I just received this little marvel of a bookshelf speaker today in the mail/post. For something with a list price of $199USD/pair, I am astounded by both the physical and aural quality of these loudspeakers. The cherry woodgrain vinyl laminate actually looks real and the fit and finish is superlative for this price point and country of manufacture (China). While the bottom end is not extended (limited by the 5.75"/14.6cm driver and 8L of internal volume) the mid-bass is full and satisfying without sounding boomy or hooty. The overall tonal balance is far more natural than what you generally get at this price. Small, cheap loudspeakers often sound like loudspeakers rather than music. Not here. The PSB Alpha Bs do a remarkable job sounding more expensive than they are. And that tweeter! No ingratiating grain or silibance. High frequencies are reproduced with a fine tradeoff between detail and smoothness. You can listen to this pair for hours, even when fed inexpensive amplification.

Very impressed. These are better than the Paradigm or Energy offerings. Canada is to inexpensive loudspeakers as Australia is to inexpensive wine.

I haven't heard that speaker in particular but I listened to a pair of PSB's at a local Sony Store a couple of years ago. They make some nice (affordable) speakers. I dream about owning Stratus Golds. I've got a pair of seven-year-old Paradigm Phantoms, from back when they were stand-mounters rather than small floor-standers. They've served me well. My listening room isn't ideal now, but at one time they were set-up "just so" and sounded amazing considering the price.

I can't agree or disagree regarding the Alpha B being the best at this price point having not heard it, but what I can say is that it's wonderful that we have good sounding speakers available for such a low price. It hasn't always been this way. It's pretty amazing to think of how good a $1000 stereo can be today if you spend the money in the right place. Music lovers win.

Canada has put out some great "expensive" speakers over the years too. The big Mirages and Waveforms for example.

I'm curious as to what you're using for source and amplification. I'm using inexpensive Pioneer (CD) and LXI (amp) electronics. Nothing special.

Glad you're enjoying your new purchase.

Are you sure it's not? I'm pretty sure the PSB image 1b's use real veneer, though they cost a little more (mine were roughly $200/pair on sale)

edit;
I checked the web site and saw something about "cherry woodgrain" on the alpha, whereas the Image says cherry , so I guess the alpha is faux cherry.

I used to sell psb, and had a pair of the original alpha in my basement.

Excellent budget loudspeakers. They have good tonal balance which is hard to find in that price point.

I'm using the Alpha B's as computer speakers. They are connected to a $129 Philips CD/tape/radio mini-shelf unit which is subsequently connected to the output of a TB Santa Cruz DSP sound card. These are hardly hi-fi sources but the overall result is eons better than the harsh Philips speakers or any 2-channel computer speaker I've heard at this price. I probably should step up to a little integrated amp but it's just so convenient to have everything in one box...especially when it sits on your computer desk.

I may temporarily hook the Alpha B's to my Onkyo and Sony ES equipment that serve in my "serious" stereo setup just to see how they compare to the $1600 floorstanders I have. I'm curious how well they'd fill up a room with sound. They seem quite sensitive.

I suppose I am a little zealous because I bought the Alpha B's secondhand for about $125. That typically buys you nothing. I bought the bookshelf-style Paradigm Phantoms in 1994, I think, for around $250/pr. They were rather good for rock music as long as you could deal with the darkish tonal balance and the 8" woofer that would reach its excursion limits fairly easily. I also owned Paradigm 11seMkII floorstanders at one point as I acquired them as store demos for the incredible low price of $456/pr. I could never live with them now because they focus on bombastic dynamics rather than finesse and refinement. Great for the college environment, though.

I owned both PSB Alpha mini's and PSB Alpha A/V's at one time, and they both kicked serious arse for what I paid. Especially for jazz. They were sold since they could not quite stand up to the NHT SB-3's I recently procured.

As for the "budget bookshelf champ" award, IME that goes to the Advent AS-1 2-ways, which for a time were availible for less than $50 a pair new on a particular auction site. I outfitted a friends HT rig with six of them and a decent sub for less than $300 total. B)