Just my honest opinion having spent hundreds of hours with them in a treated listening room. They are well balanced speakers and particularly good if you have a multimedia setup. One great pairing that won’t break the bank is with a Lyngdorf TDAI-2170 integrated. T3’s being made in China at that price point is a big turn off for me but plenty of customers bought them when I was selling PSB. If you like the imagine era PSB sound they are an easy choice. The bass can be a bit bloated if you don’t give them room and using the bungs gives it an uneven sound.
One speaker that easily outperformed it at a similar price point is the ATC SCM 40 v.2. Although it doesn’t have the deep bass of T3’s the bass that it does have is fast and perfectly integrated with the mid and tweeter. Double Impact SE’s (I only mention them because I think the standard DI sounds better than T3’s) and a long list of other competitors like Legacy at similar price points can provide you with a different full range sound if PSB isn’t to your tastes. There is certainly more "sophisticated" sound out there.
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Interesting. Good advice. I will look into these others you mentioned
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Agreed that you should definitely hear the Legacy Audio Signature SE at that price range.
Also, at around $10K, check out the new Paradigm Persona 3F. Whoa, I got to hear them Saturday, and they are the real deal. Not only do they sport a beryllium tweeter, but also a beryllium mid range driver.
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So they are superior to the flagship imagine t3? |
James , did you play Symphonic music on the T3's .
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@ easola01
I haven't heard the T3 yet. I was just putting some options out there to check out.
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Haven't played anything yet on t3's...I am curious as to other people's opinion on these speakers. Helps me to get a sense of their worth |
I read the reviews and found a demo pair at a good price. I walked into the store with my credit card ready to go. I really didn't like them at all. I went back a few days later and had the same reaction with a different amplifier. I ended up with Vivid 1.5 which I love.
They were okay with some music but really disappointed me with female vocals which is my favorite genre.
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@schubert They perform well with symphonic music and every other genre. There was a customer that only listened to symphonic music and after a long demo he went with Spendor (not sure what model) so there might be better options out there. PSB really stepped up their game with T3’s, it’s a shame they didn’t manufacture it in Canada. For comparison we carried Revel F208’s and Focal 948’s at the same time. I’d take T3’s over either one of them If I had to choose. They have a very interesting/enjoyable presentation. |
James w514...very encouraging! So would you say that the t3's at $7500 compete well with other speakers?
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One of the reviews of the PSB imagine T3 speakers called them, for the $7500 price, a game changer. That caught my eye to these speakers
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Great speakers for the price but not sure if I’d call them game changers. When they were released I had Synchrony One’s as secondary speakers and wasn’t expecting T3’s to be much better...I was wrong. If you own NAD Masters gear they are a sure thing. |
The T3s are super neutral loudspeakers. They absolutely don't go well with McIntosh. They go very well with NADs. That was that my experience was from at least 3-4 demos I had. They need space to shine. The more upscale the equipment, the more they can reveal. I also compared them to the BW 804 D3 and I preferred the T3s. Initially I thought I liked the 804D3, but after a while I realized that it was the hot tweeter that I was attracted to. That gets boring and fatiguing after a while. To answer your question - yes, they are indeed hi-end. Now a person who can afford a $60-100k loudspeaker will obviously not think about them being hi-end.
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I seriously considered PSB T3s before going a different direction with my primary system. (I currently own Imagine Ts in a tertiary system.) I second james_w514 on the NAD/PSB pairing. I spent a couple hours listening to PSB T3s driven by a NAD 375BEE and I really liked the presentation for the price point. I wouldn't describe the bass presentation as "bloated" per se, but I would agree to a description of it not being "tight" bass. Importantly, you should not pay $7500 for PSB T3s. They are often offered for sale here for much less. Game changer?...it all depends on the game you are currently playing. Comparison with others in the $7500 bracket? I have heard the speakers james_w514 mentions above and I agree that the PSB T3 is a more enjoyable presentation than the Revel and Focals mentioned. I have not heard the other speakers listed above. |
Great stuff guys. Appreciate the input. But I am confused, milpai. You say great with nad, but not with McIntosh. Then you say the more upscale the equipment the more they reveal....isn't McIntosh more upscale than nad? Just curious
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I love my T-3's.
Had bought KEF Reference-3's instead of the T-3's 2 years ago.
T-3's---much better bass. Great soundstage and imaging, incredible at this. Close my eyes and the speakers disappear.
I liked the concept of combined mid and tweeter, but not as a good as the T-3's.
Got to spend more than $20,000 to get better. |
Wow ajpk1971....great testimonial. Hope I like them as much as you do. Need to spend $20000 to get better...that is fantastic |
@easola01,
Just because the MacIntosh costs more does not mean it will pair well with a given loudspeaker. I was at a dealer and they were playing the T3s with the Mc integrated (huge sized one). It sounded so boring, which is completely contrast to the demo I had at a dealer in DC, who ran them off a NAD Master Series amp. Then they changed the speaker to a Sony $10k loudspeaker. Things did not change much. Just slightly better, but in my mind my existing stereo sounded much more musical.
At AXPONA 2017, they had the T3s playing and they were making superb music without sounding boring. This was again with NAD, I believe. I am sure a Pass or Parasound amp can drive this speaker to great audio enjoyment.
In the year 2000 I had listened to a PSB Silveri with Krell Class A monos. It was a demo I cannot forget to this day. |
They are great speakers but you absolutely do not have to spend more than $20K to get better. That statement is completely ridiculous. |
I have a wells audio innamorata power amp and a level 1 modified jolida fusion preamp. I hope these will be a good match for the T3 speakers
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I have them and they are great. Came from Joseph Audio RM25XL. They do like power amps with good control, I use mone with Nord One Up mono blocks and PS Audio BHK hybrid preamp. My room is only 13' x 15' have both bottom woofers plugged and bass is the best I ever heard in my room. Yes you can get them for less also I did bought the demo's |
We are a PSB dealer with the T3 on display. We also sell Kef, Paradigm, Dali, Legacy, and soon to be getting the Elac Adantes.
The T3 are not in the same ball park as the KEF Ref 3, we had the T3 in our theater and then upgraded to the KEF Ref 3 which were way better in every way, except for deep bass.
The T3 does have some of the best bass in any speaker under $10k, they have very deep, tight bass with a lot of punch. If you are a bass guy they are very hard to beat. For Rock, club music etc very hard to get a speaker with this kind of footprint to do what the T3 can do.
We recently sold our display pair as we dramatically preferred the Legacy Signature which is $500 cheaper, is built in America, offers many custom finishes, and has a better overall sound in all areas except for deep bass which the T3 still had deeper tighter bass. The Legacy has a more delicate top end and an overall bigger soundstage with a warm tonal balance and an overall larger sense of space.
The T3 has higher WAF as it is slimmer and it has a stunning rounded cabinet, the Legacy's are much boxier and bigger.
If you are a bass freak these are hard to beat. We also prefer the Dali Rubicons which have a more delicate midrange, and a more focused soundstage, they do not have the slam and deep bass of the T3
If you have your heart set on the T3 please PM us we have a client who is iching to upgrade from the T3 his pair is about 2 months old in mint condition.
Hope this helps.
Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
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I’ve owned the T3’s for about 18 months now.
They are neutral, and properly set up have a well voiced balanced mid-range and nice highs. The bass is tight and punchy and like another poster here I have the bottom 2 ports plugged. The bass is in no way bloated. The T3’s throw an extremely large sound-stage left to right and top to bottom. I use them in a 5.1 system with 4 T3’s and matching C3. The T3’s are very nicely balanced and do well on a wide variety of music.
I’ve been using them with a NAD M27 but just had a BAT VK-6200 delivered today and I am anxious to see how the do with the BAT.
Good luck with your purchase! =) |
Thank you, I am looking forward to hearing them
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@chazzy007 I like the idea of all those T3s in a 5.1. I'm sure that sounds really good with the NAD Master--and I'm hoping it sounds even better with the BAT. Please post what you hear when it settles in. |
I am hoping the t3's will sound great in a 2 channel. It's my first hi end system, so I really don't have any idea what I am in for
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That's a great all around performer to start your high end journey and it's easy on the ears. |
+1 james_w514 I think you will be pleased with what you hear. The synergy between equipment is important in this hobby. But the good news is you will know what you really like when you hear it. The problem is, as you will find, you will like a lot of what you hear. |
@easola1,
What amp will you be using to drive the PSBs? |
@astewart8944
New BAT is just starting to settle in. The BAT has a warmer and much more textured presentation than the NAD. Soundstage is amazing with the BAT. At least just as wide and high but with more depth front to back. Bass is deeper and more controlled. Lots more texture and subtlety in this region with the BAT. Mid range is noticeably richer with the BAT, though still maintaining great balance with the bottom end. As another poster noted the T3’s do scale up quite a bit with better equipment. The BAT is still settling but I am loving what I’m hearing so far. I’ve had the BAT before in another system which is the reason I went and found another. It does so many things well. 👍
@easola01 The T’3s presentation can best be described as balanced. Top to bottom nothing except maybe Bass stands out, but as a whole they do everything quite well together. Some other speakers above this price range 10K-20K are going to do one thing or another "better" but those speakers imo will not be as "balanced" overall. Properly set up, the T3’s provide a very pleasant non fatiguing musical experience. I love the T3'3s with women's voices. I'm listening to Amy Lee right now. ☺
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Sounds great chazzzy. So, here is my equipment milpai: 1) PSB Imagine T3 speakers 2) Wells audio Innamorata power amplifier 3) Jolida Fusion Preamp level 1 modified 4) Simaudio moon neo 380d dac (non dsd version) https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/644-simaudio-moon-neo-380d-digital-to-ana...5) Musical surroundings nova phonomena phono preamp 6) PS Audio Perfectwave CD transport 7) Questyle 600i headphone amp/dac 8) Lumin D1 streamer 9) Melco N1A server 10) Project Xtension 10 turntable with superpack 11) Shunyata MPC-12a power conditioner |
@chazzzy007 Thanks for report. I figured the T3s would sound really good with quality tube amplification. Do you find any noticeable difference in speed between the NAD and BAT? |
@astewart8944 The BAT doesn’t lack in speed at all when compared to the NAD M27. When compared head to head it has much, much better control of the bass with increased dynamics and detail throughout the tonal spectrum but especially in the deepest bass. It’s power to resolve subtle details in movies and music is quite impressive. Much much better than the NAD. It’s a very powerful amp (doubles down in power from 8 to 4 to 2 ohm loads) with amazing finesse. The VK-6200 is solid state btw. |
@easola01,
You got some nice equipment there. The T3s will really sing in that system. They are pretty sensitive. So I don't think they require too much power to show their true nature. You amp has enough power to drive them.
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@chazzzy007 Thanks again for the report and the clarification on my tube assumption. Sounds as if you have a winning pairing on your hands. Congratulations! |
@easola01. If I were to look at upgrading to something in this general price range, I’d look at a pre-owned Focal Sopra 2 and the new Kanta as well as a set of pre-owned Legacy Aeris. All 3 are a bit more refined in some areas than the T3. None do Bass better then the T3. When I am not listening to music there are certain things I would like the T3 to do better, but when I listen to them they sound so right. Maybe I just wish they were a Tad airier in the highs... 👍 |
I just gave a pair of T3's a listen today. I really wanted to like these but after listening my emotions are mixed. I heard glimpses of a very good speaker but I also heard some bloat or lack of clarity in the lower midrange that seemed consitent with whatever genre of music I played. They were being driven with a McIntosh amp so maybe Milpai is right. So I’m wondering if what I heard was just an anomly of the amp or the room or is this a characteristic of the speaker itself. Anyone care to comment? Thanks
PS: I’d be driving them with either my Pass X250 or a pair of Atmasphere M60’s. |
@studiotim The T3’s ports have to be set up right for the mid range to really sing. In my listening room I’ve found them to sound their best with the 2 bottom ports plugged. You lose some low end extension, but the bass tightens and the mid range and highs open up. The soundstage also becomes much more focused and detailed.
Without the bottom 2 ports plugged, I’ve found the Bass fat in a way that steps on the mid range and blurs the soundstage. |
Thanks Chazzzy, They only had the bottom ports plugged during my audition. I'm going to give them another try with your recommendation of plugging the middle ports as well. I'll have them move them a little further from the back wall as well. (they were ~ 2 ft away).
I'm going to give a pair of Focal 1028 Be a listen as well. Anyone here had a chance to compare these two? |
@studiotim,
Was your demo in the Chicago area? Just curious, since I had that a demo in that area. I will not go into the dealership details. But they were thorough gentlemen and entertained all my song requests.
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Don't know about Baltimore, but if you can get down to DC, excellent brands at Deja Vu, Evolution Audio (Tysons Corner), and Gifted Listener (Centerville). |
Thanks @studiotim.I had listened to the T3s in the Baltimore area as well. That was with the NAD system and t sounded pretty good. Unfortunately they were trying to push the Totem Forest Signatures, which also sounded good, but I was not interested. |
@Studiotim Make sure you audition with good Class A or A/B amplification. Something that also delivers very good current to get the very best bass.There's a richer midrange and bass in the T3 that you wont' see with any class D amplification. |
I agree with you @twoleftears. I've been down to each of those stores in the past. Deja Vu is fun to visit if just to see some of the old gear they restore. I was at the Gifted a handful of weeks ago comparing Maggies and Vandies. With the Vandies I can say I now know what reviewers mean when they say a speaker is "musical". That always struck me as a silly phrase to attach to something that exists to reproduce music. But I started listening critically, couldn't find anything that stood out and found myself just sitting back listening to he music. - a musical speaker.
Good point @chazzy007. I always insist on solid state over tube while auditioning but I hand't given too much though between class A and Class D. Nothing against tube amps but theres too much risk of the amp not letting the speaker reach its full performance envelope during the audition - limited current, low damping factor. |
@studiotim I was driving mine with class D NAD until 2 weeks ago. I bought a BAT VK-6200 and now the bass contol and detail I have are now on another level. Mid range is now much richer. The T3's need amplification that can deliver a good bit of current to sound their best. The level up as their amplification and pre-amp does. |
Interesting chazzzy. If that is the case, then I am probably set well with my tube jolida preamp and wells audio innamorata power amp. The wells gets really high marks as a class a...a/b amp. Reviews say it is a very analog sounding amp. I am encouraged by your post
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@easola01 @studiotim I look forward to hearing both of your impressions of the T3's in your respective systems! 👍
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Chazzzy...my innamorata is 150wpc, not as much as your bat. Your bat looks like a beast! |
