Hi guys,

I want to buy new pair of speakers, i know everything i can about them. but unfortunately i don't have a dealer in here for the both of them.

I'm in the professional Producing, Mix & Mastering biz ... so i wonder if anyone here had any experience with those speakers .... ?

Please keep this thread comments relevant because I do not interesting in any other speaker

Huge Thanks

Jordan

@ macc has switched from PMC to Kii. Here's his review:

https://bobmaccsblog.wordpress.com/2...peaker-review/

He has other posts on here too...

Thanks for the mention

Lots of experience with both. 6 years or so with the IB2S (with a pair of subs), 18 months or so on the Kiis.

I'm a bit short of time so I will boil it right down;

IB2S' main plus is that they throw bigger overall image; highs are up in the air etc. Kiis have a tighter, more focussed, more horizontal (less 'tall') image. I'd suggest this is all down to design choices with regard to dispersion.

In all other regards I would say the Kiis win. Cleaner, infinitely tighter time response, better room integration (the cardioid bass thing works very well), lethally lethally lethally accurate.

As far as actually working on them goes, as someone said around here, the PMCs give you 'a bigger bullseye'. The Kiis tell you EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING. This can make them quite difficult to work on at first (but incredible to listen to great recordings on). You have to adjust your mental threshold for what's actually important and what's not. You could say that with the PMC, ignorance is bliss, but that might be a bit unkind. Whatever - the Kiis show me stuff I 100% didn't hear on the PMCs, including in my own work (or else I wouldn't have done it!!). This is particularly true of things that require extreme time domain accuracy in the low end. Certain types of limiting distortion for example.

The two speakers do sound very different, they are very different animals. I've had message from people who preferred the PMCs because the Kiis sounded small, and I get that. So taste is a big part of it.

But personally there is no way on this earth I could go back to a speaker that doesn't have flat phase and near-perfect step response. I've been back to my old room with the PMCs still in there and they just sound phasey/smeared to me now, bigger image or not. I did thousands and thousands of tracks on that setup and now feel like I couldn't work on it, ha.


I know you don't want to hear about other speakers but I'd also strongly recommend checking out the Dutch and Dutch 8C. These are *very* close indeed to the Kiis, and share practically all their best points, but perhaps are a touch fuller/'bigger' sounding - kind of half a small step in the direction of the PMC. I may still switch to the 8C after working on them them for a few weeks earlier this year. Just got a new room to build first...

Good luck man!

A week ago, after I auditioned the Kii threes I also went to a PMC dealer and auditioned the BB5 & MB3, I have to say I was not impressed at all(other than sounding large).

Jordan, that's a real personal question, and you shouldn't solely rely on what anyone tells you. We can only give you our impressions and experience, and that's it. There's really no excuse, somehow you need to hear them yourself, preferably in your own room. Kii3 and IB1 are VERY different, both in concept and sound. The good news is that it's probably a self evident question once you've heard them yourself.

For what it's worth: I know both and I prefer the PMC's.

In short:
- IB1's sound deep and are very flexible / rather tolerant and relaxed.
- Kiis are an all digital, closed system, and I don't like that concept.


Extended remarks and findings:

- The bass coming from the IB1's will literally rock your room, whilst the bass on Kii's is there, yes, but the actual push in your stomach from dynamic bass lines or kick drums is missing in my experience; it's a small speaker that wants to sound big and it sounds holographic as a result. It has a very addictive sound though, and I'm sure if this is your thing, you'll get to know them, and they will work for you.

- Yes, perhaps Kii3 is more in phase, and yes, perhaps it produces a more flat frequency response, but that's only the numbers speaking. A speaker can act like an instrument, it is so personal, it's about much more than perfect graphs in my experience. You get to know them, and you adapt.

- Given the powerful bass from the IB1's you will need appropriate acoustics with them, and DIY panels or anything from GIK / Bluefrogaudio / Realtrap will get you a long way, that's how I work anyway.

- PMC's tell me more what is wrong with the mix and suggest the solution, Kii don't suggest what is wrong in the mix at all, again: to my ears. ATC's are even better imo, they are on my list and the IB1's that I currently have will move to my hifi setup. (excuse my digression, just wanting to be complete)

Again, all of this is just my personal experience. I'm sure there'll be people suggesting you the opposite on anything I touched upon, and they would be 100% right.

PS
I would not opt for the Active IB1S Aiii but go for a passive pair and buy better amplifiers than the ones PMC supplies. With better amps, they will be a bit more forward, and have a tad more analytical value to them.

PSS
Don't underestimate the effect of having proper speaker stands.


Yeah BB5 and MB3 speakers are quite different from the IB1. There's no comparison really: IB1 and IB2 - and with extension MB1/2's - are in their own universe.


Good luck!

Emanuel

Thank you very mush Emanuel for your replay !!!!
I have to say that i decided to go with the Kii, they work better in my room ..... I'm upgrading them with the BXT system soon, and for now i couldn't be more happy !!!!!

Haha awesome, didn't realize your post dated 5 months back ^_^

Yeah the BXT should give you that low frequency stomach push (haven't heard it though)

I’m considering getting the Ib1s because I am setting up a secondary studio. For writing and production.
The new room will be quite a bit smaller than my main room though. 10x11.

I am wondering if the ib1s will be too big for that space. Even if I work at lower volumes.