Hi all, new to the forums here, just wanted to say hello!

I have a Sony STR-DA555ES as the heart of my system, with 2 Sansui AU-G77X Amplifiers powering my 2 pairs of Pioneer DSS-9, and a custom, matching DSS-9 center channel feeding off the Sony.

My DSS' are the european versions, the same thing as the DSS-E10 that was sold here in the USA. (although the only difference is the basket color, from what I can tell.)

The DSS-9 is the best sounding speakers I have ever heard, for nearly any type of music. I am intrigued that there are so few sources of information for them! They beat the holy living crap out of my old infinity RS-5 tower system! WAyyyyy better than the Infinity studio monitor series.

I am a guitarist, but have found new love for the drums since I have been listening to these speakers this year - the drums and cymbals sound real in my living room! I have the two sets in front and rear of my living room, powered by their own amp. I turn the rears off to watch 5.1, and I have a set of bose 201's on top of the rears to cover the surround. (They aren't a perfect match, but sound reasonably timbre matched, and the walnut cabinets match the pioneers pretty well) I had the second set as surround, and felt they weren't being used to near the potential they should be, so I changed up a little and put the 2 sets as the front channels, and had a set of S-710's (pioneer) as the surround, but they don't match the DSS in any way. They are a very good speaker in their own right, ribbon tweeters are sweet, but do not hold a candle to the DSS-9.

For anyone who doesn't know about them that are reading my thread, the DSS-9 has cast basket HEAVY duty motor structures with graphite cones and "EBD" dual voice coil system. The first coil is 8 ohm and plays all bass frequencies, the second coil is 4 ohm and plays 40hz down. Bass is very accurate and detailed, but not boomy enough to suit some (including myself, I plan on adding a powered sub soon for the real low rumbles).
The midranges - WOW. Who knew pioneer made anything like this? Boron cone, magnet is bigger than the cone! Also cast heavy duty stuff.
Boron is element number 5 on the periodic table, and the second lightest metal out there.... fast sound transfer! The only metal lighter is element number 4, Beryllium..... which they used in ribbon tweeter fashion on this system..... detailed, detailed sound! The drivers for this system were made by TAD. Woofer plays 600hz down, tweeter is 4,000 hz up.

Anyone have any of these come up for sale, let me know I might snatch them up!!! (If woofers need foam OK.)

Best speakers in the world for rock, bar none.
I have owned several infinity models over the years, and have friends with klipsches and boston acoustics and such, while they all have their own sound and most of them are excellent speakers, these just trump them, if you ask me. If the others are kings and aces, these are jokers!

Anyone happen to know how much they sold for new?? I got my first set from my father, and bought the second set from a fellow in Ohio, and they both gave me drastically different numbers..... I know they hold their value very well if you keep them in good condition though! (I paid as much for the second set, 22 years later, as my dad said he paid for the first set new)
Best purchase I ever made.

I can't remember off hand the cost on the DSS-E10's over here, but to give you an idea, my DSS-7's suggested retail price was like $700 for the pair in 1988. I paid dealer cost from a regional distributor at about 350~400 for the pair. So they probably sold for around $550~600/pair I think the DSS-E10's retailed for around $800~900 for the pair. They sure are built like a brick s_it house. I'd love to know if they sound similar, better or worse to HPM-100's

BTW, be very careful with those graphite cones. They shatter easily if mishandled. For example, my toddler son threw a ball across the room, it hit the woofer, and cracked it. Took me a year to find a replacement on Ebay.

MUCH better than HPM 100's. Similar, but more presence all around.
The highs are WAY better, the mids are quite a bit better, and the lows seem faster.... all around better transient response, and methinks power handling and sensitivity as well. The drivers are higher quality, and yes, the cabinets are BEEFY! :)

I haven't heard 150's to compare to those, but I still imagine, much better.
The mids and tweeters on these are no joke, not knocking your DSS-7's, as I am quite confident they are nice speakers, but the 9's were a serious step up! The woofers and mids have substantially bigger motor structures, and the beryllium ribbon tweeter on these is better than sliced bread.


I have a replacement woofer for a DSS-9 USA if anyone needs one.
I have 2 actually, if someone needs a project. One needs a recone, the other was refoamed to the front of the woofer (incorrect, should be to the rear)
I saw a couple DSS-7 woofers sell about 4-5 months ago I think.

I have already refoamed the first set I have, I got them from my dad who was going to put them in the trash because the foam was shot..... I took them and put them in storage a few years till I had space for them, and then happened across another set that had already been refoamed by pioneer, and a parted out set of USA's. I have since refoamed a set of S-710's which had a similar, but slightly more flexible cone. Cool thing about them is if you're good with super glue you can repair minor damage to the cone, but still sucks! Simply speakers offers recones for $85, but I haven't had the need yet. My two year old son loves my speakers as much as I do, and knows not to mess with them - we don't play in the living room though!

When my father bought these new I was just a boy, but I remember being there when we got them, and even though I stopped living with my parents many many years ago, I remembered how these speakers sounded and as such, knew what all my favorite songs that I hadn't even heard on them would sound like, if I heard them through these speakers... if that makes any sense? When he was going to throw them away, it just made my day! :) I felt kinda bad about being able to fix them for $30 so I bought him a new receiver for father's day. He told me he paid $400 for the set in Germany in 1985. The other set I bought from a guy in Ohio got them in Italy in 1986, he said they were $800 each retail, but got the pair for $800 since he worked at the PX or something like that. I bought those for $470 shipped to my door earlier this year, and I don't regret spending that on them one bit. (They were in GREAT condition though!) The center channel I made cost more than I want to admit, and too much time looking for parts. Wish I could be that guy that finds a set of these at a thrift store for $5.... I've read that a couple people have.

I had a pair of these as well, and although I really loved them, my HPM-150's sounded better to me, the DSS-9's are very accurate, but they missed some of the open space that was created by the HPM-150's, also the high tones came out better on my opinion on the 150's. As amp I used a Pioneer M-22 for the side by side test.

Eventually I sold the DSS-9's, which I still regret sometimes:scratch2:, and kept the 150's, which I do not regret, although I don't even use them now, Since I switched to Audiostatic ES-300RS panels. I can tell you: hands down the best detailed stuff I've ever heard, but.. it's ofcourse better for jazz and blues, it's still ok for for rock etc, but an extra sub would be needed than anyway. I use a Pioneer A-27 to power these panels.

A setup with 4 and a half DSS-9's will rock like hell, I'm sure of that, you got yourself some great stuff:thmbsp:

Cheers,

JW

DSS-9 Bass Reflex/Digital System - 1985-89, $900/pr new!

MUCH better than HPM 100's. Similar, but more presence all around.

I haven't heard 150's to compare to those, but I still imagine, much better.
The mids and tweeters on these are no joke, not knocking your DSS-7's, as I am quite confident they are nice speakers, but the 9's were a serious step up! The woofers and mids have substantially bigger motor structures, and the beryllium ribbon tweeter on these is better than sliced bread.


I have a replacement woofer for a DSS-9 USA if anyone needs one.
I have 2 actually, if someone needs a project. One needs a recone, the other was refoamed to the front of the woofer (incorrect, should be to the rear)
I saw a couple DSS-7 woofers sell about 4-5 months ago I think.


None taken, the DSS-9/10's were a big step up from mine. Wish I could have afforded them back then. I know the DSS-9's have a midrange that's twice as big as the DSS-7'sm and I bet that alone really changes the characteristics of them. I do believe that both models use the same materials for speakers. The magnet on the DSS-7 woofers are about 8inches in diameter and about 1.5~2 inches deep.

If you saw those DSS-7 woofers on that auction site 4 or 5 months ago, that was probably me who snagged those.

I have 2 actually, if someone needs a project. One needs a recone, the other was refoamed to the front of the woofer (incorrect, should be to the rear)

Do you think this would affect woofer function, or just cosmetic/not original?

The one that's foamed from the front is just a cosmetic issue, it seems to work just fine. It is not as pretty as a properly, rear foamed one. Thing is, if you recone the one that needs it, the foam would be to the rear of the cone, while it's partner would be foam on the front of the cone.