GEAR GUIDE
Cordero Studios
By now, you’ve
probably heard
every small-speaker
cliché there is. This is understandable.
Considering how much small speaker systems,
even inexpensive ones, have improved in recent years, it’s
difficult for reviewers (myself included) to avoid “big sound
in a small package,” “the best bang for your buck,” and any
number of other well-worn spins. This starts to be a problem when
people—reviewers, manufacturers, or anyone else—get carried away
and start likening a mediocre small speaker to a quality tower or claiming
that a small system has all of the sonic benefits of a much larger one.
Phase Technology’s
PC Series
speakers offer
the best of
both worlds.
by Chris Lewis
Electronically
from
October 2002
Home
Theater
Phase Technology PC Series Speaker System
GEAR GUIDE
proprietary technologies are at
work in this speaker. First is the
absolute phase-crossover design,
which ensures that the drivers
are acoustically and electronically
in-phase. This helps the speaker
maintain a highly consistent image
as you shift it both vertically and
horizontally. Next are Phase Tech’s
solid-piston driver design and Rigid
Polymer Foam technology, both
of which are used in the PC 1.1II’s
6.5-inch midbass driver. As its name
suggests, this is a cone-shaped
driver that’s essentially filled with
RPF to operate as a one-piece,
solid unit. The idea is to improve
phase coherency (the flat, top
surface sends all frequencies from
the same plane) and eliminate the
effects of back-wave radiation in
the cabinet. RPF is highly rigid but
low in mass, and it’s acoustically
inert. The adjustable-axis 1-inch
tweeter rests in a front-baffle surround made of Unicell acoustic
treatment, which eliminates diffraction and its variety of imagesmearing effects.
Both the PC 3.1II center channel and the PC 6.1S on-wall model
use the same 6.5-inch RPF midbass driver and 1-inch variableaxis soft-dome tweeter found on
the PC 1.1II. On the PC 3.1II, dual
6.5-inch midbass drivers surround
the 1-inch tweeter and an additional 1.5-inch tweeter. The tweeters are mounted on an adjustable
front-baffle plate that you can rotate
to allow the PC 3.1II to operate in
a vertical or horizontal placement.
At 22 inches high by 8.25 wide by
11.75 deep and around 25 pounds,
either option is viable. The PC 6.1S
is also flexible, with a compensation switch for on- or off-wall
placement. A separate swivel-wall
bracket is included. It uses a single
6.5-inch midbass driver and a 1inch tweeter and measures out at a
compact 13.75 inches high by 8.25
wide by 5.375 deep and around 15
pounds.
The PC Sub has a 300-watt
amp that powers a 10-inch hybrid
(mica, graphite, and polypropylene) woofer. Line- and speaker-
level inputs are provided, along
with auto-on circuitry and
adjustable phase, gain, and
crossover controls. The unit
measures out at 16 inches high
by 15.5 wide by 19 deep and
It isn’t that small speakers can’t
sound like big speakers or offer
top-shelf performance. Ironically,
the problem is the fact that some
of them can. Rare as they are, there
are smaller systems that have the
power output, dynamic range, sizable soundstage, and accurate,
rich tonality to convince you that
you’re listening to towers, a large
center channel, etc. These systems
drastically reduce, if not eliminate,
the sonic compromises you normally have to make in an effort to
save space. But what can one say
to give these exceptional systems
their due? When people claim that
a $300 computer speaker system
or cute little 6-inch cubes sound
like a top-quality, full-sized system,
how do we differentiate those
systems that legitimately do? I
suppose the answer is an old and
simple one: Let the speakers
speak for themselves.
When I heard Phase Tech’s
PC Series speakers at a recent
trade show, I wasn’t thinking about
whether they sounded large or
small; I was simply concentrating
on how good they sounded, even
in those sonically unfriendly confines. I realized that I wanted to
hear more. The PC 1.1II bookshelf speaker isn’t tiny by any
stretch, but it’s entirely roomfriendly at 13.25 inches high
by 8.25 wide by 10 deep and
15 pounds. Some effective
• Has the benefits of large and
small speakers
• Effective technologies
• Excellent for movies
and music
HIGHLIGHTS
A. The PC 6.1S
surround speaker’s
adjustable tweeter
helps it perform
solidly with both
movies and music.
B. The bookshelf-
sized PC 1.1II has
spot-on imaging.
C. The PC 3.1II is
quite large for a sub/
sat center channel,
which pays off in its
sound quality.
D. The 300-watt
PC Sub blends well
with the PC 1.1II.
Home Theater / October 2002
A
C
D
B
around 50 pounds, and it can accept
floor spikes. All four models are
available in natural cherry, honey
oak, and black ash.
As you might expect from
speakers this size with adjustable
tweeters and crossovers that are
designed for large windows of consistent sound, setup couldn’t be
much easier. I started my listening tests with the PC Sub and two
PC 1.1IIs, backed by a solid, midpriced electronics combo from
Anthem (the AVM 20 pre/pro
and PVA 7 amp) and a couple of
Sony decks (the DVP-C650D DVD
player and SCD-CE775 SACD
player). Out of the gate, the stereo
imaging was dead-on with little
toe-in (naturally, toeing-in your
speakers helps, but it wasn’t
entirely necessary here). These
little guys will go
lower than you’d
expect and, even
on their own,
won’t leave you
thinking that
you’re missing
100 hertz or so of information, as
most sats do. With the sub chipping
in, the PC 1.1IIs start to sound
more like a well-executed pair of
full-range towers, with a deep,
powerful bottom end, a big stage,
and a rich, full sound from the top
of the spectrum to the bottom.
As with any sub/sat system,
blending is a critical issue. Phase
Tech has always taken their crossover design very seriously, and it
shows here. In my opinion, the
PC 1.1II and PC Sub blend better
than many single-cabinet speakers.
The sub’s quick, musical nature
let me open up its crossover a little
more with music (usually between
100 and 120 Hz), and the blending
was no less effective here than it
was at 80 Hz with movies.
The Phase Techs’ surprisingly
big, full sound carried over nicely
into my multichannel demo, for
which I added the PC 3.1II and
two PC 6.1S surrounds. I eased in
with some Roy Orbison and Eagles
off of the ubiquitous DTS sampler,
listening for resolution, voicing,
and detail—all of which were firstrate. These less-crowded tracks
allowed me to focus on individual
sounds and analyze how they
shifted as I moved around the
room. True to their legacy, these
Phase Techs are rock-solid offaxis in both planes. Eventually, I
had to go after these little guys, so
right to “The Generals” from the
Film Music of
Jerry Goldsmith
SACD I went.
Phase Tech
invited me to
push these
speakers all I
wanted, and now
I know why. My
ears would probably have given
out before these drivers did—and
I got close to the former. Needless
to say, these speakers will play as
loud as you’d likely ever need
them to in a realistically sized
area. Playing loud, of course, isn’t
the real trick: Maintaining composure while doing so is, and the
Phase Techs did exactly that, especially in the upper frequencies. If
brighter, aggressive tweeters
are your thing—and they are for
some—you may not get what
you’re looking for, especially at
lower volumes. These tweeters
lean far more toward the mellow,
silky side, which I personally
favor. The upper frequencies (of
SACD especially) were superb,
and even brighter CDs sounded
smoother and less fatiguing.
For me, the two primary questions for a sub/sat system are, does
it have the accuracy and tonal balance to do music right and does
it have the dynamics and oomph
to do movies right. The PC Series
system answered the former
quickly, and the multichannel
music demos hinted that the latter
wouldn’t be a problem, either. So
Phase Technology PC Series Speaker System
GEAR GUIDE
E. The PC Sub has
phase, gain, and
crossover controls,
as well as line- and
speaker-level inputs.
HT Labs Measures: Phase Technology PC Series Speaker System
This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all
woofers) frequency response of the PC 1.1II L/R (purple trace), PC Sub
subwoofer (blue trace), PC 3.1II center channel (green trace), and PC 6.1S
surround (red trace). All passive loudspeakers were measured at a distance
of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input and scaled for display purposes.
The PC 1.1II’s listening-window response (a five-point average of
axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures
+1.51/–2.59 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3dB point is at
61 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 50 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of
3.22 ohms at 186 Hz and a phase angle of –62.03 degrees at 98 Hz.
Sensitivity averages 88.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz.
The PC 3.1II’s listening-window response measures +1.34/–2.88 dB
from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal
responses measures +1.68/–2.84 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3dB
point is at 57 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 46 Hz. Impedance reaches a
minimum of 2.80 ohms at 156 Hz and a phase angle of –62.07 degrees
at 84 Hz. Sensitivity averages 88.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz.
The PC 6.1S’s listening-window response measures +0.86/–3.48 dB
from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3dB point is at 88 Hz, and the –6dB point
is at 73 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 3.28 ohms at 216 Hz
and a phase angle of –58.91 degrees at 123 Hz. Sensitivity averages
90 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz.
The PC Sub’s close-miked response, normalized to the average
level from 40 to 80 Hz, indicates that the lower –3dB point is at 35 Hz
and the –6dB point is at 28 Hz. The upper –3dB point is at 111 Hz with
the LFE-mode switch set to on.—AJ
Phase Technology PC Series Speaker System
E
dB spl
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
< Magnitude > Sound Pressure Level < Phase >
20 Frequency 100 500 1k Hz 5k 10k 20k
Deg
C
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
-0.00
-0.05
-0.10
-0.15
-0.20
without giving the system time to
catch its breath, I switched over
to the Omaha Beach scene from
Saving Private Ryan for some more
war-inspired abuse. Once again,
the system was cool and collected,
even at heavy volumes. I was more
inclined to chalk up the compression I heard at punishing levels to
the amplifier than the speakers.
The sub maintained its controlled
demeanor, as well. Large artillery
shells exploded with ample buildup
and climax but then quickly (yet
naturally) decayed without the
excess, unguided energy that helps
create subwoofer boom.
The PC 3.1II’s healthy size
helped it create a natural sound
and gave it the ability to work its
way through the densest of passages. It wasn’t perfect, but it went
a long way in making this system
PC 1.1II Bookshelf Speaker $400
PC 3.1II Center-Channel Speaker $600
PC 6.1S On-Wall Speaker $425
PC Sub Subwoofer $1,000
Phase Technology
(888) PHASE-TK
www.phasetech.com
Dealer Locator Code PHA
sound more like something you’d
find in a serious listening environment. The center channel is the
Achilles heel of many sub/sat systems, but not here. This is the
same size center channel you’d
find in many larger systems—and
I can’t overestimate the sonic
value of this approach. There are
smaller, more-easily placed centers, but that convenience comes
at an audible price.
The adjustable tweeter allows
the PC 6.1S to fill its ambientsurround-speaker role for movies
nicely while still offering direct
radiation for music. I placed the
surrounds on the side walls with
the tweeters pointed slightly
toward the back of the room for
less sense of localization. The
PC 6.1S wasn’t as successful as a
well-designed dipole in creating
rear diffusion, but it certainly did
the trick. Considering how well
Phase Technology PC Series Speaker System
GEAR GUIDE
this speaker handles music, I’d
also recommend using it as a rear
surround in a 7.1-channel system.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t
matter if your small speakers
sound like big speakers. All that
matters is whether they sound
good. After all, there are plenty of
poor-sounding large speakers, as
well. What’s so impressive about
these Phase Techs is their ability to
excel in areas that are traditionally
quite difficult for small speakers—
like soundstaging, dynamics,
power, tonal accuracy, and impact
with movie soundtracks—while still
offering the advantages of smaller
speakers. The PC Series ensemble
may not be as inexpensive as many
sub/sat systems, but you’ll be hardpressed to find a system that beats
its sound-to-dollar ratio. And who
couldn’t use a little extra space
around the house?
Posted with permission from the October 2002 issue of Home Theater ®
Copyright 2002, PRIMEDIA Inc. All rights reserved.
For more information about reprints from Home Theater, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877-652-5295
Phase Technology PC Series Speaker System
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