SoundStage Access published a first look at the PSB iQ2 this week, which sent me to our own two rows for the range. The PSB iQ1 and the PSB iQ2 are all-in-one powered speakers: amplifier, streamer and inputs inside the cabinets, no separate box.
The PSB iQ1 and iQ2. Same cabinet, same drivers, same 270 watts. The iQ2 links its two speakers by radio instead of a cable, and comes in seven finishes instead of two.
They are also nearly the same speaker. PSB's own launch release sets them 400 dollars apart, and almost every line of the two spec sheets matches.
Quick facts
- The iQ1 is 999 dollars a pair, the iQ2 is 1,399. The walnut iQ2 is 1,499 and arrives in November.
- Both have the same 100 mm woofer, 19 mm tweeter and 270 watts, in the same 246 x 145 x 192 mm cabinet.
- The difference: the iQ1 joins its two speakers with a cable, the iQ2 by radio. The iQ2 also comes in seven finishes to the iQ1's two.
- Both take a turntable, a TV and a computer: moving magnet phono, HDMI eARC, optical, RCA, USB-C and USB-A.
- The iQ1 is the cheapest 270 watt powered pair we list. The next one is the iQ2.
What the 400 dollars actually buys
PSB is unusually clear about this in its launch release. The iQ1 "uses a wired stereo cable" between the primary and secondary speaker. The iQ2 "uses a low-latency wireless link to stereo pair the left and right speakers together". That is the headline difference, and everything else is small.
| Spec | PSB iQ1 | PSB iQ2 |
|---|
| Price, pair | 999 dollars | 1,399 dollars |
| Link between the speakers | Cable | Wireless |
| Finishes | 2, vinyl | 7, painted or walnut veneer |
| Total system power | 270 W | 270 W |
| Amplifier per woofer | 90 W | 90 W |
| Amplifier per tweeter | 45 W, one two-channel amplifier | 45 W, one amplifier each |
| Drivers | 100 mm polypropylene mid-bass, 19 mm aluminium dome tweeter |
| Bass, +/- 3 dB | 64 Hz, and 35 Hz at -10 dB |
| Size, H x W x D | 246 x 145 x 192 mm |
| Weight, pair | 7.36 kg |
| Inputs | HDMI eARC, optical, RCA, moving magnet phono, USB-C, USB-A, subwoofer output |
| Streaming | BluOS, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive |
The iQ2 in Sandstone Beige. Both iQ models have a moving magnet phono input, so a turntable plugs straight in.
The tweeter amplifiers are the only other real change. On the iQ1 both tweeters run from one two-channel amplifier; on the iQ2 each tweeter has its own. Same 45 watts either way.
| FEATURE and SPECS COMPARISON | |  |  |
| Model | PSB iQ2 | PSB iQ1 |
| Speaker Type | Powered Bookshelf | Powered Bookshelf |
| Enclosure Type | Ported | Ported |
| Driver Setup | 2-way | 2-way |
| Max Power (RMS) | 270 watts | 270 watts |
| Tweeter | 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter | 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter |
| Woofer | 1 x 4" Polypropylene Woofer | 1 x 4" Polypropylene Woofer |
| Frequency Range / Low | 64Hz | 64Hz |
| Frequency Range / High | 20kHz | 20kHz |
| Available Colors | Black, White, Ember Red, Boreal Green, Granite Grey, Sandstone Beige, Walnut Veneer | Black, White |
| Phono Input | | |
| Height | 246.0mm | 246.0mm |
| Width | 145.0mm | 145.0mm |
| Depth | 192.0mm | 192.0mm |
| Weight | 7.36kg | 7.36kg |
| MSRP(pair) | 1399USD | 999USD |
| Check Current Price | Amazon | Amazon |
Be clear about what "wireless" means here. Both speakers still need mains power, so the iQ2 removes one cable between the speakers and no other. If the two boxes sit on the same sideboard, that cable is a non-issue and the iQ1 is the same system for 400 dollars less. If they have to sit either side of a room, or on stands with nowhere to hide a wire, the iQ2 is the one that solves your problem.
It is the Alpha iQ, with half again as much amplifier
The iQ series is not built from nothing. PSB says it uses the same acoustic platform as the Alpha iQ, and our rows show how literally that is meant: the same 246 x 145 x 192 mm cabinet, the same driver sizes, the same 64 Hz bass limit and the same 7.36 kg per pair.
What changed is the amplifier. The Alpha iQ runs 30 watts to each tweeter and 60 to each woofer, 180 watts in total. The iQ pair runs 45 and 90, for 270. PSB credits a new Burr Brown Class-D platform with dual power supplies.
| Spec | Alpha iQ, 2022 | iQ2, 2026 |
|---|
| Price, pair | 1,499 dollars | 1,399 dollars |
| Total power | 180 W | 270 W |
| Bluetooth | aptX HD | aptX Adaptive |
| Analogue inputs | 3.5 mm, phono | RCA, phono |
| USB audio | Not listed | USB-C and USB-A |
| Finishes | 5 | 7 |
| Speaker link | Cable | Wireless |
So the newer speaker is 100 dollars cheaper than the older one was, with 50 percent more power. PSB has not said the Alpha iQ is discontinued, but every one of its five finishes reads as sold out on PSB's own store today, and the iQ2 is plainly its replacement.
The iQ1 in Black, the only other finish it comes in. Stands are extra, at 479 dollars a pair.
Where these sit among the powered speakers we list
We list 102 powered stereo pairs. Twenty six have a phono input for a turntable, and fifteen of those also have HDMI for a TV. That set of fifteen is the real competition, because it is the group that can be somebody's whole system:
The iQ1 is the cheapest powered pair in our whole database rated at 270 watts or more. The next one up is the iQ2, and after that the jump is to the ELAC Navis ARB-51 at 1,998 dollars. Watts are not sound quality, and a 4 inch woofer in a small box is still a 4 inch woofer in a small box. But headroom is the thing cheap powered speakers usually run out of first.
For readers who put the Alpha iQ next to something else here, the speaker it gets compared with most is the KEF LSX II, then PSB's own passive-plus-amp alternatives and the KEF LS50 Wireless II.
Where the iQ is hard to justify
400 dollars for a radio link and paint. That is the whole iQ2 case over the iQ1. The cabinets, drivers, amplifier power, inputs and streaming are identical. If your two speakers sit within a cable's reach of each other, the iQ1 is the same system.
64 Hz is the bass limit. PSB quotes 35 Hz at -10 dB, which is the number you see in room, not flat response. Both models have a subwoofer output with DSP filters, and most people will end up using it.
The iQ1 came late and in two colours. The iQ2 has been on sale since June, the iQ1 only since 10 August, and the iQ1 is Black or White vinyl. Choosing on looks means choosing the dearer one.
PSB's two product pages do not tell you any of this. The iQ1 and iQ2 pages carry word for word the same specification table, with no mention of wired or wireless. Only the launch release and the series page say which is which. If you compare the product pages alone, the 400 dollars looks like nothing at all.
The back of both speakers. The primary one (right) carries HDMI eARC, optical, RCA, phono, USB-C, USB-A, a subwoofer output and Ethernet.
Being straight about our own data: both rows came in with the wrong depth, 250.8 mm and 244.5 mm against PSB's 192 mm, and with PSB's shipping weight of 8.26 kg where the net 7.36 kg belongs. Neither row recorded the wired or wireless link, which is the only thing separating the two models. All of that is fixed. While checking, the Alpha iQ row turned out to say it has no Wi-Fi, which is nonsense for a BluOS streaming speaker, and its size line printed a minus sign in the middle. Both corrected.
PSB iQ2 Powered Bookshelf Speaker Key Specs
- 2-way Bass Reflex Design
- 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 1 x 4" Polypropylene Woofer
- 64-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 270-watt RMS Class D Type Integrated Amplifier
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192 kHz Max Sample Rate
- Built-in Bluetooth
- HDMI eARC Input
- Phono Input
- Wired Subwoofer Output
- Weight:16.20 lbs / 7.36 kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 9.7" x 5.7" x 7.6" / 246.0 x 145.0 x 192.0mm
- Read the Review
Questions answered
What is the difference between the PSB iQ1 and iQ2?
The iQ1 connects its two speakers with a cable and the iQ2 connects them wirelessly. The iQ2 also comes in seven finishes against two, and gives each tweeter its own amplifier rather than sharing a two-channel one. Drivers, cabinet, total power, inputs and streaming are the same.
How much do the PSB iQ1 and iQ2 cost?
The iQ1 is 999 dollars a pair in Black or White. The iQ2 is 1,399 dollars in six colours, or 1,499 for the Premium Walnut Veneer, which PSB says arrives in November 2026.
Do the PSB iQ speakers work with a turntable?
Yes. Both have a moving magnet phono input, so a turntable with an MM cartridge plugs straight in with no separate phono stage. They also take HDMI eARC from a TV, optical, RCA, USB-C and USB-A.
Is the iQ2 a replacement for the PSB Alpha iQ?
PSB has not used that word, but it is built on the same acoustic platform, it is 100 dollars cheaper than the Alpha iQ's 1,499 dollar price, and it has 270 watts against 180. The Alpha iQ is currently sold out in all five finishes on PSB's own store.
How much power do the PSB iQ speakers have?
270 watts in total for the pair: 90 watts to each woofer and 45 watts to each tweeter. That makes the iQ1 the cheapest powered stereo pair in our database rated at 270 watts or more.
So which way would you go: the iQ1 and 400 dollars left for a subwoofer, or the iQ2 because the cable between two speakers is exactly the thing you are trying to get rid of?
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