PSB Speakers Owners thread - Page 8

Good start man I had several before my PSbs as well and love the sound of them. since upgraded to Platinums and with the Sunfire it is absolutly perfect. I also still use my t-4 for my suround back speakers.

Nate

thanks NastyN8,

this is what I'm thinking: when I have some extra money to spend on upgrading (completing, I should say...) I'd like to buy T65s for the front, install T45s as rear surrounds and add B25s on sides. That's the plan, but to do that I have to buy a house first and dedicate a separate room (basement) for HT...

Right now this stuff gives us a lot of fun; my wife and I really enjoy listening to full sound of our new PSBs...
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I am also running the T45's up front and I love them. Glad to see another happy PSB fan, although I dont see to many unhappy PSB owners.

I'm a recent member to this forum and am in the 'buying' phase of my upstairs entertainment room (17'x15'). I have been researching both Vandersteens and the PSB's for my 5.1 speaker setup and would like to know if anybody has heard both lines and could provide inut as to their thoughts. The Vandies that I was considering (and have heard) are:
- L/R mains: 3A Signatures
- Center: VCC-5
- Rears L/R: VSM-1
- Sub: Velodyne HGS-18 - this will be purchased today

PSB Platinum
- L/R: T8 or T6 (thoughts from anyone on how much better the T8's are?)
- Center: C4
- Rears L/R: S2
- Sub: Velodyne HGS-18 - this will be purchased today

These would be pushed by a Denon 4806 receiver and an Anthem A5 amp.

If anyone can provide input/suggestions regarding these two options it would be greatly appreciated. I am hearing the T8's today at our local dealer but may not be able to hear an entire PSB surround system. That's why I would like to get input from this forum. I watch movies 60% with my wife and 10 year old son and music the other 40%. Thanks

I bought PSB Image (T65, C60, S60, Sub6i) setup about a year ago and am very pleased. My first "real" set of speakers. I drive with Denon 3806. My room is maybe 16'x16', so these are on the big size, but I'm guessing I'll have my speakers longer than I'll be living at this house, so went for biggest in series.

I auditioned Paradigm Monitor series and Studio series with a friend who is buying Paradigm. I thought that my PSB Image T65 was better sounding than the best Monitor 11s, but the Studio series (60s or 100s) were slightly better, but at twice the price. I got a great deal on the PSBs, so much cheaper even than Monitor 11 setup, which normally is fairly comparable in cost.

Just FYI for people that live in or near Orange County, CA , DMC-electronics.com has a local store in Garden Grove that has the best price on PSB speakers and they are authorized dealers.

They also have some blemished models for the Image line that's much easier on the wallet! Also, I'm pretty sure they will waive sales tax for you if you pay cash upfront.

I bought my PSB 2B and 9C from them and planning to get a pair of T65 soon.

Hi Everyone,

I am in the process of building my first HT/media room setup and due to favorable childhood memories of my parent's PSB/NAD, and after favorable auditions compared with Paradigm, Energy, DefTech, and Totem modems, I decided to go with PSB for my 5.1 system.

I already purchased the mains and centre from Audiogon (decided to go used so I could extend my reach a little), my setup thus far:

Image 6T mains L/R
Image 9C centre

I was originally intending to go with 10S or S50 (if I couldn't get the 10S used) for the surrounds, but after actually seeing those beasts, I have opted for CW28 in-walls since the space behind the listening position in my basement is a walking space.

Has anyone here tried this combo? How well/poorly do the Image series match with their in-wall offerings?

I am extremely happy with the 6T's though. I have them running in my living room while I finish my basement, and they absolutely rock. My favorite albums sound increadible, and the HT experience is top-notch. The towers put out enough bass in my room that if I wasn't moving the setup into a larger area I wouldn't need a sub (seriously, I was worried about my art falling from the walls, the 6T's just shake the entire room).

DrHollen, if you ever get a chance to barrow a pre-amp-to test out, and set it up w/ your PSB's try it. I have the D3803- many years- the i tried s neighbors Crown and wow!! and then purcahsed a Carvinhd900, i think the Crown had a sightly better SQ- but way to big. But my PSB Silversi really came to life with a little more power.
db

Just want to add some love for the PSBs, I bought the 6T's and the 9C about 5 years ago and love the heck out of them, however I'm replacing the tweeters, I think my Yamaha receiver took it's toll on them before I bought the Rotel amp.

My system as of today:

PSB 6T's - Front
PSB 9C - Center
Design Acoustic PS10's - Rear
Yamaha HTR-5280 - Receiver used as a pre-amp
Rotel RB 956ax - Amp
Yamaha DVD-C750 - DVD changer

Tom

Hey Tom,

are you taking the PSB to an authorized service center for the repair on the tweeter? how much does it run?

I have a litlte issue with one of my front speakers, im not sure if its the woofer or tweeter, but it doesnt sound the same as my other front speaker. it does actually sound like something is blown as the sound coming from it does not have as much energy as the functioning one. It still works fine, not really noticeable when i allocate more volume towards the broken one.

No I called PSB and they sent the tweeters, they're $44 + S&H, PM me if you need the number. Or just web search PSB tweeters. The tweeters are real easy to replace, just a screwdriver.

I had a hard time figuring out my tweeters were blown also, I knew something was wrong but I couldn't place it since they still sounded good. I listened to Yes Fragile (DVD-A) and found the piano missing in places. I had the center and my right tweeter blown, I could put my ear near them and not hear anything. With the new tweeters however, they're back to 100%.

Tom

I just picked up a patr of the Image T65's and am looking for a good intergrated amp or receiver to go with them. This is a 2 channel set up only, used for vinyl and cd's. Any suggestions on wwhat matches well with these speakers for around $1000? I am looking at the Rotel RX-1052 but would like to see others.

NAD!

Some friends of mine picked up an amp from Emotiva, not sure which model, but I think it is their middle of the road model, and have heard nothing but good things from them regarding the performance.

Audiohaulics just did a review I think of their low end models. check that out.

I personally would have to concur on the NAD though. I have heard those with PSBs and it was impressive.

hi, just wondering if anyone here is using the PSB Mini Theater System for their 5.1 system (Alpha LR/CLR & and subseries1)? Any input?
I need the Alpha LR for my front and rears, center and sub i can go bigger in size if needed, but its a small 10x12 or so room. Just wondering as i've narrowed it down to either the PSB or the Energy RC-Mini.

thank you

I got an OK setup....yes?

5T's front
2B's rear
9C center
Mirage BPS-400 sub
Yamaha rx-v2500 recvr

And a small 11 by 12 room

Got the new PSB GT1 Status and GC1 speakers. These are pretty heavy beasts.
Originally, I thought these are replacing their discontinued Silveri speakers, but later found out that wasn't the case. Someone from an earlier thread mentioned that there will be a "B" version of the G series and would cost $4000 for a pair. Maybe that's what the new Silveri's are replaced by, and out of my budget!
Well, I can say that I am very happy with my purchase and these are my very first set of PSB's. My brother had an old pair of Alpha's and I was impressed by them. I bought these without even demoing them.

Build quality: Very heavy and sturdy. Black Piano finish is stunning. Mine had a minor blemish on the bottom edge, not really noticeable. It may have been chipped at the factory and someone may have tried to "cover it up". In any case, I could live with it.
However the manual does not give adequate instructions on installing the speaker stands on the GT1's. It took me 3 tries to get it "right".

Sound Quality: I am no expert, but these sound crystal clear to me. After I set the Center and Left/Right to Large, it sounded much better. Much fuller sounding.
The best I'ved heard is on the movie trailers downloaded on to Xbox 360, especially "300" and " TMNT". The HD-DVD of the Eagles Farewell Tour sounds great on my set. Felt like I was there at the concert. Trumpets, guitars, pianos sound like they do in real life. The vocals are very accurate as well.

My Setup:

Harmon Kardon AVR340
Carver TFM-35x (Front Left/Right)
Carver Premiere 705x (Center, Surround Left/Right)
Sunfire D12 sub
Xbox 360 & HD-DVD add-on

P.S. I have not tried bi-wiring these speakers, anyone think I should? They sound great as it is. Also, feel free to ask me any questions about them.

What did you pay for them?

td, I bi-wired my Silveri stratus, >out of curiousity and listen to them for a long time. I could not distinguish any SQ difference. I left them in for some time-why take them out? Then I remodeled with wall plates and took them out- could not hear a differences.... my 2cents
*But they did look cool- didn't cost me anything to do - used same cable after shorting it down.

Just found this forum the other day...

I have a set of PSB Alpha Ts and the Alpha Subzero I. They are connected to my NAD c350 integrated. Sources at the moment are my PC and also a modded toshiba 5950 DVD player for CDs.

They sound great for the money. I had the towers by themselves for the longest time. The original subzero was a peace of crap but the redesign sounds great and matches the look of the rest of the alpha series. I use the towers less now since I live in a smaller space, but the sub works wonderfully with these little JBL ControlX 1 monitors that I picked up.

The Alpha Ts sound neutral to dark. Sometimes I wish they were a bit brighter maybe, or warmer, I don't know... The sub definitely helped though... That little guy is alot more powerful then I expected, but crank it too loud and you hear port noise before you hear distortion. I don't do home theatre, and I live in an apartment, so I don't really have to worry about that happening.

Anyway, I think the NAD-PSB combo is about the best deal out there budgetwise. My setup has certainly fuelled my interest in this hobby... I just wish more places around here sold this kindof stuff.

Cheers...

I just got my T65 the other day from DMC-electronics here in Garden Grove, CA. I didn't believe it when the dealer said that the new Image series was a vast improvement upon the older models from a couple years ago, but he wasn't lying.

Well, that is the good news. The not so good news is they don't particularly match my older PSB Image 9c center well even though they both use the same tweeter. By comparison, the 9c sounded a bit more nasally, whereas the T65 didnt and sounded brighter (I'm still breaking them in). And as expected for the speaker of this size, the presence of the T65 easily outshined my 9c.

Perhaps it may be my 6 yr old Onkyo 474 receiver , because i've noticed that on occasion it likes to cut out some of the channels when im playing and requires warm up in order for all it's channels to work. As a fix, I hope to acquire a Pioneer Elite 81 and use the EQ settings to offset the difference im timbre of these speakers. Does anyone have any listening experience between the new and older models of PSB Images and recognize the difference in sound character?

Also, at the dealer, i found out an interesting fact: starting last fall, the PSB Image line have been manufactured in China instead of Canada. Not sure about how this effects the other PSB lines. On my T65, theres a sticker that was put on over the back-label says "Designed & Engineered in Canada, Custom Manufactured in China". I'm assuming that this sticker is put on the label to cover what is underneath that originally reads "Made in Canada"

I wonder if the new Alphas are also made in China.

I have a question for you guys. I was considering getting a pair of the Alpha LR1s for a desktop 2.1 system to replace these JBL ControlX 1s I am using (I still have a week on the return policy for the JBLs, hehe...) Do you think that would be an upgrade or do they have any problems or build quality issues over the Alpha Bs besides just being built on a smaller scale?

here's a general newbie question for you guys,

How loud can speakers go? THX cert is 75db which is very loud IMO. My main speakers are a set of Image 3LRs. specs here:http://www.cyberaudioshop.com/psb/image3lr.htm

I am running a pioneer vsx-1016 on 8ohm mode. If i play my speakers to output 75db (tested listening position is about 12' away from speakers), is it safe??

Does anyone know or have compared between the Silver(i) tower and C6i with similar GT1 and GC1? I have the Silver(i) along with the C6. They have taken some beaten over the years through all the moves. If I want to upgrade, would the GT be consider an upgrade or it'll be something similar SQ wise? Platinum seem a bit out of my price range.

From memory, I'd say the Silver is warmer over all. The GT1 sounds more dynamic with better bass, more accurate balance and more detail. Is it a *huge* upgrade? Well, maybe not. Notable, yes. But it's a comfortable change in that they are more similar than different.

Warmer is pretty accurate...and does not seem to have the sound stage and presence that I would have liked it to have. I have recently auditioned the Revel perofma (just the M22). hard to Believe that small bookshelf was very open and natural. Carlo Santana's guitar just came up alive. So this get me wondering. I've driving this with Pioneer Elite VSX47. Would a better separate help? or do you think it lies in the speakers, ultimately?

What other line do you think I should look at?

Thanks for your quick response.

I currently have an Image 8c and Im thinking of getting a pair of T45 as mains. Ive read a bunch of reviews and the t45 seem to be one of the best value/performance speakers out there.

Now, for the surrounds. Would it be okay to go with 4 alphaB1 speakers in a 7.1 setup? http://www.psbspeakers.com/product.php?pId=69&sId=4

I could also get 4 b15 http://www.psbspeakers.com/product.php?pId=16&sId=3 but they are a little pricey.

I will be mostly watching movies and concert dvds. I do listen to music pretty loud. Would the alpha match up well with the sound it produces compared to the image series or will it dilute the home theatre experiance.

As I have probably said in this thread or another... I have been experimenting with a desktop setup. I don't get to listen to my Alpha Ts as much as I would like since I am in a smaller place and don't have room to setup a good listening spot with proper placement and imaging.

Ok, well I wanted to build a desktop system that was a little smaller using my same NAD components.

I have tried over the last two weeks: JBL Control 1s, Polk RTi4s, and I even tried mating two different subs to the JBLs, but I just couldn't fall in love with any of it. The JBLs had so little bottom end that I needed a sub... but that was complicated and compounded the living space problem. The polks had enough bottom end to not need a sub, but they were so bright that half my music sounded like **** and I had to actually use my NAD's trebel tone wheel for the first time ever... well that was obviously not going to work.

So... I finally looked up the new PSB dealer in town (The places where I would go for all things PSB had all closed a few years ago) and I immediately saw a pair of Alpha Bs that matched my Tower's model series... and since the alphas just had an update, I got these CHEAP! I saved over 100 bucks over the polks.

I guess I was suffering from some kind of illness that made me go out and audition a bunch of crap before coming to my senses and just getting what I already know I love... PSB.

Even my girl was like "you like the towers so much why don't you just get the same things in bookshelf" but did I listen? No... that is the curse of the audio geek.

I am now in my happy place again... and I feel now more then ever that PSB makes the best sounding, most neutral (even if on the slightly dark side, and after the polk experience, I don't think that is so bad) speakers for the money. Hell... they even have a better bottom end then the polks that are about 25% larger.

The sub I may sell or hang onto... it's actually a good little sub for the money too (it *IS* a PSB afterall...) and it matches my alphas but I don't need that kind of bass yet... maybe eventually.

Glad to be back.

New to the forum, just found this thread.

Current setup (all black)
Mains - PSB 500 (11 yrs, started with original Alpha's)
Center - 100c (12 yrs)
Surrounds - Original Alpha (12 yrs)
Sub - Velodyne 10CHT
Yamaha RX-V2095

I am only a few days away from ordering T65's and a C60 from DMC. Still pondering the other upgrades (WAF is impacting this), would love to hear opinions on these thoughts:

Replace 2095 with Yamaha 2700, or add an Outlaw 7125 and replace the 2095 with a Emotiva LMC-2 or RX-V661 as pre/pro later this year. I thought about the Emo UL combo but I really want 7 channels (and have seen a few too may support posts). I keep hearing that seperates will open up the PSB's even more.

I am leaning toward the Outlaw and then a pre/pro, kinda like hving Christmas 4 times this year, 1. T65s and C60 2. Outlaw amp 3. pre/pro 4. Dec 25th

I love my PSBs.

Love the PSB sound!