tonio_k

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $650.00 from Audio Alternative, L

Summary:
I have had these speakers for a year now, so it seems like a good time to post a short review. The Image line has now been updated by psb, which only makes a good thing even better. I bought these for my "second" system, a modest home-theater setup, and it instantly became my first in terms of sound quality. The speakers need about 50 hours of run-in to start, and sound even better--especially on top--after about 100 hours. Biwiring also made a subtle improvement, especially in midrange detail. A month ago my son got me some Monster THX cables and that helped too (somewhat to my surprise) -- soundstage now wider and higher, flutes sound more silvery, dynamics enhanced. I went in looking for monitors-on-stands to slightly upgrade the little Polks I had been using. The great people at Audio Alternative in Lilburn helped me "discover" these little floorstanders instead, mainly by answering all my newbie questions and letting me listen for long stretches of time. Thanks guys! These are unbelievable speakers for the price. They work really well in my system, integrate nicely with my sub for those few low notes they lack, and make a sweet, uncolored sound that I have enjoyed for hours at a time. It was a great way to get back into audio and start really enjoying music again (I am a professional musician and music historian).

Strengths:
accuracy (i.e. flat response w/in their range), plus they do microdynamics pretty darn well

Weaknesses:
none at this price -- ok maybe a touch harsh on top with some recordings, but my room is quite live and my digital player was mediocre (since upgraded), which accounts for most of that.

Similar Products Used:
polk, a/d/s, infinity

Price Paid:  $450.00 from YAWA

Summary:
I am not very experienced in the way of speakers, but I must say these are the best I've ever heard and I am very happy to own them. I first discovered PSB when I came across a pair of Image 1B bookshelf speakers from a high end local audio store. I didn't have much money to spend but I needed something better than my tv speakers, so I bought a receiver and the 1Bs. I was amazed at the sound of the 1Bs, but I was constantly annoyed by the locality of such a small speaker. I felt like every sound was coming directly from the speakers and they certainly did not fill my living room completely with sound. Eventually, I forked out the cash for these towers. After setting them up and wiring them, I was absolutely amazed at the difference in imaging and sound quality over the 1Bs. I could suddenly imagine a full stage of music in front of me. I moved the 1Bs to the rear as surrounds and now I can enjoy well-matched surround effects from my dvds along with room filling stereo sound from my cds. I love these speakers.

Strengths:
Clarity, sensitivity, looks, bass, everything.

Weaknesses:
I can't find any.

Price Paid:  $427.00 from new via web

Summary:
bought them for kids, plenty reviews. Here is how to improve them: - take off grille's, better horiz image/mids - put on spikes, better bass deliniation - sit below tweeter axis, better vert image - terrible bass tuning on the ports, stuff with sonex foam, balled socks, whatever. much cleaner bass & mids result. Just find the nastiest multi bass instrument recording you have, and try it. Has little to do with volume. If you can't tell, then these speakers are more then good enough for you. exotic improvements: - replace tweeter with better unit, likely a silk dome, the tweeter is metallic even after break-in. - xover is very cheap (naturally), may improve grinding coloration in upper mids by improving caps (try tweet change first). cabinet bracing is poor, consider adding some, along with treatment of inside of cabinet.

Strengths:
cheap. with simple mods mentioned, these can stand against lots of $1k speakers.

Weaknesses:
with ports open bass has a mushy Q of well over 1.0 (ideal is .707), maybe that's OK for rear channel work in a 5 channel rig, but for stereo EQ that stinks. tweeter/x-over results in cripy sound and colorations at times (female vocals are fine), but brash horns and metallic percussion show off this coloration - much worse on axis.

Similar Products Used:
Dyna A-25, Lg Advent, ADS 710, DCM Time Window, DQ-10's, Magnepan MG-1, Martin Logan Aerius, SL-3, Triangle Celius

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Electronic City Indo

Summary:
I bought this speaker for listening the music, home theatre powered by NAD T752 receiver, power amp. 218THX&C270 for surround back, T562DVD, completed PSB10S,PSB10S&PSB8C,JBLCS100 (surround Back). Those packad gave me great home theatre. More impressive is great sound for JAZZ music. That my favourit music. Vacal is more clear and no noice produced.

Strengths:
Deep Bass, smooth high freqency and natural vocal. Also open sound.

Similar Products Used:
B&W

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
My review summary will not attempt to describe the performance of these speakers in a stereo set-up as they were intended to always be used in a 5.1 system. I use 2 sets of 4T's (mains and surrounds), combined with an 8C center and a Subsonic 6 sub. Since personal criterias for selecting components is such an important part of the shopping process, I will try to summarize mine. As an Audiophile who has previously owned higher fidelity equipement, I had decided to make the move to a 5.1 surround set-up that would be used in a music/movie ratio of approx. 75/25%. The sound had to be very neutral accross all of it's frequency range with excellent dynamics whithout showing signs of compression at higher SPL's. In order to obtain this, I was ready to accept a slightly dryer personality from the speakers as I new that the remaining component selection could compensate for this. Imaging, soundstaging and spaciousness were all evaluated within the limits that this price range can resonably achieve. All of my music listening is done in either original 5.1 format from DTS CD's or DVD Video's as well as the "envelopping effect" I have really come to appreciate from my Denon receiver in 5 channel stereo mode (not DSP processed)from my SACD's and regular CD's. I also wanted to make sure that the set-up would transmit DVD movies with great dynamic abilities, something that to many "warmer sounding" speakers cannot achieve. Well, there you have it... After properly integrating the speaker system into my living room with the use of the AVIA calibration DVD and an SPL meter, I must admit that these speakers (as well as the whole set) really shine in delivering an outstanding combination of multi-channel musicality and home theater entertainement. For reference, I include the remainder of the system used: Denon AVR-3300 Receiver, Sony DVP-S9000ES SACD/DVD playeron top of a Cambridge Audio isolation platform, Monster Cable 300 and 400 series interconnects and speaker cables, Monster power HTS2600 line conditioner, Lovan system rack and Toshiba 50" Cinema series HDTV.

Strengths:
Very neutral sound, excellent bass and quite dynamic. Small size for such an open sound. Higher level of fit and finish than all competitive products auditioned in that price range.

Weaknesses:
Limited soundstaging for stereo listening set-up.