TECHWEEK
The British company PMC (Professional Monitor Company) presents an updated series of Twenty5i acoustics. “I” in this case means “improved”. The series continues the concept of the original Twenty5 released 4 years ago.
The PMC Twenty5i speaker series consists of a pair of 2-way and one 3-way floor standing speakers, two 2-way speakers and a center channel system. The Twenty 5.21i and Twenty 5.22i floor-standing models, as well as the Twenty 5.23i and Twenty 5.24i bookshelf models, have the same driver set: this is a 130mm or 165mm woofer with the same tweeter.
Actually, a series is actually built on these emitters. The only three-way speaker – the Twenty 5.26i model – also received a mid-range 50 mm dome driver, developed on the basis of those found in the company’s professional monitors.
The Sonomex 19mm soft dome tweeter, with a 34mm external waveguide, is also based on the high-end PMC speakers. This driver was allegedly made to work at a lower frequency and wider dispersion. As a result, the crossover circuit was changed to 1.7 kHz instead of 1.8 kHz set in the previous iteration.
The crossovers themselves are built on “military” fiberglass boards with pure copper tracks and are designed to provide improved band stitching. In addition, according to the developers, unwanted body vibrations are reduced in the speakers. It still complies with Advanced Transmission Line technology for bass reproduction, with Laminair aerodynamic ports.
According to PMC, “… the twenty 5i series has more transparency in the high and mid frequencies, a wider and deeper soundstage and is ultimately significantly more attractive to the listener.” In addition, the Twenty 5i series features updated stands.
They use a damping material designed to attenuate certain unwanted frequencies, with improved vibration isolation. The spikes are 12 mm longer and are suitable for thicker carpets. In terms of design, the Twenty 5i has been added with silk white finishes and natural oak or walnut veneers.
Description PMC Twenty5 24i
The two-way PMC Twenty5 24i model is ranked second among the floor standing speakers in the twenty5 anniversary series. The speaker cabinet is made of high density fibreboard (HDF), and the front and rear are tilted backward by five degrees for accurate radiation patterns and speaker matching. The well-damped body has thick walls and is finished with natural veneer (inside and outside).
The speaker is equipped with a three-meter labyrinth of Advanced Transmission Line built with internal partitions (ATL “progressive transmission line”).
The maze is filled with a special material that absorbs all frequencies except for the lowest bass. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the side-tones of the cabinet and get deeper and faster low frequencies than in conventional acoustic systems of comparable dimensions.
Speakers with this design do not lose bass even when listening at low volumes. ATL also minimizes harmonic distortion across the entire frequency band. The transmission line has two rectangular ports, which are placed on the facade of the AC. Each port is equipped with special curved diffusers (proprietary Laminair technology) designed to suppress the turbulence of the outgoing air flow,
The PMC Twenty5 24i features a Sonomex soft dome tweeter developed in collaboration with SEAS for a natural and precise sound. A small mesh grill is located in front of the membrane, providing an accurate radiation pattern and a wider soundstage.
The midrange and bass are transmitted by a 6.5-inch driver with a durable, rigid g-weave cone, which is a blend of cellulose and finely woven fiberglass impregnated with epoxy resin. Both radiators are protected by an acoustically transparent grill that is magnetically attached to the front of the cabinet.
The filters use high-quality components (inductors with a minimum of losses, Solen capacitors), selected empirically after many hours of listening. On the back of the case there is a mirrored metal plate with magnetic inertness. The plate has two screw terminals made of rhodium-plated oxygen-free copper.
Conclusion
The PMC Twenty5 24i floor stand will perform well in medium-sized rooms and will deliver accurate, detailed and surround sound with an almost palpable sense of presence.
