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Sony SS-CS8 vs Sony SS-CS3 Comparison

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Sony SS-CS8

Passive Center Channel | 55-25k Hz

Sony SS-CS8
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Sony SS-CS3

Passive Floor-standing | 45-50k Hz

Sony SS-CS3
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Sony SS-CS8 Sony SS-CS8
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Sony SS-CS3 Sony SS-CS3
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Sony SS-CS8
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Sony SS-CS3
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Sony SS-CS8 vs Sony SS-CS3 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Sony. Sony SS-CS8 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the SS-CS3 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony SS-CS8 and Sony SS-CS3 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony SS-CS8 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
  • 2 x 4" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer
  • 55-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 86 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 6ohms
  • Power Range:up to 145watts
  • Weight:5.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 146.0" x 16.93" x 8.66"( 146.0 x 430.0 x 220.0mm )

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 )

SS-CS8 and SS-CS3 are members of Sony's CS series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Sony CS Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Sony SS-CS5
  
Bookshelf 53-50k Hz 87 dB6Ω 1 x 5.25"
Sony SS-CS3
Floor-standing 45-50k Hz 88 dB6Ω 2 x 5.12"
Sony SS-CS8
Center Channel 55-25k Hz 86 dB6Ω 2 x 4"

What size room are the Sony SS-CS8 and Sony SS-CS3 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-CS8 Sony SS-CS3
Near-field Poor Bad
Small Room Average Poor
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Average 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-CS8 and Sony SS-CS3 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that SS-CS8 is a 2-way design whereas the SS-CS3 is a 3-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-CS8 Sony SS-CS3
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Super Tweeter - 0.75-inch
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 2 x 4-inch 2 x 5.12-inch

SS-CS8 features a 1" polyester fiber Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer . On the other hand, the SS-CS3 features a 1" polyester fiber Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 0.75" Supertweeter and 2 x 5.12" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer .

Frequency Response

SS-CS8 has a frequency range of 55-25k Hz whereas SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k 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 SS-CS8's min frequency of 55Hz.

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 Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

SS-CS8
SS-CS3
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Sony SS-CS8
Sony SS-CS3
Min
Average
Max

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-CS8 and SS-CS3 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. SS-CS8 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the SS-CS3's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sony SS-CS3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Sony SS-CS8, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Center Channel Speakers

SS-CS8
SS-CS3
Min
Average
Max

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-CS8 and SS-CS3 has the same power range of up to 145 watts.

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-CS8 features Post type posts and SS-CS3 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Sony SS-CS8 Terminals
Sony SS-CS8's Post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both SS-CS8 and SS-CS3 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

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-CS8's and Sony SS-CS3's external dimensions. Sony SS-CS8 has external dimensions of 146.0 x 430.0 x 220.0mm ( 5.75 x 16.93 x 8.66inch) whereas Sony SS-CS3 has external dimensions of 922.0 x 230.0 x 260.0mm ( 36.30 x 9.05 x 10.24inch) .

Sony SS-CS8 is 776mm shorter and 40mm less deeper than Sony SS-CS3 but it is also 200mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony SS-CS8 and Sony SS-CS3 in scale.

Sony SS-CS8 vs Sony SS-CS3 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony SS-CS8 and Sony SS-CS3 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-CS8 is approximately 946.0cm2 / 146.6inch2 and base area of the Sony SS-CS3 is approximately 598.0cm2 / 92.7inch2. The SS-CS8 requires 58% more surface area than the SS-CS3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.


Reasons to choose Sony SS-CS8 over Sony SS-CS3
Height 146mm vs 922mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair* 169USD vs 358USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Sony SS-CS3 over Sony SS-CS8

Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity 88 dB vs 86 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size 5.12 inches vs 4 inches Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response 45 Hz vs 55 Hz Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response 50k Hz vs 25k Hz Generates higher frequency
Base Surface Area 598cm2 vs 946cm2 Takes less floor space
Sony SS-CS8 vs Sony SS-CS3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony SS-CS8 Sony SS-CS3
Brand Sony Sony
Speaker Type Center Channel Floor-standing speakers
Power Range up to 145 watts up to 145 watts
Sensitivity 86 dB 88 dB
Impedance 6 ohms 6 ohms
Frequency Response 55-25k Hz 45-50k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 2 2
Woofer Size 4" 5.12"
Woofer Composition Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC)
Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
Tweeter Size 1" 1"
Tweeter Type Soft-Dome Soft-Dome
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver No No
Firing Direction rear rear
Physical Specs
Height 146.0mm (5.7") 922.0mm (36.3")
Width 430.0mm (16.9") 230.0mm (9.1")
Depth 220.0mm (8.7") 260.0mm (10.2")
Weight 5.00kg (11lbs) 10.60kg (23.3lbs)
Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
Finish MDF/Wood-veneer MDF/Wood-veneer
Available Colors Black Black
Grille Yes Yes
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Biamp Inputs No No
Other
Parts Warranty 2 years 2 years
Labor Warranty 2 years 2 years

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