PSB Speakers Image 4T Floorstanding Speakers
PSB Speakers Image 4T Floorstanding Speakers
USER REVIEWS
[Jul 27, 2020]
aburnham2
Strength:
I purchased these for $100. The tweeters were blown. Replaced with Peerless BC25SC0804 from Parts Express. These speakers are extraordinary. Incredible 3 way speakers nearly as good as my much modified Klipsch Quartets. Deep bass to the mid 39 Hzs, beautiful midrange, and fabulous highs with the new tweeters. The tweets are an easy replacement, perfect fit. Just need a screwdriver. Don’t hesitate to buy a pair, you will not be disappointed. Weakness:
Tweeters are fragile, easy replacement. Purchased: Used
|
[Jul 17, 2004]
tonio_k
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
accuracy (i.e. flat response w/in their range), plus they do microdynamics pretty darn well
Weakness:
none at this price -- ok maybe a touch harsh on top with some recordings, but my room is quite live and my digital player was mediocre (since upgraded), which accounts for most of that. I have had these speakers for a year now, so it seems like a good time to post a short review. The Image line has now been updated by psb, which only makes a good thing even better. I bought these for my "second" system, a modest home-theater setup, and it instantly became my first in terms of sound quality. The speakers need about 50 hours of run-in to start, and sound even better--especially on top--after about 100 hours. Biwiring also made a subtle improvement, especially in midrange detail. A month ago my son got me some Monster THX cables and that helped too (somewhat to my surprise) -- soundstage now wider and higher, flutes sound more silvery, dynamics enhanced. I went in looking for monitors-on-stands to slightly upgrade the little Polks I had been using. The great people at Audio Alternative in Lilburn helped me "discover" these little floorstanders instead, mainly by answering all my newbie questions and letting me listen for long stretches of time. Thanks guys! These are unbelievable speakers for the price. They work really well in my system, integrate nicely with my sub for those few low notes they lack, and make a sweet, uncolored sound that I have enjoyed for hours at a time. It was a great way to get back into audio and start really enjoying music again (I am a professional musician and music historian). Similar Products Used: polk, a/d/s, infinity |
[May 12, 2003]
Matt
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Clarity, sensitivity, looks, bass, everything.
Weakness:
I can't find any. I am not very experienced in the way of speakers, but I must say these are the best I've ever heard and I am very happy to own them. I first discovered PSB when I came across a pair of Image 1B bookshelf speakers from a high end local audio store. I didn't have much money to spend but I needed something better than my tv speakers, so I bought a receiver and the 1Bs. I was amazed at the sound of the 1Bs, but I was constantly annoyed by the locality of such a small speaker. I felt like every sound was coming directly from the speakers and they certainly did not fill my living room completely with sound. Eventually, I forked out the cash for these towers. After setting them up and wiring them, I was absolutely amazed at the difference in imaging and sound quality over the 1Bs. I could suddenly imagine a full stage of music in front of me. I moved the 1Bs to the rear as surrounds and now I can enjoy well-matched surround effects from my dvds along with room filling stereo sound from my cds. I love these speakers. |
[Apr 11, 2003]
Walt
AudioPhile
Strength:
cheap. with simple mods mentioned, these can stand against lots of $1k speakers.
Weakness:
with ports open bass has a mushy Q of well over 1.0 (ideal is .707), maybe that's OK for rear channel work in a 5 channel rig, but for stereo EQ that stinks. tweeter/x-over results in cripy sound and colorations at times (female vocals are fine), but brash horns and metallic percussion show off this coloration - much worse on axis. bought them for kids, plenty reviews. Here is how to improve them: - take off grille's, better horiz image/mids - put on spikes, better bass deliniation - sit below tweeter axis, better vert image - terrible bass tuning on the ports, stuff with sonex foam, balled socks, whatever. much cleaner bass & mids result. Just find the nastiest multi bass instrument recording you have, and try it. Has little to do with volume. If you can't tell, then these speakers are more then good enough for you. exotic improvements: - replace tweeter with better unit, likely a silk dome, the tweeter is metallic even after break-in. - xover is very cheap (naturally), may improve grinding coloration in upper mids by improving caps (try tweet change first). cabinet bracing is poor, consider adding some, along with treatment of inside of cabinet. Similar Products Used: Dyna A-25, Lg Advent, ADS 710, DCM Time Window, DQ-10's, Magnepan MG-1, Martin Logan Aerius, SL-3, Triangle Celius |
[Feb 22, 2003]
Jandri JACOB
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Deep Bass, smooth high freqency and natural vocal. Also open sound. I bought this speaker for listening the music, home theatre powered by NAD T752 receiver, power amp. 218THX&C270 for surround back, T562DVD, completed PSB10S,PSB10S&PSB8C,JBLCS100 (surround Back). Those packad gave me great home theatre. More impressive is great sound for JAZZ music. That my favourit music. Vacal is more clear and no noice produced. Similar Products Used: B&W |
[Jan 06, 2003]
Gil
AudioPhile
Strength:
Very neutral sound, excellent bass and quite dynamic. Small size for such an open sound. Higher level of fit and finish than all competitive products auditioned in that price range.
Weakness:
Limited soundstaging for stereo listening set-up. My review summary will not attempt to describe the performance of these speakers in a stereo set-up as they were intended to always be used in a 5.1 system. I use 2 sets of 4T's (mains and surrounds), combined with an 8C center and a Subsonic 6 sub. Since personal criterias for selecting components is such an important part of the shopping process, I will try to summarize mine. As an Audiophile who has previously owned higher fidelity equipement, I had decided to make the move to a 5.1 surround set-up that would be used in a music/movie ratio of approx. 75/25%. The sound had to be very neutral accross all of it's frequency range with excellent dynamics whithout showing signs of compression at higher SPL's. In order to obtain this, I was ready to accept a slightly dryer personality from the speakers as I new that the remaining component selection could compensate for this. Imaging, soundstaging and spaciousness were all evaluated within the limits that this price range can resonably achieve. All of my music listening is done in either original 5.1 format from DTS CD's or DVD Video's as well as the "envelopping effect" I have really come to appreciate from my Denon receiver in 5 channel stereo mode (not DSP processed)from my SACD's and regular CD's. I also wanted to make sure that the set-up would transmit DVD movies with great dynamic abilities, something that to many "warmer sounding" speakers cannot achieve. Well, there you have it... After properly integrating the speaker system into my living room with the use of the AVIA calibration DVD and an SPL meter, I must admit that these speakers (as well as the whole set) really shine in delivering an outstanding combination of multi-channel musicality and home theater entertainement. For reference, I include the remainder of the system used: Denon AVR-3300 Receiver, Sony DVP-S9000ES SACD/DVD playeron top of a Cambridge Audio isolation platform, Monster Cable 300 and 400 series interconnects and speaker cables, Monster power HTS2600 line conditioner, Lovan system rack and Toshiba 50" Cinema series HDTV. |
[Aug 06, 2002]
Rhino
Audio Enthusiast
I bought these via mail-order and was not particularly impressed with their performance. In truth, I thought they sounded quite boxy and dead in the upper-midrange. I could also hear resonance from the cabinets, which is not what you want in a speaker, even ones as inexpensive as these are. I have since purchased some Monitor Silver 5i's and find them to be a major improvement in clarity and detail, although they were also more expensive. I guess that given the reviews I'd read, I expected the 4Ts to be a much better than they turned out ro be. |
[Aug 02, 2002]
What
AudioPhile
Strength:
nice balance of high's & low's decibel strenght was great dual ports
Weakness:
-people are not willing to pay for it especially when they are already best bang for the buck PSB Image 4t's - great speakers compared to energy's & paradigms -Go to Eatons Centre Sony Store for great selection Similar Products Used: energy's paradigms |
[Jun 19, 2002]
legman1t
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Does it all very well.
Weakness:
Vertical imaging still lacks just a little. Greetings everyone. Actually, this summary is a continuation of my original posting from 2-02-2002. I have upgraded to an ARCAM AVR200 surround sound receiver and am now using DNM Reson single solid core speaker wire. I used not to believe that speaker wire made any difference but WOW was I ever wrong. The DNM speaker wire provides a synergestic musical reproduction that I did not anticipate! The 4T's tweeter no longer strains at all! All I can say is the ARCAM + DNM took the 4T's to another muscial level. I am running the 4T's with PSB 1B's for surrounds, and RBH sub woofer TS10AP. The sub does all that I need for music and movies and it looks really great in cherry veneer. I had been using Ecosse CS2.3 speaker cable UHP-OFC 259 strands, and it did sound muscial but narrow and I was thinking I made a mistake in buying the 4T's... Until, I put the DNM wires on. The DNM's opened up everything and now the 4T's sound the best I have ever heard them. The only other speakers that really caught my ear during auditioning were from the manufacturers, Ruark, and from Aerial Acoustics... Maybe one day when I win the Texas Lotto... but until then, with my new gear, the 4T's are FABULOUS! For those of you who may want or need to know, I bought the DNM speaker cables from Concert Sound, ph#210-821-6648 or fax#210-821-5219. Happy listening and enjoy thy gear! Similar Products Used: Too many to list again. |
[Jun 19, 2002]
Paul
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Narrow stream line size, clarity without piercing sound, and the price.
Weakness:
None. I bought the Image 4T for my home theater that I'm rebuilding with the PSB Image speaker line. It's the right size, can handle a lot of watts, clean detailed sound for the voice, good bass response for it's size and the price is low. A subwoofer will be needed to bring out the rest of the low end bass needed for home theater. I does a fine job by itself for instrumental type music like classical and jazz. Great high and mid range presence. Bass does not over shadow the highs and mids. If you do not want to buy sub, you should step up to the 5T or 6T. They creates a lot of bass to compliment the highs and mids while maintaining clarity. Similar Products Used: Klipsch RF3, Jamo E670 |