PSB Speakers Owners thread - Page 76

This is what I have PSB Synchrony Two Towers and Center for surrounds I have the PSB CW-260 in the wall speakers and a SubSeries 10 Subwoofer and I love them. Here my problem I aim using a older Denon 4802 AVR 125 watt X 7 @ 8 ohms and 270 watts X 2 @ 4 ohms to power the speakers. I figured that the Denon would drive the PSB's just fine but the Denon seem to be putting out a lot of heat even at normal volume much more then with my old speakers. Now I aim thinking of using the 4802 as a preamp and adding a amplifier. I aim looking at the Adcom GFA-7605 175 watt X 5 @ 4 ohm and the Adcom GFA-7705 300 watt X 5 @ 4 ohms amplifiers. Which would be the best for the PSB's and why. Most of the information I get from this AvsForum is much better then I get from the stores.

Thanks for any help

Well, you're in a PSB forum and generally I think they give excellent bang for the buck so I'll tell you to go with the best PSB system I could afford. The exception being the sub, where I might pick up an Internet Direct offering instead. PSB doesn't put prices on their web site anymore so I can't ball park anything for you specifically. Head on down to the dealer and start listening...

My guess is you might want a bit more budget for that size room and for good rock and "lotsa DVD's"?

Is the heat a problem? If you're not clipping I'd be tempted to just get a couple of cheap fans and set up a good way to cool the amp rather than getting a new amp; the 4802 is a pretty competent amp even if it might be running a bit hot. I've owned an Adcom in the past and liked it (until it was stolen!), but don't see it as that much of any kind of step up over the 4802 sonically, though they are great power / $ if you really need the extra power?

I was told that the distortion increases as the ohms at the speaker dropped the Denon 4802 is really only rated down to 6 ohms. So I was thinking that the 4 ohms will increase the distortion and in-turn increases the heat with the price of the PSB's I want them to sound as good as I can afford without going broke. I went with the SubSeries 10 because I found it for $750 from a authorized dealer he had a overstock the needed to get rid of some I did register the warranty no problem. I just found Emotiva amps on line anybody know about them? They have XPA-5 300 watt X 5 @ 4 ohms at a very good price comes a 5 year warranty.

Magazine reviewers don't use anachoic chambers to measure frequency response. Without knowing what room interactions may be taking place, bumps and peaks are meaningless...unless you are doing an Audyssey calibration to minimize them. As for power handling, I was speaking of the absence of strain at high volumes...something the new Image seem better at than the old. The bass loading I was referring to relates to the way the low end of the T5 and T6 mates up with the floor in front of them. I admit that I have not done side by side A-B comparisons between the old and the new, but I have had considerable previous exposure to the older Image and I trust my judgement as well as that of Paul Barton who would never bring out a new series of speakers if he could not bring added value and performance to the equation.

Amen. Knowing Paul, these have been in development for a long time. He didn't just pop them out to give people a reason to upgrade...

I never said nor implied that. I need to take some time to listen to them for myself and compare the two series. side by side.

Relax man, I wasn't singling you out, no need to defend yourself!

Frankly, I'm not sure why you're worrying about the stuff you are? I'm familiar with the audiophile tendency to obsess over minutia that can't make any difference to any human in the real world (been there, done that). You don't seem to be going that far, but, I gotta tell you, you're getting close. I'll tell you, it's a slippery slope....

Finally put myself (and poor David at DMC) out of our misery and pulled the trigger on the following set up.

T45 Fronts
C60 Center
B25 Rears
6i Sub

I am SO excited! I agonized for days over everything, mainly getting the most bang for my buck. I was worried about the size difference in drivers between these components, but have been assured all over the place that it isn't a big deal with the image series. Maybe overkill with the surrounds, but what's wrong with overkill?

I have visions of being able to split the fronts and the rears for some quality two channel listening down the line if I need to, something that might have been lacking with the B15s. Also, by most accounts the c60 is a more capable center, though not by much (it was an extra $10, what the hell?) And I can push these harder, right?

Anyone else have a similar set up, and want to let me know what to expect or any potential issues? Thanks for all the collective wisdom on this forum. Very helpful.

Congrats, man! I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

What're you driving these with?

Harman Kardon AVR 445. I've had it awhile, and I'm pretty happy with it. By most accounts it should be an ok choice. This is in a 17x23 room with hardwood floors and 9 foot ceilings.

Though I'm sure I'll decide I NEED an NAD or something not too far down the road...


Oh, and I feel like I should say more than the oblique reference above... David at DMC Electronics has been absolutely stellar with the various emails with questions and offers and "what-abouts" that I've been peppering him with, and he ended up making me a very aggressive deal.

The other vendors that have been referred to on this forum were invariably helpful during my search as well, and gained lots of respect from me when they said "that's a smoking deal - you should take it" and didn't try any games. Seems like you can't go wrong with any of them depending on your needs, IMO.

why didnt you go for t65's in a room that size?

Price, size, waf, and a sense that I was getting the best of each piece of the old Image line from the copious amounts of research I did.

With an unlimited budget, I probably would have gone T65, because I'd probably have a bigger room to put them in. I know the dimensions sound pretty large, but this is an old bungalow style house, and the TV/listening area shares its dimensions with the dining room. And those 65s are HUGE.

T45 is rumored to have great imaging, and be very clean sounding by virtue of its smaller drivers. I like clarity in a tower, and I figure it'll get plenty loud for my old ears. So it is the one I wanted.

C60/B25 seem to be the more capable big brothers of some pretty impressive smaller performers. I would have been content with the littler ones, and probably more comfortable with matching - sized drivers all around, especially for the fronts. But I got the bigger ones for $60 more, so I couldn't pass it up. Literally. I kept trying to, but couldn't stop myself.

The sub I basically got for a song, so I moved on it, too. I read alot about various alternatives, and HSU and SVS were both top of the list, but I got this one for crazy little money, so... Reading about it, it specs out very nicely, so we'll see. I am betting its better than my Polk PSW111.

I think (hope) based on the ranges these are all capable of, that they will sound pretty good together, and give me enough headroom that I'm not worried about it when trying to vibrate myself out of my chair watching some mindless action movie. That's the primary reason I went with the bigger surrounds.

Anyone with practical experience with mismatched driver sizes care to share.

Personal opinion? Matched drivers aren't a big deal if the overall tonal balance, freq. response and dispersion are in the same ball park, which is definitely the case for the setup you have.

In the recent past I've had a C60 matched up with some Stratus Golds, and now have a home built center with 4 x 4" main drivers. Little over all difference in the ability to deliver (though the home delivers a little better clarity, likely since it was designed to match the room, not the Stratus Golds).

Congrats on your purchase. You'll have many years of enjoyment out of this set-up. I have the T45, the older Image 8C (C40) and the older 1B (B15) and the Subsonic5 and I'm very pleased with the results. It will take a siginifcant amount of cash to double the performance of what I have now. The only thing I may want to change now is the sub. The subsonic 5 is no slouch but I need to "feel" the bass now.

Look into SVS PB12-NSD. The other day I got a report that my wife could feel the bathtub shake 2 floors above my basement HT while I was playing The Dark Knight

I'm researching a new 5.0 set of speakers. The is all quite new to me and so based on my research online I decided to go to a local store and listen to the Image T6. I was very impressed with the T6 speakers. But then the sales person demonstrated the Imagine T speakers. They were absolutely wonderful. I clearly prefer the Imagine T's over the Image T6's.

I just got home and checked the manual for my receiver (Yamaha RX-V1800) and find that I can only run 4 ohms for the front speakers. Since the Imagine line are all 4 ohms I would be forced (if I go with the Imagine T) to use the Imagine T's in conjunction with the Image center and surrounds.
I suspect that mxing speaker lines is not a good thing. Is that true?
Thanks

It should handle them fine up to a moderate volume, but beyond that you would have to try and see what happens. I believe that yamaha has a protection circuit which would shut it down prior to too much distortion actually reaching the speakers, but certainly no guarantees.

As to mixing the fronts, generally not advisable, but it could work. I would test first, but the easiest way would be to get a used 2 channel amp off of Audigon (Adcom/Rotel/Emotiva/Nad) or something like that for a few hundred bucks if you have the money and stick with the Imagine line.

YMMV

Thanks for the input. I'm not really worried about harming the receiver as I listen at relatively low volume. I was more concerned about the balance/soundstange (or whatever the right term is) between the speakers if I mix them up. I think your idea of getting a separate amp is probably the best way to go. Only problem is that it starts to get a little expensive when I was planning on a budget roughly that of the Image line and now I upgrade to the Imagine and buy an amp too.

Since the receiver will only power the front two speakers at 4 ohms wouldn't I need a 3 channel amp to power the center and two surround speakers rather than a 2 channel as you suggest?
Thanks

Get the amp for the mains and power the rest with the receiver.

But first you need to try and get the speakers in your environment and listen to them if you can. If that's not an option, then take the leap if you want and get the amp with the imagine line.

New Image T6 Review:

http://www.psbspeakers.com/reviews/I...-reviewed--TAS

Thanks for the post. Interesting read. Overall impressions are good despite the author contradicting himself a couple of times.

I was wondering if anybody knows where i can demo PSB's in Az. I called 5 of the dealers they listed on their website and none of them are retailers for psb. WTF is that all about. Thanks for andy help. I live in Gilbert

You can hopefully find a dealer close to you on the PSB web site here:

PSB Dealers

So that's what I've been missing. Got the new system up, HK EZEQ set-up for now, and HOLY CRAP! These things sound amazing, I just can't get over it.

I haven't even played with the surround yet, just sitting here listening to CDs I haven't listened to for 20 years in glorious hifi stereophonic sound. The imaging, the clarity, everything, just wow. And I'm not sure if I'm blessed or I've just been listening to crap speakers for so long, but the T45 has plenty of bass, for me. Any more, I'd be replacing windows.

Can't wait to see if I can break something with the 6i later. Gotta play, I'll post more impressions later.

I tried that and called all 5 places they listed within 40 miles. Not one of them is a retailer for psb which i don't understand. If they don't sell speakers why do they have them on the list?

Hmm, that's odd. Did you ask the dealers why they stopped selling PSB (or if they even started)? The only way to get on that list is to become an authorized dealer in the first place.... You can also contact PSB support (there's an e-mail link somewhere on their site) and ask them what's up.

Me beloved PSB R70's need new woofers..total cost is about $400. Is it worth it or should I spend $600 or more for new speakers, like the T5s.

Advice needed asap.

ty

[quote=scientest;17940662]Hmm, that's odd. Did you ask the dealers why they stopped selling PSB (or if they even started)? The only way to get on that list is to become an authorized dealer in the first place.... You can also contact PSB support (there's an e-mail link somewhere on their site) and ask them what's up.[/QUOTE

Same thing has happened in Toronto. HiFi store that has carried PSB forever, no longer does. Asked why, I got the standard "'moving in another direction." Wierd

If you're looking for PSB Speakers in the GTA the store I'm dealing with (authorized PSB dealer of course) has oustanding prices, if you're interested in their info let me know. Should be placing my order in the next 2 weeks or so.