Something a little different for here, a pro-audio review.

Some of you may be aware but my background is in that of sound engineering, with my specialism being post production/mastering of other people’s music/audio. I've been lucky enough to get hold of a prototype pair of PMC's latest nearfield monitor loudspeakers, the 'twotwo5' and thought it’d be nice to share my thoughts.

Whilst software and physical hardware tools allow an audio engineer to do great things, there's always one weak link in the chain, the audio monitoring system; loudspeakers. Loudspeaker technology in the main hasn't changed significantly for decades. It's been gradually refined, but the basic principles are still the same. However now and then there's a company that emerges that does things slightly different to the rest of the crowd. Enter PMC...

If you're not familiar with PMC, a little background about them. The Professional Monitor Company was setup some 20 years ago when an ex-BBC engineer realised that loudspeakers in recording studios did one of two things; either went loud and did great bass but weren't particularly accurate in their audio reproduction, or were accurate but not able to go loud or do great bass. He set about creating something that would do both, and that loudspeaker, the BB5 is still in production today and regarded as probably the finest monitor system available. As time went by the company expanded the range, and now also make models for the consumer markets. What sets PMC apart from most companies is that all of their loudspeaker enclosures (the 'box' if you will) use a transmission line design. Rather than having a traditional 'port' the enclosure has a series of internal 'folds' covered with a special acoustic foam creating a labyrinth. As sound travels down this line, the upper bass frequencies are absorbed, leaving behind the very low untouched, emerging from an enclosure vent in phase with the main bass driver. The result? Incredibly deep, fast, distortion free bass from a loudspeaker that belies its actual size.

The twotwo5 is no exception. It’s a small two-way (tweeter and woofer) active design, powered by a digital DSP engine with adjustable EQ controlling two amps connected to each of the transducers. It’s able to accept unbalanced, balanced or AES digital audio inputs, meaning they can be connected to just about anything. The number in the ‘twotwo’ name refers to the approximate size of the bass driver in inches, but despite this due to the transmission line the twotwo5 are able to comfortably hit 50Hz with ease. The larger twotwo6’s reach a little bit deeper down to 30Hz, with a planned twotwo8 model appearing in the summer that promises even deeper low end extension.

The twotwo5:



296x155x295mm, 5.4kg. How do they cram so much in to such a tiny box?!


The rear panel:



Notice the wall mounting points; brackets have to be ordered separately.


The first thing you notice when firing them up is the illuminated logo on the front. A nice little touch, and the logo turns red if you drive them too hard (apparently). The second thing you notice is the clarity, it’s simply superb. The midrange and top end takes your breath away, and surprisingly the soundstage is incredibly wide with no noticeable change depending where you sit. This is partly due to the twotwo range’s party piece. You’re able to orient them in just about any direction you please due to the dispersion grill covering the tweeter. There are small pads called D-Cups (snigger) on every mountable surface, so you can rotate the speaker to suit your working environment. It’s a neat little touch that people working in tighter spaces (Outside Broadcast trucks etc.) will love. Bass is fast and tight, with weight that goes beyond what you might expect from such small enclosures. It’s not going to shake your room apart since they’re not a full range monitoring system, but there’s plenty enough. The larger twotwo6’s are considerably better in this regard, being able to put in a more convincing performance with film score and electronic music. With this in mind the twotwo8 becomes a serious proposition for a full range system!

So in a nutshell they’re pretty damn good. Compared to their activated predecessors (DB1 and TB2) the twotwo series is a huge step up, literally a revolution rather than evolution. Whilst I’ve had the twotwo’s a good number of people have had chance to listen to them, and not one has given anything other than praise. PMC really have hit the nail on the head as far as making the perfect nearfield, I can’t think of anything that does what they do, as well as they do. However, it’s obvious PMC know this – and they’re wanting financial recompense for the countless hours of R&D they’ve invested.

Retail pricing stacks up as follows:

twotwo5 - £3,300 inc VAT per pair.
twotwo6 - £4,200 inc VAT per pair.

So, prices that aren’t for the feint of heart. But remember for a pair you’re getting four independent power amps, two DACs, two DSP boards as well as the speakers themselves. Also consider the lifespan of such an investment and it becomes considerable more palatable, especially for a professional. Every adjustment made to your audio is translated to your ears by your loudspeakers, and so the time saved by getting decisions right first time, every time arguably stacks up. It is with that in mind that I heartily recommend the twotwo series – PMC have a real winner on their hands.