About the PSB Alpha VS21 VisionSound
PSB's first sound platform is a keeper
PSB's first sound platform is a keeper
Sure, there are plenty of options out there for enjoying better sound with your new flat-panel TV. (You may have noticed we even sell a few of 'em.) But the thing that really sets this one apart are those three little letters — PSB. Using research on human hearing developed at Canada's renowned National Research Council, PSB head honcho Paul Barton and his team of designers have been building some of the finest sounding speakers around for decades.
So when PSB announced the Alpha VS21 VisionSound, I can tell you we were pretty darned excited. This compact platform sound system packs six built-in speakers into a single box which can support your TV, or fit neatly onto a shelf below it. It's a great way to add a powerful, dynamic boost to your TV's sound without the need for a large system.
Robust, room-filling sound without a subwoofer
When you connect your TV to this platform-style speaker system, you'll finally hear all the details your TV speakers have been hiding. Movies and TV shows will sound rich and full, while dialogue will suddenly become crisp and clear. All six of the VS21's speakers are powered by dedicated amplifiers, each optimized to reproduce every nuance precisely and naturally. You won't even need a subwoofer to enjoy powerful bass effects —the VS21's full-range performance delivers plenty of low-end punch on its own. But if you absolutely crave room-shaking sound, PSB thoughtfully included a subwoofer output so you can add one. You can control the VS21 with the included remote or program it to respond to your TV or cable remote.
Play music wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet
Most people think of sound bars as TV sound solutions. But built-in Bluetooth makes the VS21 great for music too. You can play tunes from your smartphone or tablet through this system wirelessly. Listen to music and podcasts stored on your device, or stream songs from Pandora® and other online services. High-quality aptX wireless audio is included to improve the sound of your favorite iTunes® music or YouTube video. No more listening to the tinny sounds from your smartphone's tiny built-in speaker.
Product highlights:
- active 3-way stereo design with six built-in speakers:
- two 1" soft dome tweeters
- two 2" midrange drivers
- two 4" woofers
- amplification: 6 x 17 watts (each driver is powered by its own individual amplifier channel)
- frequency response 55-23,000 Hz (± 3 dB)
- supports TVs weighing up to 88 lbs.
- built-in Bluetooth with aptX for high-quality wireless music streaming from compatible smartphones, tablets, and computers
- sophisticated WideSound processing mode for simulated surround sound
- heavily braced cabinet constructed of non-resonant MDF with a Black Ash wood grain vinyl finish
- bass-reflex (ported) enclosure for enhanced low-frequency response
- listening modes for music, movies, and dialogue
- Dolby® Digital decoding
- Dolby Late Night mode for fuller sound when listening at reduced volume levels
- remote control (also learns commands from your existing TV remote)
- optical and coaxial digital audio inputs (optical cable included)
- stereo RCA inputs (cable included)
- RCA subwoofer preamp output
- 21-3/8"W x 3-3/8"H x 13-11/16"D
- weight: 12.3 lbs.
- warranty: 1 year
- MFR # VS21
What's in the box:
PSB Alpha VS21 VisionSound owner's manual
- Active soundbar speaker
- 58" AC power cord
- 57" Optical digital cable
- 5' Stereo RCA cable
- Remote control (RC21)
- CR2025 3V battery (pre-installed in remote)
- Quick Start Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Limited Warranty Card
Customer reviews for PSB Alpha VS21 VisionSound
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More details on the PSB Alpha VS21 VisionSound
Features & specs
General | ||
---|---|---|
Design | Platform | |
Amplification | Self-powered | |
Separate Subwoofer | No | |
Wireless Surrounds | --- | |
Number Of Channels | 2.1 | |
Surround Formats | ||
Dolby Digital | Yes | |
DTS | Yes | |
Dolby Atmos | No | |
DTS:X | No | |
Audio Enhancements | ||
Dialogue Enhancement | Yes | |
Auto Volume | No | |
Night Mode | --- | |
Virtual Surround | WideSound Plus | |
Room Correction | No | |
Audio Connections | ||
Optical Digital Inputs | 1 | |
Coaxial Digital Inputs | 1 | |
HDMI ARC Input | No | |
HDMI eARC Input | No | |
3.5mm Stereo Analog Inputs | None | |
RCA Stereo Analog Inputs | 1 | |
USB Type-A Input | No | |
Subwoofer Output | 1 | |
Audio Specs | ||
Tweeter | 1" Dome (2) | |
Midrange | 2" Cone (2) | |
Woofer | 4" Cone (2) | |
Subwoofer Driver | None | |
Enclosure | Bass Reflex | |
System Frequency Response | 55-23k Hz | |
Sound Bar RMS Power | 17W x 6ch | |
Subwoofer RMS Power | N/A | |
Video Connections | ||
HDMI Inputs | None | |
HDMI Outputs | None | |
Video Specs | ||
HDMI Version | N/A | |
HDMI Video Pass-through Resolution | N/A | |
HDR Video Compatible | --- | |
Control | ||
Includes Remote | Yes | |
Voice Control | No | |
Control by App | No | |
HDMI CEC | No | |
Remote IR Passthrough | No | |
Learns TV Remote | Yes | |
Audio Streaming | ||
Bluetooth Connectivity | Built-in | |
Bluetooth Audio Playback | Yes | |
Bluetooth Transmitter Mode | No | |
Online Music Sources | --- | |
Apple AirPlay | No | |
Chromecast built-in | No | |
Amazon Music | --- | |
Apple Music | --- | |
Pandora | --- | |
SiriusXM | --- | |
Spotify | --- | |
TIDAL | --- | |
TuneIn | --- | |
YouTube Music | --- | |
Files on Your Network | No | |
Wi-Fi Networking | ||
Built-in Wi-Fi Version | --- | |
Bands | --- | |
Other Info | ||
Wall-mountable | No | |
Mounting Bracket Included | No | |
Sound Bar Size (inches) | 3-3/8H x 21-3/8W x 13-11/16D | |
Sound Bar Weight | 12.3 lbs | |
Subwoofer Size (inches) | No Subwoofer | |
Subwoofer Weight | N/A | |
Speaker Parts Warranty | 1 Year | |
Speaker Labor Warranty | 1 Year | |
Amplifier Parts Warranty | 1 Year | |
Amplifier Labor Warranty | 1 Year |
Product Research
Features
Active Soundbar Speaker Base: The PSB Alpha VS21 VisionSound Powered Soundbar is the perfect sound solution for your television; place it beneath almost any flat screen television for surround sound without all the clutter. Small and attractive, this active soundbar speaker can sit on a shelf below your wall-mounted TV or it can support a TV weighing up to 88lbs (the TV's footprint can be no larger than 21.375"W x 13.0"D). Its low-profile design blends perfectly with practically any flat-panel TV.
3-Way Speaker/6Ch Amplifier Design: The PSB Alpha VS21 soundbar speaker is a a true 3-way active design, driven by six amplifiers for a total of 102 watts RMS, meaning each range of sound has its own special amplified speaker that is optimized to reproduce every nuance clearly and naturally. The Alpha VS21 uses highly-efficient digital switching amplifiers (17W per channel), one for each speaker. The soundbar speaker houses two 1" soft-dome tweeters (front-firing), two 2" midrange drivers (front-firing), and two 4" bass woofers (down-firing).
Bass Reflex MDF Cabinet: The PSB Alpha VS21 features a heavily braced wood cabinet constructed of non-resonant MDF with a Black Ash wood grain finish. The two rear-firing bass ports add bigger bass response to its low-profile design.
Sound Modes: The PSB Alpha VS21 soundbar speaker offers a variety of sound modes (WideSound, WideSound Plus, Stereo, Dialog) to tailor the system to your movie or music soundtrack for greater enjoyment.
- WideSound & WideSound Plus: The Alpha VS21 includes sophisticated "WideSound" processing to give you rich, three-dimensional sound. Enjoy watching a movie with the soundtrack enveloping you and putting you in the middle of the action. "WideSound Plus" (default setting) gives you an even more immersive audio experience.
- Dialog: Simply select the "Dialog" setting from the remote control and enjoy enhanced vocal clarity. This innovative circuit makes it easy to hear every word by separating the vocals from background sounds. Using research on human hearing developed at Canada's renowned National Research Council, PSB has solved the problem of hard-to-hear dialogue in movies and TV shows.
- Stereo: Choose the "Stereo" setting for 2-channel audio playback of your favorite music soundtracks.
Audio Enhancements: The PSB Alpha VS21 VisionSound powered soundbar speaker incorporates Dolby Late Night for late night television viewing and Lip Sync to fix audio delay.
- Dolby Late Night: We put the fun back in late night TV watching. You won't have to worry about disturbing others by using Dolby Late Night, which reduces sudden loud sounds and brings soft sounds up to where they can be heard more easily, so you can keep the volume at lower levels.
- Lip Sync: With Lip Sync you can use the included remote control's volume buttons (+/-) to sync audio playback with displayed video content.
Digital & Analog Inputs: Two types of digital inputs, optical (toslink) and coaxial (RCA), accommodate most TVs and Blu-ray/DVD players. There is also a stereo analog input to connect TVs, VCRs, CD players, or iPods that don't feature digital outputs. The two digital inputs work with a built-in Dolby Digital decoder, which can improve virtual surround performance and allow for simplified connections to a wide variety of TVs, cable boxes, and disc players.
Bluetooth aptX Streaming: The Alpha VS21 supports Bluetooth (2.0) A2DP which allows you to wirelessly stream audio from your Bluetooth-enabled Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad, Android smartphone/tablet, Blackberry, laptop/computer, etc.. You'll be able to stream stored music or music apps from your Bluetooth-enabled device. The VS21 even employs aptX audio coding technology for lossless, audiophile-quality streaming with compatible aptX-compatible phones (like Android OS 4.0+). You will continue to your Bluetooth-enable mobile device for music navigation and to view song/artist information. Up to 3 devices can be paired, but only one can be used at a time.
Subwoofer Output: Although the Alpha VS21 has two amplified woofers, the VS21 also includes an analog mono-RCA subwoofer output to add a separate powered subwoofer; like PSB SubSeries 100 or SubSeries 150 powered subs (sold separately). The mono-subwoofer output features a fixed 80Hz low-pass filter.
Remote Control: You can use the handy remote included with the Alpha VS21, or program the soundbar speaker to respond to your TV's remote control, cable box remote, or satellite receiver remote. Now you only need one remote control to operate your system. Programming is an easy one-time operation.
Auto Standby: The VS21 soundbar speaker system will automatically go to standby mode if there is no user interface interaction and no active source input for approximately 20 minutes. Standby power is less than 0.5W.
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