PSB Imagine B
Nice design and sound.
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Item # 760IMGNBC | MFR # Imagine B CH
In Stock
$1,099.99 pair Earn up to 1,100 Rewards points
Despite their simple appearance, PSB's Imagine B speakers pack a powerful punch that'll impress even the most discerning of listeners. They work great on their own in a high-performance two-channel system, or you can add one of PSB's HD subwoofers for even better bass. The Imagine line borrows technology developed for PSB's higher-end Synchrony series, so you get audiophile-quality performance in a high-value speaker. The Imagine Bs also feature seamless, curved cabinets that are finished with stunning, hand-picked real-wood veneers — a stylish addition to any listening room.
"The Imagine B [has] both clarity and listenability in spades. It also [has] remarkable bass extension and volume..."
—John Marks, Stereophile, February 2009
The drivers are mounted flush with the smooth front baffles, for improved sound dispersion.
The Imagine Bs each feature a highly accurate 1" titanium dome tweeter that produces smooth, sparkling highs. The 5-1/4" woofer uses a proprietary ceramic-filled polypropylene cone, which makes it very stiff and light. The resulting midrange is clean and balanced, with tight bass response. A highly efficient motor structure with a unique compound magnet helps reduce audible distortion.
PSB's Imagine speakers feature acoustically inert enclosures, with seamless, unbroken surfaces that are beautiful to look at.
All Imagine speakers have smooth, 1-1/2" thick front baffles that blend almost seamlessly with the seven-layer laminated MDF side, top, and bottom panels. Plus, the heavy internal bracing ensures an impressively solid, acoustically inert enclosure. The top, side, and bottom panels are clad in real wood veneer that's hand selected for its beauty and quality.
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Nice design and sound.
Anonymous, Camarillo CA
Average Customer Review(s):
Nice design and sound.
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As a long time serious audiophile, I've listened to many sound components and loudspeakers over the years. Took a chance on the little Imagine B's to replace my older, large floorstanding speakers. Right out of the box these little things blew me away. Turn your back to them and you would think you are listening to speakers much larger. The clarity and spaciousness of the soundstage is incredible. They are beautiful also and the fit and finish are top notch. The best cable connectors I've ever seen on a speaker. Recommend using fairly heavy stands and top quality components to bring out their best. May seem like a lot of money for a small bookshelf speaker but to me, it was money well spent.
Pros: Beautiful speakers, clarity & soundstage second to none. Bass is very good for such a small speaker.
Cons: Need a heavy stand with a larger than 6 x 6 top plate as their light weight risks them tipping over. Wish PSB made a dedicated stand like the do for the Imagine B Mini.
Has this ever happened to you? One thing leads to another. I replaced my 15 + year old NSD receiver/amp with a new Yamaha RX V 475. Big improvement in sound, plus loads of techno improvements to play with. Then I begin to wonder if I should replace the old front speakers which were PSB Alpha B's. So I read all the reviews and decide to kick it up a notch to PSB Imagine B's, another improvement. With the Alpha B moved to the rear and the Imagine B's up front, I am getting a noticeably better sound. I am not an audiophile, so can't go into the finer variation of sound, but I can say that the violins in the Berlin Philharmonic digital concert hall are crisper, the flutes sound smoother and When Marie Claire Alain plays Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor it blows my socks off. Now if only I can stop there, or do I want to upgrade those old rear speakers?
Pros: clean crisp sound
Cons: The Price
Beautiful speakers with great sound right out of the box
Pros: Sound and cabinetry
Cons: None so far
I bought a pair in gloss black when they were being discontinued. Based on the closeout price, the value is spectacular. The speakers look and feel expensive, with nice looking cabinetry, drivers, and connectors (dual bing posts per speaker). I played them for a week of 2 off and on before making any judgements. I first played them with a Sony ES receiver during the break-in period and found they could be a little reserved. While they had a good sound, they were not very dynamic and a bit polite. I then had to work out of town and played them again when I returned. While they seemed better even with the Sony - they changed appreciably when i played them with my Yamaha A-S2000 integrated amp. They now take on the character of whatever the music has in it - if dynamic, they are dynamic (asf far as a bookshelf speaker can be) - if there are strong highs, the speakers show it - if there is strong bass, the speakers do a pretty good job playing bass. They will also play quite loud without distortion or compression. In comparison with my ancient (but still excellent) Infinity Infinitesimal 0.1s, the PSBs are less bright and airy in general, but the bass is better and the mids are pretty close. For me, that is strong praise. For the money I paid, they are spectacular - for the regular price, they are still a good value.
Pros: Beautiful Gloss Black, Small Size, Big Sound
Cons: Can be a little reserved with the wrong amp
Replaced Bose AM 5 set with this PSB set. Well worth the extra money. Only complaint is we should have done it sooner.
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So far I really like these speakers. They handle the power from my AMP really well. They look great and sound very rich. I use them in a second zone, the kitchen and they fill the open room with a lot of crisp sound. They pack a punch.
Pros: Sound good, Look good. Seems like they're getting better as I listen to them more.
Cons: None so far.
The PSB Imagine B Bookshelf Speakers are expensive but they provide full robust audio in a reasonable amount of space. The speakers produce crystal clear highs without shrill overtones. Even at high volume levels, these speakers perform exceptionally well. The bass produced by the Imagine B is quite respectable and suitable for most music (except maybe classical organ). The cabinets are beautifully made with real woods (no veneers). Amazingly, there are no sharp corners on the cabinets; corners are smooth and absolutely seamless. The binding posts, too, are of excellent quality. If you are looking for a quality bookshelf speaker system, give the PSB Imagine B's a listen. Highly recommended.
Pros: Audio quality, materials.
Cons: Price
Replaced a pair of 25 year old Energy speakers nearing the end of there lives. Hooked up the Imagine B's and the difference was incredible. Seriously considering a powered sub by PSB.
Pros: Wiring options, finish and sound.
Cons: None so far.
The reviewers who mentioned that these speakers need around 40 hours to break-in are absolutely right. Right out of the box they are harsh and undisciplined but don't give up. I have around twenty plus hours on mine and am beginning to see results. Now when I turn them on, after thirty or forty minutes, I noticed they really start to sing. I'm sure as I get closer to forty hours they will sound good when I first turn them on. I just burst out laughing last night. I had never heard a loud speaker sound so good. It was truly stunning! Also, I highly recommend using these with a turntable as well. It is incredible how much detail you can get from these speakers by pushing them with a decent system. (I'm using a moderate NAD amp that is about 20 years old.)
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It took about 40 hours of use to achieve their great transparent sound. I also found that the quality of the audio source is very important because you hear seemingly everything whether it is background noise of a poor recording or the nuances of intricate music passages. Because these speakers are so accurate and transparent I can now hear details that were not present through my previous speakers. Very impressive.
Pros: Very transparent sound. Look great.
Cons: None
My speakers had to go back to the factory for refurbishing and would have no speakers for a month. My nephew let me borrow his PSB imagine B so I could get by. Totally 110 percent impressed! So impressed that I purchased the Imagine T2.
Pros: Together with 24" stands (sand-filled), these speakers are formidable! They will go toe to toe with speakers costing 3 times as much.
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Love them !!
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Indisputably the finest, cleanest-sounding speakers I have ever owned.
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wow what a speaker , best sounding bookself ive ever heard, awsome & jazz, rock ,ect it can handle any sound ............. they even look awsome , im very happy ......................
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These speakers are well worth the money. I did a considerable amount of research and visited a number of audiophile sites and learned that the experts rated these speakers very highly, particularly for the money. The speakers sound wonderful, are neutral and produce surprisingly good bass for such small speakers. PSB is known for its high quality speakers at a reasonable price and these speakers certainly fit that description.
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I had Dahlqist DQ-10 speakers for 30 years and have enjoyed them tremendously. We are refurnishing our home and my interior designer said they had to go, as the DQ-10's were much too big for the room. After selling them I purchased the PSB Imagine B speakers. Wow! The richness of the sound is awesome and they are not even broken in. The speakers exceed my expectations. I am powering these with a PS Audio amp. On a side note, my lovely bride (and my interior designer) are happy with the size of my new speakers. I would highly recommend these speakers. The sound that comes out of such a small speakers is amazing.
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Using these with a Peachtree Nova. These sounded boomy out of the box and I was afraid I would have to return them. After about 48hrs of playtime they have calmed down alot and now sound neutral and clean. Couldn't ask for a better pair of bookshelf speakers.
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Enclosure | Bass Reflex | |
Video Shielded | Yes | |
Tweeter Type | Dome | |
Tweeter Size (inches) | 1 | |
Midrange Size (inches) | --- | |
Woofer Size (inches) | 5.25 | |
Woofer Composition | Ceramic/Poly | |
Woofer Surround | Rubber | |
Power Range | 20-150 | |
Sensitivity | 89 dB | |
Impedance (Ohms) | 4 | |
Frequency Response | 52-23k Hz | |
Connector Type | 5-way post | |
Bi-amp Inputs | Yes | |
Height (inches) | 12-15/16 | |
Width (inches) | 7-1/2 | |
Depth (inches) | 12-1/8 | |
Weight (pounds) | 17.2 | |
Mounting Bracket Included | No | |
Recommended Stand Height (inches) | 35 | |
Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
Labor Warranty | 5 Years |
Driver Technology
Enclosure Design
Connections
Specifications
Cone Design: The woofer cones are ceramic filled polypropylene and use rubber surrounds. The aluminum phase plug mechanically smoothes the response and acts as a heat sink for the voice coil, reducing power compression.
Tweeter: The 1" titanium, Ferrofluid cooled dome tweeters' light yet rigid diaphragm and over hung voice coil, combined with a computer optimized magnetic circuit produce an extended high frequency response that remains distortion free even at extreme volume levels. The front baffle is designed to eliminate mid and high frequency diffractions, maximizing three dimensional realism.
Crossover Network: The crossover is a 2-way acoustical fourth order Linkwitz-Riley type with a 24 dB/octave slope. Tight tolerances were used when choosing the crossover components; heavy multi-laminated iron cores are used for large value inductors, high gauge wire air core inductors are used for medium and small values, all the capacitors are low loss and film capacitors are used for the midrange and treble frequencies. The tweeter and woofer are crossed over at 1,800 Hz.
Cabinet: The cabinet is an integral part of speaker design and has a dramatic effect on the overall sound of a speaker. PSB's 7-layer laminated construction results in a solid, acoustically inert enclosure. The side and top panels are curved for added stiffness, with a wood veneer exterior.
Dual Binding Posts: The dual binding post input terminals are located on the lower rear of the speaker cabinet. The two sets of binding posts are shorted together by a gold-plated jumper. With the jumper removed the Imagine B can be bi-wired or bi-amplified. The binding posts will accept spade connectors, single banana plugs, pin connectors, and bare wire up to 8 gauge.
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Recommended by Cosmo at Crutchfield as good match for my amplifier. His recommendation corresponded with positive comments about these speakers on several home audio websites as good matches with NAD amplifier. [ James Jul 20, 2017 ]
i'm in the last quarter of my life and these will be the best speakers i have ever owned and i have owned manypairs in 65 years. [ norman Jun 25, 2017 ]
Input from the advisor, Rex, regarding compatibility with my existing components. [ Rob Jan 24, 2017 ]
The PSB imagine B speakers are absolutely great speakers for the price point and size. The speaker offers an absolutely beautiful, transparent, and very well rounded sound dynamic of lows, mids, and highs. [ Kyle Apr 07, 2018 ]
Great speakers for the money...clear and precise. Plenty of bass so a sub isn't mandatory. [ PETER Feb 16, 2017 ]
Use sturdy stands that are well damped (non-resonant). Wood can work well as well as sand or lead shot damped metal stands (what I use). I have resonance suppressing mounts on the speaker stand base (which also protects the finish of the speakers). As for pads or spikes, it depends what the floor surface is. Use absorbing pads if on hardwood or concrete floors. Spikes for carpeted floors (although I opted for the soft pads on my carpeted concrete floor). Be sure to use high quality speaker cables - I used AudioQuest speaker cables purchased from Crutchfield. Be sure to experiment a bit with speaker location - almost all bookshelf speakers are designed for mounting away from walls by a foot or so. Avoid placement in corners where speaker is equidistant from the two wall surfaces. Hope this helps. [ ROBERT Dec 04, 2013 ]
I prefer the rubber feet they stop the speakers from sliding. [ RICK Nov 29, 2013 ]
The rubber feet that come with these speakers will work great for placement on most speaker stands. [ Jeff Nov 27, 2013 ] Staff
Sides are curved so they won't lay flat. Bottom has a rubber piece to help it stand. On its side that will be visible. Up side is they look like furniture. [ Greg Feb 18, 2017 ]
No [ LEE Feb 17, 2017 ]
I haven't tried this but you can easily remove the fabric grille which has the logo. [ Simon Oct 03, 2016 ]
The logo is plastic and it looks like there are tabs behind the logo that are pressed through the front cloth mesh and the perforated metal grid behind it, then the tabs are melted behind the metal mesh to hold the logo in place. It appears that there might also be glue behind the logo, but I can't tell for sure. In any case, I suspect that removing the logo would show holes (and maybe glue residue) through the cloth mesh, and it wouldn't be pretty...However, you can easily remove the whole front grille leaving the speakers exposed (see above picture). Some people like it that way... AndyG [ Andy Oct 02, 2016 ]
No [ Michael Oct 01, 2016 ]