[Rafal]

James,

Would ou e so kind and share where I could get a pair of AML1s (prefferably used)? If you preffer, maybe you can pm me.

Thanks,

Rafal

[tuffgong]

Hi James, I've been looking all night for any used pmc aml's but anything listed is in britain or a year old. Seems noone wants to get rid of them. I would love any used aml's, they could be scratched, dinged, bent fins, broken connects, it doesn't matter if the price is ok. I am also thinking of running a computer to a benchmark dac-1 (you can go usb to the benchmark now if you want, so no need for a very expensive sound card), and then to the aml's for a path of least resistance. My question for James is, would these speakers handle being used in a dj rig? They might get bumped a tad in the car so I wondered if they are super delicate. I realize the speakers are exposed with no grill, but they are small enough to hide from people traffic. (This question is off subject sorry, but does anyone here have experience with pcdj? can you automix your songs with their software or do you have to do it semi-manually with their external 'dac', if you want to call it that. I am currently using the pioneer cmx-5000/djm 3000 combo so I can use the automix function and always be one song ahead in the mix. My dream is if pcdj can queue 10-50 songs from my laptop, and automix them all, while I enjoy myself indefinately. Perhaps their is another option that does this i've never heard of, anyone's help is highly appreciated.) Here's to hoping I can offer an opinion in this thread soon. My current home setup is an audio request music server (500 gig), to a sherwood newcastle r-965 (that I hope to replace with soon with some aml's and a benchmark) running 4 channel stereo mode to bi-wire/amp my platinum audio duo's, the last tiny speaker that could go down as low as an aml, but they are hard to find now. If anyone has a pair of used aml's just email tuffgong@earthling.net , thank you.

[tuffgong]

P.S. Originally I was looking for anyone with some paradigm reference active/40's, but they have gone they way of platinum audio, long since discontinued and impossible to find. A review somewhere mentioned the aml as the long awaited replacement to the paradigm's, someone did it right again 8 years later.

[James Tanner]

Hi Tuffgone,

Where are you located?

james

[tuffgong]

Hi James, I currently live in southern Oregon. Please no dealers since I can't spend the full 5k unfortunately, unless perhaps one of your dealers dropped a box somewhere Thanks for your help.

[James Tanner]

Hi,

I know of a pair of demo units in Blue. I assume you know the AML lists for $10,000 US a pair?

james

[tuffgong]

Hi James, thanks for your help, yes I knew that the msrp on the aml was 10k for the pair, although just looking around online I found this http://www.proaudiosolutions.com/product-p/pmc-aml1.htm which lets me know someone out there on the planet has a pair for 3-4k after a few years use or a few dings ( the years old listings I found for used ones run around 2-5k ). Sorry I sound cheap but I can't recoup my costs with studio fees or selling cd's, this is just home use, i've decided they are not suitable long term for dj, too much of a loss unless I purchase work insurance. That being said i'd have to sell all my dj eq, my platinum audio duo's and solo's and newcastle and my verastarr speaker wire and rca interconnects (aka my left nut, but I won't need those things anyway with the aml's) to afford them. And i'm willing to do it, that's the crazy part. This thread just confirms yet again to me it's worth it. I'll just have to be patient looks like, I waited for a year for some platinum audio's to come up so I guess this will be a repeat. Thanks to anyone in advance for some leads.

[tuffgong]

I just found this closed auction from ebay last month here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120175480222&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fws%2Fsearch%2FSaleSearch%3Fsofocus%3Dbs%26satitle%3D120175480222%26sacat%3D-1%2526catref%253DC5%26fbd%3D1%26_trksid%3Dm37%26from%3DR6%26nojspr%3Dy%26pfid%3D0%26fswc%3D1%26few%3D%26saprclo%3D%26saprchi%3D%26fss%3D0%26saslop%3D1%26sasl%3D%26fls%3D4%2526floc%253D1%26sargn%3D-1%2526saslc%253D0%26salic%3D1%26saatc%3D1%26sadis%3D200%26fpos%3D97470%26fsct%3D%26sacur%3D0%26sacqyop%3Dge%26sacqy%3D%26sabfmts%3D0%26saobfmts%3Dexsif%26ftrt%3D1%26ftrv%3D1%26sabdlo%3D%26sabdhi%3D%26saaff%3Dafdefault%26afcj%3D%26afmp%3D%26fsop%3D1%2526fsoo%253D1%26fcl%3D3%26frpp%3D50%26fvi%3D1  so I know 4k isn't completely unreasonable. I'll be on the lookout.

[James Tanner]

Hi James, thanks for your help, yes I knew that the msrp on the aml was 10k for the pair, although just looking around online I found this http://www.proaudiosolutions.com/product-p/pmc-aml1.htm which lets me know someone out there on the planet has a pair for 3-4k after a few years use or a few dings ( the years old listings I found for used ones run around 2-5k ). Sorry I sound cheap but I can't recoup my costs with studio fees or selling cd's, this is just home use, i've decided they are not suitable long term for dj, too much of a loss unless I purchase work insurance. That being said i'd have to sell all my dj eq, my platinum audio duo's and solo's and newcastle and my verastarr speaker wire and rca interconnects (aka my left nut, but I won't need those things anyway with the aml's) to afford them. And i'm willing to do it, that's the crazy part. This thread just confirms yet again to me it's worth it. I'll just have to be patient looks like, I waited for a year for some platinum audio's to come up so I guess this will be a repeat. Thanks to anyone in advance for some leads.

Hi Tuff,

Am I misreading your link or does it say $3800 for a SINGLE?

james

[tuffgong]

Hi James, yes it does say $3800 for a single, which would mean 2,400$ off msrp for the pair from a dealer with warranty. That's not cheap, but hey it's a great start if the demo's were listed for more than $7600. There are some ads from studios selling off their used equipment and some have some aml's in the list, i'll let people know what I find (not that they care).

[James Tanner]

Hi tuff,

Ok thanks for the clarification - if you are interested in the blue demos send me an email. jamestanner@bryston.ca

james

[tuffgong]

Hi James, I'm very curious about another product you make now, i'm thinking of just running my platinum audio solo's with 2 bryston powerpac 120 sst's apiece, a poor man's aml, laf. My question is, how am I going to split the stereo xlr signal coming from my benchmark dac-1 so I can run 4 signals, two to each speaker? Excuse my ignorance, but I know a normal splitter would seriously mess up the ohms, perhaps there is a better way? Sorry to be someone off topic, but it is a bryston product , perhaps someone else out there will consider this a poor mans fix for an aml.

[James Tanner]

Hi James, I'm very curious about another product you make now, i'm thinking of just running my platinum audio solo's with 2 bryston powerpac 120 sst's apiece, a poor man's aml, laf. My question is, how am I going to split the stereo xlr signal coming from my benchmark dac-1 so I can run 4 signals, two to each speaker? Excuse my ignorance, but I know a normal splitter would seriously mess up the ohms, perhaps there is a better way? Sorry to be someone off topic, but it is a bryston product , perhaps someone else out there will consider this a poor mans fix for an aml.

HI,

A few questions - what is the maximum voltage out on the Benchmark and not sure I understand the splitter messing up the ohms comment? Also I assume your using the passive crossover in the Solo's?

james

[tuffgong]

Thanks James for the quick response, here is the info from the manual that I found:

XLR balanced, BNC coaxial, and TOSLINK optical digital inputs – front-panel switch selectable
�� High level, +4 dBu balanced analog outputs, +29 dBu maximum output level
�� Jumper-selected 10, 20, or 30 dB pads on balanced outputs
�� -10 dBV unbalanced outputs, +13.5 dBu maximum output level, factory set to +2vRMS @ 0dBFS (8.2 dBu)
�� Two HPA2™ high-current, high-output ¼” headphone jacks
�� Front-panel knob controls all analog outputs or just the headphone outputs (selected with rear-panel switch)
�� Analog output mute function on rear-panel switch
�� Preset output levels use multi-turn trimmers – one 10-turn trimmer per output, 20 dB Range, 2 dB/turn
�� Total jitter immunity with Benchmark, phase-accurate UltraLock™ technology
�� Two Error LED’s, (no digital input, non-PCM digital input)
�� Power Indicator LED
�� THD+N = -107 dB, 0.00045% @ -3 dBFS input, -105 dB, 0.00056% @ 0 dBFS input
�� Automatic de-emphasis in consumer mode at 44.1, 48, 88.2, or 96 kHz when pre-emphasis bit is set
�� Reliable and consistent performance under all operating conditions
�� 115 V, 230 V, 50-60 Hz international power supply with very wide operating range
�� Low radiation toroidal power transformer significantly reduces hum and line related interference
�� Low power consumption (8 Watts typical program, 16 Watts peak)
�� Meets FCC Class B and CE emissions requirements

Does any of this info help? Sorry I'm not that quick in the electronics. The link to the manual is here if you need more:

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/manuals/DAC1_Manual_Rev_M.pdf
Thanks for your help with everything.

[tuffgong]

Hi James, excuse my ignorance but I don't know whether I am using them presently or not. I am running jumpers from the bass to the treble presently, so I think that does use the crossovers. I previously was using 4 channel stereo out on my sherwood newcastle and running them to each section individually, so I don't know if that bypassed them or not. I'm sorry people like me make people like you not want to check their emails sometimes, but thanks for all the help.

[James Tanner]

HI,

OK it sounds like you are simply Passively Biamping your speakers which means that there is no electronic crossover between the drivers.

It looks like the XLR DAC output has 2 volts maximum (maximum output level, factory set to +2vRMS @ 0dBFS (8.2 dBu).  If thats the case it does not have enough voltage to drive 4 of the PP-120 amps

As long as the passive crossover is used in the speaker it is not a fully ACTIVE system like the AML-1's.  So using 4 PP120's would not be a cheap version of the AML. I think if you want an active system you are better to buy an active speaker then to try and adapt a passive system.

james




 

[tuffgong]

Thanks James, do you think sonically someone will be able to tell at a dj gig though? It would probably be 10x better than any carver/peavey system someone is running. I'm willing to bet money it's better than my sherwood newcastle pre/pro system running in 'pure audio' mode that I am using now at home, since the dac can act as a preamp, with variable output, one less phase in the system, plus the newcastle can't even do xlr, and are not dual mono by any stretch (I suppose it shines if you watch alot of video, but who needs that with amazing cd sound). And at 10 pounds apiece, that can be carried seperately, that really gets my attention, compared to a 4b-st which will weigh alot if carried often enough in a case (no offense it looks like it would do the job as well). Plus your literature says it's better to run a 15-20 foot xlr cable and a 2 ft. speaker cable, and that logic seems sound. I'm assuming even with variable output we couldn't run 4 of them which is a shame. Two should do the trick ok. No gizmo's on the market that split voltage and bump both back up to the original level? I'll bet you never have a problem with the powerpac overheating, especially if you can just velcro it to the top of a speaker for lots of ventilation (do you need to shield the two if you do this?). All Dj's have had theirs quit on them, I know I have. How cool would it be to swap out a 10 pound item on the fly with no screws, maybe 45 secs of downtime on one channel only, on the 1 in a million chance your party is just too rocking. I agree that nothing will ever come close to your active speakers brilliance no matter how many times you bi/tri amp your non-actives. If you just want to msg me personally because this is too far off topic that's cool, thanks for putting up with the rambling.

[James Tanner]

Thanks James, do you think sonically someone will be able to tell at a dj gig though? It would probably be 10x better than any carver/peavey system someone is running. I'm willing to bet money it's better than my sherwood newcastle pre/pro system running in 'pure audio' mode that I am using now at home, since the dac can act as a preamp, with variable output, one less phase in the system, plus the newcastle can't even do xlr, and are not dual mono by any stretch (I suppose it shines if you watch alot of video, but who needs that with amazing cd sound). And at 10 pounds apiece, that can be carried seperately, that really gets my attention, compared to a 4b-st which will weigh alot if carried often enough in a case (no offense it looks like it would do the job as well). Plus your literature says it's better to run a 15-20 foot xlr cable and a 2 ft. speaker cable, and that logic seems sound. I'm assuming even with variable output we couldn't run 4 of them which is a shame. Two should do the trick ok. No gizmo's on the market that split voltage and bump both back up to the original level? I'll bet you never have a problem with the powerpac overheating, especially if you can just velcro it to the top of a speaker for lots of ventilation (do you need to shield the two if you do this?). All Dj's have had theirs quit on them, I know I have. How cool would it be to swap out a 10 pound item on the fly with no screws, maybe 45 secs of downtime on one channel only, on the 1 in a million chance your party is just too rocking. I agree that nothing will ever come close to your active speakers brilliance no matter how many times you bi/tri amp your non-actives. If you just want to msg me personally because this is too far off topic that's cool, thanks for putting up with the rambling.

Hi tuff,

I agree that a pair of PP120's will work as you describe so that is a good option. One issue that people do not realize is that when you use more amplifiers on a Passive system (biamp) you really are not feeding any more power to the speaker because the passive crossover limts the frequency and level to each driver.

james

[tuffgong]

Hello everyone, well I found a pair of pmc aml1's on ebay for 3.5k, i've had them around two weeks now, and I must say they are truly amazing. I really wasn't sure the first night if they were that much cleaner than my platinum audio duo's, and by chance Ween's 'poop ship destroyer' came on, and if anyone knows this song, it is phased,mangled and garbled beyond compare. Well, I could make out every original word they were mangling, the first time I really heard the lyrics to the song. I'm sold. People said these speakers lack presence on some other forums, but I think they bite, growl, bark, and will bite your head off if you left the volume up too loud accidentally on a quiet song. I really don't know what they are talking about, it has the most forward presentation of any speaker I have owned, the platinum audio's felt like the music was in the room with you, but the aml1 makes them sound like they are playing right in front of you. I tried using the volume gain on my benchmark dac-1, but found that the aml1 will -only- accept line level input on the xlr, no variable gain from the dac. This is semi-problematic since I have to adjust two volume knobs instead of one, but a small price to pay in my opinion. I tried listening without the eq engaged, but found my music was thin in the bass, so I presently use it at +3 lf tilt and -5 hf tilt, the tweeters you folks use on the aml1 is amazing, and bright to my ears. I would use the -2.5 hf tilt sometimes but you really need a very well recorded cd to use that setting, or your ears will bleed from hiss. I can't imagine how big a room you would need to use a +hf tilt, but perhaps in a large room it comes in handy. I think the pulse stands will help the bass as well, I was curious James if the pulse stands bolt to the speaker or just sit on top, in which case any nice stand would work? Anyway, I'm very glad I looked for awhile for the aml1, you will never go wrong with these, and my entire stereo set is now obsolete, so check ebay for my platinum audio speakers (not that you need them), my amp, speaker cables, heh it's all gotta go now. I don't see how you could get a quieter/cleaner system using separates unless you spent at least the cost of the aml1's to get it, and that is less practical than owning two tiny speakers. Cheers!

[James Tanner]

Hello everyone, well I found a pair of pmc aml1's on ebay for 3.5k, i've had them around two weeks now, and I must say they are truly amazing. I really wasn't sure the first night if they were that much cleaner than my platinum audio duo's, and by chance Ween's 'poop ship destroyer' came on, and if anyone knows this song, it is phased,mangled and garbled beyond compare. Well, I could make out every original word they were mangling, the first time I really heard the lyrics to the song. I'm sold. People said these speakers lack presence on some other forums, but I think they bite, growl, bark, and will bite your head off if you left the volume up too loud accidentally on a quiet song. I really don't know what they are talking about, it has the most forward presentation of any speaker I have owned, the platinum audio's felt like the music was in the room with you, but the aml1 makes them sound like they are playing right in front of you. I tried using the volume gain on my benchmark dac-1, but found that the aml1 will -only- accept line level input on the xlr, no variable gain from the dac. This is semi-problematic since I have to adjust two volume knobs instead of one, but a small price to pay in my opinion. I tried listening without the eq engaged, but found my music was thin in the bass, so I presently use it at +3 lf tilt and -5 hf tilt, the tweeters you folks use on the aml1 is amazing, and bright to my ears. I would use the -2.5 hf tilt sometimes but you really need a very well recorded cd to use that setting, or your ears will bleed from hiss. I can't imagine how big a room you would need to use a +hf tilt, but perhaps in a large room it comes in handy. I think the pulse stands will help the bass as well, I was curious James if the pulse stands bolt to the speaker or just sit on top, in which case any nice stand would work? Anyway, I'm very glad I looked for awhile for the aml1, you will never go wrong with these, and my entire stereo set is now obsolete, so check ebay for my platinum audio speakers (not that you need them), my amp, speaker cables, heh it's all gotta go now. I don't see how you could get a quieter/cleaner system using separates unless you spent at least the cost of the aml1's to get it, and that is less practical than owning two tiny speakers. Cheers!

The 4 bolts on the bottom of the speaker come out and they are used to bolt the AML's to the stand.

james