AI estimates it would cost 20 to 30% more if made in Canada due to increased labor and materials cost. I personally think that is a conservative estimate and it is probably closer to 50%
Looks like a good option. Thanks for sharing this with us all and also for your sponsor of this video. Many of us do need their services, and your promotion of this is greatly appreciated. Stay well, my friend.
Great video. I really appreciate the comparisons at the end. I'm using the little jamos I got out of the home theatre pack I got back when the were blowing them out cheap. I always thought they were a little shrill whem listening to music.
Paul Barton is a legend. PSB is a HUGE underdog out there .. No one seems to bring them up ..but they have some of the best you can get for the price across all their series of products. The New Dual 8inch subs are on display now at ISE .. Amazing stuff.. Really small .. but massive sound.
Always liked PSB, but ended up with Paradigm back in the day. Now have Focal, Dali, Triangle, Cambridge Audio, Martin Logan, and have tried Quad, Monitor Audio, Wharfedale, Jamo, Polk, Ascend Acoustics, Boston, Klipsch, Definitve, BIC, NHT...among a few others. Tempted to buy the PSB XB when it was on closeout, among some others but stopped myself. Monitors Anonymous helped.
Any engineer can put in the most expensive parts and finishes to a product and get good results if they know what they are doing however what sets exceptional engineers from mediocre ones is putting together a great product at such an affordable price. Bravo PSB!
what makes it hilarious is... there are only about $50 worth of components and material in these speakers and the tech is the same basic design and tech they have been using for over 100 years and yet they still charge hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for a speaker and people will STILL pay it.. LOL
Absolutely. Given that there is really no such thing as a “bad” speaker today, the real magic is at the lower end. Never heard these, but I’m sure they’re great for the money
I'm a retired design engineer and I could tell you as a statement of fact that every product I was ever employed to design had a cost target imposed on the requisite design, and the designs were always thought out with cost mitigation as a priority! The parts cost always ended up having the "bill of materials" scrutinized to death (by people that couldn't even work a copying machine without training)..😵💫
To be honest, he does try to try and point out the positives, but he also points out limitations. At this point in time, there aren’t a lot of terrible products, even at reasonable prices. I think it would irresponsible to totally trash a product, and he does usually talk about other or better products at the same time price point .
PSB are the easiest bookshelf to recommend when someone is just starting out with limited funds. I've gone through many of them and am currently using the Stratus Gold mini. Got 'em used for 300 bucks.
I have an old Mission 8VET. The tweeter is above the woofer (you can flip it if you want). Set up in a small room with my vintage Marantz. Mission has the same layout as the PSB.
I have a pair of PSB Image 5Ts and couldn’t be happier with a $150 FB Marketplace purchase. These things dip down into the low 30s, have a small footprint, and have an attractive wrap and grill.
I bought my first PSB speakers in the mid 90's. They are 5T's, now with 55t drivers. Original drivers were fine, but the 55t drivers are a easy upgrade. I currently have a total of 20 PSB's. For bang for the buck, they are hard to beat.
Thanks for the review Randy. I have a pair of alhpa5 PSB since the late 90s. Still use them to this day. Great bass as well! Seems to be a lot of know it alls on here today!
After lots of research, I chose these for my desk and have been using them for several years. They're not perfect, but I think they're the best choice at this form factor and any flaws can be corrected with EQ. The closest contender for me is the Micca RB42.
I had the PSB 50r(1"silk and 8" paper pulp I think from what I remember)black ash . Had bought them back in 82' . They were made right after the Passiff original speakers. These speakers (50r) were awesome for the price with stands $550. I had Adcom pre-amp gfp 1a,tuner gft 1a and amplifier gfa-2 . Also had Rega 2 planar with AKG cartridge and Dual brand with 3heads for monitoring recording,it had vu meters. It had two speeds on it for better quality recordings and playback. Jvc cd player too. At the time that was my end unit. Still have them all but they are acting there age .
Woah - they are not just a little bit smaller than the Elac BS41. They are lacking screws on the binding post/port unit, so these might be a challenge to try and upgrade? A bypass cap would open up the quality of the treble - more air and layering and detail; without increasing the treble volume - but installing it might be difficult.
Got a pair of open box through the link, hope that goes through. Going to pair the P3s with a new Schiit Gjallarhorn amp. Already have an existing Schiit DAC>EQ>HP/pre-amp stack so this'll fit juuuust right at the end of the chain
Not sure the cabinets would stand up to being moved around much, based on the chip he showed. I have an old pair of audioengine a2 speakers - a notch down from this in terms of audio quality, but powered, and have been dragged, schlepped, maybe dropped, and held up ok.
for sure. for surrounds sometimes I want a speaker to actually be more midrange focused if not borderline sibilant to really give you the zing on helicopters, explosions etc. It's probably an unpopular opinion but for height, surrounds, etc I prefer a fatiguing speaker that I wouldn't normally listen to music on. but these would be great for surrounds because of their size.
I have these paired with my SMSL sa300 and I’m blown away at how good these sound. I like using the sbd setting on the SA300 when listening at low volumes and it’s perfect.
wow, I'll stick with my cheap BS 41s for that lower spl near field listening application .. you almost had me thinking about trying them out until you said the top end wasn't the star of the show and you mentioned an aluminum tweeter .. that's all I needed to hear to squelch the thought of it.. 😉
I had the p5's when they first came out for $300. Wish I would have kept them. The PSB's are over priced now. I had the black and the walnut. Actually preferred the black for once. Great review
It looks so weird to me to see a speaker with the tweeter on the bottom. I'd love to give these a try. I wonder if they'd make a good upgrade from the CS5's.
I don't know how I missed this vid. I bought a pair of Alpha P3 a few years ago. I was impressed with them at first. But when switching between the P3 and other speakers, the P3 seem to have bit of a noticeable "dip" in midrange? They are still very good, and the response probably lends itself to reducing the harshness you often get in a typical (untreated) room? I haven't actually tried measuring the P3 on REW yet, but I might do soon. Mainly because... I just ordered the Micca MB42X G2 a few days ago. lol I heard very good things about the Micca speakers on channels like this, and from Zeos. I also bought a pair of PSB Intro LR around the same time, as the P3, as I saw the LR cheap on Fleabay. I was using the Intro LR as my side surrounds for quite a while. They worked very well for that. (all replaced with RSL CG23M for the three fronts, and CG3M for the surrounds and heights now.)
I have the PSB P5 speakers on my desktop and I love them! I think I picked up a used pair a couple of years ago for $230 on Amazon. If these are anything like the P5 speakers, they are an amazing speaker and an awesome deal!
Yeah, it's an interesting design. I run mine upside down as they just sound better to my ears with the tweeters closer to ear level. Downside with that is you see the seam from the vinyl wrap and the label on top. Otherwise, I think the recommendation is put them at ear level and run them rightside up.
It'd be nice if you could review the passives from Kanto. They seem to be the p3 and p5 main competitors in a similar proce range. It'd be nice if you could review both of the kantos and also the p5 from psb. And compare them maybe.
I agree, I have a pair of the the Kanto YU4 Passive on my desktop. I'm impressed with their sound, they now retail for $180. I'd like to know how they compare to the PSB Alpha P3.
I ended up with Fluance Signature bookshelf speakers as cheap passive speakers in a walnut finish are limited in available options. As the Fluance speakers are a little larger, but a little cheaper, I would be interested in how you would think those compare. Part of my little Fluance RT85, Fluance Signature Bookshelf, Aiyima T5 amp/phono-premap/bluetooth Vinyl starter system.
They are in sale close too where i live for around 200 . So i will buy them and when the ayima comes in the mail iam sure looking forward too listening too then at my desk👌
My first true 5.1 setup was a PSB Image B4 system driven by a Yamaha AVR (including an 8 inch PSB subwoofer). I still use two of these speakers as surrounds. Question, and forgive me if you have spoken about this, but have you had a chance to listen to the new SVS Ultra Evolution bookshelves? I know they are probably not ‘cheap’, but you did review the Prime and Ultra bookshelves, and part of my decision to buy the Prime over Ultra was based on your review (no regrets). I am feeling the urge to upgrade and wondering if you think these new Ultra Evolutions are materially better than the Prime speakers. Love the channel!
Okay...so I have been looking to put together a new computer sound system given that I spend most of my time in front of my computer. While I have a decent Cambridge Soundworks system on it already, I simply have grown tired of it and wanted something that was a bit more of an audiophile grade. So I had started with a purchased pair of speakers that I had bought based on Randy's (constant) rave reviews, which is the Sony SSCS5's. I had bought these a while back when I had bought another pair of speakers based on Randy's (and many other's) reviews, which is the Klipch RP-600m's. Now, while I like the RP-600m's, I could tell that there was something missing in the sound, and I had later on found out about the characteristic 1.5khz dip in the response. I had compared the SSCS5's to them, and overall, I like the sound of the latter better in terms of midrange and highs. The bass is far better on the Klipsch's. Now, after trying some other speakers out on my home computer setup, including another pair of speakers that came highly recommended, the RSL CG3m's. Randy mentioned these a couple times and I had looked up reviews on others here as well. The reviews were favorable enough for me to pull the trigger on the RSL's. They had a no risk return policy and I gave it a go. When they arrived, I hooked them up in place of my Cambridge satellite speakers, but still used the subwoofer. Almost instantly, disappointment set in. I had noticed that the CG3m speakers had a peak or a 'bonk' in the 350hz region, so much so that I had to reduce both the 250hz AND 500hz control by about 4db each! Figuring it might be the sound system, as I hooked it up to the existing Cambridge amplifier, I had moved the speakers to the Denon system in my test room. Same thing, the bonk was still there. I had contacted RSL about it, and they seemed to be in disbelief that there was an issue and, of course, they recommended to send the speakers back, which I did. However, I did tell them to get back to me with their findings to see if there is an issue with them. In the meantime, I had tried a pair of used Realistic Minimus 7W's and I didn't like the high end on these. They were a bit harsh, BUT there was no peak in the 350hz range. I sent those back to the seller. Then I put the Sony's on my computer system. The SSCS5's do have a slight peak in the 350hz area, but I was able to knock it out by bringing the 250hz control down by only 2 db. The speakers sang! I could hear imaging that I have not heard before with the Cambridge satellites. I was surprised that it seemed as if the speakers I was looking for, I already had! However, there is one big issue with the Sony's and that is, they are just too big for my desktop. WAY too big. I needed something around the size of the RSL CG3m's or the Minimus 7's. Enter PSB. I had come to THIS very review first and then checked the Alpha 3's on other sites as well. I was a bit surprised that Randy didn't mention this speaker often, but always touted the Micca speakers. So I was going back and forth between them. In the end, the low efficiency of the Micca's at 83 db killed the deal and I decided to pull the trigger on the PSB Alpha 3's. I hooked them up to my Denon system in the back with my Denon V8000 DVD player. I popped in Daft Punk's Random Access Memories disc and played the first track. What I heard made my eyes grow to the size of dinner plates. Wow! the initial shock was the amount of bass that came out of these speakers. I had to check my bass control on my receiver and it was only up by +1! There was NO bonk or I couldn't hear that peak at 350hz that I heard on the RSL speakers. The high end, seemed a little harsh to me, but I had realized that this speaker had the tweeter on the bottom, and perhaps it was reflecting too much off the table top. I had moved the speakers onto another pair of speakers that would put the tweeter of the Alpha 3's right inline with my ears. I had turned the treble down a bit and....sheer bliss! The high end was unbelievable as well! Far greater soundstage than on the Klipsch RP-600ms, and even better than the Sony SSCS5's. I tried a bunch of my test CD's and even went into my collection to listen to old favorites. I have to say that I was hearing things that I never heard before. On Toto's Rosanna, close to the end, there is a bit of 'commotion' going on in the left channel, and I never heard this before on other speakers. BUT it is also true that I had previously listened to Rosanna from a compilation album. This time around, I had bought the actual Toto IV album where the song was originally released on. I am so impressed with the way these speaker sound, and I have to say that in some cases, they even surpass the sound quality of the RP-600m's! The speaker is tiny, even smaller than the RSL CG3m's! Still, the amount of bass that comes out of them is incredible. The bass isn't as floppy as many have described on the ELAC BS41s either. What more is that the speaker has the sound of a much larger speaker. There is a tad bit of boxiness in the mid-upper bass, but that is to be expected from such a small speaker, but that sound, again, seems to be lower in frequency. Amazingly, the tiny Alpha 3's DO perform more like they have a 5.25" or even a 6" woofer. The speakers cost me $250, which is $40 more than the RSL CG3m's. But the performance difference is amazing! Now, keep in mind, I have done ONLY near field testing of this speaker and I doubt something like this would handle high volumes in a large livingroom environment. But for a desktop speaker, it is stellar. Definitely a keeper. I have found my new computer speakers! BTW, they sound so good in the low end, that on my Denon rig, a subwoofer isn't necessary. Kudo's to Randy for the review on these. I would definitely hype these speakers up!
Hi, I just recently ordered a Scarlet 2i2 4th Gen. Can I connect a pair of Wharfedale EVO 4.2 to this audio interface? And how? If you have time I could watch a video about it ;) ! Many thanks! Oh and what's the limit in RMS what you can connect to them? Or I can connect to them only powered speakers? I am very new to audiophile stuff but I fall in love since I bought an AKG K553 MKII! :) The funny thing is that at the last 7-8 years I didn't even listened to any music. But since I have this AKG, I do it every day. Guns, Korn, Chris Isaak, Metallica, Coldplay, Moby, Airbourne, Aerosmith and so on! Love it! It's a completely different experience!
Hey ! Nice video thank you Other subject but I need your light about my possible choice - Wiim amp + Q acoustic concept 20 - for my main appartment piece around 25m2 - I found good deal for q acoustic, the pack with the amp : 770$ - source : vinyl player(+ phono), bluetooth - I wont use hdmi from the Wiim I think Thankk youu ! It's my first "hifi" setup, hard to choose ...
Good stuff Randy, size comparisons are especially important, I’m lucky enough to have a rocktopus to measure a lot of things around the house, thanks to John!!!
Would like to see that too. That said I can say with extreme confidence that they would destroy any Passive speaker under $500 a pair. That is if you value Bass extension, midrange clarity, wide dispersion and overall balance/neutrality. They do have their spl limits but they are higher than most people prefer. I own Martin Logans electrostats, Jamo C95, Wharfedale diamond , Heco 700 towers, JBL LSR306p and formerly Def Techs and MA BX5a). They all have strengths and weaknesses but the only competition in this price range would maybe be other good studio Monitors like the JBL. The Jamo concerts look amazing/high WAF but are a bit too bright/sibilant. The JBL and Heco 700 are close seconds. I just think the Kalis are slightly better than the JBL and have slightly better dynamics and clarity than the Hecos. Only downside is Studio Monitors are a pain for home theater setups unless you have a high end receiver with 7.2 preouts. If I could start over I'd buy them for every room in my house along with a nice receiver with 7.2 preouts for the theater room. Something like these PSBs would be a great choice for surrounds and atmos speakers though. And for 2.0/2.1 stereo setups Kali LP6 would be hard to beat for under $1000 passive/amp combo.
Andy , you must try the Kanto YUP 6 , the passive ones 5.25 inch . I have them connected to Aiyima T6 Pro preamp and Aiyima A07 Pro amp. And i also have a 8 inch sub - Presonus subwoofer connected with them through high pass filter . It really sound great , if you have the chance try them out , maybe we all benefit from this, i mean you could compare with other speakers from your repertoar . Thank you . PS I bought the ampl and preamp after watching your videos . But i see now that you are inclined on FOSI more , is it really better Fosi then Aiyima ?
Subjectively you and many others may love their sound, which is, of course, fine by me . But they were objectively measured by ASR on a Klippel Near Field Scanner (the gold standard), and the results weren't very impressive. It kind of surprises me that they measured as poorly as they did. PSB used to produce very linear measuring speakers, but lots has changed over the years, including the move to Chinese manufacturing. I'm not even sure if Pual Barton is still active in the design aspects of the products.
Lot of speakers that adhere to the gold standard of measurement devises sound like boring midrange forward anemic anorexic garbage. Subjectively speaking of course.
Thanks for the review Randy. I wish I had known about the PSB Alpha P3 speakers 2 years ago. How do they compare to the Dali Spektor 1 speakers? Edit: Just saw your response to a similar question Randy. Does less midrange warmth and more neutral sound result in more detail? Some artists require a highly resolving system to truely appreciate their music. For example Accoustic Highway by Craig Chaquico, I always wondered why the artist released a track with so much distortion on the high end. However when listened to it on more resolving systems that distortion gave way to more details and dynamic response. Tangent alert: that is a good track with which to test DACs, the original Topping D90 gives much better output than the original E30 with every else being the same.
Thank you for this great review. Can you do a comparision between the Dali Spektor 1 and Psb Alpha P3? Specifically as a cheap nearfield desktop speaker.
Needs a sub though and good subs are not cheap. 4" just don't go low. Get a P5 and compare both please or recommend a suitable low cost but musical sub to pair with them thanks.
Are these worth the upgrade over Micca mb42x if the PSB speakers are 4x more expensive? In Canada I think these cost around $350-$400cad while the Micca's I got for $50 ($36.96 USD) each.
For the left and right rear channels in a 5.1 system. The left and right front are KEF Q350 and the center is a Q150. Q150s are too big for the rear. Sub is an older Boston Acoustics with a 10 or 12 inch driver
@@stevenveerhoff9208 OK - I would much rather have Bass in the side channels, perhaps down to an honest 45 HZ. Done this back in the day and it was awesome
Can they compete with the Genelec 8020 / Genelec G2? Or the Kef LSX 2? I know there is a ~$1000 price difference but he did say "endgame desktop speakers".
@@cheapaudioman True. You do an excellent job describing why you like a product and the strengths, I do enjoy your content for sure. And you clearly make recommendations based on your knowledge experience.
Best product or products to play Apple Music, without using your iPad or iPhone? Fiio R7 the best for this? Is it the only way to play Apple Music without your iPhone or iPad? What is the quality of construction, parts and quality control? I would be using it to play stereo with a subwoofer. Will this also allow either A NEW: OLED LG/SAMSUNG/SONY TV or my Apple TV to play audio and music through it? ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW? Thank you.
By "end game", you must mean they will replace my KEF LS50 Metas, right? Surprising, because the last pair of PSB Alphas I purchased were unlistenable due to the overbearing, sloppy, one-note bass. Hopefully The Lenbrook Group has straightened things out a bit.
I think you’re playing the wrong game. In this endgame, it’s small desktop speakers which sit on either side of a computer screen. The LS50’s take up quite a bit more real estate. And if that weren’t enough, the endgame here also has to squeeze under that “cheap audio” umbrella. The LS50’s are great… but $1500+ speakers should be. So what would your “endgame” choice be in the $250 range? Or did u just want to tell everyone that you have expensive speakers?
UB5's way bigger and need way more power. but that's a legit big boy speaker if you have the power. 3 way vs 2 way. I didn't think it was a good comparison but if you have the room and power the UB5's are a spectacular speaker at the price
Have been a huge fan of PSB Speakers for years. This maker provides a tremendous bang-for-the-buck. I just wish they were still made in Canada.
AI estimates it would cost 20 to 30% more if made in Canada due to increased labor and materials cost. I personally think that is a conservative estimate and it is probably closer to 50%
It's all about greed
The original Alphas were my first bookshelf speakers back in the 90's. I still have them as well as my Stratus Gold v.2. Love PSB!!! Thanks Randy! 👍👍👍
did we get the same deal on the alpha mites and the stratus gold?? ;)'
Looks like a good option. Thanks for sharing this with us all and also for your sponsor of this video. Many of us do need their services, and your promotion of this is greatly appreciated. Stay well, my friend.
I've had a pair of PSB Alpha B1 on my desktop for years. They sound great to me for desktop use.
Great video. I really appreciate the comparisons at the end. I'm using the little jamos I got out of the home theatre pack I got back when the were blowing them out cheap. I always thought they were a little shrill whem listening to music.
Paul Barton is a legend. PSB is a HUGE underdog out there .. No one seems to bring them up ..but they have some of the best you can get for the price across all their series of products.
The New Dual 8inch subs are on display now at ISE .. Amazing stuff.. Really small .. but massive sound.
Always liked PSB, but ended up with Paradigm back in the day. Now have Focal, Dali, Triangle, Cambridge Audio, Martin Logan, and have tried Quad, Monitor Audio, Wharfedale, Jamo, Polk, Ascend Acoustics, Boston, Klipsch, Definitve, BIC, NHT...among a few others.
Tempted to buy the PSB XB when it was on closeout, among some others but stopped myself. Monitors Anonymous helped.
Any engineer can put in the most expensive parts and finishes to a product and get good results if they know what they are doing however what sets exceptional engineers from mediocre ones is putting together a great product at such an affordable price. Bravo PSB!
what makes it hilarious is... there are only about $50 worth of components and material in these speakers and the tech is the same basic design and tech they have been using for over 100 years and yet they still charge hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for a speaker and people will STILL pay it.. LOL
Absolutely. Given that there is really no such thing as a “bad” speaker today, the real magic is at the lower end. Never heard these, but I’m sure they’re great for the money
There are plenty of bad sounding speakers that will take your head off and cost loads too. @@juliangomez5368
I'm a retired design engineer and I could tell you as a statement of fact that every product I was ever employed to design had a cost target imposed on the requisite design, and the designs were always thought out with cost mitigation as a priority!
The parts cost always ended up having the "bill of materials" scrutinized to death (by people that couldn't even work a copying machine without training)..😵💫
I still have my PSB Image bookshelves from the early 00s. love 'em.
I wish to be like this guy. His mind is always blown. Almost everything he reviews is the next best thing
Yeah. He’s the worst
@@cheapaudiomangetting that way 😂
Haha his mind is always blown 😂😂
You give a brand a crappy review, no more free samples to review.
To be honest, he does try to try and point out the positives, but he also points out limitations. At this point in time, there aren’t a lot of terrible products, even at reasonable prices. I think it would irresponsible to totally trash a product, and he does usually talk about other or better products at the same time price point .
PSB are the easiest bookshelf to recommend when someone is just starting out with limited funds.
I've gone through many of them and am currently using the Stratus Gold mini. Got 'em used for 300 bucks.
I have an old Mission 8VET. The tweeter is above the woofer (you can flip it if you want). Set up in a small room with my vintage Marantz. Mission has the same layout as the PSB.
Now you gotta review the new imagine series stuff!! Towers and bookshelves!
Randy, think the real thing on end game desktop speakers for you would be the HECO Aurora 200, really close to the 300…. Incredible!
I have a pair of PSB Image 5Ts and couldn’t be happier with a $150 FB Marketplace purchase. These things dip down into the low 30s, have a small footprint, and have an attractive wrap and grill.
I bought my first PSB speakers in the mid 90's. They are 5T's, now with 55t drivers. Original drivers were fine, but the 55t drivers are a easy upgrade. I currently have a total of 20 PSB's. For bang for the buck, they are hard to beat.
PSB always produces terrific sounding equipment
Thanks for the review Randy. I have a pair of alhpa5 PSB since the late 90s. Still use them to this day. Great bass as well! Seems to be a lot of know it alls on here today!
Thanks Randy
After lots of research, I chose these for my desk and have been using them for several years. They're not perfect, but I think they're the best choice at this form factor and any flaws can be corrected with EQ. The closest contender for me is the Micca RB42.
@cheapaudioman ... Nice review Mr CAM ... reaching back into your recent past on value speakers. Love it! 🙃
The Wharfedale Diamond 12.0’s deserve a look for comparison, they have been at $249 before.
I don't know that you'll get the fullness in the low end with the Wharfedales.. that's really more like what this speaker comparison was about ime...
Great review! Love PSB Alpha P3. Never heard a PSB speaker that i did not like. PSB 300 is still one of my favourite speakers.
I still use the Century 300i
@@jamesaandf I am looking for a pair again after regrettably letting go of my last pair
Still enjoying my PSB Century 300i speakers.
Great content thanks Randy
Thank you for watching!
I had the PSB 50r(1"silk and 8" paper pulp I think from what I remember)black ash . Had bought them back in 82' . They were made right after the Passiff original speakers. These speakers (50r) were awesome for the price with stands $550. I had Adcom pre-amp gfp 1a,tuner gft 1a and amplifier gfa-2 . Also had Rega 2 planar with AKG cartridge and Dual brand with 3heads for monitoring recording,it had vu meters. It had two speeds on it for better quality recordings and playback. Jvc cd player too.
At the time that was my end unit. Still have them all but they are acting there age .
Great review. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Screaming goat button...? I wanna know the frequency response of that screaming goat button +or-3db ?
I’ll get the real time analyzer out for it
I worked for a dealer a few years back. Got to fly back to the factory for a two day tour. I was very impressive.
Woah - they are not just a little bit smaller than the Elac BS41. They are lacking screws on the binding post/port unit, so these might be a challenge to try and upgrade? A bypass cap would open up the quality of the treble - more air and layering and detail; without increasing the treble volume - but installing it might be difficult.
Hot glue gun over fasteners Neil? lol
Not all speakers are meant to be upgraded, Neil
I can see you really liked the speakers. Very cool. Good value for the money. Well done review.
Got a pair of open box through the link, hope that goes through.
Going to pair the P3s with a new Schiit Gjallarhorn amp. Already have an existing Schiit DAC>EQ>HP/pre-amp stack so this'll fit juuuust right at the end of the chain
Ooh I'd like to see how these do with a Schiit Rekkr. I need a semi mobile stereo that I can move around for a shared office.
Not sure the cabinets would stand up to being moved around much, based on the chip he showed. I have an old pair of audioengine a2 speakers - a notch down from this in terms of audio quality, but powered, and have been dragged, schlepped, maybe dropped, and held up ok.
Just mounted some of these as ceiling speakers a few weeks ago
Think you could go as far to say potentially end game surround sound speaker as well then? Nice size, good extension
for sure. for surrounds sometimes I want a speaker to actually be more midrange focused if not borderline sibilant to really give you the zing on helicopters, explosions etc. It's probably an unpopular opinion but for height, surrounds, etc I prefer a fatiguing speaker that I wouldn't normally listen to music on. but these would be great for surrounds because of their size.
I have these paired with my SMSL sa300 and I’m blown away at how good these sound. I like using the sbd setting on the SA300 when listening at low volumes and it’s perfect.
they dont messure well at all
Compare to the Emotive Airmotiv B1+ Pair Bookshelf Loudspeakers
Mmm I don't think so, I'm sure the B1+ are far superior than these little P3´s.
wow, I'll stick with my cheap BS 41s for that lower
spl near field listening application ..
you almost had me thinking about trying them out until you said the top end wasn't the star of the show and you mentioned an aluminum tweeter .. that's all I needed to hear to squelch the thought of it.. 😉
I had the p5's when they first came out for $300. Wish I would have kept them. The PSB's are over priced now. I had the black and the walnut. Actually preferred the black for once. Great review
It looks so weird to me to see a speaker with the tweeter on the bottom. I'd love to give these a try. I wonder if they'd make a good upgrade from the CS5's.
Oh yea those PSB speakers were awesome 😎
I bought the PS-3 about 2 years ago - a great , well made speaker. PS-5 sounds even better
PS: I really like your channel! I always wanted some Hi-Fi system. At least the last 20 years. Now the time has come! :)
Thank you Randy
I don't know how I missed this vid.
I bought a pair of Alpha P3 a few years ago. I was impressed with them at first.
But when switching between the P3 and other speakers, the P3 seem to have bit of a noticeable "dip" in midrange?
They are still very good, and the response probably lends itself to reducing the harshness you often get in a typical (untreated) room?
I haven't actually tried measuring the P3 on REW yet, but I might do soon.
Mainly because... I just ordered the Micca MB42X G2 a few days ago. lol
I heard very good things about the Micca speakers on channels like this, and from Zeos.
I also bought a pair of PSB Intro LR around the same time, as the P3, as I saw the LR cheap on Fleabay.
I was using the Intro LR as my side surrounds for quite a while. They worked very well for that.
(all replaced with RSL CG23M for the three fronts, and CG3M for the surrounds and heights now.)
There’s an awesome powered version of these (the PSB AM3)!
I have the PSB P5 speakers on my desktop and I love them! I think I picked up a used pair a couple of years ago for $230 on Amazon. If these are anything like the P5 speakers, they are an amazing speaker and an awesome deal!
How do they compare to project speaker box 5s?
Would’ve appreciated a comment or two regarding low tweeter placement and how that helps/hinders soundstage and imaging.
Yeah, it's an interesting design. I run mine upside down as they just sound better to my ears with the tweeters closer to ear level. Downside with that is you see the seam from the vinyl wrap and the label on top. Otherwise, I think the recommendation is put them at ear level and run them rightside up.
It'd be nice if you could review the passives from Kanto. They seem to be the p3 and p5 main competitors in a similar proce range. It'd be nice if you could review both of the kantos and also the p5 from psb. And compare them maybe.
I agree, I have a pair of the the Kanto YU4 Passive on my desktop. I'm impressed with their sound, they now retail for $180. I'd like to know how they compare to the PSB Alpha P3.
Tubular Bells... that's where I want to beeeeee!
Why do i hear the voice of Slim Shady in your intro everytime? 😅
LED ZEPPELIN III !!!!! YESSSS!!!! GOOD TASTE!!!!!! KEEP ON ROCKIN' !!!!!!!!!
How do these compare to the Kanto Ora that you liked?
HAVE YOU ANY THOUGHTS ON THESE COMPARED TO THE HECO AURORA 200>? ACTUALLY, bob DID THE REVIEW ON THE HECO....
I ended up with Fluance Signature bookshelf speakers as cheap passive speakers in a walnut finish are limited in available options. As the Fluance speakers are a little larger, but a little cheaper, I would be interested in how you would think those compare. Part of my little Fluance RT85, Fluance Signature Bookshelf, Aiyima T5 amp/phono-premap/bluetooth Vinyl starter system.
We get screwed in Canada on the pricing for all this gear. PSB and ELAC are the same price here, only if you get a Refurb PSB. $250CDN.
They are in sale close too where i live for around 200 . So i will buy them and when the ayima comes in the mail iam sure looking forward too listening too then at my desk👌
My first true 5.1 setup was a PSB Image B4 system driven by a Yamaha AVR (including an 8 inch PSB subwoofer). I still use two of these speakers as surrounds.
Question, and forgive me if you have spoken about this, but have you had a chance to listen to the new SVS Ultra Evolution bookshelves? I know they are probably not ‘cheap’, but you did review the Prime and Ultra bookshelves, and part of my decision to buy the Prime over Ultra was based on your review (no regrets). I am feeling the urge to upgrade and wondering if you think these new Ultra Evolutions are materially better than the Prime speakers.
Love the channel!
I'd like to see you review the P5s! I've been interested on them fot awhile
I don't know about the 3, but I got the Alpha P5s, which are amazing. Got them on sale for $299
Okay...so I have been looking to put together a new computer sound system given that I spend most of my time in front of my computer. While I have a decent Cambridge Soundworks system on it already, I simply have grown tired of it and wanted something that was a bit more of an audiophile grade. So I had started with a purchased pair of speakers that I had bought based on Randy's (constant) rave reviews, which is the Sony SSCS5's. I had bought these a while back when I had bought another pair of speakers based on Randy's (and many other's) reviews, which is the Klipch RP-600m's. Now, while I like the RP-600m's, I could tell that there was something missing in the sound, and I had later on found out about the characteristic 1.5khz dip in the response. I had compared the SSCS5's to them, and overall, I like the sound of the latter better in terms of midrange and highs. The bass is far better on the Klipsch's. Now, after trying some other speakers out on my home computer setup, including another pair of speakers that came highly recommended, the RSL CG3m's. Randy mentioned these a couple times and I had looked up reviews on others here as well. The reviews were favorable enough for me to pull the trigger on the RSL's. They had a no risk return policy and I gave it a go.
When they arrived, I hooked them up in place of my Cambridge satellite speakers, but still used the subwoofer. Almost instantly, disappointment set in. I had noticed that the CG3m speakers had a peak or a 'bonk' in the 350hz region, so much so that I had to reduce both the 250hz AND 500hz control by about 4db each! Figuring it might be the sound system, as I hooked it up to the existing Cambridge amplifier, I had moved the speakers to the Denon system in my test room. Same thing, the bonk was still there. I had contacted RSL about it, and they seemed to be in disbelief that there was an issue and, of course, they recommended to send the speakers back, which I did. However, I did tell them to get back to me with their findings to see if there is an issue with them.
In the meantime, I had tried a pair of used Realistic Minimus 7W's and I didn't like the high end on these. They were a bit harsh, BUT there was no peak in the 350hz range. I sent those back to the seller.
Then I put the Sony's on my computer system. The SSCS5's do have a slight peak in the 350hz area, but I was able to knock it out by bringing the 250hz control down by only 2 db. The speakers sang! I could hear imaging that I have not heard before with the Cambridge satellites. I was surprised that it seemed as if the speakers I was looking for, I already had! However, there is one big issue with the Sony's and that is, they are just too big for my desktop. WAY too big. I needed something around the size of the RSL CG3m's or the Minimus 7's.
Enter PSB. I had come to THIS very review first and then checked the Alpha 3's on other sites as well. I was a bit surprised that Randy didn't mention this speaker often, but always touted the Micca speakers. So I was going back and forth between them. In the end, the low efficiency of the Micca's at 83 db killed the deal and I decided to pull the trigger on the PSB Alpha 3's.
I hooked them up to my Denon system in the back with my Denon V8000 DVD player. I popped in Daft Punk's Random Access Memories disc and played the first track. What I heard made my eyes grow to the size of dinner plates. Wow! the initial shock was the amount of bass that came out of these speakers. I had to check my bass control on my receiver and it was only up by +1! There was NO bonk or I couldn't hear that peak at 350hz that I heard on the RSL speakers. The high end, seemed a little harsh to me, but I had realized that this speaker had the tweeter on the bottom, and perhaps it was reflecting too much off the table top. I had moved the speakers onto another pair of speakers that would put the tweeter of the Alpha 3's right inline with my ears. I had turned the treble down a bit and....sheer bliss! The high end was unbelievable as well! Far greater soundstage than on the Klipsch RP-600ms, and even better than the Sony SSCS5's.
I tried a bunch of my test CD's and even went into my collection to listen to old favorites. I have to say that I was hearing things that I never heard before. On Toto's Rosanna, close to the end, there is a bit of 'commotion' going on in the left channel, and I never heard this before on other speakers. BUT it is also true that I had previously listened to Rosanna from a compilation album. This time around, I had bought the actual Toto IV album where the song was originally released on.
I am so impressed with the way these speaker sound, and I have to say that in some cases, they even surpass the sound quality of the RP-600m's! The speaker is tiny, even smaller than the RSL CG3m's! Still, the amount of bass that comes out of them is incredible. The bass isn't as floppy as many have described on the ELAC BS41s either.
What more is that the speaker has the sound of a much larger speaker. There is a tad bit of boxiness in the mid-upper bass, but that is to be expected from such a small speaker, but that sound, again, seems to be lower in frequency. Amazingly, the tiny Alpha 3's DO perform more like they have a 5.25" or even a 6" woofer.
The speakers cost me $250, which is $40 more than the RSL CG3m's. But the performance difference is amazing!
Now, keep in mind, I have done ONLY near field testing of this speaker and I doubt something like this would handle high volumes in a large livingroom environment. But for a desktop speaker, it is stellar. Definitely a keeper. I have found my new computer speakers!
BTW, they sound so good in the low end, that on my Denon rig, a subwoofer isn't necessary. Kudo's to Randy for the review on these. I would definitely hype these speakers up!
Wonder how the powered versions of the alpha 3 would compare to the vanatoo zero?
I enjoy the huge and extremely rare PSB T8 PLATINUM towers :)
Hi, I just recently ordered a Scarlet 2i2 4th Gen. Can I connect a pair of Wharfedale EVO 4.2 to this audio interface? And how? If you have time I could watch a video about it ;) ! Many thanks! Oh and what's the limit in RMS what you can connect to them? Or I can connect to them only powered speakers? I am very new to audiophile stuff but I fall in love since I bought an AKG K553 MKII! :)
The funny thing is that at the last 7-8 years I didn't even listened to any music. But since I have this AKG, I do it every day. Guns, Korn, Chris Isaak, Metallica, Coldplay, Moby, Airbourne, Aerosmith and so on! Love it! It's a completely different experience!
Hey ! Nice video thank you
Other subject but I need your light about my possible choice
- Wiim amp + Q acoustic concept 20
- for my main appartment piece around 25m2
- I found good deal for q acoustic, the pack with the amp : 770$
- source : vinyl player(+ phono), bluetooth - I wont use hdmi from the Wiim I think
Thankk youu ! It's my first "hifi" setup, hard to choose ...
I think 5020 are better, but im sure you can find better deal on klipsch speakers in usa,like RP-600M MK II or older gen.
MIKE OLDFIELD!! TUBULAR BELLS!!! NICE!!!!!!
Good stuff Randy, size comparisons are especially important, I’m lucky enough to have a rocktopus to measure a lot of things around the house, thanks to John!!!
My patience is starting to wear thin with you, Harrison. I imagine when I block you I’ll see Harrisongrey20, then 21, 22, 23
Any chances of reviewing Kali Audio LP-8 v2 or IN-8 v2?
Would like to see that too. That said I can say with extreme confidence that they would destroy any Passive speaker under $500 a pair. That is if you value Bass extension, midrange clarity, wide dispersion and overall balance/neutrality. They do have their spl limits but they are higher than most people prefer.
I own Martin Logans electrostats, Jamo C95, Wharfedale diamond , Heco 700 towers, JBL LSR306p and formerly Def Techs and MA BX5a). They all have strengths and weaknesses but the only competition in this price range would maybe be other good studio Monitors like the JBL. The Jamo concerts look amazing/high WAF but are a bit too bright/sibilant. The JBL and Heco 700 are close seconds. I just think the Kalis are slightly better than the JBL and have slightly better dynamics and clarity than the Hecos.
Only downside is Studio Monitors are a pain for home theater setups unless you have a high end receiver with 7.2 preouts.
If I could start over I'd buy them for every room in my house along with a nice receiver with 7.2 preouts for the theater room. Something like these PSBs would be a great choice for surrounds and atmos speakers though. And for 2.0/2.1 stereo setups Kali LP6 would be hard to beat for under $1000 passive/amp combo.
Andy , you must try the Kanto YUP 6 , the passive ones 5.25 inch . I have them connected to Aiyima T6 Pro preamp and Aiyima A07 Pro amp. And i also have a 8 inch sub - Presonus subwoofer connected with them through high pass filter . It really sound great , if you have the chance try them out , maybe we all benefit from this, i mean you could compare with other speakers from your repertoar . Thank you . PS I bought the ampl and preamp after watching your videos . But i see now that you are inclined on FOSI more , is it really better Fosi then Aiyima ?
Subjectively you and many others may love their sound, which is, of course, fine by me . But they were objectively measured by ASR on a Klippel Near Field Scanner (the gold standard), and the results weren't very impressive. It kind of surprises me that they measured as poorly as they did. PSB used to produce very linear measuring speakers, but lots has changed over the years, including the move to Chinese manufacturing. I'm not even sure if Pual Barton is still active in the design aspects of the products.
Lot of speakers that adhere to the gold standard of measurement devises sound like boring midrange forward anemic anorexic garbage. Subjectively speaking of course.
How do they compare to DALI Spector 2 ?
Thanks for the review Randy. I wish I had known about the PSB Alpha P3 speakers 2 years ago. How do they compare to the Dali Spektor 1 speakers?
Edit: Just saw your response to a similar question Randy. Does less midrange warmth and more neutral sound result in more detail? Some artists require a highly resolving system to truely appreciate their music. For example Accoustic Highway by Craig Chaquico, I always wondered why the artist released a track with so much distortion on the high end. However when listened to it on more resolving systems that distortion gave way to more details and dynamic response. Tangent alert: that is a good track with which to test DACs, the original Topping D90 gives much better output than the original E30 with every else being the same.
Will you do the review of the micca mb42x g2?
Hi, please review the Magnat Signature 703
dang it...coulda used this info yesterday
Thank you for this great review. Can you do a comparision between the Dali Spektor 1 and Psb Alpha P3? Specifically as a cheap nearfield desktop speaker.
I just bought a pair of B&W 801s to replace my 802s.
What is your current phono cartridge?
Better, worse, or pretty comparable to KEF q150?
The 150’s are really really good. If you have the space I’d probably go that route but I think they are much harder to drive than the PSB’s
Needs a sub though and good subs are not cheap. 4" just don't go low. Get a P5 and compare both please or recommend a suitable low cost but musical sub to pair with them thanks.
Are these worth the upgrade over Micca mb42x if the PSB speakers are 4x more expensive? In Canada I think these cost around $350-$400cad while the Micca's I got for $50 ($36.96 USD) each.
Good value, but the rear porting is a deal breaker here -- YMMV.
First, thank you for the video... I wonder... how do you rate these speakers against the JBL A130?
a130's way more neutral but also a lot bigger
I just got these Klipsch heritage 2.1. C'mon, maaaan!
How'd they compare to the Micca rb42? I think that might be a better comparison?
You should make that video then, Steve
@@cheapaudioman not my thing, and I own neither. That's why I watch you, sir
DALI SPEKTOR 2
Would you recommend these as small satellites for home theatre?
If you want deeper bass, no - also the sensitivity would be important
For home theater I’d actually get something with less bass like the small RSL speakers. Let the sub do the work.
@@cheapaudioman Woops. Curious - what are the satellites for I presume is perhaps 7.1? Thanks
For the left and right rear channels in a 5.1 system. The left and right front are KEF Q350 and the center is a Q150. Q150s are too big for the rear. Sub is an older Boston Acoustics with a 10 or 12 inch driver
@@stevenveerhoff9208 OK - I would much rather have Bass in the side channels, perhaps down to an honest 45 HZ. Done this back in the day and it was awesome
Can they compete with the Genelec 8020 / Genelec G2? Or the Kef LSX 2?
I know there is a ~$1000 price difference but he did say "endgame desktop speakers".
It's the end of the line folks. End game. There will never be a greater desk top speaker.
Never. Ever. Until there is. Kind of like records. They stand until something better comes along.
Any thoughts on these vs the Dali Spektor 1's that IIRC you reviewed positively as well? About the same size for a compact desktop pair.
Dalis were much more neutral. Didn’t have the lower midrange warmth
I enjoy your content but, almost every review is sooooo positive.
Check out my last subwoofer vid
@@cheapaudioman True. You do an excellent job describing why you like a product and the strengths, I do enjoy your content for sure. And you clearly make recommendations based on your knowledge experience.
I was told there would be no talk about feelings.
Best product or products to play Apple Music, without using your iPad or iPhone? Fiio R7 the best for this? Is it the only way to play Apple Music without your iPhone or iPad? What is the quality of construction, parts and quality control? I would be using it to play stereo with a subwoofer. Will this also allow either A NEW: OLED LG/SAMSUNG/SONY TV or my Apple TV to play audio and music through it? ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW? Thank you.
By "end game", you must mean they will replace my KEF LS50 Metas, right? Surprising, because the last pair of PSB Alphas I purchased were unlistenable due to the overbearing, sloppy, one-note bass. Hopefully The Lenbrook Group has straightened things out a bit.
I think you’re playing the wrong game. In this endgame, it’s small desktop speakers which sit on either side of a computer screen. The LS50’s take up quite a bit more real estate. And if that weren’t enough, the endgame here also has to squeeze under that “cheap audio” umbrella. The LS50’s are great… but $1500+ speakers should be.
So what would your “endgame” choice be in the $250 range? Or did u just want to tell everyone that you have expensive speakers?
What about versus the ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 for that same $250 price?
UB5's way bigger and need way more power. but that's a legit big boy speaker if you have the power. 3 way vs 2 way. I didn't think it was a good comparison but if you have the room and power the UB5's are a spectacular speaker at the price
You should test JBL Stage A130, you might be surprised...
ignore it, I just now see that you have already reviewed it
I love your channel
Canadians make some great speakers.
Well, they design and engineer them - actual manufacturing takes place in China. The plant may be PSB owned, but I'm not sure.
@@Kane26510Let's call them Chinadians then.
And your phone / tablet …..?
if your favorite audio toy the most recent one you got? ... just wondering....
Yes. It is. It always is, Robert. You’ve figured it out. Congrats, professor
@@cheapaudioman LOL.... I'm just messin' with ya.
Have you considered getting a COFFEE BRAND to sponsor your channel ?