PMC Launches "Twenty" Series Loudspeaker.

To celebrate PMC's 20th Anniversary, the company has launched the new "Twenty" series loud speaker range of 4 models. The models starts from the entry level 21 & 22 stand mounts and continues with the 23 & 24 floor stand designs. These new models depart stylistically from any of the previous PMC designs in the form of a 5 degree sloping box, sitting on a spiked plinth. PMC's Product Manager, Keith Tonge mentions that the gently sloping front baffle mechanically time aligns the high frequency and bass driver, leading to use of an x-over of high quality parts and extremely simple design. Sloping box aside, many of the key performance features of the "Twenty" series are adopted from lessons learned while designing the Fact series speakers. The drivers which are made to PMC's spec by SEAS, especially the tweeter, looks like a close cousin of those found on my resident reference, the Fact 8 model. The bass drivers also looks similar to those on the Fact 8 but uses a different cone material. As with all PMC speaker designs, an Advance Transmission Line(ATL) is used to augment the bass response. To increase box rigidity, the inner surfaces are also lined with veneer matching with those on the outside, just like the Fact series.

Peter Thomas also chipped in saying that many people at various occasions had expressed interest to buy the Fact series speakers, because they liked the sound quality and the looks department, but were often daunted by the fairly up market pricing of the Fact series. So as a 20th Anniversary gift to these potential speaker buyers, PMC decided to work on a loud speaker design that would give the sound characteristics and visual cues of Fact series, but at a much lower price point, making high quality sounding speakers more accessible to more music lovers who appreciate high standards of sound reproduction.

PMC invited all the world's hifi press and journalist, including us bloggers for the occasion. Here are some pictures from that event, hosted at the Radisson Edwardian, New Providence Wharf.


The all new PMC "Twenty" series speakers. From left,  model 24, 22, 23 & 21.



Seen here is the model 23 in optional(extra cost) piano gloss black.



Another look at the model 23 in cherry veneer finish.

The various drivers and components used in production of the "Twenty" series speakers.



The extremely simple design x-over with hand matched high quality components.

Peter Thomas, the world's smartest speaker designer?

Some of the hifi press and journalist coming in for the press conference. I had the great honour to be placed right next to Paul Messenger(holding his jacket), Britain's foremost speaker expert who contributes to HiFi Choice and Stereophile.

The "Twenty" series is nice, but the bad boy BB5-XBD gets our vote for the ultimate "wet" dream speakers. Two thumbs up!

At the initial short listening sessions, I personally felt the model 21 of the "Twenty" series would be a giant slayer in the sub RM$10k speaker market. The small stand mount design impressed me with it's larger than life sound, dynamics and transient response, with a linear ability to play loud for such a small speaker. The 21 gave the sweetest of female vocals I've heard with an absolutely transparent mid range.

As one moves up in the range from model 22 onwards, the bass quality extends lower with dynamics and loudness envelope expands, but some what at the expense of the mid range sweetness of the 21. In fact the model 23 which is a floor stand version of the 21 sounded just a tad warmer in the lower mids then the rest of the "Twenty" series speakers. The model 24, the floor stand version of the 22, offers the best blend of compromises in between dynamics response and mid range sweetness.

Oh.....! by the way, selected models of the PMC "Twenty" series speakers are now on demo at AV Designs showroom at Menara Rohas Perkasa. Please contact Tony or James at 03-21712828 for demo appointment.