# PSB Stretches The Imagination With Its Newest Speakers



## Todd Anderson

Canadian manufacturer PSB has long been known for its high value speaker entries that offer exceptional price-to-performance experiences. With nearly forty years of industry presence, the company has a solid foundation of unwavering customers. Recently, PSB gave those customers more of what they’ve come to expect by officially unveiling four new highly anticipated models in its Imagine Series. These new “Imagine X” speakers have looks that can kill, oozing the physical characteristics that we’ve come to expect from PSB including a high quality black ash finish, sharp lines, and those edgy yellowish woofers with piercing silver cones.








“With the Imagine X, our mandate was simple – to produce the best performing speakers with the most value in the market for real people who want real sound,” said Paul Barton (founder of PSB). “To achieve performance and value together, one must begin with performance. In the Imagine X speakers, the objective is never less than doing music justice: These are speakers that eschew any fads in favor of timeless design. Imagine X represents the culmination of PSB design expertise and the refinement of our traditional virtues. These are speakers designed to give the listener complete enjoyment and satisfaction for years to come.”

The Imagine X line has four models, consisting of two tower speakers (the Imagine X1T and Imagine X2T), a monitor (Imagine XB), and a center channel (Imagine XC). Timber matched across the board, the company performed “final voicing” of the speakers at Canada’s Research Council under the direction of Paul Barton, himself.

The Imagine X2T is a stunning floor stander that borrows featured elements from the older T2 speaker model. It features two ports, a three-way (dual chamber) design, two 6.5-inch woofers, one 5.25-inch midrange driver, and a single one-inch titanium dome tweeter (arranged in a MTWW array). The midrange driver was created specifically for the X2T. It’s worth highlighting that PSB chamber isolated each woofer in an effort to eliminate standing waves within the cabinet. Also, the company purposefully placed woofers in multiple positions to minimize “floor bounce” reflections in the listen space.

The Imagine X1T is a smaller version of the X2T, sporting a dual 5.25-inch woofers and a single one-inch titanium dome tweeter, making it an ideal speaker to pair with a dedicated subwoofer. 

For those of you looking for something slightly smaller, the Imagine XC monitors are the bookshelf offering in the series. This particular speaker is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing it to function as part of a multi-channel or 2.1 set-up, but also being fully capable of performing as main channels in a small space application. It steals the same injection-molded clay/ceramic-filled polypropylene 5.25-inch woofer from the towers, and also has a one-inch titanium dome tweeter.

That leaves us with the dialog channel of a home theater arrangement: The Imagine XC center channel. Similar to the XB monitor, the XC also borrows the 5.25-inch woofer from the towers along with the one-inch tweeter. PSB says the XC’s compact design is purposeful, making it easy to tuck-away in multichannel set-ups.

All four models are available now, priced at $649 (X2T), $449 (X1T), $499 (a pair of XB), and $399 (XC).

_Image Credit: PSB Speakers_


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## bkeeler10

This is cool. If the X2T performs anything like the Imagine T2, this line should be a big hit at those prices. I'm afraid I have another speaker to add to my personal audition list.

Edit: I wonder if this new line is slated to replace the current Image line, which is very similarly priced . . .


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## Todd Anderson

bkeeler10 said:


> This is cool. If the X2T performs anything like the Imagine T2, this line should be a big hit at those prices. I'm afraid I have another speaker to add to my personal audition list.
> 
> Edit: I wonder if this new line is slated to replace the current Image line, which is very similarly priced . . .


I believe these are a step-down model looking to offer good performance at a lower price point, not a replacement


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## bkeeler10

I meant it might be replacing the "Image" series which are nearly identical in price, not the current "Imagine" series which are considerably more expensive. For example, the Imagine X2T could be replacing the Image T6 (priced identically at $649 each), but not the Imagine T2 (priced nearly three times as high).

Why they decided to release a series called "Image" a few years ago, when they already had a series called "Imagine" is beyond me -- it's a little confusing and too easy to mistake the two when reading.

Edit: I might have that backwards; the Image line might have come first.


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## Todd Anderson

Ah... Sorry, Bryan. Image... Imagine... they all start took look the same this time of day. :R

You make a good point...it's possible that Image will be removed, although I haven't seen any official indication of that. Possibly merging the two is under one name is a marketing scheme to make the two products seem similar enough, and thus equally appealing depending on budget?


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## zieglj01

Audio Advisor and Crutchfield are clearing out the Image series. They have some real 
good prices and they are moving fast.

The Imagine X looks like a diluted version of the Imagine series, with a lot of compromise 
being made on the cabinets of the X. It looks like PSB will compromise with cabinet finish
and cabinet bracing.

Focal also plays the same game - the main difference between the 700V and 800V Chorus, 
was in the cabinets - mainly in the bracing. >> A good braced stiff cabinet to help control 
resonance, does make a nice difference - however, the difference in pricing seems to be a 
bit much for the better cabinets (bracing and finish).

Some people with a less critical ear, may not pick up/notice much on the different sound.

This seems more to do with cost savings, for PSB and others that do the same.


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## realize1980

NICE


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## sdrucker

I bought a set of PSB Imagine T2s, Center, and Imagine S Surrounds about a month ago from Saturday Audio Exchange here in Chicago. The rumor - from what I heard at SAE - is that the Synchrony line may be phased out over time as well, leaving the four elements of the Imagine line (counting the units I bought as Imagine "flagships", the Mini and Bookshelf sub-brand, W in-wall, and the new X series) and the Alpha (supposedly) as the main offerings of PSB. 

You could do worse than the Imagine T2 as your top of the line speakers, especially if the user has one or more external subs to help with the bottom end, and the three staggered woofers that can be plugged below 500 Hz.


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