Floorstanding loudspeakers — PMC QB1 XBD-A

The QB1 XBD-A is a massive flagship fully active floorstanding loudspeaker from PMC, representing the British manufacturer's most extraordinary current engineering statement across its entire professional-derived catalogue. The QB1 XBD-A brings PMC's studio-monitoring heritage to an almost unprecedented scale of active amplification.

Key specs that matter

Rated response spans 20Hz to 25,000Hz within plus-or-minus 3dB. Internal amplification uses an extraordinarily elaborate configuration totalling 275W, 550W, and two pairs of 2,400W amplifier modules - a combined output reaching well beyond 10,000W across the full driver array. At a substantial 164.0 x 109.2 x 52.3cm, weight totals 150kg for the main enclosure plus a further 140kg for additional componentry, representing one of the most considerable active loudspeaker commitments available anywhere.

Sound and use context

Expect unprecedented dynamic headroom and bass authority reflecting the extraordinary combined amplification power, representing PMC's absolute flagship engineering ambition applied without any compromise whatsoever.

Pairing

As a fully active design with massive internal amplification, the QB1 XBD-A requires no external power amplifier, connecting directly to a source component or preamplifier with line-level input.

Alternatives

PMC's broader active monitor and loudspeaker catalogue, including the BB5-A SE and PMC10-4 XBD, offers alternatives at more moderate (though still substantial) scale for buyers whose room and requirements don't call for this absolute flagship's extraordinary ambition.