BMC Audio Arcadia Speakers Preview

How would you spend $39,000? Aaudio Imports is hoping you'll pick up a pair of its new Arcadia full-range bi-polar loudspeaker by B.M.C. Audio of Germany. These speakers are cranking up at the Venetian and the Arcadia represents the first entry in a brand new product category for the Germany-based electronics manufacturer and the first model in an anticipated series of three new speakers. BMC claims that the Arcadia is hand-made with custom-designed parts rather than off-the-shelf solutions. It features a bi-polar balanced configuration and unconventional ceramic-composite cabinet to custom-made drivers, an external crossover, and an impressive 28 jacks. The connection package includes separate terminals for an amplifier, the woofers and midrange drivers, the Air-Motion tweeters, and the crossover box.

Arcadia’s bi-polar design, which features the same driver set on the rear as it does on the front of the cabinet, is designed to dramatically improve the listener's impression of depth at the left and right sides of the soundstage. The Arcadia is also a balanced speaker. Both front and rear baffles feature two 6.1-inch Kevlar-honeycomb-sandwich midrange drivers and an Air-Motion ribbon tweeter with a massive motor in conjunction with a light diaphragm. Two 11-inch Kevlar-honeycomb-sandwich woofers with multi-magnet drives are positioned at the sides of each cabinet.

The speaker’s cabinets are constructed of a ceramic-compound that B.M.C. dubs "Megalith", which sounds like one of those monsters Godzilla made quick work of back in the 70s. In development since 2002, this is a dense, acoustically optimized amalgam of several aluminum-oxide based ceramics with multiple grain sizes held together with complex acrylic binders. The Arcadia’s acrylics are designed to remain stable for decades and exceed epoxy or phenolic binders.

The crossover is massive and external, weighing in at 37.5 lbs. Since it's external, it can be upgraded with future tweaks and iterations that might alter the sound characteristics further for the listener. Back to the drivers. B.M.C. Audio says that it custom designed all the Arcadia’s drivers. They feature honeycomb-Kevlar cones and, rather than use the traditional single magnet per woofer, B.M.C. Audio embedded each Arcadia woofer with 6 magnets arranged in a ring. The idea was to create an exceptionally dense magnetic field for a longer linear excursion range of 0.27 inches.

B.M.C. Audio also says that it custom crafted all the Arcadia’s key elements, including its large air-inductors, inductance-free polypropylene capacitors, and unique polystyrene ‘by-passers’. Metal-film resistor arrays were used in place of more common MOX or wire resistors. These are full-size speakers, with each cabinet standing 47.2" high x 20.4" deep x 11.2" wide at the base. The top tapers to a narrow 7.7". But lest you think these speakers "small" each weighs an impressive 198 lbs. - NOT including the external crossover!

Also notable, and unusual, is that the cabinet is made from a mold, which means the color is not applied later but added directly into the mix and solid all the way through for a non-glossy finish. A bonus of the process is that scratches can be buffed away without worrying about ruining the surface. B.M.C. applies a transparent lacquer for a high-gloss finish.

The Arcadia speaker is available from Aaudio Imports, its North American distributor, in a black or white satin or high gloss finish at a suggested price under $39,000/pair.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.