In this review, we will be comparing SS-CS3 and XT70, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sony and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sony SS-CS3 and Polk XT70 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 )
Polk XT70 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer
- 35-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:15.91kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1031.0" x 10-13/16" x 13-3/8"( 1031.0 x 275.0 x 340.0mm )
What size room are the Sony SS-CS3 and Polk XT70 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 |
Polk XT70 |
| 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 Polk XT70 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 XT70 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 |
Polk XT70 |
|
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 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 XT70 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer .
Frequency Response
SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz whereas XT70 has a frequency range of 35-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the XT70 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 XT70 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 XT70's is rated at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sony SS-CS3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk XT70, 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 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas SS-CS3 has a max power handling value of 145 watts RMS , 55 watts less than the XT70.
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 5-Way post type posts and XT70 has a 5-Way 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 Polk XT70'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 Polk XT70 has external dimensions of 1031.0 x 275.0 x 340.0mm ( 40-9/16 x 10-13/16 x 13-3/8inch) .
Polk XT70 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 45mm wider, 109mm taller and 80mm deeper than Sony SS-CS3.
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 Polk XT70 is approximately 935.0cm2 / 144.9inch2. The SS-CS3 requires 36% less surface area than the XT70 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.