To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved storiesRyan WaniataIf you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED8/10You may not have heard of PSB, but the Canadian-based audio company has been doing its thing for nearly 50 years now. With all that practice focused on a space-conscious product line, it’s no wonder the brand has mastered the art of creating big sound in small packages.Even so, the Alpha IQ powered speakers surprise, offering enough muscle and presence to fill small-to-medium-size rooms with excellent sound, no amp required. The IQ have much more up their sleeves, too, with connections for all your gear alongside Sonos-like multi-room streaming in high-resolution with Bluesound.There are some quirks to using the system, not to mention a pretty hefty price tag. But if you’re looking for a versatile pair of hi-fi streaming speakers, the Alpha IQ are a great option.Standing less than 10 inches tall and 6 inches wide, the Alpha IQ seem shockingly small when you unbox them, giving an impression, false though it may be, that they’ll struggle to usher forth convincing audio performance. The 4-inch polypropylene mid-bass drivers are set above the .75-inch tweeters for a distinctive configuration that allows them to be set on higher shelves and desktops alongside regular Speaker stands and TV consoles.The pair we received arrived with a fair few scuffs along their matte exteriors, suggesting they’d been driven hard and put away wet. Their design feels a bit more blue-collar than even some cheaper options like SVS’ Prime Wireless Pro, looking more like computer speakers than bookshelves. But touches like a topside control bar and aluminum lines behind the baffles add some style points, and their minimalism grew on me over time. I also love that each speaker requires only a wall outlet, with no need for a connecting wire between them, let alone an amplifier.With a wide range of available inputs, from HDMI eARC to a turntable input complete with a moving-magnet cartridge, it’s easy to connect all your source devices to the primary speaker’s backside. But first, you’ll want to download Bluesound’s BlueOS app to get the system connected and ready to stream.Perhaps because my review model saw some wear and tear ahead of arrival, I had some difficulty getting the left speaker to find my network at first. The flashing green light indicated a need for a factory reset, which meant digging up a paperclip to push in the reset button and going through some rigmarole—so much for Sonos-like simplicity.Once done, the speakers proved to be extremely stable on my network no matter what I played. There are a lot of ways to stream, whether you go directly from the app with services like Spotify, Amazon Music, or Bluesound’s Radio Paradise (Apple Music isn’t supported), or via AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, or Tidal Connect. There’s also Bluetooth with aptX HD, but you’ll need to stream over Wi-Fi to get the benefit of the Alpha IQ’s 24-bit/192-kHz max resolution.PSB Alpha IQRating: 8/10If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIREDGiven that there’s no included remote, it’s imperative that you master the BlueOS app for basic controls, which can take some time (and practice).For example, the Alpha IQ’s HDMI ARC connection lets you control volume with your TV remote, but by default, the speakers won’t automatically switch to the TV input when you turn it on like most devices. After doing some digging on the Bluesound website, I discovered you need to dive into the device input settings and turn on Auto Sense under HDMI ARC to make this work. It’s actually an additive feature, letting you decide between auto and manual source switching—but it’s not exactly intuitive.Another oddity: When I used the speakers with the Sony A80J TV I was reviewing, turning off the TV put the speakers into Mute mode rather than Standby (they’re designed to stay powered on), which meant their blue LED flashed incessantly until I switched inputs. After connecting with PSB and trying another TV, this time the Hisense U8K, it appears this is an issue with the Sony sending a mute signal when powered off. PSB did suggest a fix that involves using the optical connection with Auto Sense, which will wake the speakers when sound is played, but then you’ll also have to go into the TV settings to program the TV remote to control the speakers without HDMI ARC.There are a lot of other settings to futz with in BlueOS, which may be challenging for tech novices. However, the ability to connect the speakers in a multi-room audio system with up to 64 other Bluesound devices makes this an extremely capable system. The wide range of features is impressive, letting you customize the speakers more than most competitors and, if you have the budget, fill your whole house with accessible hi-fi sound.Once you’re up and running, the most apparent, and frankly astonishing, trait of the Alpha IQ’s performance is just how full and powerful they are considering their diminutive profile. That all starts with the bass.PSB Alpha IQRating: 8/10If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIREDThanks to ported cabinets, well-designed drivers, and cleverly leveraged digital signal processing (DSP), these speakers sound way bigger than I expected. They’re able to reproduce rich and relatively musical midbass with minimal bloating, and even some sub-bass as well, pushing deep down toward their claimed 64-Hz frequency response with authority.On top of that is a warm and smooth upper register with sneaky good detail and definition. You’ll get reedy woodwinds, crunchy distorted guitars, clear and full vocals, and textured, papery percussion that pops around the stereo image with an effortless sense of lyricism.The soundstage is expansive considering the Alpha IQ’s size, with good balance and enough directionality to tug at your ears when instruments or effects are pushed out to the sides. A clear center image lends great presence to vocals and dialog alike, creating a well-defined collage of sound that works for everything from jazz and electro-pop to dramas and sitcoms.As usual, I recommend adding a subwoofer into the mix if you’re after palpable cinematic spectacle. There’s really no other way to dig up the guttural punch of explosions, starship engines, and other thunderous effects. But unlike a lot of smaller bookshelves, with the Alpha IQ a subwoofer is more luxury than necessity. Especially for compact living rooms, these unassuming cubes may well be all you need to liven up your sonic adventures.You are paying a premium for the Alpha IQ’s feature-rich app and multi-room audio skills. If you don’t need all that, you can score some extra style points and more fluid transparency in KEF’s lovely LSX II (9/10, WIRED Recommends). They’re some of our favorite powered speakers, and at the time of writing, they’re on a fire sale at $1,000. SVS’ Prime Wireless are another excellent option, offering similar input options, a lovely aesthetic, and dynamic sound at well under $1,000. At this price, you can even get into larger, extremely capable options like Klipsch’s The Sevens (8/10, WIRED Recommends), though you’ll be giving up Wi-Fi connection in the trade.If you like the idea of a system that grows with your needs, and you don’t mind putting in some time to learn the basics, the PSB Alpha IQ are a great option, offering features and performance that exceed their tiny size in spades.PSB Alpha IQRating: 8/10If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIREDSimon LucasMore From WIREDContact© 2023 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. 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