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Freedom251 › Blog › audio setup

Which settings should you change first on the PSB iQ2?

By Freedom251 Team · · 8 min read

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Change speaker placement before changing EQ or crossover settings. Move each iQ2 speaker a few inches at a time, replay the same familiar track at roughly the same volume, and listen for bass balance and clarity. PSB says that bringing a speaker closer to a room boundary generally increases the proportion of bass, while wall distance also changes reflections and perceived definition. Because rooms and furnishings differ, PSB does not prescribe one universal distance.

Only after placement is as good as your room allows should you inspect BluOS controls. The iQ2 is an active stereo system with its own amplification and DAC, wireless left-right linking and BluOS control, so instructions written for passive speakers connected to an AV receiver do not automatically apply.

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Start with placement, not a preset

The first useful adjustment on a PSB iQ2 is physical: change the speakers’ distance from nearby walls, then evaluate the result under repeatable conditions. This is not a cosmetic tweak. Boundary proximity changes the amount of bass energy reaching the listening position, and the reflections from walls can alter how clearly you hear voices, cymbals and other details.

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PSB’s support guidance frames the process as an experiment rather than a fixed installation rule. Move the pair incrementally, compare the same recording and keep the other variables stable. A position that sounds balanced in one room can sound heavy, lean or indistinct in another, so a number copied from a different room is less useful than a controlled comparison in yours.

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What to move

  • Move the left and right speakers together when possible so the stereo image remains symmetrical.
  • Change one variable at a time: start with distance to the wall behind the speakers, then assess side-wall spacing or listening position if needed.
  • Use small increments—only a few inches—so you can tell which move caused a change.

How the symptoms usually guide the experiment

What you hear First experiment What to monitor
Too much or “boomy” bass Move the speakers a few inches farther from the nearest boundary, then replay the same track. Whether bass notes become easier to distinguish without making the midrange thin.
Thin or weak bass Move the speakers a few inches closer to the wall behind them. Whether low notes fill out while voices and instruments remain defined.
Unclear or blurred detail Try a small change in rear-wall distance and, if necessary, side-wall spacing. Whether vocals, transients and room ambience become more distinct.
Uneven left-right balance Check that both speakers have similar boundary distances before changing any app control. Center placement of a vocal and consistent bass from both channels.

The table describes a listening workflow, not a promise that every room will respond identically. Furniture, openings into other rooms and the listening seat can all change the result. Record each position that you try, including the approximate wall distance, so you can return to the best one.

Use a repeatable listening method

Placement changes are easy to misjudge when the track, volume or source changes at the same time. Choose one familiar recording with steady bass and clear vocals. Start playback from the same source for every comparison and keep the volume similar. Listen for a short, repeatable passage rather than relying on memory of an entire album.

  1. Mark the speakers’ starting positions with removable tape or a note on the floor.
  2. Play the selected passage and write down specific observations, such as “kick drum masks the bass guitar” or “vocal consonants are easier to follow.”
  3. Move both speakers a few inches in one direction.
  4. Replay the same passage at a similar loudness.
  5. Keep the position only if the change improves the balance you actually want; otherwise return to the mark and test the opposite direction.

Do not use a louder setting to decide which position is better. A louder presentation can seem more exciting even when it is less balanced. The goal is a stable comparison of bass proportion and perceived definition, the two effects PSB specifically associates with wall distance.

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Understand what the iQ2 system is before changing controls

The PSB iQ2 is an active stereo pair rather than a passive speaker set that needs a separate power amplifier. PSB’s current product information identifies built-in amplification and digital processing, with the left and right speakers linked wirelessly. Its listed control and source options include the BluOS Controller App, HDMI eARC, optical input, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and an MM phono input.

System characteristic Why it matters for setup
Active speakers with internal amplification and DAC Receiver-specific power, speaker-impedance and amplifier-menu advice is not the starting point.
Wireless left-right speaker link Both cabinets form one stereo system; troubleshoot the link and system status before assuming an EQ problem.
BluOS Controller App App labels and available controls are the relevant interface, subject to the iQ2 firmware and manual.
HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and MM phono Source choice can affect what signal reaches the speakers, so confirm the selected input before judging a setting.

These details explain why generic articles about an AV receiver’s crossover, passive bookshelf speakers or a separate DAC can send an iQ2 owner to controls that do not exist in the same form on this system.

Inspect BluOS only after the room is working

Once you have chosen the best physical position your room permits, open the BluOS Controller App and review the controls that are actually shown for your iQ2. Menu names can depend on the product and software version, so use the iQ2 owner’s manual as the authority for the exact path and for the effect of each control.

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Why there is no universal first EQ number

The official PSB support index includes an audio-settings article labeled for Alpha iQ. That label does not establish that every Alpha iQ control, preset or recommendation carries over unchanged to the iQ2. The available evidence therefore does not support telling every iQ2 owner to enter a particular bass, treble or EQ value first.

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If the app offers tone or EQ controls, make one small change, listen to the same reference passage and note the result. Keep a record of the original value so you can undo the experiment. Do not stack several changes at once: if bass, treble and a preset all change together, you cannot know which adjustment helped or hurt.

Check the source before blaming EQ

Select the intended input explicitly. A television connected over HDMI eARC, an optical source, Bluetooth playback and an MM phono source can have different output levels and mastering characteristics. Compare like with like before deciding that the iQ2 needs processing. If only one source sounds wrong, investigate that source’s output level or audio mode rather than altering the speaker system globally.

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Handle a subwoofer as a separate decision

An index for a third-party iQ2 manual indicates that BluOS may expose a subwoofer option and a crossover control. That indication is not enough to establish a supported subwoofer model, an exact menu sequence or a best numerical crossover value. Confirm the feature and its limits in the official iQ2 owner’s manual or with PSB support before connecting hardware or entering a number.

When a subwoofer experiment makes sense

  • Consider it only after placement has produced the best balance the main speakers can provide.
  • Use the manual to verify supported connections, compatibility and the meaning of the crossover control.
  • Change one subwoofer parameter at a time and listen to the same reference passage used for placement.
  • Stop if added low end masks vocals or makes bass less even around the room.

The existence of a crossover control does not prove that a higher or lower number is universally correct. Room size, subwoofer location and listening position determine the result, and no authoritative iQ2-specific starting value is established here.

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Troubleshoot by branch instead of changing everything

If both channels sound boomy

  1. Confirm that the same source and volume are being used for every comparison.
  2. Move the pair slightly farther from the rear wall and replay the reference track.
  3. If the change helps, repeat in another small increment; if it hurts, return to the previous mark.
  4. Only then inspect BluOS tone or EQ, changing one control by a small amount and documenting the original value.

If both channels sound thin

  1. Move the pair slightly closer to the wall behind them.
  2. Listen for restored bass weight without losing vocal definition.
  3. Check that the source is not applying an unexpected low-frequency filter or night mode.
  4. Leave EQ untouched if the physical change solves the imbalance.

If one side is louder or bassier

  1. Verify that the speakers are positioned at comparable distances from walls and large furniture.
  2. Check the wireless left-right system status and the selected source.
  3. Swap no cables or receiver channels—the iQ2 is an integrated active pair—unless the owner’s manual specifically directs a connection check.
  4. If the imbalance persists after placement and source checks, use PSB’s support documentation for model-specific diagnosis.

If the sound is unclear after placement

Test another small rear-wall or side-wall movement while keeping the recording and loudness constant. If only one recording is unclear, compare a second familiar track before changing processing; a single mix may be the limiting factor. If every source remains unclear, consult the iQ2 manual for supported app settings rather than importing instructions written for Alpha iQ or a generic receiver.

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Read the published specification in context

PSB lists the iQ2’s on-axis frequency response as 64 Hz–20 kHz at ±3 dB on its current product page, accessed in 2026. “On-axis” describes the measurement direction, and the ±3 dB window describes the stated tolerance around that response. It is a product specification, not a guarantee of the response in your room or at every listening angle. Wall placement can change the bass you hear even when the published specification remains unchanged.

A practical setup checklist

  • Place the speakers symmetrically enough to form a stable stereo image.
  • Choose one familiar track and keep its source and playback level consistent.
  • Move the speakers only a few inches per trial.
  • Judge bass balance and definition before touching BluOS processing.
  • Write down the best physical position and the original app values.
  • Use only controls that the iQ2 app and owner’s manual document for your model.
  • Treat any subwoofer and crossover option as conditional until PSB’s iQ2 documentation confirms the supported setup.

Settings to avoid changing first

Do not begin by copying an Alpha iQ EQ preset, entering a receiver-style crossover number, buying a subwoofer to solve a placement problem or changing several BluOS controls simultaneously. None of those actions establishes whether the room boundary is causing the audible issue. Physical placement is reversible, costs nothing and gives you information about how your particular room behaves.

Bottom line

For the PSB iQ2, the correct first “setting” is speaker position: move the pair a few inches at a time, compare the same track at a similar volume and choose the position that balances bass with definition. After that, use BluOS and the iQ2 manual to make one documented adjustment at a time. There is no evidence-based universal iQ2 EQ preset or subwoofer crossover value to enter first, so keep those decisions model-specific and room-specific.

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