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PSB Speakers Owners thread - Page 4

post #91 of 4600
7/11/06 at 7:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BChap View Post

Has anyone upgraded from the subseries5i to the 6i? A friend offering to sell his old sub and I am thinking about switching out but haven't had a chance to listen to it.



I have heard most PSB Subwoofers and i can safely say that the 6i is the best money Vs. performance subwoofer that PSB makes. Last year at CEDIA i talked to the Subwoofer designer from PSB and i asked him what sub hits the sweet spot of performance vs. Money and he said without even thinking about it "SubSeries 6i Subwoofer ". He confirmed what i thought all along.
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post #92 of 4600
7/11/06 at 11:43pm
Hi guys, I'm a newbie to the PSB owners club.

I just purchase a pair of Stratus Silveri's and a C6i center speaker. I'm planning to use them in the master bedroom of my new house, which is prewired for 7.1 surround sound (along with the family room and dedicated HT/media room, yes I'm a nut ). I purchased a Denon AVR-2807 receiver to drive them, along with a Martin Logan Abyss subwoofer.

Now my dilema is what to get for the in-ceiling side and rear surrounds. My room is 17.5'x20.5'. Should I also go with PSB for the surrounds? If so, would you recommend the CW180R or M6.1R's? Can I pivot the tweeter on either of those speakers for optimal positioning?

Thanks for any feedback.
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post #93 of 4600
7/12/06 at 4:03am
I know it is said that surronds only handle about 10% but I would suggest sticking with the PSB's, even if it means using a differnet line. Keeping the Stratus all the way around would be the best bet though. I couldn't recommend the 180R or M6 because I haven't heard either one (out of my price range). Let us know which ones you go with.
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post #94 of 4600
7/12/06 at 6:36am
Thread Starter 
You might have trouble finding the M6.1's as they are being phased out in the next month. I have heard that they are being replaced by a model called the CW160

but the CW180S in-wall speaker is a far better speaker then the M6.1 just so ya know.

the tweeter in the 6.1 is movable but the 180 has a thing called the sonic guide. You can move it 180 deg around, and about 90deg back and forth. The way it was explained to me was that the guild helps separate the frequencies of the tweeter and the driver, because some frequencies have a tendency to cancel each other out.

happy listening... let us know how it all works out
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post #95 of 4600
7/12/06 at 9:28am
Phoenix, i have that same set up -silveri+c6i,{denon 3803} if you have space, you might consider a preamp for those speakers. Not just so you can play them loud, but the fidility of those speaker really come to life with a little more amp power. ( don't know much about the D-2807), but they are very nice speakers..
You will enjoy them,,
db


Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenixplasma View Post

Hi guys, I'm a newbie to the PSB owners club.

I just purchase a pair of Stratus Silveri's and a C6i center speaker. I'm planning to use them in the master bedroom of my new house, which is prewired for 7.1 surround sound (along with the family room and dedicated HT/media room, yes I'm a nut ). I purchased a Denon AVR-2807 receiver to drive them, along with a Martin Logan Abyss subwoofer.

Now my dilema is what to get for the in-ceiling side and rear surrounds. My room is 17.5'x20.5'. Should I also go with PSB for the surrounds? If so, would you recommend the CW180R or M6.1R's? Can I pivot the tweeter on either of those speakers for optimal positioning?

Thanks for any feedback.
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post #96 of 4600
7/12/06 at 12:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by firebook23 View Post

You might have trouble finding the M6.1's as they are being phased out in the next month. I have heard that they are being replaced by a model called the CW160

but the CW180S in-wall speaker is a far better speaker then the M6.1 just so ya know.

the tweeter in the 6.1 is movable but the 180 has a thing called the sonic guide. You can move it 180 deg around, and about 90deg back and forth. The way it was explained to me was that the guild helps separate the frequencies of the tweeter and the driver, because some frequencies have a tendency to cancel each other out.

Thanks for the helpful info! But WOW, there is a huge price gap between the 180 and 6.1 -- especially considering I have to purchase 4 surrounds! I think perhaps the 180 is overkill for a bedroom system; I may just go with the 6.1 or its replacement (the 160) instead. It should be adequate for the occasional movie viewing that I'll be doing in my bedroom. I'm more concerned about music listening, and I think I've got that covered with the Silveri's.

BTW, are there any differences between the CW180R/M6.1R vs CW180S/M6.1S other than the shape (round vs square)? The specs are identical. If there are no sonic differences I'll probably go with the round version of whatever I decide on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DAB View Post

if you have space, you might consider a preamp for those speakers. Not just so you can play them loud, but the fidility of those speaker really come to life with a little more amp power. ( don't know much about the D-2807), but they are very nice speakers..
You will enjoy them,,
db

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll see how the Denon performs first. I'm not too crazy about jamming a ton of equipment (pream & amps) into my bedroom, but if I find the sound lacking then I might consider going that route.

I'll keep y'all posted.
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post #97 of 4600
7/12/06 at 12:55pm
Update: I just ordered the M6.1R's from DMC Electronics. I was concerned that I might not be able to get them anymore since they're being discontinued, and after speaking to David @ DMC, he recommended that I go with the 6.1R rather than the 160R because the 160R has the new tweeter and might not match as well with my Silveri and C6i speakers.

I only wish I had purchased the M6.1R's from DMC when I was there over the weekend to pick up my other equipment. David gave me a good deal, but I hate waiting! I hope they get here by Saturday so my A/V installer can cut them in when he installs the other equipment.

I'll post my impressions of the system once everything is properly broken in.
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post #98 of 4600
7/12/06 at 2:03pm
well you wasted no time. Congrats
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post #99 of 4600
7/13/06 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenixplasma View Post

Thanks for the helpful info! But WOW, there is a huge price gap between the 180 and 6.1 -- especially considering I have to purchase 4 surrounds! I think perhaps the 180 is overkill for a bedroom system; I may just go with the 6.1 or its replacement (the 160) instead. It should be adequate for the occasional movie viewing that I'll be doing in my bedroom. I'm more concerned about music listening, and I think I've got that covered with the Silveri's.

BTW, are there any differences between the CW180R/M6.1R vs CW180S/M6.1S other than the shape (round vs square)? The specs are identical. If there are no sonic differences I'll probably go with the round version of whatever I decide on.


good point on the tweeter. and yes i think the 180 is a bit of overkill for a bedroom system. as far as any difference between the R and S models there is non. They are the same speaker with a different mounting option. usually people like to put square on the wall and round in the ceiling.
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post #100 of 4600
7/14/06 at 2:33pm
Well today I picked up a set of Alpha B-1's for surrounds to go with my Image T45 and C8. I know it isn't the same series but it was a nice deal and i decided to get them. Right now I have them at my in-laws house becuase I am out of town for training. Can someone tell me what size stands I should be looking at? I believe the tweeter should be around the 37-38" high range but I'm not sure what the distance of the tweeter to the bottom of the speaker is. I did find 30" stands here but if i need a different size please let me know. Also I believe there was only a keyhole mount on the back of the Alphas. How would I secure them to the stands? Thanks and long live PSB.
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post #101 of 4600
7/15/06 at 11:18am
Just found this forum and great advice. Here is my system - my question is what if any value is there in upgrading my speakers and since I cobbled them together, do i have a good match? Thanks

2 Fronts - PSB 800 (about 12 years old)
1 Center - PSB Image 8 (about 3 years old)
2 Rears - PSB Alpha (about 12 years old)
1 Sub - SB Alpha Subsonic 6 (about 3 years old)
AV Receiver Onkyo TX DS-797 (about 3 years old)

I mostly use them for watching movies, HDTV etc. but occaisonal music as well. THoughts/Perspectives?

thanks

Rick
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post #102 of 4600
7/17/06 at 12:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rick11 View Post

Just found this forum and great advice. Here is my system - my question is what if any value is there in upgrading my speakers and since I cobbled them together, do i have a good match? Thanks

2 Fronts - PSB 800 (about 12 years old)
1 Center - PSB Image 8 (about 3 years old)
2 Rears - PSB Alpha (about 12 years old)
1 Sub - SB Alpha Subsonic 6 (about 3 years old)
AV Receiver Onkyo TX DS-797 (about 3 years old)

I mostly use them for watching movies, HDTV etc. but occaisonal music as well. THoughts/Perspectives?

Since no one else has responded...My take is this: if you're happy with the sound of your system, I wouldn't bother changing anything, unless you want to try something different and have the money to blow. I don't know how your speakers sound, but it might help make up your mind if you auditioned some other setups.

I was at a couple of high end stores over the weekend, and demo'ed a few other brands (Infinity, Polk, Martin Logan, Mirage). I'm glad to report that I'm still happy with my PSBs (phew!).
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post #103 of 4600
7/17/06 at 12:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by firebook23 View Post

I have heard most PSB Subwoofers and i can safely say that the 6i is the best money Vs. performance subwoofer that PSB makes. Last year at CEDIA i talked to the Subwoofer designer from PSB and i asked him what sub hits the sweet spot of performance vs. Money and he said without even thinking about it "SubSeries 6i Subwoofer ". He confirmed what i thought all along.


Thanks a lot for this info. Exactly what I needed to hear.
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post #104 of 4600
7/17/06 at 12:33pm
I started construction of my dedicated home theatre and I'm combining two systems, a two Channel system Stratus Golds and a five channel system made up of a 4 Alpha Bs and an Alpha C center. I haven't bought a 7 channel receiver yet, and I don't want to hook up the golds to my cheap Sony receiver because it is not rated for 4 ohms.

However when I do hook everything up, I can't imagine the Alpha and the Stratus working well together. Especially with an Alpha center channel.

I'm trying not to break the bank, and I was just wondering what you guys thought.
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post #105 of 4600
7/17/06 at 12:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by court109 View Post

I started construction of my dedicated home theatre and I'm combining two systems, a two Channel system Stratus Golds and a five channel system made up of a 4 Alpha Bs and an Alpha C center. I haven't bought a 7 channel receiver yet, and I don't want to hook up the golds to my cheap Sony receiver because it is not rated for 4 ohms.

However when I do hook everything up, I can't imagine the Alpha and the Stratus working well together. Especially with an Alpha center channel.

I'm trying not to break the bank, and I was just wondering what you guys thought.

Have you auditioned either of them yet? And what is your budget?

If you were to go with the Golds I wouldn't drop to the Alphas for surround, although I just bought Alphas to use with my Image T45's, so maybe I'm not the best source for info.

I think the Alphas sound great and I was going to get 4 of them originally, I just happened to find a great deal that I couldnt pass up on the Images.

I would try to find a PSB dealer that would be willing to set up the system for you just as you described. It shouldn't be a problem if they have the Golds and B-1'a in stock.
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post #106 of 4600
7/17/06 at 1:12pm
I already own everything, I just trying to find the best way to make it work. I think trying to get my hands on a C6 or C6i would be a good start.
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post #107 of 4600
7/17/06 at 1:48pm
Thread Starter 
ya a C6i would be a great start. then just use the alphas as your rears when you get the new receiver.

might be able to find a Stratus C6i on ebay if you can't find one at a PSB Dealer.'
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post #108 of 4600
7/17/06 at 2:14pm
How do the Alphas sound in comparison to the Stratus Golds? Is there a huge difference in sound? I have never heard the Alphas, so I am curious.
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post #109 of 4600
7/17/06 at 3:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenixplasma View Post

How do the Alphas sound in comparison to the Stratus Golds? Is there a huge difference in sound? I have never heard the Alphas, so I am curious.

I have never heard the Golds but i wanted to say....

DAMN thats one impressive bedroom system!!!
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post #110 of 4600
7/17/06 at 4:07pm
Thanks! It's not finished yet, my installer didn't have time to install my 4 M6.1R surround speakers, so he'll be back later this week to complete the job. Then we'll she what she can do...
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post #111 of 4600
7/17/06 at 9:10pm
I'm doing a head to head this weekend of the PSB Alpha B1s and the Paradigm Titans.

The PSBs had a 6ohm rating compared to the Titans at 8 ohms. Therefore it seems the PSBs are harder to drive. I am looking at midrange receivers, specifically the Marantz SR5600 and the Denon AVR-2106. Will these receivers be powerful enough to drive the PSBs?

-Eric
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post #112 of 4600
7/18/06 at 1:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EJRothman View Post

I'm doing a head to head this weekend of the PSB Alpha B1s and the Paradigm Titans.

The PSBs had a 6ohm rating compared to the Titans at 8 ohms. Therefore it seems the PSBs are harder to drive. I am looking at midrange receivers, specifically the Marantz SR5600 and the Denon AVR-2106. Will these receivers be powerful enough to drive the PSBs?

-Eric

I'm not sure about the AVR-2106, but my Denon AVR-2807 can be configured so that the amps for the back speakers are used to power the front speakers in a bi-wire, bi-amp configuration. Are the Alpha B1s bi-wireable?
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post #113 of 4600
7/18/06 at 4:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EJRothman View Post

I'm doing a head to head this weekend of the PSB Alpha B1s and the Paradigm Titans.

The PSBs had a 6ohm rating compared to the Titans at 8 ohms. Therefore it seems the PSBs are harder to drive. I am looking at midrange receivers, specifically the Marantz SR5600 and the Denon AVR-2106. Will these receivers be powerful enough to drive the PSBs?

-Eric

I dont think you will have a problem. I am running all of mine off an Onkyo 603 (Image T45, Image 8C, Alpha B-1).

I did the same comparison of speakers and at first I was all set to go with the Titan/Atom setup. Then after a little more listening I realized the PSB were much more accurate with the highs and less boomy with the lows.
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post #114 of 4600
7/18/06 at 7:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenixplasma View Post

I'm not sure about the AVR-2106, but my Denon AVR-2807 can be configured so that the amps for the back speakers are used to power the front speakers in a bi-wire, bi-amp configuration. Are the Alpha B1s bi-wireable?

Sadly, the Alpha B1s cannot be bi-wired. Also they website says that the nominal impedence is 6 ohms and the minimum impredence is 4 ohms. What's the difference here? Can these speakers be run safely with receivers rated for 6 ohms only or should they be run by something rated for 4 ohms?

-Eric
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post #115 of 4600
7/18/06 at 11:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EJRothman View Post

Sadly, the Alpha B1s cannot be bi-wired. Also they website says that the nominal impedence is 6 ohms and the minimum impredence is 4 ohms. What's the difference here? Can these speakers be run safely with receivers rated for 6 ohms only or should they be run by something rated for 4 ohms?

I'm not sure what the difference between the nominal & minimum impedence means (my Stratus speakers are rated 4 ohms for both), but I'm fairly confident that you can run the Alphas on a receiver rated for 8 ohms. That's what I'm doing with my Denon right now, and I have no issues. The manual for the receiver says that it can run speakers rated for lower impedence values, however it might overheat after a long period of time, and in that case the circuit protection feature will kick in and shut off the receiver until it cools down. HTH.
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post #116 of 4600
7/20/06 at 6:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenixplasma View Post

How do the Alphas sound in comparison to the Stratus Golds? Is there a huge difference in sound? I have never heard the Alphas, so I am curious.

They're really two different animals, the golds have a much larger, 3 dimensional sound stage, I also find then more transparent. But the alpha's are great, I think most of us will agree that there is not a better speaker out there for the price.
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post #117 of 4600
7/20/06 at 7:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EJRothman View Post

Also they website says that the nominal impedence is 6 ohms and the minimum impredence is 4 ohms. What's the difference here? Can these speakers be run safely with receivers rated for 6 ohms only or should they be run by something rated for 4 ohms?

-Eric

As an Electrical Engineer I will try to shed some light on this for you. There are other places on AVS that have info on this as well.

Speakers have a dynamic impedence (resistence or load ) and the impedence changes depending on the frequency of the signal and the amplitude (volume) and can range anywhere from 2 ohms to 10 or more.

The Nominal impedence is the average impedence the receiver will see or more accurately what the speaker will measure when there is no power being applied.

Minimum impedence is considered the lowest impedence the speaker will show at any frequency provided. Now this isn"t always accurate and speakers will go lower than that at times.

You need not be worried. If you are using an EXTREMELY cheap receiver you may run into a problem of overheating, but that is about the only problem you will see. Also, most receivers that are ~$350 and up are going to work just fine unless you are really trying to crank the volume up for long periods (ie. college parties).

I have to say that in my experience (lots of college parties ), I have seen many different brands of receivers used and found that Denon receivers out perform all others when it comes to this, without going to highend receivers ($800 and up).

Plus this problem has become less of an issue in recent years as receiver quality has gone up and prices down.

The Alpha series should pose no problem for you if running a "8-ohm rated" receiver.

Regards,

TREVOR
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post #118 of 4600
7/20/06 at 8:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by FoeHammer865 View Post

As an Electrical Engineer I will try to shed some light on this for you. There are other places on AVS that have info on this as well.

Speakers have a dynamic impedence (resistence or load ) and the impedence changes depending on the frequency of the signal and the amplitude (volume) and can range anywhere from 2 ohms to 10 or more.

The Nominal impedence is the average impedence the receiver will see or more accurately what the speaker will measure when there is no power being applied.

Minimum impedence is considered the lowest impedence the speaker will show at any frequency provided. Now this isn"t always accurate and speakers will go lower than that at times.

You need not be worried. If you are using an EXTREMELY cheap receiver you may run into a problem of overheating, but that is about the only problem you will see. Also, most receivers that are ~$350 and up are going to work just fine unless you are really trying to crank the volume up for long periods (ie. college parties).

I have to say that in my experience (lots of college parties ), I have seen many different brands of receivers used and found that Denon receivers out perform all others when it comes to this, without going to highend receivers ($800 and up).

Plus this problem has become less of an issue in recent years as receiver quality has gone up and prices down.

The Alpha series should pose no problem for you if running a "8-ohm rated" receiver.

Regards,

TREVOR

Thanks for clearing that up. This is a great post.
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post #119 of 4600
7/20/06 at 2:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FoeHammer865 View Post

As an Electrical Engineer I will try to shed some light on this for you. There are other places on AVS that have info on this as well.

Speakers have a dynamic impedence (resistence or load ) and the impedence changes depending on the frequency of the signal and the amplitude (volume) and can range anywhere from 2 ohms to 10 or more.

The Nominal impedence is the average impedence the receiver will see or more accurately what the speaker will measure when there is no power being applied.

Minimum impedence is considered the lowest impedence the speaker will show at any frequency provided. Now this isn"t always accurate and speakers will go lower than that at times.

You need not be worried. If you are using an EXTREMELY cheap receiver you may run into a problem of overheating, but that is about the only problem you will see. Also, most receivers that are ~$350 and up are going to work just fine unless you are really trying to crank the volume up for long periods (ie. college parties).

I have to say that in my experience (lots of college parties ), I have seen many different brands of receivers used and found that Denon receivers out perform all others when it comes to this, without going to highend receivers ($800 and up).

Plus this problem has become less of an issue in recent years as receiver quality has gone up and prices down.

The Alpha series should pose no problem for you if running a "8-ohm rated" receiver.

Regards,

TREVOR

Really great post, thank you so much. I'm shooting for a receiver in the $700 MSRP range, i.e. $500 retail, so I guess I should be fine.

Now I just need to get my hands on some PSB Alphas in NYC to demo - they're a hard speaker to find (Any NYC Alpha B1 owners out there want to let me come demo their system!?)

-Eric
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post #120 of 4600
7/21/06 at 9:03am
PSB's hard to find-- isn't the right words.
Here in SF CA, both dealers are in very strange locations, one place is a DJ electronic warehouse, & the demo room isn't really conducive to showing them off. The other dealer is behind locked gates and you have to make an appointment- and go during day light hours {if you know what I mean}. They have a better laid out demo room. They sell the NAD products also.
db
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