The Aero range combines BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drivers with conventional cone drivers for an entirely new approach to affordable speaker design. Cambridge Audio’s experience with BMR drivers in the Minx speakers lead them to realize their potential in more traditional designs. According to Cambridge (and Naim for the matter) using a BMR driver instead of a dome tweeter has several key advantages. The crossover between the tweeter and driver is usually in the vicinity of 3kHz, right at the point where our ears are most sensitive to distortions or differences between the two sources. With a BMR driver, the crossover can be placed at 250Hz, far outside the critical midband. The result, it says here, is fantastically clear, natural and coherent audio.
Another advantage claimed of BMR is a more coherent room-filling sound. This is because BMR drivers combine pistonic motion with surface vibration rather like the not unrelated NXT panel. This means they're more tolerant of less than optimal placement in the room. The argument runs that Aero speakers can be placed much more freely, sited to fit with the room, rather than positioned using a protractor and measuring tape, and they'll still produce great stereo.
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The Aero cabinets was designed in house and the “ultra rigid MDF design offers the best possible platform for musical reproduction”. There are five models in the range but three are designed for home cinema applications, the key models for the music lover are:
Aero 2 bookshelf/standmount
2.25" BMR plus custom-designed 6" driver
40Hz-22kHz frequency response
£349.95 RRP
Aero 6 floorstander
2.25" BMR plus 2 x custom-designed 6" drivers
30Hz-22kHz frequency response
£649.95 RRP
I have had a chance to listen to the floorstanders and have to say that they are pretty remarkable, full review to follow.