Athena S.5 Bookshelf Speakers — Canadian-Designed Compact Pair
Price range: $45.00 through $125.00
- ✔️ Award-winning compact bookshelf speakers designed and engineered in Canada by Athena Technologies (GoodSound 2002 Product of the Year)
- ✔️ 1″ Teteron dome tweeter + 4″ injection-molded polypropylene midwoofer in a rear-vented 1/2″ MDF cabinet
- ✔️ 5-way gold-plated binding posts; magnetically shielded for placement near TVs and monitors
- ✔️ Thoroughly bench-tested, ready for stereo, surround, or desktop duty
- ✔️ Covered by our Bumper to Bumper Warranty and Perpetual Trade-Back Policy
The Athena S.5 is the compact bookshelf speaker that made Athena Technologies’ reputation — designed and engineered in Canada, voiced as part of a timbre-matched family, and named GoodSound’s 2002 Product of the Year. It is a small box that behaves like a considerably larger one.
Overview
Athena Technologies was the Toronto-based audiophile arm of Audio Products International, and the S.5 was its calling card: clean, open sound and a soundstage that repeatedly surprised reviewers working from the dimensions alone. It remains one of the most recommended small speakers of its era, and one we sell again and again.
Build & Design
The cabinet is built from 1/2″ MDF for rigidity and finished in high-gloss black for a furniture-grade look that integrates cleanly with modern systems. A 1″ Teteron soft dome tweeter sits on a dispersion-enhancing faceplate for a wider listening window, while the 4″ injection-molded polypropylene midwoofer drives bass through a rear-vented enclosure for extended low end. All drivers are magnetically shielded for safe placement near televisions and monitors.
- Tweeter: 1″ Teteron soft dome on a dispersion-enhancing faceplate
- Midwoofer: 4″ injection-molded polypropylene
- Cabinet: 1/2″ MDF, rear-vented, high-gloss black
- Shielding: magnetically shielded — safe beside a TV or monitor
- Terminals: 5-way gold-plated binding posts — banana plugs, spades or bare wire
- Dimensions: 220 × 145 × 160 mm (8.67 × 5.71 × 6.30 in.)
- Weight: 2.7 kg / 5.95 lb each
Sound
The S.5 is fast, articulate and dimensional. Reviewers consistently called out wide, smooth frequency response and surprising transient energy for a speaker this size. It works as a stereo pair in small to mid-sized rooms, as rear channels in a home theatre, or on a desk where a full-size monitor will not fit.
Condition
Excellent cosmetic condition — the high-gloss black cabinets present cleanly and the drivers show no damage. Thoroughly bench-tested and confirmed to perform to spec across both channels. Athena’s adjustable wall-mount brackets are available here as a separate variation; they are among the sturdiest and simplest bracket designs ever made for this class of speaker.
Pair It With
The S.5 was designed inside a timbre-matched family, so the obvious upgrades are its own siblings. Add the Athena C.5 centre channel for a seamless front stage, or extend the low end with the Athena P.5 compact subwoofer. Athena’s 31.5″ all-metal stands lock in placement and get the tweeters to ear height, and Radique gold-plated banana plugs finish the wiring cleanly.
Common Questions
Will the S.5 work as a surround speaker? Yes — it was designed for exactly that. The S.5 is timbre-matched to Athena’s other Point 5 models, so it blends without the tonal shift you get when mixing brands across a surround array.
Can I wall-mount them? Yes. Athena’s own adjustable brackets are offered here as a separate variation and are purpose-made for this cabinet.
Do I need a subwoofer? Not for near-field or small-room listening. In a larger room, or for home theatre, a subwoofer is worth adding — the P.5 was voiced alongside these.
Are they safe next to a television? Yes — the drivers are magnetically shielded.
Looking for the MKII? We stock the Athena S.5 in both the original and the MKII variation — badged S.5 MKII on the rear panel, with published specs identical to this S.5. The MKII comes up less often, so check its listing for current availability.
Why Buy From Radique
Every purchase is backed by our Bumper to Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program, so you can buy with confidence today and upgrade later without losing your investment. You are welcome to read what our customers say. Audition by appointment at our Kanata North location in Ottawa, or order online for local pickup or shipping.
Every order ships in our 275 lb-test double-wall packaging, engineered to protect your gear in transit — see it in action in our unboxing video.
Want to see more of our gear in action? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for product demos, behind-the-scenes shop tours, and restoration stories.
| Weight | 14 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 10.3 × 18 × 13 in |
| Athena S.5 | Athena S.5 Pair of Speakers, Athena S.5 Mounting Backets |
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An 8-inch injection-moulded polypropylene woofer firing down into the floor, driven by a 75-watt MOSFET amplifier — 35 to 180 Hz with the -3 dB point at 26 Hz. Line-level RCA and speaker-level inputs both, plus an SCT mode switch that presets the crossover for Athena's S.5 satellites so you only have to set level. 15 pounds. Good condition, tested and working.
Athena Bookshelf Speakers S.5 MKII
- ✔️ Athena Technologies S.5 — GoodSound 2002 Product of the Year, designed and engineered in Canada
- ✔️ 1″ Teteron dome tweeter with dispersion-enhancing faceplate + 4″ injection-moulded polypropylene midwoofer
- ✔️ Rear-vented 1/2″ MDF cabinet in high-gloss black, magnetically shielded, 5-way gold-plated binding posts
- ✔️ 20–100W, 89dB room sensitivity, 8Ω, 2.0kHz crossover — timbre-matched to Athena's SCT and Audition lines
- 📦 This pair has sold — see our current Athena S.5 listing for stock
Athena 31.5″ All-Metal Speaker Stands, Heavy Bases, Pair
All-steel columns on wide weighted bases, 31.5 inches tall and 10 lbs each, with cable routed through the hollow centre column. Athena built them as the partner for the S.5, so the original screws for the S.5's rear threaded inserts are included; on anything else the 5 by 3.25 inch top plate takes pads or putty. Radique Audio high-density felt feet fitted. Designed in Toronto; very good condition.
Athena Center Channel C.5 (2 Available)
A dual-woofer bass reflex centre, rear-vented, 100 watts into 8 ohms, on five-way gold-plated posts. The tweeter sits behind a dispersion-enhancing faceplate to widen the listening window, and the whole thing is magnetically shielded for sitting beside a television. Timbre-matched to Athena's S.5 and the SCT series. Two available; also available without grilles for $75.
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