Pmc db1s+

[vonchief]

Does any one have these speakers as i am quite tempted to get a pair.

At the moment i have Epos m16 floor stand speakers and even though i really like them they are perhaps a little enthusiastic at the top end.I just fancy a change really and am trying to find out how the sound compares to the db1 speakers.

Getting a demo is hard because of work commitments(no day off)

Used in quite a small room(3.5m x 3m) with

Rotel 1550 preamp,1070 CD player and 1070 power amp.

I suppose if i hated them i could always keep the epos and sell the pmc on EBay but it would be nice to hear from someone with experience of the db1 and perhaps stop me wasting money.

Any advice most welcome,thanks.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Other than give slightly deeper bass, I don't think the DB1i's are going to quite give you what you're looking for. By nature, smaller bookshelf speakers do tend to be a little lean sounding, making them slightly top heavy. Try the Spendor SA1, as Spendor tend to be a little smoother than most manufacturers, but also take a look at the Proac Reference 8/Reference 8 Signature, the ATC SCM7 or 11, and the KEF XQ10/20, which are smoother than many people realise.

As always, if you can get a listen it could save you a lot of money.

 

[drummerman]

If I remember correctly and it has been a while, the PMC's are quite smooth and not 'top heavy'. Tried them with a number of amplifier/players one-make systems from cyrus, Arcam, Rega, Naim, Denon. Weighty sounding too for such small speakers, perhaps to much so in a very small room but I remember the bass being to soft for my liking with almost all the equipment used. Perhaps PMC try to hard to coax some sort of bass from such tiny speakers. At the time I preferred Rega's R3 but they err in the same direction as your Epos'es ie. fast and on the bright side so if that is something you want to avoid, the DB1's are certainly worth trying. Hope this helps.

 

[Anonymous]

The PMCs are superb little speakers and I think they'd go well with the Rotel kit; I thought about putting them with my old RA03. Good point about the balance of small speakers and apparent brightness. It's hard to make a judgment on this because it depends on your tastes. I would suggest trying the Spendor S3e going for £599 in some places. It's a smooth speaker and isn't the last word in bass quantity but they're very articulate and image beautifully. On a pair of Partington stands with good speaker cable like Chord Odyssey 2, you might be pleasantly surprised. The SA1s are breathtaking (I'm biased

) but might benefit from a better amp. Having said that, they worked very well on my Rotel RA03.

 

[vonchief]

Thanks for the replies,

I know the sensible way is to take some time off work and demo a few speakers but it really is very difficult.I'm also limited on space which is one of the reasons i went for the epos(very shallow & take up less space than most speaker stands).I don't want to loose out too much on bass and already have a sub in the room for my av system so don't want to add another one for stereo.

The pmc db1s appealed because of there size and thought the transmission design would help with the bass.The type of sound i seem to want is a more real sound if that makes sense. I like the look of the studio versions too but not sure if they are voiced differently to the domestic versions.

I have also considered the spendor 5se speakers as all the reviews and opinions of these seem to point to a smooth sound. I'm sure its the metal tweeters i need to avoid.

Thanks again as all opinions welcome.

 

[drummerman]

vonchief:
Thanks for the replies,

I know the sensible way is to take some time off work and demo a few speakers but it really is very difficult.I'm also limited on space which is one of the reasons i went for the epos(very shallow & take up less space than most speaker stands).I don't want to loose out too much on bass and already have a sub in the room for my av system so don't want to add another one for stereo.

The pmc db1s appealed because of there size and thought the transmission design would help with the bass.The type of sound i seem to want is a more real sound if that makes sense. I like the look of the studio versions too but not sure if they are voiced differently to the domestic versions.

I have also considered the spendor 5se speakers as all the reviews and opinions of these seem to point to a smooth sound. I'm sure its the metal tweeters i need to avoid.

Thanks again as all opinions welcome.

If it it 'real' sound with as little high frequency distortion (or distortion at any other frequency) as poss I'd point you towards AVI's ADM9.1. Active speakers with separate sub output which you can utilize with your existing one if you have high/low level inputs though many use them without one, depending on room. The cleanest highs you'll hear short of spending serious money. Perhaps not the best for rock but everything else sounds sublime if you like a clean sound with superb dynamics. Good inbuilt DAC too.

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome back DM, where have you been?

AVI ADM9.1, very fine product indeed. If I was in the market...

 

[drummerman]

Organizing my new coffee bar Igglebert. Not much time (or money) for gadgets at present.

 

[Anonymous]

Let us know when it's done. Maybe some of us can sample the espresso and toons...

 

[drummerman]

Deal buddy