PSB Stratus Gold i Speakers

[1ADSarge]

Good morning everyone. I am currently eyeballing a very nice pair of these speakers in dark cherry. I am currently running the restored pair of Acoustic Research AR-2A's in the main system but I have been wanting some larger, floor standers. I ran across these on CL and am currently on the negotiation table at around $550-600. I have read that these things are power hungry which is no problem since I am running a 100wpc power amp at 8Ω. I am looking for something that has a wide range, that can reach deep and also sound clear. Would this be a good match, especially at that price? Thanks for any info/opinions/experience on these 95lb beasts!

Cheers,
Jared

 

[gdmoore28]

Haven't heard them, but . . .

https://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/704/index.html

Measurements are there, too. The reviewer was impressed with them, but remarks on their high power requirements - perfectly understandable with the rated 88dB efficiency.

GeeDeeEmm

Specifications:

Description (original Gold): Three-way loudspeaker. Drive units: 10" woofer, 6" midrange, 1" metal-dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies: 250Hz, 2.2kHz. Frequency response: 36Hz-20kHz ±1dB. Impedance: 4 ohms nominal. Power recommended: 10W minimum, rated for amplifiers of up to 250W clipping no more than 10% of the time. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m.
Dimensions: 13.5" W by 44.5" H by 14.75" D. Weight: 95lbs net.
Price: $2000/pair (1991); $2100/pair (1997). Approximate number of dealers: 40.

Description Gold i: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) ferrofluid-cooled, aluminum-dome tweeter; 6" (150mm) polypropylene-cone midrange unit; 10" (250mm) doped paper-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 250Hz, 2.2kHz. Crossover slopes: 24dB/octave Linkwitz-Riley (midrange/tweeter), 18dB/octave (midrange/woofer). Frequency response: 36Hz-20kHz, ±1dB; 31Hz-21kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m anechoic (2.83V). Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Amplifier requirements: 15-300W.
Dimensions: 43.5" (1105mm) H by 12.25" (310mm) W by 16.5" (420mm) D. Weight: 95 lbs/pair (43.2kg/pair). Shipping weight: 111 lbs/pair (50.5kg/pair).
Finishes available: black oak, dark cherry, gloss black.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: None visible.
Price: $2399/pair in black or dark cherry. Approximate number of dealers: 230.

Manufacturer: PSB Speakers, The Lenbrook Group, 633 Granite Court, Pickering, Ontario L1W 3K1, Canada. Tel: (905) 831-6333. Fax: (905) 831-6936. Website: www.psbspeakers.com.



Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/psb-stratus-gold-loudspeaker-specifications#0w2Q4SQI5HqQZuOP.99

 

[mike j]

Member richd860 loves his!

 

[mikeybc]

What does your amp run at 4 ohms ? They drop to about 2.8 ohms in the 100 hz region. You'll need a stout amp if you want to get the most out of the Golds

 

[1ADSarge]

Well, the boss doesn't think it matches the rest of the front room so it's a no go. Thanks everyone for the input!

Cheers,
Jared

 

[EngineerNate]

I'm uniformly impressed by PSB's higher end efforts. I think on the budget end these days there are better choices.

Too bad about the SWMBO shut down.

 

[mikeybc]

Well, the boss doesn't think it matches the rest of the front room so it's a no go. Thanks everyone for the input!

Cheers,
Jared

Tell the boss it's a great opportunity to redecorate the front room it matches the speakers.

 

[1ADSarge]

Tell the boss it's a great opportunity to redecorate the front room it matches the speakers.

Haha, we just did redecorate and refurnish the whole house!

 

[Sonance'84]

Any PSB Gold and/or Gold i owner's on here? I'm curious what speakers you upgraded from, when going to the Gold's?

As far as large speakers that dig deep, I've owned Klipsch Forte I, Cornwall 1.5, Infinity RSII (1st model), DCM TimeWindow 3. I know those are all completely different animals than the PSB's, but do you think the Gold i's would come out at or close to the top of this list (given the proper amplification)? I appreciate any input.

 

[Pete B]

I've had a pair for nearly 20 years and LOVE them, they dig deep like nothing else.
I ran an Adcom GFA-555 late production into them and they were very happy,
you always have the clip light on the amp and it was insanely loud when you hit it.
I think it does 325/ch into 4 ohms.
I remember hearing way, way back that the late production Adcom was safe into a
1 ohm load.

 

[Sonance'84]

The amp I'd use is 260/ch @ 4 ohms and 2 ohm stable. The should be enough, right?

Is the port noise audible with this design? Also, room placement...since they're 16.5" deep, that would leave me with 6" minimum and 12" maximum from the back wall. Is that far enough away from the back wall?

 

[Pete B]

What amp is it, yes that is probably fine.

I actually told Paul S. Barton over the phone that a bigger port would be better
and that is it on the i version. No you should not hear port noise.
That is a bit close but I think that you'll be fine.

You will be absolutely shocked if you are going from AR-2's to these!

 

[Sonance'84]

It's a Musical Fidelity A300 dual mono integrated amp. Heavy ass thing. It ran the Infinity RSII's without ever breaking a sweat.

I don't have AR-2's, that was the OP. I have M&K SV-200's.

 

[safebet]

Fabulous speakers. Sad if you miss the opportunity to live with them for a while. Won't part with mine!

They play fine with modest amps but really slam with power as stated. One time I drove them with a Crown xls-2000 power amplifier. It was too loud to be in the room when they pumped tracks from George Michael's Faith CD without strain. The Crown didn't seem to mind either but it ran right to clipping with no damage to either it or the speakers. I've never played them as loud since but it's good to know what they can do .

The PSB Goldi provide a very nicely detailed listening experience. They are quite neutral when placed appropriately within the room and easily throw a deep and wide sound stage. I got mine because the guy before me passed on the deal thinking they were too large for his room. Not so, I moved them from a 23x15x10 space to a small 13x11 office and they still deliver.

Highly recommended.

 

[safebet]

Well, the boss doesn't think it matches the rest of the front room so it's a no go. Thanks everyone for the input!

Cheers,
Jared

Keep them in mind for another space or perhaps the black version which may blend better with your decor. I got mine because the original owner wanted them in the available cherry finish and didn't have room to keep both sets after he found the cherry ones. Better yet, I ended up swapping even for some old NAD gear I wasn't using. Win-win!

 

[Sonance'84]

Fabulous speakers. Sad if you miss the opportunity to live with them for a while. Won't part with mine!

They play fine with modest amps but really slam with power as stated. One time I drove them with a Crown xls-2000 power amplifier. It was too loud to be in the room when they pumped tracks from George Michael's Faith CD without strain. The Crown didn't seem to mind either but it ran right to clipping with no damage to either it or the speakers. I've never played them as loud since but it's good to know what they can do .

The PSB Goldi provide a very nicely detailed listening experience. They are quite neutral when placed appropriately within the room and easily throw a deep and wide sound stage. I got mine because the guy before me passed on the deal thinking they were too large for his room. Not so, I moved them from a 23x15x10 space to a small 13x11 office and they still deliver.

Highly recommended.

What speakers did they replace? How far do you have your from the back wall?

I've been using my M&K SV-200's for for quite a few years now, but I'd to try more of a conventional speaker again. The M&K's have beaten out many other similar sized speakers, even bigger ones (RSII's), in my room. They're keepers, but the PSB's caught my eye, as not many speakers of this caliber pop up in this price range.

 

[safebet]

They didn't replace anything specific but they might compare most directly to my Legacy Classics. When I think of imaging i probably enjoyed my Spica TC-50 best for that, but detail and low bass was of course lacking with those. Hopefully that answers the inferred reference question. The PSB's are solid in every way.

In the large room I placed them far from the back wall well into the room to reduce bass a bit because it seemed too heavy otherwise. The room had some bad modes and so it was less indicative of the speaker than just an issue with seating position and standing waves.

I have them in a small room now just a couple of feet out from the back and about the same from the side walls. I really lucked out because there seem to be no significant standing waves, only a slight variation in perceived bass depending on the couple of feet worth of range I could place the chair. I went for the most practical position and it is great so I've left it there. Like I said, I lucked out.

My brother has had a 5 way M&K system and really nothing else for the past 15 years but loves them. They sound good but are not positioned for stereo sound field so I don't know how they image to compare. I always liked M&K and in fact still have a V1-B sub though the foam went out years ago so the cabinet now houses a Peerless XLS-12 driver and matching passive radiator.

 

[Sonance'84]

They didn't replace anything specific but they might compare most directly to my Legacy Classics. When I think of imaging i probably enjoyed my Spica TC-50 best for that, but detail and low bass was of course lacking with those. Hopefully that answers the inferred reference question. The PSB's are solid in every way.

How would you compare the Legacy Classics to the PSBs, differences and similarities?

 

[safebet]

How would you compare the Legacy Classics to the PSBs, differences and similarities?

Had to give that some thought. I don't want to bury the headline as they say so I'll preface that the PSB's are a superior system overall. It's IMO a bit more neutral than the Legacy Classic and definitely provides better detail in the high end though the tweeter can call a little attention to itself. This is not really a bad thing as it contributes to clarity, an attribute where the Classics fall a little short. There's no listening fatigue and it's easy to "hear into the mix" if you know what I mean.

Placing speakers for imaging is pretty easy with the PSB's but darned difficult with the Classics if you are seeking to fill the sweet spot. At least with lots of toe-in the sound stage becomes stable. Both cabinets are rock solid though quite differently finished.

Why I still love the Classics and the reason they sit in the larger living room for TV and general movie duty is because they just make everything sound good...imaging notwithstanding. The rear tweeter which had me on the fence whether to leave on or off actually makes the system very special. Left to the ribbon alone, high frequencies suffer anywhere except in the forward listening plane, and always best with the ear near the same height or slightly below. Spectral balance literally anywhere in my current room is well balanced with the rear tweeter on.

As an aside, it was a friend's Signature III speakers I first heard which started me down the Legacy path. In case you were not aware, the Sig's have a third down firing woofer and an additional mid bass unit but are sealed and not a ported alignment. It's my opinion that the Signature's significant flaw is that it places the narrow vertical ribbon plane at too high a listening position in most rooms due the the extended cabinet height. The Focus 20-20 takes it all a step further but with the same HF issue and no rear tweeter so IMHO, the Classic was the bang for the buck in that product lineup.

Both the PSB and Classic produce great bass but I might give the edge to the Classics in this regard. They are slightly less warm sounding but the quality and ease of bass they produce is outstanding.

Both systems are rated 4 Ohm nominal, though the Classics with the dual 10 inch woofers are easier to drive and the entire system is more efficient. This allows it to work well with just about any amplifier...heck, one time in a power outage I drove them from a tiny T-amp with decent results! I was using a 12 volt, 7 Ah battery as a power source and not the 8 AA internals but hey...

I guess I'd close saying that the PSB's have no significant flaws, inefficiency aside, but also the Legacy is a great speaker for general music and slam when used with video providing broad coverage and very satisfying bass performance. Concerts and action movies delivered! If you're seeking a speaker for detail and "critical listening" then PSB is the winner. Every speaker has a character, you just have to listen to as many as you can and learn which attributes you can and can't live with. I'm keeping both of these as long as I am able as each have their place.

Hope that helps.

 

[Sonance'84]

Thanks for the in depth comparison @safebet.

The seller is out of town, so I'll have to wait until Wednesday night or Thursday morning to go demo them. They're same speakers as pictured in the OP above. I read a positive review of the original PSB Gold's and reviewer said they competed with his reference B&W 801 Matrix Series 2's on nearly an equal basis.

Has anyone either bi-amped or bi-wired these speakers, with noticeable differences?