Review of Small and Mighty Psb Alpha IQ Speakers: High-Q and Low-Density Speakers and TV Consoles

PSB, the Canadian-based audio company, has been doing it’s thing for nearly 50 years, but you may not know it. The brand has mastered the art of making big sound in small packages, thanks to the space-conscious product line.

Standing less than 10 inches tall and 6 inches wide, the Alpha IQ seem shockingly small when you unbox them, giving an impression, false though it may be, that they’ll struggle to usher forth convincing audio performance. The 4-inch polypropylene mid-bass drivers are set above the .75-inch tweeters for a distinctive configuration that allows them to be set on higher shelves and desktops alongside regular speaker stands and TV consoles.

The pair we received arrived with a fair few scuffs along their matte exteriors, suggesting they’d been driven hard and put away wet. Their design feels a bit more blue collar than some of the cheaper options like the Prime Wireless Pro. Over time, the style points grew on me because of the touches like the topside control bar and aluminum lines behind the baffles. There is no need for a connecting wire between the speaker and amplifier because they all have a wall outlet.

Source: PSP Alpha IQ Speakers Review: Small and Mighty

BlueOS Review of The 5020 X Z’ Speakers: Is There a Cone for High-Resolution Streaming?

It’s easy to connect source devices to the primary speaker’s backside with a wide range of inputs. To get the system connected and ready to stream, you need to download the BlueOS app.

I had a hard time getting the left speaker to find my network when I first arrived because of the wear and tear on my review model. The flashing green light indicated a need for a factory reset, which meant digging up a paperclip to push in the reset button and going through some rigmarole—so much for Sonos-like simplicity.

No matter what I played, the speakers were very stable on my network. There are a lot of ways to stream, whether you go directly from the app with services like Spotify, Amazon Music, or Bluesound’s Radio Paradise (Apple Music isn’t supported), or via AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, or Tidal Connect. There’s also Bluetooth with aptX HD, but you’ll need to stream over Wi-Fi to get the benefit of the Alpha IQ’s 24-bit/192-kHz max resolution.

The clarity of the 5020 can lead to some fun and revealing moments in your listening sessions. The speakers and amplifier I used to pair them with are known for being fluid and clear, and the two combined made my music sound better than I could have ever imagined.

Whether that really translates, I’m not so sure. The speakers offer serious high-register clarity, and even some good foundational punch in the lower bass, especially for hip-hop grooves. However, the mid and upper bass in my listening sessions was about as light as you’d expect in a woofer this size, if not lighter. If you want to get a lot of low-end push, you should probably add a subwoofer or a larger cone, like the Vestia No1 from Focal.

A 1-inch idiosyncrasy is matched by a 5-inch idiosyncrasy. It’s the larger driver that’s the pride and joy of Q Acoustics’ new lineup. The company calls it a C3 due to its shape. The continuous curved cone design is meant to offer a huge bass response with the upper register strength of a flared cone.

Most rooms don’t really need bass ports and bungs for dampening; you can just use simple terminals at the back of the speaker. Inside, Q Acoustics says the cabinets use Point-2-Point internal bracing, designed to stiffen the cabinet for minimal vibrations and a more focused stereo image.

Pulling the 5020 from their packaging reveals a sneakily gorgeous design. Deep wood veneer cabinets bend around the edges in Q Acoustics’ familiar design, while the glossy front faces meld with my black TV console and overall listening room decor as well or better than any speakers I’ve auditioned. I received speakers that were in four different colors: oak, Rosewood, white and rosewood. A magnetic grille is included for further minimalist styling.

There’s still a lot of good stuff going on here, but if you’re looking for your next pair of everything speakers, you’ll want to read on before pulling the trigger.

The M20 HDBluetooth speakers from Q Acoustics are gaining widespread approval, with WIRED giving them an 8 out of 10 rating. The company’s new 5020 speakers have risen as new contenders in the crowded midrange bookshelf space, but they may end up being some of the more polarizing speakers to come out this year.