Psb Image 2B compared to the new ImageB25. What to expect?

[LeoRousseau]

Ok.... This is my very first post here on audioreview.com so go easy on me.... I used to own a pair of Image 2b's powered by a Sherwood Newcastle receiver and loved the sound of them.... I went through a phase and decided to get out of audio listening for a while and now decided to get back into it.... I have been doing a lot of reading on here and everywhere else for the past 2 days and come to realise that Psb now has a replacement for the 2B and it is the Image B25.... I just wanted a little input from anybody with experience with the new Image... I also noticed that a lot of you on here also recommend the Monitor Audio B2..... How does this speaker compare to the Image B25? Also,where is a good place to buy a couple of speaker stands? I thought I saw a link this morning while I was reading but now I can't find it.... I was something like racksomething.com... Thanks in advance....

Leo

[littleb]

I read the stellar review over at about.com, so I thought I would bring home a pair. I have seen the previous image line, and upon comparison with the b25, I couldn't help but start thinking that they have cheapened up the line. To begin with the binding posts now have plastic caps. I would expect more than that for a $400 speaker. The bass was on the muddy side, something I have grown to dislike. I listened to them for awhile and then repacked them for return to the store. I don't know if they are comparable to previous model, but I found them to be pretty average. Don't get me wrong they aren't bad, if you don't have speakers, but if they were the speakers in my listening room, I'd be looking to upgrade pretty fast. I'd really look elsewhere in this price range.

[LeoRousseau]

Thanks for the reply..... I'm torn on what to get..... Things I have on the back burner for thought are the ImageB25, AlphaT,Monitor Audio B2 or the Wharfdale9.2... I do need help deciding..... :)

[3db]

http://stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1204psb/

Phenomenal speaker. I've heard them myself and I found the bass to me tight and accurate, not bloated nor booming as it won't do bass it cannot handle. Mids are lifelike and treble is accurate without sounding edgey. Take a listen for yourself

[superpanavision70mm]

Being a PSB lover...obviously I have never really been a big fan of their monitor speakers as much as their towers....that's just my personal take. I would be curious as to what you are looking for specifically. You can get PSB stuff online through DMC-electronic...very good prices! As far as speaker stands...I have a few on the way and I'll let you know how I like them....got them from an online vendor, which I will reveal once I actually get them.

[LeoRousseau]

Sounds good to me..... I think I'll end up going with the B25's through DMC

[3db]

Sounds good to me..... I think I'll end up going with the B25's through DMC

that the place selling them is an authorized dealer of PSB. They are very good company and stand behind their products but only when sold thru authorized dealers. Its worth your while to find out. PSB will NOT warranty their products from unauthorized distributors.

[superpanavision70mm]

They ARE IN FACT an authorized PSB dealer! I have been very satisfied going through them on several occasions.

[Woochifer]

The website you're thinking of is probably Racksandstands.com (http://www.racksandstands.com), they seem to carry a lot of good items. The only drawback of ordering stands online is that websites don't adequately tell you about a stand's weight, balance, stability, or build quality. I've seen quite a few stands that seem great on a webpage, but are not so good close up. The Sanus Steel Foundation stands for example are nowhere near as substantial or stable as they look in a picture.

From the Racks and Stands site, the VTI stands look very similar to the Premier stands that Paradigm distributes. I use the Premier S-series stands with my main speakers and they are well built with a lot of weight down near the base, which helps with the stability. Those similar looking VTI stands start around $100, which is about the same price that the Premier stands sell for.

In general, if you want to look for some more durable stands, you should first check with your local independent audio dealer or a specialty chain like Tweeter or Magnolia. The stands that I've seen carried through the big box stores generally leave a lot to be desired, and cost a lot for the level of quality that they provide. If you have a PSB dealer nearby, you can see if PSB distributes a matching stand for the Image series. A lot of speaker companies do this, and I've found that the quality of these "matching" stands is very often a cut above the generic stuff that you find in the accessories section at Best Buy. The prices on these stands though will vary a lot.

Among the generic stands out there, I've found that the ones from Target Audio are very well built and reasonably priced. The only problem is that they are not always easy to find in the U.S.

RGA and a couple of others on the board have gone with Skylan stands (http://www.skylanstands.com), which are made in Canada and can be custom ordered to whatever height you want. Though it doesn't matter as much as it did a few years ago, keep in mind that the prices on their website are Canadian currency.

The stands that I use for my surrounds are the adjustable studio stands from Sound Anchor (http://www.soundanchors.com), and they are very heavy duty (and at 65 lbs. each, very heavy!). They are not pretty to look at, but they are built for maximum durability. I went with these because I wanted to raise my surrounds over 38" and these were the only adjustable stands I found that could support a 28 lb. speaker at that height. Sound Anchor is sold through some independent audio stores, but you can also order directly from the manufacturer and custom spec the height, size of the top plate, and whether you want the stand prefilled. These stands differ from others because they are welded together and shipped in one piece with no user assembly.

Lots of options out there, and stands can vary a lot more than you think, even though they might look similar on a website.