When so much of life seems to entail compromises of one kind or another, isn't it nice when you can actually end up with the best of both worlds? Well, if you are thinking of buying a standmount speaker between £1200 and £2000, that's exactly what is on offer.
At this price point, stereo speakers are able to deliver a level of sound quality that is significantly higher than that of cheaper models, yet they can do so without breaking the bank. Essentially, this is the loudspeaker sweet spot where 'talented' and 'affordable' overlap.
The other big plus for speakers at this level is that they can usually work effectively with amplifiers costing up to twice as much as they do. So if you match them with a similarly priced source or amp today, when you are looking to upgrade your system further down the line you won't necessarily need to replace them; they will simply pass on the superior benefits of your new kit.
As ever, we are keen to emphasise the importance of using good-quality stands for these speakers and, if possible, dedicated models. If you are not sure which stands would work best with your chosen cabinets, ask your dealer or the speaker manufacturer to recommend.
On these pages, then, we review our favourite stand-mounters in this price bracket; a mix of veteran masters and standout newcomers: the best of the best of both worlds, if you like.
PMC
Prodigy 1
£1250
Prodigies indeed, these newcomers have what it takes to trouble the class leaders
As much as we admire PMC's Twenty5 series, there is no denying they stood as a relatively high entry point into the company's speakers. So when the British brand revealed a new entry-level range with a starting price around half that of the previous most affordable PMC model (the Twenty5 21i), we were delighted and intrigued to see how it would fare against the established competition around this very competitive price point. We're talking long-proven models from your KEFS and Bowers & Wilkins, Dalis and Wharfedales.
The Prodigy 1 standmounters make up a two-strong range alongside the Prodigy 5 floorstanders, together opening up PMC speakers to a wider audience looking for speakers for small-to-medium-sized rooms below the £2000 mark. But just because the Prodigy speakers sit at the bottom of the company's lineup doesn't mean they are exempt from PMC's tried and tested technologies.
According to PMC, they are even measured and listened to alongside reference models, and furthermore signed off by their assembler before being boxed up. It certainly seems as if PMC is serious in taking its studio-grade sound mainstream.
Trickle-down tech
The two-way standmounts' 27mm softdome tweeter and 13cm mid/bass driver have both been taken from models further up the company's line. The soft-dome tweeter has been developed from the one found in the five-star PMC Result6 studio monitors, while the natural-fibre, dished-cone mid/bass unit is the same featured in the company's ci (custom install) series, which PMC says has become the reference for Dolby Atmos music mixing in studios around the world.
That driver has been specifically designed to couple with PMC's ATL (Advanced Transmission Line) bassloading method used in all PMC speakers.
This essentially guides the backward energy of the mid/bass driver through damped material inside the speaker and out of the front vent. Most of the low frequencies are absorbed, save for a lowest-end portion that leaves the front vent and contributes to the driver's output for more powerful bass. This also works to keep the air pressure inside the cabinet consistent, to improve control of the driver.
That distinct-looking, aerodynamically designed port at the end of that internal line is called Laminair, first developed for the flagship QB-1 studio monitors and designed to smooth the passage of air exiting the speaker to minimise airflow noise and so improve bass definition. PMC has chosen a crossover point of 1.7kHz in a bid to ensure the speakers' off-axis output has the same tonality as their on-axis output.
Again, despite their relative affordability, the Prodigy speakers share the same manufacturing treatment as their pricier peers, being designed and built in-house in the UK. As mid-priced bookshelf speakers go, the Prodigy 1 are of the taller, slimmer nature, contrasting with the shorter, wider KEF LS50 Meta.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1345126686/1723557444/articles/Wor-zB0sO1723620286806/5717537357.jpg]
It's in the design department where it seems PMC chose to cut costs; the Prodigy 1 are notably less striking and stylish than not only the KEFs but a number of pairs around and below this price point. The ATL/Laminair implementation gives these otherwise 'Plain Janes' one point of visual interest at least, and the 'Silk Black' matte finish looks and feels nice enough (though don't feel it too much; it's a magnet for finger-mark spoiling). Ultimately, the aesthetic will appease those from the school of minimalist design, it just isn't likely to stand out in a living space any more than a transparent flower vase.
The black fabric grilles are an optional extra (£99 a pair), though PMC would argue that many buyers probably wouldn't use them anyway, and why push the price up for something not everyone needs? That the focus and cost has seemingly been put into the engineering for the most part is hard to argue with when you hear just how spectacular the Prodigy 1 sound.
We have heard enough PMC products over the years that certain adjectives spring to mind when we think of them: precise, articulate, insightful and even-handed. All good things. And we are pleased, if not surprised, to report that these are all attributes of the Prodigy 1.
Some of the best kit we review impresses us from the get-go, and wraps up its star rating in a matter of minutes while the true sonic colours of others require longer listens to fully appreciate...
At this price point, stereo speakers are able to deliver a level of sound quality that is significantly higher than that of cheaper models, yet they can do so without breaking the bank. Essentially, this is the loudspeaker sweet spot where 'talented' and 'affordable' overlap.
The other big plus for speakers at this level is that they can usually work effectively with amplifiers costing up to twice as much as they do. So if you match them with a similarly priced source or amp today, when you are looking to upgrade your system further down the line you won't necessarily need to replace them; they will simply pass on the superior benefits of your new kit.
As ever, we are keen to emphasise the importance of using good-quality stands for these speakers and, if possible, dedicated models. If you are not sure which stands would work best with your chosen cabinets, ask your dealer or the speaker manufacturer to recommend.
On these pages, then, we review our favourite stand-mounters in this price bracket; a mix of veteran masters and standout newcomers: the best of the best of both worlds, if you like.
PMC
Prodigy 1
£1250
Prodigies indeed, these newcomers have what it takes to trouble the class leaders
As much as we admire PMC's Twenty5 series, there is no denying they stood as a relatively high entry point into the company's speakers. So when the British brand revealed a new entry-level range with a starting price around half that of the previous most affordable PMC model (the Twenty5 21i), we were delighted and intrigued to see how it would fare against the established competition around this very competitive price point. We're talking long-proven models from your KEFS and Bowers & Wilkins, Dalis and Wharfedales.
The Prodigy 1 standmounters make up a two-strong range alongside the Prodigy 5 floorstanders, together opening up PMC speakers to a wider audience looking for speakers for small-to-medium-sized rooms below the £2000 mark. But just because the Prodigy speakers sit at the bottom of the company's lineup doesn't mean they are exempt from PMC's tried and tested technologies.
According to PMC, they are even measured and listened to alongside reference models, and furthermore signed off by their assembler before being boxed up. It certainly seems as if PMC is serious in taking its studio-grade sound mainstream.
Trickle-down tech
The two-way standmounts' 27mm softdome tweeter and 13cm mid/bass driver have both been taken from models further up the company's line. The soft-dome tweeter has been developed from the one found in the five-star PMC Result6 studio monitors, while the natural-fibre, dished-cone mid/bass unit is the same featured in the company's ci (custom install) series, which PMC says has become the reference for Dolby Atmos music mixing in studios around the world.
That driver has been specifically designed to couple with PMC's ATL (Advanced Transmission Line) bassloading method used in all PMC speakers.
This essentially guides the backward energy of the mid/bass driver through damped material inside the speaker and out of the front vent. Most of the low frequencies are absorbed, save for a lowest-end portion that leaves the front vent and contributes to the driver's output for more powerful bass. This also works to keep the air pressure inside the cabinet consistent, to improve control of the driver.
That distinct-looking, aerodynamically designed port at the end of that internal line is called Laminair, first developed for the flagship QB-1 studio monitors and designed to smooth the passage of air exiting the speaker to minimise airflow noise and so improve bass definition. PMC has chosen a crossover point of 1.7kHz in a bid to ensure the speakers' off-axis output has the same tonality as their on-axis output.
Again, despite their relative affordability, the Prodigy speakers share the same manufacturing treatment as their pricier peers, being designed and built in-house in the UK. As mid-priced bookshelf speakers go, the Prodigy 1 are of the taller, slimmer nature, contrasting with the shorter, wider KEF LS50 Meta.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1345126686/1723557444/articles/Wor-zB0sO1723620286806/5717537357.jpg]
It's in the design department where it seems PMC chose to cut costs; the Prodigy 1 are notably less striking and stylish than not only the KEFs but a number of pairs around and below this price point. The ATL/Laminair implementation gives these otherwise 'Plain Janes' one point of visual interest at least, and the 'Silk Black' matte finish looks and feels nice enough (though don't feel it too much; it's a magnet for finger-mark spoiling). Ultimately, the aesthetic will appease those from the school of minimalist design, it just isn't likely to stand out in a living space any more than a transparent flower vase.
The black fabric grilles are an optional extra (£99 a pair), though PMC would argue that many buyers probably wouldn't use them anyway, and why push the price up for something not everyone needs? That the focus and cost has seemingly been put into the engineering for the most part is hard to argue with when you hear just how spectacular the Prodigy 1 sound.
We have heard enough PMC products over the years that certain adjectives spring to mind when we think of them: precise, articulate, insightful and even-handed. All good things. And we are pleased, if not surprised, to report that these are all attributes of the Prodigy 1.
Some of the best kit we review impresses us from the get-go, and wraps up its star rating in a matter of minutes while the true sonic colours of others require longer listens to fully appreciate...
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What Hi-fi Uk (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2024