Jasper994
Organizer for Can Jam '09
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2003
- Posts
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A few months ago, I was presented the opportunity to review a pair of E-MU’s new PM5 Precision Monitors, and of course, I took it (Thanks Ichi). I’ve been in love with my 1212m since I got it, and so I had great expectations for these new speakers. I have to admit, this has been a very hard review for me to write. The thing is: I’m very spoiled. I have some very nice headphones as well as a very nice pair of speakers (M-Audio BX8s). While I found the PM5s to be enjoyable, I always missed the low end extension that I was used to getting from both my speakers and my headphones. I ran them for a week at a time on several occasions and then ran them for about two weeks while taking some notes. Every time I went back to my own rig it was like a breath of fresh air. I must also admit that while I did have them hooked up I spent most of my time listening to my headphones (usually I listen to my speakers more than my headphones). If I were Joe Average, I’d probably love these speakers, but in the end, I am not. The only real reason I can personally think of to own a pair of these (aside of their intended purpose of monitoring) is as a pair of bedroom/den/office (late night or background music) speakers. Of course, with my BX8s I can just reach around back and flip the switch that will have them rolling off at 47 Hz or 80 Hz, so again, I’m very spoiled…. Below is a list of some things I like, and some things I don’t like. I may add to the list a bit over the next couple days if I have a chance to do a little more listening.
What I Like
The PM5’s are beautiful! The finish on these speakers is top notch, and they are a nice size. They look fantastic sitting on my speaker stands.
They sound wonderful at low volume, and would work great as bedroom/den/office speakers. The new subwoofer that is due out very soon has a pedal that allows you to activate/deactivate it. Paired together, this would be a great setup for the apartment dweller, that would allow for very easy transition from day to night listening.
Locking Neutrik connectors for balanced mode, and RCA inputs with a unbalanced mode
The imaging is very good, although my BX8s are better. This may have a bit to do with lower frequencies and larger drivers.
Regarding the bass: What they do produce, they produce well. There's certainly a decent amount of bass within the the speaker's range, and said bass is nice and tight with good punch and detail.
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Things I Don’t Like
When turned up they tend to sound a bit shouty.
The blue LEDs are a bit too bright
The instrument separation isn’t as impressive as I’d hoped it would be, and the BX8s definitely outclass the PM5s in this category.
The PM5s also lose out to the BX8s in detail. The PM5s aren’t bad; I was just expecting more since E-MU calls them hyper-detailed in their advertising.
I know these are smaller monitors, but I would really like another 10 Hz of extension in the bass. Keep in mind here that E-MU specifically designed these to be used as monitors for material that would often be played on systems (such as TVs) that don’t produce below 70 Hz. The subwoofer is due out very soon and will allow for full range. Still, for me this is a kill joy. If I were looking for a smaller monitor for my uses, I’d be looking for something with a bit more extension. Of course, I’m not using them for mixing/mastering/etc. I’m using them for listening, and I want as much extension as I can get.
The high price, I think the PM5s are priced a bit too high. I realize the inputs are Class A biased and they’ve used MOSFETs and all, but the sound just doesn’t justify the price for me.
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Overall the PM5s produce a fairly enjoyable sound that’s nice and warm. As they are, I very much enjoy them for listening late at night when full range speakers and high volumes are taboo. They are a bit pricey, but for those who aren’t concerned with price, the PM5 is definitely worth a listen. They do what they were intended to do pretty well, and perhaps they will suit you much better than they suit me.
During the time I've had the PM5's I was able to get LFF and Iron_Dreamer to give them a listen. Hopefully they can chime in with their opinions.
What I Like
The PM5’s are beautiful! The finish on these speakers is top notch, and they are a nice size. They look fantastic sitting on my speaker stands.
They sound wonderful at low volume, and would work great as bedroom/den/office speakers. The new subwoofer that is due out very soon has a pedal that allows you to activate/deactivate it. Paired together, this would be a great setup for the apartment dweller, that would allow for very easy transition from day to night listening.
Locking Neutrik connectors for balanced mode, and RCA inputs with a unbalanced mode
The imaging is very good, although my BX8s are better. This may have a bit to do with lower frequencies and larger drivers.
Regarding the bass: What they do produce, they produce well. There's certainly a decent amount of bass within the the speaker's range, and said bass is nice and tight with good punch and detail.
------
Things I Don’t Like
When turned up they tend to sound a bit shouty.
The blue LEDs are a bit too bright
The instrument separation isn’t as impressive as I’d hoped it would be, and the BX8s definitely outclass the PM5s in this category.
The PM5s also lose out to the BX8s in detail. The PM5s aren’t bad; I was just expecting more since E-MU calls them hyper-detailed in their advertising.
I know these are smaller monitors, but I would really like another 10 Hz of extension in the bass. Keep in mind here that E-MU specifically designed these to be used as monitors for material that would often be played on systems (such as TVs) that don’t produce below 70 Hz. The subwoofer is due out very soon and will allow for full range. Still, for me this is a kill joy. If I were looking for a smaller monitor for my uses, I’d be looking for something with a bit more extension. Of course, I’m not using them for mixing/mastering/etc. I’m using them for listening, and I want as much extension as I can get.
The high price, I think the PM5s are priced a bit too high. I realize the inputs are Class A biased and they’ve used MOSFETs and all, but the sound just doesn’t justify the price for me.
------
Overall the PM5s produce a fairly enjoyable sound that’s nice and warm. As they are, I very much enjoy them for listening late at night when full range speakers and high volumes are taboo. They are a bit pricey, but for those who aren’t concerned with price, the PM5 is definitely worth a listen. They do what they were intended to do pretty well, and perhaps they will suit you much better than they suit me.
During the time I've had the PM5's I was able to get LFF and Iron_Dreamer to give them a listen. Hopefully they can chime in with their opinions.
