Home set up advice needed: Uniti Star + PMC and some more hifi questions...

The Star can power a sub with the preouts it has. The Star will be better then the Atom for powering whatever speakers you choose, I use Dynaudio Focus 260s and the Star powers them very well. The PMC sound will be very different from what you currently own, it will have a richer/warmer sound. You’ll have to determine if that sound is what you’re after. Personally I like PMC more then the Focal 700 series. I think that could be a very nice upgrade especially if music is your preferred entertainment. BTW I’d go 23s over 22s.

Choice of speakers always depends on the room.  In some rooms the PMC 22s (or 21s) will sound much better than the 23s.

Can't comment on Focal, but I use PMC 20 24 after auditioning the other PMC's you mentioned. If you like an exciting sound that has you on the edge of your seat the 23 will do that. I thought that sound might be fatiguing over time. My original system; LP12, Arcam CD73, NAC122, NAP 152 (I think that's correct numbers, bottom of the range separates), 20 year old Linn Kans later upgraded to PMC 20 24. Apart from the 24's other good large speakers sounded at best no better than Kan's with bass! Recent upgrade auditioning power supplies with existing system + new Naim cd player as the Arcam's playing up sounded very positive but still missing that something. Tried Star and Nova with my 24's, both far to bright for my wife and my taste, we go to quite a lot of live music events, both miked and un-miked and need a sound that gets us close to that. Eventually went for existing LP12, Uniti Core, NAC 272, existing 152 and existing 24's, that was just before an ex demo 250DR came available, are dealer demo convinced us to upgrade the power amp as well. Hope my experience helps but as always take you and your partner for a demo and believe your own ears, above all take your time. One man's music is another's falling scaffolding.

Of all components speakers have the most influence over the character of the sound younhear - yes, influenced by the room, but still tgat character is significant. Only you can decide whether you prefer the character of the PMCs over the Focals. If you do, then the choice of model that best suits you and your room depends on the room, and also on how you like your sound.

Cheers guys. What is the difference between PMC twenty and twenty5?

In terms of sound I went to demo the Atom and Star at a dealer's shop the other day and he connected them to a pair of PMC twenty5 22. I have to say that they sounded really nice to me. If that is what people call exciting sound then that is the one that I like. Compared to their crispness my Focals sound rather muffled.

In respect to the Star, have all the niggles and issues been resolved? I have read quite a few threads on this forum, each mentioning a different issue.

iliria posted:

Cheers guys. What is the difference between PMC twenty and twenty5?

I think the answer is that the 25 is a refinement of the 20. The drivers are different (possibly just tweaked rather than a complete redesign), and they claim an improvement to airfow at the transmission line vent. IIRC people have said that in some systems/rooms the 20 series tweeter could sound harsh, but that I don’t recall that said of the 25 series.

Innocent Bystander posted:

iliria posted:

Cheers guys. What is the difference between PMC twenty and twenty5?

I think the answer is that the 25 is a refinement of the 20. The drivers are different (possibly just tweaked rather than a complete redesign), and they claim an improvement to airfow at the transmission line vent. IIRC people have said that in some systems/rooms the 20 series tweeter could sound harsh, but that I don’t recall that said of the 25 series.

The changes between twenty.23 and twenty5.23 are as said here a set of refinements. It’s the same tweeter as in the twenty, but with a revised grille which is designed to improve dispersion. There is a completely new glass-fibre mid-bass unit. The transmission libeppne vent is re-engineered,. And the cabinet has been redesigned slightly an improved bracing. There is a twenty5 brochure on the PMC site which describes the changes. I use them on the end of a Nova and think they sound great.

iliria posted:

Cheers guys. What is the difference between PMC twenty and twenty5?

In terms of sound I went to demo the Atom and Star at a dealer's shop the other day and he connected them to a pair of PMC twenty5 22. I have to say that they sounded really nice to me. If that is what people call exciting sound then that is the one that I like. Compared to their crispness my Focals sound rather muffled.

In respect to the Star, have all the niggles and issues been resolved? I have read quite a few threads on this forum, each mentioning a different issue.

Regarding the Star I personally have not had 1 issue in the 5+ months I’ve owned it.