PSB Speakers - recommended Home Theater Systems

Ten Satisfying Home Theater Systems

As we've said elsewhere, we are not fans of "Home Theater in A Box"—those pre-packaged systems marketed both by the mass-market electronics manufacturers and by some audio-video component makers. The systems packaged by the mass-market makers may have all the specified elements of Home Theater (main speakers, center-channel, surrounds, and a subwoofer), but may not have better sound than you would get by just encircling yourself with boomboxes. And the HT-in-a-Box packages that some component manufacturers have designed represent more of an emphasis on packaging than performance.

We have two strong convictions:

People who want the real experience of Home Theater sound, as opposed to a little of the sizzle of the term with none of the real steak, are more than willing to match Home Theater components themselves according to their own requirements. They will not mind the very short time it takes to plug a system together, and they will be willing to experiment a bit to make sure this phenomenon they are going to live with a long time sounds the way it can and should.

Makers of high-quality speakers like ours should make sure that the timbral matching of their speakers is so thorough that listeners can mix and match products as needed to suit both their tastes and the dictates of their particular living spaces, without ever experiencing source-shift or other distractions.

To help you sort through mixing and matching for different budgets and varying levels of expectation and performance, we think that nine groupings of PSB speakers make especially attractive Home Theater systems. All of them deliver performance — not "Home Theater in a Box" but true Theater in Your Home. Here they are:

1 - Mini Theater System

Up Front: In the Center: Surrounds: The Sub:	Pair - Alpha Intro LR One - Alpha Intro CLR Pair - Alpha Intro LR One - SubZeroi

This system is indeed an "Intro" — to just how stunning movies and music can sound with a minimum of expense and visible apparatus. The performance of this system is hard to believe, but supremely easy to enjoy.

2 - Studio Theater System

Up Front: In the Center: Surrounds: The Sub:	Pair - Alpha B One - Alpha C Pair - Alpha Intro LR One - SubSonic 5i

For a slight increase in living space, and minimal extra dollars, this system has the efficiency and power-handling to deliver full sonic impact both on music and dynamic movie soundtracks. Performance/price ratio just does not get better than this.

3 - Dynamic Theater System

Up Front: In the Center: Surrounds: The Sub:	Pair - Alpha T One - Alpha C Pair - Alpha S One - SubSonic 5i

This is certainly the ultimate Alpha system, with extended bass from the Alpha T, precise articulation, solid sub-bass, and lots of power handling.

4 - Concert Theater System

The Image Small-Tower Home Theater system

Up Front: In the Center: Surrounds: The Sub:	Pair - Image T45 One - Image C40 Pair - Image B15 One - SubSonic 6i

This system, employing our newest series of speakers, is unobtrusive and highly affordable, but very potent. It is hard to imagine better performance in a system that makes such modest demands on floor and wall space.

5 - Command Performance Theater System

Up Front: In the Center: Surrounds: The Sub:	Pair - Image T65 One - Image C60 Pair - Image S50 One - SubSonic 6i

This is a very-high-performance system, easily comparable to much more expensive ones, with a comfortably small footprint in the main speakers and an easily accommodated size in the surrounds. The overall sound and power handling are astounding.

6 - Paramount Theater System

Up Front: In the Center: Surrounds: The Sub:	Pair - Stratus Silver One - Stratus C6i Pair - Stratus Minis One - SubSonic 8

In most listening/viewing rooms, this system, based on the one called out for special notice in the Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, is difficult to improve on as an "ultimate" Home Theater system.

7 - Ovation Theater System

Up Front:
In the Center:
Surrounds:
The Sub:

Pair - Platinum M2 Monitor
One - Platinum C2 Center
Pair - Platinum S2 Surround
One - SubSonic 10

This M2 Based Home Theater system will reproduce your favourite music and movies with stunning quality, without taking up that much room..

8 - Ovation Theater System plus

Up Front:
In the Center:
Surrounds:
The Sub:

Pair - Platinum T6 Tower
One - Platinum C2 Center
Pair - Platinum S2 Surround
One - SubSonic 10

As good as the M2 based HT System is, we have added a plus, with the addition of the T6. The T6 has a better frequency range and the MTM array means perfect sound over a wide listening/viewing area

9 - Ultimate Theater System

Up Front:
In the Center:
Surrounds:
The Sub:

Pair - Platinum T8 Tower
One - Platinum C4 Center
Pair - Platinum S2 Surround
One - SubSonic 10

The current state-of-our-art home theater system, this group of highest-performers can fill even the biggest home listening rooms with uncompromised, widest-range, highest-impact sound on both movies and music. Read what John Atkinson of Stereophile had to say about this system.

We would not want to deter anyone from putting things together in systems other than the above. But these are systems that especially call out to us, so we're calling them out to you. They are the very opposite of "Home Theater in a Box "— much more like the "Genie Let out of the Bottle" — and wonderful investments for those who want Home Theater for the reality of it.

For the location of the dealer nearest you, visit our dealer locator on the Web!