May 2001 Reviewed by Jeff Van Dyne	PSB Alpha Intro Home-Theater Speaker System

Description Model: Alpha Intro LR speakers Price: $199 USD per pair Dimensions: 4.25"W x 6.75"H x 6.25"D Weight: 3.3 pounds each Model: Alpha Intro CLR speakers Price: $169 USD Dimensions: 4.25"W x 9.75"H x 6.25"D Weight: 4.8 pounds Model: Alpha SubZero powered subwoofer Price: $299 USD Dimensions: 9.625"W x 13.25"H x 13.875"D Weight: 20 pounds Warranty: Five years parts and labor (with registration)

Features 3.5" polypropylene cone woofers (LR, CLR) .75" aluminum dome tweeter with ferrofluid cooling (LR, CLR) Five-way (LR, CLR) gold-plated binding posts Perforated aluminum grills (LR, CLR) Magnetically shielded (LR, CLR) 8" poly-coated fiber cone woofer (SubZero) Variable volume and crossover (SubZero) Phase switch (SubZero) Auto on/off (SubZero) 50W continuous, 180W peak built-in amplifier (SubZero) Gold-plated low-level RCA inputs (SubZero) Spring-terminal speaker-level inputs (SubZero)

Models and options

PSB is the Honda of speaker manufacturers. They don’t go for a lot of flash (though I suppose they do have something of an Acura with the Stratus line) but rather build solidly engineered speakers at reasonable prices. If the Image series compares in the lineup to the Accord, then I guess the Alpha series would be the Civic, and the Alpha Intros reviewed here would be the base Civic DX. For those of you who’ve driven a new Civic in recent years, it will be plain that this comparison is a good sign. The Civic is a well-thought-out and -engineered vehicle that has very few shortcomings. It is affordable enough that it won’t break the bank, and it still manages to remain fun to drive. Well, much the same can be said for the PSB Alpha Intros.

I’ve heard a variety of speakers in the PSB line over the years, including everything in the Stratus line and several in the Century line. However, until the Alpha Intro system showed up on my doorstep, I’d never heard a smaller PSB offering. Knowing the rest of the line so well, I had extremely high expectations for this $870 system. Would it live up to the promise of other PSB models?

Kicking the tires

The PSB Alpha Intro system is another member of the ever-growing Super-Small Speaker Society. You know what I’m talking about -- the category formerly known as Bose Killers. In this incarnation, it comprises four very small satellites, a center-channel speaker that’s not a whole lot bigger, and a subwoofer called the SubZero that’s small enough to almost be at home sitting next to a computer. The satellites are basic vinyl-covered MDF boxes (black or white, take your pick) with metal grilles on the front and binding posts on the back. The driver compliment consists of a 3.5" poly woofer and a .75" aluminum-dome tweeter. The speakers aren’t going to win any awards for aesthetics, but they’re so small the decorator will likely miss them when it comes time to throw out everything she doesn’t like about your living room. The center channel is essentially the same speaker as the satellites tilted over on its side and with an additional woofer.

All of these speakers have threaded holes on the back to accept a bolt from the optional stands, which were supplied by PSB for the review. The stands are nicely made with a heavy three-legged base and an adjustable post with a bracket attached to which you bolt the speaker. There are holes at the top and bottom of the post to feed the speaker wire through as well. The stands were easy enough to assemble, but I did have two very minor gripes with them. First, if you’re using Radio Shack or other similarly large dual-banana plugs at the speaker, forget about them, as they won’t fit between the bracket and post. For that matter, most dual bananas are going to be a tight squeeze. Second, the speaker has a tendency to tilt to one side or the other whenever you move things around. I suppose most people will drop them in place and leave them, but as a reviewer, I found myself constantly straightening one speaker or another on its mounting.

Placement was never a critical issue with the Intros. They sounded best well out into the room, where I typically place my own speakers for critical listening, but they sounded fine closer to the wall as well as next to, and even in, the entertainment center. The subwoofer ended up near the right-front corner of the room, although it blended a little better with the main speakers when it was placed closer to them and the crossover was set at a higher frequency.

The test drive

I watched American Pie immediately after setting the system up. With the speakers having virtually no break-in, intelligibility of dialogue from the center channel was quite good. Even with only a cursory channel balance, integration between the subwoofer and satellites was excellent. It was immediately apparent that this was going to be an impressive system for such a modest price.

After a short break-in and complete channel balance, total system integration was outstanding, with seamless pans and excellent integration with the subwoofer on Armageddon. Dynamics were very good when you consider the overall size of this system. The subwoofer did get a little boomy when cranked in my average-size listening room, but this was never a problem at sane listening levels.

By the time I watched Red Mars, the system was fully broken in and even Val Kilmer's sometimes-difficult-to-understand voice came through clearly on the quietest passages. Detail and integration were right on target as well. When artificial gravity is restored to the ship, the sound of objects dropping to the floor all around you is incredibly convincing and has tremendous detail and pinpoint placement, which is how it came through on the PSBs.

Moving on to music I checked out Cassandra Wilson's "Come on in My Kitchen" off of the Blue Light Til Dawn CD [Blue Note 81357], and immediately I noticed an exceptionally solid center image and, again, the seamless blending of the sub with the satellites. On the title track, the kick drum was tight and clean. The triangle came through very clearly, and there was decent top-octave air that’s all too rare in this price range.

However, on Dire Straits' "Tunnel of Love" (Money For Nothing [Warner 25794]), I felt the need to turn the sub up a notch. I don't have the equipment to do thorough measurements, but after playing with the subwoofer's crossover I was able to eliminate most of this need by running the satellites full range and setting the crossover to a higher frequency. The only drawback is that the sub becomes somewhat easier to localize as the crossover frequency climbs, but it's small enough that placement near the main speakers shouldn’t be much of an issue. Throughout Money For Nothing, the system displayed good bass, though the lowest octave was missing in action. Let's face it, though, the sub isn't much bigger than the one that came with the sound system that's on my computer, and there's only so much you can do with a small box. The satellites only began to show the limitations their size imposes when played at extremely high volumes, as they began to exhibit just a touch of harshness.

On Diana Krall's All For You [Impulse! IMPD-182], delineation and placement of voices were nothing short of astonishing. On "I'm Through with Love," Krall's voice sounded just right to me, the sub adding just the right amount of weight and no unnecessary boom. Detail was also much better than expected. I've never heard it on my own speakers, but I swear I was hearing a noisy foot pedal in places throughout this track. Not too bad for a full home-theater system that goes for a quarter of the price of my own stereo speakers!

The competition

If you hadn’t guessed by now, the PSB system can hold its own against some pretty tough competition. Dialogue intelligibility was almost on par with the outstanding JMLab Chorus center channel and a significant notch up from the EdgeAudio center. It gives up quite a bit of ground to both systems in terms of overall volume and dynamics, but this shouldn't be all that surprising considering the diminutive size, even in comparison to the EdgeAudio system. The sub did remarkably well on most material, getting a tad boomy at higher volumes, but it otherwise performed exceptionally well on everything I threw at it at sane listening levels. Remember, this sub is roughly a quarter of the size of the EdgeAudio 12" subwoofer, so it' s going to have to give up something in the bargain. Detail was on par with the EdgeAudio system as well, with the PSB system doing better at low volume and the EdgeAudio system pulling ahead at higher levels. Overall system integration between the satellites, surrounds and subwoofer was just about a dead heat between the two.

I also compared the PSBs to the venerable Energy C-2s on music and was shocked at just how close the overall sound was. Honestly, this system doesn't give up anything to the C-2s, and for only $300 more you get a subwoofer, center and two surrounds.

The bottom line

It’s amazing how far some of these small sub/sat systems have come in recent years. It doesn’t seem like all that many years ago when the vast majority of these systems were cheaply constructed boxes with junky woofers and harsh tweeters. There were a handful of exceptions to the rule, but it didn’t seem like the average consumer ever looked past the usual suspects. With the acceptance of home theater, now everybody seems to be getting into the act. While it’s true there are still a tremendous number of poorly performing speakers out there, the good news is that some truly engaging systems stand out from the pack. The PSB Alpha Intro is one of these.

It might be easiest to summarize by telling you what you won’t get with the Alpha Intros. They don’t come wrapped in pretty veneered boxes, don’t have the dynamic capabilities of large towers, and lack a little in that last half octave or so of bass. That’s just about it. What you do get is a competent small speaker system that would be right at home in an apartment, bedroom or maybe even an average-size family room if you don’t think you’ll push it to lease-breaking levels on a regular basis. When it comes to overall sound quality, the Alpha Intros are not going to threaten a $4000 pair of Silverline Sonatinas, but they’re knocking hard on the door of the more expensive Energy C-2s.

And to top it all off, I found the Alpha Intro system incredibly easy to live with over the last couple of months. It sounds good at lower volumes and isn't deeply offended by less-than-optimal placement -- a must for any bedroom or apartment system. I suggest you take it out for a spin yourself.

Manufacturer contact information:

PSB Speakers International
633 Granite Court
Pickering, Ontario, Canada L1W3K1
Phone: (905) 831-6555
Fax: (905) 837-6357

E-mail: psb@mcn.org
Website: www.psbspeakers.com

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