In this review, we will be comparing SS-CS3 and R-820F, 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-820F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
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 )
Klipsch R-820F Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer
- 35-21k Hz Frequency Response
- 97 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:24.55kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1096.0" x 10-7/8" x 16-3/4"( 1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm )
What size room are the Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-820F 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-820F |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-820F 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 SS-CS3 is a 3-way design whereas the R-820F 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.
| Driver |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Klipsch R-820F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.12-inch
|
2 x 8-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-820F features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer .
Frequency Response
SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz whereas R-820F has a frequency range of 35-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the R-820F 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.
Impedance and Sensitivity
SS-CS3 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R-820F 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-820F's is rated at 97 dB. This 9 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-820F 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. 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.
SS-CS3 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 R-820F.
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
SS-CS3 features Post type posts and R-820F has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Sony SS-CS3's and Klipsch R-820F'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-820F has external dimensions of 1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm ( 43-1/8 x 10-7/8 x 16-3/4inch) .
Klipsch R-820F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 47mm wider, 174mm taller and 166mm deeper than Sony SS-CS3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-820F in scale.
Comparison image of Sony SS-CS3 and Klipsch R-820F 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-820F is approximately 1180.0cm2 / 182.9inch2. The SS-CS3 requires 49% less surface area than the R-820F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.