ProAc Owners Thread

mikeybc

Listener
I've searched the internet far and wide and cannot find a single audio forum with a ProAc owners thread.

Sooo, after owning and listening to several very good Canadian speakers from PSB, Paradigm and Energy I took a blind leap into a beautiful looking pair of ProAc Response 2.5 's. The difference from what I was used to hearing was almost like someone opening a window to let the music in. I'd love to be able to hear some of their current offerings.

Would be nice to hear about other ProAc owners experiences and what they used before or after ProAcs.
 
I briefly heard a pair of Response 2.5's about 15 years ago and thought they were very refined, nice detail without being bright, and had substantial bass in the room we were in. I actually thought that there might have been a subwoofer on as it didn't seem like the bass matched the small driver. They were being driven with a small PrimaLuna EL-34 Integrated, don't remember which one.

They switched them out for a pair of Tablettes I wanted to hear that were more in my price range. The Tablettes were interesting, especially very nearfield, but somewhat dry and not as engaging as the 2.5's.

If I remember correctly the 2.5's were like $4K, and I believe that was a demo price, so it does not surprise me that you would find them more musical than speakers from PSB, Paradigm, and Energy.
 
I've searched the internet far and wide and cannot find a single audio forum with a ProAc owners thread.

Sooo, after owning and listening to several very good Canadian speakers from PSB, Paradigm and Energy I took a blind leap into a beautiful looking pair of ProAc Response 2.5 's. The difference from what I was used to hearing was almost like someone opening a window to let the music in. I'd love to be able to hear some of their current offerings.

Would be nice to hear about other ProAc owners experiences and what they used before or after ProAcs.

I used to sell PSB (and Mirage) as well as ProAc. The Canadian speakers were very well engineered, accurate and blew away imported speakers in a similar price range in bang for the buck. The ProAcs were something else again. Incredibly precise imaging, almost spooky, and amazingly transparent, it felt like there was nothing between you and the musicians. I have owned the Super Tablette, Response One and Response Two. The Response Two were magic, one of the greatest speakers ever IMHO. Not cheap and bass limited but their strong points had them running with the likes of the ESL-63 (which I also sold).

I now own Mirage M-3si which are far better in the bass, dynamically and add more heft to the images. They are not as transparent or detailed and probably less low level resolution compared to the ProAc but perhaps sound a bit more natural. Both are superb, the ProAc give you an open window into the studio as the musicians played, the Mirage bring the musicians into your room. Both are valid. The ProAcs are smaller but to get the best out of them they end up taking about as much space as the Mirage. The ProAcs are easier to drive power wise but you will spend as much or more as they are more revealing (put nicely in salesperson speak) or fussy due to the lightness of the sound balance (probably a more honest description) and need top quality gear to partner with.
 
I added a set of original Proac Tablette's to what has become my Bristish hifi speaker hoard. They're a bit roughed up but should clean up nicely. The honeycomb port diffuser is gone so I'll have to fabricate a new set. cabinets need TLC as do the grills. but the drivers are solid . It's an impressive little speaker for sure. I just sold off my Kef Reference 101 here on AK Bartertown ( aka the Subscriber member's private crack house of audio wares) so these will fill the void nicely not to mention being a fun restoration project. They will be in good company alongside models from ATC, Harbeth, Acoustic Energy, Rogers, Monitor Audio etc...
 
For the port diffuser you should know that Stewart Tyler used very specially selected high tech components: drinking straws!

Should be easy to replicate but you will need to know the original length. Maybe some owners can help out?
 
For the port diffuser you should know that Stewart Tyler used very specially selected high tech components: drinking straws!

Should be easy to replicate but you will need to know the original length. Maybe some owners can help out?

Yup. so i'll have an order for a bunch of black paper straws coming in soon... I contacted Proac about replacement foam appliques for the tweeter and quickly decide that I'll do generics instead. 2 of those adhesive foam pads was like $80 or something silly like that , PASS! Madisound , you have an order incoming :)
 
Yup. so i'll have an order for a bunch of black paper straws coming in soon... I contacted Proac about replacement foam appliques for the tweeter and quickly decide that I'll do generics instead. 2 of those adhesive foam pads was like $80 or something silly like that , PASS! Madisound , you have an order incoming :)

I had no idea those foams with the ProAc logo were so expensive, luckily the previous owner replaced the foams a few months before I purchased mine.. Silly to charge that much.
 
I've been searching for a Proac forum and I finally found one. I have a pair of d30r Proacs that I am very happy with. They do have a lot of bass energy so careful placement and equipment matching are required but well worth it.
 
I've been searching for a Proac forum and I finally found one. I have a pair of d30r Proacs that I am very happy with. They do have a lot of bass energy so careful placement and equipment matching are required but well worth it.

Welcome to the forums, Not too many ProAc guys around here unfortunately. I’d love to get the chance to listen to the D-30R or the D-20R. I’m ruining Response 2.5’s with fresh woofers, still breaking them in.

Nice looking setup :thumbsup:
 
Thanks. I'm new to Proac for the last couple of months. Formerly B&W since 1996 but I needed a change. The d30r speakers are better than my old 804 Matrix and much better than the new 804's. Music sounds much more live now. I gave my 804's to my daughter so she is very happy!

Rogue Audio Atlas Magnum amp, Audio Research Ref2mkii preamp, Thorens TD160 turntable with Sumiko EVO III cartridge & Project Tube box S phono preamp, Marantz SA8005 SACD.

Ps. don't hate me for mentioning but there is a Proac group on FB.
 
Thanks. I'm new to Proac for the last couple of months. Formerly B&W since 1996 but I needed a change. The d30r speakers are better than my old 804 Matrix and much better than the new 804's. Music sounds much more live now. I gave my 804's to my daughter so she is very happy!

Rogue Audio Atlas Magnum amp, Audio Research Ref2mkii preamp, Thorens TD160 turntable with Sumiko EVO III cartridge & Project Tube box S phono preamp, Marantz SA8005 SACD.

Ps. don't hate me for mentioning but there is a Proac group on FB.

Nice looking setup :thumbsup:

I've heard that the 2.5's are legendary! What happened to the woofers?


Nice list of gear,

I really like the effortlessness and openness of the music conveyed by the ProAcs, .

I joined that ProAc Facebook group a few months back. I Posted recently about the woofers there with a couple pics

One woofer had a slight ticking sound from the voice coil when the woofer come was pressed inward about a 1/4 inch. It was probably only a matter of time before failure occurred, it still sounded fine though with bass heavy material. Anyway, I bought 2 new woofers with the proper ProAc baskets from the new Canadian ProAc distributor while they were still available. I was told ProAc had a healthy supply of spare parts for models dating way back to their first models but I’m more at peace knowing I now have spares on my own shelf.
 
I remember the post now. Keep the old woofers and send the clicker to a shop.

Tune into WWOZ.org tonight 12:00am CDT for my daughter’s radio show, “Midnight Cap” with JENNIFER Brady. I’m proud of her. Also tonight at 7:00pm CDT is “Music of Mass Distraction” with Black Mold. Great show.
 
Proac Rwsponse 1sc owner here. Bought mine new about 20 years ago. They are doing surround duty right now until I stand up another system. Amazing speakers!
Tom
 
I can understand why everyone keeps their Proacs. I love mine. I’ll be honest, with certain material they can turn into the bass monster but they’re are worth working with.

I’ve done a lot of reading this year about the different models. The 1sc is one I would love hear.
 
A friend had some EBTs many years ago,
on metal stands, powered ( I think) by pioneer A400,
Great bass and very articulate in his setup.
 
Hi ProAc Lovers,

Must admit there's hardly any following for this brand, especially in Australia. I used to work in a HiFi store that was a ProAc outlet and in the whole time I was there we had the same set of Tablette's, Super Tablette's and Studio EBS' and do you think we could ever sell them ?, no way not a chance. I'm pretty sure that when the store folded about 3 years ago and that was nearly 27 years after I left, those 3 sets were still in the store in the Sound Lounge and still being offered as new speakers. Must admit I always liked the EBS' as they had a great sound, but pricing was just way out of the ball park as were all their spares as suggested above in an earlier post. Sadly as ProAc were never competitively priced they just couldn't sell off the showroom floor. Disappointing I must say as the product was really good, but we just couldn't get the message across to their Head Office that this was the main issue for no volume of sales.

Anyway great to see a thread for this brand that I remember fondly.
 
A friend had some EBTs many years ago,
on metal stands, powered ( I think) by pioneer A400,
Great bass and very articulate in his setup.
Originally it was the Marantz Esotec Pm-4 and the Oracle Alexandria. There was a Rotel integrated, the Pioneer A400 and eventually the Technics SUA-900. I still have the EBTs but I haven't hooked them up since 2002.
 
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