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NeilBlanchardDesigns-Sony SS-CS5 Ultimate +2 vs BfB v2.png
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Modifications for Sony SS-CS5 Speakers

$20.00

What you are getting for your money, is a 23 page PDF instruction manual, with more than 80 images and photos. Those include response graphs comparing the various crossover options and the stock crossover response. And step by step photos of doing the work, etc. as well as links to components.

There are 3 physical mods you can make - one in particular is very helpful to the way this speaker sounds when you turn it up to higher volumes. The other two are good, but more modest in their effects. Both of these involve improving the bass response; so along with even the simplest crossover mod, the bass / lower midrange is in better balance, I think.

There are 3 different crossover mods - the "Basic", the "Bang for the Buck", and the "Ultimate".

The “Bang for the Buck” crossover is an “old-school” series crossover, that uses all the components for all three drivers, and no signal is shunted to ground. This along with the fact that the coils are lower value (i.e. they use fewer windings and less wire), this crossover allows the speaker to be slightly higher sensitivity; and it has a higher minimum impedance. So, it is easier to drive and sounds a bit more dynamic. Best of all, it costs less to build - about $45-70 less, for similar quality parts.

The “Ultimate” crossover can be set up with two different treble balances; so depending on your preferences and/or your system, you can choose between those or buy both resistor values and try each, and then decide. All of these are discussed and compared. I do not sell parts, nor am I able to sell completed crossovers - this would be way more complicated than I can contemplate.

I do provide links to my recommended suggestions, for both Madisound and Parts Express. You can buy parts from where ever you choose to; and you can determine how much you spend. In addition to Madisound and Parts Express, there are other sources for crossover components, including US Coils and Parts Connexion. And of course, if you are not living in the US or North America, there are probably sources closer to you.

For crossover response graphs, scroll down! If you’re on mobile, turn your phone to landscape mode to view them in full.

Here’s the Cheap Audio Man’s video on the “Ultimate” crossover mod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuz8nElOxvc

Add To Cart

Modifications for Sony SS-CS5 Speakers

$20.00

What you are getting for your money, is a 23 page PDF instruction manual, with more than 80 images and photos. Those include response graphs comparing the various crossover options and the stock crossover response. And step by step photos of doing the work, etc. as well as links to components.

There are 3 physical mods you can make - one in particular is very helpful to the way this speaker sounds when you turn it up to higher volumes. The other two are good, but more modest in their effects. Both of these involve improving the bass response; so along with even the simplest crossover mod, the bass / lower midrange is in better balance, I think.

There are 3 different crossover mods - the "Basic", the "Bang for the Buck", and the "Ultimate".

The “Bang for the Buck” crossover is an “old-school” series crossover, that uses all the components for all three drivers, and no signal is shunted to ground. This along with the fact that the coils are lower value (i.e. they use fewer windings and less wire), this crossover allows the speaker to be slightly higher sensitivity; and it has a higher minimum impedance. So, it is easier to drive and sounds a bit more dynamic. Best of all, it costs less to build - about $45-70 less, for similar quality parts.

The “Ultimate” crossover can be set up with two different treble balances; so depending on your preferences and/or your system, you can choose between those or buy both resistor values and try each, and then decide. All of these are discussed and compared. I do not sell parts, nor am I able to sell completed crossovers - this would be way more complicated than I can contemplate.

I do provide links to my recommended suggestions, for both Madisound and Parts Express. You can buy parts from where ever you choose to; and you can determine how much you spend. In addition to Madisound and Parts Express, there are other sources for crossover components, including US Coils and Parts Connexion. And of course, if you are not living in the US or North America, there are probably sources closer to you.

For crossover response graphs, scroll down! If you’re on mobile, turn your phone to landscape mode to view them in full.

Here’s the Cheap Audio Man’s video on the “Ultimate” crossover mod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuz8nElOxvc

Add To Cart

These response graphs are made with frequency response measurements of the drivers, using a miniDSP UMIK-1 calibrated microphone into REW; along with impedance sweeps of the drivers using a Dayton Audio DATS V3. These measurements are what is required to design the crossover in XSim. These response graphs are generated by XSim.

I did this for the stock crossover, and then for the crossover mods.

Cheap Audio Man video about the Sony SS-CS5 mods

We have completed the design and testing of a series crossover for the SS-CS5. This is included in this v2.0 upgrade manual. If you bought the original version of the manual, but haven’t yet built the crossover, and are interested in the series, email us and we can send you the build information. (See photo)

The series crossover sounds excellent, and should cost about $45-70 less to build. It uses fewer parts, and they are smaller value - so they are also physically smaller. The coils are lower total inductance than just the woofer coil in the parallel design. No energy is shunted to ground, so the speaker is slightly higher sensitivity, and it has a higher minimum impedance.