Sony SSCS5 vs. Wave Crest Audio HVL-1?

M

Motrek

Junior Audioholic
I picked up a pair of HVL-1s a couple years ago and use them as computer speakers. I want to love these speakers. I love Ascend Acoustics, Dave Fabrikant, the CBM-170s that I use as TV speakers, and I love the entrepreneurial spirit of Wave Crest Audio.

That being said, I am not in love with the HVL-1s. They sound a tiny bit muffled to me. Whenever I listen to them, I instinctively want to turn up the volume a little bit with the feeling that it will make them sound clearer, but it never does.

So I've been thinking about picking up some SSCS5s instead. They're in the same price class and they've been getting a lot of online praise, in particular for their clarity. And also, according to the specs, it seems like they might give me 10 extra hertz of bass extension.

So, throwing this question out to people who have more experience than I do, would the SSCS5s potentially be an upgrade? Or have I just been spoiled by my CBM-170s and expect all speakers to have the same level of clarity? Thanks for any input in advance!
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi

Listen to him, this guy would know. He's tried them all out lol. This is good advice, however I think you will still do yourself a big favor if you just get the AAs.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
@Motrek
Before you spend the $, someone needs to ask:

Have you played around with placement and toe-in on the Wavecrests?

You use these as computer speakers--Are they just sitting on the desk? Do you have iso pads? Are the tweeters pointed up towards your ears?

I'm all for new gear, but the last thing you want to do is spend the $ and not solve the problem.
 
M

Motrek

Junior Audioholic
I'm not super into buying products that I know there's a good chance I might return. Seems unfair to the manufacturer and retailer. I know a lot of people test speakers like this and I won't fault them for it but I'm not going to do it myself.
 
M

Motrek

Junior Audioholic
@Motrek
Before you spend the $, someone needs to ask:

Have you played around with placement and toe-in on the Wavecrests?

You use these as computer speakers--Are they just sitting on the desk? Do you have iso pads? Are the tweeters pointed up towards your ears?

I'm all for new gear, but the last thing you want to do is spend the $ and not solve the problem.
Yeah, I've swapped the Ascends and the HVL-1s around so I've used both pairs as both my TV speakers and my computer speakers. The Ascends just sound clearer.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Maybe see if they have a set of B-stock 170SEs then? The 170s excel in vocals IMO, so is that your critical criteria?

Go listen to the Sonys at BB :)
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
I'm not super into buying products that I know there's a good chance I might return. Seems unfair to the manufacturer and retailer. I know a lot of people test speakers like this and I won't fault them for it but I'm not going to do it myself.
And there is a real good chance that you would keep them -- now for more bass then the AA speakers.
KEW has good ears -- and a nice subjective review here
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/sony-sscs5-bookshelf-speakers-for-the-win-while-at-108-pair-11-2016.105667/

Your option, choice, call, and decision -- no muddy sound from the Sony Core. The Sony tends to still be somewhat under-rated.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
Yeah, I've swapped the Ascends and the HVL-1s around so I've used both pairs as both my TV speakers and my computer speakers. The Ascends just sound clearer.
Understood, but it was worth asking.

So, how much you want for those lousy Wavecrest speakers? :D
 
M

Motrek

Junior Audioholic
Maybe see if they have a set of B-stock 170SEs then? The 170s excel in vocals IMO, so is that your critical criteria?

Go listen to the Sonys at BB :)
So here's a dumb thing, for my computer I use a SMSL-SA50 which is a great amp but the noise floor could be a little lower. With sensitive speakers, I can hear static from the tweeters in my normal listening position. So I can't really use the 170s as computer speakers without eventually being annoyed by the audible static. The HVL-1s are below my hearing threshold. So I guess I'm looking for good clear speakers that are ~86 dB and not ~89 dB...

Re: excelling in vocals: I want speakers that excel at everything. If a speaker isn't good at reproducing speech, then what's the point? If there's a problem with the reproduction of speech then wouldn't there also be problems with music reproduction?
 
M

Motrek

Junior Audioholic
Understood, but it was worth asking.

So, how much you want for those lousy Wavecrest speakers? :D
LOL... looks like these Sonys go as low as $108 per pair sometimes on Amazon, would probably wait for that to happen. :)
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
So here's a dumb thing, for my computer I use a SMSL-SA50 which is a great amp but the noise floor could be a little lower. With sensitive speakers, I can hear static from the tweeters in my normal listening position. So I can't really use the 170s as computer speakers without eventually being annoyed by the audible static. The HVL-1s are below my hearing threshold. So I guess I'm looking for good clear speakers that are ~86 dB and not ~89 dB...

Re: excelling in vocals: I want speakers that excel at everything. If a speaker isn't good at reproducing speech, then what's the point? If there's a problem with the reproduction of speech then wouldn't there also be problems with music reproduction?
Speakers are a compromise and the lower the cost potentially higher the compromises. So you have to find what sounds good to you in that price bracket. The AAs are on the larger size so probably not good desktop speakers, but they do very well throughout the whole range though are even lower sensitivity.

Have you thought about the Behringer 2030A or 1030A? It is meant for near field and they are powered.

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-High-Resolution-Reference-Monitor-Speaker/dp/B002GHBZ3Q/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1496261901&sr=8-7&keywords=behringer+truth

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-B2030a-High-Resolution-Reference-Monitor/dp/B000Q6EHA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496261958&sr=8-1&keywords=behringer+truth+2030a
 
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slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
So here's a dumb thing, for my computer I use a SMSL-SA50 which is a great amp but the noise floor could be a little lower. With sensitive speakers, I can hear static from the tweeters in my normal listening position. So I can't really use the 170s as computer speakers without eventually being annoyed by the audible static. The HVL-1s are below my hearing threshold. So I guess I'm looking for good clear speakers that are ~86 dB and not ~89 dB...

Re: excelling in vocals: I want speakers that excel at everything. If a speaker isn't good at reproducing speech, then what's the point? If there's a problem with the reproduction of speech then wouldn't there also be problems with music reproduction?
I think what you are calling "static" may be better described as "tweeter hiss"?

My end goal is to be able to turn on my gear, have no input signal (i.e. no music playing), turn all of my volume knobs / gain knobs up to max, place my ear right on the tweeter, and hear dead silence!

That can be a very difficult goal to achieve, but I have done it (but it is not guaranteed by any means either).
 
M

Mark of Cenla

Full Audioholic
I have a pair of those Sonys and really like them. They have great detail for the price. Peace and goodwill.
 
M

Motrek

Junior Audioholic
I think what you are calling "static" may be better described as "tweeter hiss"?

My end goal is to be able to turn on my gear, have no input signal (i.e. no music playing), turn all of my volume knobs / gain knobs up to max, place my ear right on the tweeter, and hear dead silence!

That can be a very difficult goal to achieve, but I have done it (but it is not guaranteed by any means either).
Yes, I'm sure it's a low level of noise from my amp that manifests itself in static/hiss from the tweeter. I'm sure there are lower frequencies involved but not at a level that's powerful enough to move the woofer in an audible way.

The static stays at the same volume even if I turn the amp volume to its lowest setting, so I'm not hearing an amplification of the input signal. It's just from the electronics in the amp.

I would try a different small integrated amp but am reluctant since there's no guarantee it would eliminate the problem. Reading reviews of these little amps, it seems like they all receive scattered reports of this kind of static... :(

What kind of components are you using that you don't hear any static?
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
Yes, I'm sure it's a low level of noise from my amp that manifests itself in static/hiss from the tweeter. I'm sure there are lower frequencies involved but not at a level that's powerful enough to move the woofer in an audible way.

The static stays at the same volume even if I turn the amp volume to its lowest setting, so I'm not hearing an amplification of the input signal. It's just from the electronics in the amp.

I would try a different small integrated amp but am reluctant since there's no guarantee it would eliminate the problem. Reading reviews of these little amps, it seems like they all receive scattered reports of this kind of static... :(

What kind of components are you using that you don't hear any static?
YMMV, but I can tell you that in my permanent setup(s), I can max out all my gains and get dead silence.

Setup 1 (2 Ch):
Emotiva USP-1 and XDA-1
RPi Streamer
Technics SL1210
Parsound ZCD
Velodyne 10" sub
Philharmonitors

Setup 2 (HT):
Pio Elite VSX-82txs
Xbox One
Pro-ject Debut Carbon
Rythmik F15HP
GE T2 Speakers and Sat50 Center
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
I'm not super into buying products that I know there's a good chance I might return. Seems unfair to the manufacturer and retailer. I know a lot of people test speakers like this and I won't fault them for it but I'm not going to do it myself.
I understand and appreciate what you are saying. However, it make sense to do your research and select a speaker. The return is offered as an incentive for buyers:
1) It offers you some assurance that the manufacturer is confident of their product.
2) It results in more purchases because buyers like knowing they have a recourse if the speakers suck.

IMHO, as long as you are serious about buying a pair of speakers you are not abusing them. Trust me, they weighed the costs before they decided to offer a money-back guarantee!

Zieglj01 (and myself) are telling you that the Sony is a better speaker (subjectively, to our ears), but you may be looking for a different sound than what we liked about the Sony (and I don't know that we even liked the same things).

However, I will tell you that my experience is the Sony is a better speaker than the WaveCrest.
Perhaps the most telling observation I had about the WaveCrest was while listening to Time by Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon). At 5:25 into the song there are both male and female vocals. Listening to the HVL-1, the female vocals overshadowed the male vocals as compared to other speakers which provide a good balance between their voices. From this, I would presume that the frequency response is either somewhat muted in the frequency range of the male vocals or (more likely) somewhat tipped up in the range of the female vocals.
Overall, I believe the WaveCrest is somewhat lacking in midrange detail, but do believe the high end is pretty clean. I think the Sonys will perform nicely for your objectives - primarily offering better mid-range detail. If that sounds like what you want, and you can relate to my description of the HVL's, then the Sony should be a keeper (and you have the ability to return them should your experience be otherwise).

I am assuming that you are planning to use these as computer speakers usually are used - as nearfield desktop monitors. The Philharmonic AA's are really too big to use as desktop speakers. I also worry that the bass might get too heavy with the reinforcement of sitting on a desktop.
On the other hand if you are using your computer as a music server for a larger space, forget the Sony and get the AA! I have yet to hear any speaker near their price-point that offers the quality and quantity of bass that the AA's have.
 
M

Motrek

Junior Audioholic
KEW, thanks for all the info man. This is exactly what I was hoping for when I started this thread, somebody who had experience with both speakers.

I will likely buy them the next time the price dips below $140ish on Amazon. I see that they were on sale a couple of times for $108 but I wonder if it's too much to hope for that price coming up again soon...

I am using the speakers on my desk as nearfield monitors. With them placed directly on the desk, the bass is hopeless. It reflects off the hard surface and is a mess. That, and the speakers cause the desk to vibrate, which I can feel in my palms when I type.

But I got a couple of yoga blocks for a few dollars on Amazon and use them as speaker stands. I got the idea from some web site somewhere. Even though they're only 3.5" tall, it's enough to minimize the reflections to the point where I don't think they're a problem, and they're also made of that yoga block material that soaks up the vibrations. Highly recommended!
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
KEW, thanks for all the info man. This is exactly what I was hoping for when I started this thread, somebody who had experience with both speakers.

I will likely buy them the next time the price dips below $140ish on Amazon. I see that they were on sale a couple of times for $108 but I wonder if it's too much to hope for that price coming up again soon...

I am using the speakers on my desk as nearfield monitors. With them placed directly on the desk, the bass is hopeless. It reflects off the hard surface and is a mess. That, and the speakers cause the desk to vibrate, which I can feel in my palms when I type.

But I got a couple of yoga blocks for a few dollars on Amazon and use them as speaker stands. I got the idea from some web site somewhere. Even though they're only 3.5" tall, it's enough to minimize the reflections to the point where I don't think they're a problem, and they're also made of that yoga block material that soaks up the vibrations. Highly recommended!
https://camelcamelcamel.com/

Set up a notification for when they hit your desired price from that link. You can also track the price history.

Come on, this is the 21st century :D
 

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