Bookshelf Speakers — Psb Alpha P5

The Alpha P5 is a bookshelf loudspeaker from the PSB Alpha line, designed by Paul Barton, who has been creating loudspeakers for more than 40 years, and introduced at CES in 2019. PSB is a Canadian brand within the Lenbrook Group, which also owns NAD and Bluesound. Of the two Alpha bookshelf models the P5 is the bigger one, and its crossover lets the woofer cover a wider midrange than in the Alpha P3, which PSB links to better integration between tweeter and woofer. Speakers are supplied in pairs.

Key specs that matter

PSB quotes an on-axis response of 55 Hz to 21 kHz within plus or minus 3 dB and 65 Hz to 20 kHz within a 1.5 dB window. At 30 degrees off axis the output stays inside that same 1.5 dB window from 65 Hz to 10 kHz, and the low-frequency cutoff at minus 10 dB is 37 Hz. Sensitivity is 87 dB measured in an anechoic chamber and 89 dB in a listening room. Impedance is 8 ohm nominal with a 4 ohm minimum. The recommended amplifier power is 10 to 90 W, and the program power rating is 60 W. Each cabinet measures 170 mm wide, 290 mm high and 240 mm deep and weighs 4.6 kg.

Engineering and use context

The driver chosen for bass and midrange is a custom 5.25 inch unit with a textured polypropylene cone, a rubber surround and a dual-layer voice coil. Treble comes from a 0.75 inch black anodised aluminium dome tweeter, cooled by ferrofluid and driven by a neodymium magnet. A fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley filter splits the signal at 2,500 Hz. Inside, the enclosure offers 8.3 litres of air and is built from 12 mm MDF with a 25 mm thick front baffle. A rear-firing port tube tunes the enclosure and extends the bass response. PSB says the cabinet bracing and internal damping were carried over from its upper product lines, and the bracing works together with a special filler material to reduce cabinet resonance. The outer surfaces are covered in a vinyl veneer in either Black Ash or Walnut, and the metal grilles attach with magnets. Only one pair of five-way terminals is fitted at the rear, and it accepts any type of speaker cable termination, including bare wire. Unusually, the tweeter is positioned below the woofer on the front baffle.

Pairing

As an undemanding load with a modest lower power limit, the Alpha P5 works with modest integrated amplifiers and stereo receivers as well as more powerful designs within the recommended range.

Alternatives

The PSB Alpha P3 is the more compact Alpha bookshelf model.