PSB Speakers Now Shipping Alpha iQ Streaming Speakers with BluOS
December 7 2022, 00:25
PSB Speakers announced the broad retail availability of the Alpha iQ, Streaming Powered Speakers with BluOS, the brand’s first pair of wireless streaming bookshelf speakers that integrate control, source and amplification. These affordable all-in-one wireless speakers were announced just before CEDIA Expo 2022. Not only they are relatively affordable for active speakers, but they expand the Lenbrook Bluesound wireless audio ecosystem, managed with the BluOS Controller app.
PSB Speakers announced the broad retail availability of the Alpha iQ, Streaming Powered Speakers with BluOS, the brand’s first pair of wireless streaming bookshelf speakers that integrate control, source and amplification. These affordable all-in-one wireless speakers were announced in September, just before CEDIA Expo 2022, where they made their debut with immediate acclaim. Not only they are relatively affordable for active speakers, but they expand the Lenbrook Bluesound wireless audio ecosystem, managed with the BluOS Controller app.
Ideal for modern home environments as great quality options to have music in any room, the Alpha iQ speakers offer an outstanding combination of drivers, components in a refined product design, worthy of the company founded by Paul Barton, and now celebrating 50 years in business.
These PSB models feature a 4" polypropylene mid-bass driver with steel basket and rubber surround, combined with a 0.75" aluminum dome tweeter with neodymium magnet and ferrofluid cooling. The fully active design, with DSP crossover and dedicated amplifiers for each driver are specified at 60W for each woofer and 30W for each tweeter, which generously beats today's common products in this space. The elegant cabinet design features a tuned port and DSP-enabled bass extension for excellent LF performance.
Users will be particularly impressed with the wireless flexibility offered by this system, combining all the desirable options of Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity, plus wired Ethernet for the highest quality options. The reproduced sound is further enhanced by the low-latency wireless connection between the primary and secondary speakers for a completely tangle-free installation. And there's even a subwoofer output with DSP-enabled low-pass and high-pass filters.
With the Alpha iQ, comes a built-in network streamer based on the recognized BluOS multiroom music platform, with integrated support for more than 20 streaming services, including several that offer lossless and high-resolution audio. The high quality DAC offers maximum resolution of 24-bit/192kHz, with MQA decoding and rendering capability for high-res streaming from Tidal, Apple AirPlay 2 support, plus Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect.
As mentioned, the integration possibilities offered by these Alpha iQ speakers are one its biggest selling-points, with streamed music potentially being played through as many as 63 additional BluOS-enabled components. The USB port also allows for connecting an external drive containing music files, which can be available to stream to other rooms. And at the local level, users can benefit from a MM phono preamp, HDMI eARC, optical, and auxiliary inputs, creating a complete hifi system for modern lifestyles.
For integration, support for Control4, Crestron, ELAN, RTI, and URC home-control systems is another big advantage, while some users will value also the support for Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri voice control. For a more traditional approach, the Alpha iQ also offers IR learning capability for control with harmonized remotes.
The Alpha iQ speakers in black and white finishes, are now shipping and can be ordered on PSBSpeakers.com or participating retail locations for USD $1,499. Pre-orders are now being shipped. www.psbspeakers.com
The PSB Speakers Alpha iQ displayed at CEDIA Expo 2022, where residental integrators were pleased with the possibilities of the all-in-on system as an expansion of the BluOS ecosystem.
