Great Canadian speakers . Paired with my c9 centre when listening to home theatre. Excellent sound and footprint. Never boring or annoying to listen to. Handle all that is asked of them.

No weaknesses to report.

Easy to position Easy to drive Fantastic bass Natural soundstaging Excellent dynamics Very good timing Always involving

Not the last word in transparency and detail Require a good 100 hours of break-in time The supplied spikes should be longer, to penetrate thick carpet The binding posts could be more substantial The vinyl finish could be better

For the price I paid, I believe the PSB Image 5T is simply the best floorstanding speaker available. It has no doubt been superseded in performance by PSB's own Image T55, and speakers like the Axiom Audio M60ti and Monitor Audio Silver S6 are certainly more refined performers. But all three cost significantly more than the Image 5T's, and should be judged accordingly. (If purchased online, the Image T55 is in the $750 range, and the M60ti and Silver S6 each run about $900.) But for a little more than $500, the Image 5T's are absolute standouts. They have disarmingly natural soundstaging, a terrific way with instrumental tone and timbre, and bass that must be heard to be believed. Although not the last word in transparency and detail, only bookshelf-size speakers at a similar price point can outdo them in this regard. Add in the cost of stands, and the pendulum swings back in the PSB's favor. And no bookshelf speaker, perhaps for any price, can do what the PSB's can in the bass. For their modest size, cost, and driver complement, the PSB's produce the kind of bass that makes you shake you head in wonder. It's deep, taut, tuneful, and natural, yet so powerful when called for that you'll likely be caught off guard, as I was. In concert with the 5T's dynamics, which are exceptional at this price, the speaker rocks harder and more convincingly than it has any right to. And even if you aren't a bass head or a rock fan, the PSB's imaging in the bass defines the boundaries of a recording venue in a way that its direct rivals can't quite match. This last bit is an example of why Paul Barton, perhaps more than any of his contemporaries, is able to produce such universally well-regarded products. Although fellow Canadian speaker companies like Paradigm, Axiom, and Mirage also have access to the same NRC research and facilities that PSB does, it is Barton that seems to do more with less, price-wise, than anyone else. I would argue that for more than $1000, it is the Paradigm product that has the slight edge, but in terms of under-$1000 offerings, PSB holds the advantage. Barton seems to understand something about how to control dispersion patterns that renders his under-$1000 speakers not only more natural-sounding (especially in terms of warmth of tone) than those from other manufacturers, but also easier to place in a room and more forgiving of upstream electronics. This is something he refers to as "Sound Power", and you'll likely appreciate its effectiveness even more if your listening room is less than ideal (as most are), or your choice of speaker position is somehow limited. Even if neither is the case, the 5T's dispersion characteristics will combine with its commendably flat frequency response, easy-to-drive load, and good sensitivity to give convincing results in nearly any listening space. It is this agreeable nature that makes PSB speakers so endearing, and why I ended up purchasing the 5T's as the successors to my beloved Spica TC-60's (which are a nightmare to position in a room). Even when compared to the Axiom M60ti's, which are more transparent and detailed, the Image 5T competes favorably due to its greater warmth and humanity, which makes the Axiom sound a bit too bright in the treble and dry in the midbass. And head-to-head against the Monitor Audio Silver S6, the Image 5T falls behind when compared to the S6's beautifully refined, crystalline treble, but comes storming back with superior integration of the midbass and bass ranges with the rest of the audible spectrum. If I were shopping for a floorstanding speaker in the $750 to $1000 range, the PSB Image T55 is where I would start. But if your budget is limited to a speaker under $600 a pair, I strongly urge you to audition a pair of Image 5T's. As of this writing, dealers should still have some 5T stock left, and will likely be keen to move it. So bargain to your heart's content, take your new speakers home, give them a good 100 hours of high-level play to break in (the 5T's sound AWFUL out of the box), sit back with a cold one, and enjoy. You can thank me later.

Similar Products Used:

Axiom Audio M60ti Monitor Audio Silver S6 and S8 Spica TC-60 Vandersteen 2Ci, 2Ce, and 2Ce Signature PSB Alpha (the original) Paradigm (various models) Mirage (various) Definitive Technology (various)

Their fabulous sound!

Poor build quality. My pair has fiberglas insulation inside. It's always coming loose. The cabinet covering is peeling. My pair looked "used" from day one (scratches and dings) although I was assured by my dealer that they were "new." Also, I would rate my local dealer's support as poor. I'm also ticked off that I paid $750 and you can buy the same speakers on-line for about $400-500. I am also very concerned about the amount of PSB "factory blems" that are available on the internet. It gives me a very uneasy feeling about my "new" speakers.

These are very good sounding speakers. I audtioned some that were 2-3 times their price and really found none that were worth the extra money. I'm very happy with these and I will probably have them for a very long time.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm, old AR & JBL

EVERYTHING

I AM QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT THE GLUT OF "B" STOCK SPEAKERS ON THE INTERNET.

SIMPLY STATED, THE ABSOLUTE BEST UNDER $1K SPEAKER ON EARTH!!!

Similar Products Used:

KLIPSCH, BOSTON ACOUSTICS, SNELL

Everything The bass is fantastic

The spikes. Change them for bether sound.

This is my second review of theese fantastic speakers. Why I write this review is because I have owned them for about 3 years now, and they still impress me. I have owned several amps, recivers, and everytime I uppgrade to a bether amp, reciver, the sound gets bether. I have owned NAD, Denon, Sony recivers, amps, the time I been using the 5T, and they can't match the speakers not even the Denon AVR-3802 that is a pretty expensive. To get the best out of theese speakers you have to get some pretty expensive Amps. What that means is that theese speakers are close to hi-end stuff, that costs a whole lot more. To get the best out of theese fantastic speakers I would recomed a integrated AMP that costs at least 1000$ no recivers on the marked today can match theese speakers. So to everybody out there that give theese speakers less that 5 stars, buy bether AMPs, or try them with bether AMPS before saying anything about them. My friend that have a system that costs around 50000$ are very impressed by theese speakers. He can't belive what they can do. Right now I'm using a LFD Mistral integrated AMP that costs around 1000$. I think that this is the price to pay to get the most out of this fantastic speakers. The speakers have everyting you will ever need. It plays classic, pop, rock, jazz, metal, like a dream. The bass is the best I ever heard, but it takes a real god CD-player and AMP.

Similar Products Used:

B&W, electrokompaniet, Bose.

Very nice smooth accurate sound with excellent depth to the soundstage.

no where near as good as paradigm monitor 7's and more expensive too

i demoed these psbs along with paradigm monitor 7's, after reading the rave reviews for both speakers. quite frankly, i was blown away by how much better the paradigms sounded. i had listened to the pbss before and had been veyr very impressed with there imaging and overall smoothness. however, next to the paradigms, they sounded like they should have been costing 300 dollars less. i went in expecting a long deliberation process, armed with many cds, but after the first 3 i ahd laready amde my decison. The paradigms were far more dynamic, with much smoother and more lively bass, as well as treble that was even less harsh than the psbs excelent treble. dont get me wrong, the psbs are excellent speakers, and were a little more accurate overall than the paradigms, but overall the paradigms made the music far warmer and alive. As for home theater, teh paradigms most assuredly beat the psbs.

-Good bass (good low bass, excellent upper bass) Fine midrange and treble, both are very detailed -Wide, enveloping, and engaging soundstage -Give a true listening experience that makes your music sound its best (and totally different from what you may have heard through your car's CD player for instance)

They can sound bright if toed in (for my system anyways, cables can alter this if you want, ex. Cardas cables) -I want powerful booming bass for movies, and I can't say this speaker has given me all that I want. I need a subwoofer to complete this system, and that can obviously be said of most systems (so this isn't a big weakness).

I really love these speakers. I got them a year ago and have listened to all types of music on them. When I first got them, I also listened to them through several types of interconnects and speaker cables in my system. Now, I've settled on the MIT MI-330 Plus interconnects and Analysis Plus Oval 12 speaker cables. I use the Cambridge Audio A500 integrated amplifier and D500SE CD Player. I originally had these speakers toed inward 15 degrees or so, and I had this setup for over a half a year in fact. In this setup, the sound was always detailed and to listen to them was a totally enjoyable "audiophile experience," in which one could sit in the sweet spot, and not move too much, but listen to the exquisite detail that was revealed by my sound system, from the mid-range, upper bass, all the way up to a treble range that was very nice, but sometimes a little shiny or harsh (I hate to use such derogatory words here). No one could argue that the sound they produced was very revealing and made often heard music a new experience to the ears, but often the consensus was that they were a little bright, even though none of the components in my system have the reputation of being overly bright. I decided at some point to make them flush with the wall (no toe in), and move them closer to the wall as well (the back sides are now only about 8 inches from the wall). This really took the brightness out of my system, and it now has a very neutral frequency response. The best part is that the removal of brightness did not accompany any degradation in the detail revealed by the speakers, as they remained crystal clear. Another result of this move in position was more bass. The bass from these speakers previously was very nice and deep when the volume was high enough, or when I increased the bass on my amplifier. But now there is always enough bass, and I just leave the amplifier frequnecy controls disabled. This change in speaker position also resulted in a wider soundstage, but also a more diffuse sound stage, I have to admit. Overall, I like it now better, because I can sit off to the side of the speakers and get a much better listening experience. The sweet spot is still best of course. Before, I think there may have been slightly better separation and localized instrument placement, but the wider sound stage now is more preferrable to me.

Similar Products Used:

car stereo, JVC mini-system, Boston Acoustics speaker system with Sony receiver and Pioneer CD player I have also listened to music on systems in audio stores, so I know what "good sound" is

Soundstage, articulation, clarity. Beautiful design - bonus! My wife loves the look of these speakers.

None at this price range.

Excellent speaker for the $$$ Very clear, concise highs. Wonderful, spacious soundstage really delivers the goods, especially on live recordings. I love rock and these babies definitely supply the punch. Bass was solid and smooth. There definitely is a break-in period involved in getting the most out of these speakers. After the first 50 hours or so, the mids and highs leveled off and mellowed. I really like the open feel of these speakers. Compared to the Infinity's, Polk, Klipsch - well, no contest....I also want to put in a good word for dmc-electronics.com - they provided excellent service, price, and advice.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch, JBL, Polk Audio.

Strong bass. Great sound in large rooms.

Highs and mids could be faster and more controlled.

I was on a quest for the Holy Grail of loudspeakers. I was looking for a pair of loudspeakers that cost less then $500, but would still be able to deliver high quality, not necessarily Hi-fidelity, sound in my large billiards room. I auditioned a wide verity of speakers and soon realized that the original price point that I set was too low. The Holy Grail is still out there to be found, and I’m at home with a pair of PSB Image 5T’s. For the price these speakers kick some serious ass. I listen to a wide verity of music, but it is mainly bluegrass and lounge that’s flowing out of my stereo. These speakers worked out great for where they are used, they fill the room with beautifull sound and the sound quality does not deteriorate as you move throughout the room playing pool. The 5T’s have amazing low-end response, although they had a tendency to be boomy until they were broken in. There is so much bass, that at high volumes all of the cabinets in my kitchen rattle something fierce, which can be highly annoying, oh well. The mid and upper ranges are slightly lacking in some of the control and definition exhibited by the smaller Image 3LR’s and some of the higher priced loudspeakers I auditioned, but this is a minor complaint. These speakers can be played at Phenomenally high volumes before they begin to distort, which makes them great for parties and for listening to your music when outside the house. Over all, the Image 5T’s preformed far better then I thought would be possible for a loudspeaker in this price point. My System: NAD 1700. Pre-Amp/Tuner NAD 2100. Amp Kyocera DA-710cx. CD Player

Now that I have had these speakers for a year, I know they are amazing.I play them all the time and loud and they still sound perfect. And lets not even talk about the dvd sound. All I have to say is watch the Apocolypse Now redux. Crazy

None

Yeah, these speakers are the best

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm