To Aron Garrecht,
I was reading your review of PMC's IB2i speaker. I have some Monarchy Audio SE-100 Deluxe monoblock amps. They are class A for the first 20W and then class AB up to 100W into 8 ohms, or 200W into 4 ohms.
Would these power the PMC IB2i loudspeakers properly? Can the PMC IB2i handle lower-powered amps like tube amps?
Having spent some time with the PMC speaker, any thoughts or feedback you have about how they reacted to associated amplifier equipment would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Jason
Canada
Your Monarchy Audio SE-100 Deluxe amps are very capable monoblocks, and I don't think they will have any problems driving the IB2i speakers. You may not get the utmost in control at higher volume levels, or experience all of the IB2i's dynamic capability like you would with a more powerful amplifier of, say, 300Wpc or more. But for day-to-day listening, I think you will have no problems whatsoever.
Regarding pairing the PMCs with a valve amp, the IB2i speakers, in my experience, were not speakers that scoffed at the idea of being fed minimal power. I experimented with powering the PMCs with a 75Wpc Rotel amp I had on hand and I had no real issues. The purity of sound was still there in spades, so much so that it easily showed the inferiority of the Rotel when compared to my Classé amps, but it was still an enjoyable pairing. My recommendation would be to feed the PMCs quality power, not worry too much about the quantity, and you'll come out on top every time. . . . Aron Garrecht
