I just want to appreciate that what great work ProAC does for all of their speakers. It is such a great work that I'd never listened before. It's sound very very natural. It is one of the greatest speakers for any unplugged music. The first time I discovered it was three years ago, as I entered the hi-fi section of the appliance store. They were playing a piano solo (can't remember what was that). The amazing thing is I could not point out which pair of speakers were playing among them as I standing in the middle of the room (w/ my over 10 years of experience as an Audio Enthusiast). I step toward the speakers until about two feet from a bookshelf speaker (size about 9"x7"), WOO, here it is. The sound field was so transparent. It really makes me feel like standing 30 ft away from a playing piano. It is SO real. Then, I fall in love w/ ProAC form there on, even though it is not as accurate as some top of the line B&W, Infinity and Celetion. But you guys should Imagine that while you are listen to any unplugged life performance or show. How the sound should be like? And how pounding the bass can be?However, for anyone who doesn't like unplugged music or love to watch movie at home, you must thing it is piece of shit. Because it is definitely not designed for home theater (not for T2 or True lie at all). It is simply a different speakers designed for different purposes. If I want have a home theater, I will go for a set of Boss, definitaly. It's different subject. So, there is no point to argue w/ that.

I recently heard the Proac line on some very high end Audio Research gear. They sound very nice, 4.5 to 5 stars for sound (the 2.5 and their bigger siblings), but MY GOD the Price???? $4,500 for the 2.5 and $7k something for the bigger ones??????? (bigger is relative, 2 8 inch vs. 1 8inch woofer is hardly "large") There are INFINATELY better speakers in the high price range, Try some Thiels, Hales, Martin Logan, Magneplanar, or Legacy speakers instead!!!!

I auditioned these speakers recently. The sound is very forward, "in your face" forward. Much too bright. Hurt my ears after a while. Bass response is loud, but not particulary tight. Imaging and staging are mediocre, especially for a speaker at this price point. They do have a lot of wood veneer options, but the prices are ridiculous. A much more musical speaker at less than $3500 is the Sonus Faber Concerto Grand Piano. BTW, audtioned these with tube amp/preamp (BAT) and McIntosh SS power amp.

I've owned several sreakers in the past two years, among which were the fabulous Jean-Marie Reynaud Studio 3 (a great pair of speakers, btw), but when I heard ProAc 2.5 first, after an hour or so of listening I traded in my JMRs and purchased ProAcs. Never had any regret since. At first, they sounded a bit strangely, bass was kinda detached and highs seemed to be slighlty obscured (particularly after very bright sound of JMRs). But after breaking in sound has improved so much that it left little to desire. Soundstage and imaging are superb. I definitely think they are worth every penny I paid for them. Right now I use them in a simple setup driven bi-amped by ARCAM Alpha 10 and Alpha 10p amps feeded with ARCAM Aplha 9 CD player through Audionote interconnects and speaker cables. It sounds even better than I expected, but gosh, how GREAT they are when used with CARY amps!!! Definitely 5 stars.

Enough of these arguments..don't you think it's funny to fight like crazy..i was really suprised that there are 28 reviews for the same products but with the same people fighting over it......every component has different sound depending the places, the electronics, sources, and music types...can't anybody agree that the people that like the speakers are the ones that are fortunate enough to bring the best out of the speakers...?
I don't have the money currently to buy Response 2.5...but If I could, I know I would.....and for the ones who feel that they're not satisfied..maybe this speaker brand is not your cup of tea...maybe some others will do. Some products just can't be measure by price per pound or price per square cubic...PEACE

I've just got to add my two cents to the ProAc 2.5 circus, and that is mainly to point out, once again, the obvious: 2.5's reflect very strongly the sound of the electronics that feed them. I have heard them with Conrad-Johnson Premier 12A monoblocks and they sounded 'lite and lively.' I heard them with the ARC 100 II, inexpicably Stewart Tyler's choice, and they sounded agressive. I heard them with a Pass Labs Aleph 3, and they sounded lovely, if a little small. My closest web-friend has his paired with Blue Circle BC 2 monoblocks, and they sound, well according to him and his violinist wife, "perfect." The Plinius SA 100 III, a fine all-around solid state amp which is a trifle rolled off, holds them back a little, according to "Mike J," who prefers a more open amp with them. Not sure about that one. Probably worth checking out. But the point is clear. We are all blind men describing the elephant here. No one really seems to know what the ProAc 2.5 "sound" really is. That's a very good sign, I would think. Since we can't just give commentary here but have to assign speakers, I'm going to give them four, mainly because I've not yet heard the 3.8's, which I'm betting are the same only better. We need some more reviews on them, especially to find out if their reportedly great bass is just right or too much.

I tried these speakers at home in my own system (Unison Research Simply 845 SET integrated amplifier, Meridian 508.24 CD Player, Harmonic Technologies Pro-Silway MKII and Pro9-Plus interconnect and speaker cables).I tried many other speakers (Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage, Audio Physic Virgo, Tannoy GRF Memory HE, etc) no one can compares to the listening experience that produces the 2.5 with a 845 SET amp. The sound it´s simply NATURAL and PURE. Do you want real quick bass?... You got it! Do you want crystaline, detailed and liquid treble?... You got it! Do you want mids so real that brings tears to your eyes?...You got it!
For the past years I was looking for a natural sound, and this system is the end of my search...
Previously I listened the ProAcs in solid State and push-pull systems, but they was borned to make a SET system Happy!
I´m totally in love with the ProAcs.

GET MAGGIES OVER PROAC??!!!
You must be out of your mind!!

I own Studio 250s and cannot wait to upgrade to the 2.5s. This is the most natural best sounding speaker I have ever listened to in this price range in my system hands down!!!

ARCVT100II
ARCcd2
ARClS5MKIII
ARCPH2B
LP12, Ittock, Cirkus, Trampoline, K-18
Tara Labs Decade XLR (to amp)
Silver Audio XLR (to digital)
Silver Audio phono lead XLR
Madrigal CZ gel XLR 25 foot runs from Phono stage to LS)

I have owned a pair of 2.5's for nearly 3 years. I power them with a Krell KSA 250 and also have a Mirage BPS210 subwoofer. The speakers are wonderfully open, detailed and very musical. The 2.5's sound OK without the Mirage subwoofer, but fantastic together. I assume subs like REL would work nicely. Before purchasing. I extensively auditioned the Aerial 10T, which was not nearly as clean and open, in my opinion. Other source components include a Theta Basic II D/A, Theta Pearl transport, Audio Research LS3, Kimber KCAG. Of yes, I use Symo speaker cable, which I had left from my Apogee Calipers - I have compared it to TARA, but much prefer the Symo - smoother !

I am the proud and very satisfied owner of the TWO-POINT-FIVES for about three years now, and I was amused to read all the different points-of-view posted here. It seems to me one of the most important factors in installing them has been overlooked, that is BI-WIRING which is an abslute necessity. Personally I use VAN DEN HUL's carbon/silver hybrid called "The Revelation" but I suppose the upgrade experience will be the same with any high-quality cable. The first year the speakers they were not bi-wired and I was actually mildly dis-appointed and kept looking in many directions for upgrades; to the front-end, amplification and so on. For a while I even considered trading the speakers! However, I stumbled upon a second set of the VDH speaker cable and there's simply no looking back! For instance, the slight chestiness on male singers resulting from mid-bass muddiness that another reviewer referred is now a thing of the past.
Another thing that's important is 3-6 months (!) of break-in. Electronics are also important, I used c-j Premier 12s before, that was OK, but after getting the Spectron Digital power amp this set-up is totally world-class. And, oh, lest I forget, the sound can be further improved by taking the grilles off!

To sum up, then, given the right electronics and cables this is one hell of a speaker and in my opinion easily deserves the top rating.