The range benefits from top-level technology trickled down from the highly acclaimed Synchrony and Imagine Series. Many of the features that debuted in the flagship Synchrony Series in 2007, and then introduced to the stylish Imagine Series in 2008, are now available in the all-new Image Series.

Long considered among the most versatile and affordable of PSB’s major speaker lines, Image Series speakers have been remodelled and equipped with many of the features and enhancements developed in recent years for PSB’s award-winning Synchrony and Imagine Series loudspeakers.
The new Image Series represents the final stage of a profound three-phase reconsideration of PSB product offerings in free-standing speakers that began with Synchrony, then moved to the Imagine Series. With the new Image Series, PSB again raises the traditional PSB virtues to new heights of performance and sophistication, whether judged technically or by rigorous standards of subjective evaluation.

The new Image Series consists of eight models, including two full-range tower designs, two compact monitors, two centre-channel speakers, one bipole surround for side and rear locations (available Q1, 2010), and one sub-compact monitor/surround. The models are based on six-, five- and four-inch woofer platforms that further extend the Image Series’ already broad range of applications and budgetary options. All the models share PSB’s recent advances as well as its obsessive dedication to performance, quality and value.

Like all PSB speakers, the new Image designs benefit from the world-class acoustical resources of Canada’s National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. For more than 35 years PSB founder and design team chief Paul Barton has returned again and again to the NRC to conduct fundamental studies of loudspeakers and room acoustics in its anechoic chamber as well as vital subjective evaluations in its listening-studio facilities. Mr. Barton’s research at the NRC, which included an extensive three-year development project for Synchrony, played an important role in the design of the new Image Series.

Significant among the Image Series’ enhancements is its driver platform, which is based on what PSB developed for the Synchrony and Imagine Series. All the Image models share long-excursion, very high-output woofers resulting in compact designs with output capabilities as high as much larger traditional systems. A highly accurate, one-inch titanium dome tweeter with ferrofluid and a very efficient neodymium magnet structure, borrowed from the Synchrony design portfolio, helps to extend output at both frequency extremes for effortless, airy top octaves and smooth, uncoloured response.

The new Image Series also display an aesthetic dimension that pulls design cues from the Imagine series. “We focused on softer shapes for the cabinets rather than a rigid boxy look,” said Barton. “We maintained the Image Series’ somewhat rounded front and back, but changed the shape slightly to make the speakers a little more organic-looking.”

Along with more robust baffles made from 2.9cm thick MDF, a material usually reserved for more expensive models, the new Image speakers exhibit a highly finished look, with clean and soft, aesthetically pleasing lines and no visible fasteners. Regardless of configuration, they comfortably integrate into today’s varied listening environments. Additional high-value features include PSB’s five-way gold-plated binding posts, adjustable feet with spikes, port covers and rubber levellers.

“Delivering high value has always been one of my passions,” said Paul Barton. “And the Image Series represents my best achievement.”

The Image T5 and T6 Towers
The Image Series’ two towers — the T5 and T6 — are slim floor standing models 94cm and 104cm high that deliver full-bodied, technically refined sound with tonal, spatial and dynamic accuracy. The T5 is a dual woofer transitional two¬-and-a-half way design with identical 5 ¼ inch woofers and a one-inch titanium tweeter. The T6 is a three-way dual-cavity, dual-ported design with 6 ½ inch woofers and a discrete 5 ¼ inch self-contained midrange driver. The T5 and T6 are rated up to 175 and 200 watts at 6 ohms, respectively. Many of these design features are similar to those in found in the award-winning Synchrony One design approach.

The woofers employ injection-moulded diaphragms with a proprietary, clay/ceramic-filled polypropylene cone that uniquely optimises stiffness, internal damping and low mass. The woofers’ magnetically neutral polycarbonate basket contributes additional stiffness, while its bullet-shaped phase-plug (borrowing from the Synchrony design) enhances linearity at higher frequencies.

“The T6 Tower is a three-way system similar in execution to the Synchrony One,” explained Barton. “Not only are the orientation and arrangement on the front baffle similar to that of the Synchrony One, the arrangement helps the in-phase lobe tilt up so that the speaker has a very similar voice whether the listener is sitting down or standing up.”

The T6 cabinet is also designed in a way similar to that of the Synchrony One, in which each woofer is divided and ported in individual chambers. The T6 employs two separate chambers and ports, which eliminates such issues as standing waves inside the box.

“In dividing and individually porting the cabinet we address the problem of a standing wave inside the box found in many tall, slim speaker designs,” explained Barton. “Dividing the cavity into two smaller cavities eliminates the ability of a standing wave to set up inside the enclosure. Also, putting woofers in multiple positions reduces the first reflection phenomenon, minimising the negative effects of the primary ‘floor bounce’ reflections, resulting in a much more accurate and tuneful bass performance in any setup.”

The Image B5 and B6 Monitors
The Images’ two monitors — the B5 and B6 — are ideal for multichannel deployments, 2.1 subwoofer/satellite systems, and main-channel use in smaller rooms or systems. They feature a single 5 ¼ inch and 6 ½ inch speaker plus the one-inch tweeter in 32cm and 36cm high cabinets, respectively. They share the injection-moulded, clay/ceramic-filled polypropylene designs of the Tower drivers, which also include dual magnets, polycarbonate baskets, and rubber surrounds. The monitors are rated up to 125 and 150 watts at 6 ohms, respectively.

The speakers also feature 40mm rear ports and, like the Towers, PSB’s sturdy multi-way gold-plated binding posts that accept bare wire, lugs, banana plugs, open and closed spades, and enable bi-wiring and bi-amplification.

The Image B4 Sub-Compact Monitor/Surround
A smaller addition to the Image Series, the B4 is comprised of a new four-inch woofer and a one-inch titanium tweeter. Intended for home theatre or multichannel applications, the two-way system fits in a cabinet only 13.3cm wide by 23cm high by 16.5cm deep, making it as easy to place as a conventional bookshelf speaker. It shares the driver platform and design features of the larger models, and adds to the series’ broad appeal and flexibility. The compact size is ideal for today’s urban, modern decors.

The Image C4 and C5 Centre Channels
The C4 and C5 Centre Channel speakers deliver their two-way systems in a dual-woofer horizontal format. Engineered to maximise performance in multichannel applications, the C4 pairs two four-inch woofers with the one-inch titanium tweeter, while the C5 employs a pair of 5 ¼ inch woofers. The cabinets are only 13.3cm and 18cm high, making them easy to place near today’s legions of new flat-screen TVs.

The Image S5 Surround
Compact and versatile, the bi-pole S5 Surround performs admirably on a shelf or stand, or wall-mounted (hardware included). It joins a pair of 5 ¼ inch woofers with a pair of one-inch titanium tweeters, and is rated up to 150 watts at 6 ohms for maximum coverage and output. Its cabinet dimensions are 30cm wide by 30cm high by a mere 17.5cm deep. The S5 Surround will be available in the first quarter of 2010.