PSB Gets Synchronized

CEDIA saw the introduction by PSB of an all-new flagship line of speakers plus a pair of new subwoofers. The top-of-the-line Synchrony series speakers include two floorstanding towers, two bookshelf models, two center channels, and a tri-mode surround speaker. PSB says it's the company's "most significant introduction in a decade."

The Synchrony speakers incorporate compact, small-footprint designs and sculptural finishes plus a proprietary cabinet construction system that employs extruded-aluminum corners and tapered rear panels. Along with veneered, 7-laminate wood-composite curved side panels, the new cabinet design is claimed by PSB to be one of the strongest, most non-resonant and coloration-free enclosures in the industry.

Partly as a result of the use of fourth-order acoustic Linkwitz-Reilly crossovers, the speakers are engineered to produce stable loads over their full high-power operating ranges making them easier for most amplifiers to drive. In addition, PSB says each Synchrony model was developed so that the in-phase lobe is evenly balanced vertically so that the listener hears the same performance regardless of whether he is seated or standing. In the case of the floorstanding models, the mid-bass and mid-range response is designed to take advantage of primary reflections off of the floor.

The Synchrony One tower speaker includes a five-driver, "five-way transitional" array, in which three identical 6.5-inch woofers sum their outputs across the lowest octaves but roll off, each at a different frequency, throughout the midrange. Each driver operates in a slightly different, fully isolated enclosure volume, which is vented through ports with slightly different dimensions. The smaller, four-driver Synchrony Two uses three 5.25-inch drivers.

The Synchrony One B, a 6.5-inch two-way, and Synchrony Two B, a 5.25-inch two-way, are essentially identical in most other ways. Both use a Synchrony high-linearity titanium-dome tweeter plus dual-laminate-weave woofers. The One B is said to deliver "useful output" down to 40 Hz.

The Synchrony One C is a large three-way center channel that uses the same drivers as the Synchrony One in a dual-woofer, horizontal layout. The Synchrony Two C is more compact and uses dual 5.25-inch woofers. The Synchrony S is a tri-mode surround speaker comprised of dual two-way arrays using drivers found in the Synchrony One. The tri-mode design allows the Synchrony S to be operated as a dipole-surround, as a monopole, or as a bipolar speaker.

The Synchrony speakers are available in hand-rubbed dark cherry and black ash veneers. They are available now at the following MSRPs:

Synchrony One (5-driver tower) $4,500/pair
Synchrony Two (4-driver tower) $3,000/pair
Synchrony One B (6.5-inch "bookshelf") $2,000/pair
Synchrony Two B (5.25-inch "bookshelf") $1,500/pair
Synchrony One C (3-way center-channel) $2,000 each
Synchrony Two C (2-way center-channel) $1,300 each
Synchrony S (Tri-mode surround-channel) $2,000/pair

A Synchrony Model B monitor-stand will be available later in the year, at a price to be determined.

PSB's two new subwoofers, the HD10 and HD8, are 12-inch and 10.5-inch cubes respectively. PSB says the two models are the company's first ultra-compact subwoofers and incorporate highly specialized low-frequency drivers with exceptionally high mass along with dual-opposed high-mass passive radiators. The design allows the subwoofers to potentially achieve excursions of as much as two inches peak-to-peak with outputs down to 30 Hz (HD10) and 35 Hz (HD8). Both models include Class H amplifiers utilizing circuitry that matches each sub's drivers, enclosures, and electronics to produce 750 and 500 watts of continuous power respectively.

Both models are currently available in satin black finish. The HD10 has an MSRP of $1,499. The HD8 has an MSRP of $999.

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