I absolutely love Phase Technology, they're far and away my favorite speaker brand. They just work for me. I have four vintage pairs and they're all amazing.
I was so caught up in riffing about the PC 1.5's performance that I forgot to mention something very important: Service! Phase Tech has been in business for a long time and are among the few hi-fi companies that can service loudspeakers that were sold many decades ago. I wonder how many other manufacturers will be able to provide replacement parts (drivers, xover components, etc) for their speakers in 4+ decades from now.. Something worth considering.
I gotta say Definitive Technologies sent me replacements for my 2004 BP7000SC just this year free of charge. If you recall I was considering the GE Trinton Ones but felt they would've been to big for my room. So I went with the Buchardt SE S400 instead.
Love my PC1.1 that have delivered awesomely for 10 years and they have outlived two integrated power amps , still to this day sitting in front of them slightly toed in with eyes close you actually can’t pinpoint we’re the sound comes from , and for me that’s impressive .
I enjoyed this video a lot Sean! As always, you tell it like it is and that is what I like and want in a review. If they can’t figure it out after this explanation, they’re close to beyond help. I especially liked the comparison to the Buchardts. Might have misspelled that, but oh well! Good video!👍🏻
I am a custom installer and I personally love their stuff. As no manufacturer makes everything great, but phase PC series and the CI series are great! Also their subwoofers arent the best on the market but the electronics last a LONG time. I have some subs that have been installed for almost 15 years now and they still work great....cant say that for someone like Klipsch as i have replaced dead amps in subs within 5 years. Reliability, Phase has got it!
that is exactly what the new generation needs to know to enjoy all the 60s and 70s without breaking the bank now they realise the mistake of pushing the thousands of dollars hi fi equipment and now young people boys and girls you can enjoy 50 Years of wonderful music with 600 to 700 pounds for the lot with Wonderful sounding system
@@parisstromatias637 It's just a better fit for TH-cam views/subscriptions. The high end crowd is smaller and most are not nessicarily interested in watching reviews online.
It's good to see Phase Tech still using those piston woofers. I have a set of Phase Tech PC 1.1's, which I run with my Klipsch RB-61 II's, both as mains. The Phase Techs are laid back, neutral, and refined. The Klipsch are more forward, dynamic, and lively. The combination of the 2 is one of the best things I've ever heard. Together, they sound big, full, satisfying, and as much like a live performance as any system I've heard. I had to do a little toe-in with the PC 1.1s, as well. Vocals sound like the singer is standing 8 feet in front of you.
Ive had a pair of PC1 originals for 19 years now they are still the best speakers in the room and ive got them with some high end yamahas and some old school realistics powered by a 1000 watt optimus professional series amp its very loud and very accurate on all music and movies I love my setup and so does anyone that hears it Phase Tech is the Shiz:)
thanks so much for what you do man. I regularly watch your channel and appreciate it so much. whenever you say "drop and plop". I always think "plop and play" 🤣. keep up the good work man. thanks for what you do.
❤️❤️❤️ the review especially the breakdown what it comes down to compared to the buchardt s-300 very nice Sean.. I cannot wait to get my buchardt s-300 you're swaying me again LOL
1:50 Note: for even off-axis performance when you stand, you would need a coaxial coincident driver or MTM array... No matter how even evenly the Tweeter diffuses the highs, if you stand up the two Tweeter will sound louder relative to the woofer, and if you sit too low, the woofer will sound louder than the Tweeter. (This is a bigger deal to me than most, and is my most common complaint.) Love the diaphragm material. These look great in black, white, and gray.
Manufactured in the U.S. very cool. Great looking speaker, cool design. Nice looking build quality, like the size of the woofer. Love the double binding posts. Not a bad price tag either!
Kerry how are those tacton Lori speakers I'm planning to get the same ones with the brillium tweeters $1,300 a pair today remind you of the dirty weekend Zoo audio speaker just any information you could share it would really appreciate it
@@stephencosta6814 l have not heard the dirty weekend. But I am happy with the lores sound fantastic. I listen to classic jazz, folk and rock. My son visits he listens to hip hop. And he likes the bass output. Couldn't be happier.
I wonder how that woofer compares to Sony’s APM flat aluminium honeycomb speakers from the 80’s/90’s. I’d love to see a modern version of full APM speakers.
the unpredictable tweeter... hm... the soundstage is interesting. But as you say it's a fussy speaker, so for a small room with not much options it's a risk. At 1.3K, there are many options that would sound as good or even better. Your review is clear and very useful, Sean thank you. No.1 on youtube perhaps for accurate sound description. 2 thumbs up.
KEF LS50...what KEF LS50. My PC1.5's are great speakers. Your review is spot on. You failed to mention however that the PC series prior to the current one used anti diffraction foam around the tweeter. This series doesn't have the foam, but I'm convinced that they are meant to be listened to with the grill covers on to take away the treble glare. You also failed to mention what amplification you used for the review.
Great video once again!! I'd like to know do you do run any room correction software before doing speaker reviews? And if so, what software do you use. Also what have you found to be your most trusted reference system for reviewing speakers?
Foam cork or some rolled up socks work to dampen the alignment of the bass, I am sure you know this for those who cannot have the speaker out from the wall. :)
I am confused. The main difference between pointing the speaker straight into the room vs. toeing it in to the listener's position is that in the former you will get the high-end off axis, whereas in the latter you will get the high-end on-axis. On-axis response will always be stronger than off-axis performance, so how could the speaker sound more "treble happy" with the tweeter playing off-axis?
It must be to do with the phase plug, the phase plug being solid in the center could be blocking the center of the tweeter and having more sound rush out around it, basically reflecting most of the sound sideways and up/down rather then straight out. I would imagine having them face straight at you is also the way the soundstage sounds the biggest where a normal speaker would sound a bit "smaller" that way but more precise imaging.
@@Gary_M my mind went right to the tweeter and the phase plug but your idea is definitely a great theory. I know he said the bass response was fairly strong but I imagine he was referring to them being setup the way he found the best sounding which was toed in so yeah the off axis bass response can be lacking and leads to a energetic treble.
Would it be a waste to literally put these in a bookshelf? I recently added a wall shelving unit to my room, and no longer have room for freestanding speakers. Looking for a good speaker setup that fits within the confines of the shelves.
I have black speakers, and I find this video offensive! 😂😂😂 just kidding. Another great review Sean. Always look forward to watching any new reviews you put forward. Keep up the good work! 🙂
I'm curious about this phase coherence. My JBL A130 sound better with polarity flipped yet getting anyone else onboard has been a chore. Do you think the speakers in this video would also have a right and wrong orientation?
What about PHASE????? I think phase has to be their strong point...it's even part of their name. The tilted back front is for the purpose of correcting the phase difference between the woofer and tweeter. With a vertical cabinet front, the sound from the tweeter will get to your ears before the sound from the woofer. As a result, sounds from both at the crossover point will cancel each other. That is unlikely to happen with these speakers because of the tilting of the front of the cabinet because the woofer is closer to your ears. This compensates for the tweeter delivering the sound first.
Totem Sky = More forward and lively. The imaging is more holographic and the overall presentation is quicker, thinner, brighter, and more dynamic. The Phase techs are smoother, more laid back, and more balanced sounding. The upper midrange is fuller and the bass is stronger/thicker, albeit not as fast. Total different presentation. Your preference will boil down to taste.
Good affordable USA Made electronics that would mate well with these are made by both Schiit Audio & Emotiva. All Schiit products are Made in the USA with mostly USA parts, and Emotiva is always working on making more of it’s products in the USA with parts as necessary. Here is a nice amp companion for these speakers & or the Magnapan LRS : www.schiit.com/products/vidar : www.magnepan.com/model_LRS ::: www.schiit.com ::: emotiva.com
Re: the beginning of the comparison. D4mn it! Now I have Styx: Great White Hope stuck in my head. Could be worse, Beiber could be stuck there. Please, not that!!!
From your description the Buchardt seems to have the faster tweeter and woofer, yet you say the PC1.5 is more detailed speakers, how is that ? is it because they are less warm speakers ?
@@NiSHAN256 They aren't. You can have a super fast tweeter that is padded down 6db too low and you end up with a less detailed sounding speaker with a fast leading edge to transients. Great transients but hard to hear the detail and trailing decay.
Tweeter phase caps have been used for decades my many, many manufacturers. They are not marketing gimmicks since very few manufacturers even mention it because it is so common. What exactly is your problem with them?
My take away from the review was the opposite. Sounds like the phase cap disperses the highs very well and the woofer is sort of directional being flat.
Alexander Jellison if it’s pistonic then the woofer will have very wide dispersion at all frequencies. The tweeter being in a small waveguide may be slightly directional at higher frequencies.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt you sure about that...! that sounds ridiculous, that's more about the wire than the binding posts, why does it need to be stated five for...? All binding posts can do this well modern ones that is
@@johnsweda2999 40 years in the business tells me I'm sure. Most but not all binding posts are 5 way. Some do not accept banana plugs at all and or are spec'd for Europe where the spacing is such as to not accept dual banana plugs. I have amplifiers with binding posts that can't accept banana plugs or bare wire (no holes) as well.
Good to see you giving some "air time" to a U.S. manufacturer that has managed to exist all this time.
I absolutely love Phase Technology, they're far and away my favorite speaker brand. They just work for me. I have four vintage pairs and they're all amazing.
I was so caught up in riffing about the PC 1.5's performance that I forgot to mention something very important: Service! Phase Tech has been in business for a long time and are among the few hi-fi companies that can service loudspeakers that were sold many decades ago. I wonder how many other manufacturers will be able to provide replacement parts (drivers, xover components, etc) for their speakers in 4+ decades from now.. Something worth considering.
I gotta say Definitive Technologies sent me replacements for my 2004 BP7000SC just this year free of charge. If you recall I was considering the GE Trinton Ones but felt they would've been to big for my room. So I went with the Buchardt SE S400 instead.
ditto that I ordered replacement drivers, same tech as these, for a set of 1985 PC60's
Love my PC1.1 that have delivered awesomely for 10 years and they have outlived two integrated power amps , still to this day sitting in front of them slightly toed in with eyes close you actually can’t pinpoint we’re the sound comes from , and for me that’s impressive .
I enjoyed this video a lot Sean! As always, you tell it like it is and that is what I like and want in a review. If they can’t figure it out after this explanation, they’re close to beyond help. I especially liked the comparison to the Buchardts. Might have misspelled that, but oh well! Good video!👍🏻
I am a custom installer and I personally love their stuff. As no manufacturer makes everything great, but phase PC series and the CI series are great! Also their subwoofers arent the best on the market but the electronics last a LONG time. I have some subs that have been installed for almost 15 years now and they still work great....cant say that for someone like Klipsch as i have replaced dead amps in subs within 5 years. Reliability, Phase has got it!
This affordable stuff is a nice fit for you and the channel. Nice to see all the new content coming.
that is exactly what the new generation needs to know to enjoy all the 60s and 70s without breaking the bank now they realise the mistake of pushing the thousands of dollars hi fi equipment and now young people boys and girls you can enjoy 50 Years of wonderful music with 600 to 700 pounds for the lot with Wonderful sounding system
@@parisstromatias637 It's just a better fit for TH-cam views/subscriptions. The high end crowd is smaller and most are not nessicarily interested in watching reviews online.
Very cool another good quality made in the USA product. Keep em coming Sean !
It's good to see Phase Tech still using those piston woofers. I have a set of Phase Tech PC 1.1's, which I run with my Klipsch RB-61 II's, both as mains. The Phase Techs are laid back, neutral, and refined. The Klipsch are more forward, dynamic, and lively. The combination of the 2 is one of the best things I've ever heard. Together, they sound big, full, satisfying, and as much like a live performance as any system I've heard. I had to do a little toe-in with the PC 1.1s, as well. Vocals sound like the singer is standing 8 feet in front of you.
I see a pair of phase 1.1 for sale for $150 in good condition. Do you think it's worth picking up?
@@johnnguyen6026 $150 is a steal if they're in decent shape.
Hi Sean. So nice to see another review from you 👍
My first high end speakers were Phase Tech PC 60’s. Great speakers!
That's a great way to enter the hobby!
That was 1990!,
It would be interesting to compare those to my old Spica TC-50'S.
Nice review as always, Phase Tec is a solid company to buy from they have been around since 1955.
Damn, I've been around since 1955 as well. Maybe I should give them a listen.
Ive had a pair of PC1 originals for 19 years now they are still the best speakers in the room and ive got them with some high end yamahas and some old school realistics powered by a 1000 watt optimus professional series amp its very loud and very accurate on all music and movies I love my setup and so does anyone that hears it Phase Tech is the Shiz:)
I love my PC 1.5’s! Great review Sean!
Thanks again, for the info, Sean. Greetings from Mexico.
Good review man! Love these outlier brand reviews also.
thanks so much for what you do man. I regularly watch your channel and appreciate it so much. whenever you say "drop and plop". I always think "plop and play" 🤣. keep up the good work man. thanks for what you do.
❤️❤️❤️ the review especially the breakdown what it comes down to compared to the buchardt s-300 very nice Sean.. I cannot wait to get my buchardt s-300 you're swaying me again LOL
You can't go wrong with the S300's! They make all music sound wonderful regardless of genre.
1:50 Note: for even off-axis performance when you stand, you would need a coaxial coincident driver or MTM array... No matter how even evenly the Tweeter diffuses the highs, if you stand up the two Tweeter will sound louder relative to the woofer, and if you sit too low, the woofer will sound louder than the Tweeter.
(This is a bigger deal to me than most, and is my most common complaint.)
Love the diaphragm material. These look great in black, white, and gray.
Great job on the review Sean !
Love Phase Tech!
Manufactured in the U.S. very cool. Great looking speaker, cool design. Nice looking build quality, like the size of the woofer. Love the double binding posts. Not a bad price tag either!
Thanks for great review. I have my computer running through Tekton lores and separates sounds amazing.
Kerry how are those tacton Lori speakers I'm planning to get the same ones with the brillium tweeters $1,300 a pair today remind you of the dirty weekend Zoo audio speaker just any information you could share it would really appreciate it
@@stephencosta6814 l have not heard the dirty weekend. But I am happy with the lores sound fantastic. I listen to classic jazz, folk and rock. My son visits he listens to hip hop. And he likes the bass output. Couldn't be happier.
@@kerryb7893 How did you choose the lore specifically? Did Eric give a lot of feedback and advice on the phone?
@@paulgolub6823 yes he was great to work with.
just noticed your seiko skx. nice going ;)
I wonder how that woofer compares to Sony’s APM flat aluminium honeycomb speakers from the 80’s/90’s. I’d love to see a modern version of full APM speakers.
the unpredictable tweeter... hm... the soundstage is interesting. But as you say it's a fussy speaker, so for a small room with not much options it's a risk. At 1.3K, there are many options that would sound as good or even better. Your review is clear and very useful, Sean thank you. No.1 on youtube perhaps for accurate sound description. 2 thumbs up.
How's the high end, transient response? Drops off? Extended? Tizzy like titanium?...
These have to be great for home theatre
KEF LS50...what KEF LS50. My PC1.5's are great speakers. Your review is spot on. You failed to mention however that the PC series prior to the current one used anti diffraction foam around the tweeter. This series doesn't have the foam, but I'm convinced that they are meant to be listened to with the grill covers on to take away the treble glare. You also failed to mention what amplification you used for the review.
Dennis Thomas I prefer my PC 1.5’s over my LS50’s as well!
Great video once again!! I'd like to know do you do run any room correction software before doing speaker reviews? And if so, what software do you use. Also what have you found to be your most trusted reference system for reviewing speakers?
Room correction should never be used in a speaker review unless you're reviewing room correction.
Young people you are lucky you can have wonderful fantastic sound for 600 to 700 pounds amplifier cd player and speakers and enjoy the magic of music
Foam cork or some rolled up socks work to dampen the alignment of the bass, I am sure you know this for those who cannot have the speaker out from the wall. :)
I am confused. The main difference between pointing the speaker straight into the room vs. toeing it in to the listener's position is that in the former you will get the high-end off axis, whereas in the latter you will get the high-end on-axis. On-axis response will always be stronger than off-axis performance, so how could the speaker sound more "treble happy" with the tweeter playing off-axis?
It must be to do with the phase plug, the phase plug being solid in the center could be blocking the center of the tweeter and having more sound rush out around it, basically reflecting most of the sound sideways and up/down rather then straight out. I would imagine having them face straight at you is also the way the soundstage sounds the biggest where a normal speaker would sound a bit "smaller" that way but more precise imaging.
Could be that it's not that the treble is elevated, but the bass is diminished off axis, and toeing them in brings it into balance.
@@Gary_M my mind went right to the tweeter and the phase plug but your idea is definitely a great theory. I know he said the bass response was fairly strong but I imagine he was referring to them being setup the way he found the best sounding which was toed in so yeah the off axis bass response can be lacking and leads to a energetic treble.
Would it be a waste to literally put these in a bookshelf? I recently added a wall shelving unit to my room, and no longer have room for freestanding speakers. Looking for a good speaker setup that fits within the confines of the shelves.
I have black speakers, and I find this video offensive! 😂😂😂 just kidding. Another great review Sean. Always look forward to watching any new reviews you put forward. Keep up the good work! 🙂
I wonder how they would compare to Wilson Audio Tune tots
i just bought a pair of taetro 4.5 by phase tech for 25 USD lol these are 1k+?
Time alignment tlting only works if the loudspeaker is using a first-order crossover design.
Laurentz Duba These do. They’re also phase coherent
I'm curious about this phase coherence. My JBL A130 sound better with polarity flipped yet getting anyone else onboard has been a chore. Do you think the speakers in this video would also have a right and wrong orientation?
I heard the rumors, but now it's confirmed: Sean measures time in years pre-Beiber and post-Beiber.🌈🤔
How do the Totem Sky's compare?
My eyes tell my brain tilted speakers aren't right.
What about PHASE????? I think phase has to be their strong point...it's even part of their name. The tilted back front is for the purpose of correcting the phase difference between the woofer and tweeter. With a vertical cabinet front, the sound from the tweeter will get to your ears before the sound from the woofer. As a result, sounds from both at the crossover point will cancel each other. That is unlikely to happen with these speakers because of the tilting of the front of the cabinet because the woofer is closer to your ears. This compensates for the tweeter delivering the sound first.
They're tilted such that they can sit on the floor to prevent furniture resonance and save money for quality stands. Great design!
Hey, what’s the song at 3:30?
Hi, How would I go about connecting these to my PC?
Emotiva has a very nice affordable USA Made amp option. You could all look at Schiit Audio. emotiva.com www.schiit.com/
You need to do measurements on speakers for your reviews.
Nope. Will leave that to Stereophile and the others who do this for a living.
How do they compare to the Totem Sky?
Totem Sky = More forward and lively. The imaging is more holographic and the overall presentation is quicker, thinner, brighter, and more dynamic. The Phase techs are smoother, more laid back, and more balanced sounding. The upper midrange is fuller and the bass is stronger/thicker, albeit not as fast. Total different presentation. Your preference will boil down to taste.
Good affordable USA Made electronics that would mate well with these are made by both Schiit Audio & Emotiva. All Schiit products are Made in the USA with mostly USA parts, and Emotiva is always working on making more of it’s products in the USA with parts as necessary. Here is a nice amp companion for these speakers & or the Magnapan LRS : www.schiit.com/products/vidar : www.magnepan.com/model_LRS ::: www.schiit.com ::: emotiva.com
Re: the beginning of the comparison.
D4mn it! Now I have Styx: Great White Hope stuck in my head.
Could be worse, Beiber could be stuck there. Please, not that!!!
From your description the Buchardt seems to have the faster tweeter and woofer, yet you say the PC1.5 is more detailed speakers, how is that ? is it because they are less warm speakers ?
Detail and speed aren't necessarily related.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt I think they are related.
@@NiSHAN256 They aren't. You can have a super fast tweeter that is padded down 6db too low and you end up with a less detailed sounding speaker with a fast leading edge to transients. Great transients but hard to hear the detail and trailing decay.
so yeah
RSL should be worried..
So, the tweeter phase cap isn’t effective at all if this speakers need to toe-in to sound balance. Another marketing gimmick?
Tweeter phase caps have been used for decades my many, many manufacturers. They are not marketing gimmicks since very few manufacturers even mention it because it is so common. What exactly is your problem with them?
My take away from the review was the opposite. Sounds like the phase cap disperses the highs very well and the woofer is sort of directional being flat.
Alexander Jellison if it’s pistonic then the woofer will have very wide dispersion at all frequencies. The tweeter being in a small waveguide may be slightly directional at higher frequencies.
Star Trek Zero: The Trouble with Treble
You mean 4 way binding post not 5
Why only 4 way? Is the spacing incompatible with dual banana?
Not sure I understand you! should be 4 binding posts not 5? I don't know about spacing I'm sure they work that Out
@@johnsweda2999 No, they are called 5 way binding posts.
1. Bare Wire
2. Spades
3. Pins
4. Banana Plugs
5. Dual Banana Plugs
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt you sure about that...! that sounds ridiculous, that's more about the wire than the binding posts, why does it need to be stated five for...? All binding posts can do this well modern ones that is
@@johnsweda2999 40 years in the business tells me I'm sure. Most but not all binding posts are 5 way. Some do not accept banana plugs at all and or are spec'd for Europe where the spacing is such as to not accept dual banana plugs.
I have amplifiers with binding posts that can't accept banana plugs or bare wire (no holes) as well.
Made in the USA!
*made in the USA sold in China!
Mate please, no pandering to race politics. It's OK to be white.
Justin Beiber as a Historic touchstone? AAACKKK!
Just as historic as Liberace and Wierd Al.
@@Audfile OK then...😜
All i can say is Ugly, ugly, ugly.
The way you desribe them sounds more like a 300 dollar speaker.
Justin Bieber?
It’s ok to be white.