Short answer: the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez for in-room balance, the Sony SS-CS3 for affordable sensitivity, though neither ranks well in its class. The Triangle’s predicted in-room response sums rather nicely apart from a resonance around 260Hz, other on-axis resonances and a bass dip, at $1,799 against $450 for the Sony. The Sony is easy to drive at 88.6dB SPL at 2.83V/1m, but severe resonances between 100Hz and 600Hz color the midrange. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 74 floorstanding speakers, so if sound quality matters, consider the Revel Concerta2 F35 instead, ranked #19 at $900.
Buy the Sony SS-CS3 only if you find one used in good condition; both are discontinued, and it is the better rated of the two. For a new speaker, start with the Revel Concerta2 F35 instead.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sony SS-CS3 | Triangle Esprit Antal Ez | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $450 per pair Discontinued | $1,799 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #68 of 74 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #71 of 74 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 62Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 72Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
| Dimensions | 36.3”H x 9.1”W x 10.2”D (922 x 230 x 260 mm) | 43.9”H x 11.8”W x 15.7”D (1115.0 x 300.0 x 400.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal | 8 ohms nominal (2.7 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 88.6dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 90.7dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 0.75 in. supertweeter, 0.98 in. polyester main tweeter, dual 5.12 in. MRC woofers | 2x 6.5” (160mm) fiberglass cone woofers, 1x 6.5” (160mm) natural cellulose midrange, 1x 1” (25mm) titanium dome tweeter |
| Weight | 25.4 lbs (11.5 kg) each | 98.5 lbs (44.7 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | ported, front |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.11 | 2.76 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.65 | 5.37 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Sony SS-CS3: $450 per pair Discontinued eBay
Pros: Affordable entry-level floorstanding tower offering solid sensitivity (88.6dB SPL at 2.83V/1m), making it easy to power with standard budget AVRs. Harmonic distortion remains reasonably low at moderate listening levels (86dB SPL) when high-pass filtered above 80-100Hz with a dedicated subwoofer. Front-ported design allows relatively close placement to front boundaries without excessive port occlusion. Measured bass extension of 72Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 88.6dB.
Cons: Severe cabinet and driver resonances plague the passband between 100Hz and 600Hz, imparting audible coloration and chesty resonances to male vocals and acoustic instruments. Irregular frequency response peaks and dips make automated receiver room correction difficult to equalize effectively. Poor low-frequency extension (F3 of 72Hz, F10 of 39Hz) for a floorstander, combined with rapid distortion escalation below 80Hz at higher SPLs (96dB+). Supertweeter driver adds crossover complexity without providing audible high-frequency benefit within the human hearing spectrum. Discontinued.
Full Sony SS-CS3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 72Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 36.3”H x 9.1”W x 10.2”D (922 x 230 x 260 mm) |
| Drivers | 0.75 in. supertweeter, 0.98 in. polyester main tweeter, dual 5.12 in. MRC woofers |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal |
| Sensitivity | 88.6dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.11 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.65 |
| Weight | 25.4 lbs (11.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Triangle Esprit Antal Ez: $1,799 per pair Discontinued eBay
Pros: Predicted in-room response sums rather nicely aside from the resonance and bass issues. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±50 degrees is reasonably controlled. Measured bass extension of 85Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 90.7dB.
Cons: Resonance around 260Hz and a number of other resonances show up on-axis, along with a dip in bass response. Two distinct distortion sources (one around 250-300Hz, another around 3-4kHz) already cross the reviewer’s audibility threshold even at moderate output, and get much worse at 96dB SPL/1m, where distortion broadly exceeds 50% relative level across large parts of the spectrum. Directivity is not great overall. The reviewer does not recommend it. Discontinued.
Full Triangle Esprit Antal Ez review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 62Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 43.9”H x 11.8”W x 15.7”D (1115.0 x 300.0 x 400.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 6.5” (160mm) fiberglass cone woofers, 1x 6.5” (160mm) natural cellulose midrange, 1x 1” (25mm) titanium dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (2.7 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 90.7dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 2.76 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.37 |
| Weight | 98.5 lbs (44.7 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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