PSB Speakers Owners thread - Page 130

well I found an offer I couldn't refuse (let my fingers do the walking on line) on synchrony 2 towers to go with my synchrony 2 center ($2700 for ALL of it). So I'm gonna give it a try. I'll let everyone know if a Pioneer D3 125 X 7 receiver is up to the task on the front three. It ought to be... well, I hope it is.

I do also have a nice 170wpc integrated I can insert into the system to drive the mains if need be. I'm pretty excited to see what all the psb fuss is about, and for ONCE I will finally have a bonafide timbre matched front! If I like it, then I'll probably get the tinyest imagines I can for the rear (WAF trumps all).

Good going! Congrats! The Synchrony Two Towers are amazing.....wait till you hear what those 2 slender columns can do! Together with the center you will be in Heaven!

Let us know how your Pioneer drives them!

Nice! Looking forward to your impressions of these very nice speakers.

004.JPG 3362k .JPG file I am running a pair of PSB T6 towers in a setupttup with a pioneer VSX-1126, it is rated at 110 watts per channel. I switch the AVR over to the 6Ohm setting. I ran the Macc and the sound is excellentlent and loud. receiveriver gets a bit warm but if i turn it up a have a fan too cool it.
Edited by marmyk1 - 9/21/12 at 2:43pm

for 100% movie viewing and a 12 x 16 room would you guys recommend bookshelf speaker and big sub or t6/t5 with big sub?

He-he... once you start using sub, the power of floor standing speakers lessens. I would pick two subs and bookshelves all around. In the case of Image series, you can get 2x Image B6, 1x Image C5, 2xImage S5 and a couple of subs... (I would consider a couple of SVS PB12-NSD, but you may like something bigger....). Also, if you do not have speaker stands, you can consider Image T5 instead of B6. This may be better deal than paying for the stands.

Hey guys,
Very glad to have found this forum.

I’ve been researching (for many, many months) upgrading my old Yamaha Receiver/Polk 2.1 system to a more modern AV receiver, with PSB speakers.

I decided on either a mid-level Marantz or Denon first, and then building up a 5.1 system around the PSB Image line.

Turns out that when I went to my local AV shop to get the receiver, they were closing out their PSB line, all new-in-the-box, and very willing to negotiate price.

After going through what they had in stock, here’s what I got:
PSB Image T6 (x2)
PSB Image C5 (x1)
PSB Image S5 (x2)

A few days ago, I picked up a Marantz SR5007, and plan on spending the weekend testing everything.

I have some questions:

Are the S5’s alright, at least temporarily, as the surround channels on the rear wall, about 4 feet behind the couch?

From my limited understanding dipoles aren’t optimal, but I’m sort of stuck by the funky (and smallish) nature of the room… doors (inward and outward facing), a full-height window, a full height fireplace and an AC air intake are taking up all the good spots ‘surrounding’ the couch, and there’s no other place to put the couch.

I had initially wanted the B5's, but the placement of the front door behind the couch makes mounting them difficult as well.

Eventually, the fireplace is being removed, giving me a much better space.

Also, I’m using a 42” LCD (Philips) as my monitor, and have a 20 month old who’d love to draw all over and poke at the C5. Any recommendations on a good center channel mount?

The TV is on a stand, rather than wall-mounted, so there’s space behind it for something like a Center Stage Bracket CSB-1210-BLK, though that model isn’t quite wide enough for the C5. Any other suggestions?

I’m also not opposed to getting a new TV stand that offers more ergonomics and protection for the C5.

In any event, I'm relatively pleased with the purchase, and thanks in advance.

- zevo

i haves a PSB T6 tower with a blown driver, anyone know were i can get it fixed. I live in Edmonton Alberta

- Is it a warranty work or not?
- The easiest way is to contact PSB directly, or through the local dealer and get new driver. Changing the driver is not that difficult.

Question about the Synchrony 2 center. In many pictures on web sites, it shows the speaker with the tweeter setting on the bottom. But if you set it "right-side-up" based on the direction of the labels and printing on the back... the tweeter is on top.

Which way do you guys have it? It seems like the "synchrony style" is the tweeter UNDER the woofer, but then again... the 'out of the box' orientation is "tweeter up".

anybody?

Also, do any of you think the port should be plugged if it is sitting in a TV cabinet (Salamander Synergy 3... shelf is right under the TV 8.5" high... the speaker fills up the compartment perfectly. I have a hunch I ought to plug the port since it is stuffed in a cabinet but I'm not sure...

I have the Synchrony One, similar style. The tweeter goes on top.

I would never place a center channel speaker in a cabinet--the audio will be compromised. There are stand-alone center speaker channel stands that will provide much better results.

WAF trumps ideal set up. Otherwise I would have a bigger subwoofer and a bigger screen and further apart main speakers and 9.1 setup.

Center has to go in the shelf under the TV. The marital bliss is too good.
Edited by dozer95667 - 10/4/12 at 1:20pm

Sorry a cat jumped on my keyboard. Fixed now. Nice kitty...

Bottom line I choose to use an AV cab based on consultation with Mr Johnson.

So. Should I plug the port on the Synchrony Two C?

It's easy enough to try each way. I use a port plug on one of my Imagine Bs but not the other (tried all the permutations until I found the one that worked best). Given your situation, I'd hazard a guess and say "use the plug".

When you say "work the best", do you mean it sounds best to you, or did you actually take measurements to see how the plug affected the speaker's response? For my Synchrony One's, I took a bunch of REW measurements, and the differences with plugs and without plugs was not very obvious. So I just left the speakers without plugs.

I just purchased a 5.1 Imagine set up- Tower T's, imagine s and c. Using an onkyo to power them. I'm looking at an external amp to drive front 3 speakers. Emotiva looks good- which model would work with delivering power to the front t's and center ?

I am planning to put Imagine mini's as 5.1 surrounds with Synchrony 2 mains. I selected the mini's because of the tweeter and crossover match as well as WAF (she doesn't want surrounds at all).

But now I'm getting cold feet about this plan (as the speakers are bought and paid for to a net-vendor who I think will shaft me on restocking fee).

One guy put in a review that the mini's made "highly directional" surround speakers. But he still rated them high. He was using essentially my same setup, and I gather he didn't keep the mini's in surround position in the long run.

I have some room setup restrictions and "need" my surrounds on the wall immediately behind where I sit... maybe two feet back and 4 feet up from where my head is when seated. And I need only one pair of wires strung to the back of the house, INSIDE the wall, and popping out neatly on this rear wall.

So I'm wondering, can I use the synchrony surounds on the back wall and send the surround channel out toward the room corners, and the surround back channel in toward the middle? Or will that only work if the synchrony surrounds are mounted on the SIDE walls (impossible for me). I don't want to string wires for FOUR surround channels.. but I thought the Synchrony surround was interesting in that it would let me pay both rear channels through the same speaker box.

But I can't tell if this would work with the speakers mounted BEHIND me.

Any advice? Because it took so long to ship my mini's, it has been like looking at a menu too long in a restaurant and constantly changing your mind. I'm wondering if I should change my surround plan.

It is mostly to hear the crowd ambient noise in football games lol.. .don't know why I'd make a big deal out of it. But I heard the back channels are trending toward more more information in blue ray discs nowadays.

 

I use the XPA-3 to drive my LCR speakers (Synchrony One's).  Highly recommended.  Plenty of power (300 W/Ch for the 4 Ohm Synchrony One's), and never gets warm.

 

Deciding whether to use monopoles, bi-poles, or di-poles for surround speakers is a tough choice.  Here is my thinking:  for discrete 5.1 content, direct radiators provide the most accurate imaging.  This means that most movies and multi-channel audio will sound better, IMHO, with direct radiators.  For all other content, i.e. two-channel music using Dolby PLII, live broadcast events where the surrounds are primarily for ambience, and most other broadcast TV, bi-polar and di-polar provide excellent ambient sound reproduction.  However, direct-radiating speakers reproduce ambient sound pretty well also.

 

So, I chose direct radiating speakers for my entire set-up, which includes both Imagine B's and Imagine Mini's as various surround speakers (I have a full 11.1 configuration).  BTW, the Mini's are a great speaker.  If you decide on them, I recommend the custom PSB wall mount as well--very solid, and adjustable both horizontally and vertically.  I have pictures if you are interested.

Thanks. Another question. Will the emotiva be too much for the Imagine t and c to handle since it's rate 300w at 4 ohms. The speakers are rated 20-200W.

The amp can't be too much, unless you turn it up too high. Driving a speaker louder than it is designed can cause damage, regardless of the amplifier power.

Any idea when the Synchrony line will be replaced? Its been 5 years on the market. Maybe a new line at CES?

The living room where my Imagine Bs reside is a multipurpose room with less than optimal placement options (my HT is where the serious calibration happens). Nevertheless, I strive to eliminate obvious problems anyway I can, within the restrictions of a multipurpose room. After setting them up in the best position available, I ran several tracks of music and found an obvious boomy sound with many tracks. I then ran through the various permutations (both plugged, left unplugged/right plugged, right unplugged/left plugged--the winner). The difference was dramatic enough even without measurements (I know there is room for improvement even now, but placement is locked in and, unlike the HT room, I do not have "free reign" to add acoustic treatments). In a dedicated room, I would have continued with measurements and treatments, but even without either, the plug in the right speaker did wonders. I was surprised, though, as it is the right speaker that is in a corner (I assumed it would be the one that needed the plug) and it is the left speaker that requires the plug to improve overall bass response in the room. I actually liked the sound of both of them plugged, though that made them too lean in the bass (I suspect if I ever add a sub to the living room, I will move to both speakers with plugs if they have to remain in the current position).

I did try the plugs in the HT as an experiment and they made little difference overall (not a scientific experiment as I simply swapped them with my front L/Rs on the same stands without moving them around). In any event, the plugs are easy to use, and they may well make a difference in overall sound quality, though there is no guarantee of that. I like having the option.

I am trying to find the ANGLE relationship of the front vs rear firing speakers of the Imagine-S Surround Speaker. I am trying to figure out if this single speaker could work in my application as a side and rear surround speaker (7.1) where the main listing area is very close to the rear wall or would I be better off with separate side and rear speakers for this application.

Chucka

 

PSB designed the connections for the S to be used in either way.  If a room setup won't easily accomodate the installation of rear surrounds (e.g. the seating is against the back wall), configuring the S as both a side and rear surround is a nice alternative.  What do you have to lose--try it configured as both and if you prefer discrete rear surrounds, add them at a later date.

Good Point!

Are there any recommended speaker stands for the Imagine S Surround's (I will not be able to mount them on the wall) and any provisions on the speaker cabinet to securely mount them to a stand?

I just had a chance to listen to the Imagine T2 and I was quite surprised how positive I reacted to these speakers. But I also found they had a very different presentation with different Amps and receivers.

Chucka

I suggest you call PSB support for recommendations on speaker stands. I'm not sure they are designed for stand mounting--there may not be a place on the bottom of the speaker to secure a stand. I called them regarding wall mounts for my Imagine-B surrounds, and they had some good recommendations.

The Imagine T2 has received some glowing reviews.

This review just in, PSB Imagine T2 HT speaker system:

http://www.hometheater.com/content/psb-imagine-t2-speaker-system

4.5 of 5 stars for performance

Like the Imagine T, the T2s are essentially neutral so they would tend to bring out the character of the source and amps connected to it.

I stopped at my local AV store and thought I had my speakers pick out but hears some PSB Synchrony One's and loved them. I am more looking for something around $4500 for the front 3 speakers but I got a price for the synchrony right and left for $4250. Is this a good deal on the speakers?