In this review, we will be comparing Imagine X2T and Bronze 500, 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 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Imagine X2T | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|---|
| 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 8" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-23k Hz | 32-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 60-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-1/8" x 9" x 16-3/4"
1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm | 38-7/16" x 11-9/16" x 14-3/8"
977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Imagine X2T and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 500 |
| 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 500 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 500
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 500 |
|
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 8-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 500 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer.
Frequency Response
Imagine X2T has a frequency range of 30-23k Hz whereas Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Imagine X2T can go slightly deeper then the Bronze 500's min frequency of 32Hz.
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 500 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though Imagine X2T is rated 20-200 watts and Bronze 500 60-200 watts.
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 500 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 500'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 500 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm (38-7/16 x 11-9/16 x 14-3/8inch).
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is 43mm shorter and 60mm less deeper than PSB Imagine X2T but it is also 65mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Imagine X2T and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Imagine X2T and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2. The Imagine X2T requires 9% less surface area than the Bronze 500 which gives it a small advantage 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 500 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs. This makes the Imagine X2T 31% heavier than the Bronze 500.
Here is a comparison of how Imagine X2T and Bronze 500'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 500?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 500:
- 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
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
975cm2
vs
1076cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
977mm
vs
1020mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1496USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Imagine X2T |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Brand |
PSB |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
60-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-23k Hz |
32-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.2" |
8" |
| 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") |
977.0mm (38.5") |
| Width |
229.0mm (9") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Depth |
426.0mm (16.8") |
366.0mm (14.4") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
| 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 500 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 32Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | PSB Imagine X2T: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Bronze 500: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. Monitor Audio Bronze 500 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,500 vs $1,496 a pair). |
A PSB Imagine X2T B Monitor Audio Bronze 500
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?
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does.
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.