Remaking My Bache Audio Metro 001's

[Cellcbern]

I learned of Bache Audio from the review (link below) and was surprised at how good the Metro 001's sounded in person. This was after several unsatisfying sessions at In Living Stereo listening to the Devore O/93 and O/96 which they could never get to sound consistently good. I bought the Bache pair thinking they might be temporary, that I might upgrade in a year or two but they worked so well with my other components and frankly were so satisfying that I stopped thinking about replacing them. My pair started out with upgrades over the stock pair the reviewer listened to. I ordered the optional 3/4" laminated bamboo cabinets which sound better than mdf, and at my request designer Greg Belman agreed to use crossover components from his top of the line model in my Metro 001's. A couple hundred hours of break-in later they were "keepers" - great synergy with my upgraded Pathos TT, much better bass and more forgiving and musical than the Merlin VSM's they replaced, yet just as resolving. In particular the midrange had the weight and warmth of live music and was transparent but not "ruthlessly revealing" like the Merlins. There really is something special about having a single driver cover 400hz to 10,000hz with no crossover in the midrange. Note that there is a typo in the review. In the third paragraph it should say 400-10,000 hz, not 400-1000.

Bache Audio Metro-001 Floorstanding Speaker Reviewed - HomeTheaterReview

One of my friends who lives on the East Coast shared that he had heard a wonderful-sounding speaker called the 001-AB that was manufactured by a company called Bache Audio, located in Brooklyn, New York. The 001-AB is Bache Audio's...

hometheaterreview.com

About seven months ago Greg Belman emailed me to say that he had figured out a crossover upgrade that would improve the sound. A couple of months ago he emailed me to say that he had tested an Eton woofer in the Metro 001 as an upgrade of the Tang Band unit currently in my speakers. The Eton produced both deeper and tighter bass but required enlarging the port. I asked if he could replace the air motion transformer tweeter with the Fostex FT96-EX2 he has used in more expensive models, and also rewire the speakers with Stage III Concepts (tweeter) and Dueland tinned copper (wideband driver and woofer). Several weeks ago I finally drove up to Brooklyn to take him the speakers. When I arrived I discovered that he had actually built and tested a prototype with the Eton and Fostex drivers that I could listen to and compare with my current speakers. Needless to say upgrading those two drivers made a significant improvement. Hope to get back up to Brooklyn soon to pick them up. Photos of the original and upgraded speakers are below.

Kudos to Greg Bellman who clearly loves what he does and is constantly trying to improve his products. As long as his speakers are this good and it is this easy to make upgrades I am sticking with Bache.









(https://hometheaterreview.com/bache-audio-metro-001-floorstanding-speaker-reviewed/

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Beautiful speakers.

 

[shakey]

I agree with Cellcbern 100%. I remember first hearing Bache Audio at a NY Audio Show. It may have been the show hosted in Westchester. Fast forward to the NYC show in 2019, the speaker I wanted to hear was the Pure Audio Project. It was open and airy, but thin sounding. Considering the size of them I was expecting a fuller sound. Later that day I went and heard the Harbeth M40.1. I’m just never impressed with Harbeth speakers. Next up was Bache’s room. The Lexington’s were playing and they were very engaging. Made a trip to Brooklyn to listen to the Tribeca’s. There’s something about using an 8” full range driver as a midrange. When I first heard the Tribeca’s they didn‘t hit me with that wow factor. I’m always weary of that because they end up causing listening fatigue. Instead they were engaging like the Lexington, but bigger and fuller sounding. When I bought them I thought I would just rotate them between my Quad 57s and my Audio Physic Tempo Plus speakers. Instead they became my main speakers. In fact I sold my Quads, something I thought in the 15 years of owning them I would never do. Especially after the hassle of getting them rebuilt.

 

[Cellcbern]

I learned of Bache Audio from the review (link below) and was surprised at how good the Metro 001's sounded in person. This was after several unsatisfying sessions at In Living Stereo listening to the Devore O/93 and O/96 which they could never get to sound consistently good. I bought the Bache pair thinking they might be temporary, that I might upgrade in a year or two but they worked so well with my other components and frankly were so satisfying that I stopped thinking about replacing them. My pair started out with upgrades over the stock pair the reviewer listened to. I ordered the optional 3/4" laminated bamboo cabinets which sound better than mdf, and at my request designer Greg Belman agreed to use crossover components from his top of the line model in my Metro 001's. A couple hundred hours of break-in later they were "keepers" - great synergy with my upgraded Pathos TT, much better bass and more forgiving and musical than the Merlin VSM's they replaced, yet just as resolving. In particular the midrange had the weight and warmth of live music and was transparent but not "ruthlessly revealing" like the Merlins. There really is something special about having a single driver cover 400hz to 10,000hz with no crossover in the midrange. Note that there is a typo in the review. In the third paragraph it should say 400-10,000 hz, not 400-1000.

Bache Audio Metro-001 Floorstanding Speaker Reviewed - HomeTheaterReview

One of my friends who lives on the East Coast shared that he had heard a wonderful-sounding speaker called the 001-AB that was manufactured by a company called Bache Audio, located in Brooklyn, New York. The 001-AB is Bache Audio's...

hometheaterreview.com

About seven months ago Greg Belman emailed me to say that he had figured out a crossover upgrade that would improve the sound. A couple of months ago he emailed me to say that he had tested an Eton woofer in the Metro 001 as an upgrade of the Tang Band unit currently in my speakers. The Eton produced both deeper and tighter bass but required enlarging the port. I asked if he could replace the air motion transformer tweeter with the Fostex FT96-EX2 he has used in more expensive models, and also rewire the speakers with Stage III Concepts (tweeter) and Dueland tinned copper (wideband driver and woofer). Several weeks ago I finally drove up to Brooklyn to take him the speakers. When I arrived I discovered that he had actually built and tested a prototype with the Eton and Fostex drivers that I could listen to and compare with my current speakers. Needless to say upgrading those two drivers made a significant improvement. Hope to get back up to Brooklyn soon to pick them up. Photos of the original and upgraded speakers are below.

Kudos to Greg Bellman who clearly loves what he does and is constantly trying to improve his products. As long as his speakers are this good and it is this easy to make upgrades I am sticking with Bache.

View attachment 80168View attachment 80169







(https://hometheaterreview.com/bache-audio-metro-001-floorstanding-speaker-reviewed/

System back together after speaker upgrades described above. Still breaking in but initial listening suggests significant improvements in sound quality. With the Eton woofers bass is subjectively deeper, more forceful, and more articulate. I was told by the designer that the Fostex FT96-EX2 tweeters, which extend to 33hz, would expand soundstage width and depth, and that is what I am hearing. Timbre is more realistic across all frequencies (particularly noticeable with piano), and images are more naturally fleshed out with no spotlighting. Every piece of music I've played has sounded more natural than I remembered.

 

[jeff1225]

Interesting speakers. Why is there a round cut out for the square Fostex tweeter?

 

[Addicted to hifi]

System back together after speaker upgrades described above. Still breaking in but initial listening suggests significant improvements in sound quality. With the Eton woofers bass is subjectively deeper, more forceful, and more articulate. I was told by the designer that the Fostex FT96-EX2 tweeters, which extend to 33hz, would expand soundstage width and depth, and that is what I am hearing. Timbre is more realistic across all frequencies (particularly noticeable with piano), and images are more naturally fleshed out with no spotlighting. Every piece of music I've played has sounded more natural than I remembered. View attachment 81408

Very nice.

 

[shakey]

Interesting speakers. Why is there a round cut out for the square Fostex tweeter?

The original tweeter was the AMT. Good move going with the Fostex tweeter.

 

[Cellcbern]

Interesting speakers. Why is there a round cut out for the square Fostex tweeter?

Don't know, to be honest. The AMT tweeter replaced by the Fostex was round but smaller so I'm not sure why Mr. Belman used a round, recessed cutout for the square plate Fostex. Next time I speak with him I will ask.

 

[Cellcbern]

I agree with Cellcbern 100%. I remember first hearing Bache Audio at a NY Audio Show. It may have been the show hosted in Westchester. Fast forward to the NYC show in 2019, the speaker I wanted to hear was the Pure Audio Project. It was open and airy, but thin sounding. Considering the size of them I was expecting a fuller sound. Later that day I went and heard the Harbeth M40.1. I’m just never impressed with Harbeth speakers. Next up was Bache’s room. The Lexington’s were playing and they were very engaging. Made a trip to Brooklyn to listen to the Tribeca’s. There’s something about using an 8” full range driver as a midrange. When I first heard the Tribeca’s they didn‘t hit me with that wow factor. I’m always weary of that because they end up causing listening fatigue. Instead they were engaging like the Lexington, but bigger and fuller sounding. When I bought them I thought I would just rotate them between my Quad 57s and my Audio Physic Tempo Plus speakers. Instead they became my main speakers. In fact I sold my Quads, something I thought in the 15 years of owning them I would never do. Especially after the hassle of getting them rebuilt.

I was also smitten by the Tribeca when I listened to it, but it is nominally a four ohm speaker which is not the best match for my Pathos TT RR. The Metro 001 was the only 8 ohm speaker in the Bache line other than the top of the line 002AB.

 

[shakey]

My Emotive Audio Vita amps are set for 4 ohms.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

My Emotive Audio Vita amps are set for 4 ohms. View attachment 81496

Very nice as well.