PSB Alpha T20 vs PSB P3 Comparison

Speaker to replace

Change

PSB Alpha T20

Passive Floor-standing | 36-21k Hz

Check price atAmazon›

Change

PSB P3

Passive Bookshelf | 57-21k Hz

Check price atAmazon›

PSB Alpha T20

Check price atAmazon›

PSB P3

Check price atAmazon›

PSB Alpha T20

See at AMAZON

PSB P3

See at AMAZON

PSB Alpha T20 vs PSB P3 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by PSB. PSB Alpha T20 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Alpha P3 is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of PSB Alpha T20 and PSB P3 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	PSB Alpha T20	PSB P3
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	0.75" Dome	0.75" Hard-Dome
Woofer	2 x 5.25" Polypropylene	4.5" Polypropylene
Frequency response	36-21k Hz	57-21k Hz
Sensitivity	90 dB	87 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	15-120 watts	10-80 watts
Weight	11.89kg / 26.2lbs	2.23kg / 4.9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	34-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 9-13/16" 869.0 x 212.0 x 250.0mm	8-3/4" x 5-3/16" x 7-5/16" 223.0 x 132.0 x 186.0mm

Alpha T20 and Alpha P3 are members of PSB's Alpha series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

PSB Alpha Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
PSB P3	Bookshelf	57-21k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	1 x 4.5"
PSB Alpha T20	Floor-standing	36-21k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
PSB P5	Bookshelf	55-21k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.25"
PSB Alpha C10	Center Channel	55-21k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"

What size room are the PSB Alpha T20 and PSB P3 speakers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:

Listening Environment*	PSB Alpha T20	PSB P3
Near-field	Bad	Average
Small Room	Poor	Good
Mid-size Room	Good	Average
Large Room	Good	Poor
Very Large Room	Poor	Bad

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m², Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m², Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m², Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m². Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both Alpha T20 and Alpha P3 are 2-way speakers.

PSB Alpha T20

PSB P3

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	PSB Alpha T20	PSB P3
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	0.75-inch	0.75-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 5.25-inch	1 x 4.5-inch

Alpha T20 features a 0.75" anodized aluminum with front waveguide Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the Alpha P3 features a 0.75" anodized aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3000Hz.

Frequency Response

Alpha T20 has a frequency range of 36-21k Hz whereas Alpha P3 has a frequency range of 57-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Alpha T20 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Alpha P3's min frequency of 57Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.

Low Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Alpha T20

Alpha P3

Min

Average

Median

Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

Alpha T20 and Alpha P3 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Alpha T20 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Alpha P3's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the PSB Alpha T20 a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB P3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Alpha T20

Alpha P3

Min

Average

Median

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.

Alpha T20 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas Alpha P3 has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the Alpha T20.

Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays on a real amplifier.

Which plays louder on your amplifier?

Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are considering, and watch both numbers move.

Amplifier — change this

Distance

Playing as

PSB Alpha T20

PSB P3

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Alpha T20 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Alpha P3 has a 5-way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

PSB Alpha T20's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

PSB P3's 5-way post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Alpha T20 and Alpha P3 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.

If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.

Physical Specs

The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare PSB Alpha T20's and PSB P3's external dimensions. PSB Alpha T20 has external dimensions of 869.0 x 212.0 x 250.0mm (34-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 9-13/16inch) whereas PSB P3 has external dimensions of 223.0 x 132.0 x 186.0mm (8-3/4 x 5-3/16 x 7-5/16inch).

PSB Alpha T20 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 80mm wider, 646mm taller and 64mm deeper than PSB P3.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Alpha T20 and PSB P3 in scale.

Comparison image of PSB Alpha T20 and PSB P3 Size and External Dimensions

Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited. The base surface area of the PSB Alpha T20 is approximately 530.0cm² / 82.2inch² and base area of the PSB P3 is approximately 245.5cm² / 38.1inch². The Alpha T20 requires 116% more surface area than the Alpha P3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of PSB Alpha T20?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Alpha T20:

2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
2 Grilles
8 Rubber feet
8 Spike feet
8 Hex-nuts
Quick Start Guide
Warranty Card

What's in the Box of PSB P3?

Here are the items that come with the Alpha P3:

2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
2 Grilles
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
Quick Start Guide
Warranty Card

Reasons to choose PSB Alpha T20 over PSB Alpha P3

Max Input Power	120 watts vs 80 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	90 dB vs 87 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	5.25 inches vs 4.5 inches	Larger woofer
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	36 Hz vs 57 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

Reasons to choose PSB Alpha P3 over PSB Alpha T20

Height	223mm vs 869mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	245cm² vs 530cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	279USD vs 799USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

PSB Alpha T20 vs PSB P3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	PSB Alpha T20	PSB Alpha P3
Brand	PSB	PSB
Speaker Type	Floor-standing speaker	Bookshelf speakers
Power Range	15-120 watts	10-80 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	87 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	n/a	4 ohms
Frequency Response	36-21k Hz	57-21k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	5.25"	4.5"
Woofer Composition	Polypropylene	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	0.75"	0.75"
Tweeter Type	Dome	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	2500Hz	3000Hz
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	869.0mm (34.2")	223.0mm (8.8")
Width	212.0mm (8.3")	132.0mm (5.2")
Depth	250.0mm (9.8")	186.0mm (7.3")
Weight	11.89kg (26.2lbs)	2.23kg (4.9lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF, Wood-grain vinyl	MDF, Wood-grain vinyl
Available Colors	Black	Walnut,Black Ash
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Recommended Stand Height	n/a	28-30"
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in PSB's Alpha series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	PSB Alpha T20 digs deeper - 36Hz against 57Hz.
Amplifier needs	A	PSB Alpha T20 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	A	PSB Alpha T20 takes more power (120W vs 80W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	PSB P3 is easier to place; PSB Alpha T20 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Floor-standing against a Passive Bookshelf - a different job rather than a better one.
Expandability	A	PSB Alpha T20: bi-amping.
Price	B	PSB P3 is cheaper - $279 against $799, about 65% less; arguably a different class.

A PSB Alpha T20 B PSB P3
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

The usual trade-off: PSB Alpha T20 measures better, PSB P3 costs about 65% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 57Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper PSB P3 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate PSB Alpha T20 the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and PSB P3 for near-field listening and a small room.

And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.