Short answer: the AsciLab C6B. It ranks #7 of 130 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1145; the Philharmonic BMR Monitor ranks #76 and costs $2200, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the AsciLab C6B offers: Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Unusual trait: horizontal radiation actually widens at higher frequencies instead of narrowing like most two-way designs, which keeps image focus and soundstage depth consistent whether you toe the speakers in or out (5-10° off-axis was the sweet spot in testing). Vertical radiation also stays wide straight through the 2kHz crossover region, so the sound doesn’t collapse when standing up - unusual at this price. CA2034 measurements show strong on-axis linearity, listening window, early reflections, and directivity. Midrange and tweeter distortion stay very low even at 96dB, holding up against a $5,900 Arendal speaker in that regard despite roughly a 5x price gap. At $935 (about $1,135 shipped to the US), the reviewer calls it the best-value bookshelf speaker he’s tested, rivaling speakers 2-5x the price. Watch for: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that. Low-frequency harmonic distortion increases substantially at 96dB versus 86dB, though it’s second-order and less audible than it looks on paper. Minimum impedance dips to 2.6 ohms (EPDR as low as 1.2 ohms), so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving 4-ohm loads, ideally 100W or more. At 102dB, compression noticeably eats into midrange, bass, and some treble output. Shipping to the US adds roughly $200 on top of the $935 price. Against the reviewer’s reference Audiofirst Fidelia at a similar price, has slightly less lower-midrange body (about 1dB difference) and a smaller perceived soundstage size.
What the Philharmonic BMR Monitor offers: Three-way design combining a 6” SB Acoustics mid-woofer, a 2.5” Tectonic balanced-mode radiator (BMR) for the midrange, and a ribbon tweeter - premium component choices relative to the asking price. A clear improvement over the V1: the earlier version’s overly hot, plateauing treble has been resolved, leaving a genuinely good in-room response outside of one specific area. Extremely wide horizontal radiation of about ±70-80°, creating an enveloping, wide soundstage that illuminates the sidewalls. Well-built, attractive cabinet. Midrange and tweeter show no stress or elevated distortion even at higher output - all the compression and distortion issues trace back to the mid-woofer alone. Watch for: A 1-2dB bump around 2-3kHz creates a “glare” on vocals, guitars, and strings that the reviewer noticed consistently across many tracks. The extremely wide radiation trades off against imaging precision - instrument placement became noticeably more diffuse and harder to pinpoint in a narrower, more reflective room, though it improved substantially in a larger, more open room with less sidewall interaction. A suspected resonance around 500Hz shows up as an imbalance in sound power and horizontal directivity measurements, loosely correlating with a vague sense of resonance the reviewer heard subjectively. Moderate sensitivity (about 84.1dB anechoic) and a mid-woofer that runs out of steam under real stress - distortion exceeds 3% even at 100Hz at 96dB, and the reviewer notes SB Acoustics’ published excursion specs tend to overstate real-world linear excursion by nearly 2x. Significant compression appears at 102dB: the woofer audibly unloads around 120Hz, and the ribbon tweeter also compresses heavily at high output - not well suited to very loud two-channel listening (above about 90dB at 4 meters). In-room bass rolls off around 50Hz, so a subwoofer is recommended for most music. Benefits noticeably from a few bands of EQ if available.
Buy the AsciLab C6B. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Philharmonic BMR Monitor and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| AsciLab C6B | Philharmonic BMR Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1145 per pair | $2200 per pair |
| Ranked | #7 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #76 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 32Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 47Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8"W x 10.4"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) | 20"H x 8"W x 12.5"D (508 x 203.2 x 317.5 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 84dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 6" Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1" Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter | 6" Ceramic woofer, Balanced Mode Radiator 2.5" midrange, RAAL 64-10X OEM tweeter |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg) each | 32 lbs (14.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.66 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.60 | - |
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The Two Speakers In Full
AsciLab C6B: $1145 per pair Ascilab eBay
Pros: Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Unusual trait: horizontal radiation actually widens at higher frequencies instead of narrowing like most two-way designs, which keeps image focus and soundstage depth consistent whether you toe the speakers in or out (5-10° off-axis was the sweet spot in testing). Vertical radiation also stays wide straight through the 2kHz crossover region, so the sound doesn’t collapse when standing up - unusual at this price. CA2034 measurements show strong on-axis linearity, listening window, early reflections, and directivity. Midrange and tweeter distortion stay very low even at 96dB, holding up against a $5,900 Arendal speaker in that regard despite roughly a 5x price gap. At $935 (about $1,135 shipped to the US), the reviewer calls it the best-value bookshelf speaker he’s tested, rivaling speakers 2-5x the price. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 85.6dB.
Cons: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that. Low-frequency harmonic distortion increases substantially at 96dB versus 86dB, though it’s second-order and less audible than it looks on paper. Minimum impedance dips to 2.6 ohms (EPDR as low as 1.2 ohms), so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving 4-ohm loads, ideally 100W or more. At 102dB, compression noticeably eats into midrange, bass, and some treble output. Shipping to the US adds roughly $200 on top of the $935 price. Against the reviewer’s reference Audiofirst Fidelia at a similar price, has slightly less lower-midrange body (about 1dB difference) and a smaller perceived soundstage size.
Full AsciLab C6B review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8"W x 10.4"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) |
| Drivers | 6" Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1" Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.66 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.60 |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Philharmonic BMR Monitor: $2200 per pair Philharmonicaudio eBay
Pros: Three-way design combining a 6” SB Acoustics mid-woofer, a 2.5” Tectonic balanced-mode radiator (BMR) for the midrange, and a ribbon tweeter - premium component choices relative to the asking price. A clear improvement over the V1: the earlier version’s overly hot, plateauing treble has been resolved, leaving a genuinely good in-room response outside of one specific area. Extremely wide horizontal radiation of about ±70-80°, creating an enveloping, wide soundstage that illuminates the sidewalls. Well-built, attractive cabinet. Midrange and tweeter show no stress or elevated distortion even at higher output - all the compression and distortion issues trace back to the mid-woofer alone. Measured bass extension of 47Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84dB.
Cons: A 1-2dB bump around 2-3kHz creates a “glare” on vocals, guitars, and strings that the reviewer noticed consistently across many tracks. The extremely wide radiation trades off against imaging precision - instrument placement became noticeably more diffuse and harder to pinpoint in a narrower, more reflective room, though it improved substantially in a larger, more open room with less sidewall interaction. A suspected resonance around 500Hz shows up as an imbalance in sound power and horizontal directivity measurements, loosely correlating with a vague sense of resonance the reviewer heard subjectively. Moderate sensitivity (about 84.1dB anechoic) and a mid-woofer that runs out of steam under real stress - distortion exceeds 3% even at 100Hz at 96dB, and the reviewer notes SB Acoustics’ published excursion specs tend to overstate real-world linear excursion by nearly 2x. Significant compression appears at 102dB: the woofer audibly unloads around 120Hz, and the ribbon tweeter also compresses heavily at high output - not well suited to very loud two-channel listening (above about 90dB at 4 meters). In-room bass rolls off around 50Hz, so a subwoofer is recommended for most music. Benefits noticeably from a few bands of EQ if available.
Full Philharmonic BMR Monitor review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 32Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 20"H x 8"W x 12.5"D (508 x 203.2 x 317.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 6" Ceramic woofer, Balanced Mode Radiator 2.5" midrange, RAAL 64-10X OEM tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 32 lbs (14.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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