Vocals - midrange, treble; Price; Overall a very fine sonic reproduction at an unbeatable price.

Cannot take off the speaker grill; as with the majority of bookshelf speakers bass reproduction is not the final word.

First let me state that this speaker is being used in a second system in small room with the approximate measurements of 9 ft x 9 ft. Therefore the goal was to purchase an inexpensive bookshelf speaker(<$350) that would be paired with mid-fi electronics.

Associated equipment:
Sony XA20ES single cd player
NAD 350 integrated amplifier
Monster interconnect 850
Monster spkr cable MCX-2s

It is known that one cannot expect a deep bass reproduction from a bookshelf spkr. What I was searching for was an accurate reproduction of the midrange, treble frequencies that sound natural - not too "warm" nor too "cold".
Granted my Sony cd player is a tad bit on the analytic side but paired with the warm NAD integrated amp, their synergies work out perfect.

Out of the bookshelf spkrs that I've auditioned, the two that were possible candidates were: KEF Q5(?) and a new aluminum monitor from Pinnacle (Quantum series?).
-The Pinnacle was the front runner (small, beautiful looks, big sound towards the analytic side, overall great presentation from such a small spkr). Downside was the price tag of $400.00 & you had to turn up the volume to fully appreciate the spkrs capabilities.
-The KEF sounded great - bass was more pronounced & the vocal presentation was the focal point - warm, sweet. However the price tag was still a little high $350.00
-The Paradigm Atom seemed to be my choice - $190.00, great overall balance - not too warm, not too cold. Very good value for the money.

Of the speakers that I was not able to audition, I have heard people raving about the Axiom M 3Ti - Soundstage.com; it's affiliate Goodsound.com; positive comments on Audio Asylum & Audio review. The only thing is that one has to purchase them direct from the manufacturer, via mail before auditioning them. I spoke with them & they seemed very nice, stating the 30 day return policy & reimbursement of the shipping charges if one returned the spkrs.
The same for the Triangle Titus, however they are currently experiencing a backlog & a dealer is not located nearby.
The other speakers I found positive reviews, but no dealers close by.

When I bought the NAD 350 integrated amp (great sound!), I found a special on the PSB Alpha Mini blemished for $150. I auditioned them with the NAD & assaulted them with a wide range of music. Granted the bass was not the best but with bookshelfs I believe one must look for vocals. The Alpha mini's did this perfect. I compared them to their big brother Alpha A/V but in my humble opinion I thought that the extra bass "clouded" the presentation. Regarding the blemish, I really could not find it. No streaks or discoloration of the speaker enclosure.

I must say that that for the price & 5 yr warranty & sound, one cannot go wrong with the PSB Alpha Mini's. To do these speakers justice, possible suggestions are NAD, Cambridge Audio, or Creek for <$600.00 With my setup I am really enjoying the music.

A word of advice for those looking to purchase an inexpensive pair of bookshelf spkrs (<$350):
1. have your priorities straight in the what you are looking for in the spkrs
2. establish your budget
3. audition

As to give this review as much transparency as possible, I am very much drawn by the accurate, natural representations of vocals, thus judging from my reference gear I may be inclined towards a "warmer" sound but not at the expense of accuracy & detail. As always listen with your ears, not with these words!

Reference system:
Avantgarde Duos
BAT Tube amplifier
BAT Tube preamplifier
Meridian CD player
Analysis plus spkr cables
Tara Labs I/C (Preamp to amp)
Harmonic Technologies I/C (CD to preamp)

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned: Paradigm Atom, Paradigm Mini monitor; KEF; Pinnacle; Mission; Polk; Klipsch; NHT Super Zero.
Researched but did not audition: Ascend acoustics; Triangle Titus; Axiom M 3Ti; Energy; Phase Technology.

Quality for the price, excellent clarity and staging

At the price point ...none

Great little speakers, tremendous value for the price, there are smaller speakers out there for sure but these speakers are sized to give a little bit more bass. Highly recommended for a smaller room....give them a listen and compare to other speakers in the same price range.

Similar Products Used:

Boston Acoustics HD5

Clarity, Clarity, Clarity

no removable grill

I picked up a pair of these after two friends raved about them, definitly the best sounding speakers you can buy for the price. No question they were right!

Clear, transparent highs, detailed midrange, tight bass

bass

I bought a pair of these speakers plus a Marantz 1030 Integrated amp off ebay... and they sound great! The speakers sound very balanced, with just enough in the highs and mids. Perhaps it's lacking in bass a little, but considering the size of the cabinet and it's price, it's bass output is quite good... very accurate and tight.

They're great as near-field monitors (the way I'm using them), but they'd probably be able to fill small rooms with sound as well.

These speakers knock the socks off any similarly priced sub/sat systems (i.e. from cambridge soundworks). I previously used a pair of PCWorks multimedia speakers from CSW, and the sound was terrible compared to these. The bass was over-equalized and boomy, the midrange wasn't there, and the highs were muffled. Before considering buying any sub/sat systems, give these a listen!

Similar Products Used:

Cambridge Soundworks PC Works Multimedia Speakers

NON-FATIGUE, MUSICAL, LAY-BACK SOUND.

NON-DETACH GRILLE.

I AUDITIONED B&W DM302, KEF CRESTA 2, BOSTON ACOUSTICS CR7,
DID NOT HEAR THE PARADIGM ATOM. USE WITH AMP RATED DIN 30WPC @ 6OHMS <1% THD( DONT KNOW = IN RMS). PLAYS FM, CD, CASSETTES. FROM ROCK, CLASSIC, JAZZ, POP,& CANTONESE SONGS. NEAR-FIELD LISTENING FROM SOFT TO LOUD(85DB?)-DO NOT WANT TO DAMAGE WITH AMP UNKOWN RMS. LOVE THE VOCAL ENG/CHINESE. ONE SONG INTRO JET SOUND (RUMBLE/JET SCREAM/RUMBLE AFTER PLANE IS GONE), SURFS ON BEACH, RAIN/THUNDER, EXPLOSIONS ON
FM-ALL SOUND REALISTIC! DEPEND ON RECORDING SOME MUSIC
SOUNDED BOXY(1%) OF TIME. TRYING TO SAVE MONEY FOR A REAL
AMP AND MAY UPGRADE TO AXIOM SPEAKERS.

Similar Products Used:

NO OTHER. FIRST HIFI SPEAKERS. LOCAL DEALER SALE.

Clear sound at low volume, could go loud too.Non-fatigue, musical speaker.

Non-remove grille.

This a update of my Nov review.I recd an Aiwa NJX300 mini system for my birthday(June),and the speakers was so so,it did not resolve the vocals on my Chinese tape,so I start looking,B&W sound good but too expensive,Cresta 2 cost less but need lots of power,Boston Acoustics sound distorted vs the Cresta 2.I read a Sound&Vision(01)review of PSB Alpha HT and was intrigue by Paul Barton design goals,hear the Minis and was assured by the sales rep the Aiwa could drive them.Its 30WPC @6 ohms 50Hz-20Khz<1% distortion,he played some songs and I like the sound it was placed 5ft above the show floor and still sound good being boxed in by a wall of speakers.I did not buy there and then because I want to try the Paradigm Atom(he was willing to charge me $180for Mini).
On 8/15/01 I was coming from lunch and walked by another dealer and they have an summer sale so I brought the Minis.
I hook it up to the Aiwa and started listening,they were 3" from front wall on 2 shelf--hence the boxy and laid back sound.Since the last review I moved them 1/2 foot outward.
The sound is clear/clean/solid whereas before the bass over shadows the mids and highs now all in balance.
I start playing all my tapes again,and I hear musical notes I did not hear before(they were always there but it was not resolved by mediocre speakers).A song contain surfs hitting the beach at first I thought it was LP hiss but when the vol
went up I recognize it as surf!A tape begins w Jet rumbles, take off scream,rumbles still being hear boy did I crank up the vol(85dB)step is 19 on the Aiwa.On FM this DJ likes to put explosions and the Mini makes it sound real with the inital sound and the delay rumble,so is rain/thunder claps.
The minis makes FM,tapes,CD sound good playing rock,hiphop, jazz,classic,pop in Chinese or English.I loved these little
speakers.My room is 9x18 and I sit 15' away.At late night I play softly(50dB) and the music is very clear.Am saving for
an a/v receiver and would buy the Axiom M22ti in a year or
so.

PLEASE REMOVE MY NOV REVIEW.

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned Boston Acoustics CR6($199),B&W DM302($450),KEF Cresta 2($280),BA CR7($270).

Precise imaging,& soundstage. Natural, smooth when linked up with NAD l-40. Easy placement.

Lacks the ultimate in bass extension but, for it's size, still packs a punch.

Plenty of bang-for-the-buck! The pleasing, natural sound from these tiny speakers make it a perfect small room addition. Ideal for bedroom or office use. Can accomidate either speaker stands or wall mounting--either way the rear port should be only a few inches from the adjacent wall.

Similar Products Used:

AR, NHT,Pro Ac Tablettes

Excellent price-to-performance ratio, excellent clarity, substantial low-end for the size

Lacking strong midrange "fullness", laminate chips/peels easily, no built-in wall mounting screws/holes

After finally getting a DVD player last December and connecting it to my 10 year old Techniqs stereo receiver and 8 year old Yahama 3-way acoustic suspension bookshelf speakers I started my research on new 5.1 digital receivers.

I purchased an Onkyo 494, then replaced it with an Onkyo 595 (see my reviews) then started auditioning 5.1 speaker setups in the $500-$700 price range. I auditioned the following speakers at my local dealers, in no particular order: Various Polk setups (>$750), Paradigm Cinema ($549), Definitive Technologies ProCinema ($899), Atlantic Technologies System T70 (>$1000), B&W 300 series (>$1200), Eneger Take5 ($?), and PSB Alpha B ($860)and Image 1B systems (>$1200).

First, let me say I found it exceptionally difficult to give the speakers a fair apples-to-apples comparison due to the difference in rooms and receivers and DVD players they were attached to. I visited most of the dealers more than once on different occassions to help me make my judgement.

Based on my listening experiences I thought that the Polk, Infinity, Enegery, and Paradigm systems were weak sounding and not well rounded, in particular they had terrible subwoofers.

The Definitive Tech system was the first system that sounded equally good with music and movies, though they were out of my price range. But the excellent sound made me look into more expensive speakers than I had originally budgeted for as I found the $500-$700 speakers to be very poor and would rather spend a few hundred more to get some speakers I can live with and enjoy using every day for the next 5 years or so.

From the rest of the group I found the PSB Alpha B OK but probably not as good as the Definitive Tech system (similarly priced) and definitely not as good as the PSB Image 1B which I thought sounded really great, particularly in the high-end. I also found the Atlantic Tech system to be excellent - I thought the sub was fantasic and full sounding and matched exceptionally well to the satelites, and I also preferred their more aggressive sound to the more laid back B&W speakers which I listened to at the same dealer. However, the small size of the Atlantic Tech speakers made me concerned that I wouldn't be able to fill my 25x15 foot living room with BIG sound.

In the end I decided I liked the sound of the PSB speakers and my friend convinced me that I should purchase as large of a cabinet speaker as I can as the micro-speaker systems would likely not fill my large living room with ample sound. However, I didn't think the $860 price tag of the PSB Alpha B system (paired with a SubZero 8" sub for $860 at my local dealer) was worth the price, plus I though the tweeter was a bit harsh sounding at high volumes at least compared to the smooth sound of the Image 1B. The Image 1B system with a SubSonic5 sounded fantastic but was well over the price I was willing to spend on my speakers, though I do think they are well worth the price.

Finally, I found www.yawaonline.com which sells discontinued and "blemished" PSB speakers over the internet. According to their website they're authorized by PSB to do this and all equipment comes with a full 5 year warranty. I could have purchased four Image 1B, an Image 8C center, and the SubSonic5 for $999 plus shipping, which is an INCREDIBLE price on these speakers and I was very close to ordering them. Instead I opted to take a gamble and purchase speakers I've never even had the chance to audition.

For $699 + $70 shipping I purchased a set of four Alpha Minis, an Alpha Center, and the SubSonic5. These are all brand spanking new, though the Alphas are discontinued product. The salesman told me the tweeter on the Alpha Mini was more laid back sounding than the Alpha B, though not as good as the Image 1B.

I received the equipment from Yawa 5 days after I ordered it, messed around with placing the fronts on the TV stand or on the wall at various heights from the ceiling and opted for mounting them to the wall so the center of the speakers were about 15" from the ceiling. I ended up placing the sub in the far corner of the room from my couch as that is where the bass was equally balanced throughout the room.

I attached my old Yamaha speakers to the speaker B jacks on my Onkyo to do some A-B comparison for kicks. It's unbelievable the difference!

The PSB Mini has exceptional clarity and they don't appear to get harsh sounding in the high-end at louder volumes like many inexpensive speakers. I guess that'd due to the fact that even though the speakers are currently sold at $129/pair they're really $199/pair speakers it's just they're being sold at discount prices since they are no longer current product.

The speakers easily mount to the wall due to their fairly small size and they produce a substatial amount of low-end considering they only have 5.5" woofers. When playing Dave Mathews the Alpha Mini sounds excellent in the low-end even with the SubSonic5 turned off. Adding the sub makes a noticable but not substantial difference. However, with music such as Bjork and Prodigy the sub is definitely needed to produce the ultra-low tones the techno percussion produces, the Minis can't push that low on their own.

My only complaint about the Mini's would be that they seem to only handle about 80 watts of power from my Onkyo 595 before the woofer starts to "buzz" slightly, but noticably. I first noticed this when playing The Fifth Element with the volume at 60 (out of 80). During the intro where the spaceship approaches earth there is a considerable amount of continuous low-end rumble and even with the Mini's set to "small" they begin to "buzz" slightly. I'm assuming I'm pushing too much juice into them, though it could be something else... too soon to tell since I've only been using the speakers for a week. Honestly, with the volume at 60 the sound is bordering on rediculously loud so I seriously doubt I'd use the system at that volume, but it's slightly disappointing to know that I can't. 8-)

It's also important to note that you cannot remove the front grille from these speakers. That makes it somewhat difficult for me to determine exactly what is causing the "buzz" I'm hearing at high volumes. It could just be a loose woofer mounting screw, but without disassembling the cabinet from the rear I cannot easily tell.

Overall for $699 for the complete PSB speaker set I can't be any more satisfied. I feel as if I've snagged an UNBELIEVABLE price-to-performance ratio, particularly considering the set included the SubSonic5 which is sold at over $400 locally.

I do feel somewhat "bad" that I ended up purchasing speakers over the internet after taking up hours and hours of time at my local dealers. However, none of my local dealers could come remotely close to the performance (some didn't even have product for sale this low at all) for $699.

I'm confident these are the BEST speakers I could have possibly purchased for $699. I likely would not have purchased them if they were closer to $1000, I would have looked at the Definitive Tech or maybe purchased used speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha 3-way acoustic suspension bookself

Clarity, Imaging, Size, Price

Simply amazing for the price. I replaced the cheapo speakers that came with my Kenwood NV500 minisystem with these for a HUGE improvement. Clarity, imaging, smoothness, and neutrality are all well represented by this little speaker. Obviously they can't cure the problems inherent with cheap electronics, but they took what was often a disappointing listening experience and made it very pleasant.
I'd recommend the Alpha Mini to anyone who bought a minisystem and is disappointed with the sound. The nice thing is they also match well with much better electronics (NAD packages their L40 CD/receiver combo with the Minis), meaning that once you can afford to move up to seperates (say a decent IA and CD player) they won't disappoint, and will keep you happy for years and years.
If you're looking at bookshelf speakers in the under $500 market, make sure you hear these. (Yes, they hang with speakers three times their price.) Spend the money you save on a pair of good wires and pat yourself on the back for being so damn savvy!

Similar Products Used:

Wharfedale Diamond 7.1, Mission 701

Big sound for a small speaker.....kinda laid back but VERY musical. It's also well built

Just like everyone, the grill is not detachable, but that's alright....I bought these speakers because of the sound not coz of its grills.

Just got these speakers yesterday and here i am writing a review for this speaker. I was very excited in getting these Alpha Mini's (My first entry level high-end speaker) and Man!!! was i glad i chose the Alpha Mini's. I was not disappointed...i hooked it up to my Elite Integrated Amp which is also hooked up to my PC and right away noticed the difference in compares to my other speakers. (What more if i was using a high-end cdplayer and not a CDRW drive?) Anyway, just like what i said its very "Musical"......the tweeters are pretty good, very detailed and good bass response for a small speaker if may add. I know that it still needs to be broken in.......can't wait til i get a new cdplayer. Just brings a smile to my face. Definitely a best buy for $153.....I recommend this to anyone who is on a budget...you will not be disappointed. Thank You PSB!!!...Go check it out