Just wanted to update this quickly before bed. In short, these are incredible speakers for their size.
I got the woofers earlier this week from MSE / Phase Tech, and they looked perfect (even threw in a T-shirt, which is cool). Exactly the same as the originals, except now the surrounds and the front foam was perfect. They fit right in, no fuss.
I didn't even have time to fire them up. Took them right to my dad's this weekend and then hooked them up with him to a Luxman R113 in the basement.
Our first impression was immediately positive. They were very clear and detailed. Highs and vocals sounded pure. The bass actually could reach surprisingly low, but just wasn't as powerful, which for a speaker this size was expected. The bass could be brought up to decent levels with some adjustment on the amp. The only downside to these PC60s is that they are not very efficient (87 dB SPL) and are 4 ohms. So the little R113 had its hands full (I was able to push it to distortion) as did the R-351 in the living room, but they still did a decent job. We did A-B comparisons with a bunch of speakers (I brought a bunch with me lol).
The imaging of these is quite incredible. Down in the basement (a very large, wide open space) the PC 60s did a great job with imaging and had a good soundstage at about 7 feet apart. What surprised us was stepping back from them about 16-19 feet provided an awesome acoustic zone where the bass was very satisfying. Really deep, strong, yet tight. Must be the acoustics of the room.
We A/B compared them against some Boston CR7s, CR6s, Mission 770 MKVs, and some EPI 1200s I brought for him for basement workbench use. The Missions are pretty much our benchmark for new speakers since they are really fantastic all around, and these little PC60s at half the size really sounded great next to them. I think they actually image slightly better. The PC60s blew away the CR7s in detail and clarity. The CR7s have more bass. The CR6s actually sounded better than the CR7s in terms of highs and detail, but the PC60 still easily bested it. The EPIs sounded great with a fuller sound due to their size, but something about the PC60s make them just sound more musical than the EPIs.
For the Mission comparison, we played the two in the basement and up in the living room. It was a close match in the basement. The 770s just had more down low. But the detail and clarity up high are about equal it seemed. Both imaged fantastic and had a good soundstage in the basement. But, up in the living room, the PC60s imaged tremendously well. When standing back about 15 feet away (speakers were 6'2" apart and pointing straight out) the PC60s "disappeared" and made it sound like everything we heard in the room was just emanating from the wall. They were clear, accurate, and pleasing to listen to. They unfortunately, were hooked up to a Lux R-351, which I wasn't sure was rated for 4 ohms, so I didn't want to push the amp too much (I left all of my gear at home). The Missions sounded fantastic as usual, but they didn't quite "disappear" as the PC60s did, although they did on some songs.
Overall these are incredible speakers. According to my dad, "They are the best speakers for their size I have ever listened to." I love them and plan to hold onto them. I can't wait to hook them up to my Luxman R-115 and Sansui 7000. Those should help make them sing!
I got the woofers earlier this week from MSE / Phase Tech, and they looked perfect (even threw in a T-shirt, which is cool). Exactly the same as the originals, except now the surrounds and the front foam was perfect. They fit right in, no fuss.
I didn't even have time to fire them up. Took them right to my dad's this weekend and then hooked them up with him to a Luxman R113 in the basement.
Our first impression was immediately positive. They were very clear and detailed. Highs and vocals sounded pure. The bass actually could reach surprisingly low, but just wasn't as powerful, which for a speaker this size was expected. The bass could be brought up to decent levels with some adjustment on the amp. The only downside to these PC60s is that they are not very efficient (87 dB SPL) and are 4 ohms. So the little R113 had its hands full (I was able to push it to distortion) as did the R-351 in the living room, but they still did a decent job. We did A-B comparisons with a bunch of speakers (I brought a bunch with me lol).
The imaging of these is quite incredible. Down in the basement (a very large, wide open space) the PC 60s did a great job with imaging and had a good soundstage at about 7 feet apart. What surprised us was stepping back from them about 16-19 feet provided an awesome acoustic zone where the bass was very satisfying. Really deep, strong, yet tight. Must be the acoustics of the room.
We A/B compared them against some Boston CR7s, CR6s, Mission 770 MKVs, and some EPI 1200s I brought for him for basement workbench use. The Missions are pretty much our benchmark for new speakers since they are really fantastic all around, and these little PC60s at half the size really sounded great next to them. I think they actually image slightly better. The PC60s blew away the CR7s in detail and clarity. The CR7s have more bass. The CR6s actually sounded better than the CR7s in terms of highs and detail, but the PC60 still easily bested it. The EPIs sounded great with a fuller sound due to their size, but something about the PC60s make them just sound more musical than the EPIs.
For the Mission comparison, we played the two in the basement and up in the living room. It was a close match in the basement. The 770s just had more down low. But the detail and clarity up high are about equal it seemed. Both imaged fantastic and had a good soundstage in the basement. But, up in the living room, the PC60s imaged tremendously well. When standing back about 15 feet away (speakers were 6'2" apart and pointing straight out) the PC60s "disappeared" and made it sound like everything we heard in the room was just emanating from the wall. They were clear, accurate, and pleasing to listen to. They unfortunately, were hooked up to a Lux R-351, which I wasn't sure was rated for 4 ohms, so I didn't want to push the amp too much (I left all of my gear at home). The Missions sounded fantastic as usual, but they didn't quite "disappear" as the PC60s did, although they did on some songs.
Overall these are incredible speakers. According to my dad, "They are the best speakers for their size I have ever listened to." I love them and plan to hold onto them. I can't wait to hook them up to my Luxman R-115 and Sansui 7000. Those should help make them sing!
