Review: PSB Imagine T2 Speaker

Category: Speakers

I listen to just about everything, with a focus on jazz (50%), folk (20%) and rock (30%. I go through some classical music binges but then I leave it alone for months.

The most important thing about sound reproduction is sound that makes me feel good, want to listen more, and appreciate music more. I love clean sound. I also hate when things sound fatiguing. A system with any bad bass is a turnoff more than a system without bass, just as one with super bright treble. A second worst turnoff is a costly system that promotes apathy. I can get into music played on a transistor radio with all midrange. But if I'm listening to a serious system and I'm just not feeling it, it's aggravating and I won't stand for it. I'd prefer to spend less and be moved by a system than feel I've overspent with diminishing returns or feel I cannot connect with the music.

I bought the pair of PSB Imagine T2s (upgraded gloss white finish) about 10 days ago. They replaced my beloved Totem Arros, which I bought in 2006. I just loved the Arros. I was wanted a bit more bottom end, but they had great resolution and a spooky holographic picture that was ever believable. I adored them. Enough said.

I bought the PSBs without auditioning. That's insane and especially for me--I'm notorious for reading, researching and endlessly auditioning kit. I auditioned over 20 speakers before buying the Totems and my dealer gave me a week with the Totems in home before purchase too.

With 2 days of listening and about 8 hours of play on the PSB Imagine T2s I was convinced: the PSBs were not for me. They were boring, tight, reserved and, worst of all, they didn't paint a picture of the music that I could believe in.

A gentleman came over to buy my Totem Arros. He first listened to the PSBs, running through my Creek Evolution 100A. He bluntly said, "these just aren't doing it for me." I told him that I agreed and had found that out right out of the box. And, I told him, nothing seems to be happening with them. The sound doesn't seem to be changing much. I reluctantly sold him my Totem Arros and planned on sending back the PSBs to run out to try the Totem Forests, Staffs, Hawks.

The PSBs (out of the box) were constrained and lacked almost any holographic picture. They just shot out detailed sound straight at me in a linear fashion. I wondered if my need to position them close to the back/rear wall was the problem. While it helped to move them out (they did sound better), it did not fix the problem. Dianna Krall's voice sounded super clear and right, but the PSBs just laid it on the floor. My Totem's painted it in the air. Trumpets? Same thing. There was no "arc" or bloom in the playback. Artist after artist and song after song, I couldn't change the way I felt and I couldn't connect with the music. I felt like I had bought something similar to what big box stores sell consumers, or used to. I felt like I wasted my money. They had to go.

I continued to run in the PSBs only because I had no other speakers to listen to with the Totems gone. After about 15 more hours of listening some great stuff happened. The change was real in every way. I know it occurred and was not me getting used to the speaker because the speaker was doing things it wasn't before. My Totem's would case a picture. The PSBs would hit line drives with no soundstange. Then, after about 15 hours, moving into 20, they did just that. What's more, they now do just as much as the Totems did (albeit the Totem's still have a special place in my heart for how beautiful and believable they can sound). But they are even more believable than my Totems and they seem to pair so well with the Creek Evolution 100A. [Note: I cannot wait to pop in the Creek Ruby DAC. I can't believe that the sound can be better than what I have without it]

I am utterly enjoying the PSBs and they are not likely going anywhere (if I can convince my wife that 40" floorstanders belong in the living room. They are tall but sleek and well made. The fit and finish rivals B&Ws. My wife is in marketing and design for a luxury furniture maker. She says their fit and finish is impeccable.

If I had my way, I would've bought Totem Forest Signatures ($6800), but I just wasn't going to spend that much. I've listened to many loudspeakers from $2k to that $6,800 mark. I am so happy with the PSBs. I can see why Stereophile gave them a class B award. You really have to spend quite a bit of dough to get better than what the PSB T2s do well.

I'm so glad. I can now stay away from reading endless product reviews and auditioning product. Hopefully for another decade!

I feel so content with my system. It's time to get down to what really matters and listen to some music!

PS I'm going to text the gentleman who bought my Totems. He's local and I'm going to invite him over to get his thoughts. He has not had time to get accustomed to their sound. He'll either "feel it" or not when he re-auditions them.

Associated gear
Totem Arro
Creek Evolution 100A
Tidal high fidelity streaming