PMC FB1 Speakers

icehockeyboy

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Aug 14, 2005
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Ok boys, after some sidegrading, (hey, i swapped the X ray stuff cos i prefer the style of the A3.2 series!!!) the 2nd real upgrade of the new year took place with the swopping of the Quad 22L's for the FB1's.

!st impressions after placing them in my room......."f*ck me!! theyre big!!!"

2nd impression.......shit...theyre wonderful !!!

Im not that bothered about the finish (light oak) so i wont be doing a Solidstatesman in feeling them up constantly!

As for the difference in sonic ness (new phrase!!) and, btw, ill be keeping this short (look at the time!) bass is more controlled, tighter, and a little more than i got with the Quads

Mid band is warmer than what ive been used too, and its a very pleasant change,

as for the top end, i dont know why some folk here have said about the non + tweeter being ott, its not, ok, so my occupation over the last 25 years odd has taken the edge off my hearing, but its still a sweet treble.

My son summed it up basically by noting on his first listen, saying the artist (es) actually sound like theyre in the room with us!

And finally, the seperation seems to be far more defined ( how can this happen by just swopping speakers?)

Ok, at this stage you can fill in the superlatives about soundstage and musicallity your self, but im off to bed! Possibly add more as i lisen to them longer. One happy IHB now off to disconnect the FB1s and bring them inot bed with me!!
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G

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Guest
firstly, nice to see you moving up the ladder, secondly, they aren't that big, and thirdly, yes speakers will help the seperation, or rather the quads were muddying things, and fourthly, if thats the difference between quads and fb1's, can you imagine if you went to higher end stuff?, thats why we talk about your sidegrades.

anyway, hope you keep enjoying them.

 

Craig

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Jul 20, 2005
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2 months tl DIY tweeter upgrade and your time.....starts......NOW ! :dude:

Ha, serioulsy: nice to hear that you're enjoying the new speakers. You don't seem to be massively blown away by the bass performace over the Quad - I had expected that you would TBH

Still, a proper upgrade methinks, and one that (once you have your new tweeters plumbed in) will stand you in good stead for many a different shape MF box
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Papa Lazarou

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Glad to hear the PMCs are doing it for you Ice. They're decent speakers for sure.

Now stop worrying about new kit and sit back, relax and enjoy
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icehockeyboy

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Thanks for the replies so far boys! As for the tweeter swop, no, i honestly cant see me doing it !!!!
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................no really !!!Maybe there is oodles more bass, in all honesty its not a night and day thing...could be my room? though i cant see how........perhaps the Quads werent bad in that quarter,and youre right, i think these will see me thru some more MF box swops!
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icehockeyboy

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Buying Cd's like theyre going out of fashion! these FB's have made me dig out stuff as well that i havent listened to in ages, they manage to pick out instruments i didnt realize were there before.

The only down side is it starts a person wondering......what if i got a better amp now...................................NO !!!!!!!!!!!! stop it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joking apart, its easy to understand why so many professional studios use PMC, (anyone checked out their website just who does use them? reads a bit like a whos who of the recording world)...any way....more as it comes up.

 

PARAGON

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Sep 5, 2005
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Glad you like the PMC's, personally I think people overlook them because of their studio heritage - believing they wouldn't work in a domestic environment. I hope one day to upgrade to something like the FB1+, or maybe even the OB1, though for now the TB2S+ still surprises me with their abilities. Enjoy.

 

GaryC

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Oct 31, 2005
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Ice,

If you want to hear what the PMC's can really do then your next upgrade should be Bryston pre-power amps.

I used to have MF A3.2 CD/pre-power with the FB1+. Found a usedBP20 pre and 3B-ST power for £1400 (still with 15 years warranty!). Couldn't believe the difference - night and day. The detail and PRaT simply blew the MF kit away
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. The synergy between these amps and PMC are well documented.

The Bryston power amps can also be run in bridged mode to act as monoblocks (I managed to procure a second matching amp from the US) - now running at 400W per channel - luckily I live ina detached house!

Gary.

 

Biscuit

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Jul 19, 2005
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here you go Icky: https://hifiwigwam.com/forum5/3792.html

I think a change from MF would do you the power of good - you've done lots of changing of speakers, but never moved away from MF.

 

gsrai

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Aug 18, 2005
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ICE glad you like the FB1's - your experience sounds like my move to the GB1's but on a bigger scale.

I reckon 6 weeks before you go for the tweeter upgrade
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I've often wondered about moving away from MF but never found anytihng as good looking - stuff just looks too industrial

 

GaryC

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Up to my recent change I had always had MF amps (still use an XA-2 in the bedroom system).

Admitedlymy Brystonamps aren'tas asthetically pleasing as the MF kit, but the sounds it generates more than makes up for it. Build quality is easily a match, if not surpassing MF. Having said that, the new C Series stuff (designated SST) is very MF like in its looks - just fewer blue LEDs!

 

icehockeyboy

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Biscuit wrote:

here you go Icky: https://hifiwigwam.com/forum5/3792.htmlI think a change from MF would do you the power of good - you've done lots of changing of speakers, but never moved away from MF.
Thanks Biccy, and the rest for your thoughts, re the Brystons........cant justify it past swmbo....whom ive promised no more swopsies for a while !!!!!

 
G

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icehockeyboy wrote:

Biscuit wrote:
here you go Icky: https://hifiwigwam.com/forum5/3792.htmlI think a change from MF would do you the power of good - you've done lots of changing of speakers, but never moved away from MF.
Thanks Biccy, and the rest for your thoughts, re the Brystons........cant justify it past swmbo....whom ive promised no more swopsies for a while !!!!!
wwhat about the bryston powerpac amps that screw to back of fb1's, run then singly or biamped, only need a pre then, very neat
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Sony6million

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Jul 20, 2005
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I heard some PMCs at a dem yesterday, forget the model number, but they could have been FB1. They retailed somewhere between 1500-2000. Forget exactly as he was talking about RRP and what they'd let it go for.

They didn't do it for me, it sounded ok, ticked all the boxes, but lacked that something extra.

They were connected to a Bryston integrated - the one with the built-in dac.

 

icehockeyboy

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Craig wrote:

2 months tl DIY tweeter upgrade and your time.....starts......NOW ! :dude:Ha, serioulsy: nice to hear that you're enjoying the new speakers. You don't seem to be massively blown away by the bass performace over the Quad - I had expected that you would TBH

Still, a proper upgrade methinks, and one that (once you have your new tweeters plumbed in) will stand you in good stead for many a different shape MF box
smile.png
Should've added this ages ago, but, yes, since swopping the MF pwer amp for the Lyngdorf, bass performance was boosted no end! ( not just more bass, but well controlled and firm) The MF amps seem to be guilty of more than a tad bass robbing.

 

Papa Lazarou

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:^I'm not surprised Ice tbh. I don't think the MF amps were "robbing the bass" since they're fairly good tbh (in their price range).

IME as you go further up the amp ladder one of the most noticeable improvements is in bass reproduction ie solidity,depth and texture. This is what theLyngdorf is bringing to the party.

 

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