In this review, we will be comparing D330 and SS-CS3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Sony.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale D330 and Sony SS-CS3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale D330 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone Woofer
- 56-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-120watts
- Weight:18.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 965.0" x 7.9" x 13.3"( 965 x 200 x 338mm )
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 )
What size room are the Wharfedale D330 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* |
Wharfedale D330 |
Sony SS-CS3 |
| 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 Wharfedale D330 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.
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Drivers
Both D330 and SS-CS3 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Wharfedale D330 |
Sony SS-CS3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
- |
0.75-inch |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.12-inch
|
D330 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 1 x 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone 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
D330 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz whereas SS-CS3 has a frequency range of 45-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the D330 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
D330 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the SS-CS3 which has a nominal impedance of 6 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. 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.
D330 can handle a max power of 145 watts RMS from the amp the whereas D330 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 25 watts less than the SS-CS3.
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
D330 features Post type posts and SS-CS3 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale D330's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
D330 has a bottom firing port whereas SS-CS3 has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale D330'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
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 Wharfedale D330's and Sony SS-CS3's external dimensions. Wharfedale D330 has external dimensions of 965 x 200 x 338mm ( 38.0" x 7.9" x 13.3") 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-CS3 is 43mm shorter and 78mm less deeper than Wharfedale D330 but it is also 30mm wider.
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 Wharfedale D330 is approximately 676.0cm2 / 104.8inch2 and base area of the Sony SS-CS3 is approximately 598.0cm2 / 92.7inch2. The D330 requires 13% more surface area than the SS-CS3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.