PMC Twenty Series (24 Specifically)

garysan

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Just a quick one really as I'm getting conflicting advice...

Are the 24's (in fact PMC's in general) considered a bass heavy speaker? I didn't think they were and certainly been told recently that they're 'a little on the lean side' by one person and someone else said 'Oooo PMC's...? How's the bass? They're known for being a bit heavy at the bottom end....' (both HiFi dealers/professionals).

<confused>

 

bandit pilot

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And if you think that's confusing, I bet they sound like lots of very different speakers depending on what kind of room they are in. Just like any other speakers. :^

 

garysan

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And if you think that's confusing, I bet they sound like lots of very different speakers depending on what kind of room they are in. Just like any other speakers. :^
Which is what I thought... It's the room that has the greatest effect, not so much the speakers themselves - hence why we usually try stuff in our own homes/rooms before committing to buy.

 

bandit pilot

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I've had loads of speakers. Bought because I've heard them sound fantastic, got them home, sold within a day or 2 because they blitz my room. It's got nothing at all to do with size or type, just how they react to the space and equipment they are used in/with.

The ideal is to try before you buy, but that's not always possible, especially if you buy used. Best bet is to buy at a price where you can comfortably move them on if they don't work at yours.

 

mmar

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Owned the gb1 and fb1 bass on both was deep and well controlled both front ported and fairly efficient so pretty much fit and forget

Always best to try in your room if possible but as pmc are fairly well sought after as mentioned buy them at the right price if they don't work out sell them on and put it down to experience , all part of the fun :)

 

garysan

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I'm pondering buying new 24's and currently have them on loan from a dealer. Sound terrific as long as I'm sat at the top of 'the triangle' (75 inches between speakers and listening position is the same) but if I venture back, towards the back of the room which is about 5 feet from listening position, the bass gets out of hand. This is the same for my mission 754's though which is why I think it's the room and not the speakers.

 

bandit pilot

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The cab volume of the 2 is much of a muchness, even though the designs are different.

What size room do they play in? Ceiling height? floor constructed from? Floor and wall covering/room treatment?

I ask because I have a problematic room. I have had loads of stand mount speakers that simply destroy the music with bloated boomy bass.

At the other extreme, I've had huge multi driver floorstanders that didn't ever excite the room. I currently have a situation similar to yours, where they sound great while you're in front of them, but wander off into a corner and.......not so great.

Is there a reason you went for a certain brand? do your speakers have to measure up to SWMBO?

 

garysan

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Room is 14' by 12' with the rig/speakers on one of the short walls firing down the room. Floor has carpet+underlay and there's a large 2.5 seater fabric sofa on each of the long walls with a coffee table in-between (slightly formal layout). Fireplace dead opposite the rig with two tall wooden bookcases either side in the alcoves (books with a few pictures ornaments on one, DVD's/BD on the other).

I move the coffee table back towards the fireplace wall and bring in an Ikea Poang chair and footstool when I want to 'listen' properly and situ that so that my head is at the point of said triangle.

The long wall on my left (when listening) is actually patio doors but I have heavy curtains which I draw across when listening. the other long wall (to my right) just has a medium sized mirror on it.

Speakers are about 11" from back wall, toe'd in and about 26" from the side walls.

I like the look/build of PMC and always read/heard they were a very good match to Arcam kit. She's already giving me the evil eye and pestering me about how they would cost, what about her shoes, etc. but that's not the way forward with me and she'll come home to find them nailed in place if she carries on with that sort of behaviour! :D

 

glennc

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I have owned Fb1+ in the past ( still have FB1i ) and found that the amp made a huge difference to the bass control of the PMCs. When bi-amped by 4 channels of an Arcam P7 they sounded good but i had the same issues as mentioned with bass boom which i always assumed was interaction with the room. I borrowed a Rotel Class d amp (rmb 1575) and not only did the bass slam increase hugely but the boom disappeared the control the rotel had on the bottom end was fantastic and if it was not for the rather brittle treble qualities of the class d amp I would have lived with it for a long time.

 

andreweast

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It sounds very similar to my listening room, which is 14'8 x 12, speakers firing from the short wall, with large windows and a door to the garden on my right, and the listening sofa no more than 10 inches from the back wall. I've found it a tricky room, but the best results are from a near field arrangement, with the speakers about 3 feet in to the room. I guess that's not practical with your sofas on either side, but can you bring the speakers in any further? I realise they are a very deep speaker, which might make things difficult.

Personally if I were looking at PMC I would certainly not look at a bigger speaker than the 23s in my room.

 

Fanthorpes Hifi

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The Twenty 24 is not what i would describe as bass heavy - It is balanced & proportional across all frequencies. Having said that, they should be demonstrated against the Twenty 23, to decide which is best suited to the room size.

Have you heard PMC before? Transmission line bass does sound quite different bass reflex ports... You can get a surprising amount of bass from a the size of the box.

Makes a great match for Arcam...

Dale

 

mnky

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I know not the 20 series ..... but I found the PMC FB1's far easier to place regarding distance from walls then my previously rear ported MA Silver 8I's .... although lovely speakers they tended to "wind my living room up" ... bass went boomy and problematic. The FB1's changed all that.

However ... FB1's really come alive when driven at high volumes .... and in a medium sized room this can get a little too loud. I do like the PMC sound.

 

mnky

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Forgot to mention .... whilst arriving at a suitable position for the FB1's they got close to corners .... this did ruin the bass and they were quickly moved back toward middle of room.

 

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