PSB Alpha S Reviews (1 Viewer)

[JustinABOOK]

PSB speakers have come highly recommended from my Bro-In-Law. Does anyone have any experiences with PSB that might steer me toward or away from PSB? The speakers I've been looking into can be seen at soundcity.com.

soundcity.com/product.php?id1=HOME%20THEATER&product_id=903(sorry, can't insert a hyperlink yet)

Are the two-way speakers worth the extra cost? What benefits do two way rear speakers bring? Is it base on room shape or size?

Thanks,
Justin

 

[Neil Joseph]

Just take a look through my setup to find out how much I love PSB speakers.

Moving to speakers

 

[Jim Carr]

The purpose of bi-polar speakers is to diffuse the sound, meaning you can't tell excactly where it is coming from, which is what most people look for in a surround speaker. Some people prefer direct firing, I personally like bi-polar. One thing you are going to hear on this board is try them out for yourself, everyone likes different sounds.

BTW, i'm the bro-in-law!


Just to give you more info on his situation, he is looking for a 6.1 system ON A BUDGET of less than 1500, including the sub. They must be rather small speakers and have that elusive WAF!

They were originally looking into BOSE, so I figured I better steer him to the experts here!


Jim

 

[James Edward]

I'm a happy owner of several PSB systems- Stratus Golds for my 2 channel system, and Image 4T's, 1B's, and 8C for my surround system. All are very competitive in their price range.

Having said that, I obviously second the PSB recommendation. But I feel that spending $399 for a pair of bipolar speakers on a total budget of $1500 is a misallocation of funds. If you look at the specs, the Alpha S is rather anemic in the bass department, already down 3db at 85Hz. It is also, as most small speakers are, not too efficient, so you'll need more power to drive them.

For $100 less- the Image 1B, or $150 less- the Alpha B, you'll get considerably better bass response, and 3db more efficiency. 3db is significant; you'll need half as much amplifier power to drive the speaker to a given volume.

On the bass response issue: at a typical crossover frequency of 80Hz, the Alpha S is already behind, since it's specified response is already dipping at 85Hz. This leaves a potential frequency gap if you can't set a higher crossover frequency on your receiver.

Lastly, you should check these guys out:

https://dmc-electronics.com/Default.htm

They have much better prices than the site you gave a link to. Good luck. Whichever PSB's you choose, they are a fine choice.