3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Anyone familiar with Melvin Taylor and The Slack Band's rendition of "Texas Flood" ? Its a very deep bass heavy song. The PSB 400s that I purchased seemed to sound flabby and one notish during the lower notes unlike the PSB Original Alphas which seem tight and controlled, just not as much output is all. I had bought the speakers used and thought maybe they had been abused even though during the audition before purchasing them, I didn't hear any anomalies. The problem was with engaging the MP3 enhancer on my AVR which over drove the woofer in the bass department. When I switched out of that format and went to straight mode (which includes YPAO multipoint room correction) or pure direct which eliminates YPAO, the bass was clean and tight, with bass levels a lot lower than with MP3 enhancer engaged. They produce much more bass than the Alphas.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
PSB speaker tend to measure well, and on the occasions I have heard them I thought they sounded very nice. Hopefully I will get a chance to get my hands on one someday.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
I recently set up a pair of PSB 500 speakers in my 2nd system as I'm very curious about the bigger 8" drivers used my PSB. All my other PSB are 6.5" or 5.25" inches in diameter. I really like these speakers. The mids and highs are much like the 400 but bass is more improved and substantial with the bigger drivers. I'm glad I bought these. Imaging is typical of PSB which is to say very detailed with good spacial clues. Pics to follow soon
 
P

pbatty

Enthusiast
Hi, looking for some PSB advice for my 5.1 setup (movies and games). I currently have a PSB Imagine W3 that I was gifted, along with a pair of PSB Imagine XB for surround L/R. I started another thread on this forum, and the consensus was I should switch the W3 out for 3 separate fronts.

So, right now I'm debating between another pair of XB's for front L/R and XC for center or spending a little more on the X2T for L/R. Thoughts on this? Are the XB's adequate for my intended use, or will I miss out on a lot by not shelling out a little more for the X2T's? If it helps, I currently have a JBL 550 P for sub, but am eventually looking to switch that out for an SVS PB2000 or a Monolith 12".

Thanks!
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
Hi, looking for some PSB advice for my 5.1 setup (movies and games). I currently have a PSB Imagine W3 that I was gifted, along with a pair of PSB Imagine XB for surround L/R. I started another thread on this forum, and the consensus was I should switch the W3 out for 3 separate fronts.

So, right now I'm debating between another pair of XB's for front L/R and XC for center or spending a little more on the X2T for L/R. Thoughts on this? Are the XB's adequate for my intended use, or will I miss out on a lot by not shelling out a little more for the X2T's? If it helps, I currently have a JBL 550 P for sub, but am eventually looking to switch that out for an SVS PB2000 or a Monolith 12".

Thanks!
FWIW, on the sub recommendation, I’d look at the PC2k vs the pb. Looks better, and easier to move around. 2/3 of my subs are cylinders. I love the look and people are often surprised to find out that “those things” are subwoofers. Lol
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
PSB Alpha P5 gets recommended for budget speaker of the year by Stereophile
 
jailgarda

jailgarda

Audiophyte
Hi folks. Just discovered this forum and though I'd chime in on my PSB experience.

In 99' I bought a Sony STR-DB840, I should have spent the extra $100 for the 940 but anyway. I thought that I would use my 2 pair of Optimus Pro LX-5's as fronts and rears for movies. You know as bigger satellites than my co-workers cute little Bose cube speakers that sounded so good. I bet those Bose cubes couldn't touch that Linaeum ribbon tweeter. And they were OK for surround but seriously lacking for music even with a sub (Polk). And as much as I loved the Altec Lansing Capri's I'd bought in 73', they weren't going to hold up to the power the 840 put out.

So I went to the Sony store where I bought my receiver and explained to Larry my issue. "I have a great deal that just came through the FAX you need to see". Larry and I had been on a first name basis since I started my mini-disc collection a couple years earlier. We walked over to these narrow floor speakers all in black and he asked me if there was something I wanted to hear or if I had a CD in my car that I wanted to play. So I run out to the truck and grab a CD wallet and head back into the store. I hand him Tom Cochrane's "Songs of a Circling Spirit" and he slid it into the CD player. ( I prefer to audition speakers with acoustic and classical )

The clarity (to my econo speaker ears ) and the sound-stage was quite a surprise and I'm stuttering as I ask what the price is, "Just a minute, I have to re-read the FAX" is Larry's response. Shortly after Larry returns with a weird look on his face. "Sorry those are the wrong speakers. The deal is on these speakers here". He points to these PSB's that aren't exactly bookshelf but they aren't floors either. Don't remember the model. Give them a listen and they were better than anything I've ever owned but nothing like the floors. "$699.00" (CAD) you don't want to know what the first pair cost". After some humming and hawing I take a few laps of the store, check out some Sony speakers and finally convince myself that I can live with the PSB"s.

So I take then home and set them up and throw some Tragically Hip, Elvis Costello, Metallica, Rachmaninoff, King Crimson, Jethro Tull etc.. at them and they're better than any speakers I've owned. Put on the DVD 'Rules of Engagement" that night, I'm still using the Radio Shacks as rears, and when those Huey's come screaming from the rear speakers after this very quiet scene my 18 year old son jumps off the couch and we're just blown away by proper surround sound. Yet I just can't erase the sound that those floor speakers from my head.

The next day I call Larry and explain my quandary and ask if it's possible to exchange the speakers I bought for the other ones and just pay the difference??? "No problem Bill" So I re-box them and run my butt back to Barrie ( an hour away ) and do the deed. Another $500, oh well. I know I'm gonna be happy.

And that your Honor is how I ended up with a pair of PSB Stratus Bronze. Still love them. They've been augmented over the years with a pair of Klipsch Synergy 2's, a pair of Tangent RS8's and I was recently gifted a pair of Klipsch CF-3's in need of some serious refinishing. I'm still using the Shack Linaeum but as surrounds and rears for my STR DA-4600es receiver. Yeah I love Sony receivers and finally picked up a STR-DB940 for $90 on Kijiji! I love it when wealthy people just want to clear out old audio.

Every now and then I wonder if Larry played me letting me listen the the Stratus Bronze, but if so he started a love affair that's lasted almost as long as my marriage did, so far, (heh heh ) Anyway, that's my story. Thanks for reading this if you managed to finish it.
 
Kvn_Walker

Kvn_Walker

Audioholic Field Marshall
I love it when wealthy people just want to clear out old audio.
Truer words never spoken. Welcome to AH!

A pair of Status Gold's is on my list of "speakers to own before I die," but I have nowhere to put them and none ever pop up within driving distance.
 
jailgarda

jailgarda

Audiophyte
Truer words never spoken. Welcome to AH!

A pair of Status Gold's is on my list of "speakers to own before I die," but I have nowhere to put them and none ever pop up within driving distance.
Thanks Kev. Yes the Golds are my final destination so to speak. If I had $640 burning through my pocket right now I could have a pair. And they're not black! Then the issue would be, where do these go now?
 
jailgarda

jailgarda

Audiophyte
Recently purchased a pair of speakers labeled PSB TMW-3. The grills are permanently attached and I can't find any information about these. Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out what I have here? Contacted PSB and they seem to be just as confused as me.
PSB TMW-3 front.jpg
PSB TMW-3 rear.jpg
 
Kvn_Walker

Kvn_Walker

Audioholic Field Marshall

That's about all I could find. That pair has a different rear panel from yours so it may be a newer or older revision.
 
jailgarda

jailgarda

Audiophyte

That's about all I could find. That pair has a different rear panel from yours so it may be a newer or older revision.
Considering the connectors I'd have to assume that his are an earlier version. Probably the only thing I wish these 1970's speakers had are proper binding posts. Nice to see that ad as I only paid $150 CAD! Thanks again Kev.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Considering the connectors I'd have to assume that his are an earlier version. Probably the only thing I wish these 1970's speakers had are proper binding posts. Nice to see that ad as I only paid $150 CAD! Thanks again Kev.
From my reply in the beginners thread....


I found this info on them.... from link

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/649517958-vintage-psb-passif-i-speakers-mint/


.......

These are model TMW-3 finished in real walnut veneer. These were among the first speaker models produced by PSB. The TMW-3 has one 1" dome tweeter, a 5" sealed back mid-range, and a 12" woofer. The grills are hot-glued in, but a thin edged tool used carefully can pry it off without damage.

These were the standard PSB speakers circa 1972-73 (PSB began as a company in 1972). They are very efficient, needing little power to achieve loud volume levels.

You can reach out to PSB for information.
 
jailgarda

jailgarda

Audiophyte
From my reply in the beginners thread....


I found this info on them.... from link

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/649517958-vintage-psb-passif-i-speakers-mint/


.......

These are model TMW-3 finished in real walnut veneer. These were among the first speaker models produced by PSB. The TMW-3 has one 1" dome tweeter, a 5" sealed back mid-range, and a 12" woofer. The grills are hot-glued in, but a thin edged tool used carefully can pry it off without damage.

These were the standard PSB speakers circa 1972-73 (PSB began as a company in 1972). They are very efficient, needing little power to achieve loud volume levels.

You can reach out to PSB for information.
Thanks for that 3db. That's exactly the info I was looking for.
 
jailgarda

jailgarda

Audiophyte
I was hunting for measurements and frequency response to see how early Paul Barton starting collaborating with the NRC and Dr Toole.
Found this.

In 1974, Mr. Barton met and began to work with Dr. Floyd Toole who was conducting research on loudspeakers and listeners’ perception of loudspeaker sound quality at Canada’s National Research Council facilities. That collaboration led to PSB becoming the first manufacturer to develop new loudspeaker designs from start to finish at the NRC — a practice that continues to this day.
Read more at https://www.soundandvision.com/content/paul-barton-honored-lifetime-achievement-award#OusVVtBSR17LGvMx.99
 

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