PMC Loudspeakers PMC 8-2 Active Studio Monitors - Pair

The PMC8-2 is an active 3 way reference monitor with dual 8 inch bass drivers, 2 inch soft dome midrange, DSP crossover & EQ, and featuring PMC's patented ATL™ bass loading.

The PMC Loudspeakers PMC8-2, with its larger cabinet, pair of powerful 8-inch long-throw bass drivers and huge dynamic range, this three-way active studio monitor is designed to provide critical reference monitoring in the most demanding environments, including for large-scale scoring sessions and in post-production and mastering suites. As with any PMC loudspeaker, thanks to its super-consistent dispersion and tonal balance, the PMC8-2 may be simply and seamlessly combined with smaller PMC speakers to create larger multi-channel or immersive systems.

The twin bass drivers are partnered with the same PMC55 mid-range tweeter, DSP system and four channels of 400W Class-D amplification used in the PMC6-2. Again, the speaker is configurable directly via the rear panel or using the browser-based SoundAlign software from a computer or tablet.

Together with the precisely tuned ATL™ cabinet and hexagonal Laminair™ vents, the PMC8-2 delivers phenomenal performance that approaches that of PMC's Main reference monitors, with smooth and consistent bass response down to 25Hz, a revealing mid-range and wide, stable sound-staging. As with the rest of the range, the PMC8-2’s superb definition, fidelity, dynamics and bass accuracy allow mix decisions to be made quickly with complete confidence, and with no listening fatigue even after long sessions.

PMC8-2s can be upgraded through the addition of a PMC8-2 SUB to create an XBD system, enhancing the system’s bass headroom by 6dB. Dedicated short and taller floor-stands are available for the PMC8-2 and PMC8-2 XBD systems which position them on the ideal listening axis.

PMC8-2 Features:

• Active 3-way nearfield reference monitor with ATL™ bass loading
• Frequency response: 25Hz - 25kHz (- 3dB @1m full space, on-axis)
• Max. cont. SPL: 113dB @1m (Half space value calculated as +3dB from full space measurement. Unweighted input, 20-20kHz Pink Noise (IEC) with 12dB CF for 2 hours AES2-1984 duration)
• State-of-the-art Class-D amplifiers: HF 400W, MF 400W, LF 2x 400W
• Analogue / AES3 digital input (16/24-bit, 18 -192kHz sample rate)
• Digital ‘through’ output (AES3 24-bit 96kHz
• SoundAlign network control interface for single or group EQ & settings
• Sophisticated DSP crossover, driver protection, EQ, and delay/polarity options
• PMC8-2 + PMC8-2 SUB creates PMC8-2 XBD, with up to 6dB of additional headroom
• Optional dedicated floor stands for PMC8-2 (40”) and PMC8-2 XBD (19”)

PMC SoundAlign Software

The SoundAlign web interface is a highly intuitive and responsive means of controlling and configuring our nearfield and mid-field active DSP monitors (and the two associated subwoofers). Each monitor speaker incorporates an internal web-server accessible over a standard wired Ethernet connection using any typical web-browser on any smart-phone, tablet, PC, or Mac computer.

Loudspeakers can be controlled individually or in defined groups of multiple speakers (up to 16), and every DSP menu function and parameter can be viewed and adjusted, with configuration settings stored and recalled instantly as presets or copied between speakers. Facilities are provided to configure the input format and level, boundary mode correction, delay, and polarity options, as well as an EQ section with interactive graphical display offering five parametric bands plus high and low shelf sections.

The SoundAlign interface also makes it very simple to upload new firmware to all selected speakers, when necessary, and a group filter mode allows defined subsets of speakers to be displayed and controlled entirely separately from other groups – a brilliant asset in complex multi-room installations or with multichannel speaker arrays.

A dedicated network is not necessary – the loudspeakers can be connected to any standard LAN as the SoundAlign data happily co-exists with other network traffic (Internet access is not required, either). Alternatively, individual speakers can be configured by connecting a standard Ethernet cable directly back to the Ethernet port on a PC or Mac, or by using the controls on the rear panel.

ATL Technology

PMC’s unique ATL™ (Advanced Transmission Line) enclosures have taken loudspeaker design to the highest level, using sophisticated cabinet construction, proprietary drive units, and patented absorption materials and techniques. The benefits are enormous compared to the relatively simple sealed and ported designs currently available elsewhere.
PMC’s innovative approach places the bass driver near one end of a long cavity ATL™ (the Advanced Transmission Line). This cavity is heavily damped with acoustic material specified carefully to absorb the upper bass and higher frequencies radiating from the rear of the bass driver. The lowest frequencies are allowed to pass down the line and emerge from the large frontal vent in the same polarity as the driver’s direct radiation, the vent acting essentially as a second bass driver.

ATL™ bass-loading technology offers the following advantages over ported and sealed monitors:

• Exceptional LF extension with no colouration
• Identical tonal balance at all levels
• Higher SPLs without compression or listener fatigue
• More efficient
• A truly accurate response that translates

Laminair Technology

PMC's holistic design process has led them to study the physics of every part of monitors thoroughly, including air flow. Their powerful Studio drivers produce high-velocity air movements at the exit vents from the transmission lines, and careful analysis shows that the flow can become resistive and turbulent if uncontrolled. This wastes energy and leads to colouration, audible in our otherwise ultra-low-noise designs.

To address this, PMC's Laminair™ technology, visible on the PMC6, 6-2 and 8-2 in the form of the distinctive hexagonal profiling at the vents, produces a controlled, laminar air flow. The result is faster, higher-definition bass with accurate timing, and the widest possible dynamic range.