PSB Alpha SubZero i 8″ Powered Subwoofer – 260W Peak

$225.00

The PSB Alpha SubZero i powered subwoofer, with an 8-inch driver, 100 watts continuous (260 watts peak) on board and a slotted front port. Choose your finish below.

✔️ 8-inch driver, 100 W continuous and 260 W peak
✔️ Front-mounted volume and crossover, line-level and speaker-level inputs
✔️ Covered by Radique Warranty
✔️ Includes Perpetual Trade-Back Program eligibility
✔️ Expertly packed for safe shipping

Description

The PSB Alpha SubZero i powered subwoofer, with an 8-inch driver, 100 watts continuous (260 watts peak) on board and a slotted front port.

What it is

The SubZero i was the second-generation SubZero, designed by Paul Barton for PSB’s Alpha Series, the line built on the idea of performance well beyond its price. As Barton put it: “The Alpha idea of providing performance far beyond what you expect at the price has special impact here.”

It was a considerable upgrade over the original SubZero. It has twice the continuous power (100 watts against 50), and a re-engineered 8-inch driver with a polypropylene cone, a 1½-inch (38 mm) voice coil for high continuous output without thermal compression, and an oversized rubber surround for long cone travel. Its slotted front port has almost double the cross-section of the original’s, for more output with very low port noise, and it reaches deeper, down to 36 Hz (−3 dB), with useful output to 32 Hz. Improved overload protection watches long stretches of average power as well as short peaks, and the driver’s magnet is shielded, so the sub can sit right next to a TV.

The volume and crossover controls are on the front of the cabinet, so you can fine-tune the bass without pulling the sub away from the wall. The crossover is variable from 50 to 150 Hz with a steep 24 dB-per-octave Linkwitz-Riley filter, and a Crossover Bypass switch hands that job to an AV receiver’s own bass management when you use its subwoofer (LFE) output. Gold-plated RCA line-level inputs take a receiver’s subwoofer output or a stereo line-level pair. For an amplifier or receiver with no subwoofer output, speaker-level inputs on 5-way binding posts take bare wire, spades, pins or banana plugs; we recommend our own Radique Audio gold-plated banana plugs, and our Custom Speaker Cable Builder will make a pair to length, ready to plug in. A 0/180° phase switch helps it blend smoothly with your main speakers, and the power cord is removable.

Choose your unit

Pick a finish above to see that unit’s photos, condition and details.

Real PSB bass from a compact 8-inch cabinet, ready to plug into your system.

Available for pickup in Kanata, or shipped across Canada and internationally — we have sent equipment to fifteen countries in the past year, each piece packed in-house in 275 lb test double-wall boxes. Live shipping rates for your address are calculated at checkout. Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Available for audition by appointment in Kanata.

PSB Alpha SubZero i Specifications

  • Type: powered subwoofer, 8″ driver, slotted front port, magnetically shielded
  • Driver: 8″ (203 mm) polypropylene cone, rubber surround, 38 mm (1½″) voice coil
  • Amplifier: Class AB with discrete MOSFET output devices; 100 W continuous, 130 W dynamic, 260 W peak
  • Frequency response: 36–150 Hz (±3 dB)
  • Low-frequency cutoff: 32 Hz (−10 dB)
  • Crossover: variable 50–150 Hz, 24 dB/octave Linkwitz-Riley low-pass, with Crossover Bypass for LFE use
  • Inputs: gold-plated RCA line-level/LFE inputs; speaker-level inputs on 5-way binding posts
  • Controls: front-mounted volume and crossover; 0/180° phase, Crossover Bypass, On-Standby/Off power switch
  • Power cord: removable
  • Dimensions: (Width x Height x Depth) 9.6 x 14.1 x 14.5 inches (244 x 359 x 368 mm), height including feet
  • Weight: approx. 23 lbs (10.5 kg)

🔊 Subwoofer Cable

This subwoofer takes a line-level feed on RCA. Our Gold Series Subwoofer Cable is a shielded lead built for exactly that run, in stock and ready to go. For the speaker-level inputs, our Custom Speaker Cable Builder makes a pair to length. 👉

✅ Buy With Confidence — The Radique Promise

Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program. When you’re ready to move on, we’ll take it back. That’s the Radique difference.

📦 Watch how we protect your gear — our unboxing video.

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📞 Questions? Use the Ask a Question button above, or call us at 613-416-9995.

Additional information
Weight27 lbs
Dimensions13.6 × 17.9 × 18.3 in
FinishBlack, Maple
About brand
PSB at Radique
We service PSB, too. Bring us your own PSB speakers and subwoofers, including Image tweeter replacements for repair, servicing or restoration (speakers up to 80 lbs each), with a 90-day warranty on the work. See our Audio Service page

PSB began in the summer of 1972 in St. Jacobs, Ontario, where Paul Barton and two high-school friends started building speakers. The name stands for Paul and Sue Barton. PSB says every speaker it makes is voiced in the National Research Council's anechoic chambers here in Ottawa. We carry PSB towers, bookshelf speakers, centre channels and subwoofers. We've had more than 440 PSB listings so far, covering nearly 90 different models, second only to our other big Canadian brand, Paradigm. Every used PSB here is inspected, tested and serviced as required, then photographed in-house and covered by our Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Don't see the model you want? Tell us on First Dibs and we'll email you when one arrives.

Our five best-selling PSB models so far: the Alpha Intro LR bookshelf speakers, the Image 8C centre, the Image 4T towers, the Alpha SubZero i subwoofer and the Alpha B bookshelf speakers.

The PSB story, 1972 to today

Paul Barton founded PSB in St. Jacobs, Ontario, in the summer of 1972 with two high-school friends, and named it for himself and Sue Barton, his high-school sweetheart and now his wife. PSB stayed in St. Jacobs for about its first eight years.

The Ottawa connection. In 1973 or 1974 (sources differ) PSB's Beta II caught the attention of Dr. Floyd Toole at the National Research Council in Ottawa, and Barton has used the NRC's Ottawa facilities since 1974. PSB says every speaker it makes is still voiced in the NRC's anechoic chambers.

Lenbrook and Stratus. The Lenbrook Group of Pickering, Ontario bought PSB in the mid-1980s (PSB's own timeline says 1985), and PSB is now based in Pickering. The Stratus series began in the late 1980s, and Stereophile first reviewed the Stratus Gold in 1991.

Alpha, Image and beyond. The budget Alpha launched in 1991, and more than 50,000 pairs had sold by 2000. The Image series replaced the Century series in 1999, the Platinum flagship followed in 2002, then Synchrony in 2007 and Imagine in 2008. PSB marked its 50th anniversary in 2022 with the Passif 50.

Which PSB is which?

Early models (1970s and 1980s): the Beta II, Avanté II, Passif II and Project B2, then the R series after the Lenbrook purchase.

Stratus (late 1980s to the 2000s): the upper line, including the Mini, Silver, Gold and Gold i. The Gold is a three-way with a 10" woofer.

Alpha (1991 to today): the entry line, including the Alpha A/V, Alpha B, Alpha B1 and later the Alpha P5. Our best-selling Alpha Intro LR and Alpha B come from this family.

Image (1999 to the 2010s): one step above Alpha. Our best-selling Image 8C centre and Image 4T towers come from this family.

Platinum (2002), Synchrony (2007) and Imagine (2008): the higher lines of the 2000s.

SubSeries and SubZero: PSB's powered subwoofers, such as the Alpha SubZero i we sell often.

Buying used PSB: what to check

Where it was made. Lines launched from about 2008 onward, such as Imagine and later Image and Alpha models, were made in China. Check the label before calling an older PSB "made in Canada"; spec sheets from the 1990s list only the Pickering address.

Amplifier load. The Stratus Gold and Gold i have a 4-ohm nominal impedance, and owners say Stratus models want an amplifier with plenty of current.

Image tweeters. On Image series speakers, check that every tweeter works and sounds as bright as its partner. A dim or dead tweeter is a frequent point of failure on that line. We sell a new Peerless 1" replacement tweeter that drops straight in (Image 1B, 2B, 4T, 5T, 8C, 10S and more) and is more robust than the original, and we can install it while you wait.

Drivers. Owners report occasional woofer failures on older towers. Listen to each driver on its own.

Surrounds. Many PSB woofers, such as the Platinum T8's, use rubber surrounds rather than foam, but press gently on any woofer surround to check it.

Everything we list is inspected, tested and serviced as required here, and comes with our warranty.