PSB Image B15 Monitors/C40 Center

[newbote]

I have the opportunity to buy the set above (4 B15's, 1 c40) for $495 (1 year old), at least that is the asking price. I am looking for a surround system for a smaller room (10X18 that is open on half of one side with 9 foot ceilings). These speakers seem to get pretty good reviews and it looks like I can get a pretty good deal on them. What are folks opinion on here on these speakers, are they a good speaker in this price point? What is the best price new for these? Would the EMP deal with sub for 589 be a better bet?

Also what AVR would you recommend for them? I was thinking the Onkyo 606 or 706 as I want upscaling and three HDMI inputs. Also, any recommendations on a sub?

This will be 50/50 btw movies and x-box.

Thanks for your help

 

[AVRat]

They would make a great little system when you add in a sub. A decent sub would run about the same amount. Either of those receivers would work well. The PSBs probably went for about twice that new.

 

[jostenmeat]

I have the opportunity to buy the set above (4 B15's, 1 c40) for $495 (1 year old), at least that is the asking price. I am looking for a surround system for a smaller room (10X18 that is open on half of one side with 9 foot ceilings). These speakers seem to get pretty good reviews and it looks like I can get a pretty good deal on them. What are folks opinion on here on these speakers, are they a good speaker in this price point? What is the best price new for these? Would the EMP deal with sub for 589 be a better bet?

Its only a good deal if they are your favorites, and do what you need. As a PSB Image owner, I would personally like to have towers for HT, and less that, the larger B25s. I then would also opt for the larger C60 center. That combo will cost a bit more, but well worth it IMO.

If your volumes are only modest, you sit close to the speakers, smaller room etc, these might be just fine.

I have no clue how the EMP perform. I have become a slight Ascend fanboi as well, and speakerman39 has got some for sale here.

Also what AVR would you recommend for them? I was thinking the Onkyo 606 or 706 as I want upscaling and three HDMI inputs. Also, any recommendations on a sub?

This will be 50/50 btw movies and x-box.

Thanks for your help

I would recommend, between those two, the 706 if ONLY for the preouts.... just in case... as that will give you more freedom in the types of speakers you can choose, whether now, or in the future.

For instance, there is a fellow who got some B25s, three of them for the front stage, and he's been driving his entry level Denon into serious clipping/distortion. The speakers do drop to something like 3.7ohms at 177hz(?) IIRC. I recommended to him an affordable 2ch pro amp to ease the burden on the receiver's amplifier.

 

[rnatalli]

Now that HK has fixed all the bugs, I'd take a look at the 254. The Onkyo 606 is a good pick also. Others include the Pioneer 1018, Yamaha 663, and Denon 1909/789.

 

[3db]

Its only a good deal if they are your favorites, and do what you need. As a PSB Image owner, I would personally like to have towers for HT, and less that, the larger B25s. I then would also opt for the larger C60 center. That combo will cost a bit more, but well worth it IMO.

If your volumes are only modest, you sit close to the speakers, smaller room etc, these might be just fine.

I have no clue how the EMP perform. I have become a slight Ascend fanboi as well, and speakerman39 has got some for sale here.



I would recommend, between those two, the 706 if ONLY for the preouts.... just in case... as that will give you more freedom in the types of speakers you can choose, whether now, or in the future.

For instance, there is a fellow who got some B25s, three of them for the front stage, and he's been driving his entry level Denon into serious clipping/distortion. The speakers do drop to something like 3.7ohms at 177hz(?) IIRC. I recommended to him an affordable 2ch pro amp to ease the burden on the receiver's amplifier.

Hey Jost...I'm curious to know where you got those measurements from? Is that from the Stereophile article in December?

I had an old Technics DX940 drive my entire suite of PSB Image series to very loud levels without clipping. Maybe that Technics had more grunt than I gave it credit for. The room was roughly the same size as was mentioned by the OP.

 

[3db]

I have the opportunity to buy the set above (4 B15's, 1 c40) for $495 (1 year old), at least that is the asking price. I am looking for a surround system for a smaller room (10X18 that is open on half of one side with 9 foot ceilings). These speakers seem to get pretty good reviews and it looks like I can get a pretty good deal on them. What are folks opinion on here on these speakers, are they a good speaker in this price point? What is the best price new for these? Would the EMP deal with sub for 589 be a better bet?

Also what AVR would you recommend for them? I was thinking the Onkyo 606 or 706 as I want upscaling and three HDMI inputs. Also, any recommendations on a sub?

This will be 50/50 btw movies and x-box.

Thanks for your help

Like Jostenmeat said, if they sound good to yiou, then its a great deal. Don't buy them without hearing them first to ensure that they are a). not damaged and b). you like the sound of them.

I have the older Image 1B (B15 replaced them) as surrounds and the older Image 8c ( replaced by the C40) and I can tell you that they are great for those applications. The C40 is able to crank loudly without losing composure and is able to remain clear. I have as mains, the T45s, bot the B15. The B15 image really well, sound really good but cannot go to deep in bass nor can they handle alot of power. I have to replace a tweeter in mine as I blew one out when I used as a main speaker with a crappy 20 yr old amp.

If you plan on going with 7.1 and you like their sound, by teh package with the plan that you'll replace a pair of B15 with twoers and move the B15 to the back. While using them as your main system, be careful with the volume button.

 

[jostenmeat]

Hey Jost...I'm curious to know where you got those measurements from? Is that from the Stereophile article in December?

You made me go look! I'm impressed with my memory.
http://stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1204psb/index4.html

I had an old Technics DX940 drive my entire suite of PSB Image series to very loud levels without clipping. Maybe that Technics had more grunt than I gave it credit for. The room was roughly the same size as was mentioned by the OP.

Yeah. The user I was referring to has an AVR689.

http://stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1204psb/index4.html

A different helpful posted noted/quoted this being said in the above:

At 8 ohms, the AVR-689 delivered 85 watts RMS into 8 ohms (two channels) before a rapid rise to clipping (1% THD+N) at 110 volts. At 4 ohms, the output was 110 watts, then a rise to clipping at 140 watts. Notice that at 4 ohms, distortion begins to rise rapidly at 20 watts, whereas at 8 ohms, it begins the rapid rise at 85 watts. This is another indication that you should not use the AVR-689 receiver to drive 4 ohm speakers."

You'll see that the reviewer states that at this type of budget, the mftr just couldn't put in a beefier power supply.