PSB Synchrony in the news

The Critics are Raving

Synchrony is the result of a body of work spanning 35 years. Paul Barton’s dedication to the research and design of loudspeakers has established new standards for world class performance and true value. The elite publications of our Industry have taken notice, giving high praise for Paul Barton and Synchrony.

Rob Sabin, Editor of Sound and Vision congratulated Paul Barton on Synchrony: “You should be proud that our decision on Synchrony (Audio Product of the Year) was obvious and unanimous. I’m here to tell you you’ve succeeded in creating something very special.” Read More

Below are many extraordinary Synchrony reviews and awards, please take a few minutes to read and share them with your firends. If you haven’t listened to Synchrony call your PSB Speakers Dealer for an audition today!

Stereophile Synchrony One Review

"It's hard to see how the [Synchrony One] could get any better... very highly recommended" says the Editor of Stereophile. Such recommendations are not given lightly and are reserved exclusively for clear cut market leaders.

Picked to adorn the cover of the April Recommended Components Issue and installed into Class A recommended components "Best attainable sound for a component of its kind" are uncompromised endorsements. Not only has the Synchrony One loudspeaker been installed into Class A components but carries the $$$ insignia; "we have found a product to perform much better than expected from its price". Read more

			“The Synchrony Two is flat-out the best PSB speaker I’ve reviewed. How good? Even if you’ve allotted up to ten grand on a pair of speakers, you’d be making a serious mistake if you didn’t audition this exceptional product—that’s how good.” Read More.
			"This system is an emotional charmer extraordinaire. This is not a system you can (or should) listen to in a casual way, because it will continually pull at your ears and heartstrings—almost forcing you to care about musical performances." Read More
			"...[The Synchrony One HT System has] all the sonic precision and musical accuracy that money can buy, for about one tenth of what the world's most expensive 2-channel speakers ask."
			"Right from the start, the Synchrony Two B impressed me with its outstanding clarity, exceptional detail, gutsier-than-expected bass, and way-more-than-expected output. It sounded clean, full, and powerful. What’s more, it gave me the urge to play music that I seldom listen to" Read More
			"These little speakers[Synchrony Two B's] imaged like crazy... sounded extremely natural" Read More
			"They look nice, they're built well, and they sound awesome. They're warm but not muddy; they're clear but not brittle or harsh. They're yet another excellent speaker from a company, and designer, that really knows what they're doing." Read More

TAS Interviews: Paul Barton, Founder and Chief Engineer, of PSB Speakers

October 16th, 2007 — By Neil Gader

The Absolute Sound:

What got you into audio?

Paul Barton:

As a youngster, I had two areas of interest. One was my music—I studied violin from a very early age. My father was a classical tenor and we spent a lot of time with live and recorded music. When I was growing up, mono was just ending and stereo was just beginning. I never got into the mono high-end, but certainly the first decent pair of speakers was a pair my father and I built in the same workshop where he built my first full-size violin.

TAS:

He built your violin?

PB:

He studied a lot of books and one of these highlighted the Stradavari “Messiah.” He built an exact replica. It took him a year to make the tools. He made all the molds and the next year he built the violin. He imported woods from Italy; it was quite an adventure.

TAS:

What motivated you to build loudspeakers?

PB:

I liked the mechanical side of the hobby as opposed to the electronic side. It appealed to me a lot more. The speaker’s the reproducer of sound, and as time went on I realized it’s also the weakest link. There were two weak links in those days—the phono cartridge and the speaker.

TAS:

The two transducers.

PB:

Exactly right. Turning one form of energy into another at both ends of the reproduction chain is the weak link.

TAS:

PSB speakers use dynamic-driver cone-based technology exclusively. Did you ever consider going in a more esoteric direction?

PB:

I have designed loudspeakers with ribbon elements. One used a ribbon tweeter that Philips made. On axis it was good out to 60kHz, but everywhere else it didn’t do well. As time wore on it became clear that I want to produce social rather than antisocial loudspeakers.

TAS:

Antisocial loudspeakers? Could you define that?

PB:

A planar loudspeaker has a very small sweetspot. With a planar loudspeaker the frequency response changes dramatically off-axis, so not only does the image collapse but so does the way it sounds. You really can’t appreciate a planar speaker unless you’re in the sweet spot. If more than one person wants to enjoy it, he or she has to sit behind the first listener. I call that antisocial.

TAS:

PSB is often described as affordable high end. Does that irk you?

PB:

It is a bit frustrating for me. I feel successful when I can produce good value. But it’s frustrating because some people dismiss it because of its price.

TAS:

What music do you use to evaluate a project nearing completion?

PB:

I have a set criteria that includes a very well-established group of recordings.

TAS:

Examples?

PB:

A little James Taylor, some organ pieces, Pictures at an Exhibition on the Dorian label, some Yehudi Menuhin, James Cotton—his voice is full of terrific chesty resonances.

TAS:

What are the biggest innovations you’ve seen in your field in the last ten years?

PB:

In drivers, I would have to say tweeters. Today’s tweeters are much better behaved, stable, and consistent from one to the next. In general, the biggest improvements are the materials, the adhesives, and the ability to produce these things consistently. The manufacturing process has matured greatly over the years.

TAS:

Advice for assembling a new system?

PB:

Because the speaker is the weak link, a significant amount should be budgeted toward it. If you choose your amplifier first and it doesn’t have enough power to drive the speaker you end up choosing, that’s a mistake that’s hard to fix. But going the other way you’re always safe, because the power requirement of the speaker is a known value.

TAS:

What kind of playback sources will you be listening on in ten years?

PB:

I think you’re going to be listening to just hard memory—mechanical devices will be gone. It will all integrate with networking.

Chris Martens
A/V Guide