Recently, The Listening Chair’s Adam Goldfarb reviewed The Professional Monitor Company Ltd.’s prophecy9 floorstanding transmission line bass loading loudspeaker ($12,999 per pair/all prices USD). For most, that company is simply known as “PMC.” Adam’s review will be published on The Listening Chair’s new website, which is coming soon at www.thelisteningchair.net.
I have always been curious about transmission line speakers. This type of speaker absorbs unwanted frequencies that radiate from the rear of the speaker’s bass driver(s), resulting in high sound pressure levels and deep bass extension. By passing the lowest frequencies through a folded line or tunnel within the speaker's cabinet that emerges from a vent, it is said that the upper bass and midrange frequencies exhibit extremely low distortion and the speaker can play at low volumes without loss of frequency response.
Over the years, I have heard transmission line speakers at audio shows and elsewhere. But you don’t really get to know a speaker (or the effectiveness of its particular design) until you have lived with it. So, I elected to use Adam’s review as an excuse to audition in my home theater system a different PMC transmission line speaker, the bookshelf prophecy1 ($4,299/pair). Not so coincidentally, I figured that this speaker would make a great subject for this photo column.
PMC's prophecy1 loudspeaker.
Right out of the gate, getting the prophecy1 out of its box at least partially answered the question of why the speaker costs what it does. Its large transmission tunnel and external vent, both aluminum, make for one heavy (23 pounds per channel), impeccably made speaker that can’t be inexpensive to produce.
Ultimately, the question of whether the prophecy1’s cost was justified was fully answered when I heard it in action. I will leave it to Adam’s prophecy9 review to get into the sonic details for that member of the prophecy family. Suffice it to say that for me, I was so beguiled with what I heard that I subsequently added the prophecyC center channel ($3,299/not pictured) to my system.
I hope that you enjoy my photos. The prophecy1 is one speaker that’s beautiful both inside and out.
The transmission line vent adds a distinctive design element.
The speaker looks striking with its grille on or off.
Connecting the prophecy1 is simplicity itself.
All photos courtesy of Howard Kneller.
Also note TLC’s growing TLC social media ecosystem, including its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556741638528) and group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/217745678009888), the latter where members from around the world show off their gear; plus its LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-kneller/), Instagram (www.instagram.com/howardkneller/), Threads (www.threads.net/@howardkneller) and X (www.x.com/HowardKneller) pages.
