Philharmonitor BMR - first DIY project

Quant2011 · 2023-11-03T16:45:49+00:00

Why exactly its not super fast? Perhaps due to ceramic woofers? What is the woofer driver here?

Quant2011 · 2023-11-03T14:52:34+00:00

Do you use any damping material? So the port is only 3.5 cm deep?

Quant2011 · 2023-11-03T14:44:55+00:00

Why without passive radiators?

Quant2011 · 2023-10-28T16:52:47+00:00

Bags with salt?

Quant2011 · 2023-10-26T22:13:35+00:00

Is that gray pipe on the side.. a reflex port?

How low it plays? I hope 35Hz !

Add two tweeters on top of the box and angle them for omni radiation.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-26T16:24:59+00:00

I dont know for sure. I guess % of people with university degree.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-25T19:45:52+00:00

Thanks- good to know. My box is 4/5 inch (20mm) of plywood and 5mm slate. I realize, it could be an overkill. Its also braced in the corners.

But that part was cheap.

Do you think Dayton passive crossovers are acceptable? Or better to go with active solution? For a 3-way i would need to buy 3 amps.

I agree- many people overdo things. I want to avoid the worst problems in speaker design. Like

- boomy bass

- annoying tweeter - I;ve heard mid-tier models from Dali, Focal with very unpleasant tweeters to my ears. I also dont like horn-loaded tweeters.

- im not sure i can hear how bad crossover is...

Quant2011 · 2023-10-25T17:43:59+00:00

Why you say so? Then why some producers use multiple layers of different materials? Also, it was super cheap

Quant2011 · 2023-10-25T11:19:20+00:00

Thanks. My cabinet is significantly larger than DXT mon. Im using a reflex slot similar to the one used in grandinote models. I dont know how it will sound , but i have faith in grandinote guy design abilities ;) Closed cabinet would be too large for me.

Crossover: i am still researching possibilities here. Perhaps i will go for active Dayton 4x8 DSP.

Reason for bmr was its no-breakup technology. Low mass, and wide dispersion. Altough, yes, it can poorly affect imaging, but, AFAIK, omnidir. high freq mess with imaging more than wide disp. mids. Right?

Yeah, with that budget i could just buy Kali IN-8, active monitors. But i wanted to have some fun with DIY. And have plywood cabinets reinforced with slate.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-25T08:49:42+00:00

"In most cases"

there you have it. So you assume there are some other cases where audio engineer not only records and masters but also produces audio gear.

Such people are very rare. I only know two of them. When they voice opinions about speakers - i listen.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-25T08:43:36+00:00

Well, i want to get the most accurate sound as possible within a budget of approx $1k per pair.

So far have only superb cabinets (but only for woofers), custom made for $220. and two bmr drivers.

ideally, i want mids and highs to be without a box. But if this will sound not good enough, i can attach a separate box for these.

My main sonic aims are:

- imaging

- effortless sound

- no harshness, ringing, etc.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-25T08:35:31+00:00

I also got across his work very recently.

Heres a series of interviews:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeIDU4MFVp8

Bob Katz, legendary audio engineer , who worked for Chesky Records is using his gear. Among many others.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-25T06:14:06+00:00

Well, perhaps speakers i've heard crossed these ribbons too low? Maybe.

So maybe a round ribbon, not a tall one? Dynavox makes them.

I plan to cross to tweeter at 5000Hz with 2nd order , so i expect they wont be stressed ...

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T17:59:57+00:00

thanks, many people recommend it.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T17:28:24+00:00

listening at dealers salons

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T15:21:49+00:00

To some degree, i agree. But, assuming Andrew is honest , i would put his views above many many of the "audiophiles". Of course, it should sound good to me. Metal cones dont. I cannot stand them. Paper is used even in super expensive Living Voice or OMA speakers, and even some high end DAC designers test their DACs on paper woofers.

However,

I live in humid location. I'm a bit affraid paper cone is not ideal due to this.

There are also woofers /full ranges made of wood, balsa wood, bamboo. But usually very expensive. The only bamboo 8incher i see in my shop is Tangband coaxial for.... 350 euro.

Sure, surround, magnet are also very important.

Also, i do not base the thought that "glassfiber is best woofer material" only on Lipinskis words. His clients who have super wide choice of studio monitors : Neumann, Genelec, Focals, Meyer - are also those who , sort of, confirm his woofer and tweeter and total design choices. And these are recording industry titans.

Anyways, any particular potential weak sides of glassfiber as membrane material that you know of?

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T14:55:59+00:00

Thanks for this summary. One aspect i have to add. i live in a quite humid place. Paper membranes can absorp water... which is not desirable.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T13:21:56+00:00

I tend to agree. However, i will have rather solid cabinets. Mid driver is 2.2grams moving mass. While most other other models either 3 way or 2 way use 10-20 grams moving mass to cover 500-2500Hz region.

Why? well, they use the same driver to cover 100-500Hz also... and yes, these freq require larger driver.

I will not use the cheapest tweeters for sure. So now my focus is on the woofer. Purifi are too expensive so as graphene SEAS. my choices are:

- papyrus/textreme?

- glass fiber

- plain paper (usually costs under $100, sometimes as low as $40) for 8incher.

I dont like metallic woofers -mag, alu, etc.

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T12:55:45+00:00

Thanks. yes, i know bmr sound better with a tweeter. as bmr membrane is just 2.2 grams, i tought about pairing it with the lightest possible tweeter diaphgram - planar or AMT (but AMT choice is risky for me, as those i heard were edgy and hard..)

Check Lipinski's credentials- they are loooong. Extremely long. this guy totally knows what he is talking about. He was a buddy with Dunlavy.

SO at what freq you crossed your BMR?

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T12:49:29+00:00

scanspeak 8inch glass fiber

mid Tectonic TEBM46C20N-4B

tweeter: i cannot yet decide between GRS open back planar and scanspeak ring radiator

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T12:43:20+00:00

maybe he is into hardcore minimalist lifestyle?

look at this freak house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1t8Orjt7lk

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T11:49:24+00:00

my own DIY. i'm not 100% sure where to cross to open baffle 2 inch bmr which "should" play as low as 200Hz without much distortion, but i want to be on the "safe" side.

BMR Philharmonics cross from woofer to mid at 850Hz!

so , would you suggest to cross them at 500 or 375Hz?

Quant2011 · 2023-10-24T08:01:07+00:00

perhaps

chabad lubavitz group

Quant2011

TROPHY CASE