So I read this increadible reveiw on The Absolute Sound, AVGuide, about the PSI Audio A 14 M monitor speakers. The reviewer compared these £1200 active speakers with Joseph Audio Pulsars ($7000/pr.) driven by the Bel Canto M1000 II amplifiers ($5000/pr.) I simply had to try them and got them from Germany with free delivery and 30-day money back.
It has taken me a while to get the best out of them. They need to be turned in much more than my passive speakers. The phase is very sensitive. Their sweet spot is not very big. But all this doesn't matter, because I listen to them from close distance.
Their bass is surprisingly deep for such a small speaker, but I would add a sub, if I was going to keep them. Their imaging is very precise and detail is outstanding. They are never harsh and the dynamics are excellent. On certain classical recordings these are the first speakers where I don't have to continually adjust the volume, as the orchster plays louder or softer. Brilliant.
Still, after a few days of adjusting the speakers (in contrast to the passive speakers I have had over the years, which may need a bit of adjustment, toe is, move away or towards the wall, etc., these took lots of work to properly position) I finally felt I was doiing them justice. This was hard work, but the benefits substantial.
But I was still listening to the monitors and not to the music, as they say. So I went back to my sittingroom system (XTZ 100D integrated with AE Radience 2s) and played the same music I had been playing on the PSIs. Blimey! The feeling was back in the music! This wasn't a subtle difference, this was massive.
I know the PSIs are monitor speakers, made for music production, and I can see why they would be considered by many to be class leaders. But they just weren't giving me the one most important thing I want from music: feeling.
So, should I give up looking for active speakers in the £1500-2000 price range? I know you can buy £5000 actives that may well be in a different league (I'll try them when I winn the lottery), but in my price range, am I always to expect an emotion-free experience?
Tom
It has taken me a while to get the best out of them. They need to be turned in much more than my passive speakers. The phase is very sensitive. Their sweet spot is not very big. But all this doesn't matter, because I listen to them from close distance.
Their bass is surprisingly deep for such a small speaker, but I would add a sub, if I was going to keep them. Their imaging is very precise and detail is outstanding. They are never harsh and the dynamics are excellent. On certain classical recordings these are the first speakers where I don't have to continually adjust the volume, as the orchster plays louder or softer. Brilliant.
Still, after a few days of adjusting the speakers (in contrast to the passive speakers I have had over the years, which may need a bit of adjustment, toe is, move away or towards the wall, etc., these took lots of work to properly position) I finally felt I was doiing them justice. This was hard work, but the benefits substantial.
But I was still listening to the monitors and not to the music, as they say. So I went back to my sittingroom system (XTZ 100D integrated with AE Radience 2s) and played the same music I had been playing on the PSIs. Blimey! The feeling was back in the music! This wasn't a subtle difference, this was massive.
I know the PSIs are monitor speakers, made for music production, and I can see why they would be considered by many to be class leaders. But they just weren't giving me the one most important thing I want from music: feeling.
So, should I give up looking for active speakers in the £1500-2000 price range? I know you can buy £5000 actives that may well be in a different league (I'll try them when I winn the lottery), but in my price range, am I always to expect an emotion-free experience?
Tom
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram