Actually it isn't completely unfair: https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/dec_docs/40469/40469_329_3.pdf
I haven't got the time to read all that, but from a cursory glance it appears to be about price fixing by DM Holdings (Denon/Marantz). DM Holdings are not dealers. Perhaps it might have been better to say manufacturers. Hifi constitutes a lot more than Japanese giants. The best are often smaller independent companies.
I often buy second hand, but when I can afford I buy new. It's a very difficult climate for retailers and manufacturers of hifi. I take issue when people tar everyone with the same brush. I give my business to good shops when I can. If no one bought new, then we wouldn't have much of a hifi hobby for very long.
In the UK price fixing has been jointly enforced by dealers and manufacturers by excluding distance selling and withdrawing resale agreements of those dealers who offer discounts.
There are countless manufacturers here where there is a single price across the whole country with no discounts unless offered by the manufacturer.
It also turns out their "concerns" about distance selling apply exclusively in the UK, because we have such a weak anti-trust environment.
What the judgment shows is sadly this is not unique to the UK.
I would advise any prospective buyer of the same thing. If the goods are only available at a single price, do not buy them new. You are paying to keep the shop-bought dealership cartel alive and well.
Righty-ho...back earlier than anticipated, and after a (not entirely) unexpected twist.
'Er indoors put the kybosh on the BM15As and the Focal Twin 6's. Too bulky andoverbearing for our living room. Speakers to be no taller than a ruler, I was told. And placement to be as close as possible to the wall.
Honestly, I can't say I disagree with her as in retrospect I do think I was probably pushing it a bit going for such big boxes in what is already a tight enough space.
So I began looking around again and I saw some PMC Twenty 21's going at a discount of £490 (price was therefore £899 - pretty much what I was going to spend on the Focal 906's). Dealer said they were brand new boxed and the last ones in stock. As a sweetener, he offered Saturday delivery at no extra cost (so another £50 saved). I was gobsmacked by the 20 year warranty and my better half was swooning over the diamond black finish.
Rightly or wrongly, I pulled the trigger and bought them. My wife's just messaged me to say they've arrived today. I won't get to see them for another 5 weeks, which feels like torture, but such is life.
So my question is...now what? The passive solution is now decided upon, for better or for worse. Do I stick with my original amp/CD/streaming/sub proposal (Yamaha A S1100, Marantz CD6006SE, Yamaha WXAD10, BK XXXL400), or do I do something different? The amp in particular is something I'm concerned about now, as I don't know whether it's a good match for the PMC's.
As ever, any advice or input welcome and appreciated.
Nice choice, but i’d Be asking my significant other to set them up and send me skype messages every night playing them, 5 weeks is a very long time!
Personally I would use you current kit, give the pmc a few hours (50 say as per the manual https://pmc-speakers.com/sites/default/files/attachments/twenty series manualv6_final_oct16.pdf) to loosen up, dual in the sub and see how you go on. If after listening to them for a couple of months you think the sound can be improved then by all means start the audio/cycle again.
Hi @Ugg10.
The wife absolutely won't touch them for fear of dropping them, so Skype demo's areout, I'm afraid. It took me an hour to coax her into just opening the box so that I could get serial numbers for warranty registration purposes!
Perfectly sensible proposal re using my existing kit. Only problem is it's in use elsewhere already and so not accessible.
Hence my pressing urgency to sort out some other kit asap, as I'll no doubt be desperate to hear these once I get home!
PMCs love power but are a relatively easy load. Any good amplifier should produce good results.
The transmission line design might not lend itself to being placed close to a wall. If it sounds boomy this is why. Ideally you need an infinite baffle design to place close to a wall.
Great speakers. As has been said I would run them with your existing amp for a while so that if you feel they new different power then you will have time to consider your options.
If you are really looking for replacement kit asap and without auditioning, as highlighted above, they really thrive on good clean power. I haven't heard the as1100/ pmc combo may be a tad too warm.
I'd actually consider the same yamaha wxc-50 preamp that was considered with the actives and pairing it with a nice powerful power amplifier like an emotiva bassX a300.
The emotiva is very clean and neutral with high damping factor which will help control the woofers.
Depending on budget of course, I'd also look at hegels offerings like the h160 or h190, which again have a very neutral sound sig and clean / high damper power. they also have world class dacs built in.
@gibbsy - see my reply to @Ugg10. Using my old equipment is not an option as its in use elsewhere. Appreciate the vote of confidence on the speaker choice, though!