It’s a well-known fact by now, that our industry has grown outwards. We’re in the cottage industry era of the pro audio scene, where we witness even the top-level seasoned pros now working out of their own smaller facilities. One reason for this of course, is due to developments in the technology and the tools we use. Ultimately, the demand has risen for more affordable kit. PMC had to find a way to get in on the action.

This posed a small challenge for PMC, thanks to the nature of their beliefs and design elements, that have secured so much respect for the brand. How were they going to achieve it? With their rather British mindset, cutting corners simply wouldn’t do. The Result6’s therefore, employ some new technologies and design features to make this all possible. The big question however, is; do they still harbour the PMC sound?

Staying True

On paper, the Result6’s are a full-range, near- to mid-field active studio monitor, with a frequency response of 45Hz to 22kHz. They have a 6.5” woofer and a 27mm tweeter, with Class-D amplifiers of 100W and 65W respectively. So what makes these part of the PMC family and have they had to sacrifice anything, in order to bring the price down?

To answer that, you probably have to compare these to the next most affordable model in the PMC range with a similar driver size, which brings you to the much-loved twotwo6’s. The major difference is that the twotwo range sport digital crossovers and some degree of parameter control via DSP processing. The Result6’s use an analogue input with a simple attenuation control on the rear panel. The crossover in the Result6’s is in fact analogue too, which seems quite rare these days.

The concept therefore, is for the Result6’s to deliver as close to “correct” as possible, straight out of the box. Unsurprisingly, to help them achieve this they have used their well-known advanced transmission line (ATL) technology. This instantly earns the Result6’s a place in the PMC family and I explain what it achieves for this model in my listening experience later.

I believe there may be a small trade-off with this ATL technology for some perspective buyers, and that is size. Typically, if you’re thinking about entry-level reference monitors and a driver size of 6 inches, you probably imagine a compact unit. While the front face of the Result6s isn’t huge, the side profile is quite deep. Presumably this is because of the size of the ATL chamber needed inside the cabinets. This may be of consideration for those in very tight spaces, or with shallow speaker mounts in their studio.

Talking of placing these monitors, PMC have integrated some de-coupling into the cabinet design. Two wide bands of rubbery material run around the exterior of the boxes, so that there is separation between the monitors and the surface they’re stood upon. This is an excellent idea and looks very neat too. If however, as I discovered, your speaker stand/shelf is a narrow surface, then these two rubber surrounds are too far apart. The sound was much better when the de-couplers are the only point of contact, which proves they work I guess.

Then come the new technologies which we haven’t seen in a PMC product before. Firstly there’s the new D-Fins, which are the most visually distinctive aspect of the new monitors. I believe these were designed by Oliver Thomas, son of PMC co-founder Peter Thomas. They’re designed to reduce the diffraction of the high frequencies by the front baffle due to the centrally placed tweeter. They’re also designed to enhance the drivers HF dispersion, therefore reducing the difference between on- and off-axis response.

Finally, there is some new technology now in place at PMC for building these drivers. The LF driver is laser measured to ensure the correct performance, along with a newly designed soft-dome tweeter, both unique to the Result6. It’s clear PMC are drawing on their old school of thought with these monitors, but have employed new technologies in order to achieve the best results.

Listening Carefully

There’s a lot to love about these “affordable” PMC monitors. I tried them in three different studios and the first thing that strikes you, is their competence wherever you place them. So often I find myself tweaking the position of monitors a few centimetres one way or another. The Result6’s however, seem to sound great straight off the bat, in each room I tried them.

I imagine this is partly due to the front-facing port, but thanks also to the new D-Fins. The stereo image is great, with the sweet spot being surprisingly wide. I tried the monitors in a horizontal orientation and the sweet spot seemed greatly reduced. This suggests to me that the D-Fins are having a significant effect as they mostly lie around the tweeter when in the vertical orientation.

Compared to other like-minded monitors of a similar specification, the power and punch of the Result6s is impressive. This must be a direct result of the dedicated 100W amplifier for the LF driver, leaving a separate 65W amplifier for the HF driver. If you’re planning on using these as mid-field monitors, then you should still find there’s plenty of grunt. At the other extreme, the response of these monitors is still apparent at lower monitoring levels too.

Then we come to the bass extension provided by their ATL technology. PMC’s signature party trick. The best description I can think of is; “true”. Don’t expect these monitors to rumble the floor or sound larger than they look. What they do achieve however, is a tight low end that rolls off gently. This in turn is likely to suit smaller studio spaces as they won’t excite boomy frequencies as much as other boxes might.

Besides bass extension, there is another aspect that the advanced transmission line offers. By allowing air to move more freely on the rear side of driver, than it would inside a regular cabinet design, lower levels of distortion should be experienced. This I can certainly hear working. This leaves these monitors sounding very “capable”, even when pushed.

The best part of the frequency spectrum from these Result6s has to be the top end. The new tweeter design is a hit with me. I might even go as far as saying they sound fresher than the twotwo range. With a good level of ‘air’ pronounced in the top end and a smooth analogue crossover, vocals sound wonderfully clear. I’m happy to report that they sound like a PMC, as they should do. Perhaps with a little element of “next-gen” found in the top end.

Conclusion

PMC have achieved their goal of developing a cheaper model, still worthy of being a part of the PMC family. I’m sure their approach to retain the fundamentals of their design and stay true to their beliefs, will play a key role in the Result6’s success. For those that know the PMC sound, you will feel immediately familiar with these monitors. If however, you’re approaching these speakers as the next level up from your existing monitoring, you will have to learn to trust these honest boxes.

Key Features

• Frequency Response: 45Hz – 22kHz

• Dimensions: H380 x W199 x D360 (mm)

• Input Connectors: Balanced analogue XLR, wired Pin-1 screen

• Weight: 8kg (17.6lbs)

RRP: £2,394.00 ($3,314.00) (Pair)

Simon Allen is an internationally recognised freelance engineer/producer and pro audio professional with over 15 years of experience. Working mostly in music, his reputation as a mix engineer continues to reach new heights.