PSB Synchrony B600 Bookshelf Speaker Review

[shadyJ]

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PSB Speakers has been an audio industry stalwart for over 50 years now, and they have to be doing something right to last that long in this business. Much of their success is undoubtedly due to the high praise they have garnered in review after review of their products. In the past, Audioholics has found their products to be excellent, but it has been a long time since we have last had our hands on one of their designs, and we figured it would be a good time to see what they have been up to. That brings us to today’s review of the PSB Synchrony B600, their highest-end bookshelf speaker. At $2.8k/pair, they aren’t the cheapest speakers around, so what can PSB do to justify that kind of price for a pair of medium-sized bookshelf speakers? That is the question we will be asking in today’s review. Read on to find out…

READ: PSB Synchrony B600 Bookshelf Speaker Review

 

[ryanosaur]

As always, Shady, another nice write up! Thank you.

While I agree that the FR anomalies likely aren’t audible it strikes me as somewhat lackluster for this level of product. I get that a sexy FR isn’t the main goal necessarily, but given options that look better might make this seem a misguided design especially at the ticket these are selling for.
Regardless, I like the minimalist look. Granted, it’s not going to win any awards for cutting edge aesthetics, but K.I.S.S. is a worthy paradigm and likely keeps this from turning into a $3500 Speaker.

 

[MrBoat]

Review is well done as usual, but I don't get the prices.

Are there so few of us in fabrication/manufacturing these days, that nobody really recognizes just how ordinary, run of the mill, these types of automated construction/finish capabilities have become by 2023? These prices would be a stretch even for a hands-on, one-off build by a pedigreed artisan. When I see such prices for yet another, relatively neutral bookshelf speaker, it makes me wonder how much excess fat is lurking in a company's overhead in which to arrive at such an MSRP.

I see this product as an $800 pair of BS speakers at most. There are so many brand choices of speakers now, that even the brand names we have known for years get watered down along with the excesses.

Yes, I realize my blue-collar status must not be the target for these, but that answer is getting worn out as well when I start to see this price-point vs. size/performance becoming a normality. As someone who is an actual fabricator of custom, high-end products, I am just perhaps too aware of what it costs to manufacture things these days, and where these excess costs must be going instead.

 

[Eppie]

You are not going to get those levels of components in an $800 speaker. The drivers and crossover components alone for the BMR for example are over a $1,000. You can get 2-way kits on Meniscus from $206 for the Classix II to $1800 for the Spirit Wind but is that really comparing apples to apples? How much someone is willing to spend on fit and finish is purely subjective of course but the bulk of the cost for this speaker is not likely in the box.

 

[MrBoat]

You are not going to get those levels of components in an $800 speaker. The drivers and crossover components alone for the BMR for example are over a $1,000. You can get 2-way kits on Meniscus from $206 for the Classix II to $1800 for the Spirit Wind but is that really comparing apples to apples? How much someone is willing to spend on fit and finish is purely subjective of course but the bulk of the cost for this speaker is not likely in the box.

Doesn't mean they are worth the asking price. Most things of this nature are priced as such because someone will pay it. By that measure, the things I make by hand with 40 years expertise should bring 10x what they do, not to mention comparing the actual labor. As with most of these type designer products, there will be enough people that find fault with the performance after the fact and we will see them on the auction block like everything else, in spite of them being priced as end game equipment.

 

[shadyJ]

Review is well done as usual, but I don't get the prices.

Are there so few of us in fabrication/manufacturing these days, that nobody really recognizes just how ordinary, run of the mill, these types of automated construction/finish capabilities have become by 2023? These prices would be a stretch even for a hands-on, one-off build by a pedigreed artisan. When I see such prices for yet another, relatively neutral bookshelf speaker, it makes me wonder how much excess fat is lurking in a company's overhead in which to arrive at such an MSRP.

I see this product as an $800 pair of BS speakers at most. There are so many brand choices of speakers now, that even the brand names we have known for years get watered down along with the excesses.

Yes, I realize my blue-collar status must not be the target for these, but that answer is getting worn out as well when I start to see this price-point vs. size/performance becoming a normality. As someone who is an actual fabricator of custom, high-end products, I am just perhaps too aware of what it costs to manufacture things these days, and where these excess costs must be going instead.

Read this article. The cost you are talking about is "Bill of Materials" but that is only one segment of the cost of bringing a product to store shelves. $800/pair would be absurd pricing for these speakers. You could probably get discounts on these speakers if you look, so they may be able to be had for less than the MSRP, but still they are high-end speakers. While there are other very good choices in its price-range, I would not call these over-priced.

 

[3db]

Thanks for the review Shady. Its nice to see that PSB still provides accuracy in their performance specs and walk's their walk as that expression goes.

As Eppie stated, I think one would be hard pressed to get this level of performance in an $800 speaker. One won't certainly won't get the cabinet rigidity and the level of driver quality for $800.

 

[MrBoat]

Thanks for the review Shady. Its nice to see that PSB still provides accuracy in their performance specs and walk's their walk as that expression goes.

As Eppie stated, I think one would be hard pressed to get this level of performance in an $800 speaker. One won't certainly won't get the cabinet rigidity and the level of driver quality for $800.

There is a point where (say the classix 2 I built, among others) some things have better value rating closer to their asking price. In other words, the Classix 2 I built, are more worth the $170 in parts, than just about any $3000 bookshelf speaker is. Many $800 speakers are either as capable, or more so than the recordings that are actually played thru them.

Sorry but, a bookshelf speaker with a tiny woofer, spoofing it's way to make it 'seem' much larger, is not a value to "me," knowing what I know. I already have much lesser costing speakers that eek out every available detail and instrument in the recording. The Classix2, as much of a loose goose as it measurably may be, makes up for it with just enough bass, and a completely adequate tweeter.

"I" simply don't need it and "I" would rather build something myself, and bypass the bloated audio marketing scheme altogether or get the fractionally costing equivalent from the likes of JBL. Every time I hear one of the more expensive, boutique designs, the subtle quality differences are lost on me too soon.

If I had to pay these prices for yet another neutral bookshelf design, I would do without.

Drivers that are now made in bulk by AI practices, are overpriced as everything else is. They look impressive, but once you understand the processes, how much cost is actually involved, the end result amounts to someone in that food chain getting paid way more than their actual value is worth.

We currently build a high end product for a company that everyone knows in Canada and the U.S. or the rest of the developed world, for that matter. I know what it costs to build them, ship and even install. Somewhere along the line between us and the consumer, the price jumps roughly 400%. Someone is getting paid a lot for doing nothing.

"I'm" just another type consumer in the mix who would not pay the asking price, even though I can afford it. I own, and have listened to a lot of speakers. I could find something that even measures as well as these for much less $. Everyone else's MMV, and that's all fine and well. It's not my fault that I am cursed with knowing what manufacturing costs, and who is getting paid what. My main point being, if there were more of me like there used to be, it would be much harder to get these inflated prices from such tiny, and technically simplified (AI everything) products.

 

[3db]

There is a point where (say the classix 2 I built, among others) some things have better value rating closer to their asking price. In other words, the Classix 2 I built, are more worth the $170 in parts, than just about any $3000 bookshelf speaker is. Many $800 speakers are either as capable, or more so than the recordings that are actually played thru them.

Sorry but, a bookshelf speaker with a tiny woofer, spoofing it's way to make it 'seem' much larger, is not a value to "me," knowing what I know. I already have much lesser costing speakers that eek out every available detail and instrument in the recording. The Classix2, as much of a loose goose as it measurably may be, makes up for it with just enough bass, and a completely adequate tweeter.

"I" simply don't need it and "I" would rather build something myself, and bypass the bloated audio marketing scheme altogether or get the fractionally costing equivalent from the likes of JBL. Every time I hear one of the more expensive, boutique designs, the subtle quality differences are lost on me too soon.

If I had to pay these prices for yet another neutral bookshelf design, I would do without.

Drivers that are now made in bulk by AI practices, are overpriced as everything else is. They look impressive, but once you understand the processes, how much cost is actually involved, the end result amounts to someone in that food chain getting paid way more than their actual value is worth.

We currently build a high end product for a company that everyone knows in Canada and the U.S. or the rest of the developed world, for that matter. I know what it costs to build them, ship and even install. Somewhere along the line between us and the consumer, the price jumps roughly 400%. Someone is getting paid a lot for doing nothing.

"I'm" just another type consumer in the mix who would not pay the asking price, even though I can afford it. I own, and have listened to a lot of speakers. I could find something that even measures as well as these for much less $. Everyone else's MMV, and that's all fine and well. It's not my fault that I am cursed with knowing what manufacturing costs, and who is getting paid what. My main point being, if there were more of me like there used to be, it would be much harder to get these inflated prices from such tiny, and technically simplified (AI everything) products.

I stand behind my words so lets just agree to disagree.

 

[shadyJ]

Gene and I talked about these speakers in a livestream last night, so feel free to give it a listen if you want to hear me ramble on and stammer about these speakers for a half hour!