Basic PSB Bookshelf Speaker Package Obsessed Garage

I’m calling this our Basic Bookshelf Package for a reason. It’s a simple high-fi setup that’s pretty straightforward. We’re branding it as a basic package, but don’t think for one moment that it’s basic in performance or sound because it’s not. It’s quite incredible.

You’re going to have two options to choose from in this package. You can either go with the PSB P3’s or the PSB P5’s. My pick would be the P5’s. These are the non-powered version PSB’s (no built-in amplifier) with an aluminum tweeter that gives them a brighter sound. You’ll have the choice of two different colors, black or walnut.

When the PSB’s arrived at OGHQ, my initial impression was I wasn’t impressed. This is, of course, before I hooked them up and played them. The lesson learned from that experience was not to judge a speaker by its cabinet. I’m telling you, these speakers sound freaking amazing. I’m still trying to figure out how an inexpensive speaker with aluminum tweeters sounds so good—credit to Paul S. Barton (designer) for making magic.

After you’ve chosen your speaker, you will pick your source component. In this package, it’s going to be the Bluesound Powernode. We have them in white or black. If you want more headroom, mid-range snap, more bottom-end, and smoother highs, adding in the Powernode is the way to go. It’s going to cost you a little extra, but a little extra goes a long way with this setup.

I’ll continue to harp on the Powernode because that’s the difference-maker in this package. It’s a 90-watt x 2 little powerhouse. I ran some inefficient floor-standing speakers (Dynaudio Evoke 50) with this thing, and it sounded really great. 

It’s a Class-D amplifier, which will make it run really cool. So, even if you place it in a locker cabinet or something, it won’t overheat.

You’ll see how easy it is to set this thing up. It’s super simple to do. In this package, you’re getting your speakers (PSB P3 or P5), optional Bluesound Powernode, 50’ of speaker wire, and banana plugs. That’s it. A basic audio package, but so darn good.

You’ll also be getting the BlueOS software with this setup. This technology will allow you to access and stream lossless music up to 24-bit/192kHz using your home network. What’s cool about this is that you can stream music on multiple BlueOS-enabled devices. I have a setup like this in my home, where I can handshake from one streaming player to the next with ease. 

I’ll soon be adding a subwoofer to this package. I’m working to bring in SVS subs, which would be a great addition to these speakers. I heard the PSB subs and didn’t love them. I don’t like the idea of having this setup with a Dynaudio Sub 3  in the garage, either. If you were to add in the Sub 3 with this package, I’d suggest doing that in the house somewhere. The garage just has too much airspace for this subwoofer.

Much research and tons of iterations went into building out even this basic package. Finding the stuff was pretty simple, but bringing it all together took a lot of work. The objective here was to make this audio buying process as seamless as possible. That’s my contribution to the world – simple packages.