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PMC EB1i v. Thiel CS3.7 v. Pioneer S1-EX v. ???

I'm starting to look at speakers in the $10-16K range, new. These three are high on the list, along with used Vandie 5As. Tyler D20s and the new AZ Crescendos also interest me. Anyone have the chance to compare some or all of these fine speakers?

They'll be driven by Mac MC501 amps + C2300 pre. I listen mostly to '50s &'60s jazz, with some classic rock, bluegrass, and folk. 90% of the time I listen to vinyl on this rig. The room is 28x17x8, opening into hallways at both corners along the long wall behind the speakers (so no real bass issues in those corners). It's a hard room softened with 9 acoustic panels and two bass traps.

My listening priorities for this system are macro- and micro-dynamics, nuance, tonal purity, and realistic scale. I'd like the speakers to disappear while projecting a 3D soundstage and solid low frequency pressure into the room. (The Thiels would likely need a sub.) They'll also have to serve the 60-inch plasma TV on the wall 4 feet behind them in a 2-channel, pseudo-home theater set up. Not much to ask, I know.... :)

I can get a great local price on EB1is but I don't want the deal to make the call. Of course, I'll audition all of them eventually but it's impossible to find them all in one place--or even more than one. So I'd like to draw on the experience of this knowledgeable group as I make my way.

Thanks,
Bill
wrm57
wrm57 OP
1,034 posts
 
I've heard another person (an owner) that about the EB1i bass, too, in his modest-sized room.
wrm57 OP
1,034 posts
 
I've been able to keep the IB2i at home for another week and I'm starting to think this is the speaker for me. I'm just amazed at its honesty, composure, and dynamic ease and high and low volumes. Nothing hidden, nothing exaggerated, and absolutely no listener-fatigue during long sessions.

Now I'm thinking about it's slightly larger sibling, the MB2i. Would those who've heard the two please comment on their differences? I know the MB drops down 5 db lower to 20 Hz via that scary-looking bass driver with the exoskeleton. Anything else different in their tonal balances, presentation, or HF dispersion?

Bill
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
20 Hz via that scary-looking bass driver with the exoskeleton.

That is a kind of external heat sink to dissipate heat from the voice coil. The benefits are probably negligible but it looks way cool.
ssolman
16 posts
 
I've never listened to the MB2i but the size of your listening room would obviously be a consideration. I recently had a conversation with a PMC aficiondo who has owned and demoed a wide variety of PMC's. He indicated to me that his preference is the IB2i primarily due to the flat carbon piston driver versus the radial design used in the MB2i. The carbon piston driver is a real winner in his opinion creating very realistic well tuned bass.
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
The carbon piston driver is a real winner in his opinion creating very realistic well tuned bass.

Like the heat sink on the outside, the flat looking driver is largely a cosmetic effect which helps sell the speaker ("technology" one can "see" helps people to "hear"). Decades of research have proven that conical shaped drivers are the best shape for woofers - being both light and and having increased rigidity due to the shape.

Not to say that the PMC driver is not good because it is very good but overall it is striking visual effect more than anything else.
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