In this review, we will be comparing Imagine X2T and Bronze 200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PSB and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Imagine X2T and Monitor Audio Bronze 200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Imagine X2T | Monitor Audio Bronze 200 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly | 2 x 5.25" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-23k Hz | 35-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 40-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 12.84kg / 28.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-1/8" x 9" x 16-3/4"
1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm | 36" x 9" x 12-1/8"
915.0 x 229.0 x 308.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Imagine X2T and Monitor Audio Bronze 200 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 X2T |
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Imagine X2T is a 3-way design whereas the Bronze 200 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
PSB Imagine X2TMonitor Audio Bronze 200
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 X2T |
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.2-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Imagine X2T features a 1" titanium with neodymium magnets Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz. On the other hand, the Bronze 200 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" C-CAM Woofer.
Frequency Response
Imagine X2T has a frequency range of 30-23k Hz whereas Bronze 200 has a frequency range of 35-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Imagine X2T can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Bronze 200'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 X2T and Bronze 200 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Imagine X2T sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Bronze 200's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the PSB Imagine X2T a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Bronze 200, 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 X2T can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Bronze 200 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Imagine X2T.
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 X2T and Bronze 200 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Imagine X2T's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 X2T's and Monitor Audio Bronze 200's external dimensions. PSB Imagine X2T has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm (40-1/8 x 9 x 16-3/4inch) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 200 has external dimensions of 915.0 x 229.0 x 308.0mm (36 x 9 x 12-1/8inch).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Imagine X2T and Monitor Audio Bronze 200 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Imagine X2T and Monitor Audio Bronze 200 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 X2T is approximately 975.5cm2 / 151.2inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is approximately 705.3cm2 / 109.3inch2. The Imagine X2T requires 38% more surface area than the Bronze 200 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 X2T weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs and the Monitor Audio Bronze 200 weighs 12.84kg / 28.2lbs. This makes the Imagine X2T 84% heavier than the Bronze 200.
Here is a comparison of how Imagine X2T and Bronze 200'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 X2T?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Imagine X2T:
- Floor-standing speaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spiked Feet
- Wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 200?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 200:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (w/ 4 adjustment dials and locking-nuts)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Large course-thread screws
- 4 Small machine screws
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Hex-key
- Quick Start Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.2 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
915mm
vs
1020mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
705cm2
vs
975cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1150USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Imagine X2T |
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 |
| Brand |
PSB |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
40-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-23k Hz |
35-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.2" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
C-CAM |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
915.0mm (36") |
| Width |
229.0mm (9") |
229.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
426.0mm (16.8") |
308.0mm (12.1") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
12.84kg (28.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain |
MDF/Vinyl |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | PSB Imagine X2T digs deeper - 30Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | PSB Imagine X2T is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | PSB Imagine X2T takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is easier to place; PSB Imagine X2T is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | PSB Imagine X2T: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Bronze 200: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. Monitor Audio Bronze 200 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is cheaper - $1,150 against $1,500, about 23% less. |
A PSB Imagine X2T B Monitor Audio Bronze 200
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?
The usual trade-off: PSB Imagine X2T measures better, Monitor Audio Bronze 200 costs about about 30% more% 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 35Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Monitor Audio Bronze 200 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, PSB Imagine X2T has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.