PSB Alpha SubSonic 5.(loudspeaker)(Evaluation)

Manufacturer: PSB Speakers, a member of the Lenbrook Group, 633 Granite Ct., Pickering, Ontario, Canada L1W 3K1; 888/772-0000

Price: $449

Source: Manufacturer loan

When TM reviewed the Alpha SubSonic 1 in No. 75, he noted -- after some extended fiddling with its controls -- that it blended seamlessly with whatever PSB satellites he threw at it: the A/Vs, Mites, Minis, and so on. Very soon after I completed the NAD Music System review (No. 79), also featuring PSB Alpha Minis and the SubSonic 1, PSB/Lenbrook replaced the SubSonic 1 with the SubSonic 5. Unfortunately, the SubSonic 5 arrived too late to be included in the NAD Music System review and was consigned to support duty to the Harman/Kardon Festival 60 (see review in No. 83), which has since served as the music maker of choice in the home office. This also means that with everything else on my plate, the SubSonic 5 was, er, forgotten. In a sense, this is a compliment to the SubSonic 5: it has performed just as seamlessly as the SubSonic 1 for well over a year and a half, so much so that I'd simply hadn't noticed it. Oops.

The Rig. The home office is an intimate and comfy affair (read: "small"), and so doesn't require megawatts, floor-standing speakers, and similar heman configurations. During the three-plus years my consulting empire has held sway over the planet, the home office has hosted an Aiwa NSX-330, the NAD Music System, and now the Harman/Kardon Festival 60. Speakers employed with the Festival 60 have included the Harman/Kardons, PSB Alpha Minis, Dana Audio Model 1s, and currently PSB Image 2Bs (review forthcoming) -- all supplemented by the PSB Alpha SubSonic 5.

Basics. The differences between the SubSonic 1 and 5 are few indeed. The SubSonic 5 has the same 10" poly-coated fiber cone bass driver, bass reflex design, dual 2" ports, 65 watt internal amplifier, 93dB sensitivity, 4 ohm impedance, low/line level inputs, and high level satellite speaker inputs/ outputs. The differences are minute and, as we'll see, ultimately inconsequential. The SubSonic 1 automatically turned itself on from a standby mode when sensing a low-level signal, but was always "turned on". That is, "standby" was its resting state. SubSonic 5, however, has an on/off switch so it can be switched completely out of the signal chain without having to unplug it. Still, when it's turned on, it also rests in standby mode and comes to life only when it senses the appropriate signal. The SubSonic 5's frequency response is 30-150Hz versus the SubSonic 1's 28-150Hz. Both have 0/180 degree phase switches, but the SubSonic 5's is a toggle switch, and the SubSonic 1's was a rocker switch. While the internal amplifiers have the identical continuous RMS power rating, the SubSonic 5's amplifier claims a dynamic peak of 220 watts versus the SubSonic 1's 150 watts.

The biggest differences are cabinet dimensions and internal volume. The SubSonic 1 is a squat, horizontal affair, measuring (WxHxD) 14.5" x 11.375" x 14.25". The SubSonic 5 is vertically oriented, measuring 12.625" x 16.5" x 14". The SubSonic 1's internal volume is 0.91 ft3 or 25.8 liters. The ...