PSB Image B4 Speakers $179.99/pair Crutchfield

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UMASS

Gawd
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If anyone is in need of a solid smaller bookshelf speaker for a 2.0 or 2.1 set up, there speakers are excellent for $179.99 for the pair. Dark Cherry is out of stock, but the Black finish has availability. The Dark Cherry will be in stock on 6/18.

These speakers usually run anywhere from $279.00-$329.00 I rarely buy from Ctruchfield because I find they sell most product @ list price. They are outstanding little speakers that sound great (very neutral)

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_760IMGB4B/PSB-Image-B4-Black-Ash.html

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_760IMGB4C/PSB-Image-B4-Dark-Cherry.html
 
Wonder how these would compare to my paradigm atom v3's in terms of sound quality.

Does the Topping TP20 drive these adequately (probably not, sensitivity looks low-ish)?

Considering a second set of speakers so that I could maybe put something in my room.
 
I cannot comment on your Paradigm's Aton V3's myself, as I never auditioned them. Paradigm's are usually a great speaker! Yes...The PSB B4's could be a tad more efficient, but they really rock with my NAD D3020 @ only 30 WPC. This is for test only. My usual set-up is the Boston Acoustics M25's that are rated @ only 86 dB.

NAD D3030 link from Crutchfield:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_745D3020/NAD-D-3020.html?showAll=N&search=d3020&skipvs=T

The PSB B4's are so damn great for the money! I'm going to pair them-up with a Sewell T-AMP (50 WPC) for my Windows XP build in my basement.

Sewell T-Amp Link:

http://sewelldirect.com/Sewell-Silv...r-50-WPC.asp?gclid=CJ-Sn8SB770CFaVQOgodPjwA7Q
 
This is weird. WW Stereo bumped-up their prices to $279.00 as of today. What? Anyway....Crutchfield has them back in stock @ $179.99 shipped for free.
 
I saw the PSB 4s on Amazon yesterday for $164. Thirty minutes later they were $250. Today they are $279
 
Roma: Keep your eyes peeled. PSB is updating most of their line-up including the Image series. The new speakers will be out around mid-July I'm told from my local PSB dealer (State Street Discount in Portsmouth, NH) I was considering the Image T6's towers, but PSB has no more inventory.

Still @ $179.99 from Crutchfield, it's a great deal. For near-field speakers with a decent amp, it's a win-win. Right now I'm using Audio Engine's DS1 desktop stands to bring the tweeters to ear level. I bought these from Audio Engine direct with a coupon code (use SAVE10%) upon checkout & you'll get frees shipping as well.

Product Link:

http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Accessories/DS1-Desktop-Stand-Pair

The PSB B4's hang over just a tad, but still fit just fine. BTW...If any of you guys are looking @ AudioEngine product, that coupon code works for ALL of their product line including A2+, A5+ etc. Just a heads-up.
 
Since when did crutchfield start having good prices? I needed a remote for my DSLR other day and crutchfield had it cheaper than anyone else. Thats a first for me.
 
I like Crutchfield, their service is second to none. When you order a car system from them you get everything you need for a clean install. You'll pay a little more but you'll avoid a lot of hastle. But other than car systems, their prices usually are way on the high side. Hope this is changing.
 
So these are pretty small, right? And are you sure they'd be powered by a T-amp?

I'm considering them because right now I have my paradigm's under my TV. So I'd like a second pair that I could move around and put in other places (or maybe just try out surround with them, though there'd be some weirdness because I have two speaker types). And honestly my paradigms were a pair that I got off ebay that originally retailed for about 180 or something a pair. So these should sound better than them considering they're newer and on sale.

On a side note, the Dark Cherry looks to already be in stock?
 
I regards to the T-AMP & just got in this Sewell 50WPC unit here:

http://sewelldirect.com/Sewell-Silv...r-50-WPC.asp?gclid=CJ-Sn8SB770CFaVQOgodPjwA7Q

It works well with the PSB B4's Maybe not the best (see Marantz, NAD etc.) I find it to be pretty good overall. Both units aren't really broken-in yet, so I'll hold my true review until later.

If you need decent pre-made speaker cable "Sewell's Silverback" 6' or more or less, simply rocks for the coin! Great speaker cable!

http://sewelldirect.com/Silverback-...e-Copper-259-Strand-Count-6-ft-Terminated.asp
 
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I never listened to those Cambridge Audio S30's People really seem to like them a lot. Any review on any speaker should be taken with a grain of salt (including mine) Sound is so subjective. Those S30's are a tad wide @ 6.3" & the depth @ 9.2" is a tad too big for my desktop.

I would never buy new speakers from ebay, unless they were used or if I "had" to have a pair that was discontinued. Someone here suggested a pair of Mirage OMD-5's for desktops. They looked great & could find them on ebay for around $430.00 for the pair. Problem? No warranty from the manufacturer. Many ebay speaker sellers find some gems for short money & mark them up.

If you really want those CA S30's you can buy them Accessories4less @ $199.99 (with 5-year warranty) in Dark Oak or Black.

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...2-way-bookshelf-speakers-pair-dark-oak/1.html

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...-4-2-way-bookshelf-speakers-pair-black/1.html

You'll pay a few bucks for shipping, but you'll get the warranty. I like the fact that they can are bi-wired. That's pretty nice for such a small inexpensive bookshelf speaker.
 
Just a few things to keep in mind.

Cambridges are ported, albeit rear which makes desktop placement tougher but will likely lead to better bass response than the PSB's.

I'm not sure I'd want a 4" driver like the Cambridge speakers or PSB's for that kind of money. You're leaving a lot of midbass punch on the table even with a sub. 4" drivers that play up to where you'd want to roll off to a tweeter generally can not put out sub-120hz CLEANLY with any kind of authority. Some can pump out some inaccurate weird sounding bass with more than desirable harmonic distortion, and some are designed for midbass duties but the latter 4" drivers that can actually handle 60-120 don't play above 800hz-1khz nicely nor can they handle any power. There are physical limitations when designing a speaker that make smaller speakers in small enclosures difficult, but they're more aesthetically friendly so you need to weigh that into your decision.

This is a lot of money for a bunch of tradeoffs you don't have to make due to the size of the drivers used imo. If you have the room for it, something well designed with a 5.25, 6.5" or 8" mid in the same price range is going to handle kick drums and explosions with more grace. I have some small-driver computer speakers on my work computer, but as long as I have the space in the future I wouldn't consider buying anything with under a 6.5" mid unless it was some kind of exotic alignment. 5-8" drivers is really the sweet spot for bookshelfs and the good speakers with 5.25" drivers that throw down nice midbass always seem pricey.

ymmv, just my opinion based on the hobby, distortion measurements, and stuff


FYI - this is even more of an issue in a car, cars layouts gobble up midbass making it the most difficult area of the sound spectrum to fill out so depending on your room the issue might be better or worse than I'm describing.
 
InternationalHat said:
Just a few things to keep in mind.

Cambridges are ported, albeit rear which makes desktop placement tougher but will likely lead to better bass response than the PSB's.

I'm not sure I'd want a 4" driver like the Cambridge speakers or PSB's for that kind of money. You're leaving a lot of midbass punch on the table even with a sub. 4" drivers that play up to where you'd want to roll off to a tweeter generally can not put out sub-120hz CLEANLY with any kind of authority. Some can pump out some inaccurate weird sounding bass with more than desirable harmonic distortion, and some are designed for midbass duties but the latter 4" drivers that can actually handle 60-120 don't play above 800hz-1khz nicely nor can they handle any power. There are physical limitations when designing a speaker that make smaller speakers in small enclosures difficult, but they're more aesthetically friendly so you need to weigh that into your decision.

This is a lot of money for a bunch of tradeoffs you don't have to make due to the size of the drivers used imo. If you have the room for it, something well designed with a 5.25, 6.5" or 8" mid in the same price range is going to handle kick drums and explosions with more grace. I have some small-driver computer speakers on my work computer, but as long as I have the space in the future I wouldn't consider buying anything with under a 6.5" mid unless it was some kind of exotic alignment. 5-8" drivers is really the sweet spot for bookshelfs and the good speakers with 5.25" drivers that throw down nice midbass always seem pricey.

ymmv, just my opinion based on the hobby, distortion measurements, and stuff


FYI - this is even more of an issue in a car, cars layouts gobble up midbass making it the most difficult area of the sound spectrum to fill out so depending on your room the issue might be better or worse than I'm describing.
Click to expand...

I'm not really a fan of bass "punch" if you mean loudness. Also the S30's: I think I've read people saying they measured the woofer diameter a bit weird to make them look smaller or something. It's >4.5 inches. Well not a huge deal I guess. Personally for instance my paradigm atom v3's don't have the largest woofers but I think the bass punch is actually pretty substantial. Maybe partially because I'm not a fan of big bass, so they're just right for me. I don't need a subwoofer (nor want it).

Here is a frequency response measurement from that thread I linked earlier. Looks like there are definitely some notches below 200Hz, you are correct. If that's what you consider midbass anyhow. Not a huge expert on these terms. I've done various measurements (oscilloscopes and crap) in a circuit lab but none of them have been based on audible sound.

I'm curious as to what the frequency response of the PSB Image B4's is. I couldn't find an chart anywhere...

UMASS said:
I never listened to those Cambridge Audio S30's People really seem to like them a lot. Any review on any speaker should be taken with a grain of salt (including mine) Sound is so subjective. Those S30's are a tad wide @ 6.3" & the depth @ 9.2" is a tad too big for my desktop.

I would never buy new speakers from ebay, unless they were used or if I "had" to have a pair that was discontinued. Someone here suggested a pair of Mirage OMD-5's for desktops. They looked great & could find them on ebay for around $430.00 for the pair. Problem? No warranty from the manufacturer. Many ebay speaker sellers find some gems for short money & mark them up.

If you really want those CA S30's you can buy them Accessories4less @ $199.99 (with 5-year warranty) in Dark Oak or Black.

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...2-way-bookshelf-speakers-pair-dark-oak/1.html

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...-4-2-way-bookshelf-speakers-pair-black/1.html

You'll pay a few bucks for shipping, but you'll get the warranty. I like the fact that they can are bi-wired. That's pretty nice for such a small inexpensive bookshelf speaker.
Click to expand...

Well, the Ebay seller is accessories4less. Lol. But you're right maybe their store has a better warranty than their Ebay store... or does it.

I think I'm might go to one of these audio forums and go ask their opinion on what the next upgrade from my speakers would be at <200-300$. There should be at least someone who had to make the same purchasing decision as me at some point on those forums... and perhaps has a pair to test with. Is avsforums usually the go-to place? They sound pretty knowledgeable. Sorry for clogging up your thread with this, I'm just analyzing this product with regards to me. But hey, some discussion of alternatives is always healthy for consumers.
 
If it's accessories4less, then you're fine. I would just buy from the online store myself, unless they are offering free shipping on ebay. Warranty would be the same. Please keep in mind these were $300.00+ speakers (PSB B4's) I agree with InternationalHat. Speakers with 4"-4.5" driver has their limitations. 5 1/4" not so much. But who really wants a 6.5" driver speaker sitting on their desk. I have space limitations in my home computer room & the B4's get the job done very nicely IMHO. AVS is a solid place to ask questions. A lot of good people over there. Chime chime back & let us know what you purchased.
 
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^ that's good advice. Avsforum is a good place to ask questions and getting the warranty is smart. The first year is usually when stuff can go wrong with speakers - bad wiring job or crossover components not attached right.

I occasionally gamble buying car audio stuff from unauthorized dealers, but it's a gamble. You lose the warranty.
 
Rattle: The fit & finish looks like it was made in Japan under serious manufacturing guidelines (Made in China of course) Perfect Silver aluminium faceplate! The sound is pretty decent overall, but not true audiophile quality. It does pump out the WPC, no question! If you're playing games or using an IPOD/MP3 then, it's fine thru some decent speakers.

For $65.00 & change, it's a pretty solid deal overall.
 
UMASS said:
Roma: Keep your eyes peeled. PSB is updating most of their line-up including the Image series. The new speakers will be out around mid-July I'm told from my local PSB dealer (State Street Discount in Portsmouth, NH) I was considering the Image T6's towers, but PSB has no more inventory.

Still @ $179.99 from Crutchfield, it's a great deal. For near-field speakers with a decent amp, it's a win-win. Right now I'm using Audio Engine's DS1 desktop stands to bring the tweeters to ear level. I bought these from Audio Engine direct with a coupon code (use SAVE10%) upon checkout & you'll get frees shipping as well.

Product Link:

http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Accessories/DS1-Desktop-Stand-Pair

The PSB B4's hang over just a tad, but still fit just fine. BTW...If any of you guys are looking @ AudioEngine product, that coupon code works for ALL of their product line including A2+, A5+ etc. Just a heads-up.
Click to expand...


I have been wanting some A2+s for awhile now and they never seem to go on sale. How do these speakers compare to the A2+s? With the 10% through audioengine it may be just the push I need, or will these PSBs be a better speaker at a better price?
 
eibes said:
I have been wanting some A2+s for awhile now and they never seem to go on sale. How do these speakers compare to the A2+s? With the 10% through audioengine it may be just the push I need, or will these PSBs be a better speaker at a better price?
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These PSB speakers should be significantly better than the A2's. The A2 uses a 2.75" midrange driver. The A2's are powered, however. You'd need an amp for the PSBs.

The Audio engine speakers are good multimedia speakers. I don't think they would compare well to a mid-fi dedicated discrete component setup... especially one with significantly larger drivers.
 
The A2+ has a built-in DAC as well. With the 10% off that would bring you down to $250.20 (w/ the DS1 stands), which is a solid deal, plus free shipping. I'm sure they aren't going to "knock your socks off" with a 2.75" driver, but people really seem to like them. If you do score the A2+ then make sure you purchase the DS1 stands for them as well. It seems to be a good "all-in-one" package.
 
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Okay, well uh... reporting back with what I've ended up doing based on my little time on AVSforums. Naturally as you can see if I've arrived at the solution already I'm kind of impatient (I had that itch). Also, I went about 120$ over the price of these (and about 80$ over my initial budget based on the Cambridge S30's).
What I went with (300$):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003J1ORNS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here's my thread if anyone else is interested (I'm kinda sorry for the guys over there, I stated everything so vaguely hahaha...):
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1533866/modest-upgrade-to-paradigm-atom-v3s

Edit: Almost forgot gotta get me some of those banana plugs. Honestly it still makes me shudder. Reminds me of oscilloscopes, function generators, and gator clamps. *Shudder*
 
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Are banana plugs better than normal speaker wires, or just more convenient? I just hope they'll fit into my little amp. I remember those things being pretty darn long.
 
You don't have to use them, but you'll get better contact. The Sewell's aren't big @ all. Fit just about anything that has a banana connector. It's a clean install & most (if not all) connectors are the standard size.
 
Thanks for posting this. I've been lusting over some PSBs ever since I heard them locally at a high end audio dealer. I decided to ante up for the Image B5s. For the $249 price I don't think anything else can touch them. The only downside is the Dark Cherry was sold out so I ended up going black. My old school NAD amp is primed up and waiting for these to arrive. Kudos for a great find!

UMASS said:
If anyone is in need of a solid smaller bookshelf speaker for a 2.0 or 2.1 set up, there speakers are excellent for $179.99 for the pair. Dark Cherry is out of stock, but the Black finish has availability. The Dark Cherry will be in stock on 6/18.

These speakers usually run anywhere from $279.00-$329.00 I rarely buy from Ctruchfield because I find they sell most product @ list price. They are outstanding little speakers that sound great (very neutral)

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_760IMGB4B/PSB-Image-B4-Black-Ash.html

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_760IMGB4C/PSB-Image-B4-Dark-Cherry.html
Click to expand...
 
UMASS said:
You don't have to use them, but you'll get better contact. The Sewell's aren't big @ all. Fit just about anything that has a banana connector. It's a clean install & most (if not all) connectors are the standard size.
Click to expand...

I have a set of those wires and I actually prefer their deadbolt banana plugs. I bought 50 feet of KnuKonceptz Karma Kable twisted 12 gauge wire and have been making my own cables. I've been very pleased with the results. The Sewell deadbolts are the best plugs I've used. Once they are attached they are very secure and I like the way the wire is clamped onto the cable. Highly recommended especially for the price.
 
UberJeff: No Problem. Now I'm on the hunt for a pair of PSB B6's in Dark Cherry. I missed out as the Audio Advisor had them in stock 2 days ago for $299.99 per the pair. I found another dealer, but he wants $350.00 for the Dark Cherry with free shipping. I might just pull the trigger. I hate paying $50.00 more, but I think the PSB Imagine line is running low on stock already for the B5's & B6's. I'm going to call a couple of local dealers & see what they have.

NAD & PSB is always a great match. Good Luck!
 
I'm so happy right now! I noticed on Crutchfield's website they had the PSB B6's back in stock (Dark Cherry) @ $279.99 with free shipping. I called-in an order direct & they had 2 left. I think they received in 10/pairs late yesterday. I was ready to pay $350.00 from another online dealer this morning.

Insane deal for PSB B6's in Dark Cherry for $279.99 free shipping & no sales tax! Win-win. Out of stock now (sigh)

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-9ceG3FambEb/p_760IMGB6C/PSB-Image-B6-Dark-Cherry.html
 
I do notice that these PSB's seem to be a more popular brand than Mordaunt Short. That Aviano 2 I was eyeing before buying seemed to be around for a decent while until I finally bought it up. Well, 3/4 of them were sold out (and there were a lot of watchers on Ebay seemingly ready to jump) but still. Seems to be fairly rare around here. On the other hand these PSB's are getting sold like hotcakes lol. The Aviano 2 was actually about the same price as the PSB B6 pre-sale (maybe a bit more expensive, I don't remember).

Funny, started this topic with the B4 sale, ended up with me getting something totally unrelated and you getting a B6. I don't even know why I suddenly got an itch for some new speakers.
 
Stole: I hear you. I started this topic about the B4's I love them in a 2.1 computer set-up. When I discovered that the PSB B6's went down to $279.99, I went on the hunt. They were all gone (from Crutchfield), then I noticed Audio Advisor had the B6's in Dark Cherry for $299.99 When I went to order, they e-mailed me back saying, "Sorry we can't fill your order" Out of stock!

As I mentioned to you on the AVS forums, I bet those Morduant-Short Aviano 2's will be very nice! I really dig my M-S Aviano 7 subwoofer. The finish in Rosewood is very nice as well.

PSB is more of a well-named brand here in the US vs. Morduant-Short. My bet is in the next week or so, the old Imagine will close to gone. I'm so glad & checked Crutchfield's website one more time & they had a few left.
 
Well, these Mordaunt Shorts are amazing so far... I can't imagine how much better they will sound after I break them in. People who have these have noted that they get much better after break in... I just can't imagine it yet considering they sound better already. I honestly kind of scoffed at something being better than my cheapo ebay paradigms that I had to repair myself, but... they do. It's not as humongous of a leap as when I went from cheapo powered computer speakers to these Paradigms, but... it's noticeable. Everything is clearer now. The bass is also much better.

Honestly, that earlier comparison is unfair to make in the first place. People don't really realize just how bad most computer speakers are. That's why these I go onto PC Parts Picker and just roll my eyes at those builds where they obviously didn't have a budget, yet their audio solution is some friggin powered Logitech speakers. It's pretty hilarious.


By the way UMASS, I said this on AVS forums as well, but you ought to give T-Amps another try if you ever get the chance or need. I think the one you got was just designed for high WPC, not necessarily sound quality. Maybe give my topping an honest chance if you ever get the opportunity. I'm planning to get a surround receiver at some point but I know ones that are good for music aren't the cheapest thing in the world.... Then again I wonder if I could just keep adding topping amps per sets of speakers.

.... Lol... Well thanks for this topic mate, it got me moving to increase the sound quality at my place. Hahahaha
 
My Image B5's showed up yesterday and my initial response is wow! They sound fantastic with my NAD 325BEE powering them. They are quite punchy for only 5" drivers. I can't wait to see how they sound over the next couple of weeks as they fully break in. I'm quite pleased to say the least.
 
Stole & Uberjeff: Glad I help out in some small measure. The difference between "computer speakers" vs. buying separately is huge. There are some solid pre-made units like Focal, PSB, Audio Engine etc. One guy in the audio forum swears by his recent purchase of Blue Sky 2.1 set up. I was one of those people not long ago & another guy in these forums, set me straight.

In regards to the T-AMP scenario, my Sewell unit is just ok, but it's not a fair fight because I'm testing against Marantz AV receiver & a NAD D3020 hybrid digital amp. Bottom line is if it's working for you, then that's that matters in the end. I have to admit, those Mouraunt Shorts intrigued me. I'm glad you're really digging them.

UberJeff: Looks like we all made out pretty well. Buying my B4's for $179.99 & the B6's for $279.99 is such a steal. I'm sure you really going to like those B5's after 30-40 hours of brake-in duty. NAD & PSB marry-up extremely well & I think they are both owned by the same company, if I'm not mistaken. My B6's came in from Crutchfield in perfect condition yesterday. I'll hook them up next week.
 
Just an update. The NAD and the PSBs sound epic together. I'm thrilled already and knowing they will only continue to get better over the next week or two is exciting. This was the best hot deal I've seen on the [H].
 
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