Originally posted by BamaPT
Unfortunately I was only able to make it to two dealers in and around the Chicago area, neither of which had the V8's
The dealers I can find always seem to have the 'other' line of speakers than the ones I'm looking at.

BamaPT,
That really sucks! I have been in similar positions in the past!

Originally posted by Oz-E
Unfortunately after calling phase tech their is not a single dealer within Canada (i knew there was a reason I hated this place)
Onecall apparently ships but doesn't stock the V series and Im a little worried about the warranty side after the post I read earlier.

Oz-E and BamaPT,

I suggest you send me a PM if you want to purchase (Oz-E) or demo (BamaPT), the Velocitys. I can give you the contact info for the Director of marketing for Phase Tech. He has told me to have anyone contact him who is having trouble demoing or finding the Velocity line.

For you BamaPT,
I know he can get some V-8s to a dealer so you can demo them, or maybe even a 30 day trial.

For Oz-E,
I bet he can get some Velocitys to OneCall so they can send some to you in Canada. Not sure, but he sounds like he would try to make it happen! He has bent over backwards for me! You can also ask him about the warranty through OneCall!

Best Regards,
Patrick

avaholic. Thanks mate. Appreciate it.

I wont be ready to buy for another 3-4 weeks so I wont waste his or your time. But I have your nick written down and Ill send you off a PM when im ready. See if we can work something out.

My second option would be to have them shipped to someone within the USA then have them ship them too me. Not the cheapest but if its worth it I might go that route.

Cheers

EDIT: Im going to listen to some maggies this weekend also. So im not 100% sold yet...

Oz-E,

I'm afraid that this post is going to sound like a commerical because I am a dealer and for what I am suggesting. My apologies in advance if anyone is bothered by it. Please let me know and I will remove or edit the post if others are put off by it.

Give me a shout if you decide to pull the trigger on Phase Tech. On demo pieces, I usually offer a 14-30 day money back guarantee period less shipping charges. It varies depending on the situation and customer location. I currently have a few pieces in this sutation and I'm waiting for customers to decide one way or the other. I ship across the border all the time, as I am a transplanted Canuck.

As for everyone else, if there are enough people interested and Phase Tech will approve it, I am willing to setup an in home audition tour by shipping from interested party to interested party a pair of phase techs so that they can evaluate them in their own home for 14 days or so....

Re: Energy C series speakers

Before relocating down here to North Carolina, I had an Energy dealer close by where I lived. I'd heard the C series extensively back when it was first introduced. I bought a pair of Energy C-2s a few years ago to try out. After breakin, they lasted less than a month before I sold them. They were surprisingly good for the money, but they were too bright for me, even with tubes driving them.


BamaPT,

I'm sorry to hear of your demo experience (or should I say lack of demo experience?). Unfortunately, that's the reality of some dealers. I'd love to have a single piece of everything I sell on display. But it's just not possible to stock everything, especially the more exotic stuff. As it stands now, I've got waaaay too many speakers for my demo rooms, but I was doing it to provide as much variety as I could. For example, right now I have the following on display:

Von Schweikert VR-1s, LCR-15s, VR-2s, VR-4jrs and TS-150s for surround duty

Usher Audio X-719 & X-718 bookshelf speakers, and X-616 center channel

Phase Tech Velocity V-12, V-6 center, and V-Surrounds
Phase Tech Premier Collection 3.1MKIIs

Trust me, that is a ton of speakers for two demo rooms! It's a pain trying to store them all! I made a conscious decision to bring in the V-12s rather than V-10s or V-8s because I thought that would be the predominant choice by potential customers.

If I can help anyone out with their Phase Tech purchase decision, either by speaking with Phase Tech for you to get you a demo, or offering any of my services, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm not going to infringe on another dealer's territory. And I'm certainly NOT trying to use this message to make sales for myself, despite how I'm sure it looks. I'm just trying to make sure that no one rules out Phase Tech just because they can't get a demo of the porduct they are interested in. I don't want anyone to settle for another speaker until they've heard the great sound and value that Phase Tech provides.

For all of you Phase Tech. owners and would be Phase Tech. owners, I have extremely good news.

Phase Technologys 10 year warranty IS transferable! When I owned the Teatro line, I could have swore the paperwork stated that it was not. So, since I may be selling my V-12s in-lew of some V-8s (now that I'm using a sub for all low freq. under 80Hz), I decided to ask Mark at Phase Tech. if the warranty on the Velocitys is transferable.

Here was his email reply to me:
Patrick,

Transferring your warranty is perfectly okay with us. The speakers are warranted for 10 years no matter who owns them. Hope all has been good for you. Have a great weekend.

Cheers,

Mark J. Stephenson

I don't know if it applies to the PC series, but I assume so!

To me this is a VERY significant selling point! And to my knowledge is completely unheard of for a speaker in this price range (much less any price range) to have a 10 Year Transferable Warranty!

Kudos to Phase Technology for completely standing behind thier product!

Have a great weekend all!
Best Regards,
Patrick

Thanks Shane. So you own witch PT's ? The V-12's or PC series?
V12's, V6, V-Surrounds and V4's. A total of 7.

The sub will be an SVS but it's not in yet.

Shane,

Have you tried using the V4's as mains?

Dennis

What were the 1.1's being driven with?

Sorry Thomd73, I am new to this and didn't even think to check and see what they were driving them with. I am thinking maybe it might have been a Rotel amp.

I suggest you send me a PM if you want to purchase (Oz-E) or demo (BamaPT), the Velocities

Patrick,
You have a PM
Thanks,
BamaPT

Have you tried using the V4's as mains?
I do not have stands to make this work. I would try them out for someone if I could.

I just finished reading this entire thread and I must say I am completely interested in Phase Tech. I live in Knoxville, TN and it looks like I will not be able to demo these in store. Anyone have a suggestion?

One of my local stores (NOW Audio Video) was just bought by Tweeter and they will be a Tweeter store in 2 months officially. Does Tweeter usually carry Phase Tech?

Call them ((1-888-PHASE TK (888-742-7385) 9:00 am and 4:30)) or email them mark j stephenson [mstephenson@unitedspeaker.com]. They will respond.
I have had good luck with Phase Tech. I have a Teatro 5.1 System 2 (7.5s) 3 (6.5s) and a Power 12 sub.
The PC 9.1s are great on the second system. 2 (9.1s) 1 (3.1) 2 (1.1s)
Buying a sub elsewhere tho, for the PC system, SVS (may be a bit large) may use a B&W ASW750. still checking (HSU is also a bit to big)
pm Eastern time.

Bob

Originally posted by Greendale
I just finished reading this entire thread and I must say I am completely interested in Phase Tech

Kudos Greedale! That's quite a long read!

Definately email Mark Stephenson as bbrunst suggests. He's a great guy and has bent over backwards for me. He has told me in the past that he would do his best to get people a demo of Phase Tech. speakers!

Good Luck!

Best Regards,
Patrick

Originally posted by Greendale
I just finished reading this entire thread and I must say I am completely interested in Phase Tech. I live in Knoxville, TN and it looks like I will not be able to demo these in store. Anyone have a suggestion?

One of my local stores (NOW Audio Video) was just bought by Tweeter and they will be a Tweeter store in 2 months officially. Does Tweeter usually carry Phase Tech?

According to the phase tech site, your nearest dealer is in Johnson City, which is ~100 miles away. I'm not sure how accurate or up to date the phase tech dealer site is though (they still haven't listed me yet as an authorized dealer, despite promising for months that they were going to do it).

Which lines are you interested in? The Teatro? Velocity? Premier Collection? For the cost of shipping, I can help you out with a demo if you can't work something out with the closest dealer to you or with Phase Tech themselves. My apologies for sounding like a commercial. I just want to make sure you get a chance to listen to some Phase Techs before settling on another brand....Definitely give Phase Tech a call though to see what they can do for you.

I got my Velocity series in the other day and am now considering keeping both the Velocity and the Teatro up for demo, but are there really enough people who would need to choose between one or the other, since they are so close in price? I would rather have the Velocity and Premier than Velocity and Teatro for a showroom.

A person in this thread was mentioning he wanted to hear the Velocity in California and I now have them - a 7.1 system.

Originally posted by hometheaterdoc
According to the phase tech site, your nearest dealer is in Johnson City, which is ~100 miles away. I'm not sure how accurate or up to date the phase tech dealer site is though (they still haven't listed me yet as an authorized dealer, despite promising for months that they were going to do it).

Which lines are you interested in? The Teatro? Velocity? Premier Collection? For the cost of shipping, I can help you out with a demo if you can't work something out with the closest dealer to you or with Phase Tech themselves. My apologies for sounding like a commercial. I just want to make sure you get a chance to listen to some Phase Techs before settling on another brand....Definitely give Phase Tech a call though to see what they can do for you.

I am interested in the V-10 System. I am trying to finish the pre-wiring in my new HT by tomorrow due to the drywall going up on Wednesday. I am really impressed by the comments on this thread. One question about Phase Tech speakers is, if I was to wire for 7.1 which two PT speakers could I use for the rear centers? I would probably mount them on the ceiling or in-ceiling. Thanks!

For in ceiling speakers, you would be using their custom installer series. You could also go inwall on the rear wall if you don't have room for a surface mount.

Originally posted by Mr.Poindexter
For in ceiling speakers, you would be using their custom installer series. You could also go inwall on the rear wall if you don't have room for a surface mount.

Thanks. Is mounting the center 7.1 rears on the wall at 11' away too far?

Not at all. Just set the distance at 11' away in your processor so that it can set the delay properly.

Wow, I have a lot to learn it seems!

Now I have to ask the flipside. Is ceiling mount ok if I opt for that? If so, how far back?

I almost sold my Phase Tech V-12s a month or two ago for the smaller V-8, but changed my mind at the last minute.

Since then I have heard the Phase Tech PC 3.1 II speakers (hometheaterdoc peaked my interest, damn this forum :D ), and thought the imaging was better than the V-12s (which I didn't think was possible is this price range). The PC 3.1 II may not be as detailed as the V-12s, but I think I'm going to upgade anyway. Mainly because of the perceived better imaging of the PC 3.1 II and the fact that they are "bookshelf" speakers which the wife and I prefer!

Wow that makes the last 3 sets of speakers I've owned have been Phase Tech. First the Teatro, followed by Velocity (actually I'm still keeping the V-surrounds), and now the PC series. All sound great to my ears, but each with a slightly different sound. Though they all have a huge 3-dimensional soundstage, great imaging, and silky smooth detail!

One thing I noticed is that the PC 3.1 II did not sound compressed at all when played at loud levels like the PC 9.1s I demoed in the past. However, I was crossing the PC 3.1 IIs over at 80Hz with a sub. When I demoed the PC 9.1s they were running full range.

Anyway, I know there have been ALOT of interested people in the Phase Tech. Velocity speakers, so I thought I'd post that I have a pair of V-12s and a V-6 up for sale over at Audiogon that are only 5 months old and in perfect condition.

Here's the LINK (http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?spkrfull&1091944693&item)

Best Regards,
Patrick

Phase Tech V8's vs V4's for two channel music.

Time to get this thread going again.

I bought a pair of JM LAB Chorus 706s to replace a pair of 7.5vdt's in Rosewood that were not wife friendly. Why did I switch brands, because Phase tech does not have a dealer worth @#$% in NJ anymore. The dealer i bought the 7.5's from no longer displays Phase Tech and only sells thru custom installation jobs.

Anyway, the JM Labs suck and I really miss the PT's.

What are your impressions on the V8's vs V4's for music purposes. I read all of the online reviews and want to know what you guys think.

Thanks
Dennis

What are your impressions on the V8's vs V4's for music purposes. I read all of the online reviews and want to know what you guys think.
I have not heard the V8's but the V4's I have are very nice for 2 channel. I would think the V8's are that much better but I could be wrong.

Hi Thomd73,

Did you already get rid of your 7.5VDTs? If you're interested, I will have a pair of Teatro 6.5s available as soon as I pick up my new V-12s from Patrick this weekend. But something tells me you want to go back to PT Towers.....




-Dom

No Thanks. I think I'm set on getting something from the Velocity line myself.

Dennis

Originally posted by Thomd73
Phase Tech V8's vs V4's for two channel music.

What are your impressions on the V8's vs V4's for music purposes. I read all of the online reviews and want to know what you guys think.

Thanks
Dennis

Dennis,

I have not heard the V-4s myself, but the reviewer at Secrets thought they were very good. Here's the Review (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_2/phase-tech-velocity-speakers-4-2004.html). Read near the end and you will find his comments on the V-4s for 2-channel listening!

Good Luck!

Hey Dom,

Good to see you on the board! Look forward to meeting you on Saturday!

Best Regards,
Patrick

Hi Patrick,

Looking forward to meeting you on Saturday also. I can't wait to hear the V-12s!



-Dom

This forum really needs a warning label: caution reading these threads may result in dramatic drops in your bank account.

I've been demoing speakers all week - all the usual suspects. Honestly I had decided that the Athenas not only were the best value, but the best sound to my ear. I am still listening around to see if anything not too much more expensive could provide that gee-whiz oh-my-God you've gotta hear this experience.

Today was Phase Tech and KEF day with a trip over to Jerry's here in Phoenix. (by the way undoubtedly the finest hi-fi shop I've been in in years - fantastic customer service) Anyway, on to the demo.

V 12's vs Q7's was the order of the day. Steely Dan and Liz Phair the subjects.

The V12's just killed the Liz Phair - she sounded spotless, the guitars sang and the room was just full of sound.

The Q7's were clueless on the same material. Her voice especially gave them trouble becoming shrill and just not comfortable to listen to.

Then the Steely Dan - and wouldn't you know it we get the opposite effect.

The V12's struggle to produce horns (trombones in this case) without ringing while the bass sounds "soft".

The Q7's just soar on the piece - horns nice and full, bass precise, lead guitar blended in perfectly as an accent.

So, shoulders slumped, I was ready to leave when I mentioned off-hand that one of the guys on the forum had replaced his V12s with PC3.1's. The salesman smiled and said yeah, those are impressive - want to listen?

Which is where I should have said, nah. But I didn't. A little setup later the 3.1's are hooked up to the same electronics and blamo! It's like Becker and Fagan are there in the room with us jamming. Everything so clean, but without being harsh. I'm enjoying that wow moment when I remember Liz Phair. We put it on and bam -right between the eyes. These speakers just killed on both and created such an amazingly broad stage.

Which of course led to my leaving with a quote in hand for a pair of PC3.1's, a PC 33.1 center and V-surrounds in back. Yeah, that's going to be a little more than the Athenas.

Two quick questions: 1. Will an H/K 220 be able to drive the PC's? (45x5) They are rated as 6 ohm (3.1's) and 4 ohm (33.1) speakers.

2. Stands - I'm concerned about how much different stands will change the sound and what stands to use?

Originally posted by Blazyr
Which of course led to my leaving with a quote in hand for a pair of PC3.1's, a PC 33.1 center and V-surrounds in back. Yeah, that's going to be a little more than the Athenas.

Two quick questions: 1. Will an H/K 220 be able to drive the PC's? (45x5) They are rated as 6 ohm (3.1's) and 4 ohm (33.1) speakers.

2. Stands - I'm concerned about how much different stands will change the sound and what stands to use?

I like all three across the front to be 3.1 MKIIs.... make the dealer give you a 3.1MKII at a discount for the center :)

How loud do you want to listen? How big is your room?? The 3.1s aren't as efficient as the V series. They're not INefficient and they are a fairly easy load, but if you want big dynamics in a large room played at high volume, I'm not so sure 45watts will be adequate to give you the power reserves for those peaks... although H/K receivers are a LOT more stout than other brands....

You can use just about anything for stands. Check out the high mass metal stands at Parts Express. For ~$100 they are very good and I've used them here with the 3.1 MKII's to good effect. The column cavity can be filled with play sand or lead shot. I would recommend using something between the speakers and stand plate to keep them from marring the finish on the 3.1s. Lovan USA makes some very good stands, some of which are on closeout right now at their factory outlet on their webpage.

Blayzr,

Which Steely Dan disc did you use for reference? I really like their compilation album "Showbiz Kids, the Steely Dan story". It has all of my favorites on 2 cds. Have you checked out their DVD Aja? It gives a little background for every song on the album. Very cool stuff.

-Dom

Just spent the last 3 hours listening to my new V-12s courtesy of avaholic, and I must say that after driving for 5 hours and 240 miles to pick them up... these speakers rock! Listened to everything from Steely Dan to Tito Puente to Bach and back. Smooth highs, very open soundstage and very dynamic speakers. Midrange has more punch and oomph than the Teatro 6.5s, a huge improvement that I was looking for. Bass was suprisingly strong and very musical. When coupled with my sub, they overpowered the sub and the sound became too boomy. Following how avaholic had them previously set up I set the V-12s to small and crossed them over at 80Hz, problem solved. Now to watch some movies and see how these puppies do.


BTW thank you to all that have contributed to this thread and especially to Patrick (avaholic) for giving me the opportunity to own this awesome pair of speakers. Good luck to you and your new set of 3.1IIs.... I know you'll love them as much as I love my V-12s! And Thomd73, give these a listen, you will not be disappointed!



-Dom

Dom,

Glad to hear you are enjoying the the V-12s! They are definately the complete package! I'm sure you'll be happy with the V-6 as well. To me it was even better with dialouge than the Teatro 6.5 (a little smoother on the top end).

When you told me about the damaged PC 3.1 IIs that you bought from someone on Audiogon a while ago, I forgot to mention that I was concerned about the shipping of the PC 3.1 IIs that I just purchased on Audiogon. The seller was nice enough to double-box them for me though. We'll see, they should arrive about Wed. No tunes until then! :(

Anyway, it was nice to meet you and your wife. I hope you continue to enjoy the V-12s and V-6! It's unbelievable that Phase Tech makes such great speakers, but are largely unknown.

Best Regards,
Patrick

I once had speakers in the late 70's which If memory serves me right were made by Phase Tech.

The box said Phase Tech III

Would anyone know weather this was the same Company?

Thanks!

Well, much though I lusted after the Phase Techs my bank account ruled the day.

As a result I now have a year old set of Paradigm Monitor 7 floorstanders for front and Mini MK3 Monitors for rears won off EBay. In one of those "story of my life" moments I lost the center channel auction with 2 seconds left. So, I'll be over to the Paradigm dealer this week for a CC-370. Still, a nice setup for less than $1000, and within my budget.

Having played the Monitor 7's now for a day (the seller was local) I'm very happy with them as well. Compared to the PC3.1's they are a little richer, but the PC's a little tighter in the bass - a wash for all intents and purposes.

For anyone in the Phoenix area considering Phase Techs PM me and I'll give you the name of the salesperson I worked with. Out of all the people I saw over the past couple weeks he was the one enthusiast who knew his stuff, loved doing it and was happy to so just about anything because of it.

As for that Steely Dan, for auditioning I used Two Against Nature, not because its my favorite (if pressed I'd give that to Pretzel Logic I guess) but because it is a more current recording done on more modern equipment. I specifically like to use track 6, Jack of Speed. It applies layers of sound starting at the beginning. You can listen for the tightness in the walking bass, then how the guitar overlays that, then when the horns enter is a critical moment - many speakers will choke here - and then finally when Donald's vocals enter.

I forwarded my question to Phase Tech to see if they were the same Co. that made Phase Tech III's.

Thanks!

Blayzr,

Thanks for your reply. I'll check my DVD-Audio version of Two Against Nature for that track. So far I've been very happy with the performance of the V-12s, though I don't know how the DVD mix will affect what actually comes out of my two fronts. I may get the instruments as you described, but I have a feeling the horns will be coming from the surrounds.

I know how you feel about the bank account ruling the day. After listening to the V-12s at home and for a brief period at avaholics home, I really lusted after his Pioneer Elite Reciever with the cool sound processing. But the BOSS will not have it since I've already gone 1K over my initial budget!

Dman the upgrade bug!

-Dom

Well people I have been reading this site for over two years now. I have only posted once and it was a question. I find this site very good for knowledge but mostly have just read other peoples opinions. But I have to share mine and my sons experience with PT speakers. We were out driveing around and decided to stop in to our local HI FI store. We were looking around at everything. My son was just getting into the hometheater thing. We were in one room checking out the DEF. Technology flagships which we thought they were impressive. We were talking to the salesman as we walked out of the demo room into the main area. And we heard this sound. This beautiful amazing sound coming from this area out in the middle of the room. It was The eagles Hell Freezes Over CD Hotel California. As we walked up and around these speakers we we just looked at each other and said wow. There was two pairs of speakers sitting there. A pair of huge Def. Tech. And these smaller Phase Tech 9.1s. We stood off to the side while another salesman and a rich looking gentleman were listening. We overheard the salesman talking and it seemed that the guys Macintosh amp had a problem and they fixed it. They just put it in there to see how it sounded after repair. My son said I want to hear the def. techs next to them. Not even close. Then we switched back to the Phases. Amazing we asked the salesman about them. He explained a couple things about them. Then we went back into the other room to hear the Def Techs again. Not even close. So we went back out and they had turned it off. We told the salesman to turn it back on. We got the cd again this time listening to other songs. We were in awe. I told the salesman that the def. didnt come close. He got a little uptight. But said there was another person that had come in a couple days ago and said the same thing. So we left and I went and bought that cd. I thought it was the excellent sound of that cd that made it all work. So I went home and popped it in and whala. I hated it. It just did not sound the same. I have a dedicated room that is very good. But it sounded to upfront for my tastes. So because of all this my son said lets go get my speakers and try it. He has some awesome sounding Infinity IL60s which have gotten very good reviews by the way. We got them downstairs hooked them up and whala, just didnt cut it. A little smoother than mine through the upper midrange but not even close to the Phase Techs. Mine sounded very good overall but mine has a slight forwardness in the upper mids. Then I had an idea. It sounded so different it had to be a different cd. It must have been a sacd or dvdaudio. That is how diferent it sounded. So I called the stoe ands asked the saleman what cd that was. He told me Eagles Hell freezes over. I asked him what it looked like. It was the exact same cd I had.:mad: Well my son and I started talking and the words to describe the pc 9.1 is a lot of air. Very smooth in the midrange. Very awesome tight bass. The music seems to be all around you. You are in the music. I know this has gotten very long but I have a little more. My son liked them so much he has taken different people up to the store to listen to them. The next time he went they were in a different room with a cheap reciever. Everybody else has said the same thing. They are in a league of there own. The salesman told my son the reason they moved them is because the sales on there number one speaker line had dropped. That is the Def. Tech. While he was there he also got to audition the new Paradigm Ref Studio 100s. They were right beside the P.T. the last time he went. He said very bright sounding compared to the pc 9.1s. All of the speakers he has comared to them cost more. A lot more. So that is mine and my sons experience with the PC series. And also in Phases press release if you look they are coming out with some pc series bi-dipoll surrounds. That was the only hiccup I could see in the past. Now I am very seriously considering selling all my speakers and getting them. My son said he is also. Every speaker I have heard is not even close, in my opinion. And I have been listening to great sound for 18yrs. I used to go to all the audio clubs when overseas. And nothing I have heard to date can move me the way these speakers do. Very sorry for the long post. Just had to tell my experience about it.

Very cool post. That Eagles recording does have a good ability for separating speakers from one another. From playing around yesterday/today I think it really ashame how poorly many rock CD's seem to be produced - very inconsistent. After playing several I found that the audiophile grade speakers you (unfortunately) really hear when a recording has not been produced well.

FWIW - I've heard Paradigms described as "bright" many times. Perhaps it's my room, or perhaps they need a longer break-in period, but these Monitor 7's are definitely not bright - crisp?, sure; but they have a very "laid-back" quality if the music itself has that mid/mid-bass in it. I'm getting the feeling that they just play whatever the heck is on the recording for better or worse.

Oh, and the PT's are probably like this as well, they just won't distort so after listening a while yesterday I realized I had been playing them at a pretty high sound pressure level.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------And also in Phases press release if you look they are coming out with some pc series bi-dipole surrounds. That was the only hiccup I could see in the past. Now I am very seriously considering selling all my speakers and getting them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rhale,
I think the PC bipole/dipole surrounds are an older speaker that Phase Tech has discontinued. Look in the archive review section.

I believe that most people are going with the Vsurround or using one of the PC smaller speakers for surrounds.

Great review thanks for the good info. I am thinking of purchasing the PC's for my 7.1 system.

Has anyone heard the PC sub? If so how does it compare to other subs?

Originally posted by Oboy

rhale,
I think the PC bipole/dipole surrounds are an older speaker that Phase Tech has discontinued.

Yes, they used to make PC surround speakers. But they are going to re-introduce them next year. Here is a quote from an email I just received from Mark Stephenson at Phase Tech.:

Next year we will make some cosmetic changes to the PC line and at that time will reintroduce a dipole/bipole switching surround. The Velocity surrounds should work perfectly in a 7.1 system.

Just thought I'd clarify!

Best Regards,
Patrick

Originally posted by Domle
After listening to the V-12s at home and for a brief period at avaholics home, I really lusted after his Pioneer Elite Reciever with the cool sound processing. But the BOSS will not have it since I've already gone 1K over my initial budget!

Dman the upgrade bug!

-Dom

Dom,

Sorry I aided in the "bug" ;)

If you want to know exactly the gear I had; you were playing your CDs through the 47Ai connected to a 55TXi receiver via i.Link. As we discussed Sat. you first were listening in Direct mode, then I applied MCACC (Auto EQ room correction). As you noticed it sounded better (more open to use your words) with the MCACC enabled.

Anyway just thought you might want to know.

Best Regards,
Patrick

Well guys thanx for the comment on the review. I was in a hurry to write it. So excuse the grammer. I just wanted to tell all about it. I am kind of in the middle about all this. I am one of those people that likes to be different. When I first heard these speakers I thought they were going to be in the real high end price range. I couldnt believe it when I saw the price. I was expecting more in the 3000-5000 dollar range per speaker. I thought that my son, and I had stumbled on to a gem that nobody else knew about.:p But I guess I am not. But after reading what people were saying I just had to say my piece.
I would like to hear the velocity series now though. I havent had the opportunity to hear them. I just have a hard time with the weight.
Also I think that section on Phases websight for new technologies needs to be updated. It says they are comeing out with bipol-dipol surrounds for there pc line and also a PC 500 which would be the new flagship. My uderstanding is this was there old flagship. I saw san add in one of my rags that has the new pc 500 along with these new surrounds. The funny thing is its a 2000 issue of SGTHT. By the way how do these PC500s sound? For anybody in the know. I like the looks of them in the photo. I may be able to pick up a pair of these used.

rhale64L7,

The info you saw about the PC-500 and PC-Surround is old news. These are no longer manufactured. I don't know why the info is still there. You may be able to find them used. The PC 9.1 is the current flagship in the PC's.

Real quick, just setup my new PC 3.1 IIs tonight, Oh my God! Truly HiFi heaven. More to come, I've got to hit the sack!

Patrick

You have got to let us know more. I am anxious to hear how they compare to the velocity setup you had before. I was wondering what happened to this thread. I am seriously considering some of Phase Techs speakers.

I am interested in your review also. I am hoping that the local PT distributor will get me a pair of the 3.1 IIs for me to listen too, since no one in my area is showing the line. I am also interested in the PC sub, has anyone heard it, if so I would like your opinions and thoughts on it.

I am hoping to put a full 7.1 system together with (2) PC subs (3) 3.1 IIs and (2) v surrounds and (2) 33.1s

Let me elaborate on the 3.1 IIs. First off, in a cabinet less than half the size of the V-12 floorstanders they weigh the same, 40 lbs. It also has a furniture grade wood veneer, compared to the vinyl of the Velocitys (though I bought them used, and they were supposed to be 10/10 but have quite a few blemishes). Don't get me wrong though the vinyl finish is quite good on the Velocitys as well.

One caution about the PC 3.1 IIs though, with thier weight and fairly tall size (for a "bookshelf speaker"), you will need a very strong speaker stand. Considering everything, especially $, I ended up building my own, out of Mahogony wood for the base and top plate, and I coupled them together with 28" long, 6" PVC pipe and a threaded steel rod. Then I filled both stands almost to the top with "play sand", and viola! I have very sturdy speaker stands that weigh almost 50lbs each by themselves.

Now for the sound. If you've read my previous posts about the Velocitys, you'd know that I consider them one of the most well balanced speaker that I've heard, and I still believe that. Where the PC 3.1 IIs differ is that the imaging is even more 3-dimensional than the V-12s, in my view they have a deeper soundstage, and the speakers really do "disappear" more. There is more sense of air. Also as a result of this the imaging is more accurate in my opinion. When playing some Dave Koz tracks, there was more seperation between the sax (center stage) and when the cymbal is hit (to the right of the stage. The same goes with tracks from Fourplay, Diana Krall, etc. Also, when a female voice such as Diana Kralls hits certain frequencies, my very sensitive ears can cringe a little. With the V-12s, this effect is minimal, but with the PC 3.1 IIs, its pretty much non-existant. Translation: No listener fatigue. Now the flip side to this is you may think the 3.1 IIs give up a little in the detail department, and I do think this is true to a degree. But, I actually think it's more detailed the the V-12, in the sense that I'm hearing things that I couldn't quite hear as distinctly with the V-12s. Like the definiton of the piano keys that are hit or the strings of a guitar. They just seemed more life-like with the PC 3.1 IIs. That said, the V-12s seem to have more "edge" to a cymbal splash, or a guitar string being hit. Some may view this as more detail, and that is probably pretty subjective. But I view the PC 3.1s as having more detail because there is more "definition" without the "edge". I hope that makes sense! Overall, if I had to characterize the two, I'd say that the V-12's are pretty neutral. And the PC 3.1 IIs are neutral too, but with a very slight leaning towards "warm"!

In regards to the 3.1s soundstage, they have a feature that I played around with last night that just simply amazed me. That is a Variable Axis Tweeter. You can move it 15 degrees in any direction. From Mark at Phase Tech: "It allows you to compensate for very odd placement by moving the tweeter in its housing. Let’s take the 20 feet apart scenario. If the speaker is that far apart and the listening position is 14 feet away, more than likely there will be a hole in the middle where there is no sound or very little detail. The speaker has reached its limit to provide a stereo image. By moving the tweeter in toward the middle, you restore the center image. If your speakers are 6 feet apart, the VAT allows you to swivel the tweeter out and up to create a larger soundstage." So I played with it last night, and all I can say is WOW! In my particular case, I played with all configurations, and by moving them up just a little, BAM, huge surround sound like soundstage! With just 2-channel engaged, the soundstage was SO huge, I felt like I was listening to multi-channel.

So there you go, I'm happier than ever with my new Phase Techs. Great part is, buying them used, they actually costs less than the new V-12's I bought. Though I "ate" half the $ in the sale to Dom!

Best Regards,
Patrick

I auditioned the same Phase Tech 3.1 II's at a local dealer a month back or so. I was quite impressed with their sound and ethereal qualities (ethereal, meaning those subjective things like soundstage, depth, imaging, etc). The Phase Tech's certainly do well in that arena, no question. I also agree that while they are warmer sounding, they still retain a lot of detail. 'Very pleasant to listen to. My only gripe, and while this is pretty minor, is some coloring in the lower-to-mid midrange. I would not have noticed it at all if it weren't for some other speakers I was doing a direct A/B comparison with.

For about $600 each, they are quite a speaker.

-Robert

Edit: I just read the post from rhale64L7 above. He must have been at the same dealer in the Cleveland area - Audio Craft. I wouldn't call them high-end per se, but they do carry Paradigm, Def Tech and Phase Tech as their main speaker lines. McIntosh amps too. Nice enough people I suppose, if a bit snobby (which is to be expected).

Hi Robert,

A question about the coloring you witnessed in the lower-to-midrange area. What were the characteristics of the coloring you heard, ie: how do you define "coloring" in this case? Do you mean some sort of perceived "boost" in that freq. range? By looking at the anechoic response from a review in Sterophile a couple of years back, the 3.1s were pretty darn flat, within 2dB from about 70Hz to 700Hz. So the room, positioning, and speaker stand that particular store had them setup in/on, could have made a difference.

The reason I ask, is I noticed a boost in the lower mid-bass initially too before I properly set them up on my stands. At first I just had them sitting on the top wood base, with no sand in the stand. Which meant the speaker outweighed the stand by about 30 lbs. Anyway, I then put about 40 lbs of sand in each 6” column, and affixed the PC 3.1 to the top base with Blu-Tak. There was a night and day difference. In fact I forgot to mention this in my last post, but the bass response is much better with the 3.1s than it was with my Floor standing V-12s, which really surprised me. It was tighter and more refined. Though before the 3.1s were properly setup, the low end did not sound good at all.

Also, did you experiment with the variable tweeter? If so it would be cool to hear your impressions. Like I said I was really blown away when I got it dialed in, in my room.

Best Regards,
Patrick

Valnar, yes it was audio craft. But it was the one in westlake. They have the 9.1s there. I dont believe they had the 3.1s. I would like to hear them though. We had the younger kid as our salesperson. So we got lucky. And yes they are kind of snobby. I have noticed this at every specialty audio store I have ever gone too though. I guess I am used to it. Did you ask them if you could get a better deal for a package? I bet they wont budge from retail.

Avaholic, it sounds like the 3.1s impressed you. Did you turn them up to see if the soundstage would collapse? It is funny you said that about the 9.1s. I read a review that said the same thing. That is the reason he didnt give them an outstanding review. Although the sum of the parts put them in there recommended class AA speakers list. He liked the 3.1s and the sub. And they have been there for two years. SGTHT

Allthough I like the 9.1s a lot. I never turned them up real loud. I didnt feel I needed to. They moved me so much at the volume they were at. My son did have them turn them up the next time he went. And he still loved the sound. Very smooth and airy is what he said. But he cant tell soundstage because his right ear is messed up.

rhale64L7,
Yah, I went to the Fairlawn AudioCraft store. It's not as good or big as the Cleveland ones, but there's usually nobody there so you have free reign. I was almost sold on Paradigms a few years ago. Kinda glad I never got them now.

avaholic,
Well, frequency response alone does not a sound make. ;) There's more to a sound than the flatness of the response. If there wasn't, all speakers would sound the same! No, what I heard was more of a hollowness in a particular range that made certain piano keys and strings (perhaps it was not midbass, but midrange) sound artificial. In particular, I had my Sarah McLachlan Afterglow CD with me. On the first track when the strings come in, I could tell they didn't sound quite right. This was A/B'ing against their Paradigms as well as my ACI Sapphires which I brought in for comparison. Now mind you, the Paradigms were their Studio 60's any my Sapphires are no slouch, so it was in pretty big company. To be fair, the Phase Tech's sounded a bit better than the Sapphires on the extreme treble - not forward as you agree, but more detailed and nice!

Here is a post I made when I came back that day:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3865934

After I heard those speakers, and before I read any reviews on the Phase Tech's, I found this review when I returned home after searching a bit.
http://www.guidetohometheater.com/speakersystems/53/
The author of the review used the term cupped hands. I believe that is another way of describing the sound I heard.

I don't mean this to turn off anyone from the speakers, but when speakers are warm, or bright, or anything other than flat neutral, some coloring is bound to happen. It's just what is your preference? I'd prefer warm over etched metal tweeters any day, so I take the good with the bad. :)

-Robert

rhale64L7,

As far as the colapsing of the soundstage, I think I posted a while back that while I heard that with the 9.1s running full range, I did not (and do not today) hear that with the 3.1s crossed over at 80Hz. Remember, that the 9.1's are a harder load to drive at 4 Ohms.

Valnar (Robert),

"Well, frequency response alone does not a sound make"
That goes without saying. I was just asking what the "coloring" you heard was. I just threw the bass boost and freq. response in there because of the experience I had. I'm familiar with that review, and i agree with it in regards to the 9.1s which the reviwer was reffering to. I don't notice the same quality as much with the 3.1s. Maybe its the smaller bookshelf cabinet or the different arangement of the drivers, I don't know. But the 9.1s and the 3.1s do sound slightly different to me. "I'd prefer warm over etched metal tweeters any day, so I take the good with the bad", I definately agree with you here.

One question you didn't comment on though was, did you experiment with the variable tweeter position?

Thanks for all your input, I don't think you were "turning anyone off from the speakers" :)

Best Regards,
Patrick

Hey Patrick,
I played with one of the tweeters in the showroom a bit just to see what it was like. But for the most part, I didn't examine that feature too thoroughly. The chair was setup in front of the speakers already, and they seemed to image perfectly, so there was no reason to fuss. I remember most being overwhelmed by the spaciousness. The sound seemed to come from all around. 'Very enveloping in their small room.

When I went to audition them, I was very much in the process of buying a new front stage for my home theater. I want all three speakers to be indentical. In that respect, anybody looking for the same cannot go wrong with the PC-3.1 II. Since one can be put on its side and the mid-tweet driver array can be changed to accomodate a horizontal position (as well as repointing the tweeter), they are perfect for that preference. There really is no bad seat in the house with these things. I didn't notice any lobing or other problems associated with MTM designs.

What stopped me from buying them that day was the price. I thought $600 each was a fair price for the quality, but I have something against paying full retail. Call me crazy! He wouldn't budge on the $1800 tag. I don't know if it's Phase Tech, or AudioCraft's policy, but that kept me looking.

-Robert

Robert,

Yes, I've noticed some dealers just won't budge much from MRSP on alot of different speakers and equipment. Most that I've been to around the SF bay area, will go from 5% to 10% though, and some up to 25%, depending on the brand and competition. As far as Phase Tech. goes, the 2 dealers i have near me, will go up to 10%. Though, I know of one member (Shane) that got 25% off his Velocitys in Texas. Go figure, it seems that some stores are more willing to bend on thier prices. It may be that there is no competeing store that carries them too. Anyway, I can definately understand the problem you had with your local store.

Take care,
Patrick

The biggest reason to not pay full retail is for resale value. You're guaranteed to lose a lot on resale. If I ever decided to post them on Audiogon, I would lose more than most. Nobody buying used equipment would pay anywhere near retail (of course), and most assume you didn't either initially.

-Robert

As far as Phase Tech. goes, the 2 dealers i have near me, will go up to 10%. Though, I know of one member (Shane) that got 25% off his Velocitys in Texas.
I would have actually paid full price. The value of them is incredible. The discount allowed me to upgrade my sub so its all good :)
The dealer is in Tulsa, OKlahoma. Some stores are more willing to come down, some are not.

Looks like we all need to move to Tulsa:D

I found the cupped hands sound to be believe it or not what I liked about the sound. It made Eagles Hell Freezes Over sound so amazeing compared to my speakers, and my sons IL60s, that I couldnt believe it. Like for instance on Hotel California. The Phases made me totally forget it was live in concert. On mine when the crowd cheers you hear it. And it kind of overwhelms you with the crowd. On the PC 9.1s I could still hear the music even though the crowd was cheering, allthough softly.

rhale64L7,

Very interesting take on the 9.1s!
I read another review on the 3.1 IIs, and the reviewer had what I think is a similar experience that you had with the 9.1s, but I'm not sure. Here's a quote from Audio Revolution when watching Lord of the Rings:

"I was constantly drawn into the music score. Something about the Phase Technology system seemed to emphasize the music slightly over the sound effects. This is not to say that the sound effects were not conveyed effectively, it’s just that they do not overpower the background music. The deep rumbling sound of the horses approaching seemed to be naturally portrayed within the soundscape with no lack of low frequency extension. This speaker system genuinely transported me the event, often causing me to forget that I was auditioning the product rather than frantically trying to recapture the coveted ring."

I'll have to look for the qualities everyone seems to be describing here. When I get a chance anyway, I have my second son due any day now!

One other interesting tidbit that may be of interest in the PC line. That is the Unicell acoustic treatment that the tweeter and midrange are seated in. Which may have to do something with this "cupped hand" discription, though I'm not sure. Here's another quote from Phase Techs. site describing what it is and how it works:

"The proprietary Unicell acoustic treatment in which the tweeters of the PC Series are seated addresses an age-old problem in loudspeaker design. At critically important frequencies, the sound waves generated by a speaker's tweeter reflect off cabinet and grill surfaces, creating diffraction distortions. This results in areas of emphasis and cancellation within the frequency spectrum, creating a distorted tonal balance. Diffraction also causes an indistinct, blurred image that weakens the visual aspect of stereo.
But the Unicell slows and gradually stops sound waves by absorbing them before they can be diffracted by any surface or edge. In effect, the tweeter operates as if it were suspended in air, with no adjacent surfaces to cause diffraction.

Because the Unicell treatement is designed to work as an integral unit with the speaker grill frame, the grills must be left in place to achieve the highest level of performance. "

Very interesting indeed. This seems to be one of the few designs that I know of that recommend keeping the grills on. In fact, I know for sure Phase Tech. recommends taking the grills off for critical listening with the Velocity line.

Anyway, cool stuff!

Best regards,
Patrick

Patrick yes it seams he did. Maybe some would call this colored. I just thought it was very unusual sounding. And to me it was absolutely amazing. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. It wasn't that there was anything missing. It was all there in just the right amounts. Air, Detail, Bass, Sound stage. And they disappeared from the room so much that my son and I could not tell if it was the Definitives or the Phases. And we were standing right in front of them.:)

Originally posted by rhale64L7
And they disappeared from the room so much that my son and I could not tell if it was the Definitives or the Phases. And we were standing right in front of them.:)

Yes, I definately know what you what are talking about as far as the speakers "disappearing". It seems that is what Phase tech is describing by saying: "But the Unicell slows and gradually stops sound waves by absorbing them before they can be diffracted by any surface or edge. In effect, the tweeter operates as if it were suspended in air, with no adjacent surfaces to cause diffraction.".

Patrick

I'ts good my dealer has no stock as I would be really tempted to hear the PC Line. Right now I'm more than happy with my speakers. All 7 of them(no sub) :)

Thanks for all the great reviews I can't wait to listen to the 3.1II's. They sound like some pretty impressive speakers for the price. I had hoped someone would have listened to the PC sub, but it dosn't sound like anyone has listened to it yet.

I really, really like the Premier Collection line of speakers from Phase Tech.... the 3.1MKIIs especially... I've heard all the models in this series, but specifically stock the 3.1MKIIs because I think they are so good... the inwall based on these drivers and design is also stellar....

I'm also in kind of a connundrum.... because I carry Von Schweikert and Usher Audio, as good sounding as the Velocity line is, most customers go for the looks of the Usher over the vinyl wrap on the velocity line.... also, most people start out listening to the phase techs, but increase their budgets once they hear the usher and von schweikert stuff and move up into it.... while I shouldn't be complaining about people that want to spend more money, it also means that the phase tech stuff doesn't sell for me nearly as well as I think it should given how good it is....We're talking stellar value here for a speaker that is manufactured here in the US... when you are competing with asian manufacturing costs and still coming in with a great sounding and looking product at the same price points, that says a LOT about how good your stuff is....

Compare the speakers that have the same MSRP, speakers that have lower MSRPs and speakers that have slightly higher MSRPs.... if the phase tech sounds better than the competition, that should indicate it's value, not how much discount you can get.... if a speaker that is 25% less expensive looks as good and sounds better, then to you, the phase techs are priced 25% too high...

Well Shane I guess you are right. They are worth the full retail price. Of all the speakers I can afford. None of them compare to the Phase Techs in my opinion. I, like Patrick hate bright sounding equipment. It bothers my ears. To some though this sound that I don't like would be very detailed. Yes it is. I have JBL L7's and they are very detailed. There is just something in the upper mids that I don't like about them. They are very heavy. Have a very good response curve. In fact I have been comparing curves of other real high end speakers reviewed in SGTHT. And the JBLs curve is much flatter through the mids and highs. Than pretty much all of them. Nice build quality too. But to me they were very disappointing sounding after hearing the PC series speakers. "May be because of the slanted face of the L7s interacting with my 7'3" ceiling in my basement". And so were my sons IL 60s in other ways. The IL 60s were smooth but the enveloping sound stage of the PCs was flabbergasting. And there was a lot more air with the Pcs. I have never heard Usher or Von Shweikert speakers. But I have heard a lot of others. Aireals top model about 5 years ago for instance, the 10s. I heard these at a very high end audio store. They were set up so perfectly they had white tape on the floor to mark where they should be. They were playing them through a mark levinson amp with a high end preamp. Don't remember the brand. And they were using these speaker cables that would make an anaconda jealous. They were like 10,000 dollars for the cables. The room was about 15' by 20' I heard them in the store sitting in the sweet spot for about an hour. I thought they sounded pretty good. But when I got home and listened to mine. I said it wasn't worth it to buy them. They sounded to me pretty much like mine. In fact I thought they sounded exactly like mine. But after hearing the Phase Techs I was very disappointed with mine, when I got home. It just goes to show you that peoples ears are different and one persons opinion shouldn't be what sways somebody to buy one brand over the other. They have to listen for there selves.

Shane,

Perhaps you should lobby Phase tech to come out with more finish choices on the velocity line or pick up the Teatro line in addition. Or start them off with the Teatro's and work them up to the Velocities.

It's ashame, but it all comes down to looks sometimes.

Supposedly the PC lines cosmetics are being upgraded next year.

I wish I had a dealer like you hear in NJ. There are three dealers all custom installers. I can't audition squat

Dennis

Man, I loved the V-12s for 2-channel music, but I'm In Love with the PC 3.1 IIs. Ironically, just got thru listening to FourPlay's 4 cd, and the song "Someone to Love" is just unbelievably sweet! In 2-channel, when the extened chorus kicked in, I was absolutely enveloped in sound, with the main vocals clearly seperated in front of me, and instruments to either side with such delicate detail! With my eyes closed I was "there", the speakers, were not! If that makes sense. Sorry to gush so much, but my wife could care less, so I had to share!

Best Regards,
Patrick

Patrick, it sounds like you really like them. I guess I am going to have to go give them a listen. One question. What sub do you have? And how hard was it to integrate it with the 3.1s? Well I guess that was two questions.:D

rhale64L7, indeed I guess I do like them, a little anyway. :D
I have a custom made Stryke Audio (soon to be Acoustic Elegance) Mini-Thunder. It's a dual Passive Radiator design using a AV12 driver. The box is down-firing design (I also had him make it 17" cubed instead of the standard 16" cubed volume), with the PR's opposite eachother. I use a Rythmik 350 Watt amp with a notch filter, where you can adjust the damping factor. I go with a high damping setting, which tightens up the bass on the low end (similar to a sealed design). It was fairly easy to integrate, mostly because I have it placed in a near-field position (directly behind my seated position), and the fact that I flattened out the peaks that are room associated with a parametric EQ. It truly is a seamless blend. In fact if you want to hear something funny. The last couple of nights I've been listening to the PC 3.1s in "Direct" mode, and I assumed that the 3.1s were running full range. Then I double checked and sure enough, my 55TXi connected via i.Link to my 47Ai somehow allows the sub to be used in direct mode if I have the front speakers set to small. That will tell you right there how well the sub integrates with the PC 3.1s, as I thought all the bass was coming from the 3.1s (which are 9 feet away). When I purposly set the 3.1s to large, they do a VERY respectable job with the lower freq. But, no where near as good as the Mini-Thunder. It goes down to 17Hz flat in my room!!

Anyway, here are some links to the sub and amp:
Mini-Thunder (http://www.stryke.com/subwoofers.html)
Rythnik 350Watt (http://www.rythmikaudio.com/nonservo_product.htm#350basic)

Some of the links on Stryke Audio are currnetly not working. If you want more specs, and custom implentations, just give John a call, he's a great guy!

Best Regards,
Patrick

Here's a pic of the MiniThunder sub tipped up so you can see the AV12:

And heres a standard view of the MiniThunder with one Passive Radiator showing:

That is awesome. I have been contemplating for some time about building my own sub. I have got lots of ideas running around in my head. I think it just might be time to put the thoughts in to action. :D I do like that amp. And the two passive radiators with a twelve inch driver is what I had in mind. Passive radiators give you the best of both worlds.

That thing is beautiful. Why I was typing you must have been also.

Thanks rhale64L7, I like it too, ;). It took me a loooooong time, and I went through many subs, before stumbling on the Mini-Thunder design. I even had SVS and hsu subs, which were also excellant subs. I think I've owned over a dozen different subs, including the smaller forward firing Mini-Thunder. But in the end my current customized Mini-Thunder is the perfect sub for my tastes and application. Nice and deep and tight for music. For HT, it's all I need to shake the house (and I have a thick concrete floor) as well. And as stated earlier, with the help of a parametric EQ (to tame the peaks in my room) it blends seamlessly with my Phase Tech. 3.1 IIs. I think in the 3.1 IIs I have also finally found my sonic "nirvana" for main speakers. That is until Phase tech. comes out with even a better model! :D

Best Regards,
Patrick

Originally posted by Oboy
Thanks for all the great reviews I can't wait to listen to the 3.1II's. They sound like some pretty impressive speakers for the price. I had hoped someone would have listened to the PC sub, but it dosn't sound like anyone has listened to it yet.
Oboy,

Sorry, I meant to comment on the PC sub earlier. Or should I say drop a couple of quotes from some reviews. I have not heard it myself, but unlike Phase Techs. other subs, the PC sub is supposed to be very capable for home theater. Most of thier other subs, while accurate and tight for music, don't go as deep and low as the better subs available, SVS, hsu, etc.

The PC sub is also supposed to be very "musical" as well as go pretty low.

Here's a couple of quotes from reviews on the net I found:

"Usually I just skip it, but this time I sat through it, marveling at how good it sounded. Once the movie started, the opening dinosaur foot stomps had my room shaking. These were very powerful whacks, and I had the system pegged at admittedly high levels. While not up to the level of what the big Velodyne sub might do, the Phase Techs never bottomed out. Very convincing and effective."

and

"The subwoofer did not have the ultimate earth-shaking low-frequency extension that I have heard in some other similarly-priced systems, but did however seem a little quicker and more articulate in the low bass than these other subs."

Hopefully you can get a chance to hear one sometime, and let us know your thoughts!

I think Phase Techs. Strong suite is thier main and bookshelf speakers though, as you can probably tell by this thread.

Best Regards,
Patrick

Patrick,
Thanks for the post on the PC sub.

WOW your mini thunber is a sweet looking sub!

I am hoping that I will get to hear the 3.1 II's in a couple of weeks along with the sub. I will post my review. I am hoping to have a set of Tannoy Sensys DC1's to compare them too along with my existing speakers.

Oboy,
Glad to help.

Thanks for the compliments on the MiniThunder! Like rhale64L7 mentioned, I too believe it's the best of both worlds (sealed and ported). At least this certain implementation of it at least. Of course it does not hurt that it looks good either. John at Stryke Audio does quality work for sure!

Anyway, looking forward to your comments on the PC sub and the 3.1 IIs! I'm interested if you hear that same "Magic" with the 3.1 IIs, that some of us (including myself) have heard!

P.S. What are your existing speakers?

Best Regards,
Patrick

Well Patrick, it has been a long time since your last post. I was wondering if you still like your pc3.1s. Or if you had to do it over would you have kept the v12s. I am really looking now. My main speakers got ruined in a flood. I went and heard the v8s and they sounded ok. But I like a lot more bass. I also heard the 3.1s but they were set up about 12' apart and real low to the ground. I couldnt get a good read on them. They were smooth but I just didnt know. Please help

Well Patrick, it has been a long time since your last post. I was wondering if you still like your pc3.1s.

I suspect Patrick's absence suggests he likes his 3.1s very much. He's probably too busy enjoying to spend as much time here right now.

Bob

I figured as much.:) I sure wish he would get off that chair and come in here though. I need some help with this speaker choice. When I have money in hand I will go up to the dealer and have him move them to a proper place. And I will probably take my amp. Even though it weighs 75lbs. My main concern is will they play loud and clean when I want them too? I made the mistake of buying a pair of speakers a long time ago based solely on how good they sounded at the store. They were played reasonably loud. But when I got them home I couldn't turn them up loud enough without blowing stuff up. Or shutting down the tweeter. They sounded pretty good until compression set in. And it was a lot lower volume than my supervisors JBL L112s could handle. His would sing a long and mine would pop until the tweeter shut down or blew up. That is what I liked about my JBL L7s. I could play them softly and they sounded pretty good. Then when I turned them up they would sing, all be it a little to harsh in the upper mids. But no distortion. And they were quick. On some songs when the bass note would hit it would scare the crap out of you. Your heart would pitter patter for a second. And this was at -13 on my volume. Which is a tiny bit above reference level. Reference level was at -15.
So basically what I want to know is will they play above reference without any signs of distress? And do they grow on you? Or do you still enjoy them as much after awhile of listening?
And I just noticed you asked me what speakers I currently own. They are mentioned above. I didnt even notice that the lst time I read your reply. They are quick and detailed. But I get listener fatigue after a short time of listening. It is mostly in my right ear. It is very sensitive to harsh midrange. And I do have very good hearing. I just had them checked.

oboy-

Did you ever get to audition the Tannoy Sensys DC1s?

Bob

I have not had a chance to demos either set of the speakers. I am hoping it will happen in the next couple of weeks. I will let you know how they sound when I do get to demo them.

Originally posted by rhale64L7
I figured as much.:) I sure wish he would get off that chair and come in here though. I need some help with this speaker choice. So basically what I want to know is will they play above reference without any signs of distress? And do they grow on you? Or do you still enjoy them as much after awhile of listening?

And I just noticed you asked me what speakers I currently own. They are mentioned above. I didnt even notice that the lst time I read your reply. They are quick and detailed. But I get listener fatigue after a short time of listening. It is mostly in my right ear. It is very sensitive to harsh midrange. And I do have very good hearing. I just had them checked.

Hi rhale64L7,

Sorry to not have been around much. I check the board every once in awhile, but I completely missed this thread.

Anyway, my newborn (second son) is 3 weeks old as of today! :) So much to my chagrin, I actually have not listened to much at all during that time. The past few days I have though (I convinced the wife he really enjoys music). Here's the deal I will not be buying any speakers to replace the 3.1 IIs unless Phase tech. comes up with something better. The V-12's were really nice, they are really "full range" while the 3.1 II's are not (though they sound pretty good set to large). So if you plan on using them full range I would strongly consider the V-12's. I use the 3.1 IIs with a sub crossed over at 80Hz. The 3.1 IIs set to large may have some issues at reference levels in regards to compression.

As far as sound, the V-12's are detailed and neutral (if anything slightly on the "bright" side of neutral). The 3.1 II's are very detailed and neutral (but maybe on the "warm" side of neutral). On some tracks the V-12's sound more crisp in the upper mids and highs. But with the 3.1 IIs, I hear things I just did not hear with V-12s. There is more seperation between the instruments, much more "air". The 3.1 IIs simply dissappear in my room, the V-12's were good in this regard, but IMHO, they do not compare with the 3.1 IIs here. The imaging and soundstage of the 3.1 IIs are just surperior IMHO!
The highs and upper mids are liquid smooth. You will Not get listener fatigue with these speakers, I have sensitive ears like you, and on some material the V-12's would still hurt them very slightly (but still listener fatigue over time was not an issue though), the 3.1 IIs do not hurt my ears at all with any material. Interestly though, the 3.1 IIs can be maybe a little too "warm" on a handful of tracks, but luckily I have a great receiver (the 55TXi) with MCACC EQ, and I have 3 different settings with slightly different settings in those upper freq. and I can get it to sound perfect to my ears no matter what software I pop in! :D

As far as reference level, I really do not play material that loud any more. Though I did watch the 3rd installment of The Lord of the Rings before the newborn, and the 3.1 IIs showed no signs of distress and sounded more "invloving" with much more accurate imaging than the V-12s. I probably watched it at an average of about 80-85 dB with peaks hitting around 110 in the LFE area. One thing I know is the 3.1 IIs can handle more power. They are rated at 250 watts and the V-12's I think are 175 watts max!

If I were to do it over again, the 3.1 IIs would still be my choice. I am just an imaging "whore" and I have never heard a speaker that performs the magic that these things do and without any listener fatigue at all. You really need to get the 3.1 IIs properly setup, 6-8 feet apart, tweeter and midrange at ear level. Strong point here, these speakers are meant to be played with the grill in place, it has an interaction with the special Unicell foam around the tweeter and midrange to perform that imaging magic and seeming as they "dissappear", like the drivers themselves are floating in air with no cabinet! Also depending on the room and how far apart the speakers are, play with the variable tweeter in small increments and you should be able to notice changes in the size of the soundstage!

Another nice thing about the 3.1 IIs is you can get a matching center (rotating the tweeter/midrange component 90 degrees for the center) and and have a really seemless front soundstage.

Well I hope this helps, the new dad has to get some rest now! ;)

Best Regards,
Patrick

Congratulations on the new one. I thought that you were probably to busy, with the new one. :)

Well I went back to AudioCraft last week and listened to the PC9.1s,3.1s and the Velocity V8s. They had the 9.1s on a real cheap Sony reciever. The 3.1s on a Pioneer and I dont remember what the v8s were on. They were all hooked through the cheapest dvd players I could imagine. All Yamaha. First I listened to the 3.1s they were spread out way to far probably about 15 feet. And there was plants and a table in the way of my seating position. But they still sounded very good. I heard them with the PC sub at first. I did not like it. But it was way to loud. The level was not right, so I had the salesman shut it off. They sounded real good on there own. Even with the poor setup noted earlier. I listened to Dire Straits Brothers In Arms. Sarah Mclaughlin. And Sting. They are sooooo smooth sounding . Have you ever almost fallen asleep during an audition? I have:D I went through all the cds and I just couldnt find a falt except for that last bit of bass. Then I went to the 9.1s and when they turned them on the sub was playing with them. I told him I didnt want the sub on. He then turned it off. Well these sounded like crap. But wait a minute. There is no bass coming out of these. I know there is a lot more bass than this on these speakers because I have heard them before. I think they had it set to small in the reciever. But I couldnt figure out how to get into the menu to set it to large. And they were only about 4 feet apart. So I gave up. Then I went to the V8. It was a lot better looking than I thought it would be from the pictures. I knuckled it a couple of times to see how good the construction was. It was actually very impressive. I could not fault its construction. These were layed out properly. I listed to all the cds and kept thinking they sounded strange. Then I took the grill off and whala. They opened up big time. They actually sounded very good. So to audition these velocities you need to take the grill off or they sound kind of bland. I heard them with and without the sub. I liked them actually more than I thought I would. Patrick is right in saying what he says about the difference between the PCs and the Velocities. The pcs are a little smoother sounding and the velocities are a little more forward. Not bright but probably pretty neutral. I, like Patrick like a mellower sound. But to make a long story short. I bought the 9.1s. I remembered what they sounded like the first time I heard them, with that Macintosh amp. And I know with proper setup and awesome power they will sound like that in my home theater. I have never had a speaker make my own speakers sound like crap, and these did. Now I just need to get my carpet back in my Home Theater and I will be in audio heaven. I am also getting a 3.1 for the center. And I will make do with my four JBL L1s for surrounds untill I find a good deal on the Pc surrounds.:D

Congratulations on the new one. I thought that you were probably to busy, with the baby. :)

Well I went back to AudioCraft last week and listened to the PC9.1s,3.1s and the Velocity V8s. They had the 9.1s on a real cheap Sony receiver. The 3.1s on a Pioneer and I don't remember what the v8s were on. They were all hooked through the cheapest dvd players I could imagine. All Yamaha. First I listened to the 3.1s they were spread out way to far probably about 15 feet. And there was plants and a table in the way of my seating position. But they still sounded very good. I heard them with the PC sub at first. I did not like it. But it was way to loud. The level was not right, so I had the salesman shut it off. They sounded real good on there own. Even with the poor setup noted earlier. I listened to Dire Straits Brothers In Arms. Sarah McLaughlin. And Sting. They are sooooo smooth sounding . Have you ever almost fallen asleep during an audition? I have:D I went through all the Cd's and I just couldn't find a fault except for that last bit of bass. Then I went to the 9.1s and when they turned them on the sub was playing with them. I told him I didn't want the sub on. He then turned it off. Well these sounded like crap. But wait a minute. There is no bass coming out of these. I know there is a lot more bass than this on these speakers because I have heard them before. I think they had it set to small in the receiver. But I couldn't figure out how to get into the menu to set it to large. And they were only about 4 feet apart. So I gave up. Then I went to the V8. It was a lot better looking than I thought it would be from the pictures. I knuckled it a couple of times to see how good the construction was. It was actually very impressive. I could not fault its construction. These were layed out properly. I listed to all the Cd's and kept thinking they sounded strange. Then I took the grill off and whala. They opened up big time. They actually sounded very good. So to audition these velocities you need to take the grill off or they sound kind of bland. I heard them with and without the sub. I liked them actually more than I thought I would. Patrick is right in saying what he says about the difference between the PCs and the Velocities. The PCs are a little smoother sounding and the velocities are a little more forward. Not bright but probably pretty neutral. I, like Patrick like a mellower sound. But to make a long story short. I bought the 9.1s. I remembered what they sounded like the first time I heard them, with that Macintosh amp. And I know with proper setup and awesome power they will sound like that in my home theater. I have never had a speaker make my own speakers sound like crap, and these did. Now I just need to get my carpet back in my Home Theater and I will be in audio heaven. I am also getting a 3.1 for the center. And I will make do with my four JBL L1s for surrounds until I find a good deal on the PC surrounds.:D

Thanks for the congrats rhale64L7!

Congrats to you on the 9.1s! I liked them as well. I did find that the soundstage seemed to flatten out and narrow a little at very high levels in the store I auditioned them in. They were being played at full range however, and the setup was not ideal. In any case I'm sure you will be very satisfied, be sure to give us a little review after you have listened to them for awhile. I heard from Mark at Phase tech. that they will be re-introducing the PC Surrounds next year. I think they were discontinued a couple years back.

Funny how the Velocites sound better with the grills off and the PC series better with the grills on. In fact Phase Tech. actually makes those exact recommendations for critical music listening!

Enjoy your new speakers!
Best Regards,
Patrick

I am hopeing that my citation 7.1 in dual bridged mono mode, will keep that soundstage smooth throughout. I think it can pump like 600wrms into a 4ohm load this way. I am hopeing that what the salesman here and my son said is correct. The amp was the limiting factor. I read a review in the Audio Advisor on them also. He liked them a lot. The Audio Advisor review is the most flattering review I think I have ever read. When I have time I will post some comments from it.

Originally posted by rhale64L7
I read a review in the Audio Advisor on them also. He liked them a lot. The Audio Advisor review is the most flattering review I think I have ever read. When I have time I will post some comments from it.

Can this review be found on the web somewhere?

Thanks,
Patrick

I do not know. I got it when I was auditioning the speakers. Audio craft had a bunch of pamphlets they gave me. And two were reviews of the PC series speakers. One was the HomeTheater review of the PC 3.1, 1.1s and 6.1s along with the PC sub. That was an awesome review also. The other was just the PC 9.1s in the Audio Advisor. He said right out of the box you will not likely encounter a sweeter, more neutral or more refined top end than this speaker presents, all while exhibiting substantial detail and nuance. He also said they maintain top to bottom balance and fine detail at low levels. He said the better the amplification or program the better they performed. The 9.1s are likely to be one of the best mannered loudspeakers you will encounter anytime soon. And are especially appealing at the 2000.00 a pair price. Extremely smooth response. Other important characteristics include first-rate articulation and detail, excellent sound stage depth, and excellent integration of the five drivers to produce a seamless driver blending without being artificial. He tried to hold on to them past the usual review period. He also says I find little if anything to complain about in this speaker. They simply make great music and made him feel good about it. He said he did not think about the acoustical electromechanics involved. They just kept digging out more material and it all sounded good regardless of it being CD or LP.He also said he didn't find himself second guessing. To him that is what great audio is all about. Sit back and enjoy, the PC 9.1s are pretty special babes. And these were just the highlights. All the rest of it is awesome too. In fact I think I would have just highlighted the whole review if I were Phase Tech:D

I'm seriously considering the velocity 10 system for a 5.1 HT/Music setup (minus the sub). I really liked their sound in the showroom I heard them in. Before I take them home to demo, I'd like to hear from others who have this system. I'd be powering the system with an H/K 630 and probably an HSU VTF-2 sub. Would they match well with an H/K?

Thanks!

I can't imagine you'd be displeased. I love my Velocity V12 system. I use the following config with a Sony ES reciever:

V12 Mains
V6 Center
V-Surround for sides
V-4's for rears for 7.1 when I get the new pre/pro/receiver in.

Thanks Shane. Do you listen to a lot of SACD and/or DVD-A? I'm wondering how the center and surrounds blend with the mains for multi-channel music?

When I did own an SACD/DVD audio player, the sound thru my speakers was spectacular then again I did NOT listen to multichannel music. I'm one of those audiofools that despise music that is more than 2 channels. FWIW, I paid $1,800 with tax for all 7 speakers. Due to some other issues I'm having to wait on my SVS. Oh well good things go to those that wait...

Alright, so I'm really close to jumping on a Velocity package. Since my system will be used for approx. 60% surround music, I'm considering going with a pair of V-12s and 3 V-8s. They'd be powered by the H/K 7200, with an SVS PB2-ISD thrown in the mix. I'm thinking of crossing all speakers over at 60 hz.

Anyone have a similar setup, or have any opinions about going this route? My room is approx. 20' x 15' x 8'.

Also, has anyone tried bi-wiring the V-12s?

Thanks for the input. I go back to my dealer on Friday for a final listen.

Chad G.

Chad,

Sounds like it would be a great setup! At least based on the V-12's I owned. Let us know what you came up with!

Best Regards,
Patrick

Phase Tech owners;

What amp/receivers are using with your speakers? What amps really make your speakers sing?

I owned a pair of 7.5vdts and 4.5's and at one time or another had them hooked up to the following amps;

McCormack TLC/Cary Superamp
Arcam 8r
Harman/Kardon hk620
ASUSA k2003
Jolida 202a

The TLC and Cary produced great sound
The Arcam was bright and colorful.

The other three weren't real good matches with the 7.5's. Strangely though, the Jolida 202A and a the 4.5's were a great combination.

Dennis

I was using a 55TXi with my PC 3.1 MKIIs (L C R), and Velocity V-surrounds.
Now I'm using the 56TXi, both were able to drive the Phase Techs effortlessly. That is was of Phase Techs many strentghs, high sensitivity and easy to drive! Though the PC 9.1s are a bit more of a load at 4 Ohms, compared to the 3.1s 6 Ohm load.

Best Regards,
Patrick

I am a longtime lurker who has been following this thread through the summer. I am close to pulling the trigger on PC 3.1 MKIIs for L/C/R, and was curious what surround speakers everyone is using. I know Avaholic uses the v-surrounds.

I am getting a Pio 56TXi to go with it and would like a 7.1 system for my ~400 sq ft theater room.

I am looking for Pioneer (thanks Vinodk) and Phase Tech dealers in Southern California who have some flexibility on price. I am also interested in a source for decent matching stands.

Thanks in advance!

KingMouth,

If you are still around, Phase Tech. is planning on reintroducing the PC Surrounds next year. As far as stands for the PC 3.1 II's. That is a tough one. If you have kids anyway, like me. The PC 3.1II's are heavy (40lbs.), and tall (22"), which is kind of a bad combination. I ended up making my own stands. And it was actually pretty easy.

Materials cost about $100. Using 6" PVC pipe (have to buy in 10' length, so it's a little pricey), hardwood bases and speaker platforms, threaded rod (to run through the PVC and connect the base and platform), washers, nuts, black spray paint, Blue-Tac (to anchor the speaker to the stand), two 50 lb bags of playsand, and a little caulking to seal the bottom inside of the PVC so the pipe can be filled with sand. It was kind of hard to get a straight cut on the PVC, and Home Depot cut the wood to my specs. for me. But other than that, a little drilling, sanding and painting and I had myself a pair of 60 lb (each) sand filled stands that are rock solid!

Here's a Pic:

http://img44.exs.cx/img44/7218/PC31stand.jpg

Good Luck!
Patrick

This has been a very helpful thread. I ended up getting the Velocity series. V12 for LR, V8 for the Center, and 4 v-surrounds for the sides and back.

I didn't get the 3.1s because I needed to save the extra thousand. I was already WAYYYYY over budget with the Samsung Kirk, Pio 56TXi, DirectTv HD DVR, that I already bought in the last 3 weeks. I still am looking at the Pio 59AVi, and then I will be done (for awhile)! Except for the Sub and Power recliners. I will have to wait for a month or two for those.

My wife thinks I am nuts. Oh by the way I didn't check with her on anything, I just bought what I decided was right for me. I am a BAD MAN, but she will forgive me!

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread.

Hugh

Hugh,

Congrats on your setup! The Velocity's are sweet indeed! And you are going to love the 56TXi. I just recently upgraded to it myself!

My wife puts up with my "audio crazieness" too. She does not understand it, and can care less about good sound, but she deals with it. ;)

Best Regards,
Patrick

I currently have a pair of V12s and 3 V8s in a 5.1 setup. I want to move to 7.1 and would like to mount my rears. Would the V-Surrounds work ok for rears for both 7.1 movie and music applications?

Thanks!

Chad,

Yes, they would work fine in the back. They are switchable bipole/dipole, most people usually would set them as dipole only if they were the side surrounds though. Given that they are for the back, I would recommend you set them to bipole. You could try dipole to see if you will like it better, but for music most would prefer the bipole setting for sure. Actually I prefer the bipole setting on my V-surrounds for movies as well (but I only use them in a 5.1 setup to the side and slightly in back of the listening position). Truth be told, you might want to check out the direct-radiating (monopole) V-4's, they are also wall mountable, cheaper, and monopoles are usually the most preferred for rears in a 7.1 setup (at least that's what I've seen posted by many members). Do you have a dealer that would let you try both, to see which one you like better?

How are you liking your Velocities?

Best Regards,
Patrick

Thanks Patrick. I knew I could count on you for info. on Phase Tech. products. ;)
I'll have to look into some wall mount assemblies that would work with the V4s.


I'm really enjoying the Velocities. They resolve detail very well and have great soundstage depth. I just got an H/K 635, paired with an outboard adcom 5 channel power amp), and have been playing with various configurations. Amazingly, the EQ on the 635 doesn't seem to "correct" much of anything above around 200hz with these Velocities. I don't know if it's the absolute phase technology or what, but these speakers performed very well in my room even without EQ. Btw, the EQ did do wonders on my sub though.

Chad.. Glad to hear you are enjoying the Velocities!

I'm pretty sure the V-4's come with brackets. You could either email them or ask your dealer to be sure! EDIT: I see thier website says they have the holes to mount brackets but it says nothing about the actual brackets!

Enjoy,
Patrick

BTW: Chad what kind of discount did you get from your dealer on the V-12's and V-8's?

Patrick

30%

...but don't ask who my dealer was. He asked that I keep that a secret.

That sounds about right. The two dealers I have in my area will seem to go anywhere from 20-30% off when you buy a full set of Phase Techs. Just a pair won't deserve much of a discount though. Quite a few have had similar stories, but there have been some dealers I have heard that would not go above 10%.

OK - Here we go........
I just got a good deal on the Phase Technology PC 9.1 speakers. I am just starting to build my system and I am looking for some suggestions on which speaker to use for a center. I know some people use the PC 3.1 II but they also market a PC 33.1 for the center. Should I be looking at another center option? I really want to make a good decision on my center and I know this is the place that can help me out. Thanks ............

Originally posted by jpicket
OK - Here we go........
I just got a good deal on the Phase Technology PC 9.1 speakers. I am just starting to build my system and I am looking for some suggestions on which speaker to use for a center. I know some people use the PC 3.1 II but they also market a PC 33.1 for the center. Should I be looking at another center option? I really want to make a good decision on my center and I know this is the place that can help me out. Thanks ............
A traditional upright 2-way design, such as the 3.1 II, will usually provide better acoustics compared to a horizontal center design. Assuming you can accommodate the upright speaker.

I would suggest using the 3.1 II; it is a much better match to the 9.1, since the 9.1 and 3.1 II have the same drivers. The 3.1 II can be used both vertically and horizontally, because the tweeter mid range section can be unscrewed and rotated. In my opinion the 33.1 is not built as well as the 3.1 II, I am sure that's why it costs less.

I wouldn't suggest looking at any other brand of center channel, since it is unlikely you will find anything that will tonally match the PC9.1's as well as the 3.1 II.

Someone at work is considering selling an older set of PC 8.5s. These are over 10 years old but the reviews i found via the phase tech site sure have peaked my interest. http://www.phasetech.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?page=55

Anyone have any comments on these? What do you think a fair price would be for the pair?

indy,

I've never heard the PC 8.5's. They cost $1,200 new, but at that age I wouldn't pay more than $300-400 (probably closer to $300), and that's if they are in perfect condition. In anycase I'd call Phase tech. and see if replacement drivers are available. the rubber/foam surrounds on those drivers are bound not to be in the best of condition.

Phase Tech. makes incredible speakers especially for the price. I'd go have a close listen with your favorite music, and see what you think!

Best Regards,
Patrick

Thanks for the reply, I was kind of thinking the same thing........check to see if there are replacement drivers still availalble. For $200 - $350 these could be a nice find.

A little disappointed to not hear that these have a follwoing like some other vintage speakers such as some of the kind of high end Infintiys, etc.

Howdy guys.

I have really enjoyed reading the posts that have spanned the past 1 1/2 in this thread (as well as other posts regarding Phase Techs in other threads) and really appreciate all of your testimonials. I am in the process of building my HT in my new home and ordered my Yamaha 4600 to be the brains and power for my system.

For my speaker setup, I have auditioned several brands at higher end audio stores here in San Antonio and have been most impressed with the Phase Tech 9.1/3.1, B&W 704/HTM 7 and Paradigm Studio 60/CC 570 setups for the front soundstage. I plan on pairing one of these with two pairs of in-ceiling speakers from the same brand and a sub (probably the Velodyne DLS 4000R) to complete my 7.1 system. All are about the same price and, IMO, have similar sounds. What I haven't been able to do is audition them in my home with the acoustics of my room (19x19x9).

Since I will be using these for approx. 75% HT and only 25% music (although I am rapidly falling in love with 2-channel music again after hearing these speakers), do any of you have an opinion on the Phase Techs' ability to deliver in HT mode? I am sold on any of these for music, but other than a few minutes of clips from the DTS demo DVD at the store, I have not been able to appreciate any of these setups for movies. Like Patrick, I am very sensitive to bright or forward speakers (couldn't stand the M&K's), but do appreciate a warm, full sound over a large soundstage. I have a large U-Shaped seating area and want those sitting on the sides to be able to appreciate these wonderful speakers in addition to whomever is in the "sweat spot".

I really like the Phase Techs and am working my dealer to get a good price (shooting for 20-25% off the entire setup), but if he doesn't step up to the plate, I may be inclined to go with the Paradigms from another dealer.

Any opinions regarding HT performance, pricing strategy or the other brands is much appreciated. I don't feel that I can go wrong with any setup, but I just want to make sure that I get the fit that is right for my usage mix (and budget).

Home Theater performance of the 3.1II's are outstanding. They are pretty darn dynamic and excellent vocals and placement of sounds within soundstage. Much like with music.

Best Regards,
Patrick

Thanks for the input. I have read your reviews of the 3.1II's as a L/C/R and you seem to feel that they can carry the full range (with a separate sub, of course) without missing the added lows of the floorstanding 9.1. Obviously, three of the 3.1II's would be much more cost effective than the 9.1/3.1 setup, but if a budget allows, would you still choose the "small" package over t he "large" even now.

With my room I'd probably still go with the 3.1's. Because I really need to have the sub fill in the lower freq. It fills my room better with bass even for music using the sub. Plus I can use a parametric EQ to correct the freq. on the sub, smoothing out the lower freq.

Patrick (and anyone else using the PC's), what sides/rears are you using with your Phase Tech PC L/C/R? Does anyone have any experience with the CI 6.0 or 6.1 in-ceilings, as I am forced to use those (or other in-ceilings) for my surround due to lack of wall space.

Also, what can I expect in the way of discounting on these speakers? My dealer is offering 20% off, but I'd like to get 'em to go 25%. Am I barking up the wrong tree or is this a reasonable request?

Again, thanks for the input. I have pretty much decided on Phase Tech over the Paradigms, but now I just have to decide whether to go with the 9.1's or 3.1's. I am looking forward to getting whichever setup hooked up and posting my own rave reviews touting the unheralded wonder of Phase Tech speakers.

20% is excellent. 25% would be better, but I'd take 20%
I used the Phase Tech. Velocity V-surrounds with the PC's with great success!

Phase Tech it is! I am purchasing the 9.1's (L-25%) 3.1II (L-20%) a set of 6.0 for the side channels and a set of 6.1 for the rear channels (both pair at L-20%). I love the sound and quality and am looking forward to powering them with my new Yamaha 4600. I will let you know how it all sounds when it's installed. Thanks again for the help and advice.

Sounds good 3Jax, CONGRATS!!!

Let us know how you like the setup.

I love my Phase tech's. 3.1II L,C,R 1.1II L,R,LR,RR. add an earthquake MKV15 like mine for some foundation shaking bass and you will be set.

My dealer had to order the cherry speakers from Phase Tech so I won't be able to enjoy them until after Labor Day. I did, however, get him to sell the whole setup at a full 25% off list for all pieces (2x9.1, 3.1, 4x6.0). I gave the 3.1's across the front one more audition, but went with the 9.1's due to their much more full sound (that extra driver makes a big difference).

I have not yet decided on a sub to go with the Phase Techs, but am not in a hurry to spend another $500-1000 (my subwoofer budget), although I may change my mind when I get the speakers installed (after all, that's what credit is for, correct?). I am leaning towards the new Velodyne DLS-5000R or SPL-R series subs, but would welcome any other recommendations that anyone may have that would complement these wonderful Phase Techs. The PC-Sub sounded pretty good in the showroom as well, although it doesn't have nearly the features that the Velodynes have. I don't like the idea of purchasing products ID without getting a chance to audition them, so I would like to stick to more conventionally retailed subs that local dealers may have.

I hope to have the new system up and running by mid next week. I'll gladly post my impressions at that time. I really have enjoyed reading all of you Phase Tech owners posts and it is the overwhelming sheer love of all of their products that helped convince me that I can't go wrong with this line of speakers. With so many posts in this thread, you would think that there would be more negatives than there are, just by the law of averages (and because people like to blast products that they have bad experiences with). But there has been nary a disparaging remark about Phase Tech and that is enough to make me sleep well at night and never have buyers remorse.

Ive got some questions regarding a small room 8'4"x 12'6" and the teatro series 7.5,6.5 and a pair of CI-20 in walls. Is this going to be overkill once I move into a my smaller dedicated room? How much affect is the room size going to have on them? My current room is 11x13 and they sound great. Thanks!

I just thought that I would resurect this thread since there are owners threads for every other type of speaker out there. I still love my PC1.1II. Does anyone know if the PC line is being replaced and if there are new products within the PC and Velocity line, Usually they announce their new products at CEDIA.

Thanks
Dennis

Bump...

I have an old teatro setup (6 years old) with the older (v6 style) center, 4xbookshelves (4.5) and a B&W ASW1000 sub.

I LOVE the teatros (and the B&W sub)! Purchased at Jerry's in Scottsdale, AZ

Wondering what the new stuff is from PT..

Hello?..... Is anyone there?....... LOL

I just thought that I would resurect this thread since there are owners threads for every other type of speaker out there. I still love my PC1.1II. Does anyone know if the PC line is being replaced and if there are new products within the PC and Velocity line, Usually they announce their new products at CEDIA.

Thanks
Dennis

The PC series is going to be re-designed sometime later this year. Mainly the changes to the line are going to be cosmetic but details are limited as of now. There isn't anything really new within the PC or Velocity lines but the subwoofers from the Velocity series are going through a changeover. The new Velocity subs have an active front firing driver and down loaded passive radiator (not front firing and ported like the HV models). The cabinets are also going to have curved sides and an overall better stance to them so they don't look like boxy subs. Interestingly enough, even though these new sub models are starting to ship, Phase Tech has not put them on the website yet.

Bump...

I have an old teatro setup (6 years old) with the older (v6 style) center, 4xbookshelves (4.5) and a B&W ASW1000 sub.

I LOVE the teatros (and the B&W sub)! Purchased at Jerry's in Scottsdale, AZ

Wondering what the new stuff is from PT..

Hello?..... Is anyone there?....... LOL

The line that replaced the Teatro series, the Velocity series, is based off of the designs of Teatro with some changes. The biggest difference is that the drivers of the Velocity series are an integral part of the front baffle to eliminate any vibration/coloration caused by a driver being screwed into the baffle. Since the baffle and woofer are one integrated part, the baffle is shock-mounted to the cabinet to eliminate any additional reasonance.

My last post addressed the change in their Velocity line of subs.

But the biggest addition to their line this year is dARTS (Digital Audio Reference Theater System) and the newly released smaller "Baby" dARTS. This is a fully configuarable theater system offered in 3 flavors based on the installtion and application. There is an in-wall version, a no-frills cabinet version for installs where the speakers will be hidden away, and a stylish cabinet version where the speakers will be exposed. The system includes a 16 channel digital power amp which drives all of the speakers in bi/tri-ampable configurations. They worked closely with Audyssey for the room correction software, and have achieved a system able to calibrate and correct for up to 32 listening positions with each speaker being +/-0.5dB of the reference curve. There was a review in the October '06 Home Theater on the system by Darryl Wilkinson who said that this system can "make just about any room sound as close to the best home theater as you can get." Personally, I liked his closing statement; ". . . if your've become a little bored or jaded with the whole home theater thing, this system might just get you dreaming again." You can access the entire article here:

http://www.hometheatermag.com/floorloudspeakers/1006phasedarts/index.html

I think most of us can start dreaming since pricing on these systems start at around $10,000 - the system tested in HT was $17,500.

I don't work for Phase Tech by the way; I just think they build some great speakers that don't get enough attention around here.

TDI Driver,

Thanks for your knowledgable reply. Phase Tech has long been my favorite company. And I have owned many pairs of their speakers.

Do you know what their relation is to the MSE Audio group? I know that PT is still owned by United Speaker Systems, but am trying to gain an understanding about their new affiliation. I have also had some difficulty getting answers out of them. Mark Stephensen would gladly answer any question I had regarding their products, but since last fall they have not answered any of the email I sent.

Thanks
Dennis

One of the MSE facilities (in Kansas if memory serves) is manufacturing some of the cabinets for Phase Tech speakers. Internally at Phase Tech, the relationship with MSE has allowed Ken Hecht to focus more on designing speakers than doing the busywork associated with being the president of the company. From what my rep told me, it seems to be a harmless integration between companies that will ultimately benefit Phase Tech in getting even more new, and cutting edge, product to market faster than they were able to do in the past. I wish I could be more detailed about the relationship, but my rep was going over so many things with me that I kept the product information ahead in my memory before anything else.

I know what you mean though, I haven't talked to Mark S. for at least 6 months.

If I find anything else out, I'll post it here to keep all the Phase Tech followers up to speed.

As promised, I would post periodical updates as to what is going on at Phase Tech.

The new Power FL sub line is complete and shipping. These newly designed subs are outstanding in terms of output, depth, and quickness. New cabinet, new drivers, and all this with pricing only going up $50 over the HV series sub line.

New in-wall and in-ceiling product is coming out in April/May and they are starting to ship an angled-mount option for current models of their in-ceiling products.

dARTS is the most noteworthy of the new offerings with the latest "525 series" getting a glowing review from The Perfect Vision magazine and also being touted in that mag as having the "Greatest Technological Breakthrough" and being one of the "Best Sounding" products at the last CES show. All this good word and not a dime spent on advertising in TPV's pages.

That's it for now. When the new PC series is ready for debut, or if anything else of note with this diamond-in-the-rough line comes up, I'll let you all know.

Thanks for your time and happy listening!

Wow, thanks for the update! Now i have to re-think how I was going to set up my speakers for surround, as In-Wall would be GREAT for the rears...

Off to Jerry's to hear what they have and spend some money....

....newly released smaller "Baby" dARTS.

....3 flavors based on the installtion and application. There is an in-wall version, a no-frills cabinet version for installs where the speakers will be hidden away, and a stylish cabinet version where the speakers will be exposed.

On the website I don't see anything that I think would be called "Baby", nor do I see a "stylish cabinet version". All there is are:

dARTS 6.5
CB-Series:
DCB-1.0-LR
DCB-5.0-C
DCB-112-SUB
DCB-210-SUB
DCB-SURR
IW-Series:
DIW-1.0-LR
DIW-SURR

Are the "baby" darts and the "stylish" versions too new to be on the website? Do you have any info you can link to, including MSRPs?

Thanks.

There is a toll free number on the web site. Why don't you give them a call and see what you can find out? Let us know.

The Baby Dart is still pictured on the home page if you hover the pointer over the Dart line of speakers, but it's not listed in the Dart collection.

The smaller version of dARTS, the 525 series, has been reviewed in the March 2007 issue of The Perfect Vision (issue # 76). Review begins on page 42. It is available for download on their website - an e-mail address is required for download:
http://www.avguide.com/the-perfect-vision/back-issues

Systems versions & MSRP pricing:

Custom Built-In Cabinet Version
DP1051CB 5.1 system $10,000
DP1061CB 6.1 system $10,600
DP1071CB 7.1 system $11,200
DP1052CB 5.2 system $11,500
DP1062CB 6.2 system $12,100
DP1072CB 7.2 system $12,700
DCB-210 Extra dual 10" 500 watt powered sub $1500
DCB112 Extra 12" with dual 10" passive radiators 500 watt powered sub $1500

In-Wall Version
DP1051IW 5.1 system $11,000
DP1061IW 6.1 system $11,600
DP1071IW 7.1 system $12,200
DP1052IW 5.2 system $12,500
DP1062IW 6.2 system $13,100
DP1072IW 7.2 system $13,700

Finished Cabinet Version (available in gloss black or gloss cherry)
DP1051FS 5.1 system $11,000
DP1061FS 6.1 system $11,600
DP1071FS 7.1 system $12,200
DP1052FS 5.2 system $12,800
DP1062FS 6.2 system $13,400
DP1072FS 7.2 system $14,000
DFS-112 Extra 12" with dual 10" passive radiators 500 watt powered sub $1800

All systems come with the 16-channel digital power amp. The built-in cabinet and in-wall systems allow you the choice of either switchable di/bi-polar rear channel speakers or direct radiating surrounds. The finished cabinet systems come with the di/bi-polar surround speakers only. All features and build details are the same as with the larger dARTS series systems. Models listed above are the full system model desgnations.

Hope this helps and I agree Phase Tech is a little slow getting the full dARTS information on their site. By the way sorry for taking so long to update you guys!

[QUOTE=TDI Driver]The smaller version of dARTS, the 525 series, has been reviewed in the March 2007 issue of The Perfect Vision (issue # 76). Review begins on page 42. It is available for download on their website - an e-mail address is required for download:
http://www.avguide.com/the-perfect-vision/back-issues

Systems versions & MSRP pricing:

Finished Cabinet Version (available in gloss black or gloss cherry)
DP1051FS 5.1 system $11,000
DP1061FS 6.1 system $11,600
DP1071FS 7.1 system $12,200
DP1052FS 5.2 system $12,800
DP1062FS 6.2 system $13,400
DP1072FS 7.2 system $14,000
DFS-112 Extra 12" with dual 10" passive radiators 500 watt powered sub $1800
QUOTE]

Thanks for the info. I have a few questions:

The review pictures of the 525 are in a light wood, not gloss black or gloss cherry as described above. Is there another "finished cabinet" series than the 525? How do the units differ from the 525? What are the MSRPs? Any links to reviews?

Any plans for updated versions of the room equalization, and if so in what timeframe? Of particular interest to me would be the ability to (1) save multiple tone curves, for instance for movies, music, different types of music, etc, and (2) the ability to do user callibration, rather than calling the dealer back in whenever there is a change to furniture, room treatments, etc., and (3) over-ride / modify tone curves in whatever way I choose, for instance by boosting bass in a gradual way, +1db at 50 hz, sloping up to +3db at 25hz.

Thanks!

Thanks for the info. I have a few questions:

The review pictures of the 525 are in a light wood, not gloss black or gloss cherry as described above. Is there another "finished cabinet" series than the 525? How do the units differ from the 525? What are the MSRPs? Any links to reviews?

Any plans for updated versions of the room equalization, and if so in what timeframe? Of particular interest to me would be the ability to (1) save multiple tone curves, for instance for movies, music, different types of music, etc, and (2) the ability to do user callibration, rather than calling the dealer back in whenever there is a change to furniture, room treatments, etc., and (3) over-ride / modify tone curves in whatever way I choose, for instance by boosting bass in a gradual way, +1db at 50 hz, sloping up to +3db at 25hz.

Thanks!

After I first saw TPV's review, I had questioned the cabinets as well and was informed by my rep that the ones reviewed were actually prototype versions and not the actual production models which explains the finish and lack of grilles. I think the cherry is going to be more of a natural cherry rather than a red cherry. The shape, styling, and drivers of the cabinets pictured in TPV are the final designs though.

There is another version of dARTS, the larger 650 series, the which is shown in its built-in cabinet and in-wall versions on Phase Tech's website:
http://phasetech.com/darts.html

Here are links to reviews & press releases on the 650 series, as well as series lit:
http://www.hometheatermag.com/floorloudspeakers/1006phasedarts/index.html
http://phasetech.com/pdfs/reviews/DCB-1.0-LR.pdf
http://phasetech.com/pdfs/reviews/review2/DCB-1.0-LR-review2.pdf
http://phasetech.com/pdfs/reviews/review4/DCB-1.0-LR-review4.pdf
http://phasetech.com/pdfs/prod-lit/DCB-1.0-LR.pdf

650 Series Systems and MSRP:

Custom Built-in Version
DP2051CB 5.1 system $14,500
DP2061CB 6.1 system $15,250
DP2071CB 7.1 system $16,000
DP2052CB 5.2 system $16,000
DP2062CB 6.2 system $16,750
DP2072CB 7.2 system $17,500
*The 650 series shares the same extra sub models and prices listed in the 525 series

In-wall Version
DP2051IW 5.1 $16,200
DP2061IW 6.1 $17,200
DP2071IW 7.1 $18,200
DP2052IW 5.2 $17,700
DP2062IW 6.2 $18,900
DP2072IW 7.2 $19,900

Finished Cabinet Version
DP2051FS 5.1 $16,500
DP2061FS 6.1 $17,350
DP2071FS 7.1 $18,200
DP2052FS 5.2 $18,300
DP2062FS 6.2 $19,150
DP2072FS 7.2 $20,000
DFS-112 Extra Sub $1800

All MSRP prices are for the complete systems. The only individual model prices are on the extra subs. The price sheet does not break each system down by individual model and price.

Now for your questions about the processing and user-customization - I have no answers for you on those but give me some time. We are rennovating our showroom and will be getting a dARTS system in once the redesign is done, so I haven't had a chance to get really hands on with the system myself (only saw a demo). I will send an e-mail off to Ken Hecht with your questions and will post whatever I find out.

Thanks for your questions. Hope this helps clear some things up. Let me know if you need anything else.

TDI,

Do you know what brand of amps Phase Tech voices their PC line with? My amp went and I'm looking for the best match for my PC1.1II.

Dennis

TDI,

Do you know what brand of amps Phase Tech voices their PC line with? My amp went and I'm looking for the best match for my PC1.1II.

Dennis

A very good question indeed. Sounds like another e-mail or call to Ken or Mark for me. When I find anything out I will post it here. Still waiting for a response from Ken on the dARTS questions posed before. Sorry to hear about your amp.

TDI

Any plans for updated versions of the room equalization, and if so in what timeframe? Of particular interest to me would be the ability to (1) save multiple tone curves, for instance for movies, music, different types of music, etc, and (2) the ability to do user callibration, rather than calling the dealer back in whenever there is a change to furniture, room treatments, etc., and (3) over-ride / modify tone curves in whatever way I choose, for instance by boosting bass in a gradual way, +1db at 50 hz, sloping up to +3db at 25hz.

Thanks!

Just received this from Phase Tech with regards to your questions and concerns:

"In response, yes we are looking at making further enhancements to the Audyssey programs used to calibrate dARTS. Unfortunately, I can’t give you a good time frame for these changes as we just don’t know yet how they’ll play out. When we DO come out with version 2 of our amplifier, we plan to have the ability to user-access at least two different curves, presumable via a number of different switching methods, as well as an EQ on/off button to demo the calibration results (i.e. show the contribution of the room’s acoustics, and how the MultEQ has gotten rid of the anomalies).

As far as user/dealer EQ tweaks, we’ve spoken with D2Audio, who built the amp/DSP modules, and asked them about the ability to perhaps offer SLIGHT modification abilities. When we configure the speaker systems at the factory, we use their onboard DSP to set and correct crossover points and slopes, do time and phase alignment, and adjust the frequency response to meet our target curve. We hesitate to give the user and/or dealer access to these settings because in most cases their personal taste would just muddy up the waters. First of all, we give them four variations on the target curve from which to choose, with four different roll-off characteristics in the mids and highs, which should get into the ballpark in nearly any room, especially with MINOR use of tone controls. Secondly, the D2’s DSP uses parametric filters to contour the frequency response, which would then obviate the benefit of Audyssey’s FIR digital filters, which correct time and frequency simultaneously unlike all other equalization which corrects frequency but introduces time lag each and every time a filter is engaged, smearing the details. Since we do the factory-contouring BEFORE in-room calibration to provide a perfectly matched system within +/- 0.5dB, the 512 FIR filters per amplifier channel provided in the Audyssey MultEQ XT program correct for those inherent temporal non-linearities introduced at setup. We would not want dealers or clients destroying the rebuilt soundfield by introducing phase anomalies and reducing the correction effect provided by the measurement and correction curves that are derived from the calibration process. If a dealer were to apply his own EQ and then recalibrate, Audyssey would just re-engineer a new curve to bring it back to the target."

Hope this helps answer your questions and let me know if you need anything else.

TDI,

Do you know what brand of amps Phase Tech voices their PC line with? My amp went and I'm looking for the best match for my PC1.1II.

Dennis

Dennis, here is what I was able to find out for you:

"Lastly, you asked about what we use to voice our Premier Collection at the factory. Most of our listening is done with either a multi-channel McIntosh system, or a hybrid Conrad-Johnson preamp & MOS-FET power amp. While I don’t imagine that most people would invest in that ilk of equipment to go with our “budget gourmet” PC speakers, it speaks well for them that we can hear the difference in minute details using these modestly-priced speakers. As far as your inquiry, I’d hesitate to recommend specific brands or models, but will say that since the PCs have a very deep and fast low end, a nice high-current receiver or amp would be a good choice to control this available depth. Anything from Arcam to YBA (I couldn’t think of a “Z” brand), but seriously, any good mid-line, high quality electronics will do well. The Premier Collection IS nominally a 4-6 ohm load, and a fairly benign one at that, so again, anything that is stable and has good current delivery will be satisfactory."

By the way, Mark S. is no longer at Phase Tech. No other reason but being on the road wore him out and he wanted to be with his family more. Hope this amplifier advice helps and good luck in your search for the perfect mate to your speakers. Let me know how it turns out and if you need anything else related to PT.

Jason (TDI)

Jason,

As always thanks for your knowledge and insight on Phase Tech products. I'm sorry to hear that Mark is gone. He was always extremely responsive, polite, and insightful about Phase Tech products. Thanks for finding out for me what amps they voice their speakers with. Even though Conrad Johnson is currently out of my league, I think that I will look for a good budget tube amp for my system. Perhaps a Jolida or Chinese amp like a Cayin. I have always thought that Phase Tech speakers sang with Tubes. This I'm sure is attributable to them being designed with Mac and Conrad Johnson Hybrid amps.

Here is a pic of my old system, before my daughter was born and had to be dismantled and sold off(most of it) for financial reasons. I was driving a pair of 7.5vdt's with a Cary SuperAmp and McCormack Preamp. I also used the 7.5's with amps from Jolida, Golden Tube, and ASUSA. Some of the best sound I ever achieved in my system was the Phase Tech 4.5's driven by a Jolida 202a. The synergy between the two was amazing.

Thanks again,
Dennis

http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52734/DSC00012.JPG

Dennis,

Found your pics on Audiocircle. Very nice set-up! I used to sell McCormack and Jolida many years ago, and the store I'm with now was a Cary and Conrad dealer before the high-end 2-channel market went the way of the steel mills around here. I think you are on the right track with a new tube amp for your 1.1's. You'll have to let me know what you end up with and how it sounds.

I too was surprised to hear about Mark, but I can understand how being on the road all the time could wear pretty thin eventually.

Take care and enjoy your pursuit of audio nirvana. If you're ever in OH, look me up!

Jason

I have found that my Rotel RMB-1095 (5x200@8ohms) and RB-1090 (2x380@8ohms) amps pair well with my Phase Tech PC speakers (3x PC-9.1, 2x PC-3.1 II, and 2x older PC-100's). Since Rotel is often chosen as a budget alternative to McIntosh I am not at all surprised that Phase Tech decided to use McIntosh as their in-house amp. I'm quite happy with my "budget" Rotel amps paired with their speakers.

Greetings everyone,

I just received word that the new PC Series is going to be shipping very soon. The new cabinets share the physical styling of the dARTS 525 series finished models and will be available in gloss black or satin cherry. The new PC line also features the new dARTS 525 tweeter and a new RPF woofer with lighter and stiffer foam laminated with woven glass fiber. They also incorporate a completed redesigned crossover allowing for bi-wiring or bi-amping.

Model and MSRP is as follows:
PC-0.5 5.25" RPF woofer and 1"soft dome tweeter 2-way bookshelf $800 pair.
PC-1.5 6.5" RPF woofer and 1" soft dome tweeter 2-way bookshelf $1100 pair.
PC-3.5 Dual 6.5" RPF woofer, 1.5" dome midrange and 1" soft dome tweeter 3-way bookshelf $850 each.
PC-33.5 Center or LCR 5.25" RPF woofer, 5.25" bass radiator and 1" soft dome tweeter $500 each.

Mysteriously absent are new versions of the PC-9.1 and PC-Sub. No mention of whether or not these models will be introduced at a later date. This was the only information I received yesterday, but I will try to find out more after the holiday weekend. Also, if I get some links to pictures or brochures for this new line, I'll be sure to share.

All the best this holiday weekend and, as always, happy listening!

Earlier in the year when I contacted Phase Tech, they told me they would also be releasing true surround speakers for their PC line (something that's missing in their current offerings). Some of you may remember that Phase Tech did indeed offer PC series surrounds at one pont. I'm not sure why they stopped offering them as they were nice speakers and completed their PC line well.

With the new roll out of PC series speakers, I'd imagine it'll be possible to find some nice deals on the 3.1 II and 9.1 (when its replacement comes out). Both are very good speakers for MSRP, so additional discounts could make them a real deal.

For those of you who haven't heard them yet, give them a listen... I think you'll like what you hear.

I auditioned the "baby" dARTS 7.2 setup today. I thought the system sounded pretty good (and the price not too bad) but I did notice that during the demo the salesman had the volume pegged to the maximum level. I felt there could be times when it just wouldn't output as much as I wanted (I'm not sure if this could be addressed with an EQ or not).

I was impressed with the performance of the V-12 floor standing mains that I listed to and they are definitely on my short list for my new HT. I was however not as impressed with the dARTS because I think a premium speaker system with a seperate amp should have more oomph. I don't think I'm going to consider the dARTS for that reason.

Not much activity on this forum... have people lost interest in the Phase Techs?

Nah... we are just at home enjoying them all the time!!

I felt there could be times when it just wouldn't output as much as I wanted (I'm not sure if this could be addressed with an EQ or not).

Probably not. It just doesn't have the drivers to be a high-output system. A couple 10 inch subwoofers and only two 5.5" midwoofers on the LCRs. I don't think the larger darts system would be all that more impressive, either, as you only move up to two 6.5" midwoofers. Take a look at what Triad (Gold/Platinum), Snell (XA1900), and Atlantic Tech (8200) had to do for a high-output sealed system. Those small woofers just won't cut it.

Hello. :)
I've been reading this thread for some time now, but I finally decided to register and contribute.

I've been collecting Phase Techs for a good while now, (I have 13 at the moment, 11 of them in use) and here is the rundown.

2x PC10.5: Gloss Black - The local Stereo Shoppe decided to close it's doors and I spied these demos. I couldn't help it... I jumped. The price was too good to be true, and because The Stereo Shoppe is/was an authorized dealer, I got the full 10-year warranty from the date of purchase! The owner of The Stereo Shoppe, John, (I think :S) kept calling me "Mr. Phase Tech" and even gave me the dealer's Phase Tech sign. :)

4x PC6.5: Two came from Ebay, (Black wood-grain) and the other two came (Oak) from a close relative. No warranty, but Phase Tech's customer support is great. :)

1x PC33.1: Black wood-grain. Got this one from the same close relative as the 6.5s.

2x PC65: Oak. Another Ebay deal. The woofers appear to be poorly repaired with some sort of blue foam.

4x PC60: The first two (Cherry) were my first real speakers ever. (Well... The only two worth listening to anyways.) The other two (Oak) were another good Ebay deal.

Currently, I am using the PC10.5s as mains in a 5.1 system with the PC33.1 in the center and two PC6.5s in the back. backing up the low end is a Velodyne FSR-18. Eventually I want to get a PC3.1 and replace the PC33.1. Also, I will soon be adding the other PC6.5s as rear-side speakers making a nice 7.1 system. :)

I have another 5.1 surround setup which currently sees the other set of 6.5s as mains, a borrowed 1C in the center and the PC65s in the back. A Velodyne CHT-15 is covering the low end.

Two PC60s are in a video-game-only system at another location, and the other two are sitting with no use at the moment. :(

Thank you for reading my incoherent babble. :) With any luck, Ebay will find me a black PC3.1 sometime this winter.

Pyro, that's a pretty impressive collection - I guess you really are "Mr. Phase Tech!" :)

Welcome to the thread, and best of luck finding the 3.1 to round out your system.

As for us, we are anticipating the arrival of the new PC series. We ordered the PC3.5 and 1.5 out of the new models. I will post an overview and impressions once I get them in and fired up.

Happy listening!

Thank you TDI. :)

Oh... Someone mentioned to me that I should try hooking up two PC3.1s as a combined center channel. Has anyone ever heard of doing this before?

I have seen the topic of using two center channels come up at least a couple times around the forums. While I can't remember exactly what was said, I do remember that it is not recommended. Try doing a site search to locate those specific threads addressing this question/issue.

As always, happy listening!

Pyro6000,

That's funny my local dealer used to call me "Mr Phase Tech" as well.

I've owned or own the following Phase Tech Speakers;

PC1
2.5t
3t
7.5vdt
7.5 (non vdt version)
Octave 10 sub
4.5 (two pairs)
pc 1.1II

Has anyone heard the 1.5's yet? I'm chomping at the bit.

A dealer who I've dealt with in the past said that they are a vast improvement over the 1.1II.

Dennis

Hey Dennis,

We received our 1.5's in last week but with the store in disarray due to a major overhaul, I haven't even unboxed a pair yet. Will report back with some impressions once set up and broken in (although I can't say just yet how soon that will be).

Best,
Jason

Jason,

As always thanks for the quick and informative reply.

I look forward to hearing your thought on the 1.5's.

Dennis

OK guys. Just got our cherry 1.5s out of their boxes and hooked up late Friday. For the time being they are being driven by a Pioneer Elite A35R integrated amp until I get a few more things moved around. Actually the Elite is a pretty respectable integrated though whose performance belies its entry level price point.

But enough about the amp. First impressions: The build quality is first rate. Fit and finish is as good as speakers costing twice as much IMO. The soft dome tweeter is what we've all come to expect from PT, and the new woven honeycomb RPF woofer is striking at first sight. The addition of magnetic grills is a welcome added touch.

Sound quality: Mind you they have no more time on them yet than one run through of the latest Shins CD. However, the first thing that stuck out to me was the bass presentation on these. Even though the frequency response on the 1.5 and the 1.1 II is the same, I swear I never heard such punch and presence out of the 1.1 IIs. Bass response on the 1.5s is pleasantly abundant, tight, and detailed without being overblown. Vocal presentation was dead on without any sense of being recessed or overshadowed by the bottom end. Highs were again what we have come to expect from the PT soft dome; articulate, refined, and without any sense of fatigue. The soundstage was fairly open and wide for being right of the box, and I'm sure this will get better as the speakers get some more time on them. I hope to get some more time listening to these this week with some other music, but this is all I have to report for now. Be back when I get a chance with a follow-up. So far, though, I am very impressed.

For those of you who haven't seen them yet:
http://www.phasetech.com/products.html?product_id=PC-1.5&pc=1
http://www.phasetech.com/pdfs/prod-lit/PC-1.5.pdf

Thanks Jason,

The PC line generally takes a hundred hours or so to really open up. They sound like really nice speakers and a vast improvement over the PC1.1II.

Is there a reason why they dropped the anti-difraction foam from the tweeters? They look much better without them. The 1.5's probably sound a little more open than the 1.1II as a result. It looks like they also dropped the variable axis tweeter.

I think you mentioned a while back the the new MSE Audio partnership agreement has allowed the Hect's to spend more time designing instead of running the business. It looks like things are finally starting to pay off. They are really starting to reach a new level as a company. They are still the best company out there that no one has heard of.

I better start saving my pennies.

Dennis

Dennis (and anyone else interested),

Got some more information from my rep today regarding the new PC series. The tweeter is the same as the one in the dARTS 525 series product. On the elimination of the anti-diffraction foam and variable axis design, I forgot to ask since we were both running short on time. However, Tony Weber, PT director of sales and marketing, is supposed to be visting the store in a couple weeks so I'll ask him and report back.

Gotta go and as always happy listening!

Jason

Has anyone heard the CI-110 in-wall speakers in action? (and the CI-SURR)

Since we have a couple of dealers on the board, could someone pm me a "ballpark" price on these?

Has anyone heard the CI-110 in-wall speakers in action? (and the CI-SURR)

Since we have a couple of dealers on the board, could someone pm me a "ballpark" price on these?

While I haven't heard either model listed as of yet, I can share MSRP on each model. Although I have to say I can't imagine them sounding bad since every Phase Tech speaker I have heard and have experience with is very good.

CI-110 $750 each MSRP (no additional flange and grill kit is needed)
CI-Surround $300 each MSRP (the CI-FGR/QM flange and grill kit are additional and have an "open" MSRP policy. Pricing may vary by dealer. We include them with the purchase of the speaker)

Hope this helps.

Well, I had my meet-and-greet with Tony, director of sales and marketing at PT/MSE this week, and he is a really great guy to talk to. He revealed that they learned a great deal from the development of dARTS which led to the new PC series. The new PC uses the dARTS 525 tweeter and the same driver material on the new RPF woofer. The reason for dropping the acoustic treatment around the tweeter was more of a cosmetic decision than anything, but the omission of it does not have any adverse effect on the sound quality, dispersion characteristics, etc of the new tweeter.

Had some more time with the 1.5 recently, and they are impressive. Definitely faster and deeper bass response than previous PC versions. Top-to-bottom a pleasure to listen to.

Just got the 3.5's out in our front-projection theater display using three across the front, the Power FL-12 sub and another pair of 1.5's out as surrounds. Only a little time listening to music on the 3.5's but again I am very, very pleased and looking forward to more serious time with them.

Both models need to run considerably more before I can give them a complete assessment, but this new line is certainly a home run for Ken, Tony, and everyone at PT.

Gotta run, and as always happy listening!

Have been looking to upgrade my old Phase Techs -- can't remember the model, but I bought them about 15 years ago, with a Phase Tech passive subwoofer -- and am now concentrating my attention on the new Phase Tech PC 1.5 and the Epos M12.2. Hope to do an A-B comparison of these two speakers at our local Sound World sometime soon. Has anyone compared these two? I realize that the PC 1.5 is very new.

Bruce

TDI,

PM Sent

Anyone know the difference between the newer Velocity series and the older Teatro line?

I have a full 5 speaker Teatro setup with Tetro 7.5 towers, 6.5 Center channel, and 4.5's for L/R surrounds. Are the crossovers and drivers mostly the same in the velocities?

I'm still pretty happy with my Teatros, if anything I'd upgrade to the PC series, but I was just curious about their discontinuation.

Velocity series has new drivers (still VDT but the basket and baffle are all one unit to eliminate vibration at the source), and minor updates were made to crossover components and tweeter. Pretty much all minor improvements over the Teatro series. Certainly the new PC line will be the desirable upgrade path for you.

Hope this helps, and happy holidays to everyone in the PT thread!

Velocity series has new drivers (still VDT but the basket and baffle are all one unit to eliminate vibration at the source), and minor updates were made to crossover components and tweeter. Pretty much all minor improvements over the Teatro series. Certainly the new PC line will be the desirable upgrade path for you.

Hope this helps, and happy holidays to everyone in the PT thread!

Thanks for the update. I wonder if they will update the PC 9.1 like they did with the new 3.5 and 1.5. I don't really get why they're still making the 3.1 now that the 3.5 is out either....I do remember hearing an old pair of the PC's (not the 1.1 but something similair with ports on the front) at a local HT store and being blown away, much preffered them over the klipsch's, def techs, B&W's, and everything else on display there, which is why I originally sought out the teatros.

Either way I hope phase tech keeps up the good work.

Happy Holidays!

Has Phase Tech announced anything new at CES? I haven't been able to find anything on the web. I know that Phase Tech usually waits until Cedia to release their new products.

Dennis

Hey Dennis,

I have received nothing new from my rep as of yet, but I will post it here if I do. From the looks of it MSE showcased their Induction Dynamics line at CES this year.

Happy New Year

Jason

Anyone know of a reason I shouldn't set my Teatro 4.5s sideways? Will it hurt them at all?

Anyone know of a reason I shouldn't set my Teatro 4.5s sideways? Will it hurt them at all?

No problem at all. Because of the absolute phase crossover design, PT says you can place their speakers either horizontally or vertically without any sound quality issues.

Great! Thanks.

I recently acquired two Phase Tech PC1000HO speakers because someone didn't want them. The issue is I cannot find any real specs on them. Anybody know these things better than I do?

Jason-

I am wondering about the new PC-0.5s in stereo mode for a family room LCD. Some background: I have PC 1.1-IIs (with a 3.1-II center channel) in my home theater and love them. This weekend I just put a new LCD in our family room, and the vast majority of the TV watching will be shows with the kids, an occassional movie on HBO, etc., so no need to go all out on surround sound here, but the V speakers will not cut it of course. Two more things to note: 1) ideally the wife wants a very small bookshelf, and she wants a glossy black finish to match the TV, and 2) the room acoustics are terrible - s-story ceiling, a lot of glass, stone fireplace, hardwood floors....

So when I got the TV (local big box store), I grabbed a pair of Def Techs (ProMonitor 1000s) just because it was convenient, hooked them up to my Yamaha HTR-5950 and they sounded terrible. They were very harsh/irritating, and maybe some of has to do wit the fact I am used to the phase Tech sound. I grabbed the PC 1.1s from the Home Theater and tried them and they sounded awesome...

The issue is my wife hates their large/chunky appearance and the flat black cabinet. I just so happened to check the Phase Tech website and saw the new PC models that come in the glossy black, and the PC-0.5s are a little smaller and more appealign to look at. I realize the driver is smaller than the 1.1s, but again - this is not the home theater. There will be a lot of American Idol, etc., watched on this TV. Regardless, I am looking for the smooth, softer sound quality that is easy on the ears in that room.

So the questions are:

1. Will the new PC-0.5s produce the same smooth, natural sound that I am used to with the 1.1s?

2. There is no place for the matching center channel (PC-33.5?) in our setup, so will two PC-0.5s running in stereo handle voices okay? FYI - the two PC-1.1s hooked up right now sound pretty good with voices/regular TV.

3. I have a pairt of CI-20 inwalls in the rear...I assume they would be okay with the PC-0.5s?

4. What will a pair of PC-0.5s run? In case I make room for the center, how much does the PC-33.5 run?

Thank you very much in advance for any comments/suggestions. Brad

Will the new PC-0.5s have the same smooth, natural sound (especially with highs and voices) as my PC-1.1s? I am thinking about getting a pair to run in stereo with a new LCD in my family room (mainly sitcoms, shows, HBO, ESPN, etc.)

Brad

I am new at this so I think my question got posted in the wrong place...sorry. I will try again here:

I am wondering if the new PC-0.5s in stereo mode will sound as smooth and natural with voices/highs as my PC-1.1s in my home theater? Brad

Brad,

Got your e-mail and just responded. All answers should be covered but let me know if you need anything.

Jason

Resurrecting thread to give some follow-up impressions on the new PC-3.5's.

Finally got all the pieces to our theater room in place and fired the whole system up yesterday. Running three PC-3.5's across the front, PC-1.5's for the surrounds, and the Power FL-12 sub. The sound is incredible. Every positive attribute I could bestow on a speaker system is here. I really want to do some serious 2-channel listeing with the 3.5's but time often does not permit me this luxury in the store. I may have finally found the speaker I've been looking for ever since my TDL Super Compact Monitors. Now all I need is the financial resources to put it together.

Have a great weekend all you PT fans out there!

I ordered a set of PC 3.5's up front LRC and 6.1's in the back - I noticed that Phase does not offer and speaker stands - does anyone have any suggestions on what works best with Phase Tech?

3.5's positioned vertically work out very well on 27" stands. For the rears, it will depend on how high you need them to be to be properly presented to your listening area. When I had my surrounds on stands, I used 31".

Hope this helps and enjoy your new speakers.

I'm wondering what a good price for a pair of 7.5 teatros would go for/

Thanks

I have been using my Velocity V12s for the last 2 years in a Stereo setup hooked to a Marantz PM-17 SA
And I totally, totally love them...

Of late, the lady has been asking me to exted this setup into a 5.1 which means I need to get a matching center

Unfortunately, Phase Tech isn't a popular or well known brand where I live (Chennai, India) and the only Phase Tech importer in my area is asking for an obscenely high amount for the V6 (the equivalent of $600) :mad:

Which means I have no choice but to try match them with some other make
I auditioned a few centers last weekend, and I kind of liked the Polk Csi series but have no idea how they will match up in my setup

Does anyone else has any experience on matching PT Velocitys with other (and relatively more mass-market) make speakers

I'm not sure if I'm posting correctly- please advise if not.

I have a PC33 (old center channel) and I'm looking for one more so I can use them as surround speakers. If anyone has one to sell please respond and let me know how to contact.

Thanks!

In case anyone is wondering about Phase Technology durability, I purchased floor standing mains in 1978 (525 ES). They made a many trips to college, were cranked out windows for parties and spent some time in storage. I auditioned many other brands for replacement, never found anything better for my liking and they still the mains for my HT setup.

About 3 years ago the foam that the midranges and woofers were made of rotted. I was able to buy replacements from Phase Tech and easily install them myself. They sound as good as they did when I bought them in 1987. Supposedly the new foam will last much longer.

Well, it has been quite a while. Even though I have no new news except for the new twist-and-lock mounting system for their in-ceiling speakers, I figured I'd bump the thread.

Hope all of you devoted PT owners are doing well. As for me in OH, I'm just glad the sun is finally shining.

I finally got around to purchasing a Tube Amp to drive my PC1.1II.

I purchased a Yarland FV34III. Tubes are an excellent match for the neutral character of the PC1.1II. I'm thrilled with how detailed and musical this combination is.

It's late and I've only had the combo for a few days. I'll comment further in the upcoming weeks.

Dennis

Hey Dennis, congrats on your new amp. Look forward to your comments.

By the way to everyone looking in, PT is implementing a price increase effective May 1. If any model is on your short list, it is best to visit your dealer very soon.

Has anyone heard the V8? This awkward looking and rather large standmount speakers doesn't seem to get any press or respect?

How is it with music?

Dennis

I have had a V-8 surround system (pair of V-8s, V-6 center and V-surrounds) for about 4 years and have been very happy with the sound for music and home theater. I'm debating upgrading to V-12's in front so I can use the V-8's as rears in a 7.1 system. When I auditioned the V-4s at the time of purchase, I was not too impressed, though.

I have had a V-8 surround system (pair of V-8s, V-6 center and V-surrounds) for about 4 years and have been very happy with the sound for music and home theater. I'm debating upgrading to V-12's in front so I can use the V-8's as rears in a 7.1 system. When I auditioned the V-4s at the time of purchase, I was not too impressed, though.

I bought a pair of V8's off ebay. I currently have the PC1.1II, V8, and the humble 3T in my listening room.

The V8's are not that good. They are quite lifeless and boring actually. (Probably voiced more towards HT than music). All the drivers on the speakers are working properly. The midrange is recessed, and the bass is one notey. I'm really disappointed. The 3T's wipe the floor with them in every possible catagory. Detail, midrange, musicallity, and involvement are so much higher with the 3T's.

The 3T's even compare favorably to the PC1.1II's.

A few people have said that the original T series from the 90's are better than the Teatro and Velocity series that followed. As far as comparing the V8's to the 3T's is concerned, I have to agree.

Someday, I would like to compare the 7t to the 7.5vdt and V10

Dennis

In case anyone was wondering what is happening at PT:

CEDIA will be showing the PC-9.5 floorstanding and PC-SURR II

No real information or images on these models are available to me yet (just received a postcard notifying their unveiling at the show), but I will keep you posted when I find something out. As usual, I am unable to attend the show so I will have no first-hand floor experiences to share.

Enjoy the rest of your weekends and happy listening!

In case anyone was wondering what is happening at PT:

CEDIA will be showing the PC-9.5 floorstanding and PC-SURR II

No real information or images on these models are available to me yet (just received a postcard notifying their unveiling at the show), but I will keep you posted when I find something out. As usual, I am unable to attend the show so I will have no first-hand floor experiences to share.

Enjoy the rest of your weekends and happy listening!

I have a pair of the PC3.1 in my house now I'm auditioning. I really like the sound of them but wish there was a little more midrange. When listening to some Tracy Chapman I noticed that the voice was coming from right in front of me (which I tend to like) but the midrange was missing and it made it seem like the music was put off in the back away from me. I wouldn't say I didn't necessarily like it but it was something I noticed.

I had them at my buddies house next to his Paradigm Signature S6's. When listening to the two of these speakers I could really hear the difference in the midrange.

Overall I think I like them and may buy them especially how much of a value they are.

I have heard of the new PC9.5's coming out and may wait to give them a listen, I just prefer the size of the PC-3.1's. Now if Phase Technology comes out with a redisign of the PC-3.1's with their new drivers and what ever else they are putting in the new 9.5 then I would definitely get them.

I live in Jacksonville, Florida where PT is located and would like to support a product like theirs, especially since it all made in the USA.

One of the few speaker companies whose speakers have built in diffraction control.

Now if Phase Technology comes out with a redisign of the PC-3.1's with their new drivers and what ever else they are putting in the new 9.5 then I would definitely get them.

I live in Jacksonville, Florida where PT is located and would like to support a product like theirs, especially since it all made in the USA.

They actually did come out with the redesigned 3.1; it is the PC-3.5 (http://www.phasetech.com/products.html?product_id=PC-3.5&pc=1). The announced PC-9.5, replacing the old 9.1, will most certainly be based on the new drivers and crossover design they put into the PC-0.5, 1.5, 3.5, and 33.5 models which were released last Fall. Hope this helps.

I saw the 3.5's but I didn't realize they could be used as main L/R speakers. By the look (on PT website) it looks as though it is a center speaker. Have you seen these in person? It looks as though they might be top heavy if they are used as main L/R speakers placed on the ends.

Have you been able to compare the PC-3.1 II to the PC-3.5's?

I know what you mean. The picture on PT's site indicates a strictly center channel application; however, the 3.5 has the same capability to be used as a l/r speaker as the 3.1 when rotating the tweeter/mid array for vertical placement. We have a system set-up in our showroom of three 3.5's across the front channel and 1.5's for the surrounds. The l/r 3.5's are vertically oriented while the center 3.5 is horizontal with the tweeter/mid array positioned accordingly.

Right after we got the new PC series, Tony Weber, former director of sales and marketing at PT, visted our store and talked about all of the differences between the previous PC series and the latest, among other things. The new RPF drivers ultilize the same composite materials as the drivers in dARTS and the tweeter is directly from the dARTS 525 series. The midrange in the new PC3.5 is different although he didn't indicate how except for the voicing had changed to blend with the new woofers and tweeters. Further, the crossover had been tweaked to suit the desired response curves of the new drivers.

In response to your question as to if I have heard the 3.1 vs. the 3.5, I have not heard them head-to-head since we were out of the old prior to receiving the new. I certainly think the new series is a top-to-bottom improvement in sound quality, but I wish I had them all on hand for a true and accurate showdown.

Let me know if you have any other questions/concerns. I am always glad to assist where I can.

Best,
TDI

I appreciate you information and I'll look into getting the 3.5's for use as main speakers. I want to build the system around my two main speakers. I want to use them for 2 channel stereo music mostly. But they will double duty as the home theater speakers.

I wonder if they tweaked the midrange a little more? I think that is the only thing that the 3.1's are missing is more midrange.

I was wondering if you could snap a photo the the 3.5's on their stands your using in your store? I'd like to get a feel for how they would look on stands.


Oh BTW way do you drive a Volkswagon? I am guessing that because of your screen name.

Certainly, I can snap a pic and post it. This week is mostly crazy for me in and out of the store, but I will do my best ;)

The mid was tweaked to blend with the new drivers and crossover, but I don't know the exact details. I wish I could have had the 3.1's at the same time in the store for comparisson.

In short, I would definitely give them a listen if your local PT dealer has them set up.

And yes I drive a VW (but no longer the TDI I had when I established my AVS account).


I appreciate you information and I'll look into getting the 3.5's for use as main speakers. I want to build the system around my two main speakers. I want to use them for 2 channel stereo music mostly. But they will double duty as the home theater speakers.

I wonder if they tweaked the midrange a little more? I think that is the only thing that the 3.1's are missing is more midrange.

I was wondering if you could snap a photo the the 3.5's on their stands your using in your store? I'd like to get a feel for how they would look on stands.


Oh BTW way do you drive a Volkswagon? I am guessing that because of your screen name.

Thanks for your help!

The reason I ask is that I'm a Audi owner and noticed the TDI.

No problem! I'll try to get that picture up tomorrow sometime (our store is closed, but I have to be there in the afternoon for an interview with a local paper).

Enjoy what is left of your weekend! Signing off for now . . .

todd1010, as promised, here is a picture of the PC3.5 on a stand. The height of the speaker stand is 27" which places the ear, at seated, right inside the tweeter/mid array. Please forgive the quality of the image. My hands weren't as steady as they can be. Let me know if you need anything else.

wow, that looks quite nice!

THANKS!!!

I sent you and PM and an email.

I bought a pair of V8's off ebay. I currently have the PC1.1II, V8, and the humble 3T in my listening room.

The V8's are not that good. They are quite lifeless and boring actually. (Probably voiced more towards HT than music). All the drivers on the speakers are working properly. The midrange is recessed, and the bass is one notey. I'm really disappointed. The 3T's wipe the floor with them in every possible catagory. Detail, midrange, musicallity, and involvement are so much higher with the 3T's.

The 3T's even compare favorably to the PC1.1II's.

A few people have said that the original T series from the 90's are better than the Teatro and Velocity series that followed. As far as comparing the V8's to the 3T's is concerned, I have to agree.

Someday, I would like to compare the 7t to the 7.5vdt and V10

Dennis


I'm on a role.

I just picked up a pair of 7t's for $85 off Craigslist :). I think they sound really good. They are very well balanced and easy to listen to. I'm very impressed by the top to bottom balance of the 7t's. That being said, they still don't have the magic of the 3t's. The 3t have PRAT more than any speaker I've owned. I'm continued to be amazed by their performace.

I'm going backwards down the Phase Tech Chain. I now own;

2.5T
3T
7T
pc1.1II

In the past I've owed:
7.5
4.5
7.5vdt
pc1

I'm looking for;
9T
tower 10
7.5vdt

Off course, I would trade them all for a pair of pc1.5's.

BTW, There aren't any dealers in NJ that carry Phase Tech anymore. How the times have changed. It is ashame that no one in my state carries this great company.

Dennis

In case anyone was wondering what is happening at PT:

CEDIA will be showing the PC-9.5 floorstanding and PC-SURR II

No real information or images on these models are available to me yet (just received a postcard notifying their unveiling at the show), but I will keep you posted when I find something out. As usual, I am unable to attend the show so I will have no first-hand floor experiences to share.

Enjoy the rest of your weekends and happy listening!

Official Press Release of the PC 9.5's


http://blog.svconline.com/briefingroom/2008/09/10/phase-technology-introduces-new-premier-collection-speakers-at-cedia/ (http://blog.svconline.com/briefingroom/2008/09/10/phase-technology-introduces-new-premier-collection-speakers-at-cedia/)

Thanks for the update. I can't wait to hear these or the new surrounds.

Thanks for the update. I can't wait to hear these or the new surrounds.

Todd,

You live in Jacksonville. Have you ever gone to the United Speaker/Phase Tech plant? Do they allow for plant tours and such?

Dennis

I'd love to but I called them and they don't offer any tours. I think that's pratt crappy bit they make great speakers.

More phase tech love:

I bought some PC 1.5's for my stereo only bedroom system today....I adore these speakers. I re-auditioned them against some klipsches, b&w's, and PC 3.5's at bjorn's in san antonio before I bought them. I remember hearing the predecessors to these speakers (the pc-1’s I think) about 8 years ago when I was 17. They phase techs jumped out at me as my clear preference of all the speakers in that room. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to buy the pc’s on a high school budget so I bought my teatro 4.5’s instead (which I still use as surrounds in my 5.1 system downstairs). In the audition room at the store the phase tech’s really stand out for their smooth, non-fatiguing sound. The flat piston midwoofers really pump out a lot of bass too. To me that’s the main difference between the velocities and the PC’s….the velocities really should be augmented by a sub whereas with the PC’s you can just about get away without one in small room or music applications. The 3.5’s were nice, but not in stock at the store, and I don’t think they sounded a whole lot better, just slighter more forward in the midrange to my ears (although that could be placebo since I know the 2” dome midrange is there). But anyway I walked out with a beautiful pair of gloss black 1.5’s. They’re seeing a good bit of power from my Denon DRA-395, although I’m not sure how much since they don’t publish specs for it at 4 ohms, denon only mentions that it is stable at that impedence. Anyway, another satisfied customer here.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/bedroompcs.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/pc15s.jpg

Teatros downstairs:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/300.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/surroundright.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/surroundleft.jpg

Congratulations, lonestar on your new PC's!

In other news, I received our PT quarterly newsletter this morning, and it mentioned the upcoming release of new "soundbar" speakers. While CEDIA was certainly the place to put more focus on the new PC-9.5 towers and PC-SurrII, these kind of slipped past the radar. There will be two models, the Velocity Teatro V-3.0 and the PC Teatro PC-3.0. While I can't provide a link to our newsletter, here is a link to a report from Sound & Video Contractor: http://blog.svconline.com/briefingroom/2008/09/10/phase-technology-unveils-teatro-soundbars-at-cedia/

Have a great weekend everyone and, as always, happy listening!

I'd like to see more about the PC-SurrII speakers. I just bought some PC 3.1 II and would like to finish out the rest of my 7.1 system with possibly these new surrounds.

Anynone know what they will be running price wise?

Beautiful, just beautiful.

How do you like the 7.5vdts? They're one of my all time favorites. I'm still searching for a used pair in Rosewood. Sold mine a few years ago and regret it.

The 1.5's are a sweet looking speakers. You should try them downstairs, in place of your 7.5's and see what sonic improvements they offer.

Good luck.
Dennis



More phase tech love:

I bought some PC 1.5's for my stereo only bedroom system today....I adore these speakers. I re-auditioned them against some klipsches, b&w's, and PC 3.5's at bjorn's in san antonio before I bought them. I remember hearing the predecessors to these speakers (the pc-1’s I think) about 8 years ago when I was 17. They phase techs jumped out at me as my clear preference of all the speakers in that room. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to buy the pc’s on a high school budget so I bought my teatro 4.5’s instead (which I still use as surrounds in my 5.1 system downstairs). In the audition room at the store the phase tech’s really stand out for their smooth, non-fatiguing sound. The flat piston midwoofers really pump out a lot of bass too. To me that’s the main difference between the velocities and the PC’s….the velocities really should be augmented by a sub whereas with the PC’s you can just about get away without one in small room or music applications. The 3.5’s were nice, but not in stock at the store, and I don’t think they sounded a whole lot better, just slighter more forward in the midrange to my ears (although that could be placebo since I know the 2” dome midrange is there). But anyway I walked out with a beautiful pair of gloss black 1.5’s. They’re seeing a good bit of power from my Denon DRA-395, although I’m not sure how much since they don’t publish specs for it at 4 ohms, denon only mentions that it is stable at that impedence. Anyway, another satisfied customer here.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/bedroompcs.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/pc15s.jpg

Teatros downstairs:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/300.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/surroundright.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/LoneStarWings/surroundleft.jpg

One PT design I saw gave me respect for their designer. It had a recessed area around the tweeter inlaid with felt. That's good thinking.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

How do you like the 7.5vdts? They're one of my all time favorites. I'm still searching for a used pair in Rosewood. Sold mine a few years ago and regret it.

The 1.5's are a sweet looking speakers. You should try them downstairs, in place of your 7.5's and see what sonic improvements they offer.

Good luck.
Dennis

I really like my 7.5vdt's. With my sub for support I have all the volume I can get away with in a condo, and accurate sound to my ears. I'm very happy with all my phase techs, and unless I get a bigger home I see no reason why I'll ever need to buy any more speakers. I'm still amazed at the amount of bass the pc 1.5's can pump out on their own. Since I can't have a subwoofer with my bookshelf speakers, I'm glad I have these.

Maybe I'll switch the 7.5's and 1.5's out someday if I get bored :D

I just bought the Pioneer VSX-1018AH.

I am in the process of procuring a set of 7.5's, a 6.5, and 4.5's and working out a deal on a big sub. I will use a set of my existing sonys for sides. Do you think I will be satisfied with my audio set-up?

FYI Phase Tech afficianados...There's a nice pair of PC 1.1 Series II's up on ebay right now.

I've got a pair of the original PC1's that I love and wouldn't part with for anything. Phase Tech's customer service is excellent. I needed a couple of the little plastic grill pins and they just mailed me a couple for free. The speakers have got to be about 10 years old or so.

--M--

hey guys i found some Phase V-12 for about 900 for a pair. But where can I find the v-6 center speaker. If it doesn't exist what replaced it?

hey guys i found some Phase V-12 for about 900 for a pair. But where can I find the v-6 center speaker. If it doesn't exist what replaced it?

The V-6 is still a current production model according to Phase Tech's website. They tend to run their productions lines for long periods of time so I wouldn't be too worried about not being able to find one. Give them a call, I'm sure they will direct you to a dealer that has a v-6 in stock.

Dennis

Hey guys, I have seven, Teatro 6.5 vdt's for sale, all working, in excellent condition, black finish. PM me if you're interested and make an offer.

Thanks,

I'm quite familiar with Phase technology speakers as well and can attest to their excellent sound for the money. I have amassed a pretty large collection through the years I guess...

I currently have the following.

Living room theater:

2-7.5 vdt teatro's
1-6.5 vdt teatro
2-4.5 vdt teatro's
av123 x-sub

Kitchen run of b-channel of above system

2- 6.5 vdt teatro's

Bedroom theater:

2-11.5 vdt teatro's (built in 10" subs, so no separate sub in this system... yet...)
1-6.5 vdt teatro
2-teatro surrounds
2-4.5 teatro's

Garage system:

4-4.5 vdt teatro's
Psw 10" polk sub

Main Theater System:

5-PC 3.1 series II's
2-PC 6.1's
SVS PB-12 Ultra

I still have an additional pair of the 4.5 teatro's new in the box that will likely go in my shop.

I guess that means I currently have 27 phase technology speakers in my home, and that's after selling 5 of them a couple months ago, so yes, I am a big supporter of this company.

A few things I can tell you from my experience is:

Great sound for the money. High bang for buck. I had several polk audio systems in my home and replaced them all with these. I still own one pair of the old Polk Monitor 10's that are gems, and I can't part with them.

I have limited experience with Phase's Subs, except for the 10 inchers built into the 11.5's. The 11.5's really sound fantastic, and the subs in them do hit pretty hard into the mid 20 hz region, but fall off below that. I love these speakers, but when listening to them at low volumes, the subs auto shut off, which gets a bit annoying. Listening to them at regular to loud volumes is great though!

The PC 3.1 series II are real gems, and are a big step up from the Teatro line. These things image like mad, and are crystal clear with fantastic mid's and high's. They also integrate nicely with the 6.1's, which are used in this theater as presence speakers.

The customer service at Phase Technology is excellent. When setting up my main theater, I was missing a set of the wall mounts for the 6.1's and wanted to get a set. I called them up and they sent them to me at no charge. These guys are a class act and I have no reservations recommending them to anyone. Several people have come over and listened to my systems and bought Phase products based on what they've heard.

Highly Recommended!

I have yet to try their new PC line, and would be curious to hear how these sound compared to the 3.1 series II's. If anyone has compared, I'd love to hear their thoughts.

Hi everyone,

Yes, Phase Tech did introduce their "Teatro Soundbars" last Fall, but being the constant tweakers that they are, Ken and the gang have already redesigned them and added a dedicated bipolar surround model to the mix. The results seem impressive, and while I've never been much of a fan of this type of speaker solution, these new-and-improved offerings look very interesting. Custom grilles are even available to match the width of the display. http://www.phasetech.com/pdfs/prod-lit/TSB-PC3.0.pdf

In other releases, PT has brought out an affordable PC-Series stand for the bookshelf models called the SST28. It is, as the model implies, 28" tall and is available in both cherry and gloss black accented finishes to match the PC line.

That's all for now. Happy listening!

TDI

I haven't posted hear since getting my Phase 3.1 Series II speakers. I bought them used from someone in Houston and they were in "perfect" condition. I was anxious to get them hooked up to my Sunfire 2 Channel amp and once they were up and running I think they sound incredible. You wouldn't believe how loud these little speakers get without distorting. I'll try and post up some photos once I get back home.

I have them setup in just a simple 2 channel audio listening area. I'm working on doing a full home theater in the bonus room and this is just the start.

Just purchased these Phase Technology speakers off of ebay.
Two PC 1.1 II fronts, two PC 6.1S rears, a PC 33.1 center and a Power 10 Subwoofer.
Very excited to get them up and running with my Denon 1909. For whatever reason, they didn't send me the 6.1's wall mounting brackets. I don't even know what they look like as there are never pictures of them online. Any other thoughts/advice on this set of speakers. Thanks for any input a novice like me could use/learn about. Have read many good things about Phase Technologies stuff.


http://www.foompfamp.com/images/01_309A006.jpg

PT review online of the new PC Soundbar: http://hometheatermag.com/compactspeakers/phase_technology_teatro_pc-30_l-c-r_speaker_system/

Certainly an interesting speaker category for them to get into, but, from the review, it sounds as if they got it right.

I just purchased a pair of "EURO" line Phase Tech speakers that are reconditioned from a guy at a garage sale for $5.00. I had not heard of these before but they looked decent and who can refuse the price!!! I got them home and was very pleasantly surprised by the balance of sound and clearity!! I am an experianced audiophile and am very picky about sound quality and these older speakers blew me away with their open sound stage and imaging. I am using a Carver "Holographic" preamp with a "Hafler" DH-200 power amp and these speakers perform silky smooth with all types of music I have played through them. I have to agree with others that these come Highly recommended from an experianced Audiophile like me.

I just purchased a pair of "EURO" line Phase Tech speakers that are reconditioned from a guy at a garage sale for $5.00. I had not heard of these before but they looked decent and who can refuse the price!!! I got them home and was very pleasantly surprised by the balance of sound and clearity!! I am an experianced audiophile and am very picky about sound quality and these older speakers blew me away with their open sound stage and imaging. I am using a Carver "Holographic" preamp with a "Hafler" DH-200 power amp and these speakers perform silky smooth with all types of music I have played through them. I have to agree with others that these come Highly recommended from an experianced Audiophile like me.

Welcome to the club. Now you know our little secret as well. Phase Tech speakers are not the best sounding speakers in the world, but their lines are consistant and good value for the $

I'm on a role.

I just picked up a pair of 7t's for $85 off Craigslist :). I think they sound really good. They are very well balanced and easy to listen to. I'm very impressed by the top to bottom balance of the 7t's. That being said, they still don't have the magic of the 3t's. The 3t have PRAT more than any speaker I've owned. I'm continued to be amazed by their performace.

I'm going backwards down the Phase Tech Chain. I now own;

2.5T
3T
7T
pc1.1II

In the past I've owed:
7.5
4.5
7.5vdt
pc1

I'm looking for;
9T
tower 10
7.5vdt

Off course, I would trade them all for a pair of pc1.5's.

BTW, There aren't any dealers in NJ that carry Phase Tech anymore. How the times have changed. It is ashame that no one in my state carries this great company.

DennisDennis,

I've got a pair of 3T's that I've used as front L/R for years. I tend to agree with your assessment. My father sold them to me in the mid-90's for a song while he "traded up" to a pair of B&Ws, a move I think he still questions, but mostly I think he was subsidizing my interest in audio/home theater.

Not much I've listened to has made me think about replacing them or moving them to the surround channel. I have a PC33.1 (or PC33, can never remember which) center and briefly had a pair of PC60's, but other than that, I don't get to hear a lot of Phase Techs.

I'd like to try a pair of 7T's or 9T's in my 5.1 system and add a PC series sub when one finds me at the right price. Tower 10's may be too much to hope for. ;) I think I'd have to move the 3T's to my 2 channel system, though. I have a sneaking suspicion that I could drop a lot of money and still like those better than anything in the house, for 2 channel music, in particular.