Moving from IB1's to EB1i's

[canucks]

Hello, have any of you made the jump from IB1's to EB1i's and how was your experience and findings?

[jdandy]

canucks.......Having never owned the PMC IB1 speakers, I cannot answer your question directly. I can offer some opinion on the differences between the IB1 and the EB1i. I do own a pair of the PMC EB1i's, and absolutely love them.

One of the first things to notice is the IB1's require a stand to get them at optimal listening height. They don't come with the speakers. The EB1i's are floor standing speakers with the drivers mounted at the optimal listening height.

The smaller cabinet dimensions of the OB1i give the 10" Nomex and Carbon Fiber bass piston driver a shorter transmission line loading tunnel. Consequently, the OB1 goes to 25 Hz, where the EB1i goes to 19 Hz with its longer transmission line loading. Also, the EB1i's transmission line has the new additional cavity at the bottom of the transmission line that further reduces low frequency distortion, plus the cabinet material is thicker, with additional internal bracing that is not incorporated in the IB1.

The high frequency driver in the EB1i is the new PMC/SEAS developed SONOLEX domed tweeter. This new tweeter required a brand new, and completely upgraded high power handling crossover. The IB1 does not have the the new soft dome PMC/SEAS tweeter or the upgraded crossover..

The IB1 does share the 75mm fabric soft dome midrange driver, and the 10" Nomex and Carbon Fiber piston bass drivers with the EB1i model.

The new PMC EB1i has cabinet grade veneer on all sides, including the back, where the IB1 does not have the back veneered if the speaker was ordered with veneer, otherwise the entire speaker is black.

Since I have not had the pleasure of auditioning the PMC IB1 speakers I can only speculate that they sound very good, although I suspect the EB1i's outperform them in a number of ways. As an owner of the PMC EB1i speakers, I can tell you that they are sterling performers, and will not disappoint you.



PMC OB1



PMC EB1i