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PSB Imagine T Loudspeaker Reviewed

  • By: HomeTheaterReview.com

  • October 19, 2008

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psb_imagine_speakers.jpgIntroduction
When it comes to value for dollar loudspeakers, seemingly no one does it better than the Canadians.  One manufacturer that proves this is PSB loudspeakers.  PSB has a storied history of producing high-value, high-performance loudspeakers for consumers on a budget and even those who aren't but appreciate the fine craftsmanship and quality of PSB's entire line.  The Imagine Series represents PSB's newest entry-level line of products.  The Imagine T, reviewed here, is the largest in the line.  It includes a bookshelf speaker, center channel and surround sound speaker.  As far as entry-level lines go, the Imagine series is as basic as they come, offering a single SKU in each of the core categories, which is kind of nice and keeps it a bit simple for first-time buyers.

The Imagine T is a floor-standing design that measures in eight-and-a-quarter inches wide by 37 inches tall and 14 inches deep.  It's a solid enough piece, weighing 40 pounds.  The Imagine T's cabinet comes in either a black ash or cherry wood veneer, which is extremely stylish and very well put together for an overall visual presentation that defies its asking price of $2,000.  The Imagine T is a two-way design featuring a single one-inch titanium dome tweeter mated to dual five-and-a-quarter-inch woofers.  The speaker itself is dual-ported to help with overall bass output and to help the rather compact floor-standing speaker sound a bit more full range, though its reported frequency response is 38-23,000Hz.  The Imagine T can be powered with as little as 20 watts, though it can handle much more and brings with it a fairly evenhanded four-ohm load.

High Points
Compact footprint and quality construction make the Imagine T one of the more enticing and desirable budget speakers in the market today.
The drivers, down to the binding posts, are all of the finest quality and far beyond what you're going to find on the competition.
Very even sound is far from brittle or harsh at high volumes, with a low end that is surprisingly deep for a two-way design and composed when powered with today's average receiver.
This is a great way to get true home theater performance without paying theater prices.

Low Points

The stacked binding post configuration makes routing larger-gauge cables a bit more tricky, especially if you're using spade connectors.
For larger listening environments or for truly energetic listening, the Imagine T's will require a sub (or two).  There isn't one in the Imagine line of products yet, although PSB makes several subs that are affordable and would mate very well with the Imagine T.

Conclusion
For $2,000 a pair retail, PSB's new Imagine T tower loudspeakers are a terrific buy and a wonderful entry-level loudspeaker.  Within their class, which is quite crowded with competitors these days, they are far from a "me too" entry and lead their class in many respects.  While other speaker manufacturers may promise and show you more, the PSB Imagine Ts get on with the business at hand of producing rich, full, pleasing and natural sound for music and movies.  If you're looking to finally get into the home theater game and are on a budget, I recommend you check out the Imagine Ts.  You'll be happy you did.

Keywords

PSB, PSB Loudspeakers, PSB Imagine T Loudspeakers, Floor standing speakers, Paul Barton, Home Theater, Home Theater Speakers, Multi-channel, HDMI, Blu-ray, Budget speakers, Paradigm, Definitive Technology, NAD

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