PSB Speakers Imagine T65 Floorstanding Loudspeakers Review

PSB Speakers

Imagine T65 Floorstanding Loudspeakers

USD $1,999 /pair

The brand new generation of Imagine Series loudspeakers from PSB has been created to offer premium sound with affordability in mind. Yet it has the benefit of technologies passed on from the company's flagship Synchrony Series. The range includes a single bookshelf and two floorstanding models, and here we're focusing on the range-topping T65 tower model.

This slim, modern-looking product looks attractive, especially with the shiny aluminium trim around each driver. It is tall and slim [213x986x343mm, WxHxD], which will fit nicely into most listening rooms; it weighs a solid 20kg. The 3-way design has a well-braced MDF cabinet with two letterbox-style slots as bass reflex ports rather than a more traditional circular port. These sit at the rear of the enclosure, with one at the bottom and another about 40cm higher. PSB uses individual chambers for each of the woofers, each having its own port.

The tweeter is a 25mm titanium metal dome type with a vertical waveguide to help directionality while offering physical protection from prying fingers. It uses a strong neodymium magnet and ferrofluid to keep things cool when the music gets loud. The tweeter assembly is slightly inset to the cabinet and sports a dished surround as a shallow waveguide to aid sound dispersion.

Both the midrange and bass drivers use a woven carbon fibre cone material that looks cool and is extremely stiff and lightweight. The cones are attached to the frames using mass-loaded rubber surrounds. The midrange unit is positioned above the tweeter, and comes with a 133mm cone and central phase plug. Twin woofers are fitted, both 165mm in diameter, and they feature a central woven carbon fibre domed dust cover. All drive unit fasteners are concealed by front baffle covers with chrome rings, keeping the front face clean and classy.

PSB uses a Linkwitz-Riley 4th-order crossover design, with 600Hz and 2kHz as the stated frequencies. The published frequency response is 28Hz to 23kHz, which is wide for the size of the enclosure. Sensitivity is quoted as 90dB, and nominal impedance is put at 8 ohms, with a claimed minimum of 4. On paper, this means the speaker is slightly easier to drive than average for its size and type. The recommended amplifier input power is between 20 and 200W.

The speaker comes in either satin white or black painted finishes and has a large, acoustically transparent magnetic grille to cover the drivers. I found that the T65 sounds best with this removed. Around the back is a set of dual 5-way gold-plated binding posts, which can be used to bi-wire or even bi-amp the speaker. Gold-plated metal jumpers are supplied. The aluminium outrigger bars are a nice addition, which stands the speaker away from the floor, along with spikes with protective pads and threaded adjusting bolts. These add significant stability and isolation from the floor surface.

In my room, this speaker gave its best results about 90cm from the wall, with just the slightest amount of toe-in towards my seat. My reference system comprises JBL Classic MP350 and Bluesound NODE streamers, feeding a Yamaha R-N2000A integrated amplifier.

THE LISTENING

This is a firecracker of a loudspeaker with an explosive sound in terms of rhythmic pace, dynamics and bass extension. It gives an exciting and slightly larger-than-life sound that's sure to please. For example, listening to the bass-heavy song that is Billy Joel's An Innocent Man, the T65 displayed excellent articulation, definition and depth to the bass guitar and kick drum. The latter was particularly full sounding. With the spikes off and the speakers sitting on the carpet, bass notes seemed deeper, probably due to the coupling of the speaker and the floor, but the overall quality, focus and midrange improved with the spikes fitted.

The midrange is just a touch recessed and brings no artificial warmth – it's not a lush, romantic-sounding speaker but more of a factual one. The track's vocals and soft guitar plucks were well-resolved. The smooth and detailed treble imparted air and space around the recording, giving vocals a holographic sense. Cymbals were presented cleanly but didn't shimmer and glisten in the manner that some more expensive speakers can. Depending on placement, some listeners will liken the overall tonal balance to a kind of 'smiley curve', with added bass and a well-lit top end. Longer term listening confirmed that the PSB has been well-tuned by the factory and plays with a practical evenness and a proper sense of purpose.

Despite its slightly relaxed midband, the Imagine T65 still proved very good at resolving the fine details of a recording. Listening to Road Trippin' by Red Hot Chili Peppers, the complex bass guitar proved easy to follow due to its separateness and distinctness from everything else heard. Further up the scale, the lead guitar work was clear and well-articulated, and the vocal harmonies and strings nicely resolved.

The nuances of classical music were also deftly communicated, with Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27 by the Berliner Philharmoniker setting a high standard. I heard natural sounding instruments in their respective locations, creating a sumptuous wall of sound reminiscent of a live performance. Tonal shading and texture were well communicated considering this speaker's price point, with the music having presence and emotion, as well as fine dynamic contrasts.

Spatially, there's a good sense of the soundstage extending beyond the plane of the loudspeakers, with the placement of instruments impressively set out. Positioned well into my listening room, my review pair of T65s gave a highly focused stereo image with a properly filled centre. I liked the way that the percussive sound of the toy piano and kalimba carried the opening to Silently Invisibly by Caroline Shaw. Sounds were well placed both from side-to-side and front-to-back, with a fine sense of space, directionality and localisation. Although this speaker's strength is producing a wide image from within the centre of the equilateral triangle, the off-axis performance also proved respectable.

PSB markets the Imagine T65 as working well in both home theatre and two-channel environments, and it has strengths in both these situations. Its inherently impressive transient speed and dynamic capability help it to sound great with a wide variety of music. Percussive instruments are played confidently at all times, and the speaker goes loud without particular signs of distress.

THE VERDICT

I enjoyed my time with the Imagine T65 and believe that PSB has achieved its stated design goals. Those looking for a loudspeaker to use in a two-channel or a shared home cinema environment will find this a great solution and fit for purpose. It's a refined, powerful, full-range speaker that plays clean and loud. The amount of energy that it conveys is at odds with the modest size of its cabinet and drive units. Its harmonious sound wouldn't seem out of place even if the speaker were in a higher price bracket, so an audition is definitely recommended.

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