Dynaudio BM6A
Our Score:	Imaging	10
A-	Dynamic Performance	10
	Frequency Response	10
	High Volume	9
	Sound Quality	10
	Price / Performance	6
	Overall	91 A-
	List price	Approx $2500/pr
	Web site	http://www.dynaudioacoustics.dk

The Dynaudio BM6A is a biamplified nearfield with a 7" woofer and a 1" silk dome tweeter. The speaker is the only one of the bunch to offer a rear-mounted port. The system enjoys a reputation has having excellent transient response, and excellent imaging, resulting primarily from the unusual and rather amazing woofer – this little 7" woofer sports a huge 3" voice coil and a powerful magnet, giving it a powerful electromagnetic engine.

These were one of the most expensive speakers in our lineup - and also my favorite. The Dynaudio BM6As were just lovely. They offered a surprising amount of bass for a speaker their size, and the accuracy and transient response of the speakers and their amp was just amazing. They just sound fantastic.

Listening to Pat Benatar's "True Love" revealed these speakers' ability to pump out an impressive amount of bass. Now, these are not speakers that will fill up a large room with bass, or shake walls. But, in the proper position for nearfield listening, they offer a faceful of big bass, down to a respectable 45 Hz in my listening room. Listening to the lounge-techno sounds of the Supreme Beings of Leisure assured me that these speakers could go plenty deep. And the bass was unusually accurate – very clean with no audible distortion at all.

The openness and clarity of these speakers is likely to confuse engineers who are used to more conventional nearfields. These speakers do not suffer from the typical nearfield "stopped-up" sound of too much midbass and too little deep bass. Rather, they almost sound a little "empty" compared to other nearfields. I have had several other engineers remark that it can take a few mixes before one learns to use these speakers properly, and the midbass response is probably why. These are the anti-NS10s, and if you're used to NS10s, prepare to take a little time and learn. The results are worth it.

I had a few complaints about the BM6A, however. With no EQ compensation, I found them to be a tad on the bright side, though not harsh. This is easily corrected by using the treble rolloff provided on the back of the cabinet. Also, I discovered that the speakers and their amp couldn't achieve very high volumes gracefully, not surprising given the power/mass ratio of the woofer. Commercial studios that occasionally need to play at high volumes would need to keep a pair of large main speakers to augment the BM6As. Note that I am not talking about normal mixing levels, I'm talking about turning up LOUD. At anything like a normal mixing level, the BM6A will hang right there with you.

All things considered, the BM6A had me just amazed. In fact I trucked the pair over to ProRec's resident curmudgeon Bruce Richardson. "If there's a flaw in this speaker, Bruce will find it." Bruce dialed up a mix of an orchestral recording with pipe organ that he recorded at Dallas' Meyerson Center. The depth of field, detail, and excellent bass coincided right before our ears. Bruce was amazed. While the BM6A couldn't reproduce the lowest notes of the pipe organ with the kind of air-shuddering authority that Bruce's JBL mains had, you knew exactly how much bass was there. And the BM6As ability to project a soundfield simply has to be heard to be believed.