let me tell you. The word amazing comes to mind. I’ve been an “audiophile” for going on 40 years. My methodology for buying speakers has always been to listen to the best speakers available, ones that I couldn’t possibly afford, then work my way down into speakers that are within my budget, but sound as close as possible to my “dream” speakers. Simply put, these speakers are solid, well-made, and have an incredibly warm and accurate sound. They can easily compete with speakers up to the $500 price range, well compete is not the word…blow the doors off speakers in that price range is more like it. I would even be so bold to say, that in a blind study (if you had no idea what speakers you were listening to in a side-by-side comparison), you may find yourself choosing them over speakers in the $1000 range. That’s right! I said it! It had to be said! I don’t know what Sony did to these little buggers, but they are magnificent. Now one week later, the price has increased to $148, and not just on Amazon…everywhere. Not sure what made them jump $30 over night, but are they still worth it? After hearing them, I’d pay double. Oh, and by the way, I am using them as main speakers in a two-channel scenario, not as surrounds. Utterly impressed, and they are not even “broken in” yet. If you are in the market for excellent bookshelf-sized speakers, look no more. Don’t let the low price fool you…you’ve found them. Cheers guys!