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29th Anniversary Timeline


When we celebrated our Silver Anniversary in 1997, we put together a Timeline to sketch out how things have developed at PSB from the outset. And we have kept updating it since. We thought it might be interesting to some of our customers, to some of the media people who have witnessed our progress, and possibly to some of the people just getting to know us. Wherever you might fit in those or other categories, we hope you will find our Timeline of interest.


Year The Highlights The Products
1972 Registered PSB Speakers; Paul Barton, founder; First commercial product: Avanté  (2-way 8")
1973 Designed 1st Canadian servo-feedback, full-range speaker Beta II  (Servo, 1st Flagship)
1974 First speaker company to use National Research Council facilities in Ottawa for research and product development Avantini/Avette/Passif 1
Passif II/Targa
1975 First PSB speaker designed from start to finish at NRC Avanté II
1978 Entry into USA market; first
CES Design & Engineering Award
Beta IIa
1979 New Flagship series Summit 9/Summit 11
1980 First PSB passive sub PSB Subwoofer
1982 10th Anniversary Flagship product:
Canadian CES Innovations in Design Award
Project B2
 
1983 Introduction of maximum value product (leading to Alpha) Atom
1985 PSB and Lenbrook join forces; New R series introduced R Series:
70R/50R/40R/30R
1987 New Flagship product, the Stratus, evolved from Project B2,
Stereophile - Recommended Component
Stratus  (2-way tower)
 
1988 Began participation in NRC's "Smart speaker" Athena Project: (through 1995)
1989 MKII Series and CS Series MKII Series:
50MKII/40MKII/30MKII
20MKII/CS 180/CS 160
1990 New Flagship product
Redesign of Stratus to New Stratus - Stereophile Recommended Component
First Architectural speaker
Stratus Gold
New Stratus
HW-1
1991 Audio cover; Stratus Gold review ("the 10,000-watt speaker")
Gold becomes Stereophile Recommended Component
Introduction of Stratus Mini
Introduction of Alpha (media acclaim!)
Stratus Mini
Alpha
1992 Alpha called "Best Buy at CES" by Stereophile's Jack English
Alpha becomes Stereophile Recommended Component 
PSB Series supersedes MK II and CS Series
Stratus Silver supersedes New Stratus
PSB Series:
800/500/400/300
Stratus Silver
1993 First PSB powered subwoofer and center channel
Stratus Mini and PSB 500 become Stereophile Recommended Components
Stratus Gold, Alpha win Audio Video International's Hi-Fi Grand Prix Award
Alpha Home Theater system and PSB 500 win Sound & Vision's Critic's Choice Award
Subsonic II selected by CD Review as Best Audio Buy
PSB 100C
Subsonic II
1994 Stratus Silver becomes Stereophile Recommended Component
Stratus Mini/PSB 100C/Alpha Subsonic win Sound & Vision's Critic's Choice Award
First PSB shielded bookshelf, and new subwoofer
Two new center-channel speakers
Second powered sub; second tower in PSB Series
Alpha SE/Alpha Subsonic
Stratus C5/PSB 200C
PSB 600
Subsonic III
1995 Dolby uses PSB system to demonstrate AC-3 at CES
First PSB quasi-dipole surrounds
Expansions and updates
Audio Video International "Speaker of the Year" (Stratus Silver)
Two more Stereophile Recommended Components (100C, Subsonic II)
Alpha Home Theater System wins CD Review Best Buy Award.
Strong SGHT reviews of Alpha and New Stratus Mini Home Theater systems
Strong reviews and recommendations of various speakers (Alpha, PSB 300, Stratus Gold, Stratus Silver, Stratus Mini, Stratus C5, 100C, Subsonic III by New York Times (4 recommendations), Opera News, Sound & Image, Stereo Review, Audio Video Buyers Guide, Classic CD, Inside Track
Ambient I/Ambient II
Stratus C6/New Stratus Mini
PSB 1000
1996 C5 added to Stereophile's Recommended Components
Stereo Review cites PSB 1000 for "flattest response we have measured from a speaker"
BANNER YEAR FOR NEW STRATUS MINI:
Stereophile Recommended Component, Stereophile Award as
Budget Component of The Year
Century Series supersedes PSB Series
Alpha awarded Audio-Video International Hi-Fi Grand Prix Award
New Alpha Series introduced (with first of new powered subwoofers)
PSB 300 and 500 strongly recommended by New York Times
Stereophile round-up of "Best Sounds at the Stereophile Show" says
"perhaps the most remarkable in view of its price was the new Alpha Mini."
Absolute Sound says Alpha Minis "have to be heard to be believed."
$ensible Sound highly recommends New Stratus Mini
SGHT article cites "Stellar System" with Stratus Silvers, New Stratus Minis
Century Series:
Century 1000i/800i/600i/500i
400i/300i/200Ci/100Ci
Alpha Series:
AlphaA/V/Mini/Mite/Midi
Alpha SubSonic 1
1997 CES Innovations Award for the Alpha Series
Stereophile review by Tom Norton reaffirms performance of Stratus Gold: "This was one of my favorite loudspeakers when I first reviewed it. A lot of other loudspeakers have come and gone since then, but the Stratus Gold is still here, and my high opinion of it is unchanged."
Complete redesign and rebuild of anechoic chamber at NRC.
25th Anniversary celebrated at Hi-Fi '97 with introduction of Stratus Goldi.
New powered subwoofer for Century Series.
Dolby uses PSB system to demonstrate AC-3 at Hi-Fi '97.
Review of Alpha Mini Home Theater system in Stereophile Guide to Home Theater summarizes, "The bottom line is this: The PSB setup costs $374 less than the other two systems under consideration [JBL SCS 120, Bose Acoustimass10 systems] and sounds better than either one."
Review of Century 400i by Julian Hirsch in Stereo Review says: "All in all, the PSB Century 400i provides first rate sound at a bargain-basement price. An excellent value!"
Re-reviewing Stratus Mini in the October-November issue of $ensible Sound, Tom Lyle says: "Here are speakers that give you an accurate portrayal of the actual event that was recorded onto the tape, and encoded or pressed onto CD, LP, Mini-Disk, DAT, DVD, Elcasette, 8-track cartridge, or whatever medium du jour one is using."
New Stratus subwoofer with "BASH" circuitry.
Review of Stratus Goldi in Stereophile says "This is one fine design. At slightly under $2400[$2699]/pair , the Goldi is going to put a serious crimp in the sales of its more expensive competitors. Enthusiastically recommended."
Enthusiastic review of Century 600i in Fi.
Stratus Silver and Alpha SubSat combination (SubSonic 1 and Mites) receive Audio-Video International's Hi-Fi Grand Prix Award.
Review in Audiophile Voice praises Century 1000i, and says: "Paul Barton's speakers render a full and sweeping palette of glowing, vibrant music."
Stratus Goldi
Century SubSonic 2i
Stratus SubSonic 3i
1998 CES Innovations Award to Stratus Goldi and Stratus SubSonic subwoofers
Review in Audio calls Stratus Goldis "Standout performers" with "deep and powerful bass coupled with an extended and smooth high end."
First review of Stratus SubSonic 3i, in Stereo Review, cites its "Olympic-level performance" and places it in the "killer, high-tech, high-output subwoofers" category.
Review of Century Home Theater System (Century 600i, 300i, 200Ci,
SubSonic 2i
) by Lawrence B. Johnson in Audio Video Interiors says "As a home theater suite, the PSB array was sweet indeed." And "The Century 300i may be the most attractive speaker value today."
Audio review by Corey Greenberg of Alpha Home Theater System calls new Alpha-A/V "a cut above the originals"..."with a cleaner and more sophisticated high end," praises Alpha Mini's "livelier and more detailed midrange," and says the Alpha SubSonic 1 "is an excellent, budget priced sub. It has much more slam and finesse than I would normally expect from an under $500 subwoofer."
Stratus Bronze introduced.
First review in Stereophile says: "With good to excellent performance in just about every specific area you can think of, the Stratus Bronze is a bona fide bargain."
Stratus Bronze added to Stereophile Recommended Components.
Stratus SubSonic 3i named 1998 "Reviewer's Choice" by Stereo Review.
AudioVideo International Hi-Fi Grand Prix Awards go to Stratus Bronze,
Stratus C5, Stratus SubSonic 3i and Alpha A/V.
Stratus Bronze
1999 Stratus Silveri introduced.
CustomSound Series introduced.
Stratus Mini and Alpha A/V chosen as $ensible Choices by The $ensible Sound.
$ensible Sound reviewer cites Stratus Goldi for "The best recreation of a concert hall listening experience that I have heard from a single pair of box speakers."
Image Series introduced.
Image 3LR gets top rating in comparative review in Sound & Vision.
Alpha Center, Alpha Subzero, and Alpha SubSonic 5 added to Alpha Series.
Nine PSB speakers on Stereophile list of Recommended Components.
Audio/Video International Hi-Fi Grand Prix awards to Stratus Bronze, Stratus SubSonic 3i Alpha Mini/SubSonic 1 combination, Century 300i.
Stratus Silveri
CustomSound Series:
M6x6.1, M6x1, M6.1R, M6.1S.
Image Series:
1B, 2B, 3LR, 4T, 5T,
8C, 9C, SubSonic 6.
Alpha Center
Alpha SubZero/SubSonic 5

2000 Image Series becomes a runaway success, achieving highest sales ever for a new PSB series.
EIGHT Recommended Components from Stereophile and Stereophile Guide to Home Theater.
Image 1B joins Alpha A/V, Alpha Mini, Alpha SubSonic 5, Stratus Mini, and Stratus Goldi as "Staff Picks" from The $ensible Sound.
The Perfect Vision bestows a rave review on an Image Home Theater System centered on the Image 6T, which "made music and film soundtracks sound alive and vibrant." The review adds that "the Image SubSonic 6 subwoofer was amazing for the price. I had to remind myself that this was a $650 subwoofer, not a $1,500 model."
New Stratus subwoofer and center-channel speakers. Stratus Subsonic 7 Stratus Center Channels
Alpha Intros arrive.
New bipolar surround design offers "best of both worlds" performance. Image 10S
Image 6T, 7PT, 10S
Stratus SubSonic 7
Stratus C5i and C6i

Alpha Intros:
LR and CLR
2001 Image 7PT earns Innovations Award at Consumer Electronics Show.
Audio Ideas Guide greets Alpha Intro Home Theater system (Intro CLRs, LRs, and ALpha SubZero) with glowing review, saying that it "pretty much kills the competition in its price range and above."
The Perfect Vision awards "Editors' Choice" honors to Image Home Theater System (Image 3LRs, 9C, SubSonic 6).
Image 4T joins Stereophile Recommended Components list, offering "a lot of technology for the price." New Alpha Series (Alpha B, Alpha C, Alpha T) makes debut, offering still more performance, versatility, and value.
Alpha B
Alpha C
Alpha T


Alpha S

Audio/Video International Hi-Fi Grand Prix Awards go to Image 5T, Image 8C, Stratus SubSonic 7, CustomSound M6x6.1.
2002 $ensible $ound "Staff Picks" include Stratus Goldi, Image 2B, Alpha SubSonic 5, Alpha A/V.
Image 3LR Surround System gets "Editors' Choice Gold Award" from Stereophile Guide to Home Theater.
The Absolute Sound puts Image 4T, Image 5T, and Alpha B on its list of Recommended Products
Stereophile Recommended Components include Alpha B. Image 4T, Alpha SubSonic 5.




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