Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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118 of 120 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heck of a bargain, April 1, 2008
I'm in the unfortunate position of having audiophile ears but a small budget. So I shop carefully for audio equipment. I purchased a pair of Sony B3000s here recently ($84), and while I auditioned them I was also testing a pair of Klipsch B-3 bookshelf speakers ($329). I only use my system for audio, by the way, in combination with a 100w Sony subwoofer, and I listen mostly to classical music.
I noticed a big difference in sound right away- the Sonys seemed to be accurate up and down the frequency range while producing a very even, smooth ensemble sound in full orchestral passages. To my ears the Klipsches did none of these things well. I'm an orchestral musician and I know what different instruments sound like- the Sonys reproduce all the instruments very accurately. The Klipsches, on the other hand, were so bright and lively that I found them harsh and difficult to listen to. They're more efficient, so they produce louder sounds at the same volume setting, but that's not a consideration for me. All that I want is accurate reproduction.
I compared both pairs side-by-side with a wide range of recordings, for about 50 to 60 hours each, and ultimately, for my tastes, the Sonys far outperformed the Klipsches. And at 1/3 the price of the Klipsches they were a heck of a bargain. They're not high-end speakers so they're not going to blow your doors off, but for the money they're a great value.
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding, May 24, 2007
I bought these to replace a pair of Infinity 2-ways. The old speakers were 6 ohm, and seemed fine driven by an old JVC stereo receiver. Later, a co-worker sold me his old pro-logic reciever. I picked up a set of 8 ohm Sony center, subwoofer, and surrounds. We listen to music a lot, and using the crossover in the sub, keeping keep the receiver on stereo, I thought the music sounded pretty good. However, with the old fronts being 6 ohm made it really hard to balance the sound levels when we watched a movie in surround. Just today, I got these as part of an overall system upgrade to full 7.1. These speakers arrived first, and I couldn't wait to see them on my stands. What an amazing difference. We haven't changed anything else in the set-up yet, and the music is SO much richer and clearer. I paid more for those little Infinity's way back when. These are a real bargain at Amazon's price. Don't let the "bookshelf" description fool you; on a pair of 14" stands, these sound as good as many floorstanders I've heard.
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive for the space and the price, January 5, 2008
The first thing I thought when I unpacked these speakers was "these are not bookshelf speakers". The first thing I thought when I hooked them up and gave them a spin was also "these are not bookshelf speakers!" They are not terribly heavy and could easily be placed on a shelf or hung from the ceiling, but they really sound best on stands by themselves.
I also own a pair of SS-B1000 speakers, and those are also impressive for their size (which truly is bookshelf), but the difference in the clarity of the bass is just astonishing. Even at low volume levels, the bass has a presence and realism lacking in the 1000s, though it isn't any louder in the mix, and transients are palpable as much as they are audible.
The look is nothing out of the ordinary, but the performance and price certainly merit giving these your consideration. The size is small enough to be able to hide among the furniture if you are so inclined, though they really deserve a clear path from speaker to ear. My only (very minor) gripe would be the spaghetti-thin speaker wires included in the box, which are best replaced immediately.
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