... And Now It's BSR Speakers
BSR 883 loudspeaker system, in wood enclosure with vinyl finish. Dimensions: 10 by 36 (front), 12 1/2 inches deep. Price: 5130. Warranty: "limited," two years parts and labor. Manufacturer: BSR (U.S.A), Ltd., Route 303, Blauvelt, N.Y. 10913.
Though loudspeakers are a new field for BSR, the mass-market audience for which the Power handlers series is intended has been well served by the company for many years with its line of budget-price record changers. At the time of our request for test samples, the Model 883 had top billing in a line consisting of four models; since then-a period of some six months-another model has been added at a higher price point, giving the Powerhandlers series a price range of S60 to S200. A narrow floor-standing tower, the 883 houses two identical 8-inch drivers and a single cone tweeter mounted in a vertical plane on the baffle. Despite the use of twin drivers, the 883 can safely be termed a three-way system; one low frequency driver functions solely as a woofer while the second operates as a combination woofer/midrange driver. BSR claims to have turned to computer analysis to determine the precise volume for the system's acoustic suspension enclosure, resulting in both high efficiency and high power-handling capability.
Connection to the amplifier is via spring-loaded clips on a small panel near the floor at the back of the enclosure. Potential overload situations are dealt with by a fuse holder on the same panel, which also holds a tweeter level control.
In tests at Diversified Science Laboratories, the 883 amply demonstrated BSR's claim of high efficiency. With a 2.8-volt input (equivalent to 0 dBW or 1 watt into 8 ohms), it produced a 91 1/2-dB sound pressure level. In the continuous-tone power test, its protective 3-amp fuse blew when the input reached 17.9 volts (equivalent to 16 dBW or 40 watts into 8 ohms). Though this might seem middling behavior for a speaker characterized as a Powerhandler, the sound pressure level generated in the test, 106 3/4 dB, is as loud as many real-world listening situations will permit. DSL found that the tonal character of the 300-Hz tone burst altered noticeably at a level slightly below the speaker's continuous power-handling capability.
Frequency response curves were generated with the speaker placed against the wall, following BSR's suggestion, and with the tweeter level control set to the standard or maximum position. As the curves depict, on-axis output is fairly uniform, with lots of bass energy down to about 60 Hz. The off-axis curve tells you that proper placement of the 883 in terms of the normal seated listening position is critical; the severe high-frequency rolloff above 10 kHz indicates that the tweeter is beamy in that region, inhibiting tonal balance as you move away from the "firing line." The tweeter level control is more regular in its action than many we have seen in more expensive speakers; it alters response above about 2 kHz and, at its minimum setting, cuts high-frequency output by up to 16 dB at 10 kHz.
Harmonic distortion is extremely well controlled. At loud playing levels (100 dB SPL), harsh-sounding third harmonics hardly ever exceed 1% above 100 Hz.
Second harmonics are a bit more elevated, reaching 2% in the lower midrange and almost 3% in the upper treble region. At a more moderate playing level (85 dB SPL), both second and third harmonics fall dramatically, with neither exceeding 1% from 80 Hz on up.
The overall lie of the impedance curve and the speaker's high efficiency combine to make an easy load for even low-power receivers or amplifiers. A word of caution, however, about attempting to parallel two pairs from the same amplifier: Impedance values hover around 4 ohms in the musically active upper-bass and midrange area, so two pairs operating simultaneously will present a 2-ohm load--low enough to cause some amps to balk.
In our extended listening sessions, we were quite impressed by the 883s' performance. These are not super-accurate loudspeakers capable of prodigious output, but they are remarkably free of the nasty "hi-fi" colorations or boomy blowsiness common to some mass-market models. Their overall tone is smooth and warm, with a dramatic frontal projection. Voices emerge with clarity, as do a broad range of instrumental timbres. When the speakers are moved away from the wall, bass response falls noticeably, but we found that a slight bass boost at the preamp remedied the situation nicely. Some high-end brightness was also mitigated with a bit of cut at the preamp.
The 883 is a handsome-looking and agreeable-sounding loudspeaker. At its price, it is a bargain by anyone's standards. Judging by this Powerhandler model, we would venture to say that BSR's loudspeaker-market blandishments will not (if you'll pardon the expression) fall on deaf ears.
---------------BSR Model 88.1 loudspeaker; ROOM RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS
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(High Fidelity, USA print magazine)
Also see:
The Critics Go Speaker Shopping [June 1981]