Hi, curious if anyone’s compared these two speakers? I’ve heard the Prophecy 7 and was impressed though felt it lacked bass slam and depth given its size and cost. Am thinking about getting the 26is, though issue is most dealers in the area no longer stock so would be 2nd hand. Have read that the 26i has much better bass extension. Thanks in advance!
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When I was recently looking for new speakers the only PMC I home auditioned was the Prodigy 5’s. Both my partner and I thought they sounded awful
The transmission line is supposed to give good bass for their size but they just didn’t
We both found them far too smooth and sounded boring to us
I’m quite sure as you move up the PMC range things will improve but we decided on ATC’s in the end as they are so dynamic and so real sounding… music just flows from them effortlessly
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I have ATC and PMC and AlChris…
All have their own characteristics and strengths. The PMC are FAR from boring….
The new PROPHECY 7 should be a more dynamic listen but will depend on your room and amplifier pairing.
If ATL is your preference also have a look at the AlCHRIS TX9…. I have these and they trounce speakers at 4x their price…
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Briefly heard the 7s and was impressed. I was t with the 5’s. I think the mid dome driver makes all the difference
I would expect theTwenty5.26i to be significantly better at the bass end, even if only by virtue of reaching around an octave lower due to its larger size. You mentioned second hand. A few observations: firstly given their price difference new, the 26 secondhand would probably be available for similar to the prophecy new. Speakers generally last for decades without problem as long as not subjected to overload or a clipping amplifier – and damage would be audible so no worries if sounds good. Also, in my experience it is not difficult to audition secondhand gear at the seller’s premises, whether a dealer or another hi-fi enthusiast – the letter of course understand that need. But if you are auditioning only in the seller’s premises, it is worth taking your existing speakers to provide a baseline for comparison, and your own amp so you know what they’re like paired with the amp you’re going to use. That applies with a Dealer or private, with a new or secondhand, unless you can audition at home.
I have found transmission line speakers to give the best bass, though of course some are better than others, and if you do want decent bass with good extension speakers inevitably get large and expensive. I haven’t heard either of these, only theTwent.26, which for me wasn’t really an upgrade from the speakers I had already at the time of auditioning.
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Just an update on this as I had the chance to listen a couple of times now to the prophecy 7 back to back with the ATC SCM40s as well as the original 26i.
Thoughts as follows:
26i was hyped in the treble. I can see how some people might enjoy the clarity this brings but to me it sounded as if they had been artificially eq’ed at the top end. That resulted in the mid range also sounding more brittle than I thought natural. I did think they were great speakers and could still enjoy them. The album that really brought out the hyped treble was the new Wolf Alice album that sounded unnaturally tinkly to me compared to having listened to at home on my Dynaudio Contour 20is (though I do think the album has a slightly overproduced treble anyway). Violins on for example a recording of a Beethoven Concerto also sounded very clear but with a slightly unnatural tone with the scrape of the strings being over-pronounced. Bass extension was great but the mid range did sound slightly recessed and I can see why some people talk about a slight u shaped tone profile.
ATC SCM40 - having heard these now a few times (both the active and passive versions) I can see why there’s so much love for them on the forum. However, I can also see the big limitation which is volume. Having listened three times at different dealerships now on different systems they’ve all needed to be really turned up for the full range of the speaker to come alive. I think if you’ve got the ability to play stuff loudly at home they would be great speakers to have. But for late night listening or just socially when having friends around and playing in the background, they sounded flat to me. That’s not a criticism of the speaker and clearly their transparency comes from the strength of the magnets and their ability therefore to provide very accurate tonal response. But the trade-off is that you’ve got to have them turned up to get the best out of them. As a sidenote, I also noticed that they rolled off in the bass earlier than even my stand mount Dynaudios. However, the bass that was there had real slam to it.
Prophecy 7 has been in each occasion that I’ve listened to the standout speaker. It has a much more natural tonal balance than the 26i and the mid range is stunning although not quite as perfect as the ATC when turned up loud. It also felt like it had more natural sense of rhythm than the 26 and the ATC. I can also see what the benefits of the mid range driver’s enclosure are in terms of lateral soundstage spread. It may not look pretty but the technology works.
I’m close now to making a final decision on a floor standard replacement for my Dynaudios. The only other option I was considering was the Spendor D9.2, which I have not heard but look as though they could be a credible alternative to the PMCs.
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If you need good bass Neat XL10 is an option for you,but maybe expensive
It’s the other way around, the Prophecy goes down to 20Hz vs 26i’s 25Hz (-3dB). Of course doesn’t tell you anything with regards to the quality of it. Also notice the TL lengths, as I understand it a shorter TL should result in tighter bass, so at least on paper the Prophecy holds the advantage, but I haven’t heard either.
FWIW, my dealer thinks PMC have done a great job with the Prophecy line. Better sound and lower cost that the Twenty5 series.
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Personally 30hertz I would listen to some ATC’s for a little longer
It took me a little while to ‘get’ the ATC sound signature but once you do nothing else comes close
That’s just my experience for what it’s worth
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I found the contrary.
ATC’s do not have to be turned up loud to hear their qualities. We very often have them at low listening levels and they still shine
ATC’s are so natural and neutral sounding at any level. I think they are incredibly good sounding speakers
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I think you have the standmounts Nina. I want to scale up with a floorstander and the SCM40s have much bigger magnets in the drivers than the SCM19s. Low volume listening is the one thing mentioned by all three dealers I went to as being the downside of the ATCs (incl actives). It also gets referenced in almost every review of them. I’ve not heard the SCM19s (which I know you’re v happy with) but suspect it’s less of an issue with them - but i don’t want another stand mount.
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said it earlier; you must get a listen to the AlChris TX9s.
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That’s fair enough 30hertz
Have you listened to the active 19’s? They are floor standing speakers which you are looking for I believe
Personally I preferred the passive 19’s but you might like the active versions instead
I’ve been an ATC fan for a good few years now. I love my active 40s and wouldn’t change them for anything other than another active ATC set. But I do agree that to really hear what they can do they really respond to the wick being turned up a bit. I’m fortunate in having a detached house and an excessively tolerant wife so that’s not a problem for me, but whilst they sound OK at modest volumes, play a piano recital or an orchestral piece at something approaching realistic levels and something magic happens.
However, if low volume listening is really important I’d (reluctantly) be looking elsewhere.
Roger
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Not necessarily so re “tightness”, and the 26 has greater bass extension (which is why it has a longer TL), so if that is important it might be a deciding point. I suspect the midrange of the Prophecy might be better, but as I haven’t heard either that is pure speculation. So to me on paper the 26 holds the advantage.
As for ATC, the 3-way 40 brings on their sublime 3” done driver, not a compromise bass-mid unit, while its sealed enclosure ensures taut bass, but limited bass extension, so if low bass is important a sib would likely be desorable .
A dedicated midrange driver is the key for me. I could definitely see the attraction in ATCs once turned up. Vocals and acoustic instrument separation was fantastic. Have to admit that aesthetically I don’t like the grilles and I’d be paranoid about impacted mid and tweeters without them - had two pairs of speakers damaged in domestic incidents…
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ATC’s do like volume for sure, in my room they deliver a lovely sound with low volume but turn them up and they really come to life.
I think they sound so good turned up it creates a perception of not being as good at low volumes by comparison!
That said most speakers I have owned sound better with more volume.
I have heard the prophecy 7 and they sounded good in my dealers demo room and there must be something about them for him to invest in the range.
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It doesn’t. The Phrophecy goes lower.
The TL also isn’t just a bit shorter, but 1,5m shorter, so it’s a completely different design, bot just a tweak resulting in a few Hz difference.
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The 26i goes down to 27 Hz , whereas the Phropecy 7 goes to 40 Hz. Even the Phropecy 9 only goes to 35 Hz.