Sanity check needed on amp recommendations + Philharmonic BMR

[WcfTn]

Welcome!

This MUST be r/audiophile, right? Definitely one of the worse cesspools of audiophoolery, and why to avoid it you have now seen. Haha

Of course they couldn't. That would require such objective data to exist.

In terms of Reddit, you'll be better off in r/budgetaudiophile. One of the few places with a similar no-nonsense attitude based on fact and science similar to ASR, infact ASR is well regarded there and frequently referenced when helping people with buying decisions. When you're trying to get the best performance for whatever little money you have, objective data is crucial.

Funnily enough, just yesterday there was a related post with the user wondering whether the Yamaha A-Sx01 line will turn into future classics, because they're so well made and equipped and performing for the money. I would say they will indeed.

Would you believe it if I told you this was actually on r/budgetaudiophile!

“Cool setup, nice speakers, but you won’t unlock the true potential unless you throw everything away and spend $2k more” basically.

Interestingly, one of the main critics has now redacted all of their comments.

 

[Ropeburn]

Would you believe it if I told you this was actually on r/budgetaudiophile!

“Cool setup, nice speakers, but you won’t unlock the true potential unless you throw everything away and spend $2k more” basically.

Interestingly, one of the main critics has now redacted all of their comments.

What? On my beloved Subreddit? I must hunt that one down!

Jokes aside, the backlash against such nonsense comments, that on top of it all go completely against the whole budget spirit, is usually swift and thorough. Haha

 

[Mort]

75db is not close to loud enough.

 

[ryanosaur]

^
I like to think of 75dB as a reasonable start.

 

[Ropeburn]

75db is not close to loud enough.

It's still quite something for power that's basically zero plus rounding/measurement error, so little, every proper headphone amp could do it.

 

[amper42]

75db is not close to loud enough.

Another Tinnitus candidate?
Being in the same room with music playing loud can shorten the life of the ear.... many here already fully understand this the hard way.
These days, I have to bring ear plugs just to go to the movies and listen safely.

 

[Mort]

Another Tinnitus candidate?
Being in the same room with music playing loud can shorten the life of the ear.... many here already fully understand this the hard way.
These days, I have to bring ear plugs just to go to the movies and listen safely.

Another sanctimonious post?

 

[amper42]

Another sanctimonious post?

@Mort - I totally understand. We all like to play our music loud on occasion. But if that's the normal it will offer long term ill effects.

Even something as unsuspecting as elementary school fire drills with 100db alarms once a month can cause hearing damage over time. Those that work in loud environments aren't typically warned to use ear protection and they pay the price after many years of service. The end result is hearing loss and tinnitus. Hearing aids offer nothing to those who enjoy music as even expensive ones designed for music buffs sound horrible. We buy expensive speakers because we love music. When the ears degrade nothing can fix it.

 

[Willem]

I own the BMR Monitors. They are actually pretty easy to drive to normal listening levels.
I have powered them with the following:
Denon 4500
Denon 4700
Hegel H90
Buckeye NC502MP (Hypex)
March Audio P452 (Purifi)
Boxem Arthur 4215/E2 (Purifi)

While the Hypex and Purifi options can play a bit louder the difference in sound based on the amp alone is really minimal at normal volume levels. If they sound good to you now, I wouldn't expect a big difference simply switching amps.

When I did notice a BIG difference in sound with the BMR Monitor it was while using the ADI-2 DAC FS to tune the "Loudness" control settings just the way I wanted with my favorite music. When the BMR Monitor sounded a little dull the RME Loudness control setting was able to change the sound to add amazing clarity. It was night and day difference.

The BMR Monitor has an amazing low end so you typically don't need the kind of low end EQ that many other speakers require, but the RME Loudness can drastically improve the "Presence" of the sound with my BMR Monitors.

So to answer your question - it depends. If you are totally happy with the way your BMR Monitors sound then ignore everyone's advice.
But if you want the opportunity to add more control than you thought possible before, consider a Purifi amp with an RME ADI-2 DAC FS.

But the Yamaha also has an adjustable loudness knob.

 

[amper42]

But the Yamaha also has an adjustable loudness knob.

I'm pretty sure the Yamaha controls are nothing like the Loudness adjustments available on the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. But sure try them see if they work for you.

 

[Willem]

I'm pretty sure the Yamaha controls are nothing like the Loudness adjustments available on the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. But sure try them see if they work for you.

I have an ADI-2 and the loudness control is superb, just like its many other facilities. Conversely, I bought a Yamaha AS501 for my daughter some years ago, and it is not only a very good amplifier, but it does have an adjustable loudness control. It is not nearly as sophisticated as on the ADI-2, but much better than on almost any other amplifier.

 

[Willem]

You have not yet said anything about the room. How large is it? Nor have you said anything about your subwoofer. A second one may well be your best bet, both for more power and for a smoother low frequency response across a wider listening area.

 

[Gitfiddle]

Would you believe it if I told you this was actually on r/budgetaudiophile!

Established reddit accounts with lots of karma are a way some people make money. They sell them to marketing teams and social media teams for companies. In this age of chat bots, karma farming can be automated. Lots of that automation revolves around making edgy, contrarian statements. Same with marketing bots. I wouldn't be surprised if you sent a few marketing bots haywire.

 

[Alannn]

You have not yet said anything about the room. How large is it? Nor have you said anything about your subwoofer. A second one may well be your best bet, both for more power and for a smoother low frequency response across a wider listening area.

We know nothing about the usefulness of the existing unnamed sub. Along with the general advice of adding a second sub comes more advice that BMR Monitors used with sub(s) benefit from a high pass filter to limit low frequency signal sent to the BMR's.

This is all relative because for music, BMR Monitors do not require a sub, and a low end subwoofer could actually be detrimental.

 

[amper42]

I have an ADI-2 and the loudness control is superb, just like its many other facilities. Conversely, I bought a Yamaha AS501 for my daughter some years ago, and it is not only a very good amplifier, but it does have an adjustable loudness control. It is not nearly as sophisticated as on the ADI-2, but much better than on almost any other amplifier.

Yes, the ability of the RME ADI-2 DAC FS app to set the exact impact on Bass and Treble individually along with setting at what point the Loudness feature fades to zero is powerful. No other DAC I have tried offers this customizable control. It's a unique feature set.

 

[EPICURIOUS007]

My BMR Monitors reach 75dB while only using 16W with a Purifi amp. A 75dB sound level is loud enough my conversation with someone else in the room can be impaired. The fact that most of us think we need 200W boggles the mind. I typically don't like to stay in a room for long where the amp is pushing 50W.

Doubling power only gets you 3db 75db=16w, 78db=32w, 81db=64w, 84db=128w

 

[krabapple]

Would you believe it if I told you this was actually on r/budgetaudiophile!

“Cool setup, nice speakers, but you won’t unlock the true potential unless you throw everything away and spend $2k more” basically.

Interestingly, one of the main critics has now redacted all of their comments.

There are idiots everywhere online. r/budgetaudiophile is no exception