News

PSB Passif 50 Floor Speaker launches

PSB Passif 50 Floor Speaker launches equipped wih 5" woofer and 8" passive radiator with die-cast aluminum baskets

PSB Passif 50 Floor Speaker

Featuring an open grain walnut veneer cabinet, magnetically attached woven fabric grille and dedicated stand, PSB’s Anniversary Edition Passif 50 Standmount loudspeaker evokes the history of one of the world’s greatest audio brands. Created to commemorate 50 years of PSB loudspeakers, the Passif 50 harkens back to the legendary Passif I and Passif II models that established the brand’s reputation for performance and value, while also being an entirely new design employing technology drawn from PSB’s flagship Synchrony loudspeakers. It is the latest application of PSB’s True to Nature design philosophy.

based on science

The Passif 50 draws on five decades of acoustic research and design experience. Since the early 1970s, PSB has been an active participant in the world-renowned acoustics program at the National Research Council of Canada. An engineering team led by PSB founder and chief designer Paul Barton measures the prototypes in the NRC’s anechoic chamber and then correlates these measurements with extensive subjective hearing tests. This process has resulted in an uninterrupted series of products acclaimed by listeners and critics alike for their tonal fidelity, spatial realism, and effortless dynamics, even at high listening levels. The Passif 50 Standmount loudspeaker is the latest product of PSB’s time-tested design process.

Edge of attack

While the Passif 50 has a similar speaker complement to the Passif I and Passif II, it is a ground-up design, with an entirely new speaker platform and enclosure. The result is a speaker that accurately reproduces music exactly as the creators intended, without coloration of any kind.

The titanium dome tweeter employs a powerful neodymium magnet and ferrofluid damping, for higher output, better power handling and reduced distortion. A phase plug in front of the tweeter dome directs the tweeter’s output to ensure consistent, wide dispersion well beyond the traditional listening window. This creates a deep, wide soundstage with razor-sharp imaging that doesn’t depend on precise listening position. A felt pad surrounding the tweeter minimizes edge diffraction for improved transparency and more stable imaging.

The woofer and passive radiator have cast-aluminum baskets that resist flexing and filleted rubber surrounds that dampen cone resonances, resulting in smoother response and reduced distortion. Considerable engineering effort went into refining the interaction between the woofer and passive radiator. The result is a state of perfect balance of its opposing forces.

truly timeless

While the Passif 50’s case profile is similar to its classic forebears, there are several important differences. The Passif 50 is sold in mirrored pairs. Having both tweeters inside the soundstage results in a better image. All joints in the heavily braced cabinet are mitered to improve fit and finish and reduce cabinet vibration. With two five-way binding posts, the Passif 50 can be bi-wired or bi-amplified.

In addition to its warm walnut veneer casings, woven-fabric grilles, and dedicated mounts, the Passif 50 has numerous anniversary-edition aesthetics. These include a tab on the front grille, which sports the original PSB logo, and a badge on the rear panel adorned with a maple leaf and lettering that reads “Passif 50 – 1972-2022”. With its cutting-edge technology and gorgeous retro design, Passif 50 honors the past, embraces the future, and delivers sound true to nature.

Features and details:

  • 1″ titanium dome tweeter with ferrofluid damping and neodymium magnet
  • 5″ woofer and 8″ passive radiator with die-cast aluminum baskets, paper cones, and threaded rubber surrounds
  • Retro-style open-grain walnut veneer cabinet with dedicated speaker stands
  • Magnetically bonded woven fabric grids
  • 50th anniversary design touches, including the original PSB logo and tongue on the grille, and a plaque on the rear panel that reads “Passif 50 – 1972-2022”, embellished with a maple leaf
  • Felt surrounding the tweeter minimizes edge diffraction
  • Bi-wireable/biampable five-way gold-plated connectors
  • Speaker only dimensions: 660mm high x 280mm wide x 2540mm deep
  • Speaker dimensions with stand: 870mm H × 280mm W × 254mm D