PSB Imagine

PSB’s Imagine Series was an immediate success when it launched back in 2008. Although conceived as the company’s mid-level loudspeaker offering positioned below the flagship Synchrony line, the Imagine Series grew and evolved, reaching its pinnacle with the introduction of the Imagine T3 floorstanders ($7,500/pair) in 2015. At that time, the Synchrony Series had been discontinued, and the Imagine T3 reigned for several years as the brand’s flagship loudspeaker model. That title is now held by the larger Synchrony T800 ($12,000/pair), part of a new Synchrony Series that launched in 2021. With Synchrony back on top, it was time for PSB to reestablish the Imagine Series as its mid-priced, high-value speaker range. At the recent 2023 Toronto Audio Fest, the Canadian company announced a completely new generation of the Imagine line, with prices that will make these speakers accessible to more audiophiles. Despite the lower MSRPs, the new Imagine speakers reportedly take advantage of trickle-down technology and styling inspiration from their costlier counterparts in the Synchrony Series. At launch, the Imagine Series includes the T65 Towers ($1,999/pair), T54 Towers ($1,499/pair), and B50 Bookshelf Speakers ($699/pair).

PSB describes the new Imagine speakers as delivering “the best value” among its current catalog of speakers, with “no-compromise performance.” The driver complements and advanced Linkwitz-Riley 4th-order crossover design are “directly inherited from the flagship Synchrony Series,” according to the company, along with the general shape and appearance of the cabinets. But the chamfered edges and polished aluminum accents match those of the premium on-wall PWM Series. PSB also says that “clever value engineering” borrowed from its entry-level Alpha Series has helped the new Imagine Series to deliver the brand’s signature “True to Nature” sound, while keeping prices in check. All models share the same 1-inch titanium dome tweeter, which features Ferrofluid damping and a neodymium magnet. The woofers and midrange drivers use woven carbon fiber cones, mass-loaded rubber surrounds, and premium magnet structures. All models also feature low-resonance MDF cabinets with extensive bracing and premium Satin White and Satin Black finishes, and acoustically-transparent, magnetic grilles.

The Imagine T65 floorstander is the top dog in the new collection, offering impressive specs, and “harmonizing advanced technology, elegant design, and unparalleled performance,” for $2K per pair. It’s a 3-way, dual bass reflex design with dual slot-style ports on the rear of the cabinet. The driver complement includes the 1-inch titanium dome tweeter, a 5.25-inch midrange driver, and a pair of 6.5-inch woofers, each inside its own “meticulously-tuned woofer chamber.” This is the same layout of drivers found on the Synchrony T600, though the Imagine T65 uses different drivers and lacks the Synchrony’s decoupled aluminum-clad front baffle. The Imagine T65 promises impressive bass extension down to 28Hz (-3dB), and its overall frequency response looks impressive, with PSB claiming 37-20,000Hz (±1.5db). One potential reason for this is the crossover design, which PSB’s Paul Barton is famous for. Here the crossover design “leverages the natural roll-off points of each driver,” according to the company, resulting in “precise control of the sound… (and) an exceptional capacity to dive deeper into low frequencies, while presenting an expansive soundstage.” The T65 also offers “exceptional placement adaptability,” serving up “uncompromised sound precision… regardless of placement,” according to PSB. Other admirable qualities reportedly include superior power handling, mitigated distortion, and a “seamlessly balanced tonal profile,” something PSB speakers can usually boast without exaggeration. According to the company, the Imagine T65 ensures that “the accuracy and clarity of every note remains unwavering at both high and low volumes,” as the speaker delivers “the ultimate blend of sophistication and superior high-definition audio.”

The smaller T54 floorstander has a slimmer cabinet and smaller drivers — here the tweeter is joined by a 4-inch midrange driver and a pair of 5.25-inch woofers. Again, it uses a 3-way, dual bass reflex architecture with dual rear-firing slot ports, which we first saw from PSB on the PWM Series on-wall speakers. Despite its more compact form-factor, the T54 still boasts a wide frequency range, and its imaging may appear even more pin-point accurate than that of its bigger brother, thanks to its slimmer baffle. PSB says that the T54 “unleashes a level of robust sound typically associated with much larger floor-standing loudspeakers,” thanks to wide bandwidth and impressive SPL output for its size. Again, PSB promises impressive bass extension down to 35Hz (-3dB) and a tight-tolerance frequency response of 48-20,000Hz (±1.5db). PSB says the use of “performance-driven components” allows the T54 to offer an expanded frequency range, increased peak output, superior power management, diminished harmonic and intermodulation distortion, and a harmonious tonal balance. With the T54, “accuracy prevails in both harmonics and dynamics,” according to the company, across a wide range of sound output levels.

The Imagine B50 bookshelf speaker features a single 5.25-inch mid-woofer in a 2-way bass reflex design with a rear-facing slot port. Still, it claims “unexpectedly deep bass extension” and “size-defying” bass output, with a claimed -3dB point at 45Hz. Overall frequency response is listed as 60-20,000Hz (±1.5db). Again, PSB boasts of the B50’s placement flexibility, and claims that the speaker delivers “wider bandwidth, higher output, enhanced efficiency, superior power handling, reduced distortion, and a smooth tonal balance.” Here we start to rub up against the limits of this marketing copy’s usefulness to the curious  reader. Wider bandwidth, higher output, and superior power handling… compared to what? Previous PSB designs? Similarly-prices competitors? We’re left to ponder these questions.

I have every reason to expect good things from these new speakers, but it’s not all good news. Those Audioholics readers who followed our coverage of the new Synchrony Series might be noticing a disappointing trend. Like the Synchrony Series, the new Imagine Series is launching without a dedicated center-channel speaker. That’s no skin off the noses of the stereo-only crowd, but home theater enthusiasts might be peeved by the omission. For those hoping to use the Imagine Series in a multichannel system, PSB points to its PWM on-wall speakers, which reportedly offer “seamless integration” with the Imagine Series when used  for center-channel duty, or for surround channels. The PWM series does share the aluminum trim rings and chamfered edges of the Imagine Series, so the combination looks more harmonious than a typical mix-and-match system. But the PWM2 speaker sells for $1,000 each, and the larger PWM3 will set you back $1,500 each. Compared to the prices of the Imagine Series, the PWM speakers might start to look pretty expensive to a budget-conscious buyer looking to build a multichannel system around a pair of Imagine speakers. There’s still a chance that the Imagine Series will be expanded with additional models down the road — perhaps demand will dictate whether a dedicated center-channel speaker is eventually added. For now, these speakers are certainly worth a closer look from anyone shopping around these price points. The PSB Imagine T65, T54, and B50 will be available to purchase on November 7, 2023. Do you like using a slim on-wall center speaker like the PWM Series, or would you prefer a dedicated center-channel speaker from the Imagine Series? Share your thoughts in the related forum thread below

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.