Short answer: the PSB Imagine T65 for better sound quality, the ELAC DF63 for the lower price. The PSB Imagine T65 ranks #26 of 56 floorstanding speakers at $2699. The ELAC DF63 ranks #27 at $649, $2050 cheaper.
What the PSB Imagine T65 offers: Three-way design with dual 6.5” woven carbon fiber woofers delivers genuinely strong, extended low end for a $2,699 tower - among the better performers Erin has measured in this price class. Watch for: Noticeable dip in the midrange/crossover region that Erin flagged as affecting dialogue and vocal clarity, though he notes a couple bands of EQ smooths it out.
What the ELAC DF63 gets right: Three-driver floorstanding layout: two 6” dedicated midbase drivers plus a separate 6” mid-range driver (confirmed by measuring different driver impedance/inductance) and a 1” dome tweeter. The catch: A genuine measured resonance around 200-300Hz (visible in frequency response, impedance, and group delay) causes an audible “droning” coloration on female vocals.
Buy the PSB Imagine T65 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the ELAC DF63 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| PSB Imagine T65 | ELAC DF63 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,699 | $649.00 |
| Ranked | #26 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #27 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Drivers | 1" titanium dome tweeter, 5.25" woven carbon fiber midrange, 2x 6.5" woven carbon fiber woofers | Two 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 6.5" Aramid Fiber midrange, 1" Aluminum Dome tweeter |
| Crossovers | 600Hz & 2000Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley | - |
| Dimensions | 38-13/16"H x 8-3/8"W x 13.5"D (986 x 213 x 343mm) | 43.1"H x 7.7"W x 10.6"D (1094.7 x 195.6 x 269.2 mm) |
| Weight | 44 lbs each | 58.2 lbs / 26.4 kg each |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum measured by Erin’s Audio Corner; manufacturer specifies 4 ohms minimum) | 6 ohms nominal (3.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 20-200W | - |
| Bass Reflex | Dual rear slot ports, individual woofer chambers | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 71Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Frequency Response | 28Hz - 20kHz (±1.5dB, manufacturer specified) | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, rear |
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- Revel F206 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- Q Acoustics 5040 vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Klipsch Heresy IV
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Infinity Primus 360
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Polk Reserve R500
The Two Speakers In Full
PSB Imagine T65: $2,699 The Audio Factory
Pros: Three-way design with dual 6.5” woven carbon fiber woofers delivers genuinely strong, extended low end for a $2,699 tower - among the better performers Erin has measured in this price class. Distortion shows a clean second-order character with clear separation from third-order all the way up to 96 dB, indicating a well-controlled motor. Compression data shows enhancement rather than compression below about 50-60 Hz, so the bass can sound louder as you turn it up rather than choking off. Wide, forgiving vertical listening window (about ±25°) thanks to the 3-way layout, giving more seating and placement flexibility than most towers. Plenty of dynamic headroom for home theater use or a two-channel system - 100W drove it comfortably in Erin’s room.
Cons: Noticeable dip in the midrange/crossover region that Erin flagged as affecting dialogue and vocal clarity, though he notes a couple bands of EQ smooths it out. Some horizontal dispersion mismatch (about 10-15° of ballooning between 1-3 kHz) between the midrange and tweeter can add extra perceived attack or detail if your room’s sidewalls are reflective. Dips to 4 ohms, so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving a 4-ohm load. Distortion climbs above 3% around 60 Hz at 96 dB, though it’s benign second-order distortion.
Full PSB Imagine T65 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Reflex | Dual rear slot ports, individual woofer chambers |
| Crossovers | 600Hz & 2000Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley |
| Dimensions | 38-13/16"H x 8-3/8"W x 13.5"D (986 x 213 x 343mm) |
| Drivers | 1" titanium dome tweeter, 5.25" woven carbon fiber midrange, 2x 6.5" woven carbon fiber woofers |
| Frequency Response | 28Hz - 20kHz (±1.5dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum measured by Erin's Audio Corner; manufacturer specifies 4 ohms minimum) |
| Recommended Power | 20-200W |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 44 lbs each |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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ELAC DF63: $649.00 Amazon
Pros: Three-driver floorstanding layout: two 6” dedicated midbase drivers plus a separate 6” mid-range driver (confirmed by measuring different driver impedance/inductance) and a 1” dome tweeter, each woofer given its own stuffed chamber inside the cabinet. The dedicated midrange driver keeps distortion low even at higher output, avoiding the intermodulation grain typical of two-way bookshelf designs. The waveguide keeps high-frequency directivity well controlled, and overall horizontal directivity is good up to about 2kHz. Harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, and multitone distortion stays below the reviewer’s 3% threshold. A shallow bass rolloff (F3 71Hz, F10 29Hz) lets it extend fairly low without a hard cutoff. Preferred by the reviewer over the similarly-priced Polk R500 (too much high-frequency narrowing, less neutral) and considered ahead of the Polk R700 as well.
Cons: A genuine measured resonance around 200-300Hz (visible in frequency response, impedance, and group delay) causes an audible “droning” coloration on female vocals. A mild peak around 10kHz makes shakers and similar high-frequency percussion jump too far forward in the mix; needed about 2dB of EQ to tame in testing. A dip in the 1-3kHz range gives the speaker a warm, slightly veiled character - the reviewer suspects the tweeter crossover point (around 2-3kHz) is set a bit high and could be lowered to fill this in. Directivity shows a noticeable handoff mismatch around 2.5kHz where the midrange driver hands off to the tweeter, though it’s minor at the -6dB point. Vertical directivity is narrower than horizontal, so listeners need to stay close to the tweeter axis. Low EPDR (about 1.5 ohms minimum) means a Class AB amplifier should be well-ventilated. Best positioned pointed directly at the listener and closer to the front wall - toeing it out into the room causes too much high-frequency rolloff.
Full ELAC DF63 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 43.1"H x 7.7"W x 10.6"D (1094.7 x 195.6 x 269.2 mm) |
| Drivers | Two 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 6.5" Aramid Fiber midrange, 1" Aluminum Dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 58.2 lbs / 26.4 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons