B-M-WOW! A tribute to the BMR, and my journey to them..

ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
A few know I've been waiting for my BMRs to come in from @Dennis Murphy / Philharmonic Audio.

This has been a long strange trip for me, getting to this point. I'm very glad I am part way on my journey, and I wouldn't have gotten here without the help of many here at Audioholics... which includes the introduction to Philharmonic Audio.

Considering I was almost pre-sold on the more well established brands, especially Monitor Audio Silver series, that I even began to look outside of the box at all was a minor miracle. My imagination detoured me all over the place... even once (or seven times) considering just buying a full set of Emotiva Airmotivs so I could get on with life. Regardless, I kept researching, saving, and finally when I started auditioning speakers and was almost ready to fly off to Utah and visit Tekton, I had the opportunity to audition the Phil 3s first.
Suffice it to say, a two hour drive and an hour in a strangers home was nothing compared to plane tickets and a hotel, so off I went down-peninsula. Little did I know... that my search would end that night.

On Friday, the last 2 of 3 BMRs arrived to form the temporary front three of my rig. Later this week, I will have a pair of Mini-Phils and AAs arrive to round out the Surrounds and Rears in a 7.2 set-up I'll be using until around May. I spent that day rearranging, hooking up new amps, finding interconnects, cutting new speaker cable, and performing the meditative exercise of stripping wire and attaching banana plugs. By the end, I only had enough in the tank to make certain they worked!
Yesterday, I played! And wow. No room correction. Nothing. I turned off my subs and just let the BMRs do it all.

I never envisioned myself owning standmounts as my L/R. These easily hold their own against everything else I auditioned in full 3-way towers at over twice the price! I will not belittle my experiences with the KEF R900, MA Silver 500, or Martin Logan Motion 60XT (among others) by saying they don't have their value. They do. The BMRs, to my ears, are easier to listen to than the KEFs, they fill the room with glorious sound just as well, and they have a more-open and more-natural quality of sound to me that the other speakers did not exhibit as well as the BMRs do. I say this as a trained, performing musician (though I left that life behind many years ago. I am a Chef, now.)

So no flowery words here... no attempts to describe soundstage... and no attempts to write an actual "review:" That's @shadyJ's job! ;)

But, WOW!

Lastly: today I dialed things in more and re-integrated my Outlaw X-13s. (I suspect I might have the subs still set a little too loud (currently set at -15dB on the sub, ~1/4-1/3 gain.), but feel good about everything else.) I have the crossover in my AVR set to 60HZ right now as I get more used to the BMRs performance: that ScanSpeak 8545 7" woofer is pretty impressive in what it is delivering. The LPF is set at 100Hz. (Speakers are, of course, set to small.)

Both Janos Starker performing Bach's Suites for Cello (Mercury 432 756-2) and Keith Jarrett performing Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues (ECM 1469/70) sound, well, real. That's what has been on as I wrap my evening.

Seriously, WOW!
Thank you, Dennis! I can't wait until the Phil 3s are done. ;)

Cheers!

(photos tomorrow, after my 2-miles at the pool!)
 
I

ichigo

Full Audioholic
i wonder how these compare to the selah tempestas...
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
You're running both the low pass on the subs in combination with that provided by the avr? Or is that the LPF of LFE setting? Comes up a lot so gotta ask :)
 
Audiosaur

Audiosaur

Audioholic
Sorry to intrude on your thread, Ryanosaur, but,...

I've been considering BMRs since the roadshow but haven't had a chance to hear them. Are there any BMR owners in the Southern Colorado area that would let me have a listen? Or, in the next few days while I'm visiting family, anyone in the Lansing, MI, area?
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
A few know I've been waiting for my BMRs to come in from @Dennis Murphy / Philharmonic Audio.

This has been a long strange trip for me, getting to this point. I'm very glad I am part way on my journey, and I wouldn't have gotten here without the help of many here at Audioholics... which includes the introduction to Philharmonic Audio.

Considering I was almost pre-sold on the more well established brands, especially Monitor Audio Silver series, that I even began to look outside of the box at all was a minor miracle. My imagination detoured me all over the place... even once (or seven times) considering just buying a full set of Emotiva Airmotivs so I could get on with life. Regardless, I kept researching, saving, and finally when I started auditioning speakers and was almost ready to fly off to Utah and visit Tekton, I had the opportunity to audition the Phil 3s first.
Suffice it to say, a two hour drive and an hour in a strangers home was nothing compared to plane tickets and a hotel, so off I went down-peninsula. Little did I know... that my search would end that night.

On Friday, the last 2 of 3 BMRs arrived to form the temporary front three of my rig. Later this week, I will have a pair of Mini-Phils and AAs arrive to round out the Surrounds and Rears in a 7.2 set-up I'll be using until around May. I spent that day rearranging, hooking up new amps, finding interconnects, cutting new speaker cable, and performing the meditative exercise of stripping wire and attaching banana plugs. By the end, I only had enough in the tank to make certain they worked!
Yesterday, I played! And wow. No room correction. Nothing. I turned off my subs and just let the BMRs do it all.

I never envisioned myself owning standmounts as my L/R. These easily hold their own against everything else I auditioned in full 3-way towers at over twice the price! I will not belittle my experiences with the KEF R900, MA Silver 500, or Martin Logan Motion 60XT (among others) by saying they don't have their value. They do. The BMRs, to my ears, are easier to listen to than the KEFs, they fill the room with glorious sound just as well, and they have a more-open and more-natural quality of sound to me that the other speakers did not exhibit as well as the BMRs do. I say this as a trained, performing musician (though I left that life behind many years ago. I am a Chef, now.)

So no flowery words here... no attempts to describe soundstage... and no attempts to write an actual "review:" That's @shadyJ's job! ;)

But, WOW!

Lastly: today I dialed things in more and re-integrated my Outlaw X-13s. (I suspect I might have the subs still set a little too loud (currently set at -15dB on the sub, ~1/4-1/3 gain.),but feel good about everything else.) I have the crossover in my AVR set to 60HZ right now as I get more used to the BMRs performance: that ScanSpeak 8545 7" woofer is pretty impressive in what it is delivering. The LPF is set at 100Hz. (Speakers are, of course, set to small.)

Both Janos Starker performing Bach's Suites for Cello (Mercury 432 756-2) and Keith Jarrett performing Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues (ECM 1469/70) sound, well, real. That's what has been on as I wrap my evening.

Seriously, WOW!
Thank you, Dennis! I can't wait until the Phil 3s are done. ;)

Cheers!

(photos tomorrow, after my 2-miles at the pool!)
I hope now you really believe how important good speakers are, relative to amps. The BMRs will sound great with any well designed amps, just let them play high quality recordings and give them enough juice for the spl you need from your seat and don't worry any more about your amps.:D
 
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ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
You're running both the low pass on the subs in combination with that provided by the avr? Or is that the LPF of LFE setting? Comes up a lot so gotta ask :)
Hi Lovin! Hope you're keeping warm in your little corner. I don't mind the frost here, but its nice when I go to the outdoor pool... and its not frosty!

LPF on LFE through the AVR... not runnng a full signal to the subs. Just LFE OUTS. The manual is a little sparse on details for setting it all up and I relied on info from the internet to help me better understand.

Please, if you have an suggestions... ;) Cheers!
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Sorry to intrude on your thread, Ryanosaur, but,...

I've been considering BMRs since the roadshow but haven't had a chance to hear them. Are there any BMR owners in the Southern Colorado area that would let me have a listen? Or, in the next few days while I'm visiting family, anyone in the Lansing, MI, area?
If you haven't already, reach out to Dennis: info@philharmonicaudio.com
Tell him you're interested and would really like to audition them. He found the guy with the Phil 3s who was willing to share with me! I will be forever grateful to Mr.C for inviting me into his home!
 
Swerd

Swerd

Audioholic Warlord
Seriously, WOW!
Nice to read your impressions. Glad you like them. Welcome to the Dennis Murphy Fan Boy ranks :).

I gotta agree with PENG when he said how good speakers are so much more important for good sound than amps. Be sure to give those BMRs (or Phil3s) enough juice so the sound is loud enough and the amps don't clip, and then stop worrying about amps.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
I hope now you really believe how important good speakers are, relative to amps. The BMRs will sound great with any well designed amps, just let them play high quality recordings and give them enough juice for the spl you need from your seat and don't worry any more about your amps any more.:D
Absolutely, Peng... And you helped me understand that! Very much in the same way @Steve81 and @shadyJ helped me better understand the world of Subwoofers. Its the cat's like you who have inspired me to learn more rather than just plug it in and hope for the best. :) I've still a along path toward better understanding, but I'm on it now!
Regarding the amps? Outlaw 2200s. Thank you!
 
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ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Double boxed, thick foam!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
@Danzilla31, @CB22 you asked for speaker porn! ;)




***Cable management will be forthcoming... still two more pairs to connect! and improvements to the shelving to make! :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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S

snakeeyes

Audioholic Ninja
Was setting up the 2200 amps more or less plug and play? I am considering a few for my front 3.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Was setting up the 2200 amps more or less plug and play? I am considering a few for my front 3.
Absolutely plug'n'play. They are working great. Only thing of note: the amber light for standby mode is very green looking, so its a little difficult to know whether they are actually in standby. I'm hoping to switch over to a trigger, but they caution about not daisy-chaining too many. I tried contacting Outlaw on Friday, but didn't get a call back to help with the trigger question. I'll follow up when I do. :)
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Absolutely plug'n'play. They are working great. Only thing of note: the amber light for standby mode is very green looking, so its a little difficult to know whether they are actually in standby. I'm hoping to switch over to a trigger, but they caution about not daisy-chaining too many. I tried contacting Outlaw on Friday, but didn't get a call back to help with the trigger question. I'll follow up when I do. :)
I also told you the light was bright didn't I. I wanted to tape it but it has not bothered me enough yet.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
I also told you the light was bright didn't I. I wanted to tape it but it has not bothered me enough yet.
Ha! If this was in the main room, the Lady would be losing her sh!t. She couldn't handle the green lights on the APC power strip I use for the rig.
But, bright is relative... I've seen blue led power lights that hurt to look at. This isn't that bad... just wish I could differentiate between Standby and On more easily.
 
S

snakeeyes

Audioholic Ninja
I also told you the light was bright didn't I. I wanted to tape it but it has not bothered me enough yet.
I like the tape idea. :)

The only light I want to see is the AVR display of input name and either Dolby or DTS decoder type. :)
 
B

Beave

Audioholic Chief
How wide is that room? Do you have enough space to spread out the front three speakers? ie, move the left and right out some, and then toe-in if desired? As is, they're awfully close together.

Also, are those VTI stands? How tall?

Congrats on the speakers. They're very impressive.
 
D

Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
@Danzilla31, @CB22 you asked for speaker porn! ;)




***Cable management will be forthcoming... still two more pairs to connect! and improvements to the shelving to make! :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ryanosaur that is so friggin hot!!!!! Excuse me I gotta get off the site and go touch myse...... Er..... I mean touch my PB 4000's yeah that's what I meant to say! :eek:o_O:eek:o_O:eek:o_Oo_O
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
I like the tape idea. :)

The only light I want to see is the AVR display of input name and either Dolby or DTS decoder type. :)
If you do it right, you won't even really notice it.

I even have a white router, I just used a single piece of black electrical tape longer than I needed, wrapped it around the sides, it just looks like a piece of plastic trim unless you are right up inspecting it. I have even fooled cable service techs when they say "none of your lights are lit".

I have also had pretty good success to dim lights some with either black or metallic grey nail polish.
 
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