PSB Imagine B50 Bookshelf Speakers - Pair

Synchrony Technology in a Bookshelf Speaker

The Imagine B50 is the bookshelf model in PSB's Imagine series, the range that sits between the entry-level Alpha line and the flagship Synchrony. A 1-inch titanium dome tweeter and a 5.25-inch woven carbon fiber woofer share a slim cabinet just under 12 inches tall. The speakers are sold as a pair.

PSB introduced the current Imagine series in 2024 with three models: the B50 and two towers, the T54 and T65. All three use tweeters and crossover designs derived from the Synchrony series, which is why the B50 measures and sounds like a more expensive speaker.

The Drivers

The tweeter uses a neodymium magnet and ferrofluid cooling, and it sits below the woofer so the balance holds whether you sit or stand. The woofer's woven carbon fiber cone is light and stiff. The crossover is a fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley design at 2,200 Hz, and a slot port vents at the rear.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of You

PSB quotes 45 Hz to 23 kHz within 3 dB, with a minus 10 dB bass cutoff of 36 Hz. Anechoic sensitivity is 85 dB. The impedance is 8 ohms nominal with a 4 ohm minimum, and PSB recommends 20 to 150 watts per channel.

The 85 dB sensitivity means the B50 likes a bit of power. A 50-watt integrated amplifier is a comfortable match, and the speaker will take up to 150 watts for a larger room. SoundStage! Access reviewed it in a 10-by-12-foot room and found the bass needed no subwoofer.

Size and Finish

Each cabinet measures 6.75 inches wide, 11.8 tall and 9.9 deep, and weighs 11.3 pounds. Finishes are satin black or satin white, with aluminum trim, chamfered edges and a magnetic grille. Two pairs of binding posts allow bi-wiring or bi-amping.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Dennis Burger of SoundStage! Access gave the B50 a Reviewers' Choice award in April 2024, praising "good dispersion, good sound power across the listening window, neutral midrange."

He added: "The fact that it has a surprising amount of truly meaningful bass extension is as welcomed as it is surprising."

Charles Brown of Audiophilia gave it a Star Component Award in October 2024: "these little guys can offer you a larger-than-life portal through which to play your music."

Who Is This Bookshelf Speaker Best For?

• You want a small speaker that does not need a subwoofer — a 36 Hz cutoff and a reviewer who ran it full range in a small room
• You want flagship engineering at a middle price — the tweeter and crossover design come from PSB's Synchrony series
• You want a speaker that looks like furniture — a slim cabinet with aluminum trim and chamfered edges, in satin black or white
• You are building an Imagine home theater — the B50 matches the T54 and T65 towers and the PWM on-wall speakers
• You want the biggest small PSB — the Synchrony B600 adds a 6.5-inch woofer, isolation feet and an aluminum baffle

How Do They Connect to Your System?

Speaker cable runs from your amplifier to the binding posts on the back of each speaker, red to red and black to black. Jumpers link the two pairs of posts for a single cable run. These are passive speakers, so nothing plugs into the wall.

Put the tweeter near ear height on stands or a solid shelf, with a few inches behind the cabinet for the slot port. PSB's tweeter-below-woofer layout keeps the balance steady if you sit a little high or low.

Pairs Well With

What completes the system. These are the categories most Imagine B50 owners shop next.

• NAD C 3050 integrated amplifier — PSB's sister brand, with 100 watts for an 85 dB speaker
• PSB SubSeries BP8 subwoofer — for film, or for the last half octave below 36 Hz
• Speaker stands — to put the tweeter at ear height
• Speaker cables — one run per side, or two for bi-wiring

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Imagine B50 sold as a pair?

Yes. The price is for two speakers with magnetic grilles, in satin black or satin white. Check the title of this listing for the finish you are ordering.

How much power do they need?

PSB recommends 20 to 150 watts per channel. With 85 dB sensitivity, 50 watts or more gives the B50 room to play at satisfying levels.

Do I need a subwoofer?

Not for music in a small or medium room. PSB quotes 45 Hz within 3 dB and a 36 Hz cutoff. SoundStage! Access ran the B50 without a subwoofer and was surprised by the bass.

What does bi-wiring mean?

The B50 has two pairs of binding posts, one for the tweeter and one for the woofer. You can run two cables from one amplifier, or use one cable with the supplied jumpers in place.

How is the B50 different from the Alpha P5?

The B50 has a titanium tweeter, a carbon fiber woofer, a Synchrony-derived crossover, bi-wire posts and a 36 Hz cutoff. The Alpha P5 is the simpler, less expensive design in a vinyl-wrapped cabinet.

Where are they designed?

PSB designs and measures its speakers at Canada's National Research Council acoustics lab, where founder Paul Barton has worked since the 1970s.

See It in Action

cheapaudioman reviews the Imagine B50:

PSB introduces the Imagine B50:

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