Short answer: the Philharmonic BMR Monitor. It ranks #76 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $2,200; the Pylon Jasper Monitor 18 ranks #105, rated 3.0/5, and costs $2,499, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Philharmonic BMR Monitor: 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. The tradeoff: A 1-2dB bump around 2-3kHz creates a “glare” on vocals, guitars, and strings that the reviewer noticed consistently across many tracks.
The case for the Pylon Jasper Monitor 18: Premium two-way monitor using a ScanSpeak Revelator midwoofer and ScanSpeak tweeter, drivers the reviewer has a longstanding personal fondness for. The tradeoff: Sounds notably bright, thumpy, and fatiguing pointed directly on-axis; needs about 30° of toe-out to bring the high-frequency lift into better balance.
One note: the Pylon Jasper Monitor 18 is discontinued and no longer widely available new.
Buy the Philharmonic BMR Monitor. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Pylon Jasper Monitor 18 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Philharmonic BMR Monitor | Pylon Jasper Monitor 18 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2200 per pair | $2499 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #76 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #105 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 32Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 32Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 48Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 20”H x 8”W x 12.5”D (508 x 203.2 x 317.5 mm) | 16.9”H x 7.9”W x 16.3”D (430.0 x 200.0 x 413.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 4.4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 6” Ceramic woofer, Balanced Mode Radiator 2.5” midrange, RAAL 64-10X OEM tweeter | 1” tweeter + 6.5” woofer |
| Sensitivity | 84dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 83dB (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 32 lbs (14.5 kg) each | 34.2 lbs (15.5 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.02 (spinorama.org) | 4.72 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.67 (spinorama.org) | 6.34 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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How Philharmonic BMR Monitor compares with other leading options:
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- Philharmonic BMR Monitor vs GR-Research NX-Studio
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The Two Speakers In Full
Philharmonic BMR Monitor: $2200 per pair Philharmonic Audio eBay
Older model: the Philharmonic BMR (v1) (ranked higher, rated 4.3/5).
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) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| 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) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.02 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.67 (spinorama.org) |
| Weight | 32 lbs (14.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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Pylon Jasper Monitor 18: $2499 per pair Discontinued eBay
Pros: Premium two-way monitor using a ScanSpeak Revelator midwoofer and ScanSpeak tweeter, drivers the reviewer has a longstanding personal fondness for. Delivers extra mid-bass thump and attack that makes instruments “jump out,” giving an engaging, lively character at lower listening volumes. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±60-70°, right in the reviewer’s preferred range for an enveloping soundstage. Compression holds up well to about 95-96dB before real issues appear. Attractive build quality and finish options. Measured bass extension of 48Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 83dB.
Cons: Sounds notably bright, thumpy, and fatiguing pointed directly on-axis; needs about 30° of toe-out to bring the high-frequency lift into better balance. A peak around 2kHz combined with a recessed midrange and a dip around 3-4kHz makes vocals sound hollow while accentuating that same 2kHz energy, especially noticeable at higher listening volumes (75-85dB). The bass bump around 100Hz measures 3-5dB, more than the reviewer’s preferred 1-2dB range, adding more mid-bass emphasis than he’d like. Even toed off-axis, the speaker still reads as bright in a typical room with sidewall reflections: the reviewer recommends adding 2-4” acoustic absorption panels at the first reflection points. The ScanSpeak Revelator woofer (an older, though well-regarded, drive unit design) carries some inherent resonance and elevated second-order distortion, independently corroborated by third-party raw driver measurements: crossing over to a subwoofer at 80Hz doesn’t fully resolve it since it’s a driver characteristic rather than a bass-loading issue. Vertical listening window is limited (about ±10-20°) due to the curved baffle, and angling your ears upward toward the tweeter rather than keeping them level with it causes a suckout in the upper-mid/tweeter region. Bass output (about 60Hz extension) noticeably drops at higher volumes due to compression. Moderate sensitivity (about 83dB) paired with a 4.4-ohm minimum impedance means a genuinely powerful amplifier is needed to avoid potential heat issues driving it hard. Discontinued.
Full Pylon Jasper Monitor 18 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 32Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 48Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 16.9”H x 7.9”W x 16.3”D (430.0 x 200.0 x 413.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 1” tweeter + 6.5” woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 4.4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83dB (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.72 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.34 |
| Weight | 34.2 lbs (15.5 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons