In this review, we will be comparing SS-CS3 and ES50, 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 ES50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sony SS-CS3 | Polk ES50 |
|---|
| Brand | Sony
Japan · founded 1946 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Super tweeter | 0.75" super tweeter | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-50k Hz | 38-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 145 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.60kg / 23.3lbs | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.30" x 9.05" x 10.24"
922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm | 37-7/16" x 7-1/2" x 11-1/16"
951.0 x 191.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sony SS-CS3 and Polk ES50 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 ES50 |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that SS-CS3 is a 3-way design whereas the ES50 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-CS3Polk ES50
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 |
Polk ES50 |
|
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 5.25-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 ES50 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz whereas ES50 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the ES50 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 ES50 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 88 dBdB.
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.
ES50 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas SS-CS3 has a max power handling value of 145 watts RMS, 55 watts less than the ES50.
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
ES50 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SS-CS3 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
SS-CS3 has a rear firing port whereas ES50 has a bottom firing ports. Polk ES50's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sony SS-CS3 with its rear-firing 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 Polk ES50'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 ES50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 191.0 x 281.0mm (37-7/16 x 7-1/2 x 11-1/16inch).
Sony SS-CS3 is 29mm shorter and 21mm less deeper than Polk ES50 but it is also 39mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony SS-CS3 and Polk ES50 in scale.
Comparison image of Sony SS-CS3 and Polk ES50 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 Polk ES50 is approximately 536.7cm2 / 83.2inch2. The SS-CS3 requires 11% more surface area than the ES50 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 Polk ES50 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs. This makes the ES50 37% heavier than the SS-CS3.
Here is a comparison of how SS-CS3 and ES50'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 Polk ES50?
Here are the items that come with the ES50:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
40k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
922mm
vs
951mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
458USD
vs
698USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
145 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5.12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
536cm2
vs
598cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Sony SS-CS3 |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 |
| Brand |
Sony |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 145 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-50k Hz |
38-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.12" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
922.0mm (36.3") |
951.0mm (37.4") |
| Width |
230.0mm (9.1") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
10.60kg (23.3lbs) |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
| 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 |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Polk ES50 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 | B | Polk ES50 digs deeper - 38Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk ES50 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk ES50 takes more power (200W vs 145W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | Polk ES50: bi-amping. Polk ES50 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Sony SS-CS3 is cheaper - $458 against $698, about 34% less. |
A Sony SS-CS3 B Polk ES50
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: Polk ES50 measures better, Sony SS-CS3 costs about about 52% 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. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $240 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.