In this review, we will be comparing Synchrony T600 and XR100, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PSB and McIntosh.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Synchrony T600 and McIntosh XR100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Synchrony T600 | McIntosh XR100 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | McIntosh
United States · founded 1949 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 2" dome (x2) |
|---|
| Super tweeter | — | 0.75" super tweeter |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 8 x 2.0" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber | 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 24-23k Hz | 30-45k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 75-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs | 31.14kg / 68.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm | 49-13/16" x 11-5/8" x 17"
1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Synchrony T600 and McIntosh XR100 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 Synchrony T600 |
McIntosh XR100 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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 Synchrony T600 is a 3-way design whereas the XR100 is a 4-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 Synchrony T600McIntosh XR100
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 Synchrony T600 |
McIntosh XR100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
4-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
- |
0.75-inch |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
2-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
8 x 2.0-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
4 x 6.0-inch
|
Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the XR100 features a 2" titanium tweeter with neodymium-iron-boron alloy magnet dome (x2) Tweeter, a 0.75" Supertweeter , a 2.0" Midrange and 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ.
Frequency Response
Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz whereas XR100 has a frequency range of 30-45k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the XR100's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Synchrony T600 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the XR100 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Synchrony T600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Synchrony T600 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the XR100's is rated at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the PSB Synchrony T600 a more sensitive speaker compared to McIntosh XR100, 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.
XR100 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Synchrony T600 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 300 watts less than the XR100.
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 Synchrony T600 and XR100 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
McIntosh XR100's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Synchrony T600 and XR100 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 Synchrony T600's and McIntosh XR100's external dimensions. PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch) whereas McIntosh XR100 has external dimensions of 1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm (49-13/16 x 11-5/8 x 17inch).
McIntosh XR100 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 68mm wider, 218mm taller and 89mm deeper than PSB Synchrony T600.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Synchrony T600 and McIntosh XR100 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Synchrony T600 and McIntosh XR100 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 Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2 and base area of the McIntosh XR100 is approximately 1278.7cm2 / 198.2inch2. The Synchrony T600 requires 39% less surface area than the XR100 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 Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs and the McIntosh XR100 weighs 31.14kg / 68.5lbs. This makes the Synchrony T600 12% heavier than the XR100.
Here is a comparison of how Synchrony T600 and XR100'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 Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
What's in the Box of McIntosh XR100?
Here are the items that come with the XR100:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Feet
- 4 Glides
- 4 Tiptoes
- 4 Screws
- Owners Manual
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1266mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
1278cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
8000USD
vs
11000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
4
vs
3
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
45k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
McIntosh XR100 |
| Brand |
PSB |
McIntosh |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
75-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
24-23k Hz |
30-45k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Carbon fiber |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
2" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
dome (x2) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
2.0" |
| Crossover Frequency |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
1266.0mm (49.8") |
| Width |
228.0mm (9") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
343.0mm (13.5") |
432.0mm (17") |
| Weight |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
31.14kg (68.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
Real wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
Red Walnut, Black, Pear Maple |
| 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: PSB Synchrony T600 is the newer design, against a 2017 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 Synchrony T600 digs deeper - 24Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | PSB Synchrony T600 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | McIntosh XR100 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | McIntosh XR100 takes more power (600W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | PSB Synchrony T600 is easier to place; McIntosh XR100 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping; McIntosh XR100: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | PSB Synchrony T600 is cheaper - $8,000 against $11,000, about 27% less. |
A PSB Synchrony T600 B McIntosh XR100
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate McIntosh XR100 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.