The PMC twenty.21 ranks #54 out of 55 total Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers for sound quality. See Top Recommended Speakers By Attribute for all the top speaker suggestions.
#54 PMC twenty.21: $2,000 discontinued, superseded by twenty5.21
Pros: Transmission-line loaded design with a proprietary PMC/SEAS SONOLEX soft dome tweeter and doped mid/bass driver, reflecting PMC’s high-end British studio-monitor pedigree.
Cons: Amir was blunt: “The PMC Twenty.21 is a failure in design,” asking, “Did different people design different parts of the speaker and never talked to each other?” On-axis response is highly problematic, and the lack of a tweeter waveguide causes severe beamwidth compression that makes the speaker highly room-sensitive. Dual bass peaks indicate improper port tuning, with the port bump at 100Hz compounding rather than compensating for existing woofer peaks. Distortion is elevated throughout, spiking further at 96dB SPL near 200Hz from port noise. Initial listening was “screechy bright” enough to trigger the reviewer’s tinnitus, with harsh, lispy vocals and tubby, unnatural bass; only heavy manual EQ made it acceptable. At $2,000, Amir suspects the tuning was done “by ear” rather than with measurements.
How it compares: Just above it: Klipsch R-41M - $1771 cheaper, 2Hz higher bass extension (-3dB). Just below it: Ascend Sierra Luna Duo - $376 cheaper, 1.9Hz higher bass extension (-3dB).
| Dimensions | 12.8"H x 6"W x 10.9"D (325 x 152 x 277 mm) (+6mm grille) |
|---|---|
| Drivers | 5.5" (140mm) doped mid/bass driver with cast alloy chassis, 27mm PMC/SEAS SONOLEX soft dome tweeter (ferrofluid cooled) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 25kHz, +/-4.4dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 83dB (1W/1m, manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 11 lbs / 5 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | transmission line, 1.72m effective length |
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