Page 83 - Hi-Fi World (January 2020)

REVIEW

samples. It’s an eclectic mix of PSB T20s make a great
various genres which some other case for themselves.
loudspeakers at this price could As proof I gave
turn into a bit of a mish-mash. But a run-through of
with the PSBs all was woven into a Mahler’s ‘No 4’ and
coherent whole – everything clear was impressed by the
and easy to listen to. scale conveyed. The
The only thing to beware of is soundstage was wide
that these are not loudspeakers to - images thrown well
give you room-shaking sound. On Led beyond the edges of
Zeppelin’s ‘When The Levee Breaks’ the cabinets - while
the sheer bone-shaking power of individual instruments
John Bonham’s drumming lacked the were clearly
The proprietary 0.75” (19mm) impact a true rocker would desire. delineated. Overall, this
black anodized aluminium dome Also, turning volume up there performance was a joy
tweeter sits in a shallow wave was evidence of vibration from the to hear, showing how
guide and has a phase plate in cabinets – nothing too alarming but talented the PSBs can
front to smooth response. there nonetheless. be. Use them within
That said, these are not their limits and you’ll
mono-wiring. loudspeakers designed for massive find them a delight.
The cabinet has been upgraded power in large rooms. They’re built
using a special MDF material and for small to medium spaces where CONCLUSION
a unique combination of wall sound quality at a sensible price – Excellent floorstanders
thickness and bracing, to help control with a design that fits into a domestic at £600 can often seem
resonances. Out-rigger feet are environment – is required. an exercise in cost-
included to ensure stability. And that’s what they achieve cutting. Not these PSB
Aesthetically the T20 Tower very, very well indeed. Take them for T20s. They combine
is an elegant package – especially what they are and they cannot help good looks with
considering its moderate £599 price but impress. excellent sonics. Use
tag – less than some standmounts Well designed, evenly balanced them in the right room
nowadays. with a bass that belies their size but at sensible volumes
never over-imposes itself. Add in a and I guarantee you’ll be
SOUND QUALITY refined high-end and for £699 the impressed. I was. The rear panel
The T20s may look relatively carries bi-wiring
compact but don’t be fooled by looks ‘speaker binding
alone. The sound they produce is big MEASURED PERFORMANCE posts. Above sits a
and full-bodied with a good, solid Frequency response of the PSB Alpha shown consistently. There’s some slight reflex port that adds
soundstage. series T20 loudspeaker was acceptably treble lift of +2dB to ensure highs are low-end extension.
Connecting to a Creek Evolution flat to current standards from 60Hz to obvious, but not so much as to make the
100A integrated amplifier and 16kHz our third-octave analysis of pink sound sharp or bright.
queuing up Massive Attack’s ‘Safe noise shows, at 20 degrees off-axis. On- Strong output above 2kHz and a
From Harm’ the vibrant, pumping axis, treble lifted by +3dB so the T20 lack of classic crossover dip around
bass that opens the track had a is best pointed straight down a room 3kHz will give the T20 a strong sense of
fulsome quality but retained its and not toed-in to point at listeners. The detail retrieval: this will be a forthright
rhythmic pace. There was no thump tweeter’s shallow flared horn has good sounding loudspeaker.
or undue emphasis on offer – just off-axis dispersion and gave the result There is a steady rise in output PSB T20 TOWER
the sense of a controlled low-end. below 300Hz to add warmth and body £599
PSB claim their twin woofers FREQUENCY RESPONSE to the sound, but bass cuts off below £
will go down to a low 30Hz – and Green - driver output 40Hz. The small rear port reaches 30Hz
hearing this track it was easy to Red - port output and applies broad acoustic damping but OUTSTANDING - amongst
believe (but see our Measured +20 will not provide much acoustic power the best.
Performance for definitive details). +10 low down, so subsonics will not be
Shara Nelson’s vocals were sweet dB obvious. VALUE - keenly priced.
and projected well into the room. 0 Sensitivity measured 86.5dB VERDICT
PSB's tweeter does indeed have -10 from one nominal Watt of input (2.8V) Sounds clear and nicely
extended response, sounding smooth -20 which is about as expected from a balanced. Excellent value.
and refined. It integrated well with small floor stander lacking deep bass
the two main drivers, with no sense -30 20 100 Hz 1k 20k (that influences measured sensitivity). FOR
of discontinuity between them. IMPEDANCE Impedance measured 5.7 Ohms, using - design
- controlled bass
Most impressively the PSBs were 50 broadband pink noise; amplifiers of 60 - good treble
capable of unravelling the music Ohms Watts or so will suit. - price
so I could hear essential elements. 30 PSB’s Alpha T20 measured well in
Gang Starr’s latest ‘One Of The all respects. It will be on the forward, AGAINST
Best Yet’ release (24bit/96kHz) is revealing, bright side like so many others, - needs right room
- won’t go overly loud
a complicated collection featuring 10 not soft and easy going, but bass looks
old-school booming beats, old vinyl 0 well controlled and in good balance. NK PSB Loudspeakers
samples plus manipulated orchestral 10 Hz 1k 20k www.psbspeakers.com

www.hi-fiworld.co.uk JANUARY 2020 HI-FI WORLD 83