Dynaudio BM5A Compact Monitor
Dynaudio BM9s Subwoofer

Dynaudio's BM5A has been around for about 3 years now and has gained a good reputation among users. While there are a lot of entry and mid level monitors aimed at the sub-$1000 per pair price range, only a few exist at the $1000 per pair mark. While the BM5A is at the lower end of the price range for Dynaudio (well known for their Air series), it is by no means an entry level monitor. So, does it stand up to the Dynaudio reputation? Read on and find out.

Sound Design

The BM5A is a two-way active nearfield monitor with a 1.1" soft dome tweeter with aluminum wire voice coil, and a 50W 6.5" polyprop cone woofer. Frequency response is rated at 50Hz to 21kHz. Each monitor weighs in at 19.2lbs. The cabinet is MDF with a matte black finish and beveled front side edges.

In the rear is a flared bass port and heat sink. The power switch is also on the back, which is a minor inconvenience in some situations but a power indicator LED as well as overload LED are on the front. The input is XLR - being aimed at the professional market of course, there is no unbalanced input. Input gain can be set for -10, 0 or +6 depending on your source. There is also a high pass filter to match the monitor with a sub with cutoffs of 60Hz or 80H, and a flat setting for running without a sub. Monitor setup is of course mostly a matter of correct positioning in your room, setting correct listening levels, and proper acoustic treatment. But, there are a few options for tweaking response to taste with low mid and high frequency level switches. The LF is a low shelf EQ that can be set for -2dB, 0dB or +2dB. The MF is a mid notch EQ with a -2dB and -4dB setting. The HF can be set for -1dB, 0dB, or +1dB.

The BM5A has a thermal protection system in both power amps as well as a thermal sensor in the heat sink. A detection circuit will mute the speaker in the event the sink gets too hot. Also the tweeter includes overload protection that mutes the speaker if it receives too much current. The woofer has a gain threshold limiter to prevent being overdriven. Of course it is never a good idea to put a speaker's protection to the test, but knowing that your monitors include a measure of protection against unintended or unexpected problems is good for peace of mind.

Hearing Is Believing

In testing these monitors I ran a full 5.1 setup from an RME Fireface through custom built Canare cabling with Neutrik connectors. Several manufacturers, Dynaudio included, recommend letting the monitors be played for a few hours before they reach their full potential. I didn't notice a significant change with the 5As but did run quite a bit of music through them before the first critical project or listening session. With all of the material I put through them, the BM5As responded accurately with nice detail, a clean and even response, good depth and a nice image. The highs are clear and clean without the harshness or dull splash of highs that lower priced monitors often exhibit. The mids are detailed and present, yet smooth across the crossover. The lows are strong and evident in full range mode, though not as solid as when coupled with the BM9S sub (more on that later). Vertical and horizontal consistencies are both very good, so you aren't stuck in a small sweet spot.

The BM5As are designed for near to mid field use, and can handle a relatively high SPL with no problems. For smaller rooms, they have plenty of power. For large rooms, the extra power of the BM6As might be in order. For the $1000 per pair price range the BM5A is hard to beat. The BM5As outperformed my existing and price-comparable nearfields in every category even though they have been quite good in their own right for several years now. There is also a noticeable quality improvement when comparing the BM5A to even only slightly less expensive current options for nearfields, and even compared to some more expensive alternatives.

The Low Down

The BM9S is relatively a new sub from Dynaudio (release after the BM5A at least) designed to match with the BM5As (or any of the BM range of monitors). The BM9S is a closed cabinet design with the same look and finish of the BM5A. The single 10" woofer is a one piece molded magnesium silicate polymer cone with pure aluminum voice coil and 200W amp. The included grille can be removed easily, but when left in place, it provides a measure of protection against a wayward foot if positioned too close to a forgetful engineer. In the rear of the BM9S are several options for setup and configuration. There is a gain setting for balancing the BM9S with the rest of the system; a lowpass filter with a range of 50Hz to 150Hz; phase; slave/LFE mode switch; and input/chaining configuration options including Sub/Sat and LFE/Slave.

The Sub/Sat left and right inputs allow the BM9S to receive a full bandwidth stereo signal and manage the low end for a two satellite monitor system (BM5As for example). In this mode, there is a highpass filter with settings of Flat, 60Hz and 80Hz to filter what is sent on to the satellites.

The LFE/Slave input is designed for use with external bass management - e.g. a 5.1 system with bass management, etc. In both modes, the BM9S performed beautifully. The low end is noticeably clearer and stronger with a BM9S than running the BM5As alone.

The BM9S delivers on the low end, esp. for smaller spaces. For larger facilities multiple subs can of course be chained using the slave output from the BM9S. While mixing music is normally done without a sub at least for part of the process, adding a BM9S sub opens up the options for working with the BM5As. The low end from about 60Hz down is better balanced and solid with the BM9S. The BM9S is a perfect match for the BM5As, and even if you only need nearfields, the BM9S is well worth considering even if just to check the lower end of mixes, and enjoy the process even more.

Surrounded

The BM5As may have been first designed with nearfield stereo monitoring in mind but for surround setups, they work quite well and are also recommended as such by Dynaudio. Five BM5As and a 9S sub in a 5.1 setup yield excellent results. With the clear and wide imaging, the 5As create a spacious and detailed surround stage. All 5 monitors were perfectly balanced out of the box so no additional balancing was required to level the monitors themselves. Of course this is to be expected of a professional monitor, but still a good representation of quality. This would go on my short list for most any size surround monitoring, mixing or post facility looking for a more compact 5.1 setup (e.g. where larger full range systems are already in place or not possible). You will have to handle bass management and volume control independently as there is no controller/management system available from Dynaudio, but there are several options are on the market, including software bass management plugins for your digital workstation. There are only a handful comparable 5.1 setup options in a similar price range, and though the BM5A and 9S don't include a controller other options provide for a similar price, the sound quality makes them well worth considering.

Conclusion

If you like harsh flat sounding monitors, or monitors that will make you feel good about your mixes by lying to you, look elsewhere. The 5As are not only accurate and clear, but also enjoyable to listen to because of it. The BM5A is one of the best compact monitors in its price range. Alone with the BM9S, the BM5As make a very nice stereo 2.1 monitoring system, and adding 3 more 5As makes for a high quality professional surround setup. Whether you are looking to upgrade your nearfield monitoring, or expand to surround, the BM5A and BM9S deliver a clear, accurate and well-balanced picture of your mix. Dynaudio has a very nice offering in these two - one that easily lives up to their reputation for high quality monitoring.

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