Great speakers
Written: Feb 05 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
| Flatness: |
|
|
| Imaging: |
 |
|
| Overall Sound: |
|
|
|
Pros: Very high quality looks and sound, cheap price
Cons: sony name?
The Bottom Line: Give these a try. For this price, there is simply no reason not to.
|
|
|
| twyatt2's Full Review: Sony SS-MF600H Speaker |
Overview:
I got these speakers in late 2001, shortly after they came on the market. There was quite a hype about the 600h's predecessor, the 515's. I decided to pick up a pair of these new 600s to try them out in my home. I have a large listening room, 34 x 17 and vaulted 25' ceilings. That said, these speakers do a remarkable job of filling that space, and doing it well! My other system components are a Pioneer 811s receiver, and a Toshiba SD 4800 DVD / DVD-A player.
Sound:
First, the sound. These speakers do a great job of reproducing all sound frequencies, measured (by me) from around 50 Hz all the way up to an advertised 50kHz. This large upper frequency is there to allow listeners to take advantage of new recording and listening media (DVD-Audio and SACD, for example). These new sound media have extended frequency ranges, to give the music a more realistic feel. These speakers take advantage of that. Further, these speakers are GREAT for movie watching.
Modifications and testing:
I am by nature a "tweaker", so I must fiddle with everything. I pulled these speakers apart, and found no "crossover" per se, but a set of capacitors on the midrange and one on the tweeter. Additionally, there is "poly-fill" attached to most surfaces on the inside of these speakers, though less than was in the 515s. The speakers themselves are wired with what appeared to be 20-22 gauge speaker wire. Because of my belief that I can make anything better, I decided to add true crossovers and replace the wiring. This is the type of modification that really brought the older 515s to life. I added the 3-way "Radio Shack" crossovers, and 16 gauge speaker wiring throughout.
Afterwards, I can actually notice a difference, but there really is little physical evidence of this difference. I did before and after frequency response tests, and the crossovers took out a few peaks around the middle - ranges, where both the woofers and the midranges were being run before. Additionally, the crossovers did flatten out the response at the midrange-to-tweeter merge as well. These changes would be expected from any addition of a crossover. So, if I could go back and do this modification over would I? probably not. The speakers were actually really good stock, and I could still have the warranty if I didn't rip them apart. However, there is a certain peace of mind that comes with knowing that I have these speakers running about as good as they are capable.
There are other reviews around that advertise you don't need a subwoofer with these speakers. I think that statement is false. I measured usable bass response down to approximately 50Hz. This is quite low for 8" woofers, but definitely not a replacement for a home theater subwoofer that is capable of delving into the 20's or below for that deep thump when the T-Rex is stomping around in Jurassic Park. I run only these speakers for most music though, in stereo mode without the aid of a subwoofer, I find their sound very appealing.
Aesthetics:
These speakers look like "a million bucks". The sony name is prominently displayed on the grilles, and can be just as easily removed, if you choose. I personally don't care about names, and let the speaker's sound speak for itself. I keep my grilles on, and am happy to report that many of my Paradigm, Klipsch, and Polk - owning buddies are awe-struck to see what these Sonys can do.
Comparisons:
I recently set up a friend's Denon and Paradigm (reference series) system, and was anxious to see how the Sonys fared. So, I took over my speakers, and did a straight side-by-side comparison, A-B'ing them back and forth. There was a difference (my friend was very happy to hear the difference, since he just dropped a CHUNK of change on those speakers) I was happy that I spent a fraction of what he did on speakers, and still got a pleasant sounding speaker out of it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 279
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
twyatt2
|
|
Location: Columbus, OH
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 3 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.