PSB Speakers Owners thread - Page 111

has anyone DIRECTLY compared the old Image B15/B25 to the new B6/B5? yes, i searched and didn't see a comparo.

i previously owned a PSB Image B25-based system, which i bought blind from saturday audio on the recommendation of a member here, and felt that they were VERY good speakers for the money. a couple years ago, i had a few bucks in the wallet and was looking to upgrade to either B&W's or 'Digms. i compared my B25's directly to the B&W 685, which i DID like.. a lot. but i also felt that the B&Ws didn't perform at a level justifying the price increase - just not enough of a jump in performance to justify a $2,000+ investment in a 5.0 system. and the final nail in B&W's coffin was (at least for ME) the 2 center channels in the 600 series - underwhelming IMHO.

on the other hand, the Studio 40v4's, which were on closeout at the time, were a revelation. of course they were 4X the money, but i still felt it was worth it, especially since the goal THEN was to eventually move them downstairs when i finished renovating my basement, post-katrina (something i'm "still working on" ). circumstances later dictated their sale, along with my receiver and bluray.

right now, i'm just looking for something decent and inexpensive (~500 to 1K for a 5.0 rig) for my den, where this stuff all goes. the den is the main hang-room, fairly small (~1800 cu ft), and not an ideal listening environment (hardwood floors, plaster walls, glass coffee table, wood plantation shutters on the windows directly opposite the 17"-deep wall unit which houses everything... INCLUDING the L/R/C speakers. i'm hoping that Audessey can take care of any bass issues due to the new Image's being rear-ported and my actually placing them in a bookshelf - the leading edge of the speaker will be "hanging a few inches out" of a space which is 17 inches deep x 22" x22".

the only thing i kept from the previous HT was my sub, an Energy s10.3 which i got for $199 on closeout from Vanns, and which is the perfect size for my den. i doubted it could be replaced with anything close to it's performance level and musicality at that pricepoint, and am glad i kept it.

FYI, the contenders right now for my new 5.0 rig seem to be:

S30/S50/S20 - $550 shipped
DefTech ProMonitors 1000/C2000/800 - around 750 from a local B&M
Wharfdale Diamond 10.1/CC/10SR - around 900 shipped
PSB new Image rig (B6 or B5/C5/B4) - 900-1K shipped, depending on the L/R

while cheaper is better, music reproduction is of far more importance to me than HT bombastics. i'm willing to spend what i need for a B6/B5-based system, as long as the cost/benefit of the step-up can be justified. i listen to acoustic jazz, some blues, old-school funk, even older R&B (50's and 60's stuff), and a bit of classical/orchestral stuff on occasion.

i know i will get the suggestion... "go listen". i would love nothing better and intended to do JUST THAT, but the dealer where i got the 'digms is also the local Cambridge dealer AND WAS the PSB dealer. he "doesn't stock" the Cambridge and has friggin' discontinued PSB. he also had THE WORST salesman i have recently encountered!

"I need somthing decent for around 300/pr...like i had."

"okay, check out these amazing bookshelves for only 1200/pr..."

what a DOUCHE !!!!!!. sigh.....

sadly, new orleans, for all its great music, is a TERRIBLE market to buy audio gear. so any additional input would be greatly appreciated.

oh, and finally, i'm planning on driving everything with a new Onkyo TX-NR709.

TIA for any replies.

Where can I purchase port plugs for the Imagines? Are they only available directly from Lenbrook? Any idea how much a pair costs. Thanks

I got extras from my dealer for free and I'd assume you can too. I've no idea what they might cost though.

I have a Denon 1912 receiver in a small HT room.

I am planning on buying a house in the near future which may have a medium sized room.

Im looking at the Image B6 and Image T5 speakers.

I like bookshelf speakers but am worried about efficiency and sound quality vs towers.

Will my receiver power either one of these speakers effectively?

You should be OK. The PSB Image line is pretty efficient. My Dad runs 2 T5s off of a Marantz SR4023 with no problem.

Yeah, I meant to ask when I drove the 1.5 hours to return my Imagine C today, but I forgot. The C failed the WAF but the Bs passes so I can live with that.

I haven't heard the new ones, but I'm a little puzzled as to why the Image B6 has FR that is a lot less flat than the B25.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/p...r-measurements
http://www.stereophile.com/content/p...r-measurements

Anybody else have an opinion on the efficiency of these speakers with my setup.

I was also looking at paradigms which seem to be alot more efficient.

I like the PSBs better but need to make sure I can power them.

anybody?

Ok, Ive narrowed my decision down to the Image B6 and the Image T5's.

Can anyone give me some input as to which speakers would better fit my needs.

Like I said, I have a small room(plan on moving though), have Denon 1912 and primarily listen to music.

If I buy the Image 6 speakers I can afford a subwoofer right away.

If I go with the T5s I will have to wait awhile for the sub.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

It is all very individual. Personally I prefer floorstanding speakers... I have T6 and I am still looking for sub. T5 will not give you very good bass extension anyway. Get B6-s and start collecting money for a good sub... something like SVS PB-12 NSD

Does the 6ohm impedance cause any problems with certain receivers?

Some receivers are rated to work with 8 Ohm speakers. Others can work with 6 Ohm and higher or even 4 Ohm and higher. In absolute majority of cases 6 Ohm speaker impedance is not a problem as far as you do not push your receiver to the limits. Use moderate levels of volume and you will not see the problem. Also, using bookshelf speakers in combination with active subwoofer helps reducing the power output required from receiver.

On the other hand, if you like very loud sound.... you need to consider powerful receiver.

Thanks. That's good to "hear".

Gene

I concur the bass extension on the B6 is pretty good and they are very full sounding speakers. Paired with a sub they'll sound even better.

I really like my PSB surround system. I started with 2 Stratus Silveri's back around 2003, then acquired a stratus C6i center, used, back around 2007, and last year I installed the Image S speakers for surrounds. They seem to match the sound of the Stratus series quite well, and the cherry color is also pretty compatible. Matched with an SVS PC-12+, and Onkyo 807 receiver (fronts powered by an HK Citation 2-ch amp), I find the audio very satisfying even in a large room.

So I got rid of my subs this week to make way for my new Rythmik FV15, well I went into my AVR and decided to run my Image T65s fullband and HOLY COW, I forgot just how powerful these bad boys are.

They were hitting hard and clean and the highs were still clear and articulate. I love my PSBs, in fact I just got a friend on the PSB bandwagon, he picked up a pair of Image 7PT towers (integrated amp) and he is absolutely in love with them.

Just thought I would share my experience again, reading through this thread gave me the itch to unleash the full power of these monsters and I spent 3 hours straight just experiencing them all over again....

Well this makes no sense to me. PSB has changed their pricing on lots of things, the Imagine S Surround came down in price about $50 but the T6 went up in price about $85, where's the logic in that? I don't know about other prices but may be able to find out later what went up or down and by how much, if anybody cares. For me to buy both now will cost about $40 more than just a month ago. ps, these are not MSRP numbers

Right but I'm talking about the price PSB charges the retailer, in Canada in Canadian dollars. I did say I wasn't talking about MSRP, I was talking about retailer cost!

I'm in a situation in a new house (and not likely to buy another) where I'm going to have to install all of my speakers for a 5.1 surround sound system in my ceiling... I do have a very good location for a subwoofer on my floor. I would like to use the PSB CW180S for all 5 of my speakers (I'm always open to suggestions), but I'm very reluctant to install them without a well-constructed enclosure on the attic side to protect the speakers, reduce bleed to other areas of my house, and hopefully to get a bit more base out of my speakers. To my knowledge, PSB doesn't sell enclosures for this speaker (please tell me if I'm wrong). So, can anyone tell me how best to construct an enclosure that would work well with this particular speaker?

Note that I have owned what I consider to be some of the best speakers ever made... a pair of Stratus Silver towers, a pair of Stratus Minis, and a Stratus C6i Center Channel speaker (I've never gotten around to buying a subwoofer). Unfortunately the room in which I'm installing in-ceiling speakers is not a good choice for either floor or wall speakers.

Any information you could provide to me would be very much appreciated...

Owner of T65/C60/and S5 surrounds. I have a NAD T775 receiver, so this is my setup. BTW, I LOVE MY PSBs. Not even looking to upgrade and they are almost 10 years old.

I need a new SUB and I'm looking at the SS5i or SS300. Room size is approx 12 X 15.

I'm thinking the 5i would be plenty but I like the specs of the 300, but not sure if it would be too much for my room size.

Can anyone please make a recommendation or input their experience on either sub. Greatly appreciated!

thanks!

Just a general question to all PSB owners.
I read thru some of the posts on this thread, but did not find an exact answer.

What's the major difference between the Image and Imagine series speakers?
Seems the description of drivers are about the same, only thing I see is the enclosure and difference in Ohm rating. Can someone please explain this to me? Sorry if it's already been posted.
Also, is the GB1 a major step up in quality from image series?

TIA.....

In my personal subjective opinion, the drivers are almost identical. Tweeter is exactly the same, and woofers differ in minor details. The differences are:

1. The shape of the box
2. The expensive wood veners
3. Probably better components in cross over filter.

Thanks Dima333a for your response.
Same drivers between both lines, different crossover and enclosure, double the price - - double the performance? Anyone compare the two?
Thanks firebook23, sorry I wasn't more specific, was looking into bookshelf setup, but definately like those t6 towers. B6 bookshelf vs. GB1?