New speaker time. Philharmonic BMR vs Ascend Sierra 1v2

[holbob]

So I'm upgrading (changing) my speakers for hopefully the last time for a few years.

The wife likes the look of the BMR (even without the grill). So that was my first go to. But I have a small lounge - 4.1 metres (13.5 foot) by 3.6 metres (11.8 foot). I have a typical UK small ceiling of 2.3 metres (7.5 foot).

I like wide dispersion - I've owned revel m16, m106 and kef r3 and the Q7 Meta. Much prefer the revels. But the BMR is seriously wide. I also listen to mainly indie folk and indie rock. The BMR is apparently mainly to convey a full orchestra in your lounge??? I am worried that the BMR is too much for my space and my type of music.

A suitable compromise would be I think the Ascend Sierra 1v2. I don't need to go to the LX as I get loads of bass reinforcement in this room anyway. The Sierra has revel like dispersion, good directivity and a nice in room response.
Has anyone experienced the BMR in a small room - can it work?

 

[pdfield34]

I have a similarly sized room - 12X14 ft. 10 ft ceiling. Pretty bad room with a desk.
I have had the BMRs and revel m105s on hand for 2+ years. I have had the KEF LS50 metas on hand for 1/2 year.

Very much prefer the BMRs. To me they stand apart from the Revels and KEFs. I don't notice any negatives from the wide dispersion. Their sound is more immersive.

Most of the time, if I'm not listening to the BMRs, I'm rocking out and getting shouted at by my Klipsch RP 600 Ms.

Also, using Dirac, I can get a flat Harman curve down to 34Hz (+5Hz bass from 33 - 150 Hz) with the BMRs - no subs.

This doesn't address any type of comparison to the Sierras. Justing pointing out that I believe the BMRs are special as they relate to my Revels and KEFs.

 

[Mort]

I used the BMR Tower in a room that size. It's wonderful. I have not seen the beamwidth on these measured but they might be just a little wider than revel.

Wider is even more demonstrative with acoustic recordings. But it's not too much, no. It'll sound great with your music.

 

[jmdesignz2]

I used the BMR Tower in a room that size. It's wonderful. I have not seen the beamwidth on these measured but they might be just a little wider than revel.

Wider is even more demonstrative with acoustic recordings. But it's not too much, no. It'll sound great with your music.

Would you consider the BMR Towers as good as Revel Salon 2?

 

[Mort]

Would you consider the BMR Towers as good as Revel Salon 2?

No, the Revel go lower. But the Towers are an incredible value.

 

[ryanosaur]

So I'm upgrading (changing) my speakers for hopefully the last time for a few years.

The wife likes the look of the BMR (even without the grill). So that was my first go to. But I have a small lounge - 4.1 metres (13.5 foot) by 3.6 metres (11.8 foot). I have a typical UK small ceiling of 2.3 metres (7.5 foot).

I like wide dispersion - I've owned revel m16, m106 and kef r3 and the Q7 Meta. Much prefer the revels. But the BMR is seriously wide. I also listen to mainly indie folk and indie rock. The BMR is apparently mainly to convey a full orchestra in your lounge??? I am worried that the BMR is too much for my space and my type of music.

A suitable compromise would be I think the Ascend Sierra 1v2. I don't need to go to the LX as I get loads of bass reinforcement in this room anyway. The Sierra has revel like dispersion, good directivity and a nice in room response.
Has anyone experienced the BMR in a small room - can it work?

I have BMR Monitors, and also the older cousin of the BMR Towers (Phil3) in a small room. They perform great in there.

I cancelled my trip to Ascend after I heard the Phil3s.

There is nothing against Dave's work with Ascend. I know folk with his Speakers and they love them.

For me, I would simply argue that a great 3-way will almost always beat out any 2-way design. Dennis is a master at designing both great 2- and 3-way Speakers. The BMR Monitor has a wonderful marriage between all 3 Drivers and the Raal is outstanding at what it does. The BMR Monitor (and Phil3) do great with all kinds of music, not just acoustic or orchestral...

Regarding the very wide dispersion in a small room, all I will say is that it creates the sensation that I am again standing or sitting among the musicians. Not trying to be trite and saying they are there in front of me, but as a former performer I do feel as if I am there again.

Room size is 11x15'.

 

[jmdesignz2]

I have BMR Monitors, and also the older cousin of the BMR Towers (Phil3) in a small room. They perform great in there.

I cancelled my trip to Ascend after I heard the Phil3s.

There is nothing against Dave's work with Ascend. I know folk with his Speakers and they love them.

For me, I would simply argue that a great 3-way will almost always beat out any 2-way design. Dennis is a master at designing both great 2- and 3-way Speakers. The BMR Monitor has a wonderful marriage between all 3 Drivers and the Raal is outstanding at what it does. The BMR Monitor (and Phil3) do great with all kinds of music, not just acoustic or orchestral...

Regarding the very wide dispersion in a small room, all I will say is that it creates the sensation that I am again standing or sitting among the musicians. Not trying to be trite and saying they are there in front of me, but as a former performer I do feel as if I am there again.

Room size is 11x15'.

“Sitting among musicians” is what I’m after. I blew up my budget and ordered the current BMR Towers last night

 

[perceptionist]

So I'm upgrading (changing) my speakers for hopefully the last time for a few years.

The wife likes the look of the BMR (even without the grill). So that was my first go to. But I have a small lounge - 4.1 metres (13.5 foot) by 3.6 metres (11.8 foot). I have a typical UK small ceiling of 2.3 metres (7.5 foot).

I like wide dispersion - I've owned revel m16, m106 and kef r3 and the Q7 Meta. Much prefer the revels. But the BMR is seriously wide. I also listen to mainly indie folk and indie rock. The BMR is apparently mainly to convey a full orchestra in your lounge??? I am worried that the BMR is too much for my space and my type of music.

A suitable compromise would be I think the Ascend Sierra 1v2. I don't need to go to the LX as I get loads of bass reinforcement in this room anyway. The Sierra has revel like dispersion, good directivity and a nice in room response.
Has anyone experienced the BMR in a small room - can it work?

SIERRA-1 V2 is one of the best around $1000 two way, not in the same league as BMR, which is one of the best three way around $2000. Check out the leaderboards of Erin's Audio Corner. Also ask your wife about her ideas of Ceramic Mini.

 

[jmdesignz2]

Follow up to this post

I’ve been listening to my Philharmonic BMR Towers driven by Topping Dx5II DAC, A70 Pro Preamp, Buckeye NCX500 mono blocks via all balanced XLR.

You must use extremely good recordings. Poorly mastered recordings sound blah to terrible.

The Topping preamp was the biggest improvement to the sound second to the Buckeye amps. These allow the speakers to reach Insane dynamics, extremely neutral and accurate tonality and texture. Near live feeling.

Such as MA Recordings
"Victimae Paschali Laudes" Michel Godard presents here a suite of music spotlighting the serpent, a kind of valveless ancestor of our modern-day tuba. Godard began playing the serpent in 1979, seemingly on a whim, and has since become one of the world's leading practitioners of this instrument, whose nomenclature is so obviously derived from its writhing shape

The massive sense of space, textures of instruments, drum skins, metal percussions are distinctive with the greatest depth of character I’ve ever heard from any speaker

I’ve listened to Thiels, BW 801s, and personally own Aerial 10T powered by Bryston 4B SST Or a pair of Mccormack DNA 1 Deluxe mono blocks and these Philharmonic towers spank them all

 

[CT007]

SIERRA-1 V2 is one of the best around $1000 two way, not in the same league as BMR, which is one of the best three way around $2000

I did not test the BMR Tower during my last speaker upgrade shootout, but the Sierra-1 V2 sounded the most correct/natural to me over the BMR Monitor V2, Sierra-LX, Sierra-2EX V2 and Kali IN-8 V2. I did not really hear anything special from the ribbon tweeter of the BMR Monitor, spatially or fidelity wise, contrary to common opinions I've read about this speaker, and the bass was definitely lighter/weaker than the Sierra-1 V2. Overall tonality was a bit lighter/thinner/more metallic, and just more artificial/fake sounding VS the Sierra-1 V2. I thought metallic/brass instruments sounded correct, but not much else. I am incredibly happy with the Sierra, and only wish it had the imaging/phantom center of the Kali

 

[jmdesignz2]

I did not test the BMR Tower during my last speaker upgrade shootout, but the Sierra-1 V2 sounded the most correct/natural to me over the BMR Monitor V2, Sierra-LX, Sierra-2EX V2 and Kali IN-8 V2. I did not really hear anything special from the ribbon tweeter of the BMR Monitor, spatially or fidelity wise, contrary to common opinions I've read about this speaker, and the bass was definitely lighter/weaker than the Sierra-1 V2. Overall tonality was a bit lighter/thinner/more metallic, and just more artificial/fake sounding VS the Sierra-1 V2. I thought metallic/brass instruments sounded correct, but not much else. I am incredibly happy with the Sierra, and only wish it had the imaging/phantom center of the Kali

Based on what tracks?
Based on what instruments?
How familiar is one with the entire process by which xyz was recorded, mastered etc

It’s incredibly easy to say anything but to be more sure of what is stated requires great knowledge and experience of the reference tracks.

As well as room, speaker, listener positions. Room response etc.

I think we need some stringently recorded, and mastered, quality tracks we can all use as a reference for tonality and other sound quality reviews.

 

[Mort]

I did not really hear anything special from the ribbon tweeter of the BMR Monitor,

How could you miss it? It's very distinctive. I could see not liking it, of course. But it's very easy to hear the wide directivity. (Correct term , we don't use 'fake sounding'). I wonder if there is something in your setup or music selection?

 

[alexis]

So I'm upgrading (changing) my speakers for hopefully the last time for a few years.

The wife likes the look of the BMR (even without the grill). So that was my first go to. But I have a small lounge - 4.1 metres (13.5 foot) by 3.6 metres (11.8 foot). I have a typical UK small ceiling of 2.3 metres (7.5 foot).

I like wide dispersion - I've owned revel m16, m106 and kef r3 and the Q7 Meta. Much prefer the revels. But the BMR is seriously wide. I also listen to mainly indie folk and indie rock. The BMR is apparently mainly to convey a full orchestra in your lounge??? I am worried that the BMR is too much for my space and my type of music.

A suitable compromise would be I think the Ascend Sierra 1v2. I don't need to go to the LX as I get loads of bass reinforcement in this room anyway. The Sierra has revel like dispersion, good directivity and a nice in room response.
Has anyone experienced the BMR in a small room - can it work?

Many have put BMR Monitors / BMR Towers / HT Towers in small rooms and many have shared their settings with us (and allow us to share).

Smallest for BMR Monitors (That we know so far). The owner has initial concern on the deeper bass in Jazz he liked. He sent a note saying he loves the BMR Monitors playing Jazz in his setting.

Smallest room for BMR Towers (that we know so far) - and they are in the corners. He has share many listening impressions with measurement in his room.

BMR Towers as "Surrounds" - not small but more a luxury...

Next, HT Towers...

A beautiful home. Notice the depth was very shallow and one in the corner too.