Bookshelf Speakers — Backes & Müller BM Jubilé IO

The BM Jubilé IO is an active three-way compact loudspeaker from Backes & Müller, the German maker of active loudspeakers based in Saarbrücken. It can be used as a lowboard or television speaker, or placed on its integrated stand as a full-range high-end speaker. It belongs to the Jubilé family, in which the taller BM Jubilé Neo uses four midrange drivers instead of two.

Key specs that matter

The IO pairs a side-firing 12 inch woofer controlled by Backes & Müller's DMC2.0 system, two 6 inch BM midrange drivers on the front with ceramic-coloured domes and a ring radiator in a BM-Fraunhofer cylindrical-wave waveguide. The midrange chassis and the waveguide are milled from solid aluminium. Frequency range is 22 Hz to 24 kHz. Amplification exceeds 1600 W per pair, over 800 W per speaker. Input sensitivity is 20 dBu. Conversion uses a 24-bit sigma-delta DAC at 192 kHz. Inputs are an analogue balanced XLR and a digital AES input, and a processed subwoofer output is provided. The cabinet is 20 cm wide, 47 cm high and 52 cm deep, with a weight of 22 kg. White and black are standard, any RAL colour is available on request and individual custom builds are offered.

Engineering and use context

DMC2.0 is Backes & Müller's electronic control system for the woofer, allowing the large woofer in a compact cabinet to reach deep bass. Mounting the woofer on the side keeps the front baffle narrow. The cylindrical-wave waveguide, developed with the Fraunhofer research institute, shapes the output of the ring radiator so that it spreads horizontally while being limited vertically. Signal processing runs on the BM FIRTEC processor, which provides the crossover and a phase-linear user equaliser. Because every driver has its own amplifier channel, no passive crossover sits in the signal path, and the DAC inside the speaker means a digital AES signal can be fed directly without an external converter. Milling the midrange baskets and waveguide from solid aluminium makes these parts rigid and stable. The integrated stand turns the lowboard speaker into a stand-mounted model for stereo listening.

Pairing

As an active speaker, the Jubilé IO needs only a preamplifier or a source with volume control, connected through XLR, or a digital source through AES. The processed subwoofer output allows a subwoofer to be added.

Alternatives

The Backes & Müller BM Jubilé Neo uses the same concept in a 117 cm tall cabinet.