Did anybody else notice this about PSB Speakers?


I couldn't help noticing that 6 PSB speakers were selected in TAS's Editor's Choice issue this Fall and 4 were also selected as Stereophile Recommended Components. It's not like these two magazines like to agree about things very often. I am pretty sure no other vendor had 6 Editor's Choices in that issue for any sort of component.

One speaker selected only by Stereophile was the $5K PSB Synchrony One as Class A, Limited Extreme LF, right in there with a dozen or more very highly regarded $16K loudspeakers.

Also note that neither magazine has even reviewed PSB's new Platinum line, which is a cut above their Synchrony series and not really that much more expensive.

If I wanted a linear room-filling monster for a large area without breaking the bank, I'd have to look at a Synchrony One and a Platinum T8 tower. But let's not forget that their $279/pr Alpha B1 has owned the entry-level category for decades as well.

Thoughts? Feelings? Opinions?

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation w/PSB, nor do I own any, but I'm very impressed with them.
johnnyb53
you know this could also be a shift of the industry to more modest budget items or even items that provide bang for the buck. Brands that have been making good stuff at a entry level price are getting lots of cred lately. I'm thinking of PSB, era, and a couple others like that.

Paulsax

Good point.

If gear was priced according to time & materials rather than to performance the prices would plunge a goodly amount on many high end components…. with the possible exception of loudspeakers using handmade hard wood cabinets…. And very slow builders.

Tell me there's 4K worth of materials in an 8K cable... or production costs equate to 40 to 50% of the selling price.

Another member pointed out to me about the items in a mod someone was/is selling which amounted to a couple hundred or less... the mod costs >$1K. $700 - $900 labor?

Folks like Paul Barton and a few others haven't quite lost touch with reality yet... or have another perspective on doing business by lowering production costs perhaps.

I also get that time and energy required for R&D, which equates to the very first unit (s) actual cost being quite fantastic, especially if an entirely different direction was taken instead of massaging previous designs about.

Given the diminishing returns of performance vs. price as you step up the audio/video ladder, it's always seemed to me the bulk of the buying public and perhaps just above that should be the targeted audience. many do just that. Too many other's contend to appeal to upper air demographics only.... like Wilson, Magico, etc. I get the impression these ‘artisans’ are simply out of touch. It follows though if you make it you name the price for it too.

At any length, congrats to those entities which continue to provide overachieving goods to the public that are stable, lasting, and affordable more often than not.
A litle late on this post...
PSB speakers do get very nice reviews, but did not have a chance to hear them yet. Although I leave in a big city in Canada, it is not easy to find them.
Just recently, I decided to upgrade my speakers, which are 12 years old (B&W 603 series II). They did a great job, but I need something better.....B&W have a special place in my heart -(but a very far from the place in my budget).
Wanted to buy used Nautilus 802s, which you could find for about 5000. But, I could buy brand new PSB T8s or Paradigm S8 for about the same or less.
I have CAP 151 and SACD Marantz 8260. It does a decent job.
Any thoughts out there on: Used Nautilus 802 vs. PSB T8 or Paradigm S8?

Thanks everyone
Sasha, now that's an interesting question. I have N803's that I love, but have been thinking about upgrading to N802's. Would love to hear comparisons with the PSB and Paradigm, although perhaps that's best asked as a separate thread. I do need to get out and hear these so I can make my own judgements though. Over the past 4 mths I've listened to many higher end models: B&W 802D, Dyn C4, Vienna "Musik", Sonus Faber Elipsa, Wilson Sophia2, NOLA Micro Grand, Magnepan 3.6 and 20.1, Devore Gibbon Nine, Focal Electra 1027 (or 37?). Differences all, and not a perfect one in the bunch, but several I could easily live with. But I think it would make sense to do a reality check with better "bargain" speakers like the PSB and Paradigm.
I'm in the process of doing a "reality check" on my N805's.

PSB will be in the running.