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Change the PSB iQ2’s physical placement before changing EQ, tone controls, or a subwoofer crossover. Move each speaker a few inches at a time, replay the same familiar track at a similar volume, and judge bass balance and clarity. Once placement is working, use the BluOS Controller App for iQ2-specific controls; do not copy numeric settings from a different model or from a passive-speaker receiver guide.
Why placement comes before processing
The PSB iQ2 is an active stereo pair: amplification and digital-to-analog conversion are built into the speakers, and the left and right units link wirelessly. BluOS is the control platform. The system accepts HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive, and an MM phono input, in addition to control through the BluOS Controller App.
That architecture changes the setup logic. Advice written for a passive pair connected to an AV receiver may refer to receiver crossover menus, amplifier gain, or speaker-level wiring that the iQ2 does not use. Start with the acoustic conditions around the speakers, then adjust controls that the iQ2 actually exposes in BluOS.
Room boundaries affect both low-frequency energy and reflections. Moving a speaker closer to a wall generally increases the proportion of bass, while the distance to the wall also changes perceived definition. Because rooms, furniture, listening positions, and speaker symmetry differ, PSB does not prescribe one universal wall distance for every iQ2 installation.
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1. Adjust speaker position first
Placement is the highest-value first experiment when the sound is boomy, thin, muddy, or lacking definition. Make small, reversible changes rather than moving the entire system across the room at once.
- Choose a familiar track with steady bass, clear vocals, and instruments you know well.
- Set a comfortable listening level and leave the source, volume, and app settings unchanged.
- Move one speaker a few inches farther from its nearest wall, then make the same change to the other speaker so the pair remains broadly symmetrical.
- Replay the same passage and note bass weight, vocal focus, and the separation of individual sounds.
- If the result is worse, return to the previous position and test a different small distance. Change only one physical variable per comparison.
Small increments matter because a large move combines several effects: boundary reinforcement, reflection timing, stereo geometry, and the relationship between each speaker and the listening seat. The aim is not to find a distance that is correct in every room; it is to find the position that gives your room the most balanced result.
How boundary distance changes the result
| Placement change | Likely audible tendency | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Move closer to a wall | More bass energy; reflections may increase and reduce perceived definition | A room or listening position that sounds lean, provided bass remains controlled |
| Move farther from a wall | Less boundary-supported bass and potentially cleaner definition | A room that sounds boomy or congested near the low end |
| Keep left and right positions comparable | More consistent stereo balance and imaging | Most rooms, unless furniture or architecture prevents symmetry |
| Change one speaker or one distance at a time during testing | A clearer cause-and-effect comparison | Any troubleshooting session where you need to identify what helped |
The table describes tendencies, not guarantees. Room dimensions, corners, shelves, open doorways, and the location of the listening seat can outweigh a small theoretical difference. If the speakers cannot be placed symmetrically, document the positions and use the same track to decide whether the compromise is acceptable.
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Uncontrolled comparisons are easily distorted by a louder playback level, a different source, or simple auditory memory. Use a repeatable routine before touching a setting.
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- Pick one source and one track. For streaming, keep the same service and version of the recording; for a turntable, keep the record and phono path unchanged.
- Mark or photograph the starting speaker positions so you can return to them.
- Listen to the same 30-to-60-second section at a similar volume after every move.
- Write down one or two observations, such as “bass note sounds longer” or “vocal consonants are easier to hear.” Avoid changing volume to make a preferred position seem more impressive.
- Let the speakers settle in the new position for a moment, then make a second pass before deciding.
PSB’s placement guidance is an incremental comparison: move the speakers a few inches and compare the same track. This approach is more useful than chasing an EQ value before you know whether the room is creating the problem.
3. Inspect BluOS only after placement
After the physical setup is reasonably balanced, open the BluOS Controller App and identify the controls available for the iQ2. Menu names and options can change with firmware, so confirm each control in the current iQ2 owner’s manual or PSB support documentation before applying it.
The official support index includes an audio-settings article for Alpha iQ, but that article is not explicitly an iQ2 guide. Do not assume that an Alpha iQ menu, preset, or numerical recommendation appears on the iQ2 or has the same effect. The safest procedure is to change one clearly identified iQ2 control, replay the reference track, and record the result.
What to change, and in what order
- First: leave tone or EQ at its current state while you finish placement and confirm the correct input.
- Next: if the iQ2 app exposes a tone or EQ adjustment, make a small change only when you have a specific problem to solve, such as excess bass in a boundary-heavy location.
- Then: return to the same track and compare at the same volume. If the change does not clearly help, undo it rather than stacking another adjustment.
- Finally: save or note the setting only after you have tested it with more than one familiar recording.
No authoritative iQ2-specific evidence establishes a universal EQ preset or a particular number that every owner should enter first. A setting that helps one room can make another room thin, harsh, or dull.
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4. Treat a subwoofer crossover as a conditional setting
An iQ2 manual index indicates a subwoofer option and a crossover control, but the available information does not establish a supported subwoofer list or a best numerical crossover value. Do not select a number simply because it is common in a generic home-theater guide.
Before connecting or configuring a subwoofer, consult the current iQ2 owner’s manual for the supported connection, signal behavior, and exact BluOS menu path. Confirm whether the crossover changes what the iQ2 speakers reproduce, what the subwoofer receives, or both. Those details determine how a change will sound and prevent duplicated or missing bass.
When investigating a subwoofer makes sense
- Your placement experiments have produced a balanced midrange and treble but still leave a deliberate need for deeper bass.
- The room is large or the listening level requires more low-frequency output than the pair provides comfortably.
- You can make the change reversible and verify the result with the same reference track.
If the iQ2 already sounds boomy, a subwoofer is not the first remedy. Resolve boundary placement and room interactions before adding another low-frequency source.
5. Verify the signal path and input
Some apparent “settings” problems are actually input or source problems. The iQ2 product specification lists HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive, and MM phono input. Select the input that matches the device you are using and make sure the source is not applying its own volume, EQ, loudness, or room-processing mode.
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Use the television’s HDMI eARC connection when that is your intended path, then check that the TV is outputting audio through eARC rather than its internal speakers or another device. Keep the TV’s sound enhancements unchanged while you evaluate the iQ2 so that you know which system made a difference.
Optical source
Optical is a digital connection. Confirm that the source is sending a supported format and that its own output level or sound mode is not changing between comparisons.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth aptX Adaptive is one of the listed iQ2 inputs. Compare wireless playback with the same recording and similar volume before attributing a tonal change to speaker placement or BluOS.
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MM phono
The MM phono input is intended for a moving-magnet turntable cartridge. A turntable’s cartridge, tracking setup, record, and room noise can all affect what you hear, so use another consistent source when diagnosing placement or app settings.
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6. Troubleshoot by symptom
The bass is boomy
Move both speakers a few inches farther from their nearest boundaries and repeat the reference-track comparison. Check corners, shelves, and nearby surfaces that may reinforce reflections. Do not begin by cutting a large amount of EQ; first determine whether the room position is the source.
The sound is thin
Test a slightly closer wall position while keeping the pair symmetrical and the listening level constant. If bass returns but definition suffers, try an intermediate distance rather than choosing the most extreme position.
Speech or vocals lack clarity
Compare a position farther from the wall and check whether reflections from a desk, cabinet, or side wall are dominating. Confirm that the source has not enabled a different sound mode. Only after those checks should you investigate a small app adjustment.
One side sounds louder
Check that the left and right speakers are placed at comparable distances from nearby boundaries and that the wireless pair is connected as intended. Inspect the source balance control and cable or turntable connections where applicable. Change one variable at a time so a placement correction does not hide a connection fault.
7. Understand the published specification
PSB lists the iQ2’s on-axis frequency response as 64 Hz–20 kHz at ±3 dB. This is a product specification measured on axis; it is not a promise that every room, seat, source, or placement will produce that response. Boundary reinforcement, reflections, listening angle, and room modes can make the in-room result different.
Use the specification as context, not as a reason to force a crossover or EQ target. Your repeatable listening comparison is the practical test of whether a setting improves the system in your room.
8. A complete first-setup sequence
- Place the active left and right speakers on stable surfaces with broadly comparable relationships to nearby walls.
- Choose one familiar track and one source, then set a comfortable, repeatable volume.
- Move the pair a few inches at a time, testing closer and farther boundary positions until bass and definition are balanced.
- Confirm the selected input: HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive, or MM phono.
- Open BluOS and verify the controls shown for the iQ2. Use the iQ2 manual for exact menu meanings.
- Change one app setting only if a specific residual problem remains; compare the same passage and undo the change if it does not help.
- Consider the subwoofer option only after placement and source checks. Confirm the supported setup and crossover behavior in the official iQ2 manual before entering a value.
- Record the final speaker positions and app settings so you can recover them after a firmware update, room rearrangement, or source change.
The practical priority is therefore acoustic position, repeatable listening, input verification, and only then iQ2-specific BluOS adjustments. Numeric EQ and crossover settings are not universal starting points for this model.
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