Currently have some PMC OB1s on demo on the strength of a quick listen at Bristol. I thought that the bass would win me over but after a week I find myself looking for all the other stuff - at 2.5K gbp I expected a little more. So Ive hit a conundrum - the OB1s do have bass, but its a bit of a one trick pony. Where is the refinement? (i use that word because I cant pin point what is wrong, other than I know I expected more). Thats not to say they are cack - far from it, they are really good -->> or would be if they retailed for £1.5K Anyone else have the ob1s? or experience with them? After listening to several spkrs over the last year I am on the brink of giving up on this hifi malarky - every spkr i listen to ends up revealing something that makes me think twice (ok, so I could be the problem - maybe I am too picky and dont have the funds to buy something that really floats my boat. Anyone offer any alternative demos? 1.5K to 2.5K , pref toward the lower end likes: musicality bass soundstage appearance low level volume performance dislikes: boom sibilance dull midrange ugly Any ideas? edited to add: I dont mind suggestions for the 2nd hand market.
If you like the PMC bass why not try some other models? I have heard a fair number of people say the same as you about the OB1's and GB1's. Have you tried the FB1+? Or I personally like the AB2's or LB1's more than the FB1. I have the AML1 which are awesome, but unfortunately over the budget. Tried the Monitor Audio GR60?s?
Sonus Faber Amator IIs should come in second hand below £2k. After trying many floorstanders that were too boomy I went for these and I love them. At the time I listened to almost eveything at the £3k mark. You could also try the Shahinians - lovely, really wanted them, but too boomy in my place - same probelm as at uncle ants' home. The Shahinians and the SF have much more detail than the equivalent B&W model but were not as bright. I also liked the Wilson Benesch Arcs but found them too fatiguing (as a reference point I also do not like Mana and Naim for the same reasons). Using very very very very expensive cable helped a bit. Have to say though that they were very accurate meaning that on the David Sylvian Everything and Nothing CD it sounded like you were there in each different recording studio on each song whereas on all of the other speakers the differences were minimal; a bad recroding was a bad recording and you may or may not want this - I didn't for musical pleasure at home. I think that the speakers are so important in a system, so much so that when I down graded I could not get rid of the SFs. It really is worthwhile spending some time trying out different things. I also think that a new speaker, like a new anything just brings with it a different set of challenges! Best of luck Dominic
would be useful to know what kit you have but SF cremona auditors are worth a listen. noted for their soundstaging, musicality and looks. try listening to something in the Totem and Audio Physic ranges as well. FWIW, PMC have never really grabbed me. G, F, 0 - all very nice but nothing more. the standmounts aren't bad though.
Seems to me that you should take a look at meadowlark. You seem interested in what transmission lines will do for bass, so try a few other tl implementations. You've heard the WM experience, so maybe worth a punt?
hiya, I wouldnt feel right suggesting specific models. If you havent done so, I'd suggest hearing 1) Full range ribbons 2) Full range electrostatics 3) ribbon and electrostatic hybrids 4) horn loaded speakers 5) large well made 3-way box speakers Im sorry if that sounds really obvious, but it helped me to decide which did/didnt give me a presentation I liked/didnt like. Im sure the right speaker is out there for you somewhere. By the way have you been able to get to any of the hifi shows? Its not a bad place to get a few ideas.
yep - its just that those Ospreys are too big for the room I have a long room and the spkrs are on the long wall - so they have top be a reasonable size - the ob1s are probably the max size. I really only went for the PMC because if the TL - now if they had the Audio Physic midrange and stage all seamlessy integrated with the bass - I would be a happy bunny indeed.
LOL - Im sick of going to shows IME you get amere glimps of what is on offer in terms of outright performance. Maybe I should try the Elacs with the ribbons?
don't know what he's like to deal with but the hifi guy has a nice s/h range in at the moment, even a pair of amphion xenon, for 31895, Art skibo 3way for £895 (although his pic is of the 2 way and stands 3 way replaces stands with side firing bass units) he also seems to have a few other interesting speakers at not bad prices http://www.hifiguy.co.uk/
I have OB1's and I am very pleased with them. However, I originally had a laminate floor which played havoc with the bass and apart from occasional boom the bass was not especially tuneful. I now have a new room with carpet which has cured the boom and the 'one trick' bass. Other things to consider are room size and amplification. Mine was a 3.5 x 4m and was really to small for the OB1's, again the bass tended to be overblown. I also made the change from olive/ chrome naim amps to Bryston this made a huge difference. The Brystons have a much better grip on the bass and I find the treble smoother. I also have a pair of standmount LB1's. I really could live very happily with these as main speakers. Rod
Lamboy - they do do smaller models. Also look into apogee Stage and Duetta, although the company is now defunct.
Yes I was going to say, are you sure its not a room mis-match? TLs can be a pain to match to the room properly.
Can't say I've ever had that problem with TL's if they've been built properly in the first place. Nothing prefect, however some makes work far, far better than others. Wm
I allways thought the advantage of TL's was that they weren't so room dependant as ported designs. I had the FB1's for a while and would say the bass was fine, plenty there and lots of texture, although not as loud as equivelent ported designs, seems to offer all the bass, but less slam than other designs that use bigger cones to get same level of bass.
No I think alot of people think they're easier to integrate but when they don't match they can be awful. I've tried quite a few TL designs in my room and they were all horrible. Couldn't get any of them to project the sound at all, couldn't get them to play more than two notes and couldn't get anything remotely low out of them. Spent hours wandering around the room with the things, just wouldn't work. Decided they were more trouble than they were worth in the end.
You had bad TL's then. What were they so we can all benefit from your experience and avoid them! I certainly haven't heard that effect with the one's I've heard, and the main problem I have with them in my room is one I'd have with any speakers that go low.
I tried a friends IPLs, some obscure make I hadn't heard of that were found in the back of a hifi shop (black things with grill cloth wrapped all round them if that means anything to anyone?) and a couple of DIY designs. I had heard the IPLs and the DIYs in other peoples systems sounding really nice. They didn't work in my room. Can't say about the little ones but good or bad they didn't work either.
