Saturday Speaker Shootout! Pioneer SPBS22LR vs Polk T15 vs Sony SSCS5

[@dipanjanbiswas6580]

I don't think I've watched any reviews that are more entertaining than yours while being super-informative and helpful at the same time. Hats off to you man! You've got a great sense of humor and your presentation just rocks!

[@mrmotown1004]

Been waiting for this battle. I have the Sony’s and the pioneers

[@c6sm9sgg69]

Which do you think is better?

[@mrmotown1004]

@@c6sm9sgg69 I like the Sony’s by a nose

[@laylaandevan2680]

Haha when I saw the T15 in the title I figured it’d be tossed aside in the first minute or so.

[@thereddog223]

I got 2 for 100 lol

[@emerickdan]

Great content! The Pioneers got me into hifi - I've been lending them to friends to show them they don't need soundbars or a ton of money. I was hoping for this comparison and this video definitely did not disappoint. Keep up the good work!

[@mikeday62]

I like your style, how you mix slightly dark humor with detailed and thorough analysis. It's fun to listen to.

[@odwatchguy]

Thanks Randy, Always look forward to the Saturday shootout. I went with the Sony's for my bedroom setup. I picked up a small Sony sub and getting it dialed it this weekend.

[@victormuriel7266]

Great reviews man, as always 🤘🏻 I loved the tracks you choose for the review, some of them are my favorites! 🤘🏻

[@cybergod77]

Nice review and glad u wasted no time on the Polk...hilarious. Love your no-BS straight to the point approach to reviews. Perhaps u can add an NHT speaker for the shootout next time

[@soylentgreen8795]

Thank you for preventing me from making the mistake of buying the Polk t15

[@michaelross8036]

Thanks for the well anticipated shootout, love my Pioneers, they got me into hifi and were highly recommended in the year 2013 when I purchased them.

[@michaelross8036]

@@darrenchase886 I'm thinking if purchasing the BasX 5 channel or multizone amp and using my Yamaha AVR as the pre amp to drive my ELAC'S... front , rears and center . I listen/watch home theater equally as much as music. I am onn a budget and not in the position for all seperates at this time. I also use dual Martin Logan subs so I need to figure out how to make all this work 🤷🤷. Thanks for the suggestion !!! Are you currently using the Emotiva amps ??

[@Newrecordday]

That Polk falling to the ground... seriously bro. I just can’t... haha! Hilarious!

[@cheapaudioman]

I forgot that I had it up there, Ron. Didn't want to bring a lot of attention to it so I tried to do it very subtly.

[@darrelgustafson2507]

What Polk?

[@manFromPeterborough]

@@cheapaudioman was the Polk bruised up?

[@cheapaudioman]

@@manFromPeterborough she made it through. At this point I think I'm going to try to make a decent crossover for it and see how it sounds.

[@johnmclaughlin4496]

I picked up a pair of Sony SSCS5s last week after recommendations from you and several reviewers. They replaced DA B652 Airs. I am highly impressed by these speakers. I played several tracks of music I have I like to demo with covering jazz, Latin, orchestra, rock, acoustic and classical guitar, native American, and some drum and other percussion also. Wow! I'm especially impressed with the bass, so much so that I ran some tests I found on KZbin. Some were full range sweeps and some just focusing on specific bass frequencies. I started off at 30hz because I thought these speakers could handle it and wow they did amazingly well. Clean, tight bass easily heard at 30hz stronger at 40 and even stronger at 50. I will use a subwoofer to increase the quantity of bass output at certain times because 5" drivers can only move so much air. They are on stands 5" from the back wall, at least 4' from the side walls, and the top of the speakers are 42". I got them for $75 and intended just to try them for a week or so and maybe return them and then get the Emotiva B1+ speakers. So far I'm happy enough with these I will put that plan on hold.

[@cylisblack4758]

Great review i have one bit of info to share though for clarity. The SP-BS-22LR is the second generation of Andrew Jones line from Pioneer. The SP-BS21-LR was the first gen. Nice speaker in its own right but was improved in my opinion with the BS22.

[@nomancave591]

😂 Im dying, I wasn't expecting 2:10. The look on your face. Oh God I love a good laugh. Thank you sir.

[@offason]

I just had to watch this again 😂 I think this one is the best so far! I love how you treat things you don't like 👍

[@Audiodreamer192-24]

That went down exactly as I predicted it would.... I would have said more or less the same things. Both good , both different. Pioneers better imaging for sure, also warmer and better low end.Sony’s better on top end detail definitely with the super tweeter they hit harder higher. If you ever come across the pioneer spfs 52 towers grab em! Those are jems! Like I said I have many, many speakers some very expensive but I love those for how amazing they sound for so little $$$. Btw........ loved how you dumped those crappy polks..... higher end polks aren’t bad but budget ones are total junk. Thanks for the video amigo!

[@jacobbrozenick8366]

Omg when I saw the polk in the thumbnail I couldn’t believe you were actually gonna do it... 😂😂😂

[@wrathbliss]

Randy... You make me feel even more proud to be a parent of four Sony little CS5's will make my days brighter and fill them with bass with their cousins the SC59's. This reminds me of the dating game. One girl is taller but as rude personality... What looks good when you're walking into somewhere important. another girl is shorter doesn't look as good when you walk into somewhere important what treats you really dandy and isn't rude to you at all. finding perfection is not easy at this price range but finding what makes you happy is.

[@paulbruce3779]

Got some original Elac Debut B5's for Christmas. Very impressed with the bass from these. Love your Saturday shootouts 👍

[@tedgentile7704]

Hilarious the way you dumped that Polk T15 speaker stand on the floor. Priceless!

[@ItalianCJM8232]

Those pioneers are magical for the price!

[@Audiodreamer192-24]

Love em! 52’s rule budget hifi!

[@owen-ng8oe]

@@Audiodreamer192-24 i heard some people say the 52s are actually worse sounding than the 22s

[@Audiodreamer192-24]

@@owen-ng8oe Hey I can’t speak for what you heard elsewhere but I have the whole series and in my opinion that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve been invested in hifi for 25ish years and as far as budget hifi goes ,I haven’t heard anything close to the 52’s in that price range... maybe even al level or 2 higher even....

[@Audiodreamer192-24]

@@owen-ng8oe I should have said why I think that ..... First off the most obvious differences in design... The towers are a 3 way design instead of 2 way bookshelves. Also the crossover on the towers is 8 element while the bookshelves are 6 (which is still good). The towers have 3 active 5.25” drivers instead of one 4”. Cabinet size on the 52’s give more depth to bass extension and midrange. Tweeters are identical on both. Sound.... They both have the same underlying sound signature except I found the midrange on the towers have a better weighted texture too them and they project it at you with more ummmph. The towers are a lot deeper in bass extension as well, no contest there.... I am not knocking the bookshelves at all,I have them and like them a lot as well. It’s just that if you want more room filling capability and more “dynamic slam” the towers are definitely better. Joe N tell did a good video on the fs52’s in a comparison with the Dayton audio budget towers. If your curious check it out. Happy new year bro!

[@michaelross8036]

Yes they are !!!

[@EasyFold007]

We need more funny shit like this on the KZbin. Keep it up :)

[@jeremy_h]

Funniest thing I saw all day. I can't wait until you start doing turntable stuff.

[@mdd47]

I have the Pioneer tower versions of this. They are damn nice speakers. I had some old steel Lovan speaker stands with bases that were about three inches high, so I took them apart and tossed everything but the bases. Filled the bases with sand. Removed the cheap looking wood footer from the speakers and plopped the speakers onto of the old Lovan bases. Boom. Brilliant sound. They look hella cool too with the rounded cabinet - almost expensive. I A/B'ed these speakers against a $1500 pair of Dynaudio DM-3/7. Myself and all 5 friends all thought the Pioneers sounded more musical. It's not like I was looking to replace the Dynaudios either, those were really nice speakers and I spent a lot of money on them. But I couldn't deny that the Pioneers just plain sounded better for that application. They are, essentially, a British-sounding speaker, mid-centric and lightly rolled off highs, but with a more dynamic lower end because they're towers whereas most British sounding speakers are bookshelves.

[@2kdesignstudios72]

OMG your early videos I wish I'd been here from the beginning 😂😂😂

[@daveybreedlove8650]

I absolutely love the New sponsors lol

[@safe2speed271]

Yessssss neweggg with the deal 🔥🔥💯

[@myturkishlife1777]

Love your reviews ,, they just cost too much to ship over here to Turkey... Great job...

[@cnhhnc]

Have not yet demoed the Sony but I have the Pioneers and they are completely in my sound wheelhouse. Love the Jones tuning, also have his B6.2s, a bit brighter there, more complete, detailed sound, I suspect I would prefer the newer Reference models, though. I've recommended the Pioneers to friends, they've all loved the sound.

[@TreyArc]

Thanks for all this invaluable info. Just bought the Sony seeing your reviews on it. Can't wait to hear it, expecting it to be good!

[@darkpatches]

Okay, it's time to point out why this has quickly become my favorite audio channel. I'm a firm believer in blind and comparison testing, whether it's beer, whiskey or stereo equipment. It's often surprising and sometimes hilarious with myself and online reviewers to have their beer and whiskey beliefs checked in real-time. Unfortunately, I rarely (never?) see it done with the stereo equipment, when I think it should be done nearly every time. I'm not saying there's no value in evaluating equipment on their own, I just don't believe 1) I'm being told everything I need to know without a comparison, 2) reviewers can know everything they need to know without a comparison, and 3) that our aural memories are good enough to evaluate speakers capabilities relative to others if the comparison speaker wasn't evaluated quite recently (immediately, if not the same day). CAM hasn't said in the videos I've seen how he evaluates the speakers, but based on his reviews and notes, I assume they're done close together. If I'm disabused of that notion, I admit I'll be disappointed. CAM tells us what is BAD about the speaker. And if it's bad enough, he'll throw it at me (T15). The other speaker/audiophile equipment review sites, some explicitly and others implicitly, refuse to review a speaker they don't like. That's HS (similar to BS, but different animal), though I won't spend time refuting the reasons that have been given. As personally auditioning equipment is difficult or impossible nowadays, we need the nitty gritty, good and bad. CAM provides that and I thank him. I'm palpably grateful after his reviews. The dry humor and presentation is a bonus. I left a dryly humorous comment the other day and CAM's response sucked the remaining moisture out of it. Outstanding.

[@michaelrosenberg2420]

I have 4 of the pioneers mounted near the ceiling of my Cell phone repair store, about 500 square feet. Yes mounting them was a real chore...but done...right toed in , using a spectrum analyser to smooth out the weirdness and nodes of the room. They are paired with a Velodyne sub. The electronics are the following: Carver Receiver, BBE processor and, and EQ. It is shocking how much sound issues forth from these!!!! Punchy and fills the room totally with clarity. I put Dirty Loops on and look the F out. It Kills!!!!! Really super pleased to say the least. I was thinking of picking up a pair or 2 of the Sony's to swap out and see what is what.....oh and I appreciate your droll approach.. nice..

[@maulcs]

I have both, I prefer the Pioneers - I prefer warmer sound sigs, but the soundstage is better, instrument separation is better, and they're more natural/musical. The Sonys are fairly clinical. Better treble detail but that's about it.

[@stewparts]

Thanks for this review. Need to set up a cheap Home Theather for a customer. This answered my questions. I have been around the Pioneers since the 8Track player days. Sony's had great receivers in the 70's. The Sony speaker price is all over the place from $50 to $180. Just need to take the time and shop.

[@indridcold4210]

I bought one set of the Sony's last year when they went on sale on Amazon for $73 a pair with free shipping. I liked them so well that I picked up another pair this year when they went on sale for Christmas and hooked the second pair up with a L-R and R-L bridged circuit along with the main speakers connected to the amp and positioned the speakers side by side for cancelling interaural crosstalk. I got about twice as far back as the speakers were apart and positioned myself right in the middle. The sound stage was unbelievable. Everyone who has access to 4 speakers and has an amp that can take the low impedance really should try it.

[@turtlemaster9000]

What amp are you using my dude?

[@indridcold4210]

@@turtlemaster9000 Aiyima A7 amp for the main stereo set and a FX-Audio 202A for the L-R and R-L bridged pair. But I could have used a single amp if I had a few low ohm power resistors to drop the volume of the bridged speakers, They need to be about 6 to 10 db lower than the main stereo pair. I just had two spare cheapie amps and split the inputs to both as I had some Y rca splitters on hand. That way I could tweak the secondary amp volume knob instead of having to experiment with the resistors.

[@gavinwagner1766]

Dude! That was hilarious....I had to watch the beginning twice...haha. Thought you were going to show the back of the Polk's then I was thinking 'how big is his new table' then I thought 'holy shniz, he's gonna peter pan em right off the edge'.....hilarious! Lets see the carnage to the speakers :)

[@ginom407]

Great Review! That speaker stand sounded heavy. 😆

[@normanham6142]

I love music and audio gear and home theater. I’m so glad I got the AJ Pioneers. Always two channel stereo rigs for me until I got a Panasonic HTIB set-up. What a difference with movie viewing. Tight budget, small space so I got the AJ Pioneer 5.2 set. No regrets. Great value for the money. I have a dedicated 2.1 stereo rig for music only that I love. But again and again I find myself sitting in living room listening to the Pioneers. You just want to keep listening and enjoying the music. And they like power and seem to keep asking for more and handle it well. They’re just a fun sounding speaker. One can easily listen all day with no fatigue. Nothing spectacular, just great design & engineering with bulk of budget to components, not to looks.

[@Missionmtman]

I was a little shocked when you pushed the Polk off the table until I remembered that’s how you roll. Unabashed non biased reviews. Reason we’re all here besides the hilarious dry humor. I appreciate the negative reviews as much as the positive ones.

[@wrathbliss]

Holy cow ...the polk takes a dive in first round. Sony back to higher price.

[@cheapaudioman]

They'll come back down after a bit. This is how much the big audio companies love you when they go through normal market channels. The only folks that hold their pricing is the direct to consumer companies. Emotiva, svs, fluance, etc.

[@BluePatch-pc7sx]

I replace my JLB D38's(20 years old) today with a Sony Core 5(SSCS5), 119.00 at Best buy 3/2/2021, very happy so far, thanks for your recommendation.

[@maulcs]

I have both, prefer the Pioneers. Very musical, and they sound best when the tweeter is ear level and the grill is off

[@Z3NSEI]

“Strip every nut that you put this on…” LMAO 🤣

[@griftopiasvinylloungewithd5520]

Great video again. Subscribers going up. One recommendation for test music would be Friday Night is San Francisco with Al Di Meola John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia. The live recording of the guitars on stage is amazing whether OG addition of Impex reissue. Sound-staging, imaging and the guitar sound in midrange

[@wneubert2]

Randy, I just looked the recommended speaker list you included in the video description. Based on your review from Nov 13, 2020, how did the Fluance Signature Series Bookshelf not make the list?

[@cheapaudioman]

After thinking on that a lot and hearing the Elac b5.2 i felt like it offered more than the fluance in the terms of being a bit laid back but more enjoyable for most. The Fluance is good I just don't think it's as good as the Elac at the price. That's what's tough about those older videos if I make a strong claim in that video I look like an idiot when something better comes along. Fluance are still very good. Oh, I also forgot about the Diamond 11.2's. When they aren't available the Fluances will probably go up in their place.

[@wneubert2]

@@cheapaudioman If you look back at your Fluance review, you felt they were better than the Elac 6 and 6.2 and on par with the $600 Elac Debut reference and 'splitting hairs' with the RP-600M. It just seemed unlikely that the Elac 5.2 would be better than it's own big brother, which is why it seemed strange the Fluance weren't even in the mix.

[@cheapaudioman]

@@wneubert2 I actually preferred the 5.2’s to the 6.2’s. Felt like they had a better bass response and I have found that speakers in the same family often don’t just sound like a better or bigger version of the other. Sometimes they’re quite different. I’ll have to revisit the fluance review and make some annotations. Thanks for the heads up.

[@wneubert2]

@@cheapaudioman I really love your reviews, and respect your opinions, so I was just wondering why the Fluance weren't there considering you literally 'gushed' about them being the best speakers ever at this price point. Based on your review I got the Fluance a few days ago, and for $140 from Amazon warehouse as you pointed out. That was meant as a compliment, not as some jab that you steered me wrong. They are so new I haven't had time to evaluate them yet.

[@cheapaudioman]

@@wneubert2 I appreciate that. So since I’ve done that review I’ve started to pull back on what I personally prefer in a speaker and look at things from a bit of a less biased. The fluance is a speaker that I love because I enjoy that sound signature. However my preference isn’t always what most prefer. That speaker is very refined and I believe a better speaker than most in the price range. But there was a lot of bias in that review because I prefer that signature. I’ve tried to be less biased to my personal preferences as the channel has grown. This speaker isn’t for everyone but does those that enjoy a speaker with great tone and a non fatiguing top end this is an excellent choice and an extreme value. I’ve just been called out by recommending some other speakers very strongly that have a sound signature i enjoy and then some not enjoying it when they received it.

[@DougMen1]

System matching is important. You want to team a warm or neutral speaker with a brighter amp and vice versa

[@flaviogmaia]

I was waiting for a review of the Pioneer. It was alreay on my sights, now I will probably pull the trigger.

[@cheapaudioman]

It's very good if you know what to expect

[@justplanefred]

Did you see the Dennis Murphy Crossover and tweeter replacement for the Pioneer?

[@commandertaco1762]

found a set of used pioneers for 50 bucks, gonna pair it with a fosi, cant wait for the amp to arrive

[@jeffcsMN]

I own all 3 of these speakers and this review hands-down nails it. The T15's are decent as rear speakers in a home theater set-up, but that's about all. I love Pioneer 22's and the Sony S5's, but my only complaint with the Pioneer is that it just too warm for my liking when connected to my Sony STR-DH190 Receiver; they sound much better on my vintage Onkyo TX-811Receiver. If I had to choose between them though, I prefer the Sony's. Much brighter, and detailed than the Pioneer IMO. Cheers!

[@kennethoransky4881]

Did some searching on youtube about the Polk T15s. Found out according to Polk, the T15s are not meant to be listened to on axis. They are best placed high up or down on the floor. Hence they're best wall mounted for Surround use. Forget imaging. I have them up on an amour in the bedroom for general listening and they work great for that. My serious listening is with headphones.

[@jeffsloane8628]

Randy, I lost it when you pushed that T15 off the table. KZbin Gold! Next week's sponsor - J's Turntables. If you need to rotate speakers on a desk, turn to J's Turntables and don't bunch your sheet.

[@MAD450r2]

using the sony's on my desk. how far from the wall should I keep them and should I tilt them in or keep strait forward facing?

[@mkygod]

I had those Polks when i was putting together my first home theater 15-20 years ago. I think they were only 50-60 bux at the time at Best Buy. They were the only speakers i ever returned.

[@thefactor6909]

Nice Review Randy as the norm 👍🏻

[@codychavarria6088]

Purchase the Sony a couple months back on ebay for $55 free shipping. All because of you cheap audio man. Some thank you they will do me until I get the money to get tje klipch rp 400 or 500

[@akersquarteracre8002]

The Sony's sound even better after some good burn-in time,100Htz crossover to the sub seems to be their sweet spot, at least on my sound system. Great little budget speakers until I can afford to upgrade to the Polk T15's. Just kidding Randy, just kidding.

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

I paired the Pioneers with a Dayton 8” powered sub, which I added two 120hz high pass x-overs too for a really good 2.1 music system. All in I’m still below $200.

[@michaelhastie7324]

I was looking for a replacement speaker for my AI 41 Fluance active speaker, which no longer works properly. I have to agree with Dipanjan, that your reviews are Great! I love the "sponsorship advertisements that k i c k high priced, snooty, audiophile, offerings in the nether regions. Thanks for the No Bull Honesty, cheapaudioman! When a speaker gets 5 + great reviews, then it's worth a look at. (Can anyone say Amen?)

[@jeffbriggs7022]

I agree with your ears on comparison! I kept 22z cause have Klipsch for livelyNess..............Pioneer SPBS22LR a 2nd Gen. Pioneer SPBS21LR a 1st Gen. I also got the 41z more laid back/fuller, 22z more foward/focus...........T15z....u landed that... review(insert rim shot)

[@boomertsfx1]

look at how stable that table is!

[@corkydukeII5898]

The Polks could only barely get thru the Intro.....Love it!

[@dalehauck4787]

Always good advice

[@madDdog67]

I saw on another site that the Polks were actually designed to be placed 20/30 degrees off vertical axis, as confirmed by someone at Polk. The thought is that most people will be hanging these on the wall as surrounds. Take it for what it's worth, but that's the story.

[@rgg2112]

I emailed Pioneer to confirm that the SPB22LR speakers are still in production since they've been sold out on Amazon for over a year. They said they still are, but they don't know when they'll be back in stock.

[@alexanderg26]

Funny I owned at one point both of these and the analysis is spot on. Periscope down.

[@cheapaudioman]

Thanks man. I always worry that my take maybe completely wrong but it’s nice to hear folks having the same experience.

[@alexanderg26]

@@cheapaudioman I'm looking at the wharfedale evo 4.2 as my endgame (poor man's budget) speakers. Wonder if you heard them or can get your hands on a set. And if you do, please don't throw em off the table even if they suck. Thanks in advance.

[@DougMen1]

Danny at GR, and Steve Guttenberg, both really praised the Sony

[@wrathbliss]

The battlefield rocks!

[@SplurgeFrugal]

Spot on review! Very balanced. By the way the Pioneer SP-BS22LR is on sale for $79.00 a pair at woot.com (owned by Amazon). Woot.com is also selling refurbished Jamo S 805 for $169 a pair (floor standing).

[@Enemji]

I had both and I finally kept the Pioneer and let the Sony go

[@arcforceworld]

Saturday Speaker Yeetage. RIP Polk T15's LMFAO!!!

[@911jason]

That's the best the T15 has ever sounded! Decent bass impact...

[@cheapaudioman]

Ha. Very solid

[@andrewvaldez1777]

I got the Polk T15 to use as rear surround speakers in my home theater. My front (RP-500), center, and subwoofers are klipish and I wanted something small and affordable for the rear. I would have liked to use some small, 2way Klisph bookshelfs but they are rear ported. The Polks are front ported so they monitor the wall nicely.

[@cheapaudioman]

Those will work great for surrounds.

[@cylisblack4758]

Great review. Ive been listening to both these speakers for about a week now and i would agree with your opinions on both, warm and cool. Tip, remove the grills from the pioneers to get some more sparkle.

[@stuartstark]

You would make a very believable Canadian.

[@cheapaudioman]

That just about made me spit out my coffee.

[@Audiodreamer192-24]

Yup..... ha

[@jamess9623]

I'm using Pioneer BS-22's as my computer speakers. I also have FS22 Towers in my living room. They are great performance for the price. I have high end Paradigm Prestige and Premier speakers in the Basement with the OLED big screen and they destroy the Pioneers but cost way more. The Pioneers are very good value for money.

[@owen-ng8oe]

yay i bought the pioneer as my first speaker and i'm glad because i indeed hate sounds like hi hats in hip hop! also i just remembered to ask about your listening setup

[@spagsketti]

I got a pair of the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR's for $10 plus tax. They do sound good.

[@steve4321able]

Stupid question 😒 but will rear ported speakers push more bass through walls behind it than closed? More disturbing to others behind my walls?

[@ReallyGoodTeacher]

I’m curious - Do you think the older Polk’s are better than the newer ones? I’ve not had the opportunity to listen to any of the newer Polk’s, but my main speakers in my stereo and home theatre system are the venerable Polk RT-2000p’s. I bought them new when they were being discontinued by Crutchfield. It was my first time buying speaker’s without listening to them, but I knew I could return them if they sucked. I really like them because they are very natural sounding and their imaging and depth are fantastic - Almost 3-D. But it took a while to get them dialed into my room. The only speakers I’ve heard that I like better are the Revel Performa F328Be speakers, but they are $16,000/pair vs. the $1,100/pair I paid for my Polk’s about 20 years ago, but I don’t have an extra $16,000! 🤑🤑🤑 A speaker brand that interests me now are the Tekton’s and they are significantly less expensive than the Revel’s, and I would love to see more reviews on them. 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

[@cheapaudioman]

I reached out to tekton and I'm going to see what they have to say. I really enjoyed the RTI line of polk and I still have a lot of those speakers. My son has the whole set that I passed down to him.

[@bk6678]

I have the pioneer fs52 towers. Got the pair for just under $200. Very good sound for the money.

[@welderfixer]

Apparently the T15 was forced to walk the plank. Randy, is there a chance that you have plans to review SVS Prime Satellite speakers? They are not on the CAM price scale at $134 each, but I have been very interested in them for a while. Also, the Dayton MK line would be nice to get your valued opinion of them. Thanks.

[@mash5702]

Entertaining as usual thx

[@woodpieces]

Off topic, where can I get the Metalica art/poster that is in the background? Is it an album cover? Thanks!

[@NeilBlanchard]

I wish the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR was still available. It seems like it has a well designed crossover, that would be easily improved just by replacing like for like value components, but that are better quality parts.

[@youbober]

You think the Neumi BS5 sounds better than the Pioneer SPBS22LR? Love Your reviews!

[@lorentieman2205]

I'm curious about this too. BS5 vs SPBS22LR.

[@pepeltoro444]

what happens if you play them both at the same time?

[@joentell]

Good stuff!

[@patrickkerns2022]

i love my sony ss-mb towers but i have had them for years if i see the sony sscs5 for 80.00 it will grab them .thanks

[@NeilBlanchard]

The Pioneer has curved sides and a taper to the width - interesting. The SP-BS22-LR - that really rolls off the tongue! It does look to be a serious speaker for anywhere near the price. I just looked on NewEgg and they have the Andrew Jones designed floorstanding SP-FS52 - same cabinet profile, but the three 5 1/4" drivers and the same tweeter. $299 pr It is a 2 1/2 way - the upper woofer covers the midrange and the lower two woofers are brought in to add bass. 40Hz-20kHz rating. About 35" high. It sounds like Andrew Jones is tuning his designs to a "room curve" which is a mild version of the Harman Curve. (The same Harman as Harman Kardon.) The room curve aims at a flat response from 200Hz to 1kHz and slopes the bass up 1dB/octave, and slopes the treble down by 0.5dB/octave. This is just a mild curve - if the speaker gets all the way down to 20Hz (almost none do!) it would be +3dB. And the total is only -3dB at 20kHz. Octaves are a doubling of frequency - 20Hz to 40Hz, 40 to 80, 80 to 160, and so on. The bottom note on a four string electric bass is about 41Hz, and on a 5 (or more) string bass is about 32Hz.

[@LevelCyclery]

i finally got me the fs51...im shocked and confused..by the price..the size and the performance it puts out...clearly it was a hidden gem among cheap and budget towers..seriously a wolf under a sheeps skin....until u saw andrew jones signature at the back label....only then u undertand,,,,its the Yoda behind it all "the Force is With You "

[@riva2model64]

At the MSRP, I guess it's better to go with the Elac Debuts for around $50 more. Are warm, rich speakers always go to have less detail? Is it possible to have a really detailed midrange that also sounds warm/buttery, or is that a contradiction?

[@cheapaudioman]

Very good question. In my experience it is difficult to do both. I have heard it in the Wharfedale Diamond 11.2, the Elac Debut Referene, the KEF Q150 does a pretty good job as well.

[@PAINFOOL13]

Got the Sony's yesterday which i got from amazon warehouse $70. Woooo Waiting on the tube amp Uh,the picture on the wall 😲😵🤐 RIP polk Drinking cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain ..😍

[@malakaimisa]

I got the pioneer and im thinking of upgrade to the polk s20

[@MaxTheMiracle]

Hi there , I have a set of the previous model The SS-F7000 , big towers, I disassembly them and found no Crossovers, so I went and Bought a Generic 3 Way X , and the sound is quiter but way WAY better, the calibration on my Denon X6700H is way more linear , and on Pure setting they sound awesome, how come, they are QUieter ?, is this because the woofers are no more Mid Woofers too ?

[@SteveWille]

Where is the article about horns/wave-guides that was mentioned?

[@cheapaudioman]

in the community section of the posts.

[@vinylthoughts5201]

Beat It...the Polk took that song literally! So hilarious!!

[@stopthink9000]

Yep same. I had both and sent the Pioneers back but I can see where people would like them. Better looking and better build quality on the Pios for sure. They couldn't keep up w the Sonys in upper midrange though and felt like they were missing detail in that area. Guitar solo on "Wish you were here" drums on "In the air tonight" keyboards on "One more time" all felt lackluster with Pioneers to me. Sonys paired w a sub and with grilles on to soften highs a bit are hard to beat.

[@cheapaudioman]

I agree with that. I think the pioneers are an easy and inexpensive way to see if one likes a more laid back speaker.

[@francisdelacruz6439]

Thanks for the vid. Sony looks interesting. Waiting for the lower price again.

[@audiosmackdown]

Agree completely on the Pioneer. Love mine, but detailed...nope. Love my Jamo C103 for the detail

[@audiosmackdown]

which is why EQ them with Peace

[@donpettit7107]

Pioneers are on discount at Woot. The Pioneer bookshelf speakers in the $80 range. Bunch of Jamo and Klipshhhhha too.

[@peytonsnead3114]

I was wondering about this comparison as I have a pair or the pioneers with matching sub. I googled it and Randy already did this vid. I like a warmer sound signature and better sound stage, but and I am thinking about getting a pair of Sony's to try the mod kit. Unfortunately, I am quickly becoming a CAM junkie....I may need to seek help.