Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony SS-B3000 Bookshelf Speakers with 8" Woofer (Pair)

It was time to update my system's front speakers (KLH 3-way 550s) so I started surfing for 1] good ratings, 2] 2 or 3 way (preferred) design, 3] wide range sonic spectrum, and lastly 4] appropriately priced. Voila!...I came across these Sony 3000s, the ratings were a Perfect 5 (RAVE), 3-way design, near flooring standing speaker sound range, and very affordable; I bought 'em! Set up was a no-brainer, and I tested them using two (2) familiar audio CDs ("That's Entertainment" [Chris Elliot on a Mighty Wurlitzer] and The Eagles "Hotel California"), powered by my Onkyo TX-SR304 5.1 receiver. Results-1st CD: Unless you HAVE TO HAVE a subwoofer (I have two matched 10 inchers), these 3000s will do it all for you. I heard additional detail from them, greater clarity, a more spacial and airy sound stage with essentially very tight, flatline audio reproduction, and "musical" sound; cuts used were That's Entertainment and Danse Macabre. What I DIDN'T hear was very low frequency breakup that I though was coming from the subs, but was being distorted by the KLH speaker's 8" woofers; that didn't occur with the Sonys. For vocal testing, I played Hotel California, and Life In The Fast Lane, again with the same results of exceptionally clear vocals, additional detail from the band's instruments NOT present with the KLHs, and tighter bass response than I'd been getting. Subsequent listening to Brahms 1st and 3rd Symphonies proved these speakers very capable as well. Both the KLH and the Sonys are the same size, same hf/mid/woofer configuration, basically the same weight with Extra Stars going to Sony for better overall construction and REALLY solid/protective speaker grills. While I know you only connect the wire leads one or maybe a couple of times initially, the terminals on both the KLH and the Sonys were spring-clip style where with the Sonys I would have preferred screw-tight binding posts; the latter don't cost all that much more and aren't prone to breaking. (Note: Most ALL entry level and SOME mid-grade receivers use spring-clip style conntectors for the speaker wires. WRONG! I've got one perfectly good 5.1 Onkyo TX-SR303 that I can no longer use because of this spring-clip connector failure and I'm STILL LOOKING for a repair shop that can fix this inexpensively.) Back to the 3000s; better speakers out there?...Yes, BUT...these are the BEST PERFORMING 3-ways for their price range, unobtrusive appearance, and solid construction all contributing to their 5-Star rating, and well deserved to get it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for ALL TYPES of audio reproduction. (A'.com is the best source for these speakers, expecially when you consider the Free Shipping offered.)

These speakers were purchased for a family room audio system. They deliver quality sound for a very reasonable price and we have found them very satisfactory. As other reviewers have noted, it is an ideal purchase if you are looking to supplement your audio needs. If you are a stickler for a really rich, base sound, than this will probably not be the purchase for you. These speakers have a sleek, handsome appearance but are not designed for the average bookshelf. However, they will work very nicely if you happen to have a low bookcase to place them on. They are narrow enough to fit easily on a standard shelf, but are much higher than the average bookcase speaker.

All in all, a great purchase for the price!

I recently replaced my small bookshelf speakers with the Sony B-3000's for my front surround speakers. Great improvement with a lot more power and clarity compared with the old smaller bookshelf speakers. Just note that these will not disappear into the room. They are decent sized, however, the added power and clarity more than make up for that.

awesome speakers for the price. They are smaller than I thought - which is actually good news - and they sound very good. But, really, for $80 a pair, your next upgrade will probably cost you over $500. I would stick with these, they do their job very very well.

The first time I heard about these speakers, I knew that I wanted to get these to replace my old Sony SSMB300s immediately. I also got a new stereo( and use the concert mode option for all of my DVDs, CDs, video games and Sirius radio) with 7 speaker channels which means I'm getting another pair for basic surround sound and adding smaller speakers in the future.
Even with only one pair of these the amount of deep, heavy bass and clear and accurate treble these give are incredibly impressive. These are great not only for music but for video games and movies. I was playing The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time with the speakers on at a fairly loud level with the audio cables hooked up to my stereo and I noticed the sound made my HD tv screen seem to look bigger just because the awesome sound made me feel like I was part of the game. I can't wait to listen to these on all of my favorite movies especially when I can get them in surround.
These sound great for music obviously. I strongly advise you to get a big roll of bronze speaker wire and use a high watt subwoofer(my Polk Audio subwoofer makes these sound even greater, the high quality sound is beautiful)for the full effect. One of the first things I noticed when listening to music with these speakers was that the bass is very noticable and powerful without being too overwhelming and the vocals and treble sound crystal clear. Overall, I have to say I strongly recommend these speakers and they're the best ones I've had.
Product update: It's now June 2009 and I now have 2 pairs of these great speakers and a Polk Audio subwoofer and the sound is more than just cool it's amazing.