PSB has announced the immediate availability of two affordable, powered desktop speakers, the Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5.

Both new models are founded on the Canadian firm’s near-50-year heritage and, most notably, the Alpha P3 and P5 passive speakers introduced last year. 

The Alpha range itself is also nearing a big milestone: it was launched in 1991 and soon became a well-received budget speaker range around the world. Now, practically 30 years later, the powered AM3 and AM5 are here promising a natural sound, minimalist design, affordable price – and, the inherent sell for powered speakers, no need for external amplification.

The AM3 (pictured top) is billed as a “compact home music system that connects to virtually any device, wired or wirelessly, and delivers bold stereo sound for everything you enjoy, from vinyl to music streaming”. 

The AM3 powered speakers feature 4in black steel polypropylene mid/bass drivers and 0.75in aluminium ferrofluid-cooled tweeters. With a built-in phono preamp you can connect a turntable without extra components or gear, while still being able to stream music from any app or device with aptX HD Bluetooth built-in.

You also get a rear mounted volume control, a subwoofer output and aux inputs. And there’s several sound modes onboard for accentuating dialogue, soundstage and more.

The difference between the Alpha AM3 and AM5 (pictured above) lies in the size of the woofer, the amplification power, and the cabinet size. While both models utilise PSB’s 0.75-in aluminium dome tweeter with Neodymium magnet, the AM5 features a slightly larger, 5.25in woofer. The AM5 packs 50 watts of class D amplification into each channel, while the AM3’s power figure is 35 watts.

The PSB Alpha AM3 (£299, €399) and Alpha AM5 (£399, €599) are available now in either a matte white or matte black finish.

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