Sony SS-MB150H - The Most BANG For Your Buck
Written: Jan 06 '04
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Price, Sound, Quality construction
Cons: Midrange
The Bottom Line: The Sony SS-MB150H are definitely bang for the buck!
|
|
|
| soupcraze's Full Review: |
Sony's speakers today are some of the finest for the price. Sony offers quality speakers at very low prices. It sad to see how some people overlook Sony speakers because of their price or don't believe that they are good speakers. The Sony SS-MB150H are the lowest end speakers in this series. But they sure don't sound like low-fi speakers. They give you realy bang for your buck! Here's what I found with the Sony SS-MB150H speakers.
-Price-
*The Sony SS-MB150H lack a dedicated midrange driver that sets them apart from other speakers of the same series. However, even without it, they provide a rich and full sound. The Sony SS-MB150H come in at about $50 a pair, which is as cheap as you'll find quality speakers going for. These speakers would make excellent replacements for mini-system speakers and also for very low cost home theater systems. Compared to other low cost competitors such as KLH, Sony makes a much higher quality product. You can see the difference, since Sony uses higher quality materials to build their drivers. You can hear the difference, it's just the sound. So if you're on an extremely tight budget or want to add some better speakers to a low cost mini-system, then the Sony SS-MB150H might be ideal speakers for you. You're not going to be able to find anything better in this price range. Even from cheap brands like KLH, you're not going to exceed these babies.
-Performance-
*I heard these speakers on two different kinds of systems. The first was a Panasonic mini-system that's already a couple years old and definitely isn't a higher end model. The Sony SS-MB150H speakers sounded much better than stock. $50 can go a long way in improving an already crappy mini-system. Then I heard the Sony SS-MB150H speakers powered by a Yamaha HTR-5450 receiver with about 80 Watts per channel. The Sony SS-MB150H provided exceptional sound for the price. However, they lacked a strong midrange and deep bass. This is because the bass driver is only 5.25" inches. However, it sounded more clear than anything in the same price range from KLH. If you're using them as stereo main speakers for music, they will have good clear sound with clear but somewhat weak vocals. Bass is lacking for any heavy music, so you should consider buying a cheap subwoofer to supplement them. As for rear speakers, they will do everything that they are supposed to without any problems. For an average listener, these speakers should sound pretty good. For $50, you really can't be all that demanding, don't expect ground shaking bass and the clearest vocals ever. However, the Sony SS-MB150H do provide a realistic and clear high-range through the 1" dome tweeter and the 5.25" can create a bit of bass movement. Unlike very cheap speakers, the Sony SS-MB150H do not distort. They provide clean sound throughout. If you're looking for speakers that sound good, then the Sony SS-MB150H are a good choic, but they aren't anything special. But for $50, they will beat out just about anything else you can put up against them. Sony knows how to build quality products that go cheap.
-Looks & Styling-
*The Sony SS-MB150H are pretty speakers. They have a nice black finish with an attractive cloth grille. They should look nice in any setting or smaller room. If you hook them up to those cheap plastic crazy looking mini-systems, the Sony SS-MB150H should give the mini-system a more "intellectual" look. They don't look like garbage if that's what you think you'd be getting.
-Specifications-
*120 Watts
*1" nano-fine tweeter
*5.25" HOP midbass woofer
*80Hz - 50kHz
-The Verdict-
*For $50, you get a quality pair of Sony speakers. They might be lagging when it comes to a very detailed strong midrange or deep bass, but they do what they are supposed to do better than anything else that you can find at this price. They are clear sounding speakers that have a higher quality build to them. If you're looking for incredibly cheap speakers to supplement a mini-system or low-fi home theater, then the Sony SS-MB150H are two speakers that'll perform adequately.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID: soupcraze
|
- Top 50 |
|
Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Reviews written: 491
Trusted by: 185 members
About Me: I enjoy many of life's passions... Music, medicine, people, and life itself.
|
|
|