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Quite the endorsement indeed!
BPO conductor Benjamin Zander selects PMC speakers for an ultra-precision 5.1-channel surround reference monitoring system
“I recommend PMC speakers to anyone for whom listening to music is a sacred act.” For close to 30 years, Benjamin Zander has served as conductor of the world-famous Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded especially for him; he is considered by many to be the greatest conductor of Mahler’s works. When the time came for Zander to update a sound system for his playback studio with high-resolution reference monitors, he considered only one choice: PMC - The Professional Monitor Company. “I have found it at last: The Perfect Sound!” the maestro offers. “I recommend PMC speakers to anyone for whom listening to music is a sacred act.” In their seasons together Zander and BPO have traversed a wide repertory, with an emphasis on late Romantic and early 20th Century works, especially the symphonies of Gustav Mahler, which put enormous demands on the orchestra’s sonic range and therefore on the system through which he replays his recordings. The reference surround-sound system was designed by Joe Less from JL AV Design, PMC USA’s Boston dealer, who worked closely with the famed conductor to ensure the highest playback quality. JL AV Design also supplied and installed the system components. Zander was supplied with a pair of PMC MB2-XBD-Active loudspeakers for the left and right channels, plus an MB2-Active Center, all of which are powered by PMC-Bryston Active amplifiers and crossovers. All three cabinets are finished in an attractive cherry veneer. For surround channels, Less chose a pair of PMC Wafer 2™ On-wall flat-panel loudspeakers finished in white and powered by a Bryston SP2 surround amplifier/processor. Reflecting on the realism and transparency achieved with his new PMC ultra-precision monitoring system, Zander is almost poetic. “Warmth, precision, power, depth and, above all, truth. Ah, there's the rub! If the performance or the recording has the slightest flaw there is nothing to hide it. “I close my eyes, and think I am in the ideal seat in the greatest concert hall in the world. Every detail, from the gentle swish of a cymbal to the complex texture of a Mahlerian orchestra, is realized with perfect clarity. I thought I had heard everything that audio could do, but this takes us to another level.” The MB2 XBD is a development of PMC’s successful MB2S, with increased dynamics and LF performance. Addition of the XBD cabinet containing a second 12-inch Radial™ driver increases the LF headroom by 3 dB below 380 Hz, which allows a larger room to be driven to greater effect. The cabinet features ATL™ (Advanced Transmission Line) with three sections in both the main and XBD cabinets that can be stacked vertically or side-by-side. The matching XB2 subwoofer provides independent 0.1-channel monitoring. With his own orchestra and as a guest conductor with orchestras around the world, Benjamin Zander has become known as a musical maverick. His recordings with London's Philharmonia are some of the best regarded CDs of the modern era, winning prizes and selling in the hundreds of thousands. Of his Telarc recording of Mahler’s Third, Home Theater said: “This is one of the most revelatory moments in the history of surround orchestral recordings.” Of the Mahler 6th, High Fidelity wrote: “This recording is quite simply the finest Mahler Sixth. It raises the bar for the whole classical recording industry.” Zander is nearing the completion of his recording of the complete cycle of the Mahler Symphonies for Telarc. The Mahler Sixth was named the “Best Classical Recording” of 2002 by High Fidelity. The Mahler Ninth was nominated for a Grammy® Award and was named “The performance of a millennium” by Fanfare Magazine. Both have been elected to the Fanfare classical music Hall of Fame. The conductor has also released five highly successful CDs with the Boston Philharmonic, all of which are listed in the Penguin Guide - The Best Recordings of the past Twenty Years. Their recording of “The Rite of Spring” was voted by the New York Times as one of the Ten Most Important Musical Events of 1992 and even Zander’s phenomenal high-school aged Youth Philharmonic at the New England Conservatory where he has taught for over 40 years, has made five commercial recordings and several PBS specials on their 15 international tours. Benjamin Zander is an internationally-known speaker on leadership and has appeared as a keynote speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He can be seen in an impassioned speech on the universal appeal of classical music on TED.com The best-selling book, The Art of Possibility, co-authored with leading psychotherapist Rosamund Zander, has been translated into 16 languages. More information from www.benjaminzander.com Last edited by ian@pmc; 04-08-2009 at 07:53 PM. |
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All that I can say is WOW!!!
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Man, am I glad I bought my EB1i speakers when I did. Once they catch on in the US market, who knows where the price will go.
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A |
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Ian.....mucho wow!!
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McIntosh - PMC - Sonos/W4S Remedy - Kimber - WW - Core Audio Designs |
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Now to get some in-home demo's...
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Main: McIntosh XRT1K MDA1000 MC402 | JL F113 | Bryston BUC-1 | WireWorld Cabling | RGPC1200C | PPP
Office: Bel Canto S300iu 24/96 | KEF LS50 | REL R218 | WW Mini Eclipse | 18 TB Media Server Mobile: McIntosh MX406 MDA5000 MCD4000 MCC420M | JM Lab/Focal Utopia |
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When the pros use them....
Thanks Ian, very interesting !
My hi-fi purchases follow this path : 1) Press / friend recommendations 2) Listening : my ears are the boss ! 3) Confidence when buying : if sound engineers, musicians etc... use the same stuff, so my ears shall not be wrong. That's quite the same with McIntosh : we can't count the musicians / sound or tech engineers owning Mc stuff.... Thanks again, Jérôme
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There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats Albert Schweitzer |
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“I have found it at last: The Perfect Sound!”
That's how I feel!
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Chuck McIntosh, PMC, Bryston, Olive, Rega, Ortofon 2M Black, JL Audio, PS Audio, Alan Maher, Aural Harmony, Black Mountain, Wireworld, Symposium, DIY amp switch box, P Millett DIY headphone amp. [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] |
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