Phase Technologies PC-1.5 Manual de usuario

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 sur-

round made of Unicell acoustic

treatment, which eliminates dif-

fraction and its variety of image-

smearing effects.

Both the PC 3.1II center chan-

nel and the PC 6.1S on-wall model

use the same 6.5-inch RPF mid-

bass driver and 1-inch variable-

axis 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 addi-

tional 1.5-inch tweeter. The tweet-

ers 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 compensa-

tion 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 1-

inch 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 polypropyl-

ene) 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, siz-

able 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 nor-

mally 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 con-

ﬁnes. I realized that I wanted to

hear more. The PC 1.1II book-

shelf speaker isn’t tiny by any

stretch, but it’s entirely room-

friendly 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

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 con-

sistent sound, setup couldn’t be

much easier. I started my listen-

ing tests with the PC Sub and two

PC 1.1IIs, backed by a solid, mid-

priced 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 neces-

sary 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 cross-

over 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 ﬁrst-

rate. 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 off-

axis 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 compo-

sure while doing so is, and the

Phase Techs did exactly that, espe-

cially 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 ques-

tions for a sub/sat system are, does

it have the accuracy and tonal bal-

ance 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.

20 Frequency 100 500 1k Hz 5k 10k 20k

dB spl

Deg 0.20

0.15

0.10

0.05

-0.00

-0.05

-0.10

-0.15

-0.20

< Magnitude > Sound Pressure Level < Phase >

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

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 compres-

sion 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 pas-

sages. 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 environ-

ment. The center channel is the

Achilles heel of many sub/sat sys-

tems, 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 cen-

ters, but that convenience comes

at an audible price.

The adjustable tweeter allows

the PC 6.1S to fill its ambient-

surround-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 hard-

pressed 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 ®

For more information about reprints from Home Theater, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877-652-5295

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