Floorstanding loudspeakers — Avalon Accoustics PM4

The PM4 is a passive floorstanding three-way design from the Precision Monitor range from Avalon Acoustics of Boulder, Colorado. It sits above the PM3 within the PM family and uses three drivers in a tall faceted cabinet. The UK price of a pair was GBP 87,750 including VAT.

Key specs that matter

The PM4 uses a 1 inch concave tweeter with a pure diamond diaphragm energised by a neodymium magnet system. The midrange is a 3.5 inch concave dome made from an eggshell-thin ceramic, and bass is handled by an 11 inch cone of Nomex and Kevlar composite driven by a dual magnetic structure, while a separate dynamic magnet system drives the ceramic midrange. Avalon rates sensitivity at 89 dB and nominal impedance at 4 ohm, and the low-frequency limit is quoted at 24 Hz. Recommended amplifier power runs from 25 to 400 W. Each cabinet is about 125 cm tall, 30 cm wide and 43 cm deep.

Engineering and use context

Avalon states that the whole system is purely pistonic, with no driver break-up modes within 70 dB of the signal. The crossover follows a proprietary all-phase topology with 5 degrees of phase deviation from 0 dB down to -76 dB across all drivers, and its high-current circuits derive directly from the Tesseract. All crossover wiring is point to point using conductors with current flowing at the surface only, so no printed circuit board is used. Inside, the enclosure combines sealed chambers with several labyrinth pathways, a multi-layer constrained-mode damping platform under the main baffle absorbs cabinet vibration, and cavity resonances are tuned for eigenmode control. The cabinet material and process are proprietary, and the baffle is shaped in three dimensions to manage the transition from 2pi to 4pi radiation. Standard veneers include Polychrome, Birdseye, Quilted Cherry, Curly Maple and Figured Maple, with high gloss finishes offered on request.

Pairing

Avalon's suggested power span admits both lower-powered designs and large solid-state amplifiers, provided the amplifier is stable into a 4 ohm class load. In a space of around 20 m2 or larger, the tall cabinet and large woofer are in proportion to the room.

Alternatives

The Avalon PM3 sits one step below in the Precision Monitor floorstanding line.