PMC is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, marking three decades of British loudspeaker design and manufacturing.
Established in 1991 by Peter Thomas, a BBC engineer, and Adrian Loader, FWO Bauch engineer, PMC’s mission was to create a monitor speaker for the BBC that could handle the high sound levels required for pop and rock monitoring, but with ultra-high resolution.
The pair created their first loudspeaker, named ‘Big Box’ in Thomas’s garage and accompanying electronics in Loader’s garage. The loudspeaker was refined and renamed the BB5 and was installed into BBC Maida Vale Studios.
“When I started the company with my friend and colleague, Adrian Loader, I had no idea that our audio knowledge and passion for music would one day end up with our small company designing and building universally respected loudspeakers for audiophiles and for some of the biggest artists, producers, and audio facilities in the world,” said Thomas.
Following the successful introduction of the BB5 and PMC’s establishment, Thomas and Loader launched their first domestic loudspeaker, the LB1. Fast forward 30 years and the company now has an enviable reputation in the home audio and CI sectors, bringing studio quality reproduction into the home.
“In terms of music reproduction, there shouldn’t be a distinction between a loudspeaker designed for studio use and one for domestic use – the speaker is either reproducing the music correctly or it isn’t,” added Thomas.
“The guiding principle for our R&D team is that the same ultra-high-resolution loudspeaker can be used throughout the entire recording and playback process – from studio to home. The work we do developing new studio speakers directly benefits our hifi product development and conversely, some of the discoveries we make when creating a new range of hifi loudspeakers find their way into our pro models. This means that domestic users can experience their music sounding the same as it did in the studio and exactly as the artist intended.”
Core technologies shared between pro and domestic models include PMC’s Advanced Line, or ATL, bass loading, the aerodynamically designed Laminair vent, dome midrange drivers and tweeter dispersion grilles.
Over the 30 years, PMC has grown from two members of staff to 60 around the world. Its head office and two manufacturing plants are situated in the UK but it also has satellite offices in Los Angeles, Nashville and New York.
Reflecting on the last 30 years, Thomas said: “Celebrating a 30th anniversary is a major milestone for any company, and we know that we couldn’t have done any of this without the help of our staff and customers. Their support and dedication have enabled us to build a highly respected global brand. For that we are extremely grateful and would like to say a massive and heartfelt thank you as we look forward to the next chapter in the PMC story.”