In this review, we will be comparing SS-CS3 and S 809, 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 809 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sony SS-CS3 | Jamo S 809 |
|---|
| 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) | 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-50k Hz | 37-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 145 watts | 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.60kg / 23.3lbs | 13.60kg / 29.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.30" x 9.05" x 10.24"
922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm | 41.0" x 7.5" x 9.9"
1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sony SS-CS3 and Jamo S 809 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 809 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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 809 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 809
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 809 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.12-inch
|
3 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 809 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 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 809 has a frequency range of 37-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the S 809 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SS-CS3's min frequency of 45Hz.
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 809 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. SS-CS3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the S 809's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Jamo S 809 a more sensitive speaker compared to Sony SS-CS3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 809 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 25 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 Post type posts and S 809 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Jamo S 809's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
SS-CS3 has a rear firing port whereas S 809 has a front firing ports. Jamo S 809'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 809 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 809'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 809 has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm (41.0 x 7.5 x 9.9inch).
Jamo S 809 is 39mm narrower and 8mm less deeper than Sony SS-CS3 but it is also 120mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony SS-CS3 and Jamo S 809 in scale.
Comparison image of Sony SS-CS3 and Jamo S 809 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 809 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The SS-CS3 requires 24% more surface area than the S 809 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 809 weighs 13.60kg / 29.9lbs. This makes the S 809 28% heavier than the SS-CS3.
Here is a comparison of how SS-CS3 and S 809'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 809?
Here are the items that come with the S 809:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Mounting feet
- 16 Screws
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
145 watts
vs
120 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 |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
922mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
458USD
vs
634USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional Jamo S 8 ATM Dolby Atmos upward-firing speakers
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
598cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Jamo Studio S 809 |
| Brand |
Sony |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 145 watts |
120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-50k Hz |
37-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| 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") |
1042.0mm (41") |
| Width |
230.0mm (9.1") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
10.60kg (23.3lbs) |
13.60kg (29.9lbs) |
| 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 | B | Jamo S 809 digs deeper - 37Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Jamo S 809 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Jamo S 809 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (145W vs 120W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | Jamo S 809: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | A | Sony SS-CS3 is cheaper - $458 against $634, about 28% less. |
A Sony SS-CS3 B Jamo S 809
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: Jamo S 809 measures better, Sony SS-CS3 costs about about 38% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Sony SS-CS3 much easier to justify. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Jamo S 809 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.