Philharmonic BMR Monitor Semi-Objective Review - Road Show Stop 1

[amper42]

Not really a fair comparison. But ok.


BMR monitor have just one.

Maybe you are mixing it up with the HT?

BMR Tower has two BMR midrange drivers.

 

[Mort]

I thought you were referring to the BMR monitor. This is the BMR monitor thread.

Anyway, I don't think the bmr tower needs to compare itself to a much bigger Revel. It's a value king for wide directivity, nearly full range, linear speakers. (Edit: and beautifully finished)

 

[Mort]

I decided to go with the satin walnut BMR monitor. It'll get paired with a Rythmik 12" sub and a Wiim Amp ultra in a medium room. Looking forward to having it back under my roof.

 

[Norcal]

I decided to go with the satin walnut BMR monitor. It'll get paired with a Rythmik 12" sub and a Wiim Amp ultra in a medium room. Looking forward to having it back under my roof.

I feel like this setup is really skirting the edge of where the diminishing returns kick in for the vast majority of users. Hard to beat, really.

 

[Mort]

I feel like this setup is really skirting the edge of where the diminishing returns kick in for the vast majority of users. Hard to beat, really.

I happen to have the Rythmik sub from a past setup. There are probably cheaper that would do as well.

Awesome thing about this setup is how beautiful it is to look at.

 

[tw 2022]

I feel like this setup is really skirting the edge of where the diminishing returns kick in for the vast majority of users. Hard to beat, really.

100% agree... in the proper conditions (small or medium room , good sub) you really have a hard time improving enough to hear a big difference and justifying expense of an "upgrade"....it only took about an hour of listening to know the bmr monitors are as high on the food chain as i'll ever need to go...

 

[amper42]

100% agree... in the proper conditions (small or medium room , good sub) you really have a hard time improving enough to hear a big difference and justifying expense of an "upgrade"....it only took about an hour of listening to know the bmr monitors are as high on the food chain as i'll ever need to go...

I have to agree. I used the RME ADI-2 DAC FS to get my BMR Monitiors to match within 90% of the Revel F328Be at medium volumes using the Loudness settings. The bass in the BMR Monitors is amazing so you have a good opportunity to EQ it just the way you want them.

For me, I had the BMR Monitors and F328BE in adjacent rooms and simply dialed in the Loudness control so they matched super close. I couldn't have done it without both playing simultaneously the same tracks and simply move from room to room while making adjustments. I was quite surprised the BMR Monitor could be EQ'ed to sound so much like a $10K speaker.

 

[bagwell359]

Nicely said. Can't disagree. He said it's the design he's most proud of. It 'brought something new to the market.'

Only thing I would add is they are almost their own category in size. Mega-bookshelf. (megashelf?). Quite big for a bookshelf, but they still need stands on the floor.

Half Tower. Tweets must be at serious listening ear height.

 

[bagwell359]

BMRs on a desktop - BMRs on two customers' desktop. I also used it for a while before upgrading to HT Towers. Yes, HT Towers on the left and right side of my desk. I'm within 1 feet of the speakers.
View attachment 423872
View attachment 423873

My take on the Monitors is they don't sound their best in the two rooms I've had them in unless they are at least 9.5' from the listeners ears. 18x14 and 23x16. Not near field speakers per se but even so if you can afford them size wise and money wise probably very high repro anyhow - and someday you might have them set up in a bigger space.

 

[Mort]

My take on the Monitors is they don't sound their best in the two rooms I've had them in unless they are at least 9.5' from the listeners ears. 18x14 and 23x16. Not near field speakers per se but even so if you can afford them size wise and money wise probably very high repro anyhow - and someday you might have them set up in a bigger space.

That's not been my experience.

 

[bagwell359]

That's not been my experience.

Did you try it in other positions? Just curious not trying to cross examine...

 

[Mort]

Did you try it in other positions? Just curious not trying to cross examine...

Well not in a room that size, but up to 15x20 feet. It'll depend a lot on the reverberant characteristics of the room is my point. Your 9.5" could be (and was) different in other rooms.

 

[bagwell359]

Well not in a room that size, but up to 15x20 feet. It'll depend a lot on the reverberant characteristics of the room is my point. Your 9.5" could be (and was) different in other rooms.

Yes, but at least in those rooms, it was 9.5-12'. I wouldn't want to hear them in a very live room. My issues with 4-8' was that the stage seemed not to coalesce esp in terms of depth and relationships of instruments to others in space. But what can be said is like any speaker in a room there is a range of what works, and the user has to determine what's best - possibly with the aid of measurements, PEQ, and some observations from users one trusts.

We can agree that they are excellent. If retailed they'd be like $3500 or perhaps more. Honestly outside of the Towers and something like a used ProAC D30R or Verity Parsifal (v2 or later) I haven't heard anything under $10k I'd rush off to get to replace them.

Ciao

 

[hollis]

wouldn't want to hear them in a very live room.

I’ve tried this, worst case this actually.
I moved 2x BMR Monitors into a new house, a good month before the rest of the stuff arrived. Just the speakers two stands and a lawn chair.

Tried them out on both the long wall and short wall of the living room with utterly nothing else in it. Sounded awesome. Being exactly at tweeter height was the only issue. With EDM and pop tracks l got some awwwesome imaging from behind on a few tracks.

Whether that was supposed to be in the track or no, l dont know. But it was mad immersive and, something l missed when we treated the ceiling and got all the furnishings in.

 

[hollis]

This is them on the long wall as stuff started to arrive. This room was very live.

 

[Mort]

Yes, but at least in those rooms, it was 9.5-12'.

There is some support for the 9.5. It's where Dennis said the driver's are perfectly aligned but really anything after 1M is inaudible.

 

[hollis]

This is them on the long wall as stuff started to arrive. This room was very live.

Those windows were mad thin and flimsy. Bass was escaping for sure out of them. But. That ended up being a good thing (vs strong front wall reflection)

I also brought them into a small bedroom. 12x12x8’
They were unlistenable without eq. I had to drastically cut down the low end.
After that they were amazing.
And yes l did listen at 1m, and while l missed the envelopment of the larger room, the tonality was solid.

 

[Mort]

Philharmonic Audio is planning a limited run of MTM 'super' BMR monitors due in June. No pricing or quantity available yet.

 

[amper42]

Philharmonic Audio is planning a limited run of MTM 'super' BMR monitors due in June. No pricing or quantity available yet.

View attachment 520499

Have you listened to the AMT version of the BMR Monitor? Thoughts?
I didn't realize this was new option.

Any specs on the MTM Super BMR Monitor?

 

[mj30250]

Based on the picture it looks like the BMR HT tower sans a woofer and in a bookshelf form factor.