PSB Imagine T: Canadian Rockies (Part 2)

Paul Barton, the designer, stated: “With T, I incorporated our latest design know how into a taller cabinet, for deeper bass, a larger soundstage and increased power handling.” I think he was successful in all of these respects judging by the performance of the speaker on the end of my system combination. The Imagine Ts have a fruity, quite rich bass response and a vivid, enthusiastic high frequency band that may come from being voiced for the American market. They steer clear of being criticized for having a boom and tizzy response by a small, albeit discernible margin, but they are certainly lively and deliver plenty of energy at the far ends of the audio frequency spectrum.

They also produce often quite vivid, well-dimensioned sound stages filled with credible images of performers and their instruments.

They also produce often quite vivid, well-dimensioned sound stages filled with credible images of performers and their instruments. They create a realistic image with excellent scale of the Utah Symphony Orchestra playing the challenging Americus by the avant-garde composer Edgard Varese, bringing out a wealth of detail from the band, in particular the smaller percussion instruments and the brass section. There is a rewarding sense of scale that delivers a fine, three dimensional sound stage with a convincing feeling of acoustic space and genuine air around the instruments in the orchestra.

The Imagine creates a similar sense of space and depth on much smaller-scale music, for example, that of the acoustic roots power-trio Vivid Curve playing on their magnificent Live at Edgefield recording. The speaker seems to excel at portraying the didgeridoo and the wonderful harmonic structure that Jeff Cooper manages to persuade the instrument to produce. The full-bodied, powerful presentation is not wholly consistent until the speaker has had the chance to warm up thoroughly as the acoustic guitar does not always project from the sound stage with the same vitality as it can do on other loudspeakers. Importantly though, once the speaker has fully run-in, the performance displays vigor and is rhythmically engaging.

The PSB seems to relish small instrumental combos and does a grand job of portraying Bill Frisell’s Pipe Down from his East, West album. It is particularly successful recreating the startling dynamics of the drum kit, which rockets forward from the rear of the sound stage. Frisell’s guitar dynamics are equally assertive and blessed with acute leading-edge information. The speaker presents his unique tone and dynamic contrasts capably, and the guitar sounds colorful, faithfully vibrant and attacking. All in all, the presentation is involving and wholly engaging – it makes the music fun and ensures that you want to listen further.

The finishing and attention to detail in their construction is very impressive

So the PSB fares well with classical, jazz, and roots music. But how does it cope with more contemporary fare? The simple answer is that it heartily enjoys music with so much as a sniff of a leading edge – be it acoustic, electric or any other genre. It rocks capably and assuredly with artists as diverse as Rodrigo y Gabriela, James McMurtry, Jeff Beck, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Robbie Robertson. The titanium HF unit seems to emphasize the attack of snare drum beats and also improves the timing of bass guitar quite noticeably. The PSB gracefully through Rodrigo y Gabriela’s Take 5from the Re-Focal bum, relishing the attack of their acoustic guitars and their percussive playing. The speaker also handles the more subtle challenge of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ vocal harmonies on Please Read the Letteron the 24/96 rip of Raising Sand, rendering their voices like those of angels in the pub on pay day.

In short, the PSB Imagine T is well worth seeking out to audition if you are looking for a $2,100 floor stander that will perform satisfactorily with most types of music – even left-field stuff such as Varese and didgeridoo-toting power trios. Its only drawback is that its characteristic sound seems voiced more for vivid tastes and you will doubtless find some music with which it sounds unsubtle, even a little obvious and uncouth at times. A careful set-up can take this to some extent and I am sure that many will enjoy its vivacious sound.

In short, the PSB Imagine T is well worth seeking out to audition if you are looking for a $2,100 floor stander that will perform satisfactorily with most types of music

How it compares

The Imagine T has a voicing that has a tendency to emphasize the frequency extremes. Careful positioning can help ameliorate this, with judicious toe-in taking a little of the sting out of the HF response and cautious room-positioning with respect to boundaries and port-bunging helping to reduce undue low frequency reinforcement.

The Neat Motive SX1s are slightly more costly floor standers, but have a balance and voicing of even more expensive models. They provide depth and bass power, but exhibit greater control than the PSBs. They are also much sweeter-sounding at the top of the range yet are just as detailed.

Our verdict

·         Sound quality: 4.5/5

·         Value for money: 5/5

·         Build quality: 5/5

·         Ease of drive: 4.5/5

·         Like: Lively, vital character; ease of drive; its fine finish

·         Dislike: Unsubtle sound; tweeter can be brittle and ‘obvious’

·         We say: A competitive speaker at the price, but it needs balancing with some controlled-sounding electronics

·         Overall: 4.5/5