Great Value
Written: Mar 18 '02 (Updated Mar 19 '02)
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Pros: Price, sound, value.
Cons: Short manufacturer warranty (only 1 year).
The Bottom Line: Go listen to them. Then listen to Polk, JBL, Infinity, and Bose. I bet you'll be surprised how good $300 speakers can sound.
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| labman1's Full Review: Sony SS-MF600H Speaker |
I was looking for speakers to add to my newly constructed MP3/CD player, comprised of an older receiver, CD-changer, and a new, home-built PC, for the living room. While we could have spent $1000 on new speakers, I didn't want to. I read plenty of reviews on this site for speakers from Polk, JBL, Infinity, etc. I thought for sure I would need to get into those brands to get decent sound. Then I stumbled across another review for Sony speakers (not the SSM-F600H). I thought to myself, as you are probably thinking, Sony could never make decent speakers, especially not for under $300/pair. Boy, was I wrong.
Now let me preface this review by stating I cannot be, and probably never will be, considered an audiophile. I know what sounds best to me and I think in the end that is what is important.
Anyway, after reading the review of the other Sony speakers I decided to take a trip to Best Buy to listen to the SSM-F600H. I took my wife with me, in case I wanted to by them I could ask permission on the spot. We listened to these Sony speakers, as well as speakers from KLH, Yamaha, JBL, and Cerwin Vega. Maybe it was the fact that the Sony speakers were tucked away in their own little corner, but they really sounded good to us. Through all the musical selections that Best Buy offered, the Sony speakers delivered. In rap, the bass was prevalent, in pop the vocals stood out, in classical...oh in classical these speakers really hummed (hummed in a good sense, of course).
So we decided to try the speaker selection at Circuit City. Our Circuit City is a lot quieter than Best Buy, so we could easily pick out the differences in the quality. We sampled Polk, Infinity and Bose. But still the Sony speakers stuck in our mind.
Back to Best Buy we went with checkbook in tow (no convincing needed, mind you). Now here is where the story takes an interesting turn - I bought the extended warranty. I know, I know, I threw my money away. But you see Sony only offers a 1-year warranty on their speakers while Polk, Infinity and the ilk offer 3- to 5-year warranties. If ever there were a criticism of these speakers, this is it. Anyway, Best Buy offered an additional 3 years of warranty for $30 on the pair. I don't plan on abusing these things, but it is nice to know that if a driver should blow, I can get them replaced at Best Buy. I hope I never need to use it.
Now that we've had them installed for about a month, I can definitely say they were worth every penny. We listen to music for about 4 hours in the evening and most weekends they are on non-stop, and we listen to everything from Mozart to Billie Holiday to John Denver to Linkin Park. No matter what I put to these speakers they sound great. Toss in the fact that these speakers were under $300 for the pair and it is even sweeter.
But don't take my word for it - go listen for yourself. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how Sony speakers sound. Keep in mind that these speakers won't keep a frat party alive, nor would they be my only speakers in my home theater (although I am considering buying another pair and a sub for just that), but they are an excellent value for general music at a respectable volume.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 275.00
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Epinions.com ID:
labman1
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Reviews written: 1
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