PMC has launched a new Active Twenty5i series of speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024. The brand has a rich history of making active studio monitors, but this is the first time that consumers at home can enjoy that same studio-grade sound.
Mirroring the existing Twenty5 series of passive speakers, the Active Twenty5i series features four speakers – two standmounters, two floorstanders, all two-way designs – with built-in amplification inside. The models include the Twenty5.21i and Twenty5.22i Active standmounters and Twenty5.23i and Twenty5.24i Active floorstanders.
You'll still need to add a source – your choice of streaming, vinyl, CD, etc – but it does mean fewer boxes in your set-up as there's no need for external amplification.
Each drive unit has a "dedicated and perfectly matched" 100W amplifier, resulting in 200W of power per channel. PMC says the direct coupling of amps to driver allows for superior control and increased transient response. There is a custom-designed analogue crossover, which "splits the frequency bands of the incoming line-level signal, from the balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA inputs, and ensures each amplifier is only amplifying the signals appropriate for its drive unit". Each crossover is specific to each speaker model, ensuring seamless integration, wide dispersion and low-distortion. Additionally, the active crossover allows for tighter tolerances in components and higher precision.
All in all, it should allow for greater clarity, transparency and a more natural sound from the speakers, says PMC.
What's more, PMC is also offering an upgrade kit for existing owners of the passive Twenty5 series speakers, to also benefit from the "higher resolution, control, and transparency" the active module brings. The active upgrade module is available separately, and slots straight into the back panel of the same two-way speaker models from the Twenty5 range (21, 22, 23 and 24). PMC says the kit is easy to install for retailers and owners alike by replacing the back panel and integrated crossover with the new active module – PMC claims it should take all of five minutes.
PMC says the upgrade module's "crossover network has a unique setting for each model, ensuring the flawless integration of the drive units. A simple ‘model selector’ connector is plugged into the socket that corresponds to the model of speaker to ensure the correct crossover settings are applied".
For home cinema fans, we've been told that there's no active version of the centre channel yet, and any digital input isn't currently planned either.
Oliver Thomas, commercial director and head of design, says, “Our active studio monitors, used to create much of the world’s best music, have been built around our in-house designed amplifiers and active crossovers from day one and with over 30 years experience. It is the best way to power a speaker and we know our audiophile customers are going to love the huge improvements in performance they will experience when they make the switch.”
The new PMC Active Twenty5i speakers and upgrade kit are available from March/April 2024, with prices as follows:
PMC Twenty5.21i Active – £3975
PMC Twenty5.22i Active – £5275
PMC Twenty5.23i Active – £5975
PMC Twenty5.24i Active – £7975
Active Twenty5i upgrade – £1795
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