Hi all you good folks 
We've time and again read that system synergy, especially amp to speaker synergy makes or breaks a system. I've struggled with my PMC 20.26 speakers for 3 years to get them sounding right. And it of course sunk a lot of good money in the process.
As we hobbyists are ever helpful and wouldn't want a fellow hobbyist to loose money, committing the same mistakes we made. Thought I'd start a thread on this subject. Highlighting what worked and didn't work with a particular peice of gear.
Would be very grateful if others chip in. So that other members buying stuff have a ready reference of what goes with what. And might save a lot of guess work, heart burn and not to mention financial loss.
I have mentioned my trails with gear as below. Others , please feel free to improvise on this format. Thanks for participating
Speakers : PMC 20.26
Amps tried : devialet D premier, parasound halo integrated, krell KSA 100 mk2, TAD 1000 tube mono blocks.
Best fit : TAD 1000 mono blocks or any other tubey sounding amp in my humble opinion..
Reason - this has completely taken off the rough edge these studio heritage speakers have. Especially treble can get harsh at times. With tubes iam getting a huge holographic sound stage with great imaging. Iam hearing sounds coming out from the sides of the listening position, away from the speaker plane on a lot of tracks. And I must mention the sound is really sweet, especially the treble. These have 100 tube watts a side. Though they don't have the below mentioned krell's bass slam, what they have is a very rounded bass. Absolutely no bass boom or bloat. May be i should add a very organic bass. Unlike the krell, which sounds like the bass drivers are going to burst any moment, with all that speed and slam.
Mostly fit but not quiet there : krell KSA 100 mk2
Reason - This is a full class A amp. Awesome bass and control. Probably the best bass slam I've ever heard, and in the same league as a karan power amp. And mids and treble are also sweet because of the class A implementation. But not quiet there vs the tube amps at treble sweetness and the huge sound staging and imaging. But this gets real close to the tube sound, coupled with some of the best bass possible. It only loses out to the tubes in holographic imaging Th at only tubes can do. But it came fearfully close to them.
Half way there : parasound halo integrated
Reason - very neutral sounding amp , but very powerful. Cuts of high treble to deliver a mellow sound. The pmc are lean sounding speakers. So need some amp which adds weight and body to the sound. So the parasound being completely neutral, and not adding anything to the sound didn't work in my room. But it works a treat on my Qacoustics concept 40's.
Didn't work at all : devialet D premier
Reason - This is a detail freak. And lean sounding amp. Coupled with the PMC , I was getting a detailed but lean sound. Since I was looking for more weight and body removed it from the chain. But has awesome bass again. But still not krell bass territory
We've time and again read that system synergy, especially amp to speaker synergy makes or breaks a system. I've struggled with my PMC 20.26 speakers for 3 years to get them sounding right. And it of course sunk a lot of good money in the process.
As we hobbyists are ever helpful and wouldn't want a fellow hobbyist to loose money, committing the same mistakes we made. Thought I'd start a thread on this subject. Highlighting what worked and didn't work with a particular peice of gear.
Would be very grateful if others chip in. So that other members buying stuff have a ready reference of what goes with what. And might save a lot of guess work, heart burn and not to mention financial loss.
I have mentioned my trails with gear as below. Others , please feel free to improvise on this format. Thanks for participating
Speakers : PMC 20.26
Amps tried : devialet D premier, parasound halo integrated, krell KSA 100 mk2, TAD 1000 tube mono blocks.
Best fit : TAD 1000 mono blocks or any other tubey sounding amp in my humble opinion..
Reason - this has completely taken off the rough edge these studio heritage speakers have. Especially treble can get harsh at times. With tubes iam getting a huge holographic sound stage with great imaging. Iam hearing sounds coming out from the sides of the listening position, away from the speaker plane on a lot of tracks. And I must mention the sound is really sweet, especially the treble. These have 100 tube watts a side. Though they don't have the below mentioned krell's bass slam, what they have is a very rounded bass. Absolutely no bass boom or bloat. May be i should add a very organic bass. Unlike the krell, which sounds like the bass drivers are going to burst any moment, with all that speed and slam.
Mostly fit but not quiet there : krell KSA 100 mk2
Reason - This is a full class A amp. Awesome bass and control. Probably the best bass slam I've ever heard, and in the same league as a karan power amp. And mids and treble are also sweet because of the class A implementation. But not quiet there vs the tube amps at treble sweetness and the huge sound staging and imaging. But this gets real close to the tube sound, coupled with some of the best bass possible. It only loses out to the tubes in holographic imaging Th at only tubes can do. But it came fearfully close to them.
Half way there : parasound halo integrated
Reason - very neutral sounding amp , but very powerful. Cuts of high treble to deliver a mellow sound. The pmc are lean sounding speakers. So need some amp which adds weight and body to the sound. So the parasound being completely neutral, and not adding anything to the sound didn't work in my room. But it works a treat on my Qacoustics concept 40's.
Didn't work at all : devialet D premier
Reason - This is a detail freak. And lean sounding amp. Coupled with the PMC , I was getting a detailed but lean sound. Since I was looking for more weight and body removed it from the chain. But has awesome bass again. But still not krell bass territory
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