Archives for February 2003

PSB Speakers showed off their newest loudspeaker series at CES last month, demonstrating 3 new models in the Platinum Series, alongside the original 4 designs that were launched late last year.

The new Phase II group, shown for the first time at CES 2003, consists of the T6 Tower ($4,700 US per pair), the C2 Center Channel ($1,200 US), and the SubSonic10 subwoofer ($$2,000 US). The new models will begin shipping sometime in the first quarter of 2003.

The original Platinum Series speakers, already available in stores, include the T8 Tower ($6,500 US per pair), the M2 Mini Monitor ($1,700 US per pair), the C4 Center Channel ($2,000 US), and the S2 Bipolar Surround ($2,300 US per pair).

PSB says that every speaker in the Platinum Series will meet and exceed the expectations of high-end speaker buyers who want both maximum musical realism and maximum home-theater impact.

“The PSB Platinum Series is our answer to the many listeners who have wondered how much further we could go beyond the celebrated qualities of our Stratus models,” comments PSB founder and chief designer Paul Barton.

“We looked long and hard at that, and identified ways to make meaningful, really audible advances in performance, yet still maintain the value that has always characterized our speakers. I think there will be quite a stir about these speakers.”

The company points to its sophisticated design and measurement techniques as reasons for the Platinum’s superior performance. They have been designed from the ground up using the most advanced design tools, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), laser vibrometry and computer optimization.

More importantly, the drivers, crossovers and the final products were designed and developed by Mr. Barton through objective measurements and critical listening tests at the world-renowned facilities of Canada’s National Research Council.

The flagship tower speaker, the Platinum T8, uses seven new drivers: three 8-inch woofers, two 4-1/2-inch midrange drivers (all with woven fiberglass cones and rubber surrounds), plus two 1-inch aluminum-dome, low-resonance tweeters. One tweeter faces forward and the other (which can be enabled or disabled by use of a jumper) fires to the rear. The midrange drivers and the front tweeter are placed in a D’Appolito array that focuses their wide and smooth range to provide exceptionally open, lucid, and dynamic sound over an unusually large horizontal and vertical “sweet spot” with superb clarity, so that groups of listeners can enjoy maximum definition of movie dialog, effects and music.

The three woofers employ 40-ounce magnet structures for exceptional bass control and power handling. The midrange drivers use a 20-ounce magnet structure, while that of each tweeter is 16 ounces. The 10-1/2 W x 46-1/2 H x 16 D-inch enclosure is available in black ash or cherry, with a distinctive die-cast aluminum base, top, and side extrusions that, as in the other systems in the new series, help provide structural rigidity for reduced cabinet resonance. The system’s striking appearance is “form-follows-function.”

The new, smaller T6 tower is a three-way bass reflex design also using the D’Appolito Array configuration consisting of a 1″ aluminum-dome tweeter flanked by two 3 1/2″ midrange drivers. Three 6 1/2″ woofers complete the driver complement.

“The transparency and dynamics of these speakers is going to get audiophiles talking,” Mr. Barton says, “as will the pristine midrange and low-frequency impact. And the appearance and build quality are going to turn some heads as well.”

The Platinum C4 center channel speaker employs the D’Appolito-array, with two 3-1/2-inch midrange drivers flanking the same 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter used in the T8 and T6. Two 6-1/2-inch drivers flank the three-driver D’Appolito array.

The new C2 center channel is considerably smaller, employing a two-way bass reflex design with a 1″ aluminum dome tweeter flanked by two 6 1/2″ woofers.

The midranges and woofers on both center channel designs utilize woven fiberglass cones and rubber surrounds. They are meticulously “timber-matched” to preserve the tonality and dimensionality so critical to convincing surround sound performance.

Also new in the Phase II group is the SubSonic10 Powered Subwoofer. It consists of two 12″ high power, long-throw woofers in a bass reflex design powered by an internal BASH, Class H amplifier. This subwoofer yields 500 watts RMS of remarkable power with 1500 watts dynamic peak power – a powerhouse for even the most sophisticated home theater systems.

Proprietary “smart bass” circuitry prevents amplifier overload even under the most extreme drive conditions. The SubSonic 10 high-impact, accurate ultra-deep bass is rated at an earth moving 22 Hz and below.

For the many listeners who value the imaging and spatiality of mini-monitors, as well as the way they slip into a modest-sized listening-viewing environment, another Platinum entry, the M2, combines a new 6-1/2-inch woven-fiberglass-cone, rubber-surround woofer with the series’ new 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter. The enclosure measures 9-1/4 x 15-1/2 x 12 inches.

Completing the Platinum line-up, the bipolar Platinum S2 surrounds place two sets of the same drivers used in the M2 mini-monitor (6-1/2-inch woven-fiberglass-cone woofer, 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter) at a 90-degree angle to each other. This provides a combination of sonic diffusion and excellent localization of effects and instruments – for the best of both worlds in surround sound. The enclosure measures 15 x 15-1/2 x 9/24 inches.

All Platinum Series loudspeakers are available in real wood veneer, with distinctive die-cast aluminum ends and extrusions, contributing to the overall visual appeal of the speaker, in addition to lowering cabinet resonances. The aluminum clad front panels are both a structural feature and striking visual presentation for listeners who prefer to listen with the grille removed. These speakers are provided with dual, 5-way gold-plated, solid metal binding posts plus adjustable spikes and levelers, and are magnetically shielded, for use in proximity to video monitors. All woofer midrange drivers utilize woven fiberglass cones. The finishes and cabinet construction are consistent throughout the line for easy mixing and matching of various models.

“These are exciting products,” says Mr. Barton. “We think they are going to redefine a lot of people’s expectations of high-end performance.”

PSB Speakers Web Site

More News from CES 2003