These are probably the biggest eye openers Sony has produced in a VERY long time. They are extremely clean and have a good bass response too. Usually speakers in this size lack in one or the other - ESPECIALLY - at this price point. If your looking for a solid performer that sounds like it costs 3 times more - these are it. I wish Sony would make more speakers like this one. It seems like most of the speakers they produce are mediocre at best. These are the diamond in the rough. If your looking for stereo or home theatre - these will cover you. They are a bit bigger than most bookshelf speakers. That allows them to be placed on a stand and be used as your two front main channels. They have more than enough umph to function without a sub but a sub could compliment them if you like your sound boomy. All told, good speaker sound and good speaker value.

I had a pair of SS-B1000 that I was pretty pleased with for a home entertainment system, but I wanted something with more punch and bought these. I was not disappointed. They throw a surprisingly solid and clean bass range for their size, and the highs are quite reasonable for something in this price range (or even two or three times the price). They're also light and small enough to be easily transportable, although I would disagree with the "bookshelf" designation Sony has given them. That implies hiding them amongst books. While you could put these on a bookshelf, you would have to remove most of the books, so I don't think that is an appropriate description.

They do color the sound, but it is in a pleasant way. I would never use them for mastering, to be sure, but for entertainment they are more than adequate and quite an excellent value for the money. They make great bedroom speakers, as they are an excellent compromise between size and sound quality.

Just throw away the cheap spaghetti wire cables they ship with and use something decent. That's about my only knock on them.

Very good sounding speakers for the money. Full-bodied, rich, and detailed audio. I couldn't
believe they were $100! High are crisp and not overbearing. Mids are clear and detailed. Bass
is deep and very controlled without boominess. A very respectable speaker that perform well
above it's price range...

Truth is truth. No amount of audio snobbery can deny that these Sonys remind one of models built in 1980 or so, three-way designs with adequate-sized woofers without any need for extra bass. These woofers constantly surprise me, leaving the living room where my old Pioneer HPM-100's supply the bass to my bedroom where the Sony's form the front of a 5.1 system. The subwoofer is barely on, an 8" Yamaha just for effects but in stereo mode the Sonys shine on their own. They have well-chosen crossover points, "bass blocked" or not. They handle power we'll and deliver high volumes for moderate-sized rooms.

No doubt, these and their little AND big brothers are a fantastic value. You just have to get used to the fact that Sony made them. Strange but true, Sony delivered on these speakers.

junk speakers with bad high range and bass blockers instead of decent crossovers.Mid range city,yes goes kinda low but not great,you'ld wanna go up to 60 -70 on sub so they don't strain.So whats so good about that? nothing,even at the price u can do better.No way do these compare to Paradigm or even polk,which are better built and sound better.

The sound from this speaker is deep and accurate. In terms of value, an outstanding buy. Bass response is excellent, midrange is quite smooth, and treble is extended and detailed. This is a large bookshelf speaker - it stands 20 7/8 inches tall. Most bookshelf speakers are smaller; this speaker reminds me of the classic systems of the 1970s, which were often three-way designs - something not seen much these days. You won't need tall stands to get the tweeters up to ear level.

I've owned Paradigm and Energy speakers; to my ears, for the money, these compete in most respects. If you're interested in solid sound on a tight budget, I'd recommend these Sonys.

As can be seen on amazon, etc. these are fantastic speakers. Everything is quite clear, and they have good volume. I've never managed to get the volume on my receiver past about 60%, because it simply hurts too much. Bass is extraordinary for the size of the speaker (about knee height), but vocals still remain clear. I have one minor issue: the treble is slightly too strong, and sometimes covers up the upper mid-range...if someone is incessantly banging on a cymbal, it might overpower a softer electric guitar, for example. But thats easily adjustable...-2 dB treble.

Oh, and I more or less agree with this more professional review:
hometheaterreview.com/sony-ss-b3000-bookshelf-loudspeaker-reviewed/

as it says, each cone has its issues, but overall its a great sounding speaker.