PSB Imagine X2T 3-Way Dual Chamber Tower Speaker at Vinyl Sound Toronto Canada

The Imagine X2T is a 3-way floorstanding tower speaker from PSB Speakers (Pickering, Ontario, Canada), available individually at Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada. Launched in 2014 as part of PSB's Imagine X Series, the X2T draws directly from the engineering of the multiple award-winning Imagine T2, delivering many of the same design innovations at a substantially lower investment. It features a 1" titanium dome tweeter with ferrofluid cooling, a 5.25" poly-filled carbon fiber cone midrange in a sealed self-contained enclosure, and dual 6.5" clay/ceramic-filled polypropylene woofers in individually chambered and ported enclosures, with a rated frequency response of 30Hz to 23,000Hz. Voiced by PSB founder Paul Barton at Canada's National Research Council (NRC) facilities, the X2T earned the SoundStage! HiFi Reviewer's Choice Award and The Absolute Sound Editor's Choice Award 2018, establishing it as a benchmark for performance-per-dollar in its class.

Dual Chamber, Front-Firing Ported Woofer System

The PSB Imagine X2T uses two 6.5" woofers, each housed in its own individually tuned acoustic chamber within the main cabinet, with each chamber vented by a dedicated front-firing port. This dual-chamber, dual-port configuration eliminates standing waves that would otherwise develop inside a shared-cavity enclosure, reducing coloration and improving transient control at low frequencies. The staggered vertical placement of the woofers within the baffle also reduces floor-bounce reflections, a primary source of comb-filtering distortion in tower speakers, resulting in tighter and more accurate upper bass performance in real-room conditions. The bass system extends to a rated 30Hz at +/-3dB and reaches a -10dB point of 28Hz, making the X2T a capable full-range performer in small to medium-sized rooms without subwoofer support. Crossover from the woofers to the dedicated midrange driver occurs at 500Hz.

Isolated Midrange Chamber and NRC-Voiced Tweeter

The Imagine X2T's 5.25" midrange driver was developed specifically for this model and is housed in its own sealed, self-contained enclosure within the cabinet, entirely decoupled from the woofer cavities. The injection-molded, poly-filled carbon fiber cone features a novel shape and filleted surround designed by PSB to optimize voice reproduction and minimize intermodulation distortion at high output levels. This midrange hands off to the 1" titanium dome tweeter at 2,200Hz. The tweeter is ferrofluid-cooled for thermal protection and power handling, and incorporates a phase plug to extend high-frequency response and control dome breakup. The driver arrangement follows a quasi-D'Appolito layout with the midrange positioned above the tweeter and the dual woofers below, a geometry that benefits horizontal dispersion symmetry and supports consistent off-axis performance in both stereo and multi-channel home theatre configurations. Final system voicing was performed by Paul Barton at the NRC's anechoic facilities in Ottawa, the same research environment PSB has used since 1974.

Key Features

• 1" Titanium Dome Tweeter with Ferrofluid Cooling: A phase plug extends high-frequency response and controls breakup, while ferrofluid cooling raises thermal power handling for sustained high-level listening without compression.
• 5.25" Poly-Filled Carbon Fiber Midrange in Sealed Chamber: Developed exclusively for the X2T, this driver's novel cone geometry and filleted surround optimize voice reproduction, and its self-contained sealed enclosure prevents woofer-cavity resonance from entering the critical midrange band.
• Dual 6.5" Clay/Ceramic-Filled Polypropylene Woofers: Each woofer occupies its own individually tuned chamber with a dedicated front-firing port, eliminating inter-driver resonance and minimizing the floor-bounce distortion common in conventional tower speaker designs.
• Dual Front-Firing Ports (Dual Bass-Reflex): Front-firing port placement allows the X2T to be positioned closer to a rear wall than rear-ported designs without sacrificing bass extension or accuracy.
• Quasi-D'Appolito Driver Layout: Midrange above tweeter, dual woofers below, for symmetrical horizontal dispersion and consistent imaging in both stereo and surround sound applications.
• NRC-Voiced by Paul Barton: Final tuning performed at Canada's National Research Council acoustics laboratories in Ottawa, the same facility that has informed PSB loudspeaker design since 1974.
• Dual Five-Way Gold-Plated Binding Posts: Accepts banana plugs, spade connectors, and bare wire, with full bi-wire and bi-amplification support via the dual terminal pairs at the base.
• Timbre-Matched Imagine X Series Compatibility: Sonically matched with the PSB Imagine XC center channel and Imagine XB bookshelf for seamless multi-channel system integration.

Technical Specifications

Connections at a Glance

• Dual five-way gold-plated binding posts (bi-wire and bi-amp capable)
• Accepts banana plugs, spade connectors, and bare wire
• Two front-firing bass reflex ports (one per woofer chamber)

Awards and Critical Recognition

• SoundStage! HiFi Reviewer's Choice Award (2015)
• The Absolute Sound Editor's Choice Award (2018)
• The Absolute Sound Buyer's Guide Top Pick (2016)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PSB Imagine X2T?

The PSB Imagine X2T is a 3-way floorstanding tower speaker from PSB Speakers, a Canadian loudspeaker manufacturer based in Pickering, Ontario. It is the flagship model of the Imagine X Series, featuring a 1" titanium dome tweeter, a 5.25" poly-filled carbon fiber midrange in a sealed self-contained enclosure, and dual 6.5" clay/ceramic-filled polypropylene woofers in individually chambered front-ported enclosures. Its rated frequency response is 30Hz to 23,000Hz (+/-3dB), with 88dB anechoic sensitivity and 8 ohm nominal impedance. The X2T is voiced by PSB founder Paul Barton at Canada's National Research Council facilities and is sold individually as a single speaker.

How does the PSB Imagine X2T compare to the Klipsch RP-8000F II or the Polk Audio Reserve R700?

The PSB Imagine X2T, the Klipsch RP-8000F II, and the Polk Audio Reserve R700 each represent distinct engineering approaches to floorstanding speaker design. The Klipsch RP-8000F II prioritizes high sensitivity through its horn-loaded tweeter, making it easier to drive to high output levels but with a more forward, directional high-frequency character. The Polk Reserve R700 uses a planar magnetic tweeter for a different tonal signature. The PSB X2T, by contrast, focuses on broad, controlled dispersion, NRC-verified neutrality, and a discrete sealed midrange chamber that reduces intermodulation distortion through the critical voice range. Its dual front-firing ports also make it more placement-flexible than rear-ported competitors in the same class.

Can the PSB Imagine X2T be used without a subwoofer?

Yes, the PSB Imagine X2T is capable of full-range use in small to medium-sized rooms without a subwoofer for most music genres. Its dual 6.5" woofers in individually ported chambers extend bass to a rated 30Hz (+/-3dB) and 28Hz at -10dB, which covers the low-frequency range of the majority of recorded music including acoustic bass, kick drum, and most orchestral content. Listeners who regularly play electronic music with deep synthesized bass below 25Hz, or pipe-organ recordings, may benefit from adding a dedicated subwoofer. For home theatre use, crossing the X2T over at 80Hz with a separate subwoofer is also a valid option when the receiver or processor supports bass management.

What does it mean that the X2T was voiced at the National Research Council (NRC)?

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in Ottawa operates one of the world's most advanced acoustics research facilities, including a precision anechoic chamber used for standardized loudspeaker measurement. PSB Speakers has conducted research and voicing at the NRC since 1974, making it the first loudspeaker manufacturer to use the facility for commercial speaker development. Final voicing by Paul Barton at the NRC means the X2T's frequency response, crossover tuning, and driver integration were verified and refined under controlled, scientifically reproducible measurement conditions rather than solely by subjective listening in an untreated environment. This approach underpins the X2T's consistent off-axis performance and neutral tonal character.

What amplifier works well with the PSB Imagine X2T?

The PSB Imagine X2T is rated for amplifiers delivering 20 to 200 watts into its 8 ohm nominal impedance, with a 4 ohm minimum that requires the amplifier to handle moderate current demands. In practice, integrated amplifiers and AV receivers in the 50 to 150 watt range are well matched for typical listening levels in medium-sized rooms, and brands such as NAD Electronics, Arcam, Cambridge Audio, Rotel, and Bryston have been used in published reviews of the X2T with strong results. The 90dB in-room sensitivity means the speaker is not power-hungry for moderate volumes, but amplifiers with higher continuous power reserves allow the X2T to perform at its dynamic peak during demanding passages.

Is the PSB Imagine X2T compatible with other PSB Imagine X Series speakers for home theatre?

Yes, the PSB Imagine X2T is designed to be timbre-matched with the full Imagine X Series lineup, including the Imagine XC center channel speaker and the Imagine XB bookshelf surround speakers. PSB voices all Imagine X models to share a consistent tonal signature, ensuring dialogue and sound effects transition seamlessly between the front left, center, and surround channels in a multi-channel system. The X2T's quasi-D'Appolito driver layout also contributes to consistent off-axis response in the horizontal plane, which improves dialogue intelligibility for listeners seated off-center in a home theatre arrangement.

Where can I buy the PSB Imagine X2T in Toronto or Canada?

The PSB Imagine X2T Tower Speaker is available at Vinyl Sound, an authorized PSB dealer in Toronto, Canada. Vinyl Sound carries PSB's Imagine Series and can assist with speaker matching, system configuration, and in-store demonstration at its Toronto location. Canadian customers outside Toronto can contact Vinyl Sound directly for shipping availability across Canada.