Sony SSCS8 Review

Designed to be the center of a more simple home theater system setup, the Sony SSCS8 resolution delivers the texture of sound, like the feel of a bow moving over a cello’s strings. There’s an intimacy to the sound that eludes most similarly priced speakers. It has a very realistic sounding, not overpowering nor excessive bass or treble. The voices and dialogue are right there. It basically does what a center channel speaker should do, which is to provide good vocal presence and overall clarity of sound. This center channel speaker is housed in a solid cabinet and provides excellent sound. Rated at 145 Watts it is ideal for any home theater or surround sound system.

Equipped with two 4″ woofers and a 1″ tweeter, the Sony SS-CS8 2-Way 3-Driver Center Channel Speaker handles 145W of peak power. The speaker’s woofers use a mica-reinforced diaphragm, the upper surface of which is fashioned to deliver supple and faithful sound quality, while the bottom layer is designed to provide a powerful bass response.

The SSCS8 operates at 145 W of maximum power and is compatible to be paired with additional speakers that produce a similar power level. The SSCS8 itself measures in at an approximated 20″ x 11″ x 9″ and weighs approximately 10 pounds. Because the SSCS8 is considered to be a center channel speaker, its ideal placement is at the center of the action, although the speaker can really be placed in any optimal location throughout any given room.

The crossover network in the SS-CS8 is intended to assure minimal signal loss for an energetic vocal response with even the most delicate nuances. It is mounted directly to the cabinet for vibration isolation.

The Wide-Dispersion Super Tweeter does exactly as described, adding an incredible sense of space and enhancing detail. It pinpoints every subtle detail within the huge soundstage, and the listener becomes a part of it, with great voice presence in the right recordings. The super tweeter is specifically designed to deliver ultra-responsive, high-frequency audio response (up to 50 kHz), ideal for High-Resolution listening, with wide directionality (sweet spot).

The Sony SSCS8 center channel speaker comes with a tight and powerful bass realized through precise timing alignment across the entire frequency range. One listen and you will be mesmerized by the incredibly fast and powerful bass response that not only gives your music a solid foundation—it rocks your senses! The speaker utilizes unique, foamed (dual-layer) mica woofer diaphragms. The upper surface delivers supple and faithful sound quality, while the bottom layer leverages low weight with great strength for powerful bass response.

The SSCS8 center channel speaker is a must for home theater movies, as it adds a great deal of body, weight, clarity, depth, and a spatial dimension to movies on DVD and Blu-ray in a home theater with left and right front speakers, subwoofer, etc. Your movies went from already sounding really great to sounding simply incredible and with stunning realism. When it comes to the stunning sound and realism the Sony SSCS8 speaker delivers; from dead silence; to soft whispers; to delicate drops of rain; to suddenly explosive; and roaring full-tilt symphonic glory or battlefield mayhem. The clarity and dynamics are top tier. Sound in movies and music moves you emotionally. In music, each instrument sounds exactly as it should, practically placing you right there in the concert venue. In movies, the sound is so real that you hear and feel as though you are in the room, on the subway, in the plane, etc. You will jump and be startled by sudden noises in the movies.

Additionally, the speaker has a very simple and easy installation process. You can just read through the manual and have a grasp of the instructions on how to set it up without the help of a sound engineer.

The SSCS8 definitely does add a great deal of noticeable quality to home theater movies, and I highly recommend it as a center speaker, especially when matched with the other superb Sony Core Series speakers. All of them are simply outstanding – hands down, and blend perfectly.