In this review, we will be comparing Ai81 and SS-CS3, two Floor-standing speakers from Fluance and Sony. The main difference between these two speakers is that the Fluance Ai81 is a Powered speaker which means that it has a built-in amplifier inside the speaker body so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp whereas the Sony SS-CS3 is a Passive speaker so has to be matched with an amplifier to get any sound from it. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fluance Ai81 and Sony SS-CS3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Fluance Ai81 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 150-watt RMS Integrated Amplifier
- 1" Soft Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Woven, Glass Fiber Composite Woofer
- 30-20k Hz Frequency Response
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- 16-bit Max Depth / 48 kHz Max Sample Rate
- Built-in 5.0 Bluetooth
- Weight:13.16kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 960.0" x 8.5" x 10.24"( 96 x 21.6 x 26 cm )
Sony SS-CS3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 0.75" Super Tweeter
- 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer
- 45-50k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 145watts
- Weight:10.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 922.0" x 9.05" x 10.24"( 922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Fluance Ai81 and Sony SS-CS3 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Ai81 is a 2-way design whereas the SS-CS3 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Fluance Ai81 |
Sony SS-CS3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
- |
0.75-inch |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.12-inch
|
Ai81 features a 1" Silk Neodymium Ferrofluid Cooled Soft Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Woven, Glass Fiber Composite Woofer . On the other hand, the SS-CS3 features a 1" polyester fiber Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 0.75" Supertweeter and 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer .
Frequency Response
Ai81 has a frequency range of 30-20k Hz whereas SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Ai81 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SS-CS3's min frequency of 45Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Ai81 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas SS-CS3 has a max power handling value of 145 watts RMS, 5 watts less than the Ai81.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Ai81 has a bottom firing port whereas SS-CS3 has a rear firing ports. Fluance Ai81's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sony SS-CS3 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Fluance Ai81's and Sony SS-CS3's external dimensions. Fluance Ai81 has external dimensions of 96 x 21.6 x 26 cm ( 37.8 x 8.50 x 10.24 inches) whereas Sony SS-CS3 has external dimensions of 922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm ( 36.30 x 9.05 x 10.24inch) .
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Fluance Ai81 is approximately 561.0cm2 / 87.0inch2 and base area of the Sony SS-CS3 is approximately 598.0cm2 / 92.7inch2. The Ai81 requires 6% less surface area than the SS-CS3 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Fluance Ai81?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ai81:
Ai81 Powered Tower Speakers (pair)Remote Control1x CR2032 Battery6ft Power Cable8ft 18 Gauge Speaker WireQuick Start GuideFluance CatalogLifetime Customer Support2 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty
Speaker Type 
Max Input Power 
Woofer Size 
Base Surface Area 
RCA Connection 
Driver Setup 
High Frequency Response 
Price per pair*