PMC Owners your opinions

Hey Oz-
Here is your answer
OB-1 = "Other Box"
LB-1 = "Little Box"
TB-1 = "Tiny Box"
DB-1 = "Dinky Box"

It really isn't that confusing....relax a bit.

I have IB2's as mains and center with LB1 rears. I drive the IB2's with 7Bsst's. Specatular combination.

In terms of digital front end, I use Prism Dream DA-1 DAC with a less than optimal transport (9000es). The Prism is simply outstanding. In fact, James Tanner, VP Marketing of Bryston used this DAC as his reference for many years. New, this DAC would have been $7k to $8k but because it is a pro unit and audiophiles don't know about this gem, you can pick one up for about $1.5k used. I was introduced to the DAC through James and was floored by it. Found one used with the help of Google from a pro dealer.

As I said I would rather buy my speakers first. At first they would out class my present electronics greatly but would shine even more as I add better Amplification and Sources.

I plan to buy as much as possible used gear from here at the Gon and so would save money. Not sure what your finacial situation is but mine allows me a big purchase $5500.00 every year so buying speakers and new amps and CDP is not an option.
If I go with the IB2's I just might have to wait another year as to buying the OB1's outright.

All I can say is this will be one hell of a journey and that I will need lots of luck and prayers.

Cheers

Freakygreek, I've personally chose to work backwards by buying my ideal speakers first and then the amps. I am out of funds right now, so I have yet to upgrade my source. I am of the opinion that the "sweetspot" for digital source is at a much lower price than amps and speakers (a reason there is much less consensus on what is a better source). If you have no space for the 7Bs, you can consider the 14Bs. I think the CDPs you listed are all good and I would think that the lower priced CX7 would not be blown out of the water by the more expensive players you listed (although I have no doubt that the higher priced CDPs you listed are better). Hence I suggested thinking about spending the extra thousands on better amplification instead, because it seems to me that digital technology is getting so good these days that you can find a great value at many price points. There are also some good valued DACs out there as well. I like the Emmlabs gear but I can't afford it. But moving from a 4B to a 7B or 14B is going to be a big step up. I just think that if you're going to spend $5K-8K on a CDP, you might as well consider buying a $3K-6K CDP and spending the rest on better amplification or speakers. Good luck building your dream system.

Howie,

First thanks for responding to my question. In all honesty the IB1's/IB2's would be to much speaker for my present location where the OB1's would fit in nicely. I know if I purchase the OB1's I would likely need to upgrade again as my space increases where if I went with the IB2's I'd have a speaker for life.

As you guessed I'm after a more refined sound than one analytical. If you can suggest to me players that are mid-priced then please do.

As for amps if I had the space I would've gone with 7BSST's instead of my current 4BSST but they are still in the back of my mind.

Cheers

I found the IB1s bass to be a bit too punchy (as if it's forced out) for my tastes, and the IB2s, which I have not heard, are supposely smoother sounding. Since you're looking at tube pres and in general, smooth sounding cdps, I'm guessing you're looking for a more refined and musical sound rather than strict accuracy. Another option to consider is to get a midprice player and use the money save to upgrade to the 7B SSTs. I think you'll obtain a better balance this way.

Thanks guys for the feedback.

You are very right about personal tastes and preferences. What works for you might not turn my crank. A poster on AudioCircle suggested the ML 390s did nothing for them but that a DAC64 worked well. I intend to audition as many as I can. One dealer has both PMC and Wadia and I'll see how that marriage works. For the time being here are The players I've been considering:


Audio Aero Capitale
ML 390s
Wadia 861
Ayre CX-7

Cheers

MC1, OB1, 1B1, ABC, Doe Ray Mi, 1,2,3.....Who the hell can keep all that straight? Why doesn't PMC use some sort of rhyme or reason when naming their speakers? Sheesh, waaaaay too much confusion.....

Oz

Since there's only one reply, I'll share with you my thoughts. I auditioned the IB1s and MB2s extensively, mostly with Bryston 7B SSTs. This might not be the answer you are looking for, but a good source is a good source. I auditioned the speakers using a Levinson 390, Mac CD changer, and Sony XA777ES. No mismatch from what I heard. The Levinson sounded the best to me on CD, while the MAC was very musical. I think it would come down to personal tastes and preferences here. Sorry I can't be of more help.

I'm still looking into the speakers themselves with the OB1's and IB1's on my short list. I might be able to stretch for a used pair of IB2's. I was ready to jump on the pair of IB1's that came up but thought better of it.

I'm currently running a 4BSST and my CDP is a JoLida modded by underwood. I would like to add a tube pre amp with HT pass through much like the VTL 5.5.

Cheers

PMC MB-1, MB-1C, and BB5 - using Meridian 861/800.
Great combo! Sold the Meridians (sadly) next will be the PMCs.

A great amp on the PMC are Krell FPB monos. We ran 350MCx, and just recently 450MCx.

Have you tried these?

Dan