Any PSB Imagine T3 Owners Here? Considering Possibly Purchasing Them - Can't Demo - Help!

[TubeLover]

I was originally planning on going in a whole new speaker and system direction, and purchasing a pair of Magnepan 3.7i's, but got significant feedback both here, and in Magnepan forums that my room appears, unfortunately, to be a bit too small. And those speakers, and the necessary amplification is simply too much, in terms of cost, to risk things not working out.

 

While that was a disappointment, it left me with no choice but to seriously consider other options. Over the past ten days, with a great deal of time to devote to the process, I've spent quite a lot of effort and hours in demoing a significant number of speakers. Now, as the title says, I am very interested in the PSB Imagine T3 loudspeakers. I have always had great respect for Paul Barton's speaker designs, and these seem to have clearly reached a new height. Everything I've read seems to indicate they would be "right" for me.

 

A key reason I am considering these is the seldom seen (aka extremely hard to earn) rave review by John Atkinson of Stereophile, who said:

 

"While more expensive than its predecessor, the Synchrony One, PSB's Imagine T3 offers superb sound quality for what is still a relatively affordable price. To improve on its combination of full frequency-range sound, clarity, and neutrality, you would need to spend almost three times as much. It is also a beautiful piece of audio furniture."

 

The Absolute Sound's equally enthusiastic review said:

 

"So the PSB Imagine T3 really is a game changer."

 

Other reviews and commentary echo the high level of performance of these speakers, as well as their relative warmth (important to me). They will also work in my room, as several people commenting have the same size, or even a bit smaller space. These are not inexpensive speakers. My concern is that I have never purchased a pair of speakers without auditioning them, but have no opportunity whatsoever to listen to these prior to purchase. There are no dealers who have the speakers available and on display in my entire state, and none at all within less than a six hour drive, minimum.

 

I would appreciate any comments you have on the relative performance and sound characteristics of your T3's. Thank you.

 

JC

[semente]

I was originally planning on going in a whole new speaker and system direction, and purchasing a pair of Magnepan 3.7i's, but got significant feedback both here, and in Magnepan forums that my room appears, unfortunately, to be a bit too small. And those speakers, and the necessary amplification is simply too much, in terms of cost, to risk things not working out.

 

While that was a disappointment, it left me with no choice but to seriously consider other options. Over the past ten days, with a great deal of time to devote to the process, I've spent quite a lot of effort and hours in demoing a significant number of speakers. Now, as the title says, I am very interested in the PSB Imagine T3 loudspeakers. I have always had great respect for Paul Barton's speaker designs, and these seem to have clearly reached a new height. Everything I've read seems to indicate they would be "right" for me.

 

A key reason I am considering these is the seldom seen (aka extremely hard to earn) rave review by John Atkinson of Stereophile, who said:

 

"While more expensive than its predecessor, the Synchrony One, PSB's Imagine T3 offers superb sound quality for what is still a relatively affordable price. To improve on its combination of full frequency-range sound, clarity, and neutrality, you would need to spend almost three times as much. It is also a beautiful piece of audio furniture."

 

The Absolute Sound's equally enthusiastic review said:

 

"So the PSB Imagine T3 really is a game changer."

 

Other reviews and commentary echo the high level of performance of these speakers, as well as their relative warmth (important to me). They will also work in my room, as several people commenting have the same size, or even a bit smaller space. These are not inexpensive speakers. My concern is that I have never purchased a pair of speakers without auditioning them, but have no opportunity whatsoever to listen to these prior to purchase. There are no dealers who have the speakers available and on display in my entire state, and none at all within less than a six hour drive, minimum.

 

I would appreciate any comments you have on the relative performance and sound characteristics of your T3's. Thank you.

 

JC

I have owned the T2s for a while.

They're really good speakers for the money but the PSB tweeters sound a bit (too) sparkly.

If you are buying new, try to give a listen to a pair with the same tweeters.

 

For alternatives I'd look at Revels and the large Harbeths.

 

R

[Emcee]

I owned some entry level PSBs and while they did have some interesting qualities they could be a bit rough around the edges at times.

I did find the Synchrony line to be much smoother.

I would take anything TAS says about PSB with a grain of salt. Paul Barton and the brand seem to be their perennial faves.

[erniejade]

The PSB tweeters on my tube Joule preamp and McIntosh amp are smooth. I have the T since my room is small. I heard the t2 &3 and I found them very nice sounding but, they are picky with what they are paired with. At the store they had them with a nad digital pre and nad amp and I thought they got shrill fast. I had them change the pre for a rogue tube pre and that smoothed them out quite a bit.

 

i also heard the revel and thought they were also outstanding for the money. They had a bit more mid and a bit more fwd sound but not out of balance in any way. Very pleasant sounding. I brought a set home to try out and because my audio room stinks acoustically and is 9x10, the T1 was a better fit.

 

Another speaker I loved when I was at this place was the Joseph audio Pulsar.

[TubeLover]

The PSB tweeters on my tube Joule preamp and McIntosh amp are smooth. I have the T since my room is small. I heard the t2 &3 and I found them very nice sounding but, they are picky with what they are paired with. At the store they had them with a nad digital pre and nad amp and I thought they got shrill fast. I had them change the pre for a rogue tube pre and that smoothed them out quite a bit.

 

i also heard the revel and thought they were also outstanding for the money. They had a bit more mid and a bit more fwd sound but not out of balance in any way. Very pleasant sounding. I brought a set home to try out and because my audio room stinks acoustically and is 9x10, the T1 was a better fit.

 

Another speaker I loved when I was at this place was the Joseph audio Pulsar.

 

Agreed that the Pulsar is an outstanding speaker.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

I have owned the T2s for a while.

They're really good speakers for the money but the PSB tweeters sound a bit (too) sparkly.

If you are buying new, try to give a listen to a pair with the same tweeters.

 

For alternatives I'd look at Revels and the large Harbeths.

R

 

From everything I've read, the T3's are a huge step up from the T2's, even Paul Barton says so. And those are amongst the reasons that I would really like to hear the T3's. I do agree with you that the larger Harbeth's are superb speakers within certain constraints. I was strongly considering a pair of 30.1's, but while the midrange is absolutely pure magic (and likely the best I've ever heard), they lack just a bit at the top end, and can only marginally produce bass.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

I owned some entry level PSBs and while they did have some interesting qualities they could be a bit rough around the edges at times.

I did find the Synchrony line to be much smoother.

I would take anything TAS says about PSB with a grain of salt. Paul Barton and the brand seem to be their perennial faves.

 

I can't disagree with you about the apparent TAS and PSB connection based on what I've seen over the years. But when Stereophile and everyone else is also ranking these speakers so highly, it leaves me really, really wishing I could give them a serious listen before possibly making a mistake and buying something else.

 

Soundstage said

 

"ConclusionThe PSB Imagine T3’s strengths are plentiful: beautiful finishes, excellent build quality, exceptional bass, outstanding resolution, and a supersmooth, fatigue-free sound throughout the audioband. A pair of them offers true full-range performance, delivered so evenhandedly that their sound is almost unassuming. In fact, once they’ve immersed you in the music, it’s easy to forget that the Imagine T3s are even there.

That leads me to a word of caution about this speaker: Don’t dismiss the Imagine T3’s lack of audible colorations as meaning there’s nothing special about its sound. That lack is precisely what is special about it. To my ears and eyes, PSB’s newest flagship model is not only the best-looking speaker they’ve ever made, but their best-sounding as well -- not for what it adds to the music, but for what it doesn’t."

 

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity said:

"THE PSB IMAGINE T3 SPEAKERS are a World-Class and Long-Term Investment I’d have no Problem Recommending."

Sound and Vision said:

 

"THE VERDICT

A superb loudspeaker system from top to bottom—surely one of the best affordable high-end options available.

 

JC

[semente]

From everything I've read, the T3's are a huge step up from the T2's, even Paul Barton says so. And those are amongst the reasons that I would really like to hear the T3's. I do agree with you that the larger Harbeth's are superb speakers within certain constraints. I was strongly considering a pair of 30.1's, but while the midrange is absolutely pure magic (and likely the best I've ever heard), they lack just a bit at the top end, and can only marginally produce bass.

The 30.1s have an amazingly good tweeter so I would probably attribute the "lack just a bit at the top end" to personal preference or perhaps partnering amplification (for me the balance is just about right, and measurements show a flat on-axis response with a very clean decay).

But I agree with the shortage in low frequency extension, which is why I went for the larger LS3/6s instead.

My current room is quite small at 15sqm but for larger rooms you'll definitely need subs.

The sound of the port is, in my opinion, it's weak point; I'd love to see a modern version of the BCIIIs.

 

R

[semente]

I can't disagree with you about the apparent TAS and PSB connection based on what I've seen over the years. But when Stereophile and everyone else is also ranking these speakers so highly, it leaves me really, really wishing I could give them a serious listen before possibly making a mistake and buying something else.

 

Soundstage said

 

"ConclusionThe PSB Imagine T3’s strengths are plentiful: beautiful finishes, excellent build quality, exceptional bass, outstanding resolution, and a supersmooth, fatigue-free sound throughout the audioband. A pair of them offers true full-range performance, delivered so evenhandedly that their sound is almost unassuming. In fact, once they’ve immersed you in the music, it’s easy to forget that the Imagine T3s are even there.

That leads me to a word of caution about this speaker: Don’t dismiss the Imagine T3’s lack of audible colorations as meaning there’s nothing special about its sound. That lack is precisely what is special about it. To my ears and eyes, PSB’s newest flagship model is not only the best-looking speaker they’ve ever made, but their best-sounding as well -- not for what it adds to the music, but for what it doesn’t."

 

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity said:

"THE PSB IMAGINE T3 SPEAKERS are a World-Class and Long-Term Investment I’d have no Problem Recommending."

Sound and Vision said:

 

"THE VERDICT

A superb loudspeaker system from top to bottom—surely one of the best affordable high-end options available.

 

JC

 

I think that Barton should really consider developing a better tweeter and the use of larger woofers.

He's doing a fine job of avoiding flour bounce with his woofer layout but I wasn't too happy with the low frequency sound of the T2s, a problem which I believe may have something to do with the tiny long-excursion woofers...the T3s have 7'' woofers but even those are quite small.

I understand that he may want to keep the baffle width as narrow as possible for a smoother off-axis response but I feel that he's doing it at the expense of LF and mid "clarity".

I'm not too sure about those ports either...

 

R

[Emcee]

It seems there will always be some sort of compromise when comparing columns to boxes.

Spendor is the perfect example with their Classic series vs the A & D series. Textbook mid range vs dynamics.

[semente]

It seems there will always be some sort of compromise when comparing columns to boxes.

Spendor is the perfect example with their Classic series vs the A & D series. Textbook mid range vs dynamics.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the factors affecting loudspeaker dynamics are woofer cone surface area, cone excursion and cabinet volume.

 

The Classic series is more expensive to build and less wife friendly.

My guess is that Spendor has chosen to keep the Classic series for marketing reasons even though the current models perform worse than those designed by Derek Hughes despite the more modern drivers.

 

R

[JBT]

I'm seriously thinking about buying a pair after reading all the reviews.  And I'm fortunate to live  only 40 minutes from a PSB dealer.  Here's a review from  Mark Henninger over at the AVS forum.  


 

Conclusion

After spending lots of quality time with the Imagine T3s, the conclusion is obvious: Until another speaker comes along that ups the ante, these PSBs represent the pinnacle of audio fidelity that I’ve experienced in my home. No other speaker I’ve reviewed provides as complete a package in terms of performance and aesthetics.

The cost of the Imagine T3 towers is probably out of reach for audio enthusiasts on a limited budget. However, in my opinion, they represent a solid long-term investment; they truly are endgame speakers. If you buy a pair, it’s likely you’ll never need to upgrade again.


https://www.avsforum.com/psb-imagine-t3-tower-speakers-review/


The John Atkinson review in Stereophile  is equally  positive. 


Conclusions
While more expensive than its predecessor, the Synchrony One, PSB's Imagine T3 offers superb sound quality for what is still a relatively affordable price. To improve on its combination of full frequency-range sound, clarity, and neutrality, you would need to spend almost three times as much. It is also a beautiful piece of audio furniture.
 

 

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/psb-imagine-t3-loudspeaker#x78JZ7U6RwV6RE7k.99



In my home office I'm using PSB T Tower with a McIntosh MA5200 integrated amp and it's a fantastic combination.  At 2100.00 the  T Towers are a fanatic buy!