Thanks for the test. I've already narrowed it down to one of these pairs for my son and you've helped me make up my mind. JBL Stage A130 all the way! Thank You IOWAudio!

You really did a good job here. I like your speaker matchup for your review. These are two well-regarded budget speakers that often give more expensive speakers a very surprising run for their money. To date, and since Sony's initial debut and release of their Core Series speaker line in 2014, I have owned and enjoyed three pairs of the SSCS5, one SSCS8 center channel speaker, and one SACS9 active subwoofer. I have used them in my family 5.1 home theater/second stereo listening setup and in my 2.0 primary stereo setup without a sub. Again, your review is solid. If I may suggest another great review for reference, Brent Butterworth did what I consider the top review of the SSCS5 in 2014, and subsequently revisited them years later to assess their status against the rapid growth of the quality budget speaker market, as I seem to recall. As an admitted fan of Sony audio/video/camera products, I do bring my biases. As a former amateur band, symphony, and jazz band musician for decades, I also bring my particular hearing and listening experiences that in my particular case fully explain and justify exactly why I am admitted Sony fan - and definitely a huge admirer or fan of their SSCS5 speaker. For me, the bottom line is their beautiful combination of realism, accuracy, tone, and texture that simply hits the mark with my picky ears. This kind of gorgeous sound to me defies their price tag, even at full retail. Yes, a decent sub, and yes, even the under-rated Sony SACS9 (a gem) will "complete" the deeper bass and "presence" that subs provide to the frequency range. However, in truth, I enjoy listening to classical and nearly all genres, including classic rock cranked up "way up high in the sky" without the sub, and it always sounds just damn good to my ears. Sorry, but not sorry; but for me, booming bass that rattles the walls is for the Hollywood T-Rex and the kind of blunt-object-over-the-head "music" I personally routinely pass over. If one must always go maximum boom boom, by all means, fill the house with nuclear subwoofers - and save up for buying some really great hearing aids or surgical implants when you hit 35 to 40 years old. You are correct about how crucial room acoustics and speaker placement are. The SSCS5s are very forgiving regarding both, but spending time to carefully and methodically tweak their placement in one's theater or listening, preferrably on proper stands will pay surprising dividends to your surprised ears. In my case, I have them on stands 10 feet apart with the tweeters at my ear level (31 inches) at my seating position 13 feet away, and the rear ports 7 inches away from the wall. They are not toed-in in either of my setups. It took awhile and several tweaks over time with serious listening to catch the sweetest sounding setup for theater and music. My family and friends could hear the evolution of improving sound quality, and many were ultimately very pleasantly shocked at the gorgeous sound I had eventually coaxed out of them with work. I am certain that many impatient people obsessed with charts and lab measurements, and reliant on others' ears for their opinions about their own hearing get frustrated and never find the "magic" in these or any speakers and other audio equipment they may simply buy and slap up anywhere, expecting instant nirvana. Thanks, again! I am subscribed, btw.

I have the JBL A130s with 40 watt amp. They sound good. The Sony CS5 sounds a little more open in the upper ranges.

19:06 That fall made me look up in my room, Im listening on Koss ksc75 and they do justice to your microphone quality, amazing!

Thanks for the side by side comparisons,very informative...especially the in room analysis

Cool thx for the comparisons 👍

Your music choices were excellent. Don’t worry about copyright crap. I own these Sony speakers and aside from them not being able to give big boom without distortion they are superb. I paid 60 bucks for a refurbished pair and they are spectacular. Crystal clear

I have both, and like them both. The JBLs are a bit "thick" in the midrange, but otherwise excellent. They have better bass than the Sonys and they hold up better when driving them hard. They also look better. but hey, we're buying speakers, not furniture. The Sonys have some of the best highs of any speaker at any price. Absolutely amazing highs, and the midrange is well balanced. Bass is a bit weak and they don't handle high volumes as well. But hey, I use a sub with all my speakers. I like both, but the Sonys are my favs by a slight margin. And they are the better value, I got mine for $73 last Black Friday. The JNLs have gotten expensive!

Just curious what has been your favorite/best bookshelf so far?

what are you using in the bottom of your AV stand? Is that a monster power filter?

New sub here. Great content and love sound demos. Where did you get that cherry vinyl wrap for the speakers?

Cool review, thanks. 👍

Sony…. No question. I paid $80. Class of their own at that price. Sound REALLY good with my 12” Klipsch sub. Amazing.

Sony seems to have more Range. Just picked up a Pair for Cyber Monday for $80 can't wait to test them out as Surround Sound Speakers.

I have the SSCS5s and they are great as long as you have a subwoofer or two. They sound even better when cutting them off at 80hz

I have the A130, it's a knockout speaker . No sub required in main room, it's a fun fun sound . The Sony's are a bargain but I'm happy with the JBL .

Have you listened to the Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ speakers? I'm torn between those and the JBL Stage A130. Thanks so much.

Thank you for doing this. I own both. I love them both. I can't really hear a difference. Super-tweeter vs. metal (metalic?) tweeter. Both have amazing high end. Preesh.

Apart from the A130 having a a tad bit meatier bass, I could hear almost no difference between the two except at certain moments, when the JBL seemed recessed or veiled in the mids compared to the Sonys. I got a greater sense of space from the Sonys at certain points as well

What one would be better for movies and tv?

You really did a good job here.

Hi what stands are the A130s on? TIA

What are the best sounding bookshelf speakers at $200, $300, $400 and $500 price range ?

good test. more vocals are needed tho, to separate speaker quality/differences

From my pretty terrible truck speakers, the Sonys sounded fuller like they had more body than the JBLs. But like he said for the price them Sonys are very hard to beat. Good work buddy!

Sony sound higher pitched but JBL are good but more reserved. I gotta check them out. Great review

I would like to hear them stacked, it could be an interesting result.

What song did you use at the 10:42 mark? Been trying to find it for like a year.

Is it worth upgrading from sony ssc5 to jbl a130

Thanks. Awesome sound demo. I agree with you. Sony seem more forward in mid and highs. JBL sound more balanced. I definitely like the JBL bass much better. I'd buy the JBLs and I'm a guy that like detail more than bass.

Yoshi Hirakawa's 'Spaces' Album is high quality and probably copyright free...

Man i have got to check my SONYs out more in pure direct stereo. I have had them for years and been using them strictly in a 5.1 system. Back to real stereo like when i was a kid!

IMO both are identical, JBL sounds a little bit wider fuller sound; Sony sounds more details at high but narrow. The fit & finish of JBL looks more professional & nicer; Sony looks just decent.

Is one able to bypass the built in AKM DAC in the HK3490 with a standalone unit?

Hey, for the second time, it’s impossible to find a song if it has no lyrics and the KZfaqr has not put it in the description. No song identification app can find this music for me, and I need to know the source, as no other copyright free music I’ve found has been this good, especially the song at 10:42. Can someone help me identify the music used?

Completely agree on the HK3490 - powerful and sounds great. Also agree on the Sony's. I am really sensitive to bright speakers, but have no problem with the Sony's. I find them neutral with really good soundstage and imaging.

Nice comparison 👏 I have the CS-5,s Imho the high end is better with the sony,s. I run a subwoofer with mine .Both pushed through a 200 watt tube amp. I paid $70 for mine .

Seems like the JBL are less shiny? Anyone tried both and would recommend one over the other for watching movies and sports?

with subwoofer ?

The CS5 are about 450€ a pair in Germany at this time (Mai `24).

I own 2 versions of the H.K.3390 its a long storywhich ill spare to go into why? none the less for the money its dam good sounding receiver! out performs all most my other vintage amps inluding my nad an nakimichi statis modifiied by nelson pass!!..Unfortunately H.K. dosent put much out any more i really want meaning home audio equipment. I also own a multi disc player an a turntable from H.K. all work very well aside from my minimal engeinering skills to keep the system running.. Disc players ...Update the H.K DVD77 single disc player is reccomended for audio play back..Shows up used at The Goodwill quite often usually working in my experience ?

Are those B&O speakers off to the sides?

I have the jbl stage a120 amazing little speakers never heard 4 inch speakers thump like they do not far of the kef coda 3 in terms of bass and they have 8 inch woofers

The soundstage of JBL is amazing and the sound seems to be richer than the Sony.

This is my challenge. I am looking at both kinds of speakers. I intend to get the Sony SDR DH190 as the receiver. Just came back into vinyl with an Audio Technica AT-LPGO-BT (Walmart version of the AT-LP60X BT). I am looking for the most realistic, quality sound without breaking the bank. If you recommend the JBL over the Sony, I can swing it okay. Thanks!

Switch the cable polarity at the JBL and see what happens. Either Yamaha screwed up or JBL did but the change left me stunned at what I was hearing.

Hey were can I find those jbl stands ?

Dexter OST Long after youre gone by Chris Jones A road too long by Chris Jones

Remember Me - MARLOE has a good soundstage. its like the perfect benchmark since it has a good vocal and deep.

I bought the Sony's for 80 bucks. I didn't need them but for 80 bucks, what the hell? I think the Sony's are a great sounding little speakers.

I prefer the JBLs, but I already own the Sonys. Good job.

貴方の好みはSONYとJBLどちらですか、私はJBLを持っていますが、SONYの方が好みかもわかりません Which do you prefer, SONY or JBL? I have a JBL, but I don't know if I prefer SONY.

Sony's sound much cleaner. Quite impressive.

Sony sound cleaner, jbl has a bit more bass. But i like them both.

Seems like midrange/bass weight w JBL and more treble clarity/airiness with sony. Best speaker would be combo of the two. Interesting.

Sound identical to me.

I got my brother a pair of the Sony’s, and they’re pretty ok. Infinity r152’s come down to 150 shipped once in a while, and occasionally to 129. I bought three sets the last time. My aunt got one, I use one, and another…just sits, being lazy. They blow the doors off anything until you hit q acoustics, and that’s a different sound, not better. I’ll send you a boxed pair for 120 and I’ll eat the shipping if you want them. Very few reviews on them, and I’d enjoy hearing your opinion, good, bad, or ugly. Pm me-you don’t have to buy them, just ship back when you’re done if that’s better.

Yeah, so, I'm not a professional audio reviewer on KZfaq, and on that basis I should probably shut the bleep up before I even get started. With that out of the way, I've owned relatively high-end audio kit for over three decades, and in the past two or three years I have seen a *lot* of reviews -- from high-end / high-subscriber-count audio review channels, down to the class-D-preferring guerilla types, and all the way around to the tube weirdos and the dumpster-diving solder artists. And the one thing that never stops surprising me, is when really serious, apparently really knowledgeable reviewers evaluate speakers that they've just plopped down wherever it pleases them (usually about 6cm from the front wall) in a completely untreated room. And please don't take that personally -- one of the most successful reviewers on all of KZfaq has Federalist-era glass windows directly behind his review-specimens during his reviews. Madness. We may as well be finding out which speaker he liked better when they'd both been wrapped in wax paper and ported through kazoos. You either want to kill me now or you've long ago given up on this missive and gotten on with your life, but I have a challenge for you. Take a pair of speakers -- any pair, it literally doesn't matter how they're loaded -- and audition them double-blind, once placed where you've put these, and a second time by scrupulously following the Cardas Speaker-Placement formula*. You'll need someone else to run the A/B switching and you'll need some grille cloth to shield your view, but I can guarantee that you will hear an absolutely enormous difference -- enough so as to raise serious objections in my mind, with regards to the conclusions that you're drawing in any un-scientifically placed review like this one. In fact I'd be prepared to wager on it, if we can figure out what the wager would be, and how to police the conclusion. I've been saying this to YT reviewers for a while now, and when I get a response it's pretty generally that the speakers are being placed where most people would have them in their home. Not good enough. The reviewer is coming to recommendations that he fully expects will be acted upon; if he feels like he needs to put the speakers where most people would put them, then he needs to do both -- that, and the Cardas formula placement -- and comment extensively on the difference. Anything less than that isn't just insufficient pride of craft; it's openly misleading in a way that probably hurts the industry on net. -------------------- *The Cardas speaker-placement formula: Take the distance across the front wall as "W" Position each speaker so that the center of the tweeter is 0.278W from the front wall, and 0.278W from the nearest sidewall. Position the listening chair so that the listener's head is 0.446W on a straight line to each tweeter. Toe the speakers just enough to fire the sound at the outside edge of the listener's outside shoulder.

I have Klipsch b200 and they don't deliver for death metal! Which good and loud !

Try Marlowe

I don’t like either. The JBL sound boxy through the treble and the Sony like the treble will start to distort or get unclear at higher volumes. Obviously inexpensive speakers and neither is bad, but don’t like. I think a Klipsch at this price point. Even if they’re forward sounding or boosted treble.

i could almost feel...things falling off the wall. almost seems unreal.

JBL all day

The Sonys sound not as sharp. Softer but with a larger sound/soundscape.

A130 are a bit more veiled imo

Ironically, JBL is king in Japan along with McIntosh from the king of electronic audio in Japan being SONY.

I wonder how the Sonys would sound with a sub.

You are too far away. The sound does not hit from that distance. But much appreciated.

the treble on the sonys have a lot of energy. it can be annoying for music.

JBL for me

9:00 JBL instrumental playback finds much detail clarity than Sony which finds bit muffled

This Sony more good for movie I think🤔

The Sony's are definitely a great value at under$100. Right now they are selling on Amazon for $199. I bought my pair used for $75 and I was happy. Set them up for my desktop system with a Fossi Audio BT 10 Amp and an Auyima dac2 and the performance is definitely better than the $200 price tag.

JBL sound better, but saving extra $100 with Sony is ok to go with Sony

Thanks for the review. I replaced my old Paradigm Atom front speakers, so I was looking for a new pair of budget front speakers. I tested the jbl a130 (paid 300cad new), the sony ssc5 (paid 80cad used) and the elac debut 6.2 (paid 330cad new) for several weeks. From my unbiased point of view, the elac is significantly better than the other two. Best soundstage I've ever heard in the budget speaker class. Elac delivers precise, detailed and controlled sound. Jbl sounds flat, it has no midrange, the sound is empty. The bass is a bit deeper compared to the Elac, but the treble is too bright. I'd say a cold sound signature. Not comfortable for long listening. The reviewer mentioned that jbl has a better sound stage than elac. I completely disagree. My main selection factor was the sound stage because you cannot change it. The sound stage is directly related to the design of the speaker, the geometry and the quality of the woofers. For bass I have a subwoofer. The treble can be adjusted with the EQ. With my eyes closed, I could hear and point to the source of the sound delivered by the JBL speakers played in stereo. With ELAC, the sound was everywhere, especially at mid to high volumes. Sony's sound signature was very similar to JBL's, except for the bass, which was significantly better on JBL. Sony's soundstage and sound detail were also a bit better than JBL's. Very good for the price I paid of 80cad per pair :). But the sony is not even close to the sound of the elac. In conclusion, I like the look of the jbl (white woofer) but the sound of the elac.

Wrong music to test the two

For me jbl sound is much better than sony. .

There is a general ugliness about Sony cameras and sound equipment that I can't bear but I guess that's just me !

I have both of these with subs on both setups. Sony’s are slightly brighter and more detailed on the treble. JBL’s are more balanced and warmer sounding. Like the JBL’s better for all day listening but some music is better on the Sony’s.

Nothing beats the JBL stage A130. Crazy imaging and Fine bass. Phenomenal box. They just disappear in my room.

Jbl has a much deeper sound, better stage. Sony is thin, skinny somehow.

12k is in the range of most people's hearing. You shouldn't say that the supertweeteris of no real use.Even those who are up in age can usually hear upto 12k.Furthermore Sony is not one of the forerunners in bookshelf speakers. Also amplifiers don't "push" wattage,they produce it. BTW the JBLs are definitely the better speaker, the entire range is produced more accurately. The bass is deeper ,the mids are cleaner smoother and warmer,the highs are clean,smooth and not as sizzly as the Sonys.Your HK sounds great through the both of themI noticed that you stay on the Sonys a lot longer than the JBLs, it appears that youprefer the Sonys despite saying that you prefer the JBLs.

Copyright free music: fat rat

Both of these sounded like crap on my phone.

As of today CS5 are now $140...BS

JBL Stage A130 so far better !,.....thanks.

JBL ✌🏻👍👍👍👍👍✌🏻🇵🇱

Sony more precise but thin Jbl more "fat" less precise. I prefer jbl

JBL pulled a bait and switch on the stage series... Don't buy them, you'll regret it for sure! I bought a130's and the a190... Both sound TERRIBLE.. the vocals sound like a $20 radio inside of a cardboard box.

After reading all this political bs in the comments, I’ll take a pass on this channel….I’m more interested in audio…..

The Sony's are now $168, never been this high, thanks inflation. Let's go Brandon!

Here's a link to the Audioholics HK3490 Review as well. www.audioholics.com/av-receiver-reviews/hk-3490

Sony SSCS5 $123.00