PMC twenty5 21i Loudspeaker Review & Comments

Debating whether to get a pair of these or some Wafer 2 for next rear speakers, I have PMC front LR&C at present.
 
Thanks Ed, an interesting review. I have a pair of PMC Twenty5 22's, so I am a little biased, I really like the look of mine. At one point I was looking at the Rega Aethos when upgrading amplifiers last year, but I ended up plumping for Musical Fidelity M6si as it has balanced XLR.

On the audio front the speakers do sound excellent (using Roon too and Qobuz across a wired network) although I also struggled a little with positioning in my old multi-purpose family lounge. In the end I whipped the speakers out of there because I felt they were wasted and they are now in our snug room. I am much happier with their positioning in here, but I do have to compromise a bit on the distance they are apart at 1.7m, and I am sat 2.6m away so I am quite close to what PMC recommend as the correct ratio. In the lounge they were miles apart!

Anyway, thanks for the review, I was actually listening to one of the podcasts when it popped up!
 
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Good review. Nice to see there is a genuine improvement here. I was sceptical at first but it does look like the new tweeter really adds something.

Also a Twenty5.22 user here and I also think they look great. The low volume performance is where they really shine for me as most of my listening is at this level. It is surprising how much bass they can portray so such low volumes.
 
Nice review Ed. Having had FB/TB and the original a Twenty series, the retail prices IMHO have increased significantly over the years. I like the angled cabinet. Like you I don’t like the metal embellishment around the speaker, it looks odd and not always visible depending on what angle you look at it.
 
Debating whether to get a pair of these or some Wafer 2 for next rear speakers, I have PMC front LR&C at present.
I now have this set up using twenty23s with Centre and twenty5 21s at the rear. You won’t be disappointed as the difference it’s made is fantastic. The detail, clarity and power are sublime.
 
I now have this set up using twenty23s with Centre and twenty5 21s at the rear. You won’t be disappointed as the difference it’s made is fantastic. The detail, clarity and power are sublime.

May I ask whether you had the opportunity to directly compare the old Twenty5c against the new ci centre?
 
May I ask whether you had the opportunity to directly compare the old Twenty5c against the new ci centre?
Apologies no, I’ve not heard the i series. Just wanted to highlight how much of a difference upgrading my rears to PMC made.
 
Apologies no, I’ve not heard the i series. Just wanted to highlight how much of a difference upgrading my rears to PMC made.

what did you have before? I’m using some old Mission 782se floor-standers as my rears
 
what did you have before? I’m using some old Mission 782se floor-standers as my rears
Several old sets of kef, some mordant short avianos and eventually a pair of old Gales, for size reasons and to have the avianos in another room. So in fairness the jump in quality should be expected. I initially wondered if it was a waste of speaker to have them at the rear but they soon changed my mind.

What about a pair of floorstanding PMCs second hand.....?
 
I've had a pair of twenty5 21's for a few years now connected to a naim uniti atom and the sound is fantastic,very deep bass for such small speakers and might consider updating to the new 5I version soon.
 
For me my PMC speakers are the first time, ever, I have fitted and forgot them.

And I've had a lot of speakers including ATC actives in full surround.

But I've always felt like tweeking and adjusting constantly.

The PMCs are just there being awesome. Best compliment I can give any speakers. Simples.
 
Good review. Nice to see there is a genuine improvement here. I was sceptical at first but it does look like the new tweeter really adds something.

Also a Twenty5.22 user here and I also think they look great. The low volume performance is where they really shine for me as most of my listening is at this level. It is surprising how much bass they can portray so such low volumes.
Yes, PMC's ATL technology really does deliver good bass at low as well as higher listening levels, as was demonstrated to an audience at one of PMC's show dem's some years ago and which I've found to be the case with my own IB2's, now a fair few years old but still an excellent pair of speakers that I was fortunate enough to get, in mint condition, at an incredible bargain price.
 
For me my PMC speakers are the first time, ever, I have fitted and forgot them.

And I've had a lot of speakers including ATC actives in full surround.

But I've always felt like tweeking and adjusting constantly.

The PMCs are just there being awesome. Best compliment I can give any speakers. Simples.
Did you, as I always did, find active ATC's to sound hard and steely? Tonally, the passive versions are much easier on the ears.
 
I loved my ATC Active 20s. Had them all round at one point, but always felt like i needed to improve them. Bigger. Better. More power. Whatever.

Now it feels just right.

I don't know if I'd say steely, just missing that something for me.

Don't get me wrong, they were amazing, and at the time they were the best for me.

But now, with PMC doing the duties, o am content.
 
I loved my ATC Active 20s. Had them all round at one point, but always felt like i needed to improve them. Bigger. Better. More power. Whatever.

Now it feels just right.

I don't know if I'd say steely, just missing that something for me.

Don't get me wrong, they were amazing, and at the time they were the best for me.

But now, with PMC doing the duties, o am content.
Just out of interest, which PMCs are you running?
 
Nice review, thanks.

If I'm honest though, from what I've read I cant see that the new speaker offers a significant enough upgrade to warrant me spending in the region of £1100 to upgrade from my 20.21s (which I think still sound outstanding!)...food for thought.
 
Twenty5.23 and centre is a great set up. I once had the original 23s and for the size of cabinet, they had a great sound..
 
Nice review, thanks.

If I'm honest though, from what I've read I cant see that the new speaker offers a significant enough upgrade to warrant me spending in the region of £1100 to upgrade from my 20.21s (which I think still sound outstanding!)...food for thought.
Yeah let's go with that thought.......:thumbsup:
I also own the twenty21s - they haven't suddenly got worse have they?
Good though ours are though, I do think these could be a fair bit better - at a price.
 
Yeah let's go with that thought.......:thumbsup:
I also own the twenty21s - they haven't suddenly got worse have they?
Good though ours are though, I do think these could be a fair bit better - at a price.

Yes maybe I need a home audition to see how good they are!
 
Twenty5.23 all round with the centre.

Nice! That's what I'm hoping to upgrade to! Twenty5.23i front and back, plus the dedicated center speaker. Do you run yours full-range?
 
Does somebody knows wich drivers are used in the new PMC CI series?
 

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