To Doug Schneider,
Please allow me to disturb you because you write fantastic in-depth reviews that are hard not to take seriously. I live in Bahrain and here there are almost no hi-fi retailers, so I have no choice but to buy without listening. I read your review for the PSB Synchrony One loudspeakers and I liked it a lot. However, I have a question regarding amplification requirements. I use Roksan mono amps and they are rated: 100W into 8 ohms, 175W into 4 ohms, 250W into 2 ohms, and 330W into 1 ohm.
In your opinion, will these amps be able to drive the speakers without a problem, or do I need to get more powerful amps?
Your advice will be appreciated.
Kind regards,
Mahmoud Elbolkini
PSB’s Synchrony One is one of the best loudspeaker values on the market today. I won’t say it’s better than everything out there, but it’s the one to look at under $10,000, and it can better speakers that cost quite a bit more. I believe the current price in the United States is $5000 per pair. You’re wise to consider them and, also, think about what amp or amps you’re going to drive them with.
The main issue with the Synchrony One is that it presents a fairly tough amplifier load, particularly in the bass. I tried a 50W solid-state amp that supposedly holds up well into tough loads, but it distorted quite badly when I pushed it a little hard. An amp rated at 100W with great current capability is the minimum I’d recommend. The Roksan amp you’re mentioning seems to fall into that category, but to know for sure you’d really have to try it out. Unfortunately, I can’t automatically guarantee that it will work well. . . . Doug Schneider
