Designed from the ground up, the ci Series incorporate the proprietary PMC technologies and audio quality from its highly praised high end home speakers and studio monitors, that have been responsible for the soundtracks of hundreds of movies, into the ultimate in slimline, high-performance on-wall and in-wall custom installation loudspeakers.
All speakers are designed with a shallow depth for wall mounting and all models, apart from the ci140 and ci140sub, are also designed to be used in-wall. An optional mounting sleeve fits around the cabinets of the ci30, ci45, ci90slim and ci65 to conceal the in-wall mounting system and create an elegant and discrete on-wall model. The use of one product for both in-wall and on-wall reduces the number of models that need to be stocked and gives the installer greater flexibility with mounting options.
The speed of in-wall mounting makes the entire range very “installer-friendly”. The ci30, ci45, ci90slim and ci65 are fitted with PMC’s Qikfire proprietary spring loaded mounting system, which, with a simple twist of a screwdriver, mounts the loudspeaker securely and quickly and permits post installation micro adjustment. Removal is just as easy as installation, with a simple twist. The on-wall mounting of each model is a very simple process using the optional interlocking wall bracket, which is designed to also offer pin-point level adjustment.
Each model in the new custom install line boasts a host of features that PMC believes will set them aside from any other products.
The drive units are developed from PMC’s in-depth knowledge of driver design and comprise the LT woofer and the longer throw and higher power handling version, the LTx, with their 130mm (5.25”) natural fibre cones, the 50mm (2”) dome midrange and a 27mm (1.1”) dome tweeter. The cabinets all feature PMC’s respected Advance Transmission Line (ATL) bass loading technology and Laminair vents, plus a sophisticated, hand-built, precision crossover.
The LT & LTx long throw woofers have a doped natural fibre dished cone and inverted dust cap, reducing the unwanted high frequency reflections from the cone surface. The high-power voice coils, in a ferrite magnet, are mounted in a low-profile basket to fit in the shallow cabinets. These drivers have been designed for use with the ATL bass loading technology found in all PMC speakers. It uses the energy generated by the bass units in a much more intelligent, efficient manner than designs based on ported or sealed boxes. In ATL speakers, the highly braced cabinet is lined with custom-designed acoustic foam that absorbs all but the very lowest frequencies. These exit from a front-panel vent, extending the low-frequency response and creating the impression of a far larger speaker.
The vent includes PMC’s Laminair technology, created by Oliver Thomas, PMC’s head of design, who took his knowledge of aerodynamics from his time in Formula One and applied it to the ATL. The aim is to reduce turbulence and drag which, in turn, reduces resistance and increases efficiency. The result is a smooth laminar airflow as it exits the line with obvious audible effects of a faster, higher definition bass with accurate timing and dynamics, without unwanted air noise.
All ci series cabinets are enclosed at the rear, ensuring that sound leakage to adjoining rooms is kept to an absolute minimum. Unlike inferior open-back speaker designs, it is not necessary to rely on the cavity construction of the wall to enhance the sound. The ci series cabinets, with their defined volume, robust construction and ATL bass loading, have everything they need to deliver awesome cinematic sound at all listening levels.
All models benefit from the use of a solid, milled aluminum front panel, ensuring high rigidity, no cabinet flex and maximum damping effect at the area of highest pressure of the ATL.
The high frequency information is reproduced by the professionally proven tweeter found in PMC’s studio nearfield monitors, the result6. The 27mm soft dome is mounted within a custom wave guide that controls off axis response and produces an identical lobe at the crossover point as that exhibited by the midrange unit and eradicates edge diffraction. The ferrofluid cooled neodymium magnet, with built-in heatsink, permits high power handling. The unit’s physical small size enables it to be mounted as close as possible to the other drive units and it is off set to smooth out edge reflections and work horizontally and vertically.
The four smaller models in the range are two-way designs, the flagship ci140 is a three-way design with four bass drivers. PMC has long been known for its dome midrange driver designs, which were first seen in the world’s leading studio monitor speakers, the BB5. This technology has been honed over the years and trickled down into other models, with the ci140 the latest to benefit from the use of a dome midrange. The all new 50mm (2”) dome features n-compass technology - a new dispersion flange for a flat frequency response and phenomenal off-axis performance, making it ideally suited to either horizontal or vertical placement, as in a cinema LCR system.
Around the edge of the dome are two distinct geometric forms, one exponential and one hyperbolic, which form a complex profile to improve diffusion and uniformity over a wider area. These produce better low frequency dispersion and sensitivity and smoother high frequency dispersion without edge diffraction, the benefit of which is an identical immersive audio experience from all listening positions.
The ci140 is complemented by the ci140sub, with the same four bass drive units operating within the ATL to reproduce additional low frequency energy, perfect for home theatre installations and full frequency music reproduction in high end audio and studio situations.
All speakers are supplied in a black finish, with square perforated bezel-less metal grilles in black or white. PMC will demonstrate the new ci speakers on booth SR-9 at CEDIA Expo, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, September 12-14 2019. The company recently opened new demo studios on the East and West Coasts of the USA. Located in Highland Park, Los Angeles and Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York, the demo studios add a substantial new dimension to PMC’s US presence, which already includes demo facilities in Nashville and Irvine.
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