Monitor Audio SB-3 Passive Soundbar

Monitor Audio SB-3 Soundbar

Passive 3-channel soundbar designed for TVs above 60 inches, with separate left, centre, and right driver arrays in one cabinet for cleaner TV audio without a full front-speaker stack.

The SB-3 is the step up from the SB-2 when the screen is larger and the room needs a bit more scale. It is a passive soundbar for customers who still want proper AV electronics behind the system, just in a cleaner-looking format.

It uses three discrete channel arrays inside one enclosure, making it a very sensible option when you want better television sound without filling the room with separate front speakers.

Built for Bigger TV Systems

A sensible option when the room needs better sound without filling the front wall with speakers

The SB-3 is designed for TVs above 60 inches, which gives it a clear use case in living rooms, media rooms, bedrooms, and cleaner wall-mounted screen setups where separate front speakers may feel like too much gear.

That is the real appeal here. The SB-3 is a proper passive LCR soundbar for customers who want a tidier front end while still using a real amplifier or AV receiver.

Three Separate Driver Arrays

Left, centre, and right channels in one cabinet

The SB-3 uses three separate driver arrays inside a single cabinet. The left and right channels each use 2 x 4-inch C-CAM bass/mid drivers and 2 x 1-inch C-CAM Gold Dome tweeters, while the centre channel uses 2 x 4-inch C-CAM bass/mid drivers and 1 x 1-inch C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter. The soundbar also uses Auxiliary Bass Reflex loading.

That matters because it gives the SB-3 a much more serious speaker layout than a token TV bar with a handful of tiny full-range units.

More Scale Than the SB-2

A better fit when the room or screen size pushes beyond the smaller model

The SB-3 has all-channel frequency response of 80 Hz – 30 kHz, left and right sensitivity of 84 dB, centre-channel sensitivity of 87 dB, 8-ohm nominal impedance, left and right power handling of 40 W RMS, centre-channel power handling of 80 W RMS, and 100 W all-channel system power handling with the high-pass filter set to 100 Hz.

That makes the SB-3 the more substantial passive soundbar option for bigger displays and slightly more ambitious rooms.

Better Again with a Subwoofer

A smarter option in larger rooms or more ambitious systems

In larger rooms the SB-3 can be used with a partnering Monitor Audio subwoofer for the best possible audio experience, while in smaller environments it can still deliver full-range audio well beyond the limits of a TV’s built-in sound system.

That gives the SB-3 useful flexibility. It can work as a cleaner TV speaker in a straightforward setup, or become the front end of a fuller system when paired with a proper subwoofer.

Optional Bracket for a Cleaner Install

Simple mounting support when the soundbar needs to sit neatly with the screen

The BSB is the matching bracket for the SB-3. The cabinet measures 145 x 1310 x 89 mm including feet, and 145 x 1310 x 100 mm including bracket.

That is useful because a soundbar like this only really makes sense if the installation stays clean. A matched bracket is a much better answer than improvising with a generic mount that only half fits.

Specifications

Detailed Technical Specifications

For those who like to drag out all the useful bits

The Audio Experts Take

The SB-3 makes a lot of sense when the brief is a cleaner TV setup that still uses proper speaker engineering, and the screen is a bit too big for the smaller SB-2. The three-channel layout, C-CAM drivers, Gold Dome tweeters, and passive design all point to a soundbar that is meant for customers who want a tidier front end without dropping down to flimsy built-in TV sound.

What we like here is that it looks commercially honest. It is not pretending to replace a full surround system all by itself, but it does give you a neat and sensible way to improve TV sound properly on a larger screen. For TVs above 60 inches in living rooms, media rooms, and cleaner AV spaces, the SB-3 looks like a very solid option.

Brand new. Contact us for current availability, amplifier matching, and subwoofer pairing advice.