PSB Alpha AM5 Powered Loudspeaker Preview

From the eyes of a not-quite-20-year-old; the world of Hi-Fi audio can sometimes be unforgiving to the initiate.

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It takes a degree of knowledge to be able to operate high-end, expensive equipment and tweak it to one’s liking. It has become far more convenient, in recent years, to simply pop in a pair of earbuds while streaming with your smartphone or gravitate to an all-in-one audio solution for home listening. Many enthusiasts claim these concessions to convenience exact a toll in ultimate audio quality. So, how is one meant to provide quality sound to a generation that holds ease of use as paramount? This is the issue that the PSB Alpha AM5 bookshelf speakers aim to remedy. I had the pleasure of talking to the designer of these speakers, Paul Barton, during the writing of this review, and he made it clear that his goal was to eliminate the mystique around Hi-Fi for the younger generation. Ergo, he was excited that someone my age was writing this review since I happen to fall cleanly into his target demographic. Even at a glance, the AM5s appear uncomplicated and easy to understand, which is a good omen for the audiophiles hiding among Generation Z. Look for my review of the PSB Alpha AM5 Powered speakers to publish on the Secrets website soon.

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Peter Lo Raso

As the son of an audiophile and classic rock enthusiast, Peter’s exposure to high fidelity audio equipment began at an early age, when his father, Carlo, outfitted their basement to be a home theater and constantly listened to music in his studio while Peter sat and drew. His taste in music would initially stem from his father’s: comprised of Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, and other household names of classic rock. Peter fondly remembers making a mixed tape with his father that included these pillars of musical history, using an old Sony Walkman. As he grew older, Peter began to branch out to heavier forms of music, such as Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Saxon, Dio, Black Sabbath ... then on to doom and psych metal such as Sleep, Elder, Kyuss, The Sword, and the Melvins. The music only got heavier from there. Peter’s development into a denim-sporting headbanger was accompanied by newfound respect for the higher echelons of audio equipment that he previously regarded as gaudy and unnecessary. He enjoys going to concerts to sweat, thrash, and yell, but also enjoys sitting down with an LP and listening to it front to back, something that seems to have gone missing from the current generation. Peter is also notable for his offbeat sense of humor, a factor that is sure to be present in all he writes.