In this review, we will be comparing SS-CS3 and R-620F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sony and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-620F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sony SS-CS3 | Klipsch R-620F |
|---|
| Brand | Sony
Japan · founded 1946 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1.0" |
|---|
| Super tweeter | 0.75" super tweeter | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) | 2 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-50k Hz | 38-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 145 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.60kg / 23.3lbs | 18.64kg / 41lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.30" x 9.05" x 10.24"
922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm | 40-3/16" x 9-3/8" x 14-1/2"
1021.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-620F 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 |
Klipsch R-620F |
| 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 R-620F 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-CS3Klipsch R-620F
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 |
Klipsch R-620F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.12-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 R-620F features a 1.0" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz whereas R-620F has a frequency range of 38-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R-620F 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 R-620F 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 R-620F's is rated at 96 dB. This 8 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-620F 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 R-620F has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 45 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 R-620F has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch R-620F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both SS-CS3 and R-620F have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Klipsch R-620F'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 Klipsch R-620F has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm (40-3/16 x 9-3/8 x 14-1/2inch).
Klipsch R-620F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 9mm wider, 99mm taller and 109mm deeper than Sony SS-CS3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-620F in scale.
Comparison image of Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-620F 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 Klipsch R-620F is approximately 881.9cm2 / 136.7inch2. The SS-CS3 requires 32% less surface area than the R-620F which gives it a small advantage 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 Klipsch R-620F weighs 18.64kg / 41lbs. This makes the R-620F 76% heavier than the SS-CS3.
Here is a comparison of how SS-CS3 and R-620F'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 Klipsch R-620F?
Here are the items that come with the R-620F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Feet
- 4 Screws
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
- Loudspeaker Feet note
 Max Input Power |
145 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
922mm
vs
1021mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
598cm2
vs
881cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
458USD
vs
998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Klipsch Reference R-620F |
| Brand |
Sony |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 145 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-50k Hz |
38-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.12" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) |
Copper-spun IMG |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
922.0mm (36.3") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
230.0mm (9.1") |
239.0mm (9.4") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
10.60kg (23.3lbs) |
18.64kg (41lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - Klipsch R-620F costs roughly 2.2x what Sony SS-CS3 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Klipsch R-620F digs deeper - 38Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch R-620F is more sensitive (96dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Klipsch R-620F is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | Sony SS-CS3 takes more power (145W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Sony SS-CS3 is easier to place; Klipsch R-620F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | Sony SS-CS3 is cheaper - $458 against $998, about 54% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sony SS-CS3 B Klipsch R-620F
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: Klipsch R-620F measures better, Sony SS-CS3 costs about about 118% 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. Match it to your room: we rate Sony SS-CS3 the better fit for a large room, and Klipsch R-620F for a small room.
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.