An Overview Of The B&C Line
By Mike Klasco

(For more information, go to B&C’s new web site www.bcspeakers.com.)

Compression Drivers

B&C’s line of ceramic compression drivers starts with 1in. exit, using 35mm and 44mm diameter voice coils. Both Mylar and titanium diaphragms are available. The lowest-cost models are less than $40 and maintain the sound quality that B&C is known for (but at the expense of power handling). Large drivers include 1.4in.and 2in. exit drivers with 75mm (3in.) diaphragms. High-output 4in. diaphragm versions are in the works. Included are refinements such as a copper cap on the pole piece and machined aluminum phase plugs, at least in the upscale models. B&C’s first neo compression driver is the DE 900, which combines a titanium diaphragm with Mylar compliance and 3in. diameter aluminum flat-wire voice coil – the neo magnetic structure achieves a flux density of 2.05T. A complete family of neo drivers is being designed.

Coaxial Loudspeakers

B&C manufactures both woofers and compression drivers; combining the two into a high-quality, high-efficiency coax was only natural. Both 12in. and 15in. models are offered with a 1.4in.compression driver, intended for high-power applications.

B&C also recently introduced their “Point Source Series” of coax speakers, designed for the sound contracting (permanent install) market. A new 8in. coupled with a 1in. driver produces possible the best sounding coax I have ever heard. They also have a 12in. with a 1in. driver and crossovers and back boxes for the entire series. So far, only ceramic magnetic woofers with ceramic drivers are available.

Horns

All of B&C’s horns are cast aluminum. They offer both exponential and constant directional formats for 1in., 1.4in.and 2in. entry. Typically, exponential is preferred for sound quality, while constant directional horns provide a more uniform pattern at some cost to transient response.

Cone Speakers Ranging from 6in. to 18in.

B&C offers a range of cast frame, cone speakers designed to complement their compression drivers. They also offer a series of 6in. and 8in. midrange cone speakers for use where high sound levels are needed but without the horn sound. A range of 10in. woofers and mid-bass speakers follow, along with 12in. and 15in. woofers and extended range woofers (for use with compression drivers). Finishing out the line is a range of high-power, long-excursion 18in. subwoofers.

HPL Series

The latest addition of B&C’s line is the HPL Series, which stands for High Power Lightweight. This product has proven popular in Europe. Sono, an Italian pro-sound magazine, reviewed self-powered portable speakers and found almost every brand tested used B&C’s HPL woofers. The excellent NEXO range of concert sound speakers also uses versions of this series. The concept is lightweight with high power; the two components that contribute weight to a woofer are the magnetic structure and the frame. Once the weight of the magnet structure was minimized, the frame no longer needed to support all that mass hanging behind the baffle. Taking advantage of this, B&C introduced new die-cast aluminum frames with a solid heatsink to allow maximum thermal dissipation while reducing total weight by 50 percent.

Cones & Voice Coils

B&C uses high-quality paper cones, and then treats them in-house with a proprietary waterproof treatment that also improves the strength of the pulp. The voice coil is unique; using an inside-outside winding that puts one layer on the ID of the bobbin and another layer on the OD. There are various models, up to 4in. in diameter (700W RMS). The magnet wire is typically aluminum for lower moving mass. B&C uses proprietary high-temperature adhesives, and thermal performance of their coils, according to the company, is the best in the market. Both fiberglass and Kapton bobbin materials are used.