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PMC transmission line spkrs. Any observations or experience?

Mike Reed

Mike Reed

pfm Member
Before buying a pair of used Twenty.26 (largest in that range)I did due diligence, reading a dozen reviews and other forum comments. Not one detracting remark was found. Furthermore, I, along with other friends, were impressed by the PMC room at an East Anglia show 5 yeas ago

Unfortunately, I came from 10+ years of ESL 2905s (big ones) which in all fairness, was going to be a culture shock of sorts but having had 45 previous years with big and expensive coils, I thought it would simply be a reversion to type, as it were. The PMCs are also very room-friendly in taking up less space, which = wife friendly too !

There's no question that these are superb speakers (AND for their size); imaging, soundstage, dynamics, cohesion etc., powered by my 100 W EAR monoblocks.

However, there is sth; maybe I've become ESLed, or the 'wall of sound' effect of the ESLs is more important than I realised; I don't know. Can't fault them but can't quite seem to gel with them either; maybe it's that prodigious bass? BUT I've always been a bass man, though I'm now above 80.

I intend to get my faulty ESL repaired in the spring, which'll give me a yardstick to work on, but wanted to sound out pfm to see if I've missed sth. YES, I know about the old 'once into ESLs, always into ESLs' syndrome !!!
 
When I was looking for replacements for my Ruark floor standers I auditioned loads of PMC models, none of them sounded correct to me o_O mind you I was totally unimpressed with all the ATCs' I listened to.
 
I don't how the newer speakers compare but i've got a pair of these YOUTUBE below, IMO they sound fairly natural, they have a nice open sound, i had to float the speakers from the plinths with Sorbathne pads to get the bass right, although its still a lot softer than my fullrange, infinite baffle speakers and has some lower bass frequencies that are completely missing in action! This down to the design of the speaker, if you read the stereophile review of the IB1 it discusses this peculiarity there).

The only modern slim PMC's i've heard have been the FACT 12 which i thought sound very good. I had Arrays 1400 before these which were a more coherent speaker being a two way, i think the PMCs have a slightly better mid, (although its smoother less detailed than an ATC or Volt mid), and for such small speakers they can play fairly loud, they don't have the dynamics of a big speaker but despite their faults i find them good on all types of music, an enjoyable speaker. I'll add a caveat i didn't pay much for mine, i don't think they are worth the crazy money PMC's seem to go for these days.

 
Ian G said:
When I was looking for replacements for my Ruark floor standers I auditioned loads of PMC models, none of them sounded correct to me o_O mind you I was totally unimpressed with all the ATCs' I listened to.
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Whereas I went from Ruark Talismans to PMC FB1+, and am still pleased 10 or so years on.
Funny thing taste, eh?
 
I had the FB1+ which for me were fine at low volume. But when the going got load the bass went AWOL. It was like listening to a board vibrating and too overblown for me.
 
I have had FB1+ speakers for 20 years. The bass cleans up nicely on Mana sound bases. I expect Townshend isolaters would work too. The low bass can seem a little late sometimes on electronic music, but I expect the twenty 26 may be better in this respect.
 
Marmite speakers for sure. Personally I really like them. They seem to bring rock music to life in a way speakers with a flatter frequency response don't. They're overpriced however.
 
They are not very fashionable here, being reflex (ok, transmission line-ish) loaded, slim floostanders. I also agree that, new, they are overpriced.

In the fairly big (approx 7m x 8.5m, high ceiling) room I moved out of just before Christmas though, the 25.23s worked an absolute treat - where little else had.

Powered by a 250DR, they could go very low in-room, doing Mezzanine and the BR2049 OST exceptionally well; but there was very little boom. On top they had a lot of insight and sparkle I was a big fan, but they don't work in the much smaller music room I've moved to now, so I've moved on to a pair of my favourite ProAc standmounts.
 
I have PMC IB2se and, in my room (which is quite large), they are excellent. However, they are a different beast from the Twenty series speakers as they are conventionally large with the 10" bass driver and PMC's own dome mid-range unit used in some of their larger pro monitors.
 
I sold a pair of PMC towers 15 years ago.

Worst audiophile mistake I ever made was selling those speakers. I regret it to this day.
 
I ran IMF als 40 II transmission line for many years and still have some fun IMF super compacts.
Always enjoyed the bass.
So I got pmc DB1+’s and they are lovely, but lacking in the bottom. These are now part of my av system.
The FB1i’s do the bass very well, especially after making my own decoupling platforms. I have a wooden floor with a 3’ void, so the platforms made a noticeable difference. The soundstage is good, they are detailed but not bright. If I want a bit more bottom due to production/weak mastering then I turn a 10” active sub on. Most of the time, it doesn’t need the extra.

I will probably look for something bigger next time, but only because my ears are greedy.
 
Keeping my PMC’s until the 20 year warranty expires!
Not really. I expect to be dead before then!
PMC twenty5.23i’s have been the only floor standing speakers i’ve had, that haven’t been loose in the bass in my room.
As reviewers have commented, they’re ‘placement agnostic’ and that is a very attractive attribute for difficult domestic environments. They image really well, give a good sense of recording depth, are fast and dynamic, natural sounding with vocals, and have good bass extension for their size, when present in the recording.
Also, despite the price hike since I got mine, I don’t regard them as particularly overpriced, when compared to many similarly specified offerings from other manufacturers, most of which just wouldn’t work satisfactorily in my room.
 
Space is the Place said:
The only modern slim PMC's i've heard have been the FACT 12 which i thought sound very good.
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And so they should be at that price; they're hardly bigger than my .26s and I read that the Fact series are even more detailed (as in 'studio monitor'). Not sure what is added for the price hike except a few electronics and another bass speaker (as if it needs another?)'

Tim Jones said:
In the fairly big (approx 7m x 8.5m, high ceiling) room I moved out of just before Christmas though, the 25.23s worked an absolute treat - where little else had.
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I have read about the smaller ones (2 way, I believe) also suiting larger rooms. I rather think that you'd love the 3 way .26 (or 5.26 etc.); icing on the cake, maybe.

Have just been listening (Bob Harris on R2 and vinyl) to them this afternoon and I can't fault them; however.......maybe I'm missing the ESL presentation (since September but got the PMCs in December). They are beautifully put together; ooze quality, even that magnetic cover which seems to hone in to the right place each time (how do they do that ??????). Ordinary grilles have always needed careful placement with me.

Ronaudio said:
PMC twenty5.23i’s have been the only floor standing speakers i’ve had, that haven’t been loose in the bass in my room.
As reviewers have commented, they’re ‘placement agnostic’ and that is a very attractive attribute for difficult domestic environments. They image really well, give a good sense of recording depth, are fast and dynamic, natural sounding with vocals, and have good bass extension for their size, when present in the recording.
Click to expand...

I agree with most of your observations except the 'placement agnostic' bit. They do need free space, both to sides and behind. I moved mine around a bit before things really gelled. I'd imagine that small rooms or close boundary limitations would not ideally suit. Having said that, I've read reviews which tend to agree with your comment. Ho hum !
 
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