Thank you very much for your professional review on the PMC 25.21i , Tarun. For two years I owned the PMC 25.21 and now I own the Sonus faber Minima Amator 2. The PMC is a great speaker with a clear and accurate sound. Tight bass. However, for me, the sound was for my head, not my heart. No speaker is perfect. Sonus faber speakers are certainly not perfect. Although my Sonus faber Minima Amator 2 plays less detailed than the PMC, it has a richer bass, and plays more organically and naturally than the PMC. The musical involvement with the Sonus faber is phenomenal. With PMC I listened to sound. With Sonus faber I listen to music. 😊

After this review (I've read more on the 21i's) I found myself placing them on top of the long list of 10 (!) sucessors to my Emit10's hooked up to a Uniti Star. Auditioned them last week and I was sold, for me the same key words (crisp, speed, bass speed) applied. It's wonderful to have someone around on KZfaq making such balanced reviews, thanks Tarun.

PMC and Exposure is a match made in heaven. I use an older Exposure 2010S2 (75w/ch) with my PMC's and it provides ample power.

As always, an informative, straightforward and comprehensive review. I have long had my eye on PMC Speakers. My priorities are tonality followed closely by clarity and resolution. An infrequent combination, especially when modest resources are at play. Unfortunately, much music is not recorded with quality in mind. So we face the conundrum of cherished music poorly recorded. Ruthlessly revealing equipment exacerbates those flaws. Then there's the listening space. Many of us do not have a large room with flexibility in placement available. Reviews that address these issues are of particular value for the discerning. Finally, system synergy is an area that reviewers often overlook. One that can greatly affect the satisfaction or lack, when equipment is heard in the home. Thank you, your work is appreciated.

Good video and fair review. I own the pmc Twenty5 22 and agree with your points. Timing is amazing but not a heart shaking experience and source is very important. A great speaker and I would recommend for vinyl lovers to try it out.

Love the review. Big fan of proper transmission line speakers. I was freaked out at 1:44 when I saw the drawing and thought "no, they did it wrong" referring to the porting. Then later at 2:15, I was relieved to see the cutaway showing a properly engineered porting system. They look to be of excellent quality. Thanks again for the review. If I can find them here, I will definitely give them proper consideration.

well I received the Twenty5.22i speakers today, and yes they paired lovely with the Sugden IA-4 amp. Effortless to drive these speakers with a good Class A amp. The clarity and articulation and annunciation is so clean and fast. The bass is perfect, not boomy very nice. This was a great choice.

This is a bang on review! I've got the GB1i and love them but when I really enjoy listening it is the Kef 104/2s! Depth of sound stage, more natural presentation and just perfect rendition.

looking back the video that 1 year ago got me into PMC speakers 🎉

This review sits well with your very more recent review of PMCs Prodigy 5 . Transmission Line speakers produce a quality of bass like few others. Having owned Castle Avon 5s (a TL design from a few years ago no longer available) I can confirm the tangible detail, power,depth and tuneful bass a TL can produce which is difficult to find in other designs . TL designs are few (there are some DIY TL speakers available) but given their obvious advantages it is a missed opportunity . They are more complex in terms of the design and the internal line but the latter might also be part of their strength in suppressing speaker cabinet resonance and vibration . Keep the reviews coming. Much favoured in this quarter .

Wow. Fantastic again Tarun. Truely. It’s clear why you’re one of the fastest growing YT channels for audio that I’ve seen. I feel like I truly understand how these speakers sound now. I’ve contemplated the PMC Twenty5 series for some time now and this has finally nailed it for me. Thanks.

Hi Tarun, excellent video as always. Your knowledge depth is just so impressive and yet you consistently judge perfectly the amount of it that is included in each video. My favorite audio channel certainly. Thank you

Thanks Tarun. I have always liked The PMC speakers from a few years ago. Your take on these newest of The PMC range have been well received by me. I constantly go back and forth on your very many audiophile reviews to educate myself .....in all this associated with this hobby. I am a music/enthusiast who just loves the hobby and cherry pick from the numerous ideas you present. Thanks and I love the vocal presentation. David from The Great White North

Glad I found this video. I have Proac Response 1SC and think I will keep them.

Thanks for the review. I considered these ones while shopping, but ended up buying the Dynaudio Special Forty instead and I’m very happy with them!

I recently squeezed in a small 75 inch telly so my tld transmission lines were extended further apart already towed inwards and I was pleasantly rewarded with better sound stage and even deeper bass than I'd achieved before and I'm sick of folks playing hide and seek looking for non existent sub woofers around my living room,

You keep making these terrific videos, very interesting.

These speakers and my luxman lx380 tube amp is a great match, the attack and decay on notes is on point.

I am now hooked on your reviews,the Exposure you gave exceptional is down on my list for amplification. Still drinking copious cups of tea and awaiting that call to Alan Shaw.Your review of the Harbeths may just make up my mind for me.A brand that the British ignore but the rest of the world adore. Would like to know why preferably from you.Many thanks.

Talks about specs is one things, hearing and falling in love with is another.

Hi Tarun, thank you very much for this review. You are really setting a benchmark in my opinion with your reviews.

Hello. Thank you for your accurate review. I can recognise all your descriptions on my own system: PMC Twenty 24 and Leben CS 300 F tube amplifier. Although my speakers don't have a fast bass as the new PMC 25 models, they are very good, fast and detailed. Sound is good with any kind of music, giving an unfattiging sound and a very musical one. I find that a "warmer" amplifier makes a perfect match for PMC. Thank you

Hi. Very detailed review very well presented. Love the comparison to the ProAc speakers.

Good review. Having owned smaller PMC stand mounts and floor standers in the past the worst thing you can do is "miss the below 40hz region enough to just buy some cheap subs to supplement" The PMC bass is something special in the way the notes are rendered, if you add some bog standard muddy subwoofers down low it really detracts. I now, through pure luck, have PMC floor standers with 10" drivers and I now fully understand PMCs vision. You can have good bass, or you can have low bass, rarely can you have really good low bass. The bass on my EB1 is unmatched by anything else I have heard. No sub I''ve ever heard does what these do. They go down to about 19 hz in my room but the transient speed at 19hz has the ability to make all the glasses clink in my kitchen in rhythm to to the song if I've accidentally put them in the cupboard touching each other. It's bizarre. The entire room and house becomes alive. A PMC sub is a really good idea though very expensive compared to the usual hifi subs. I had TwoTwo Sub2 for a year and it really did a good job.

Tarun, excellent as always.. I'm torn between the PMC Twenty5 21i or the ATC SCM 19. I do run a JL audio Fathom in my current 2.1 system. Watching both reviews over and over sounds like you preferred the ATC's...Cheers!

Thank you my friend for this and all your other YT videos. Always a good day when I see you've posted another vid. You truly area ray of sunlight in world of gloom. Here in California we are going through another round of Covid shutdowns, and I understand that things are even worse in Great Britain. You give us something else to focus our mental outlook on. Appreciate your comparison of the speaker to your ProAcs. I've enjoyed the ProAc sound whenever I'v had the opportunity to listen to them. Back in the day, I also really enjoyed the Celestion SL600s.

Great review of a complex speaker. Good to hear your comments about the Exposure amplifier.

Would love a video discussing which speakers or speaker manufacturers tend to focus more on the ‘release of the note’. Would be a good topic to cover… dry sounding speakers vs those with more body

Your observations are spot on! I have the 24s which exhibit the same traits however, there is definitely a sense of depth. I like your product placement in your videos .... I noticed the Denafrips DAC on your rack .... Expect we'll see a review soon 🙂 Cheers ... Enjoying your channel!

Tarun, brace yourself for some praise. Since my Covid house arrest, I've become a KZfaq audio review addict and my bank account shows the consequences. I need an app to remove "Buy it now" from my computer. In watching all these reviewers, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy your reviews regardless of length for several reasons. I appreciate how you do your best to separate objective findings from your personal opinions. I also appreciate your excellent descriptive and analytic abilities as articulated in your findings. It is refreshing to hear someone with a vocabulary actually use it to review audio equipment. One thing that drives me crazy with some reviewers (And maybe it's just an Americanism) is the phrase "Pretty good" What is that supposed to mean,? I guess anything from damning with faint praise to four out of five star praise? To put it in perspective, let's say you just had a thrilling romantic interlude with your lover and she says it was "pretty good". Where does that leave you? I'd say not very secure, and it's hardly helpful or even instructive. You don't know whether she's trying to keep your ego in check, or should you go looking again on in a dating website.

Thank you for the great review Tarun.

Hi Tarun, great review and like myself once you realise just how well PMC speakers produce bass, nothing really comes close in that specific area. I run Fact 12s myself and love what they do, but as you say they don’t take any prisoners, when it comes to upstream equipment. Allow me to add, that I am not sure it is a good idea to rake them further backwards, as they have already got a sloping baffle. Correct Image height should be determined by your ears being at a level between the tweeter and the midrange and this is how the speaker was designed and with the intended measured frequency response. Ie. raise speakers equally front/back with a slab of something or have the right height dedicated stand. An alternative could be lower your own listening position. The overall room/ speaker response and interaction can change most likely unfavourably as you start tilting, as the off axis listening response becomes more unpredictable and influenced by 1st ceiling reflections. This will in turn influence the overall tonality of the speakers, as a different reflection pattern gets thrown into the mix. No worries I’ll get me coat......🤓🤣 ATB Peter

I built myself a pair of nice floorstander 1/4 wave Transmission lines, just over fifteen years ago. Wonderful results. The cab design is inherently solid, and can easily be made rock solid and incredibly dead when doing it oneself. They are flat down to 32 Hz. Cathedral and big orchestral shit, with low organ peddles can shake stuff around, and can sound menacingly epic. Bass does shine, with none of that slow flabbiness one can get with bigger drivers. I need to finish them off properly with a new tweeter. As indeed they should really be. Likely a ribbon of some type. This needs to be crossed lower than at present, to alleviate some of the mid frequencies from the upper of the 6.5 inch Magnesium Woofer to be taken on by the Tweeter, so that the Woofer will be operating wholly pistonically and away from the cone break up and bell modes. Been meaning to get around to it. Not that they are not pretty damn decent anyway. A real big plus of transmission lines is just how tunable they are. You can adjust how much foam or long haired wool one has in the line. This allows a certain amount of adjustment to suit a particular room. There's just something about a transmission line, in the bottom registers, than is very appealing. Which is what the whole deal is about. The Tweeter is pretty much a complete system one simply bolts/screws on the front baffle. The box really is only for the control of the Woofer bottom end. In effect a physical filter, as opposed to an electrical one. That controls the Woofer at/around it's resonant frequency. The different types. Open Baffle. Infinite Baffle/Sealed Box. Ported box/Bass Reflex. Transmission Lines. Horns. All have what amount to essentially analogues in the Electrical Domain. They have different type filter slopes, in just the same way as the electrical filters do that make up the passive crossover. Not that I'm trying to teach anyone how to suck eggs. I just thought the cabinets actual role in actually being part of the filtering/crossover might be interesting and something most folk overlook.

I know this is an old video, would be good to compare what the new PMC active kit does for these speakers.

Just heard the twent five 22i today with Priare 135. Sounded great, never heard such a crisp treble. Wasnt sure ifnit could get too fatiguing tho. Im off to hear other speakers soon, including the dynaudio special 40. Would love to see you get a pair of these, as they seem to be very well favoured. I was impressed with the Primare amp too. Made me think maybe i could actually achieve more by upgrading amp first.....which i was never thinking before. (I took my current speakers with me to demo).

Hi, love the work you do. Wish you could move the section on the sound performance upfront of your review, and the rest further down. The tech and gizmo don't mean a thing if it sound good. Many reviewers tries to impress others with their tech knowledge first, I think that should be second or third. Oh, I sincerely hope you'll get some wharfedales into your line up, especially the diamond 12.1.

Excellent review as always Tarun.

Biggest problem with these PMC's are ATC 11 or 19s(I'd take the 7s as well), but also proacs amazing studio 100s. Still a fine review.

Pretty spot on with the PMC sound. I own the twenty series speaker which are a little more warmer in presentation. The newer 25 series tend to be voiced in a V curve which is fine if you like it that way.

Excellent. I bought the 25.23’s after demoing about a dozen pairs of speakers and was completely taken by the depth and speed of the bass, accuracy and clarity of these speakers. For me nothing else came close. However, like you, if I had one criticism it is that they do sound very “cold”. I went for the 25.23’s over the 25.21’s as they had that bit more bass and were effectively better v.f.m. than the 21’s plus stands, plus sub. Whilst I found the 23’s sounded just like the 21’s but with more bass I didn’t like the 22’s at all. They sounded like a completely different speaker and the bass was “muddy” in comparison. Final point, everything in your review chimes exactly with my experience except for placement. Perhaps it is a difference between the 21’s and the 23’s, perhaps it is the room, but I have found my much less sensitive to positioning. Looking forward to the next one!

Was waiting since this morning Tarun , cheers .. great review 👍

Bit cold sounding for this time a year 😁 great review yet again Tarun.

I'm going to get myself some of that non-metallic stainless steel at 3:00! Good review Tarun. My 23i's are now run in and sounding fantastic. The tonal balance must be a family thing as the bigger speakers are also fast, resolving and accurate, not warm - maybe a result of their studio monitor heritage.

You mentioned Exposure monoblocks, would love to see a review on them in due time as you have reviewed other amps, especially as they are priced around the Hegel 160. Great review of the speakers as usual!

Tarun, very informative and entertaining review. You have great mastery of audiophile lexicon. I really understand what you mean about revealing speakers . Ive got Revel F36 floor standers. I felt they were too forward and more than “crisp”. I was a bit panicked cause I didn’t like them. I decided to change over to a Mac I have with autoformers. It’s a much warmer amp and it dialed the speakers in. Saved the day and saved me too. I didn’t have to explain why I wanted to dump my brand new speakers.

Superb review!! As I’ve heard them last week, I can, at last, review your review😜！！ excellent and honest review!! Great work!!

Fascinating review. It struck me as very reminiscent of my Epos ES11s,although very different in price bracket!

Amazing review Tarun. Thank you! What do you think of combining PMC (thinking about 22i or 23i) and Roksan K3 Integrated Amp? My source will be the EverSolo DMP-A6 Master Edition. Regards!

Hello Tarun, sounds to me like this is a really good speaker with a crossover that needs tweaking. The speaker terminals are real good on this one. Great stands underneath them, they are a force to be reckoned with! Stay safe mates!😊👍🏻😷

Freezing, cold and cool, crisp sounds too crunchy! Cold seems to be a word that is frowned on by the manufacturers but accurately describes many. I’ve only heard one speaker I’d call freezing, but it was detailed as an X-ray.

Hi. I have a pair of non i pmc speakers on wooden stands. I use a real sub woofer and a Sugden sig a1 se amp. Very pleased with this.

When talking about amplifiers or speakers? Of course, everyone is looking forward to hearing its sound.

i am happy with my ATC's which sound like they would be fuller and a better match for my Rega Amp.

Lovely review again!

Yet another great review. I'd love you to a review a pair of original, in spec 15 ohm LS3/5a's. I've recently acquired a pair and they are the most convincing speakers I have yet to hear. I have them paired with a Primaluna valve amp.

Excellent content as per norm. How do these compare to the new Prodigy line?

I auditioned the twenty23 (non i) floor stander, with a pretty ambitious front end consisting of Fletcher audio point 5 turn table, Manley steel head phono pre and Roksan Blak integrated amp and it was pretty damn sweet! Certainly not lean/cold, but I would say very neutral and with a sparkle in the treble. Non the less made me think the balance might be off with the wrong front end/source material (also from what I can gather, people seem to think the twenty23 is warmer and more full then the 21 and 22). I could certainly live with that setup 🥰 For what it’s worth my mate who is a mixing engineer, says he likes PMC for their ability to retain their low end at lower listening volumes. Keep up the good work!

Hi Tarun, Maybe overkill, but I’d love to hear your honest take on warmer toned speakers like the Harbeth P3 xd’s. Love your reviews and I think that would be interesting :) Best, R

Hey Tarun, have you heard of the Closer Acousics Ogys? Another transmission line speaker that some have given great reviews. Any chance you're going to review that? Best wishes

was thinking about them as a replacement of ls50 metas for my electrocmpaniet eci 80D. But I do not like very much fact they dont do depth in soundstage,...thx for the review

as always, great video!

Since you have a long term relationship with a Celestion 300 which you have done a review on and have even repaired I am sure us subscribers would like for you to do a review of the PMC twenty5.24i comparing it with the Celestion 300. Celestion 300 Crossover Frequency: 2200Hz Bass: 1 x 165mm cone Tweeter: 1 x 32mm aluminium dome Dimensions: 970 x 210 x 326mm Weight: 19.7kg Sensitivity: 84dB Impedance: 8Ω Finish: walnut, mahogany, black ash Enclosure: 47 litre, transmission line PMC twenty5.24i Crossover Frequency:1.7kHz LF PMC 6.5”/170mm long-throw g-weave™ cone with cast alloy chassis HF PMC/SEAS®, 19mm twenty5i series, SONOMEX™ fabric soft dome, Ferrofluid cooled, with 34mm surround and dispersion grille Dimensions:H 1015mm (40”) (+20mm spikes) x W 192mm (7.6”) (275mm incl. plinth bars) x D 419mm (16.5”) (+9mm grille)Drive Units: Weight:23kg (50.6 lbs ea.) sensitivity:89dB 1W 1m Impedance:8 Ohm Finishes:Walnut, Diamond Black, Oak, White Silk Effective ATL™ Length:3m (9.8ft)

I wonder how these compare to their ancestors from IMF and TDL. PMC is WAYYYY above my (and many) budget, yet it surprises me that only few see the connection with IMF and/or TDL - which can be cheaply found (and restored/improved on if needed). I know that reviewers rather focus on stuff that can be bought new, but would it not be great to do a video comparing the three generations and see how TL has evolved of time?

The length of the line on the "Twenty 25 i" at time 2:18 ..say what..a tongue twister indeed :)

Thanks for another review with exceptional detail. I really enjoy your channel. Subscribed! I have a Simaudio setup with W5 amp how do you think they would pair up. Although my Moon W5 is old it looks new and performs very well. :)

Top notch review again. Maybe depth will improve when they are longer run in. How do they compare to LS3/5 speakers? Maybe that's a good reference point to compare speakers in the pricerange. Job well done😉👌👍

Excellent review insightful and balanced.

Surely you are better off with the tall cabinets of the 23s and 24s rather than using a separate subwoofer. You introduce another level of complexity where the sub needs to match the speaker.

Nice review, as always 🙂

Very enjoyable review once again Tarun, thx. Not sure if anyone’s mentioned it, but they do sell a ‘cheaper’ model, the DB-1’s. About $2000 Cdn... although on sale around here for $1500. They seem to be trying to get more recognition in Canada lately. I just bought a pair and they produce an incredible soundstage as you’ve described. Decent sense of depth, maybe not the best I’ve heard but not far off. Hooked up with a good sub, it’s a full range system in my medium sized room. Fantastic transparency and detail. Looking forward to more reviews! Rob

Hello, these speakers work with a Sugden A21SE Signature? Thanks. Super vidéo.

Good job Tarun!!

The way to reduce turbulance is to design the opening area and the line cross section to keep airflow in the laminar flow velocity region beneath 7m/s. Those grilles may help a little but dont dictate laminar flow conditions but are an economic way of shaping it rather than more expensive production means by design. Expensive imho for a simple small box. Why compromise the whole build by stuffing the crossover into the line?!!!! Poor practice given they could be in their own little pocket which would also benefit sq by reducing microphony of the inductors. The soundstage depth is a strange one for pmc who normally nail this. As a designer who works with studio engineers I know that the only way to recreate depth is to ensure speakers have both correct time and phase alignment. Lose one of those and it's impossible to accurately recreate image depth. Coincidental axis will add to realism by introducing genuine point source too. Pity no uk speaker does this anymore.

Interesting that our host seems to have preferred the Prodigies on an absolute basis, not just on a value-adjusted one.

Tarun what a great job you’re doing!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Do you think this will pair well with an Accuphase (class A ) E-650 or even E-800! I have a very small room. 4 x 4.8 x 2.8 meter I would like to have some more stage depth ….. So I wonder what would you recommend for that? Budget up to €5k will be fine

A quite professional review that is done in a very clear language. Bravo! Thanks so much. I had 20.21s in 2013 with original stands and I just loved them for their speed and clarity. And their boogie factor. They were hooked up to Naim CD5XS and Nait XS2+HiCap Dr. Now those PMCs are gone. Electronics remain the same with an addition of streamer. But it looks like I made a wrong decision to let them go.. I still toy with the idea of upgrading to 25.23i floorstanders and Nait XS3. What would be your take on that? Do you think XS3 could drive them properly? I already hear you say, check that setup and let your ears decide. No, sorry, it is not possible to personally audition them during these pandemic times.

Great review ! 👍🏽👍🏽

Fantastic review. Again!

Very nice and detailed explanation. Could you please give a comparison between PMC twenty5 22i and Dali Epicon 2? Regards.

Hi Tarun, thank you for such a professional review. Just a quick question: would my old but loyal M.Fidelity A308 integrated amp be a good match for these speakers? Thank you!

Nice review Tarun, very educative and interesting, Can i ask you what track or tone you use richt around on 5 min to show mid woofer movements ?Thanks and keep up the good work ;)

Hey Tarun ,Nice one !

Nice review!

As always thanks for the review. Have you reviewed the floor stander yet?

Hi Tarun, you often mention partnering speakers with a sub-woofer (or two) and that you use one with your Proacs... I use a subwoofer with my Proac Tablettes, but the setting up of the sub appears to to be a bit of a dark art - any chance of a video on sub-woofer set up ? Great channel, keep up the good work. Andrew.

Hi tarun, seriously good concise review. You mentioned your Exposure components offer good speed/resolution while also providing some extra body/texture to the sound. I feel this is what my Proac tablette 10 bookshelf speakers are needing, they (to my ears) have a similar fast/crisp/lean sounding presentation to how you described the PMC's. (I like the speed but not so much the leanness). Would you be able to point me in the direction of other, similar sounding amplifiers?

Good job Tarun, thank you.

I sold my PMC FB1's but I bought a speaker that meant I was up on the deal ... I have a feeling I made a mistake

Did you use a vibration absorbing interface between the loudspeaker and the stand? If so, can you elaborate? Thanks...from the USA

What is the difference between the M17 and M13 speakers? Which one is being used in this set of speakers?

Hello and happy new year. I liked your review with the pmc. I want to ask something about PMC 25 i 21(please don't hit me all at once XD). If I wanted to a basic 5.1 (for start, then we will see for atmos) with 2 pares pmc 25i 21, their center and a rel s/510 sub for movies , but choose a warmer and more body amplifier, do you have any suggestions about amplifier? Thanks in advance.

One of my local HiFi pushers sell PMC. I have been wanting to hear them. I think I will go and see him next week.

5:31 is where its at👆🏼Great review. Thank you.

Neutral is good and I suppose the Atc's give some depth to the soundstage and are less sensitive about placement.

$4k AUD? I think my whole system including two pairs of speakers, amp, Computer cost about that much XD (I do buy 2nd hand stuff though) Would love to listen to a pair of PMC some day

I associate the dry/lean/ antiseptic sound with Focal. Never been a Focal fan myself, and it sounds like those PMC's are a similar ilk. At a similar cost, does not sound like I will be trading in my ATC 19s any time soon...

Hi Tarun I just bought this PMC at half the price brand new! The search is over, it took me almost 5 years searching. Thanks you very much, it serves as my desk top speakers but I am now looking for an amplifier to go with it may be another 5 years. 😅 Can you recommend which amplifier to go with thanks.

Brilliant review. May have to subscribe now 😀. What do you think of Meridian dsp speakers? I have the latest bookshelf model and they are really good.

sounds like the musical fidelity gear like the M6si would be a good match with these

How do these compare to monitor audio gold 100😊