In this review, we will be comparing RTi A1 and SS-CS5, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Polk Audio and Sony.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk RTi A1 and Sony SS-CS5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk RTi A1 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Polymer composite Woofer
- 60-26k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-125watts
- Weight:5.44kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 304.8" x 7.3" x 11.5"( 304.8 x 187.5 x 292.1mm )
Sony SS-CS5 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 0.75" Super Tweeter
- 5.25" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer
- 53-50k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Weight:4.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 335.0" x 7.0" x 8.6"( 335.0 x 178.0 x 220.0mm )
What size room are the Polk RTi A1 and Sony SS-CS5 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Polk RTi A1 |
Sony SS-CS5 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk RTi A1 and Sony SS-CS5 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 RTi A1 is a 2-way design whereas the SS-CS5 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 |
Polk RTi A1 |
Sony SS-CS5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
- |
0.75-inch |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
RTi A1 features a 1" silk polymer composite Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polymer composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1900Hz. On the other hand, the SS-CS5 features a 1" polyester fiber Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 0.75" Supertweeter and 1 x 5.25" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer .
Frequency Response
RTi A1 has a frequency range of 60-26k Hz whereas SS-CS5 has a frequency range of 53-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 53Hz, the SS-CS5 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RTi A1's min frequency of 60Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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.
Impedance and Sensitivity
RTi A1 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the SS-CS5 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. RTi A1 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the SS-CS5's is rated at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk RTi A1 a more sensitive speaker compared to Sony SS-CS5, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
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.
RTi A1 can handle a max power of 125 watts RMS from the amp the whereas SS-CS5 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the RTi A1.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
RTi A1 features Pair of Dual 5-way Binding Posts - Gold-Plated posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SS-CS5 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Sony SS-CS5's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
RTi A1 has a back and front firing port whereas SS-CS5 has a rear firing ports.
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 Polk RTi A1's and Sony SS-CS5's external dimensions. Polk RTi A1 has external dimensions of 304.8 x 187.5 x 292.1mm ( 12.0 x 7.3 x 11.5inch) whereas Sony SS-CS5 has external dimensions of 335.0 x 178.0 x 220.0mm ( 13.1 x 7.0 x 8.6inch) .
Sony SS-CS5 is 9.5mm narrower and 72.1mm less deeper than Polk RTi A1 but it is also 30.2mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk RTi A1 and Sony SS-CS5 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk RTi A1 and Sony SS-CS5 Size and External Dimensions
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 Polk RTi A1 is approximately 547.7cm2 / 84.9inch2 and base area of the Sony SS-CS5 is approximately 391.6cm2 / 60.7inch2. The RTi A1 requires 40% more surface area than the SS-CS5 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Polk RTi A1 and Sony SS-CS5 on a Media Console