New PMC monitors look promising.

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New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Glenn Bucci »

https://www.soundonsound.com/news/new-monitor-range-pmc

The PMC 6-2 really caught my eye. A 3 way PMC in this lower price range has never been done before. I am hopeful they are as good as I think they will be. I have heard the Two Two 6's and liked them a lot. I hope this new 6-2 three way monitor will provide the extra detail to compete with the Barefoot MM45's but with the PMC character which I prefer.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Arpangel »

I’m still considering these, they are on my short list, but I need to have a listen, from what I’ve heard from PMC in the past they have a very dynamic sound, very exciting, but seem to lack subtlety, and detail, compared to something like an ATC.
The PMC's sound fantastic on Rock etc, but I need to book a listen.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Zukan »

Arpangel wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:20 am I’m still considering these, they are on my short list, but I need to have a listen, from what I’ve heard from PMC in the past they have a very dynamic sound, very exciting, but seem to lack subtlety, and detail, compared to something like an ATC.
The PMC's sound fantastic on Rock etc, but I need to book a listen.

Is this hearsay Tone or based on experience?

Not knocking you buddy, just want to know where you gleaned this information from.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Arpangel »

Zukan wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:48 am
Arpangel wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:20 am I’m still considering these, they are on my short list, but I need to have a listen, from what I’ve heard from PMC in the past they have a very dynamic sound, very exciting, but seem to lack subtlety, and detail, compared to something like an ATC.
The PMC's sound fantastic on Rock etc, but I need to book a listen.

Is this hearsay Tone or based on experience?

Not knocking you buddy, just want to know where you gleaned this information from.

Not hearsay Zukan, I had a good listen to PMC's at one of the shows a few years back, when I was looking then, that was my main reason for going, to check out monitors, I came away with the impression above, I did listen to ATC's at the same time, which I’m very familiar with, and to me, they have a different sound, more focused on the mid range, a bit more detail, to my ears anyway.
I need to listen again Zukan, just to get this straight, I may be totally wrong, and I hope so! as these new PMC's are priced very favourably.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Zukan »

If that's the impression you got Tony then that is all that is important.

Monitors are personal things and we all perceive them in different ways. However, I never found PMC to be coloured or hyped. I tend to opt for monitors that are detailed and non fatiguing and the PMCs were perfect for exactly this purpose. But, as I said, it's down to impression and what an individual is comfortable with.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Arpangel »

Zukan wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 9:06 am If that's the impression you got Tony then that is all that is important.

Monitors are personal things and we all perceive them in different ways. However, I never found PMC to be coloured or hyped. I tend to opt for monitors that are detailed and non fatiguing and the PMCs were perfect for exactly this purpose. But, as I said, it's down to impression and what an individual is comfortable with.

I need to book a listen, side by side with other things, that's impossible to do at a show.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

Glenn Bucci wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 3:43 amThe PMC 6-2 really caught my eye. A 3 way PMC in this lower price range has never been done before.

I have been fortunate enough to have already spent a full day listening to the new nearfield / midfield range of active monitors and I found them to be extremely impressive. They not only sound stunningly accurate and capable, they are also very configurable in an engineering sense, and the remote configuration SoundAlign application is probably the nicest and most logical I've ever used.

Five years in the development, and benefitting from further evolutions to PMC's ATL cabinet design and Laminair vents, as well as two brand new custom-designed bass drivers specifically for these models. The two larger three-way models also share PMCs relatively new and uniquely-engineered 2-inch midrange dome, a new-generation of class-D amps, and the latest iteration of DSP crossover filtering and control, with remote configuration over a standard (wired) LAN network.

My personal view is that the PMC6-2 is probably the sweetspot of the range, delivering a stunning performance from a surprisingly compact cabinet, and 'only' two grand more expensive than the (now discontinued) TwoTwo8 at around £8.1k (inc VAT) in the UK (~$8.5k in the US) -- although at that price I'm not sure most would see it as being in a "lower price range"! It's broadly comparable on a cost basis to the ATC SMC25...

The same format but larger PMC8-2 is intentionally priced roughly the same as the (three-way) IB1S-Aiii which it is intended to replace, at around £12.6k (inc VAT, $13.5k in the US).

The smaller PMC6 (two-way) models comes in at around £5k (inc VAT, or $5.3k in the US). These are all nominal launch list prices which may change, of course...

All models can also be configured as XBD systems, giving greater headroom bass and/or extension. In the case of the PMC6-XBD the XBD format also converts it into a true three-way system.

The PMC6-XBD combines each PMC6 with a PMC8-SUB which also acts as a floor stand. This impressive combo works out at around £10k for a stereo setup -- midway between the price of the 6-2 and 8-2 models, with bass extension down to 32Hz in a very compact format. It's an elegant upgrade path that has a lot of appeal!

I have heard the Two Two 6's and liked them a lot.

The smallest model in the new range, the PMC6 two-way, is IMHO considerably better than the old TwoTwo8, which I always thought the best of the Twotwo range trio, and it's over a grand less expensive, too. Actually, its quality is not far off the outstandingly wonderful (but discontinued) AML1s. The PMC6-2 is another step up again in terms of bass extension, midrange resolution and dynamic range.

Monitors preferences are, as Eddie has said, a personal thing, but I don't recognise Tony's comments about a 'lack of subtlety' at all, and with the best will in the world Tony often gets confused about what he has heard and compared... and, as he admits himself, shows really aren't the place to be making critical objective comparisons!
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Arpangel »

That was over five up years ago, and my hearing has changed a lot in five years, also, these new PMC's maybe out of range of what I’d like to spend, I'd like to hear them though as soon as they become available, they also look very cool.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Arpangel »

Hugh Robjohns wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 10:33 amand with the best will in the world Tony often gets confused about what he has heard and compared... and, as he admits himself, shows really aren't the place to be making critical objective comparisons!

I had to log back in and raise a point of order Hugh, you left something out, it should have read "Tony often gets confused "and slightly dazed"

It’s important.

:):):)
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

:bouncy:
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by Ben Asaro »

Yes, these look fantastic! I will never be able to justify a pair in any sense (neither my room nor my bank account will allow it), but I've always liked PMC monitors.
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Re: New PMC monitors look promising.

Post by MOF »

I don’t see how the transmission line speakers can avoid transient smearing, if the positive half of the wave goes forwards from the driver in the usual way and then the negative half is routed internally and then out through a forward facing port.
My understanding is that an internally well damped infinite baffle cabinet is the best way to preserve audio quality.
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