It's happening: PMC Twenty.23 upgrade to Twenty5.23
Posted by: feeling_zen on 19 September 2016
I mentioned this may happen on several other threads. Wheels did not get set in motion as fast as I thought at first but it is happening. My Twenty.23s were ppicked up by the buyer today and cash changed hands and Twenty5.23s ordered.
Bit of background. It's a fairly stange upgrade in my opinion. I'm never one for the near sideways move. In general it is not cost effective. An evolutionary change is rarely satisfying compared to a revolutionary change that takes you to a different direction entirely (different brand) or a higher model in different range. But the star algined and I am in the position to get a pair of Twenty5.23s for very little indeed when the exchange rate and resale value on my current 23s was factored in.
Plus there is the well documented lack of proper demonstration facilities where I am. I love the sound of the 23s: light, neutral, unfussy to position, completely vanish when listening to music. So I really did not want to rock the boat. They don't excite my sprung floor and deliver ample everything for their size. I have commented recently that the change from 250.2 to 250.DR upset the balance of the system a bit and I didn't get the punch I had before to the extent I was considering maybe the Twenty5.24 or even Twenty5.26. However, my ears adjusted over time and frowning "that's not right" became neutral "well it is not wrong but very different" to eventually, "yeah this actually sounds more correct than before". So, bedgetary-wise I could choose a different speaker and make that revolutionary change I mentioned but ultimately, the 23s have a balance that is so right, it is was clear that another pair of new Twenty5.23s is the most likely correct option.
This is just the first post in the journey for those PMC users out there. Plenty have heard the new range side by side with the existing range at shows, but maybe not many will do such a sideways change in their own living room. It will take a while for them to arrive and longer to run in. Until then, speakerless.
Next post. Unboxing.
Feeling Zen, you will for sure not be disappointed!
I currently have been demoing a pair of Twenty5 23's for a few weeks now and Im over the moon with them.
I have them for another couple of weeks, but Im sure they arent going back to the dealer 
.
My upgrade will be a big step up, so its kind of obvious. I will be interested to hear your journey though, especially as its in your own home.
Keep us posted!
pete T15 posted:Feeling Zen and Chris ,
I'll be very interested to hear your findings as a current twenty23 user with a 250 DR and TQ Black speaker cable . I very nearly bought some Fact 3s a few months ago but difficulty in getting a demo pair , then deciding not to follow one upgrade with another and let my 250 settle delayed that . As a PMC fan I'm really pleased theres now another option when that day comes . From what I can gather the twenty5 series are a fair step up from the twenty series (especially the 25/24s apparently) both sonically and aesthetically so they must be awesome !
Hi Pete T15, without wishing to hijack FZ's thread, in my case I currently have Neat Motive 2's, and I was keen to demo the Twenty5.23's as my room is not large, and these appeared to fit the bill regarding aesthetics in the room. See here for before and after:
https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...78#63232625764056378
Compared to the Motive 2's the step up is a big one, as you might well imagine given the difference in size, so FZ's assessment will be very interesting to hear when his new speakers arive.
From my side, the finish is lovely. They sounded excellent straight from set up, the bass being super detailed and the mids/highs a big step up from the Motive 2's. Even my wife told me how much better they sounded, so I think Im on to a winner . I just need to have that final discussion with my wife, but Im certain they will be staying.
Looks like you have a really nice system as it is. Anyway, over to FZ for when his new speakers arrive!
Arrived today!
Before
* yes the layout is strange. The TV and AV is centred in an open plan room and the stereo speakers are centered towards the sofa (I don't mix the systems). It looks odd but get over it.
During
* notice serial number less than 100 still. SN91 & 92
After... I'm knackered and going to bed. Unboxing and positioning tomorrow.
Nowt wrong with your place - Looks great - enjoy your new speakers when you get them setup
feeling_zen posted:Arrived today!
Before
* yes the layout is strange. The TV and AV is centred in an open plan room and the stereo speakers are centered towards the sofa (I don't mix the systems). It looks odd but get over it.
During
Congratulations on your new speakers.
BTW, the layout appears perfect, when serious listening is on the agenda, the electronics are not located between the Speakers.
Enjoy your brand new Speakers!
Allante93!
feeling_zen posted:Arrived today!
Before
* yes the layout is strange. The TV and AV is centred in an open plan room and the stereo speakers are centered towards the sofa (I don't mix the systems). It looks odd but get over it.
During
* notice serial number less than 100 still. SN91 & 92
After... I'm knackered and going to bed. Unboxing and positioning tomorrow.
Are those Bose cubes?! The horror!
feeling_zen posted:
After... I'm knackered and going to bed. Unboxing and positioning tomorrow.
Those boxes look like they've been well and truly 'couriered' - hopefully they'll contain something more than firewood!
@Chrissu, you jinxed it.
They are going back. In both boxes, customs had been too foxtrotting stupid to figure out how the packing foam went back and just chucked the spikes in the box to rattle around. The logos has been torn away from the grilles and the one that was a deal breaker was that the first one I took out, had a massive ding on the front right corner that torn away the vaneer. The ding spot exactly matches the crease in the pic above. Funny thing is that is not the one I unboxed so I can only assume they took them out and swapped boxes. 
Both boxes were also punctured. If I had unboxed last night it would have been a tears before bedtime scenario for sure.
I had a pair of QAcoustics 3010 sent also for the office system and while they are mint, the box they came it was so abused that the polystrene ends had somehow been shattered. I don't even know how that happens. It's polystyrene.
Readers of my 250dr vs 300dr post will know that customs and I do not get along well at all. This certainly hasn't helped.
I've let my dealer know but gonna have to wait longer. No idea yet what the turnaround will be.
[@mention:46056317147395691]: funny you mention the Bose cubes. Yes they sound inferior even to a pair of GBP100 speakers but the bose cubes solve a problem in a way no other satellite speaker comes close to. When it comes to getting consisten surround in a really awkward room, scqueezing AV into a really tiny room, or filling a really massive room with a big sound without a big box or price tag, nothing comes close. I've installed these in churches before because they can fill the hall like a PA system. In my case I got these in 2005 when I had absolutely zero space in a dedicated AV room (Japanese homes). And I keep them now because what you cannot see in that picture is the 2.5m high window that starts on the left of the hifi rack and curves 90 degrees round the back of the sofa for 7m, or the kitchen and dining area out of the shot. When it comes to keeping the AV system seperate from the hifi (which I beleive in) wiithout noticably increasing the speaker box count in the room and coping with a swine of a room shape, the bloated cost of Bose suddenly seems like it is worth every penny.