Philharmonic Audio

Discussion in 'Speakers' started by HitmanFluffy, Oct 23, 2015.

  1. Mystic

    Mystic Mystique's Spiritual Advisor

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,754
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    U.S.
    I've decided to purchase the Affordable Accuracy Monitors for my first set of speakers. Seems like nothing really competes with it in this price point (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm open to other options).

    As my first speaker setup, I'm at a loss as to what kind of stands to get. I was looking at these: Link

    The stands are cheap, which is what I'm looking for.
     
  2. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I have been having some conversations with @Marvey about Dennis. It's funny, the guy is a genius and just knows all the little things that make a difference + he's anal about SQ.

    For instance:

    [​IMG]

    Astute observers will notice that the drivers are not symmetrical at all; in fact it looks quite janky on my BMR prototypes. You might think the speaker designer is just dodgy. No, that's Dennis being anal and offsetting the drivers to break up diffraction effects. WTF, who does that?

    For those who are wondering, these are the BMR prototypes and the only ones ever done in curved cabinets. Dennis refuses to do another due to how much of a pain it is to work inside these cabinets.
     
  3. Kolohe

    Kolohe Facebook Friend

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2015
    Likes Received:
    98
    Trophy Points:
    33
    Location:
    CC of HNL
    My Salk speakers (also a Dennis Murphy design) are like that, in fact most of the Salk offerings have offset drivers. There's an article by Jeff Bagby on the Salk website that explains the concept.
     
  4. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,320
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Hmm, can't say I'm seeing offset drivers for the first time, but the asymmetry (between both speakers) is something new to me, almost as if you have 2 left speakers or 2 right speakers. o_O
     
  5. Serious

    Serious Inquisitive Frequency Response Plot

    Pyrate BWC MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,594
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    near Munich, Germany
    I thought this was to get crossover suckouts and other weird FR effects on another plane where it is more benign, so that it improves the FR in the listening window.
     
  6. Cakecake

    Cakecake Guest

    Jumped on the BMR bandwagon :DDDD.

    Dennis stopped doing furniture grade BMR because Jim was getting flooded with orders and he said he wouldn't do them. He gave me a mad discount on Parts Express cabinet so I can't complain ( perhaps better for my wallet..)

    I have them on my desk at the moment and they sound fantastic, reminds me a bit like HD800 ish detail but with speaker goodness :DD My modimultibit and cheap T-amp doesnt help but I can only imagine how they sound with Schiit 2 channel amp later this year and better dac.

    Any recommendation on 24" speaker stand? I am looking at these two at the moment.

    https://www.amazon.com/Fixed-Height...qid=1473457611&sr=8-7&keywords=VTI+speaker+24
    https://www.amazon.com/Pangea-Audio...3457636&sr=8-1&keywords=pangea+speaker+stands
     
  7. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I use the pangea. They're not even so you'll need Blu Tack on the surface to fill in the gaps between the speakers and the stands. You'll also need something underneath the speakers.

    I also recommend sealing the bottom of the stands and filling them with sand to add weight. Not because you need weight for any sonic reasons, but because the speakers are heavy as balls.
     
  8. Cakecake

    Cakecake Guest

    gotcha thanks.
    Does the stand come with sand or you just get some playground?
     
  9. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    They don't come with sand.

    I did heavy kitty litter. Don't tell my wife. It is effective and, coupled with the blu tack, my speakers feel very stable.
     
  10. TooPoor

    TooPoor New

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    20
    Trophy Points:
    8
    I'm very interested in Dennis' offerings for my next speaker purchase (music only), more specifically the BMR and Slim's. My present issue(s) are:

    1.) Bass: Current listening room size is 13'L x 15'W x 7.5'H. It's not big, but great for music/critical listening. I have the option of using my home theater sub, but that's a 170lb, 18" 2000W behemoth that is ostensibly tuned for HT duty (it can go in the single digits). Not exactly suitable for music-only duties. Will the Slim's or BMR have 'enough' bass without the sub? Maybe a smaller, sealed sub (or dual) setup down the road?

    2.) Spend: $2500 is my current limit. Anything else I should be looking at? I've been looking at Zu Audio Omens, Spatial Audio M3/M4, etc.

    Currently I'm just using my Denon x4000 Receiver (125Wpc). Next amp will depend on the sensitivity of the speaker I choose and the more I save on the speakers, the more I'll have towards a dedicated amp.
     
  11. uncola

    uncola Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    596
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Oahu, Hawaii
    The Slim's have that cool open back midrange driver... Theu go down to 35 hz so I think you wouldn't need a sub for music
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2016
  12. TooPoor

    TooPoor New

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    20
    Trophy Points:
    8
    I ended up ordering the BMR's and now am looking for advice for an amp. My Denon X4000 receiver should be able to power them, but I really would like a powerful separate (or monos). Sounds like the Schiit Vidar would be great, but they're pretty far out at this point it sounds.

    Sensitivity: 84.5 dB (dB/2.83v/1M)
    Budget: $1,000
     
  13. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Cheap used pro amp. I use a crown A/B I got for $100. I have for the last year in wait for Vidar.
     
  14. uncola

    uncola Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    596
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Oahu, Hawaii
    I can't think of any powerful class AB amps for below 1k except the older emotiva stuff which is now replaced by their new line
    You could save up $1500 and get the stereo case nc500 amp from Nord in the UK..
    for $795 you can get a class D 300wpc that doubles to 600wpc from class d audio http://www.classdaudio.com/sds-series-amplifiers/sds-470c-power-amplifier-with-upgrade-ps/
    maybe others can chime in with more suggestions of class AB stuff for good prices.
    you can always check audiocircle, usaaudiomart and audioshark for nice used deals
     
  15. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    5,085
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Based off of the pro audio amplifier thread, I am watching several old Crown amps on ebay. Crown D75 (35w into 8ohms) for lower powered stuff for under $200. $50 more gets you 220w into 8ohms from their Macrotech line. Don't know how good they sound yet, but they have been popular for decades.
     
  16. fierce_freak

    fierce_freak Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2015
    Likes Received:
    220
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Western New York
    Any more impressions on the BMR? Ninja Pirate, how's it going over there using them nearfield? How far away do you have them from your listening position?

    Considering the BMR or new Philharmonitors (or something diy) to replace the headphones at home.
     
  17. Ninja Pirate

    Ninja Pirate Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    163
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    NH
    Home Page:
    Hey, sorry about the lack of additional impressions. Been meaning to write something up for a while but have been travelling for work over the last 2 months and just haven't been in the mood to write anything...

    Still have them setup on my desk though my friend did set them up in the living room for a short time while I was out.

    Overall impressions are still very positive though again, my speaker experience (well, at least what I've owned) is somewhat limited.

    The BMR's continue to impress me with just how smooth and extended (especially on the top end) they sound. To keep it short, the mid range is wonderfully present without any nasty 2-3k emphasis. Imaging is great when they are toed in properly. Bass is still a little blown out due to room gain but not terrible. Treble is sweet without any glare.

    Right now I'm still running into issues with my room more than anything else. Still experimenting with room correction panels and EQ but just haven't had the time to properly mount everything...

    Hopefully when my workload dies down I can put a proper write up together with pics, measurements, etc.
     
  18. SteelCannon

    SteelCannon Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2015
    Likes Received:
    466
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    usa
    Due to a change of heart by @Hooncake I have joined the bmr owners club XD. My impressions so far:

    I prefer the oem raal 64-10 of the bmr's over the transducer labs N28BER-G beryllium dome which was on my previous philharmonitors. While the beryllium dome was slightly faster and and extended almost as well, it had a bit of a raspy audio aftertaste which was off putting, The raal 64-10 extends like crazy and is much more pleasant to listen to.

    I did prefer the scanspeak revelator 5.5 over the scanspeak 7 paper cone on the bmr. The revelator was tighter, slammed harder and produced dynamic and textured bass. However the bmr goes a lot lower.

    Overall the bmr is the much better speaker in my opinion particularly because of driver synergy and the absolutely pristine upper mids and highs. The bass extends ridiculously and slams hard. The lower mids are fantastic, sultry and soulful these are great speakers for female jazz vocals. Occasionally the mids lack clarity, and I believe this is the result of the mids not being forward and sometimes drifting behind the treble and lows. Soundstage is very wide, deep and tall and feels alive and natural.

    The smooth and comforting sound, especially in the highs really reminds me of the he1000 prototypes. As much as I was critical of the overly smooth he1000, I have to admit that I am being seduced by these speakers and their lack of rough edges.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2016
  19. fierce_freak

    fierce_freak Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2015
    Likes Received:
    220
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Western New York
    Nice stuff, thanks SteelCannon. I was going to do BMR but am now leaning towards either the philharmonitors or something like Bagby's Continuum (if I can find someone to make a flat pack).

    You mentioned some thoughts on the upper and lower mids for the BMR. How do you feel the mids there compare to the 5.5 revelator woofer?
     
  20. Cakecake

    Cakecake Guest

    So I wanted to upgrade my BMR to the Revelator but Dennis responded that it won't actually have a difference based on the crossover design he's using. This is his response,

    "The Revelator woofer used in the Philharmonitor is considerably smaller than the woofer in the BRM--5" vs. 7". There is a 7" revelator woofer, but it doesn't have any advantage over the 8545-01 Scan unit I use in the BMR, at least not for the frequency range at issue. But units uses the same motor. The Revelator version has a different cone material and construction. It's lighter and segmented. The purpose is to provide smooth performance up to the 2k - 2.5k region so that it can be used in a 2-way application. the heavier cone in the 8545 doesn't do as well up high. But since I cross it to the BMR at around 600 Hz, that's irrelevant. The 8545, and the newer 8545-01 that I use, is widely regarded as the best 7" driver available for deep bass performance."

    Better bass of the New Philharmonitor maybe due to smaller cabinet size, among other things. I can't say as I don't know.
     

Share This Page