Anotherforumname Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 You read that right. I have been on this journey since I was 8 and have been through hundreds of speakers and a ton of gear. some of it was high dollar stuff too. A while back I found an add for some Sony ES SS M-7 speakers. After some research I headed down and picked them up. When I got them home to my surprise they sounded better than my Infinity quantum line source speakers. So I sold the Infinities and latter on I found some Sony SS-X70ED speakers with a matching center. Looks like some B&W speakers but we wont get into that, they sound really good too. I really like the center, it jut sounds better more natural than any other I have had and it blends well with the other speakers and my Forte II's as well. The main speakers have a woven Kevlar fiber 6 1/2" mids and a 6 1/2" bass, cast aluminum tops and a metal dome tweeter. And the other day I found some Sony SS-TL5 speakers on CL. thankfully they were way more than I wanted to spend and too far away so I resisted until another pair came up closer and cheaper than the first so I had to go take a look. They were in really excellent shape considering they came out of the late 80'2 early 90's. Real wood veneer 8" rear firing woofer coupled to a transmission line. a 6.5" mid-bass, a 4.5" mid and a 1" titanium tweeter. pretty big and heavy. all the surrounds are rubber woofer cone is just paper while the others appear to be treated paper. Sound is awesome, on the higher end of neutral. Clear, defined, detailed, great sound stage and imaging. I have been busy and have not had time to listen to them as much as I would like. Dont worry I still have some vintage Klipsch on my radar but kind of thin stock for right now, really liking my Forte II's for right now and they are set up in the 2.1 room. I really like the Sony's because of their sound and you can usually find great deals on them, also most people don't think Sony ever made any speakers that were worth a damn but they're wrong. These would be nice to try if I had 27k to spend. http://www.stereophile.com/content/sony-ss-ar1-loudspeaker Anyway thats about it, enjoy or loath the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean5340 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Nice looking speakers. I wouldn't mind listening to all of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anotherforumname Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 (edited) Thanks, Well both the wood veneer sets are made right here in the USA. The black ones were made in china to a higher standard for sale in the UK and other places but not available in the USA. I think they were trying to send a message to B&W for some reason. They go up to 80k hertz. Very heavy and well made. They did make a bigger (taller) version of these with two woofers. The triangle were designed by Dan Anagnos that has worked for Polk Audio in the past and were compared to "Wilson Watt Puppies for Vandersteen prices". I personally have not owned a more precise speaker. More lively or bright but everything is heard with these. I have heard things in recordings on these that I just cant hear on other speakers. But they are picky on the associated equipment. They are one inch thick MDF, ridiculously internally braced with no parallel surfaces for minimal coloration. Huge sound stage just unbelievable, I will keep these for a long time, and still my fav speaker. They also made a bigger two woofer version of this as well, I have heard it and did not like it as much because it was a ported design, it had more bass but seemed to be a little boomy compared to mine. Since I pair these with a quality sub I really don't care how much bottom end a speaker has. The new ones I got are certainly no slouch either. A little brighter but not shrill or fatiguing. they sound great too. definitely a detailed speaker. Bass is nice and deep for a single 8" I'm not kidding when I say they give the Forte II's a run for their money in the bass department, well at normal listening levels, The Klipsch will kill them at extreme levels, that's why I love them. All I have done to them is clean them up and add some spikes. I imagine I will keep all three pair for long time as they just do not come up for sale too often. Edited February 1, 2015 by Anotherforumname 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anotherforumname Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Thanks, best part of all is that I have less than $1000 for all three pairs and a center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 (edited) I read the thread title and thought you might be collection fire wood just kidding.........nice looking speakers! Edited February 2, 2015 by NOSValves 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absolve2525 Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I have a pair of SS-TL5 also. Love em! Check out the quality of the crossovers, also. I always enjoy rotating them into the main system. Nice score! I saw a pair on Ebay go for five hundred. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anotherforumname Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 (edited) Thanks, I have not pulled out the cross overs yet, Check out the ones on the ES SS M9 ED in this cut away pic. http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-SS-M9ED.html and then there were these expensive horn loaded Sony speakers http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-SS-GR1.html Edited February 2, 2015 by Anotherforumname Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted February 2, 2015 Moderators Share Posted February 2, 2015 "But they are picky on the associated equipment. They are one inch thick MDF, ridiculously internally braced with no parallel surfaces for minimal coloration." What amp preamp combo have you found works the best with them? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxr dad Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Cool. The one on the end has some sort of tachometer, or speedometer on the top of it. Or oil pressure . JK. Actually, that would keep my kids from laying things on top of the speaker! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anotherforumname Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Right now I am using my Sony STR DA2ES receiver as a pre amp. When I first got these I was using a Rotel RB 990BX amp and they were kind of shrill and fatiguing when you turned them up but not too bad. The Rotel sounds fine with the rest of the speakers I own. I now have a ATI AT1502 and they sound great with it. I am running a Sony CDP CA70ES E-Motiva IC's and Speaker cables. No equalization of any kind. The Sony really makes a good pre amp. I have tried it with other pre amps I have and seems to sound the same. When I hook them up in my 2ch room its a Sony CDP CA90ES a Marantz AV 560, Niles SI 275 I really don't remember the make of the IC's but they're good and E-Motiva speaker cable. Again the EQ if flat. mrx dad, I don't have kids so there are no issues there and I broke the wife of even trying to put stuff on top of my speaker as soon as we got together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anotherforumname Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 Well it happened again, A guy was selling some other Sony speakers so I went and picked them up. They are some Sony SS K90ED. Dual 6 1/2" woofers 6 1/2" woven Kevlar mid and 1" carbon dome ED tweeter. Cabinets are curved to break up waves. Bases are cast steel with spikes and nuts, also came with stainless steel isolation discs for hard wood floors. These are in excellent condition. Sound was not that impressive until I figured out how to set them up properly, they do not require as much toe in as my other speakers, actually hardly any in my rooms. Sound is sweet accurate detailed and they image like crazy. Sound stage is huge, a few times I have heard things from well outside the speakers. They have made me jump a few times as well. I have not listened to them very long but did have to hook the Sony ES SS M7's back to back and the M7's still win. I am trying to figure out how they stack up against the rest of my Sony collection and the rest as well. But still a really great speaker, the only thing I don;t care for is the vinyl wrap but you can't have everything right? I also found out an interesting bit of info, it seems B&W might have had a hand in developing these and a few other Sony speakers. It might explaining the similarities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anotherforumname Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 I set them up in the main rig and found the matching center off of E-bay. So far really impressed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cradeldorf Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I've never heard any sony's as far as I know but I have hated them for some time because of their electronics. Glad you have found happiness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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