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Philharmonic Audio

73.147.221.113
Posted on July 22, 2022 at 12:58:15
Brody
Audiophile

Posts: 261
Location: Virginia
Joined: July 9, 2008



Is anyone familiar with Philharmonic Audio speakers? They've been making a highly-lauded BMR Monitor speaker for a while designed by Deniis Murphy. I believe Dennis also designed the crossovers in my beloved Salk HT2-TL, which I've loved for over nine years. Finally decided to try something else after moving a couple years ago. Just picked up a lovely pair of Dennis' relatively new speaker, the BMR Tower. I'm very pleased. NO, not a night and day difference from the Salks, but they do punch lower and have a similarly smooth and extended Raal ribbon tweeter. Highly recommended.

 

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RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 22, 2022 at 15:52:45
G Squared
Audiophile

Posts: 8491
Location: Washington, DC Metro Area
Joined: November 16, 2004
Contributor
  Since: May 23, 2023
 I live close to Dennis. I bought my son a set of modded Pioneer monitors from and picked them up at his house many years ago. He demonstrated a bunch of his designs. I have also heard many Salk Speakers at CAF shows. In all cases great sound and values.
Gsquared

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 22, 2022 at 16:31:42
Brody
Audiophile

Posts: 261
Location: Virginia
Joined: July 9, 2008
 Tremendous speakers and service. Dennis and Salk have my business for a long tome to come.

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 23, 2022 at 11:18:46
Kurtle
Audiophile

Posts: 364
Location: Salem Oregon
Joined: December 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 6, 2011
 I just ordered up the parts for his "Affordable Accuracy" monitors (see link below). You order the inexpensive (Dayton Audio) drivers and the boxes from Parts Express, and the crossovers designed by Dennis from him. No shipping cost from PE, the crossovers, damping material, and screws for the drivers are $100 plus $22 shipping from Dennis. I am (patiently?) awaiting delivery of the crossovers, USPS states they are out for delivery. Total cost $333.00

I run Maggie 1.7s, but enjoy swapping out other speakers as well. I have currently Vandersteen 1C's, and a pair of vintage ADS L570/2.

I have read some reviews for Dennis's Affordable Accuracy monitors, they are supposed to, to use a tired phrase, "punch above their weight". I am very interested to hear what his crossover design does with the inexpensive Dayton Audio drivers.

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 23, 2022 at 11:28:09
Kurtle
Audiophile

Posts: 364
Location: Salem Oregon
Joined: December 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 6, 2011
 Dennis states he doesn't make any money on the Affordable Accuracy monitors, but that "loss leaders" are sometimes good for business. See post #29 in the link below.

He's been doing this for about 10 years, with various iterations, including replacing the tweeter and crossovers in the Andrew Jones Pioneer speakers when they were out back about 8 yrs ago.

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 23, 2022 at 18:42:00
Brody
Audiophile

Posts: 261
Location: Virginia
Joined: July 9, 2008
 Those seem like an interesting project. Imay need to invent a reason to start this project.

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 23, 2022 at 19:45:25
Kurtle
Audiophile

Posts: 364
Location: Salem Oregon
Joined: December 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 6, 2011



The crossovers arrived about a couple hours ago, glasses are for scale.

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 23, 2022 at 22:42:14
Kurtle
Audiophile

Posts: 364
Location: Salem Oregon
Joined: December 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 6, 2011



Put the kit together, initial listen was impressive, but only a couple of songs as the wife needed to sleep. I need to put the floor spikes back on the stands, and some blue tack between the speakers and stands, and let the positioning fun begin.

They won't replace my 1.7s of course, but for the overall price the initial listen sounded very nice.

 

Ummm... have you tried the speakers with the tweeters on the inside?, posted on July 24, 2022 at 06:10:35
John Marks
Manufacturer

Posts: 7806
Location: Peoples' Democratic Republic of R.I.
Joined: April 23, 2000
 nt

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 24, 2022 at 08:46:30
Brody
Audiophile

Posts: 261
Location: Virginia
Joined: July 9, 2008
 They look great. Nice job.

 

RE: Ummm... have you tried the speakers with the tweeters on the inside?, posted on July 24, 2022 at 09:44:23
Kurtle
Audiophile

Posts: 364
Location: Salem Oregon
Joined: December 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 6, 2011
 John, not yet, I had about 10 min before my wife went to bed. I just slapped them down on the stands to get a proof that they were working. Today I will be putting the spikes and blue tack on the stands, and beginning the process of finding the best orientation and position for them.

 

RE: Philharmonic Audio, posted on July 24, 2022 at 09:48:58
Kurtle
Audiophile

Posts: 364
Location: Salem Oregon
Joined: December 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 6, 2011
 Thanks Brody. They are just assembly, no soldering required nor much thinking. Took about 45 min start to finish. The quick "did I do it right, do they work?" test went fine, now begins the fun of finding the the best position, toe in, etc in the room. That's the part I find most fun.

 

Depending on xover order , tweeter outside often warranted, posted on July 25, 2022 at 11:10:31
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4503
Joined: September 23, 1999
 Tweeter offset like that to help reduce edge diffraction often has a far better polar response to listening position and driver acoustic alignment with tweeters on outside.

During the 80s and 90s many Mark's in British Japan and German m had the mirror offset drivers. Mostly in the British market did you get the inside vs outside differences with many marking a left or right to speakers to define that Mark's preference.

For me, as long as not near side wall, offset out usually wins out.

But even with this known, owners of offset tweeters ought to try both configs to see what they prefer


 

RE: Depending on xover order , tweeter outside often warranted, posted on July 25, 2022 at 14:31:45
Kurtle
Audiophile

Posts: 364
Location: Salem Oregon
Joined: December 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 6, 2011
 Dennis Murphy says, in regards to tweeters in or out on these speakers based on the PE BR-1 kit, the answer is "Yes".

See second post in this thread (post #17,802) from 7/3/22 in the link below.

 

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