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Klipsch B-3: Review

Posted to Speakers 2009-09-09

Klipsch have been designing home speakers for more than 55 years and the Klipsch B-3 bookshelf speakers really show some engineering prowess. Available in a plain matte black finish with titanium accents, the B-3 really stands out when part of a home theater. To help the B-3 outperform the competition is the 6.5in IMG woofer and 1in aluminum dome compression driver, meaning powerful sound emissions, while maintaining high quality output.

The B-3 is the third iteration of Synergy series bookshelf speaker manufactured by Klipsch and measures at 15in tall, 7.8in wide and 9.75in deep. Its proprietary high frequency Tractix horn allows for more rounded sound output, whilst still fulfilling midrange bass needs. As a bookshelf loudspeaker, the B-3 gives great overall performance in mid-range vocals, however, lacks the depth of lower level bass that would be required for a complete home theater setup, which means you should purchase a dedicated subwoofer also.

Rating:

3.6 out of 5

Value

Liking a product simply based on its value for money is a simple way of determining just how in touch with a consumer a company is. Klipsch have managed to produce a loud speaker that is at home in a high performance home theatre, without the price tag to match. Performance and sound quality from the B-3 is in line with the previous models produced in the Synergy series; however, the B-3 stands out for its modern design look (with speaker cover off). These items combined together mean that if you are considering adding in a few B-3 loudspeakers into your home theater, you won't be disappointed.

Ergonomics

Liking the B-3 on first look isn't hard. With the speaker covers removed and the titanium accents on display, there is a real modern and stylish look to the speakers that make them a focal point of your home theater. The design elements show some great insight by Klipsch to provide an aesthetically pleasing speaker that still satisfies those looking for sound performance. On the down side, the speaker covers do not look very well manufactured, but the real wow factor is seen with them off anyway, meaning there is no real downside to their poor quality.

Summary

A regular occurring theme with Klipsch speakers is that you can expect performance quality speakers in all of their ranges, so the B-3 fits in nicely with the synergy series. Its stylish titanium look is a real draw card for the fashion conscious speaker shopper and their performance is not easily forgotten if you can see them working with a subwoofer in a home theater test environment. Ideally, you could ask for a little more low-end bass performance, but a proper setup should have a dedicated sub to make up for this anyway.

Pros

Stylish titanium highlighting
Value for Money
Adequate Loudspeaker for Home Theater

Cons

You must purchase a subwoofer
Cheap speaker covers