[Daftasabrush]

Wanting to upgrade my speakers, I've got PMC TB2+ which I've had for about 12 years, they're currently on some stunning custom made solid oak stands (which I'd be sad to lose).

I've demo'd PMC's Twenty 24s and loved them.

I've missed out recently on a pair of PB1is on ebay and wondering what really to look at besides PMC up to £3K.

I'm ideally after floor standers because they provide the depth that standmounts can't match (although the PMCs get very low when they need to).

The system is primarily a Marantz AV receiver as pre-amp and a Lab Gruppen C28:4 power amp. I like to listen to music loud fairly often and have a passion for accurate production and punchy, low bass.

Music taste ranges from Pink Floyd to Trance to Madonna, MJ, Fleetwood Mac, Hybrid etc etc...

Anyone got any thoughts?

[teaston]

Wow £3k on a pair of speakers!

I need a better job!

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by teaston

Wow £3k on a pair of speakers!

I need a better job!

So you've not spent £3K on options on your car?

My current speakers cost me £800 and the same model still sells, only for £1,440. I'd like to see your (or my) car options keeping value like that!

[v6Jules]

Good choice in music! I'm not in the same league with my Sony STR-DA2400ES av reciever and mordaunt short mezzo 6 speakers but I do need to upgrade the amp to something 4k compatible with ARC... Maybe I should start a thread on it as well

[Steven1077]

I'm still using my Yamaha NS-1000M speakers, I've yet to hear anything I like more, they were £900 25 years ago, powered by an audiolab 8000 C/P amp and a linn LP12 with an ecos arm and AT OC9 cartridge

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

So you've not spent £3K on options on your car?

My current speakers cost me £800 and the same model still sells, only for £1,440. I'd like to see your (or my) car options keeping value like that!

Yes that was much my thoughts- how much do folk spend on extras for a car that they'll have for a few years. Money spent on a great stereo should last 10+ years I'd expect.

I blew £1500 on a brilliant separates back in the early 90s and I still have it all, and currently set up in the games room.

And in all that time have enjoyed a quality of sound that no car could have.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

Wanting to upgrade my speakers, I've got PMC TB2+ which I've had for about 12 years, they're currently on some stunning custom made solid oak stands (which I'd be sad to lose).

I've demo'd PMC's Twenty 24s and loved them.

I've missed out recently on a pair of PB1is on ebay and wondering what really to look at besides PMC up to £3K.

I'm ideally after floor standers because they provide the depth that standmounts can't match (although the PMCs get very low when they need to).

The system is primarily a Marantz AV receiver as pre-amp and a Lab Gruppen C28:4 power amp. I like to listen to music loud fairly often and have a passion for accurate production and punchy, low bass.

Music taste ranges from Pink Floyd to Trance to Madonna, MJ, Fleetwood Mac, Hybrid etc etc...

Anyone got any thoughts?

Tom, have to say my current knowledge on the best kit is out of date. I went through a phase 20 years back of reading the hi fi mags, but now I only read reviews and go to the shops when I'm thinking about replacing something. So that's all I can really suggest- quite a bit of research to get a shortlist and then go listen.

Floor standers are great, especially if you want the depth, but make sure they have the agility you want because the downside of producing the low frequencies is that it can lack the control and 'tightness' which punchy bass needs.

However, that's as much about your power amp. What I would suggest is looking for a different pre-amp. Even and £1500 av amp won't be as good as a dedicated music amp costing a third as much.

You can combine av and music amps together too, so I have a pioneer AV amp and AUDIOLAB CD player/DAC/pre-amp, and AUDIOLAB power amp for the main front speakers. For music it's just the Audiolab stuff, but for tv and movies the pioneer manages things and outputs to the fronts through the audiolab system.

[bodtwo]

Yep, spent a grand on a mission set nearly 20 years ago and its only now I'm needing to replace them. Combination of needing to move away from black and change in my ears/hearing.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by bodtwo

Yep, spent a grand on a mission set nearly 20 years ago and its only now I'm needing to replace them. Combination of needing to move away from black and change in my ears/hearing.

Speakers are the one item that can "wear" out I'd say, and after a period of time won't sound as it did in its prime. To be expected given it has moving parts that will cause a change in their properties over time and use, and it's those properties which will affect the sound the produce.

Amplifiers tend to just become slightly obsolete over time, especially av amplifiers.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

So you've not spent £3K on options on your car?

My current speakers cost me £800 and the same model still sells, only for £1,440. I'd like to see your (or my) car options keeping value like that!

You're right, I did spend to much on my car, should really be putting that money into a pension! But i have to have some enjoyment in life.

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by Steven1077

I'm still using my Yamaha NS-1000M speakers, I've yet to hear anything I like more, they were £900 25 years ago, powered by an audiolab 8000 C/P amp and a linn LP12 with an ecos arm and AT OC9 cartridge

Thought about getting them re-built?

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Tom, have to say my current knowledge on the best kit is out of date. I went through a phase 20 years back of reading the hi fi mags, but now I only read reviews and go to the shops when I'm thinking about replacing something. So that's all I can really suggest- quite a bit of research to get a shortlist and then go listen.

Floor standers are great, especially if you want the depth, but make sure they have the agility you want because the downside of producing the low frequencies is that it can lack the control and 'tightness' which punchy bass needs.

However, that's as much about your power amp. What I would suggest is looking for a different pre-amp. Even and £1500 av amp won't be as good as a dedicated music amp costing a third as much.

You can combine av and music amps together too, so I have a pioneer AV amp and AUDIOLAB CD player/DAC/pre-amp, and AUDIOLAB power amp for the main front speakers. For music it's just the Audiolab stuff, but for tv and movies the pioneer manages things and outputs to the fronts through the audiolab system.

The reason I like transmission line speakers is because of their ability to dig deep and remain fast, all PMCs I've heard have, IMO, been leaps and bounds ahead of any ported speakers and I've yet to hear infinite baffle speakers go as low as I'd like (within my budget). My current speakers certainly aren't lacking in the bass department, I've not measured them but I wouldn't be surprised if they reached 35Hz. There's been many an occasion where I've had to get up to see if the sub was on such is their low end response. They're highly regarded with studios and pro audio folks who are looking for accurate response, not your typical home audio style: http://www.whathifi.com/news/bbc-wal...-and-torchwood

The Marantz is a SR6007 and I won't be replacing that any time soon, it does everything I need it to, airplay, ARC and 12V trigger for turning the power amp on (via the Lab controller). I'd thought about adding dedicated kit for audio but it'd just end up confusing the mrs and child. The way it's set up at the moment when you turn the TV on, the Marantz turns on, sends a 12V signal to the power amp controller which in turn switches on the power amp. It means anyone can watch TV without having to worry about technology which I rather like. I've also used the same receiver to demo speakers and found it was my speakers that were lacking not the receiver.

Airplay is probably my primary source these days, most of my music is stored losslessly and itunes will stream this without compression over wifi to the receiver which then uses some pretty decent DACs. Occasionally I listen to CDs on one of my re-clocked and modified Marantz CD80s which I absolutely love.

I have got an AVI S2000 pre-amp which I could dig out and use, that's a decent class A pre-amp but I don't think it would benefit me.

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Speakers are the one item that can "wear" out I'd say, and after a period of time won't sound as it did in its prime. To be expected given it has moving parts that will cause a change in their properties over time and use, and it's those properties which will affect the sound the produce.

Amplifiers tend to just become slightly obsolete over time, especially av amplifiers.

They can wear out if they're not looked after, my TB2s have certainly taken some abuse but they're still performing as good as they did when they were new, really shows their pro heritage IMO. Probably the reason the BBC use the very same models in their radio studios.

Amplifiers can certainly wear out as component values drift but the electronics side of my kit is all pretty new so that'll all be staying.

Originally Posted by Lobb

Unfortunately yes.

I have five audio systems. Mrs Lobb has banned any further purchases.

As far as speakers go, it's a very personal thing. I have a couple of pairs of floorstanding Tannoys that are twenty years old, that I would back against any new £1k set of speakers.

So I wouldn't rule out a secondhand set, provided you can listen to them. There is little on a speaker to wear out as such, the damage if there is any will be by having used an underpowered amp and allowing it to clip.

Definitely not ruling out second hand, hence missing out on a pair on ebay last weekend

[Daftasabrush]

Holy crap, I had no idea these were this cheap these days: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kef-Refere...p2047675.l2557

They were stunning when I heard them at Kef

[neilr]

I can only recommend what I've experience of which are B & W 683's which are running through my Naim set-up, although they a a little sensitive to positioning, they've got plenty of guts

[Tobamory]

I have to say I'm about to move house in the next 6 months and can finally have my Hi-Fi Rooms.
Back in the day i would avidly read what Hifi and dream about owning that Nakamichi or Maridium separate...

At my brothers hes got plenty of good stuff, including KEF speakers, his latest edition were some AMPs that the BBC use that have Plessy connectors, retails about 1k each, but my oh my do they sound good when they drive the Kefs...
Anyway my holy grail is as above prob some KEF or B&Ws with the NAIM amp and the Naim MP3 streamer.... just gotta start saving now


regarding second hand, everything my brother gets is like that, the KEFs he got were from a guy who was going through divorce and needed the cash

[Torque of the Devil]

I have some PB1i's and they are just superb, if you can wait a while see if some more come up.

As has been said the bass control is just superb

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by Vanguard

I have some PB1i's and they are just superb, if you can wait a while see if some more come up.

As has been said the bass control is just superb

Thank you, are you able to give any more insight into what made you choose them, what you compared them to, what'd you'd had and liked/not liked in the past etc?

Cheers!

[Tobamory]

Any of you guys heard or tested the BOSE 650 setup or Yamaha new 5600 dolby atoms BAR ?

contemplating of retiring amp and speakers in favour of a not so wired intense setup...

[E60MKF]

If the budget can stretch, I would say the Linn Akudorik speakers with Exact and a DSM. It will bring your system up to date with tech as it's all streaming based but you can plug in a CD player and it sounds incredible. Put simply, it's emotion provoking quality (with the right song on &#128514

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by E60MKF

If the budget can stretch, I would say the Linn Akudorik speakers with Exact and a DSM. It will bring your system up to date with tech as it's all streaming based but you can plug in a CD player and it sounds incredible. Put simply, it's emotion provoking quality (with the right song on &#128514

not really what I'm after tbh, I wouldn't say my system is out of date, I just want to refresh the speakers. If Vanguard ever sees this, I'd love to know his thoughts on the PB1is and his other experiences.

[gIzzE]

I moved to Meridian gear around 12 years ago, started with their processor, then went to their DSP speakers. Sold it twice and went back to standard gear but they are just so good I am sticking with them long term now.


DSP5200 speakers, have the DSP Centre and processor in there as well now, that was when we finished decorating it..



Considering they are digital it is one of the smoothest most liquid sounding systems I have heard since the Vinyl days.

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

not really what I'm after tbh, I wouldn't say my system is out of date, I just want to refresh the speakers. If Vanguard ever sees this, I'd love to know his thoughts on the PB1is and his other experiences.

Twenty 26s being collected on Monday, can't wait