This is a classic pair of floor-standing speakers which are large and bulky in size. The speaker drivers of the PSB Stratus Gold especially their woofers are really big, 10″ (250mm) to be exact. Furthermore, the front-firing bass port is huge too and it is recommended to give these floor-standers some breathing space. Just based on the speaker cabinet and drivers’ sizes alone, we can certainly expect a powerful bass performance from the Stratus Gold.
The frequency response of the PSB Stratus Gold is from 36Hz-20kHz (+/-1dB), this shows it could really dig deep into the bass extension and deliver some hefty subsonic low frequencies. With enough distance between the floor-standing speakers and the walls, the low-end delivery is rather agile for a loudspeaker of this size. The PSB Stratus Gold has good control over the bass reproduction and doesn’t overshadow the higher registers which is great. As expected, the large floor-stander is able to reach deep into the bass department and produces the low-ends with prominence.
There is a high level of clarity when it comes to the treble and it doesn’t sound harsh when pushed. We were expecting an onslaught of midbass reproductions but instead, we got a surprising revelation where the delivery wasn’t as punchy and impactful as expected. The deep bass delivery has more impact than the midbass performance and if this is okay with you then the PSB Stratus Gold alone will be enough to satisfy you. If you want more mid-bass slam, you can always choose to partner with an MBM subwoofer.
The type of subwoofer to go for will also depend on your own requirements. We will be listing out the usual subwoofer requirements you should consider. This checklist will help with your decision making and we are also planning to list out the best subwoofers which you can choose to match with your PSB Stratus Gold floor-standing speakers.
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Your Subwoofer Requirements
As mentioned earlier, if you want to enhance the midbass performance of your sound system, you should go for the MBM module/sub. The PSB Stratus Gold loudspeakers may be capable of reaching deep into the bass extension but when it comes to 30Hz and below, it will certainly require some help. You might want to work out how deep you want the subwoofer to reach, for instance, down to 20Hz and below. Movie soundtracks would usually reach down to 20Hz bass extension and if you watch movies a lot using the Stratus Gold speakers, we highly suggest going with ported subwoofers.
For listeners who mainly use their PSB Stratus Gold for music playbacks, going with a sealed subwoofer will be a better option. Unless you prefer higher bass output than quality, then you should just stick to a ported subwoofer. We usually recommend going with a subwoofer with a bigger bass driver than your speakers and for this case, you should go for 12″ and above. How large of a subwoofer you require, will also depend on how big your listening room is. The bigger the room, the larger and more powerful sub you will require.
The price range of the subwoofers to aim for will largely depend on your budget and so you should work this out now. If you are facing space constraints, there are subs that have unique cabinet designs that could fit into tight spaces without compromising the bass output. You should add more requirements on your own and you can talk to friends who own a subwoofer so as to get their opinions. It will be cool to walk through as many subwoofer requirements as possible.
Best Subwoofers to pair with PSB Stratus Gold
SVS SB-3000 is a powerful sealed cabinet subwoofer with a 13″ bass driver and will pair well with the PSB Stratus Gold. SB-3000 uses a Sledge STA-800D2 DSP amplifier to generate up to 2500+ Watts of peak power which is enough to handle most bass demands from music playbacks. As a sealed subwoofer, it has tight control over its bass reproduction complementing the PSB Stratus Gold speakers. The SVS SB-3000 is capable of reaching down to 18Hz (+/-3dB) bass extension and will be ideal for movie playbacks too.
More Details at Amazon – SVS SB-3000 13″ Subwoofer
The Rythmik Audio F15HP is another exceptional sealed subwoofer and is one of the best sealed subwoofers to match with the PSB Stratus Gold speakers. It has a 15″ high excursion bass driver and will be ideal for large listening rooms. Using its Direct Servo technology, the Rythmik Audio F15HP is able to deliver a powerful and articulate bass performance which is amazing for music playbacks. The agility of the F15HP is nimble and fast, not to mention, it doesn’t overshadow the PSB Straus Gold speakers’ sound reproduction.
If you are not sure to either go for a ported or a sealed cabinet subwoofer then the SVS PB-2000 Pro will be an excellent choice for you and your PSB Stratus Gold floor-standing speakers. You can switch between “Standard” (Ported) and “Sealed” mode for different playbacks. The SVS PB-2000 Pro in both modes could go below 20Hz (+/-3dB) and it has a peak power of 1500+ Watts. It is certainly powerful enough to be used in a home theater setup and controlled enough to be part of a stereo system.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PB-2000 Pro 12″ Ported Subwoofer
For a more affordable hybrid subwoofer without compromising the sonic performance, you should take a look at the HSU Research VTF-2 MK5. It is a high-quality entry-level hybrid 12″ subwoofer that will match well with the PSB Stratus Gold floor-standing speakers. This is a surprisingly powerful subwoofer for the price, it has up to 1400 Watts of power (short term) and could reach down to 16Hz bass extension with 1 port open. The HSU Research VTF-2 MK5 will be ideal for both music and HT use.
The SVS PC-2000 Pro is an amazing choice for listeners who are facing space constraints. This is a cylinder cabinet ported subwoofer which uses height to reduce footprint while still being able to deliver high bass outputs. To provide even more value to its users and to match well with the PSB Stratus Gold floor-standing speakers, you can switch to “Sealed” mode to get tighter and more agile subsonic bass responses. The SVS PC-2000 Pro may have a unique cabinet design but it still could deliver 20Hz and below subterranean low ends.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PC-2000 Pro 12″ Ported Cylinder Subwoofer
Listeners who are interested in improving the midbass performance by adding more impact and slam should go for midbass modules such as the Rythmik Audio FM8, This is a midbass subwoofer with dual 8″ bass drivers and uses a Class D amplifier to drive 600 Watts of RMS power. The HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 is another fantastic MBM sub with a bigger single 15″ bass driver and has up to 2000 Watts of short term power. Both subwoofers can be switched back to their standard usage, giving you even more flexibility.
To Conclude
Before making the purchase, you should at least audition the potential subwoofer first or better yet have a listen to more than 1 sub. You can easily shortlist the subwoofers from this list based on your requirements. The tough part will be arranging the subwoofer testing in your own listening room together with your PSB Stratus Gold speakers. It will be worth the hassle as this will give you an accurate test result.
