The Image Series has recently replaced the Century Series.
Some Century models may still be available at some dealers.
"A rare combination of big soundstage and pinpoint imaging....Definitely a bargain."
In the March issue of Home Theater Jeff Cherun has complimentary things to say about our Century Home Theater system, which combines Century
600is up front with a pair of Century 300i surrounds, a Century 200Ci center channel, and the Century SubSonic 2i subwoofer. Immediately calling it
"a wonderful mid-priced speaker package from PSB," Cherun begins by praising the speakers' appearance:
"As soon as you take the speakers out of the boxes, you notice the system's high level of build quality. Our system, finished in dark
cherry, was visually striking, with the excellent work I've observed in many Canadian speakers. The center speaker is finished in black ash....I think black ash makes sense for a lot of people
because it matches most TV sets."
After noting the "excellent five-way binding posts" on the main and surround speakers, and the extensive list of connectors and
amenities on the subwoofer, he gets down to use testing:
"Setting up the system was a breeze. After letting the speakers burn in for about two days, I thought it fitting to audition the Dolby
Pro Logic sound performance on nothing other than Oz [HBO's strangely popular prison hit]. With the amazing music soundtrack and the rather rhythmic beatings, there's nothing else like it for
speaker testing. To this end, I found dialogue from the 200Ci center speaker very natural and intelligible, even though it was spoken by convicted felons who never even graduated from high school.
The 300i speakers reproduced the prison-riot scenes flawlessly, filling the room with realistic ambience that made me feel as though I was actually in a prison riot."
"On other more mainstream material, I found the performance equally delectable. While watching The Mark of Zorro DVD, one of my
favorite new 5.1-channel Dolby Digital discs, I was amazed at the SubSonic 2i's low-frequency performance. Bass performance was punchy and powerful."
"On some systems, the center channel speaker can get overwhelmed by the dynamics of the main speakers, but this wasn't the case here.
This is a very well matched system that presents a uniform front soundstage, akin to what you hear in a movie house."
"On stereo music, I found the 600i main speakers to sound very smooth and clean, presenting a surprisingly deep and wide soundstage for
director-radiator type speakers. However, they still achieve the pinpoint imaging that bipolar speakers can't achieve. Thus, this system would be ideal for those who want some of the spaciousness of
biploar speakers, but who don't want to sacrifice precise imaging. On King Crimson's "One Time" recording from their Thrak record, for example, it sounded like singer/guitarist Adrian Belew
was singing from dead center between the speakers, whereas with bipolars it would've sounded like he was occupying a broad space between the two speakers. Yet all six musicians in the band occupied a
very defined space in the soundstage. Bass performance was also excellent, thanks to the two 6.5-inch woofers in each 600i…"
"As a great bargain, and a wonderful performer, the Century system from PSB deserves to be heard. If you're thinking that all you can
afford — or all you can fit in your room — is a sub and some minimonitors, you need to check out this system."
"Definitely a bargain — tower speakers at a mini-monitor price."
In the new 1999 Almanac Edition of the Canadian magazine, Audio Ideas Guide, that he edits, Andrew
Marshall has joined Lawrence B. Johnson of Audio Video Interiors in
finding the combination of the Century 300i and Century SubSonic
2i a potent one.
Marshall found the combination to supply more than expected for its price, "the subwoofer matching superbly to the
300i pair."
"I would say that this speaker was designed to operate with this subwoofer,
the design choice being for tighter rather than deeper bass from the small
[Century 300i] box."
The review cites the Century 300i's high-frequency dispersion, saying
"you could almost sit right between the speakers and still hear natural
sound and good stereo, the only high-frequency rolloff seen at 60 degrees
off axis." It also singles out the speaker's high-frequency balance,
calling it "an intelligent design choice in a speaker intended for
relatively small rooms and closer listening distances."
The Century SubSonic 2i grabs a strong superlative. "At
mid-crossover setting it maintains +/- 2-1/2 dB from about 28 Hz, even more
linear performance, with a knee at 50 Hz giving some extra oomph in home
theatre use. For the money, this is one helluva sub!"
Overall listening impressions;
"I liked this system's natural and civilized character, notably free of any
shoutiness in the midrange on choral music. In our very demanding Psalm
67 (from Awake My Heart AI-CD-010), the very bottom of pedal
organ, the 32-foot stops, were missing from the sub, but energy from just
above 30 Hz was strong and clean. Acoustic guitar on Sandy Denny's
Bushes and Briars from Sandy, Island IMCD 132 (848746-2),was very
clear and had a little extra zing, courtesy of the slight bit of extra
energy around 10 kHz, but both guitar and piano had very natural timbre and
texture."
"With massed strings, specifically the wonderful Maazel/Vienna Mahler
4th, and choral music, I heard a very unusual level of detail and
definition for a budget speaker, and both male and female voices were well
balanced timbrally too."
Marshall didn't find the 300i's to have the depth and ambient field
of more expensive speakers. He says, however, that "The speaker did do
dynamics quite well, and lateral imaging was precise, Claudio Roditi's
trumpet having snap and bite, and percussion fast and quite clean. The
300i never sounded hashy on cymbals, nor did the small woofers have
trouble with deep bass, even when run full range."
"The subwoofer handled the deep bass with a very tuneful character
Though
it does not provide any special home theater setting the 2i is well
suited for this use, as well as for music reproduction."
"The Century System, then, is an excellent way to spend less than
$1,000 on good quality full-range stereo sound. I think PSB is going to do
very well with the Century 300i/Century [SubSonic] 2i
speakers..probably well into the next century."
Click here for Century SubSonic 2i coverage and specs. And here for Century Home Theater Review by Lawrence B. Johnson
|
"The 300i may be the most attractive speaker value today."
Review of Century Home Theater System in Audio Video Interiors
Gives Special Plaudits to Century 300i
In an enthusiastic brief review of our special Century Home Theater System
(Century 600is up front, 200Ci in the center, 300i
surrounds, and SubSonic 2i subwoofer) in the April issue of Audio
Video Interiors, Lawrence B. Johnson had some especially glowing things
to say about the Century 300i. While he clearly liked our whole home-theater array, some sustained preliminary listening on music reminded him of how
impressive he found the Century 300i all by itself. Specifically:
"I was already familiar with original i-less version of the Model
300, and I had too much respect for that speaker and the work of design
engineer Paul Barton to blow it off with ancillary noise duty."
"And I'm glad I lent the 300i a serious listen. One model
up from PSB's almost legendary Alpha (one of the industry's stellar
bargains), the 300i combines a 6-1/2-inch woofer with a 3/4-inch
tweeter to create much better bass than the Alpha within a frame that
doesn't seem all that much bigger sitting on the shelf. In fact, when price
is combined with size, the 300i may be the most attractive speaker
value today."
"That "i" suffix refers to improvements such as a new facing and
grille design aimed at minimizing diffraction at high frequencies, a
revamped rear-firing port to stabilize low-frequency support and the first
availability of a warm new finish of deep cherry (as an alternative to black
ash at the same price). In a single, comprehensive word, the chief
difference I heard between the old 300 and the new design was definition:
sharper imaging, more precise voicing, more articulate bass."
"Although PSB assigns the 300i a nominal bass extension only down to
70 Hz, the speaker is so well-tempered that it seems to go deeper; indeed, I
might suggest two pairs of the 300i, with the robust and sonically
matched 200Ci center channel as a superb home theater layout
for anyone constrained by limits of space or budget. And if, later, one
wished to punch up the bass, PSB offers an excellent powered subwoofer value
in its compact SubSonic 2i."
As taken as he was by the 300i on music, Johnson found the entire
reviewed 600i-based Century Home Theater system "quite a buy. The 600i
matches twin 6-1/2-inch woofers with a 1-inch tweeter to achieve
bass down to 43 Hz, and unless you like the windows to shake, that's bass
enough to bring a T-rex through the door. Like the 300i, the larger
speaker is power efficient, which means receiver-friendly. As a home theater
suite, the PSB array was sweet indeed."
Please click as follows for individual links to
the Century 200Ci,
the Century 300i,
the Century 600i, and
the Century SubSonic 2i.
"For $600 per pair, I can't think of another speaker that comes close to
the 600i's combination of treble smoothness, low coloration in the
midband, bass extension and soundstaging."
Robert Harley Reviews The Century 600i in
Fi
"Fi", if you haven't seen it yet, is a stylish, San-Francisco-based
magazine that puts about equal emphasis on audio equipment and music. We
were happy when the magazine's new Technical Editor, Robert Harley, became
interested in reviewing our Century 600i, because between the notice
attracted over the past few months by the Alpha Series at one end of the
price scale and our Stratus Gold at the other, the recent
600i has slipped into the audio/video world more quietly than we
think it should have. This enthusiastic and pertinent review ought to start
changing that. Here are some representative segments from Robert Harley's
detailed evaluation in the now-on-the-stands November issue of Fi.
"A perfect example of high-end performance at a mid-fi price is the new
Century 600i from PSB Speakers. These $600-per-pair Canadian-made
speakers epitomize what is possible musically from budget loudspeakers —
and puts the mass-market competitors to shame."
"The 600i is a two-way floor-standing speaker midway up the
six-product PSB Century line (eight products including two matching
center-channel speakers for home theater. The slim profile and deep cabinet
have an elegant appearance that belies the budget price tag. My review
samples were finished in dark cherry vinyl veneer—a welcome change from the
ubiquitous black vinyl boxes of most budget loudspeakers. Although the
600i is also available in black, the dark cherry finish should be the
popular choice."
"One area in which mass market speaker manufacturers often scrimp is cabinet
thickness and bracing — design features the consumer can't see. A solid and
vibration-resistant cabinet is the mark of a loudspeaker that tries to offer
high performance, not marketing gimmicks. The 600i uses three
internal braces to reduce cabinet vibration — unusual attention to
enclosure construction for a $600 loudspeaker."
"After finding a spot where the PSBs seemed at home, I settled down for a
first listen in the new room. It was immediately apparent that the
600i was balanced for musical enjoyment, not sonic fireworks. The
sound had a refinement and sophistication I've rarely heard at this price
level. In fact, the overall presentation was a bit on the polite side — a
welcome departure from the aggressive sound of many speakers in this price
range. The treble, in particular, had a smoothness and ease not typical for
a budget loudspeaker...The top end struck a nice balance between
detail-resolution and smoothness."
"The all-important midrange was similarly impressive. The 600i had a
remarkably smooth and uncolored midband that made me forget I was listening
to $600-per-pair loudspeakers. Instrumental timbres were true to life rather
than synthetic-sounding, and vocals had an open, unfettered quality. In
addition, the mids tended to be subtle and understated, rather than hyped to
present a false sense of "presence." The 600i's relaxed sonic
presentation produced a feeling of being pulled into the music rather than
having it thrust at me...The PSB's sense of ease greatly contributed to its
overall musicality."
"When carefully set up, the PSBs were capable of outstanding soundstaging. I
heard a large, well-defined soundstage across the front of my room, with
excellent image focus. Stage and image size were far larger than the PSBs'
low profile suggests, allowing the speakers to effectively disappear into
the presentation."
"The 600i had a full and weighty presentation, with excellent
bottom-end extension. Kick drum had a real sense of impact and power, and
the bass drum in orchestral music was reproduced with more than a hint of
bottom-end depth."
"Finally, the 600is were very easy to drive. I drove the PSBs to
adequate playback levels with a twenty-year-old, 30-watt/channel Sansui
integrated amplifier I had lying around (it had once been the headphone
amplifier in my recording studio). The Classe CAP-100 integrated amplifier
(100 watts/Channel) I used for all the serious listening barely got warm
driving the PSBs."
"The PSB 600i provided superb musical performance for its modest
price. For $600 a pair, I can't think of another speaker that comes close to
the 600i's combination of trebles smoothness, low coloration in the
midband, bass extension, and soundstaging."
More information on the 600i here.
"In every respect, the PSB 400i sounded like a lot more speaker than its
size and price would imply."
Julian Hirsch Reviews the Century 400i in Stereo Review
The Century 400i is one of the middle children in our large family, and as
in so many other families, it doesn't get the attention it deserves. These
quick excerpts from Julian Hirsch's review of the 400i in the July issue of
Stereo Review should go a long way toward correcting that situation.
He notes early that the speaker is surprisingly heavy (18-1/2 pounds) for
its modest dimensions. And after describing its drivers and basic
stand-mounted design, he notes that the speakers' averaged room response was
within plus or minus 4 dB from 60 Hz to 10,000 Hz, dropping off another 4 dB
between 10,000 and 20,000 Hz. He then explores the horizontal coverage:
"The horizontal angular coverage, measured at 1 foot from the tweeter over a
plus or minus 45 degree angle to the speaker's forward axis, was very
uniform (plus or minus 2.5 dB) from 60 Hz to 10 kHz, falling off by 15 dB
from 10 to 20 kHz. In this measurement, the on-axis response varied only
plus or minus 1.5 dB from 300 Hz to 20 kHz."
Measuring its sensitivity at 91 dB, Hirsch notes that the speaker should be
"easy for any amplifier to drive." And then he gets to bass:
"In this case the results dramatically confirmed the manufacturer's rating.
The combined bass response was flat within a fraction of a decibel from 100
Hz to 70 Hz, down 3 dB at 50 Hz, and fell off at 12 dB per octave below that
frequency. It was down (from maximum) by 6 dB just below 40 Hz."
"That," he says, "is indeed creditable performance
from a speaker in this
size and price class. Not surprisingly, the Century 400i sounded very good
with a variety of program material. As our frequency response measurements
suggested, the overall sound was smooth and uncolored, and the stereo pair
created a distinct and natural soundstage. In every respect, the PSB 400i
sounded like a lot more speaker than its size and price would imply."
[Italics ours.]
Since our speakers seem to inspire reviewers to do the unusual, Hirsch did a
direct A/B listening comparison with a speaker ten times the cost of
the Century 400i. He notes that while David did not slay Goliath,
things got very interesting when you got above the very bottom octave of
bass range:
"But in the midrange frequencies and higher, the difference was surprisingly
subtle; there were times when it was not at all obvious which speaker pair
we were hearing."
And he winds up with the kind of recap a speaker designer dreams of:
"All in all, the PSB Century 400i provides first-rate sound at a
bargain-basement price. An excellent value!"
More information on the Century 400i here.
Platinum Series Reviews
Stratus Series Reviews
Image Series Reviews
Alpha Series Reviews
Century Series Reviews
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