PSB vs. Polk (1 Viewer)

[Brian Bowles]

How do you guys think the PSB line compares to the Polk line? I just bought some Polk RT-25i speakers and a Polk cs-245i at Circuit City. I thought they sounded great, but now I have heard some PSB 1b speakers. They are real close in price. I thought they were more defined and had better highs and lows. The problem is that they were at a real exclusive stereo place here in town and that guy had them hooked up to a real expensive amp that is supposed to be a lot better than mine. I wonder if my Onkyo 595 would produce the same sound or not? Heck maybe my Polks would sound that good too? What do you guys think? Also does it matter that I would Polk RT-5 speakers? I guess I would use them as the rears.

 

[Nick L]

I have a pair of PSB image 1b's and they are really great speakers. I have them hooked up to my(soon to be replaced) pioneer prologic receiver. I haven't listened to the polks all that much but prefer the psb's to them from what I have heard.

Nick L

 

[Chuck C]

My buddy's parents just got the 245i and 25i Polks...the sound is just spectacular, very tight and detailed. Also, the fit and finish is admirable.

 

[Danny Tse]

I have a pair of Polk Audio RT25i as well, and I think they're just about the best small speakers out there. Especially for $200.00/pair. Extremely potent and tight bass response and transparent midrange on up. I've not heard the PSB speakers in question but I am more than satisfied with the Polks. I heard some NHT SB3 bookshelf speakers (bass response down to 39Hz and $600.00/pair) the other day and I really think the Polks would compare favorably in an A/B comparison. I have the RT25i's hooked up to an Onkyo TX-8511 stereo receiver (100 watts/channel)now, but I will replace the receiver with a surround-sound receiver in the coming month (it's all you people's fault for convincing me to go multi-channel).

 

[Scott Yuri]

I was a long time Polk fan until I actually owned them. I bought them long ago, and after awhile grew tired of the same exact sound that drew me to them, and pleased you. They tired me out after a few months. I ended up giving them away. It may be sour grapes, but never again. Besides IMO the PSB's are just plain better speakers. My 2 cents.

 

[Thomas_A]

scott...what about the PSB's is it "just a better speaker"? Im just curious...

 

[Don Beverly]

For most of us, living a long time with speakers is the rule, so doing some research is in order to satisfy your own
personal tastes, heck, I've even talked to people who prefer
Bose if you can believe that
I have had PSB's in my system for four years now with the strata golds as the mains and for warmth and detail in music, I never tire of them. For theater, the woofers go to 30hz so along with my dedicated woofer, bass fills the room nicely on most passages.
For those on tight or startup budgets, using the lower priced alpha's usually exceeds the quality of the many group systems being marketed according to professional reviews.
Check out their site, the founder is and was a professional musician for many years and they are mfg. in Canada, known for good speaker values. In the end, finding a dealer and putting them to the test in your own enviroment should give you the answers.

 

[Chip E]

PSB speakers image better than Polk's (IMO) They have a depth & clarity too them that you never grow tired of... Amazing sound...I've listened too many Polk speakers over the years and they sound "ok" but, once you audtion PSB speakers you'll forget about the Polk's (IMO) and never look back.

 

[CalvinC]

I have PSB Alpha Mini's in the front, the Alpha Mites in the rear, PSB alpha center and a PSB Subsonic 5 sub. I wanted smaller speakers to mount on the wall, the reason for the alpha line. I love these speakers! They give really great highs. I had both the PSB's and the RT25i's at home for comparison and I thought the PSB's were much better sounding. They had a more natural sound and the high's were better. I use a Sony 333ES receiver. Of course this is my opinion and everybody has their own personal tastes.

 

[PeteD]

As of late, every line of PSB speaker has its bugs and flaws worked out at Canada's National Research Council in Ottawa...
To get an Idea what that means, imagine having your speaker trouble shooted at Xerox PARC, Bell Labs or NASA etc..
Good enough for me
I have Century 800's with matched centre and they're great!
P.

 

[Scott Yuri]

Thomas - the posts after mine are what I'm speaking about. PSB is one of those companies that cares about sound reproduction and sound quality. While Polk makes a good product PSB takes that a step further, ie: the cabinets are better, the driver are better, and the components that go in to the speakers are of a better quality than Polk. If you have a dealer that sells both see if they'll show you the "guts" of both products. That will explain a lot.