In this review, we will be comparing SS-CS3 and SE 3000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sony and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sony SS-CS3 and Paradigm SE 3000F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sony SS-CS3 | Paradigm SE 3000F |
|---|
| Brand | Sony
Japan · founded 1946 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Super tweeter | 0.75" super tweeter | — |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) | 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-50k Hz | 55-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 145 watts | 15-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.60kg / 23.3lbs | 15.91kg / 35lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.30" x 9.05" x 10.24"
922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm | 39-5/8" x 8-15/16" x 10-15/16"
1007.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sony SS-CS3 and Paradigm SE 3000F 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 |
Paradigm SE 3000F |
| 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.
Drivers
Both SS-CS3 and SE 3000F are 3-way speakers.
Sony SS-CS3Paradigm SE 3000F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 |
Paradigm SE 3000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.12-inch
|
2 x 5.5-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 SE 3000F features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz whereas SE 3000F has a frequency range of 55-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the SS-CS3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SE 3000F's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 SE 3000F 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 SE 3000F's is rated at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Paradigm SE 3000F 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 SE 3000F 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 SE 3000F has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm SE 3000F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both SS-CS3 and SE 3000F 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 Paradigm SE 3000F'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 Paradigm SE 3000F has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm (39-5/8 x 8-15/16 x 10-15/16inch).
Sony SS-CS3 is 85mm shorter and 18mm less deeper than Paradigm SE 3000F but it is also 2mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony SS-CS3 and Paradigm SE 3000F in scale.
Comparison image of Sony SS-CS3 and Paradigm SE 3000F 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 Paradigm SE 3000F is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The SS-CS3 requires 6% less surface area than the SE 3000F 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 Paradigm SE 3000F weighs 15.91kg / 35lbs. This makes the SE 3000F 50% heavier than the SS-CS3.
Here is a comparison of how SS-CS3 and SE 3000F'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 Paradigm SE 3000F?
Here are the items that come with the SE 3000F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
4 Rubber feet
4 Spike feet
Owner's Manual
Online Registration Card
Unboxing Instructions
 Max Input Power |
145 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
45 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
922mm
vs
1007mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
598cm2
vs
633cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
458USD
vs
700USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
91 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 |
5.5 inches
vs
5.12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Paradigm Monitor SE 3000F |
| Brand |
Sony |
Paradigm |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 145 watts |
15-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-50k Hz |
55-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.12" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) |
Mineral-filled polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.5" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
922.0mm (36.3") |
1007.0mm (39.6") |
| Width |
230.0mm (9.1") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Weight |
10.60kg (23.3lbs) |
15.91kg (35lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Paradigm SE 3000F is the newer design, against a 2014 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Sony SS-CS3 digs deeper - 45Hz against 55Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Paradigm SE 3000F is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Paradigm SE 3000F 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 | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | Sony SS-CS3 is cheaper - $458 against $700, about 35% less. |
A Sony SS-CS3 B Paradigm SE 3000F
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Sony SS-CS3 the better fit for a large room, and Paradigm SE 3000F 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.