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PSI Audio A25-M 2021 – New EXD driver technology

PSI Audio A25-M 2021 – According to PSI Audio, it is part of the company tradition to re-examine existing products after some time and to improve them with the new knowledge gained in the meantime. This is also the case with the PSI Audio A25-M, which will be presented in the 2021 generation with new EXD driver technology for absolute precision.


For more than 40 years, the Swiss company Relac SA has been an established player in the field of professional audio solutions, primarily operating in the so-called OEM market and thus manufacturing for various renowned manufacturers in the industry. In addition, the company has its own brand, PSI Audio, which also develops and manufactures products for the professional studio environment, specifically loudspeaker systems.

The philosophy is to rely solely on analogue circuit technology without DSP, and to achieve the highest quality through in-house manufacturing and absolute sound fidelity.

This also includes subjecting existing products to a review from time to time to see if they could be improved by new insights gained since their market launch. This in turn leads to updates, such as the PSI Audio A25-M.

The PSI Audio A25-M is an active three-way monitor loudspeaker, which, according to the Swiss, combines the entire expertise and innovative technologies of the company in order to guarantee a reproduction with the highest precision. It is no coincidence that this is the flagship of the manufacturer from Yverdeon-les-Bain. Once again, this system relies on completely analogue signal processing, whereby three measures in the new model are intended to provide a significant improvement over the previous versions: a new waveguide, a new woofer drive, and above all a new midrange driver, which is referred to as PSI Audio EXD technology.

PSI Audio A25 M 2021 01

The presentation of the new PSI Audio A25-M was preceded by two developments: the conception of the new midrange driver for the PSI Audio A23-M and a new tweeter for the PSI Audio A14-M. Based on these findings, the PSI Audio EXD technology was developed. Based on these findings, they went one step further, resulting in a completely new driver concept, namely the PSI Audio EXD technology just mentioned. This abbreviation stands for Extended Dome Driver and describes a completely new midrange driver that, according to the manufacturer, combines the established forms of dome and cone.

This connection between dome and cone is intended to combine the advantages of the two design principles without having to accept the corresponding disadvantages.

According to the manufacturer, dome drivers have a tendency in the midrange to become unstable in the centre of the dome or, alternatively, too heavy due to a sufficiently solid material. In addition, their frequency range in the lower spectrum is very limited. Cone drivers, on the other hand, are inherently comparatively heavy due to the combination of diaphragm, dust shield, spider and suspension, which limits the maximum sound pressure and causes distortion. Furthermore, the air cannot move freely due to the heavy basket. Even the dust cap can cause additional distortion, PSI Audio is convinced.

The newly designed PSI Audio EXD midrange driver, on the other hand, combines a latex and carbon treated 4 inch paper cone with a lightweight polypropylene dome. Both parts of the driver are directly connected to the voice coil. As a result, the dimensions of the coil and diaphragm are perfectly matched and the EXD offers more sound pressure with lower distortion values, bringing the new PSI Audio A25-M even closer to perfect reproduction. The driver is mounted directly into the carrier plate without a basket.

PSI Audio A25 M 2021 02

In addition, of course, there are the two other improvements, i.e. the use of the wave guide that was developed for the PSI Audio A23-M and the new woofer, which now uses stronger magnets for the drive.

A special feature of the PSI Audio A25-M is that its tweeter and midrange drivers are mounted on their own support plate, which is embedded in the baffle in such a way that it allows vertical as well as horizontal positioning. This is essential if you want to position the speakers either vertically or horizontally, thus achieving an optimal arrangement for perfect radiation.

Of course, the electronics used in this active studio monitor from Switzerland contribute significantly to its promised precision. As described, there is no DSP-based signal processing and only analogue circuits are used.

At the heart of this signal processing are power amplifiers in Class G/H, which simultaneously guarantee sufficient power, but always a clean, clear performance. Compensated Phase Response, or CPR technology for short, is used to optimise the phase behaviour. Adaptive Output Impedance, abbreviated to AOI, monitors driver movement in relation to the signal, ensuring that the accuracy of the reproduction is increased.

The three-way system uses a 25 mm tweeter, a 102 mm midrange, and 210 mm woofer, with the crossover intervening at 580 Hz and 3.1 kHz respectively. The system should be able to reproduce a frequency response between 32 Hz and 23 kHz, including the front-firing bass reflex system.

Each driver is driven by a separate amplifier module, with 170 watts available for the woofer, 80 watts for the midrange driver and 50 watts for the tweeter.

PSI Audio A25 M 2021 03

In terms of connections, the new PSI Audio A25-M is quite spartan, that must be clearly stated. Only one XLR connection is available.

The MDF cabinet measures 320 mm in width, 590 mm in height and 380 mm in depth. The PSI Audio A25-M is therefore not really one of the most compact solutions, but should nevertheless find the right place, not least due to the flexibility offered here by horizontal and vertical placement.

The PSI Audio A25-M of the 2021 generation is available in three versions, namely black, white and red, the manufacturer speaks of Metal Black, Studio Red and Pure White.

In the proven manner, the new PSI Audio A25-M is completely handcrafted in the company’s own factory. Each speaker is measured and calibrated in an anechoic chamber, and the corresponding measurement report with an individual measurement summary is sent along with the speaker as proof.

It is not for nothing that the Swiss are convinced that with the PSI Audio A25-M they can offer a loudspeaker system for life. However, this is not only true for use in the professional studio environment; the high precision and accuracy can also appeal to hi-fi enthusiasts who place the highest value on a loudspeaker system that reproduces exactly what was immortalised on “tape” in the recording studio. Especially since active loudspeaker systems are increasingly gaining acceptance in the classic hi-fi environment…

In view of the sophisticated technologies, it is quite surprising that with the new PSI Audio A25-M one finds an active loudspeaker system for which the recommended retail price is only € 5,545.

The new PSI Audio A25-M is to be available in specialist shops as of now.

Getting to the point

The PSI Audio A25-M is an active three-way monitor loudspeaker that, according to the Swiss, combines all the expertise and innovative technologies of the company to guarantee a reproduction with the highest precision. It is no coincidence that this is the flagship of the manufacturer from Yverdeon-les-Bain. Once again, this system relies on completely analogue signal processing, whereby three measures in the new model are intended to provide a significant improvement over the previous versions: a new waveguide, a new woofer drive, and above all a new midrange driver, which is referred to as PSI Audio EXD technology. Thus, the PSI Audio A25-M of the 2021 generation presents itself as the best active three-way system on the market, the Swiss say quite immodestly. But if you consider that big names like Boris Blank from Yello rely on these solutions…

Manufacturer:PSI Audio
Distribution:Audiowerk e.Kfm.
Price:€ 5.545,-
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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