Floorstanding loudspeakers — Backes & Müller BM Jubilé Neo

Backes & Müller, a Saarbrücken based maker of active speakers, built the slim BM Jubilé Neo tower to complete the Jubilé series below the larger BM Jubilé. It was introduced for delivery from December 2024 at a recommended price of EUR 34,999 per pair. Amplifiers, digital crossover and converters are built in, and the model keeps the patented cylindrical line radiator of the bigger Jubilé in a cabinet with fewer drivers.

Key specs that matter

Four drivers go into every cabinet - one 12-inch woofer controlled by the DMC2.0 sensor system in a closed side mounted enclosure, a front row of four 6-inch BM midrange units, and a single BM Fraunhofer cylindrical waveguide with a ring radiator. The frequency range is 22 Hz to 24,000 Hz. According to Backes & Müller, the amplifiers deliver in excess of 1,600 watts per stereo pair. Input sensitivity is 20 dBu and the converters use 24-bit Sigma Delta technology at 192 kHz. Each cabinet is 20 cm wide, 117 cm tall and 52 cm deep and weighs 52 kg.

Engineering and use context

The frequency split happens in the digital domain in the brand's FIRTEC processor before the power amplifiers, so every driver group is fed by its own amplifier channel. A sensor on the woofer measures the cone motion and the DMC control compares it with the input signal to correct errors in the bass. Placing the woofer in a closed enclosure on the side panel is what allows the front to stay so narrow, with the four midrange units and the cylindrical waveguide forming a continuous line on the baffle. Compared with the Jubilé, the Neo has half the woofers and half the midrange drivers, is 28 cm lower and weighs 20 kg less. Various surfaces and colours are available on request.

Pairing

The Neo needs only a source or preamplifier. Balanced XLR analogue inputs and an AES digital input are provided, along with a processed subwoofer output. With the B&M ICE preamplifier the speakers can be linked through the BMEasyLink protocol over network cable, which replaces heavy loudspeaker cables between the preamplifier and each speaker. Each speaker needs its own mains socket, and the analogue path runs through the internal 24-bit converters, so a digital source needs no outboard converter. In a 20 m2 room the narrow front and moderate height make the Neo easier to place than the larger models of the brand.

Alternatives

The original BM Jubilé is the larger active floorstanding model of the same series, with two side woofers and eight midrange drivers.