In this review, we will be comparing SS-CS3 and S 805, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sony and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sony SS-CS3 and Jamo S 805 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sony SS-CS3 | Jamo S 805 |
|---|
| Brand | Sony
Japan · founded 1946 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Super tweeter | 0.75" super tweeter | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) | 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-50k Hz | 49-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 145 watts | up to 80 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.60kg / 23.3lbs | 8.60kg / 18.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.30" x 9.05" x 10.24"
922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm | 31" x 7-1/2" x 9-15/16"
787 x 191 x 252 mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sony SS-CS3 and Jamo S 805 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* |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Jamo S 805 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that SS-CS3 is a 3-way design whereas the S 805 is a 2-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.
Sony SS-CS3Jamo S 805
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Jamo S 805 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.12-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
SS-CS3 features a 1" polyester fiber Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 0.75" Supertweeter and 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer. On the other hand, the S 805 features a 1" Tweeter and 1 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz whereas S 805 has a frequency range of 49-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the SS-CS3 can go slightly deeper then the S 805's min frequency of 49Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
SS-CS3 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the S 805 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 88 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
SS-CS3 can handle a max power of 145 watts RMS, whereas S 805 has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 65 watts less than the SS-CS3.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
SS-CS3 features Binding post type posts and S 805 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Jamo S 805's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
SS-CS3 has a rear firing port whereas S 805 has a front firing ports. Jamo S 805's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sony SS-CS3 with its rear-firing port.
Jamo S 805 Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Sony SS-CS3's and Jamo S 805's external dimensions. Sony SS-CS3 has external dimensions of 922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm (36.30 x 9.05 x 10.24inch) whereas Jamo S 805 has external dimensions of 787 x 191 x 252 mm (31 x 7-1/2 x 9-15/16 inch).
Sony SS-CS3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 39mm wider, 135mm taller and 8mm deeper than Jamo S 805.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony SS-CS3 and Jamo S 805 in scale.
Comparison image of Sony SS-CS3 and Jamo S 805 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 Sony SS-CS3 is approximately 598.0cm2 / 92.7inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 805 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The SS-CS3 requires 24% more surface area than the S 805 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Sony SS-CS3 weighs 10.60kg / 23.3lbs and the Jamo S 805 weighs 8.60kg / 18.9lbs. This makes the SS-CS3 23% heavier than the S 805.
Here is a comparison of how SS-CS3 and S 805's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Jamo S 805?
Here are the items that come with the S 805:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Mounting feet
- 16 Screws
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
145 watts
vs
80 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
5.12 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
45 Hz
vs
49 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
787mm
vs
922mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
598cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
344USD
vs
458USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Jamo Studio S 805 |
| Brand |
Sony |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speakers |
Floor-standing |
| Power Range |
up to 145 watts |
up to 80 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-50k Hz |
49-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5.12" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) |
Aluminized Polyfiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
922.0mm (36.3") |
787.0mm (31") |
| Width |
230.0mm (9.1") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
10.60kg (23.3lbs) |
8.60kg (18.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Sony SS-CS3 digs deeper - 45Hz against 49Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Jamo S 805 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | Sony SS-CS3 takes more power (145W vs 80W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Jamo S 805 is easier to place; Sony SS-CS3 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Jamo S 805 is cheaper - $344 against $458, about 25% less. |
A Sony SS-CS3 B Jamo S 805
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Sony SS-CS3 measures better, Jamo S 805 costs about about 33% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Match it to your room: we rate Sony SS-CS3 the better fit for a large room, and Jamo S 805 for a small room. In a large or open-plan room, Sony SS-CS3 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Jamo S 805 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.