The P5 measures 11.4”H x 6.8”W x 9.5”D, weighs 10.2 pounds, and is made in China. This tweeter has a neodymium magnet and is cooled with ferrofluid a waveguide helps optimize its performance on and off axis, and aligns characteristics of its dispersion with that of the midrange-woofer(s). Also all new is PSB’s 0.75” tweeter of black anodized aluminum, used in every new Alpha model. Unlike your average polypropylene diaphragm, the new Alpha woofers are textured using an embossing technique that not only looks nice, almost like woven carbon fiber, but whose combination of thinness and stiffness helps increase the sensitivity by about 1dB. The P3 has a 4” polypropylene midrange-woofer, the larger P5 a 5.25” variant of the same design, and the T20 and C10 each have two 5.25” woofers.

Unlike the outgoing versions, which shared the same fundamental woofer design across the line’s various models, each of the new Alphas has a bespoke midrange-woofer tailored to that model, allowing Barton to coax every ounce of performance from his newest creations. The newest Alphas, all two-way bass-reflex designs, are new from the ground up. Adjusting for inflation, the newest Alpha models are actually less expensive than the models they replace. Running four models deep and available in vinyl finishes of Black Ash or American Walnut, the new line comprises the P3 ($199 USD/pair) and P5 ($349/pair) bookshelf models, the T20 tower ($599/pair), and the C10 center speaker ($299). But Barton is particularly proud of his brand-new line of Alphas, the third generation. Its replacement series, Alpha B, was launched in 1999 and remained in production through 2018. The Alphas have been PSB’s most affordable line of loudspeakers, and a keystone of Barton’s product line, since 1991. He is, for me, firmly fixed in the pantheon of great loudspeaker designers. Barton has worked vigilantly in the NRC ever since, having reviewed, by his own estimate, hundreds of thousands of measurements, all in the quest of slowly but surely improving his designs. Toole, one of the early pioneers of measurement-based loudspeaker design. Paul Barton founded PSB Speakers in 1972, and by 1974 had set to work in the anechoic chamber of Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) with Dr.

That talent must be nurtured and honed through years of practice and adversity, to fortify the constitution and single-mindedness required to create something of true excellence. The pursuit of perfection is a lonely endeavor, and talent, on its own, doesn’t guarantee success. Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.

Psb alpha p5