In this review, we will be comparing Imagine X1T and S50, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PSB and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Imagine X1T and Polk S50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Imagine X1T | Polk S50 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Clay/Ceramic/Poly | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-23k Hz | 33-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.30kg / 38.1lbs | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34-1/2" x 8-1/4" x 14-7/8"
877.0 x 210.0 x 378.0mm | 37-7/16" x 10-5/16" x 11-1/16"
951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Imagine X1T and Polk S50 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 Imagine X1T |
Polk S50 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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.
Drivers
Both Imagine X1T and S50 are 2-way speakers.
PSB Imagine X1TPolk S50
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 Imagine X1T |
Polk S50 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Imagine X1T features a 1" titanium with neodymium magnets Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Clay/Ceramic/Poly Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz. On the other hand, the S50 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Imagine X1T has a frequency range of 35-23k Hz whereas S50 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 33Hz, the S50 can go slightly deeper then the Imagine X1T's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
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
Imagine X1T and S50 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Imagine X1T sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the S50's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the PSB Imagine X1T a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk S50, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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.
Imagine X1T can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas S50 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Imagine X1T.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Imagine X1T and S50 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Imagine X1T's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S50's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Imagine X1T has a front firing port whereas S50 has a bottom firing ports. PSB Imagine X1T's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk S50 with its rear-firing port.
Polk S50 Port
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 Imagine X1T's and Polk S50's external dimensions. PSB Imagine X1T has external dimensions of 877.0 x 210.0 x 378.0mm (34-1/2 x 8-1/4 x 14-7/8inch) whereas Polk S50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm (37-7/16 x 10-5/16 x 11-1/16inch).
PSB Imagine X1T is 52mm narrower and 74mm shorter than Polk S50 but it is also 97mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Imagine X1T and Polk S50 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Imagine X1T and Polk S50 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 Imagine X1T is approximately 793.8cm2 / 123.0inch2 and base area of the Polk S50 is approximately 736.2cm2 / 114.1inch2. The Imagine X1T requires 8% more surface area than the S50 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The PSB Imagine X1T weighs 17.30kg / 38.1lbs and the Polk S50 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs. This makes the Imagine X1T 19% heavier than the S50.
Here is a comparison of how Imagine X1T and S50's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of PSB Imagine X1T?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Imagine X1T:
- Floor-standing speaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spiked Feet
- Wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
What's in the Box of Polk S50?
Here are the items that come with the S50:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
877mm
vs
951mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Low Frequency Response |
33 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
736cm2
vs
793cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
1200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Imagine X1T |
Polk Audio Signature S50 |
| Brand |
PSB |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
20-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
35-23k Hz |
33-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1800Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
877.0mm (34.5") |
951.0mm (37.4") |
| Width |
210.0mm (8.3") |
262.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
378.0mm (14.9") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
17.30kg (38.1lbs) |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain |
Meddite MDF |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - PSB Imagine X1T costs roughly 2.4x what Polk S50 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (35Hz vs 33Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | PSB Imagine X1T takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | PSB Imagine X1T: bi-amping; Polk S50: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Polk S50 is cheaper - $498 against $1,200, about 59% less; arguably a different class. |
A PSB Imagine X1T B Polk S50
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
PSB Imagine X1T is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 141% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Polk S50 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the PSB Imagine X1T appeals to you. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $702 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.