In the January 2001 issue of Sound & Vision provides an encouraging review of our smallest home theater system, combining four Alpha Intro LRs for main and surround speakers, an Alpha Intro CLR as center channel, and an Alpha SubZero. (Also see Andrew Marshall's glowing review of various mixtures of LRs and CLRs, linkable from the end of the review below.) Here are some excerpts from Daniel Kumin's review:

"The latest additions to PSB's well-regarded Alpha family of speakers are consistent with the Canadian maker's reputation for technically solid engineering and high value. The Alpha Intro speakers are strikingly simple, showing no effort to make them look like more of less than they are. I like that. And they're priced so a complete [surround] system can cost less than $900 (depending on the sub you choose). I like that too."

"For our test system, PSB matched the Intro satellites with its smallest and least expensive subwoofer, the Alpha SubZero. It's surprisingly effective for a sub with an 8-inch driver."

"Compared with my reference small speaker systems [at a cost per stereo pair that's almost three times as much as the entire Intro surround system] the front Intro LRs sounded very good indeed, with just a slight touch of midrange dryness…"

"The diminutive SubZero went considerably lower into the bass, and with more oomph, than I expected. It had plenty of depth for most pop music or jazz (not including hip-hop or techno synth-bass), giving enough weight and an accurate overall balance…The little sub sounded fairly smooth too…"

"The Alpha Intro system did an excellent job reproducing the very low-level Foley effects and whispered dialogue in Gods and Monsters with fine clarity and intelligibility. Front-to-side imaging was first-rate, yielding smooth pans and stable virtual locations for sound sources falling between speakers. Discrete rear surround effects sounded fine as well, although — as I had expected — the direct-radiating Intro LR surrounds tended to localize effects more than dipole surrounds generally do. Ambience reproduction was good."

"If you demand honest home theater sound from an elegantly tiny array of speakers, this is one of the better examples I've encountered."

Info on the Alpha Intros

In the Winter (Issue #136) edition of Canada's Audio Ideas Guide audio veteran Andrew Marshall has some very laudatory things to say about our new Alpha Intros. Some excerpts below:

"These new Intro models from PSB are made in China, with drivers personally designed by Paul Barton. It's still not often that you find an aluminum-dome tweeter at this price, and here it's mated with one (LR) or two (CLR) 3-1/2" poly-coned woofer/midrange(s)."

"And how does this extremely compact system perform? Well, I still look at the Intro measurements, weeks after making them, with some amazement. One might expect such linear results in an expensive compact system...but on paper the Intro system is notably superior..."

"Let's look at the LR's PNS (Pink Noise Sweep) and SAR (Summed Axial Response), which almost perfectly overlay except at the highest frequencies, and even that's a good thing because it indicates in the SAR well controlled high-frequency dispersion. But looking across the range, we see an under-$300 speaker [under $200 in the US] that is +/- 1.5 dB from 150 Hz to 10,000 Hz in the PNS. That's phenomenal at any price, let alone in a Chinese-made ultra budget model!

"Even the unsmoothed quasi-anechoic measurement is exceptionally linear, while the axial curves beneath it show a little lobing off axis but very good response through the midrange...Pink Noise Sweeps at 0, 15, and 30 degrees off axis for the CLR ...show it to be very smooth on all axes, and impressively free of the midrange dip that troubles most centre channels that flnak the tweeter with the bass/mid drivers. In other words, this is a centre channel that promises clear articulation of dialogue at both ends of the couch. The CLE is also a speaker that is plausible in 5s, just as the LR could easily be used as a centre channel in addition to all around. In the former case, you'll get better power handling with the additional drivers, while in the latter you achieve perfect timbre matching, though the match of the two sibling speakers is near perfect, anyway."

"The impedance and phase curves for both Intro models are quite benign...midrange phase angles are also quite mild, making this system quite easy to drive. The small enclosures and front baffles should also contribute to very coherent sound from point sources, which translates into good imaging.

"With spectacular measurements like these, you'd expect good sound, though the Intro system did not exhibit quite the resolution of some more expensive speakers...But the well controlled directivity resulted in excellent imaging all around, with just a bit of midrange emphasis, and excellent clarity on dialogue from the centre channel. The system also had good depth from its point source imaging.

"I guess I'm being conservative in saying these things, because we're comparing this inexpensive system to much more costly competition. The bottom line is that the PSB Alpha Intro system pretty much kills the competition in its price range and above. Both the LR and CLR could be the cornerstones of a really good home theatre system, the latter offering greater dynamics all around, while both, in 5s, provide near perfect timbral matching. They're both handsome, able to hide in shelves or hang on walls, and finally, they are that audiophile oxymoron, compact home theatre speakers that deliver true high fidelity sound quality. And they do it for $1,100 ($900 in the US), including the SubZero sub!"

Info on the Alpha Intros

In the June 2000 issue of Home Theater, Kevin Hunt gives our All-Out Alpha Home Theater system (Alpha A/Vs up front, Alpha Minis as surrounds, Alpha Center in the center, and Alpha SubSonic 5 subwoofer) a rave review. Here are some details:

"The Alpha has evolved since 1991, Darwinian-style, from a benchmark in sub-$200 monitors during the two-channel era into a family of small, smaller, and smallest Alphas designed for home theater."

"Designer Paul Barton, who started PSB speakers in 1972 between his high school graduation and his first year at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, continues to keep the Alpha current. In 1996, he redesigned the speaker for a surround sound system, adding magnetic shielding and a new woofer (6-inch poly-coated fiber cone) and tweeter (1/2-inch ferrofluid-cooled poly-flare dome). Labeled the Alpha-A/V, this new speaker joined the Alpha Mini, the tiny Alpha Mite, the Alpha Midi center channel, and two SubSonic subwoofers in the family Alpha.

"More recently, Barton has designed a bigger center-channel speaker, the Alpha Center, and re-engineered both subwoofers. The system reviewed here features the Alpha Center, the SubSonic 5 (which replaced the superb SubSonic 1), Alpha-A/Vs for the front channels, and Alpha Minis in the rear. It retails for a shade over $1,000 — and it's not even PSB's bargain-basement system. That would be four Mites, a Midi center channel, and the SubZero subwoofer for about $750.

"PSB has brought to home theater the same principles that distinguished the Alpha in its two-channel incarnation. PSB loudspeakers from the Mite to the flagship Stratus Gold-I, have enormous sonic integrity, characterized by Barton's three pillars of design: a smooth tonal balance, accurate imaging, and extended frequency response. The Alpha-A/Vs play remarkably loud without strain, perhaps unparalleled in the small-fry division.

"Many credit Barton's music background — he has played violin much of his life — for achieving natural sound, even in low-priced, small speakers. It probably doesn't hurt, but PSB's success is more likely owed to Barton's good ears and considerable work since 1974 at Canada's National Research Council in Ottawa. Barton was the first Canadian designer to use the NRC; he says he's still there one week out of every six — in their anechoic chamber, measurements laboratory, and two listening rooms. It's no coincidence that, thanks to the NRC, Canada puts out some of the best and most economical speakers in the world…

"PSB stands for granite-solid bass and a smooth, nonfatiguing upper frequency. The original Stratus Gold was the last word in bass response for a $2,000 speaker. Unfortunately, it was also a bit unwieldy…(The new, slimmed-down Gold-I must've gone through the Jenny Craig crash course.)"

"Because of the Alpha's distinguished history and my experience with the Stratus Golds, I knew I wouldn't have to worry about music production. But what started as a brief, all-Canadian salute to break in the PSBs — from Diana Krall to DD. Jackson to Ron Sexsmith — ended up as an anything-goes, up-all-night (to 3AM, at least) listening session. The Alpha-A/V sings just like its predecessor… Everything comes together when your listening position is lined up within an inch of the tweeter's height. You'll get a huge soundstage but not quite the depth and ultra-precise imaging of those snobbish, high-priced monitors. So keep the Alpha-A/Vs at least 2 feet off the floor (PSB sells stands for this purpose) and fairly close to the rear wall for the best bass response.

"The Alpha Center is a significant upgrade over the Midi, which is essentially a Midi turned on it side. The two woofers create wider horizontal dispersion and greater clarity. I tried to trick the Center by playing Pink Floyd's The Wall, the movie that's not a movie (there's no dialogue), yet it showed how well it matched the rest of the Alpha system. It did what it was asked to do musically."

"The Alpha system passed my "quiet movie" test, in which dialogue and atmosphere rule over explosive action. It presented The Sweet Hereafter, Atom Egoyan's bus-plunge downer, in all its dreary quietude and never betrayed the stillness…

"The Alphas also sped through a special-effects obstacle course of assorted James Bond films and the wicked (but sadly overlooked) Dark City — one of the great science-fiction movies of recent years. The SubSonic 5 was perhaps the biggest surprise in the Alpha system. In most cases, the subwoofer is the weakest part of any budget surround system. Let's just say that the SubSonic 5 is the Alpha of sub-$500 subwoofers."

"Granted, the original Alpha no longer stands by itself…But let's see how many speakers can match the Alpha-A/Vs sound quality and ability to remain coherent even at the highest volume levels required by home theater."

"I also tried moving the A/Vs into a two-channel system with a pair of Golden Tube SE-40 amplifiers, an EAR 834L preamp, and a Rega Planet CD player in a 27-by-12-foot space. The sound filled the room, easily matching the much larger speakers they replaced, the MartinLogan Aerius 1.

"So don't dismiss the Alpha ensemble as a budget system. You can build a monster home theater — and a sweet-sounding music system — around it. Take all the extra money you were going to spend on loudspeakers and invest in better electronics, an even better big-screen TV, or a second subwoofer. Only the strong survive home theater. And PSB, as ever, remains one of the strongest."

Info on the Alpha Home Theater Systems

In the June 2000 issue of Stereophile, Chip Stern reviews an expanded version of the NAD Music system, combining NAD's L40 CD receiver, our Alpha Mini speakers, our potent Alpha SubSonic 5 subwoofer. And he very much likes what he hears. Here are some excerpts, beginning with how he views the real function of good audio components.

"The spiritual experience of immersion in music remains paramount for me, and anything that deepens such encounters or makes them more involving motivates me to reach out to my fellow music-lovers, to help them find a viable synergy of their own."

"Listening to the elitists, one might conclude that it's all a matter of how much money you can spend, and since you will never be able to afford it, why bother? Or you might buy into the naysayers' disclaimers that that the audible differences audiophiles claim to discern are largely illusory, and any old combination of stuff that specs the same will sound the same. Besides, we've already proved we can deceive your senses in blind tests — so why bother trusting your ears or making long-term investments in quality components?

"The bottom line is that high-performance audio isn't simply synonymous with "expensive — it's supposed to be fun. Are we suggesting that a sub-$2,000 system can sound as good as a $20,000 system? Not hardly. But in the real world, where budgetary and space limitations are the rule, we often find ourselves reaching our in frustration to aural initiates, spirit to spirit, eager to perform good works so that they can enjoy a level of involvement commensurate with what we routinely experience in our carefully crafted aural nirvanas...reduced in depth of scale, perhaps, but not in absolute quality of musical resolution.

Outlining how he became interested in the NAD/PSB combination at Hi-Fi '99 in Chicago, Stern talks about what it does and how friends of his consistently were amazed by the system, and invariably called it "really good!."

"'Really good,' as in: if my house burned down tomorrow, if I had to suddenly liquidate all my belongings, if my wife threatened to leave me if I didn't get rid of all the boxes in the hallway, I could live with this. 'Really good, as in: This is fun. 'Really good,' as in I'm going to buy one for me and another for my mom."

Stern then gets into the specifics of how the Alpha Minis and the Alpha SubSonic 5 mate and enhance each other:

"As the Alpha Mini's frequency response is rated at 68Hz-21kHz, I generally crossed over to the SubSonic 5 at around 70Hz (using the L40's pre-outs for the best integration between subwoofer and satellites, though this leaves the latter running full range.) Listening in the nearfield, I was struck by how profoundly the subwoofer opened up the soundstaging and focused images, letting the sweet, open, full-sounding Alpha Minis strut their stuff. Yet as often as not I would turn the sub off and spend whole afternoons at the computer, immersed in the Alpha Mini's clear, holographic, non-fatiguing sound — so musical, so inexpensive.

"No, sports fans, 68Hz isn't terribly low, but the manner in which a speaker goes down is more critical than how deeply it can bellow. The Alpha Mini's bass extension was so tight and linear, its harmonics and overtones so dead on, that I found myself filling in the missing bass fundamentals using my own onboard psychoacoustic bio-aural octave-x-citer. Don't have one? Come now, check your original warranty."

"This is where folks who want to fill a room with sound will appreciate the cost-effective attributes of the quick, articulate Alpha SubSonic 5, which PSB claims is capable of 150W dynamic power in a 10" bass-reflex system. It was the speed and focus of the old SubSonic 1 that had originally impressed me. That little sub could deliver larger-than-life effects, but I was more impressed by its ability to add depth to the foundation of the overall soundstage, and to 'disappear' in the process.

"For the same money, the new SubSonic 5 offered more dynamic control and articulation. On The Artist's proto-funk recordings I was able to push the leading edge of bass transients harder than I could with the SubSonic 1 without the SubSonic 5 blurring, self-limiting, or compressing the entire soundstage. Yet on a vocal performance like Ella Fitzgerald's romp through Nilsson's "Open Your Window" (from Ella Fitzgerald in Budapest, Pablo PACD-5308-2), the SubSonic 1 helped snap the soundstage into sharp focus, further articulating her sumptuous phrasing at more modest volume levels. The SubSonic 5 let me hear more live room cues, images were rendered with greater detail and stability, and the whole system was more revealing."

Stern's conclusions:

"The NAD L40/Alpha Mini/SubSonic 5 is everything a high-end system should be: clear, open, detailed, articulate, accurate, stable, textured, musical, involving, and eminently affordable — all at a price that will encourage even the most budget-conscious music lovers to invest in their first high-end system, while seasoned campaigners contemplate just how involving the sound might be in their kitchens, studies, bedrooms, and summer houses.

"So why tarry, aural pilgrims? The price is right and this is fun."

More Info on the SubSonic 5 and on the Alpha Minis

In his column in the Harford Courant, syndicated nationwide and posted on the web at ctnow.com, Kevin Hunt has taken an enthusiastic look at our All-Out Alpha Home Theater System, consisting of Alpha A/Vs up front, Alpha Minis as surrounds, an Alpha Center as center-channel, and the Alpha SubSonic 5. Here is what he had to say:

"Loudspeakers are the 5.1 most important decisions you'll make when putting together a home theater. A few wrong moves could leave you knee-deep in little boxes made of vinyl-coated fiberboard that sound like a flock of Canada geese. We all know how distasteful that can be.

"Because of the number of speakers — two front, a center, two rear, and a subwoofer, the 'point-one' channel in Dolby Digital designation — it's hard to avoid getting stuck with a [terrible] home theater on a budget of $1,000 or less. You'll find something that will rattle the timbers with a soundtrack laden with special effects, certainly. But what happens when those speakers cannot hide behind a thunderclap? Most often, any non-Metallica audio CD will expose your new system as a lightweight.

"Few budget speakers get it right on both movies and music. To find some that do, look to the north. Keep looking, over the border and into Pickering, Ontario, where PSB Alpha speakers have evolved from audio legend to home-theater-legend-in-waiting. The Alpha, introduced as a sub-$200 [pair] bookshelf speaker in 1991, now preside over an entire family of home-theater Alphas, from the Mite, the Mini, and Midi (a smaller center-channel speaker) to the SubZero and SubSonic 5 subwoofers.

"Paul Barton has the requisite qualifications of a top loudspeaker designer. He's a longstanding audio nut who started the company in 1972, between his high school graduation and his first year at the University of Waterloo. He's also a musician, having played violin most of his life. Barton was the first designer to take advantage of Canada's National Research Council, with its anechoic chamber (with surfaces that fully absorb sound), measurements laboratory, and listening rooms. He started work at the NRC in 1974 and says he still spends one of every six workweeks there.

"As more designers used the NRC facilities, Canada entered a golden age of loudspeakers…supplying some of the world's best, and best bargains.

"Paul has updated the Alphas for the 2000s while preserving characteristics of the original Alpha: smooth tonal balance, accurate imaging, and extended frequency response. I've been listening to an all-Alpha system with the Alphas up front, the Alpha Center, the Alpha Minis in the rear, and a SubSonic 5 subwoofer. The system retails for $1,066 [in the US], which is bargain-basement territory in home theater.

"The Alpha is a classic bookshelf design, only 13 inches high, 8 wide, and 10 deep. The Mini is essentially the same speaker in a slightly smaller package [with a smaller woofer]. The Alpha Center shares the same tweeter as the Alpha and the Mini. It uses two 4-1/2-inch woofers, identical to the one used in the Mite. Speakers that share many critical components ensure a system that's well matched tonally.

"As a home theater, a speaker system is only as good as its subwoofer. The SubSonic 5, which features a 10-inch woofer and built-in 65-watt amplifier capable of 220-watt dynamic peaks in a package only 16 inches high, is more than a one-note pony for special effects. The sub also gives CDs added weight without overwhelming the music.

"Most striking about the Alphas, aside from their uncanny smoothness for budget speakers, is their tolerance of loud volumes. Other small speakers gain noticeable, and bothersome, shrillness at higher volumes. The Alphas keep sailing, as if they are much larger speakers.

"There's no room in the average house too big for this Alpha system. If you want home theater in a tiny room, you can Alpha-size it. A system featuring four Mites as front and rear speakers, a Midi center speaker and SubZero subwoofer retails for $756 (US).

"PSB speakers can be hard to find (visit www.PSBspeakers.com or call 888-772-0000), but your search will be rewarded for many years with a superb music system that just happens to be great little home theater."

Info on the Alpha Home Theater Systems

In the June/July issue of The $ensible Sound, Thom Moon does some thorough listening to the Alpha Series — not in their use in home theater, which Moon isn't set up for, but as musical reproducers for stereo playback. He listens, with obvious pleasure, to the Alpha A/Vs, the Alpha Minis, and the Alpha SubSonic 1. Here are representative highlights of his findings:

"Designer Paul Barton told me that his objective with the original Alpha was to offer a speaker that would fit into any budget and nearly any room. He believes that three characteristics are required of a quality speaker system: Tonal balance:Its sound should be lifelike from octave to octave;" Range: It must convincingly reproduce a wide frequency range and have a wide dynamic range; and Imaging: Instruments and performers must be reproduced in real-life spacing across the soundstage."

"For the Alpha series, he added two more criteria: efficiency and power handling capability, given the wide range of equipment with which the Alphas might be matched.A,

"He's done a good job. I've been listening critically to the Alpha A/V and Alpha SubSonic 1 combination for nearly six months. The Alpha A/Vs are fine small speakers on their own, but they form an even better package when coupled to the Alpha SubSonic 1."

"From the first, I liked the PSBs sound. They did a fine job on acoustic guitar (Lee Ritenhour/Fourplay, Tuck Andress/Tuck & Patti, Gordon Lightfoot, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, and more) and on most piano (Diana Krall,Claire Martin's pianist, Ronan O'Hara on Satie's Nocturnes 1-5). The sub really kicks in nicely on songs with strong bass/kick drum lines such as "Bali Run" by Fourplay (Warner Bros 9 26656-2) and "Fantasy" by Earth, Wind & Fire (Columbia PC 35647). And it articulates complex bass lines very well…on songs such as "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 (Hitsville U.S.A., 1959-71, Motown box 3746363122)….The SubSonic 1 rarely gave up on any bass line with which I was presented." Bass response was solid down to about 30 Hz.,

"Imaging on many recordings was a major treat with the PSB's, and was always very natural. "Birdland" by the Manhattan Transfer is a left-right soundstaging test. The PSBs nicely defined the position of each of the four voices….On the sound spectacular, Stokowski's transcription of Bach's "Little" Fugue in G Minor (The Fantastic Stokowski, Cincinnati Pops, Erich Kunzel, Telarc CD-8038, the overall sound was nothing less than spectacular; imaging was excellent with both good depth and breadth, and the tonal balance was very, very good.

"My current champ on pop music soundstaging, however, is a Country music album by The Wilkinsons: Nothing But Love, (Giant 9 24699-2). This is a wonderfully recorded pop disc. On their recent hit, "26 Cents" through the PSB Alpha system, lead singer Amanda Wilkinson is out front, with brother Tyler and father Steve just behind and to either side. Their backing instruments fan out on either side of, and slightly behind, the vocalists, while the drum set is behind Amanda. And the drum set is not eight feet wide either. The PSBs acquitted themselves beautifully on this entire recording."

"In all, the Alpha A/V SubSonic 1 combination is a truly $ensible choice. It as excellent performance in many areas and, as I noted at the top of the review, it is a terrific value."

"Another side of the "value": the powered subwoofer means you can use the PSB combination with a modestly powered receiver, such as the 25-watt/channel NAD 712 ($399) and get truly room-filling sound. (I did it and was mightily satisfied — the 712 never became hot, even at relatively high volume levels.)…"I'm talking exceptional bang for the buck! Take some favorite recordings to your PSB dealer and check out this combination — you'll enjoy yourself!"

Moon unfortunately had little time to assay the Alpha Minis, but definitely liked what he heard:

"The Minis acquitted themselves very well…they turn out amazingly good sound….For relatively dinky boxes containing equally dinky woofers, their apparent bass response was outstanding. And when fed with good-quality FM audio, their sound was very pleasing."

Info on the Alpha Series
Info on the Alpha SubSonic 1.

Over a month's span, three reviews of the Alpha Home Theater System (built around the Alpha A/Vs up front, with Alpha Minis as surrounds, an Alpha Midi as center-channel, and an Alpha SubSonic 1 subwoofer) have appeared.. The first two excerpted below are from Home Theater publications, and the third is from Stereo Review.. Let's start with:

Platinum Series Reviews
Stratus Series Reviews
Image Series Reviews
Alpha Series Reviews
Century Series Reviews