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Burmester B18
Loudspeaker
For All Lines
The B18 loudspeaker was developed to be comfortably sized yet extremely musical and dynamic. A universal sound talent, the B18 is a 2½-way bass reflex speaker with a front-firing design.
Loudspeaker
As part of the expansion of the Burmester B-Series loudspeaker portfolio, the B18 was aligned with the appearance of the B28 and B38 in 2022 and now also features a sleek, unobtrusive screwless front, allowing the loudspeaker to be integrated even more easily into any domestic interior. In addition, the variants in terms of cabinet finishes and anodized colors of the front baffle have also been standardized across the entire B series.
“The goal we strive for is for the customer to forget the technology behind the sound…”
AJAN HANNEMANN
TEAM LEADER ACOUSTIC ENGINEERING
With attention to detail.
Recognisable as a typical Burmester even from the very first glance, the B18 loudspeaker makes use of characteristic design elements of Burmesters loudspeakers.
Handmade
The high-frequency reproduction benefits from the ring radiator developed exclusively for Burmester, which ensures optimum transparency and resolution. Low-mid and mid-woofer are an advanced development based on an already proven drive unit, which also aids the B18 to achieve an impressive sound performance.
The highly complex crossover is in its own enclosure chamber, as is the mid-bass driver, whose own closed enclosure results in particularly clean midrange performance.
The B18’s sandwich-constructed base is made of a high-molecular-weight thermoplastic polymer in combination with other materials of high internal damping and rigidity for optimum decoupling of the speaker from the floor. The solid MDF front, in conjunction with the enclosure optimized using FEM analysis, ensures accurate, precise bass response and significantly reduces cabinet reverberation. In addition to the mechanical damping by a foam cylinder, the B18 speaker has a bass switch to adjust the bass response according to room conditions and personal listening taste.
Features
- Exclusive Burmester ring radiator for optimal transparency and resolution
- Further developed low-mid and midrange woofer
- A rear switch for bass adjustment in combination with the included bass reflex the supplied bass reflex plugs for several possibilities of room adaptation
- The massive torsionally stiff 48mm MDF front in combination with the optimized by FEM analysis for accurate and precise bass response and Bass response and reduces the reverberation of the cabinet significantly
- 2 ½ way bass reflex principle with separate closed enclosure for the mid-bass and separate bass reflex enclosure for the bass-midrange driver
- Solid loudspeaker base made of matched, vibration damping and stiffening materials to minimize vibration transmission
- Highly complex crossover in its own enclosure chamber
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Professional Reviews 89/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
89/100
Build Quality
95/100
Value for Money
82/100
The Burmester B18 blends room-filling dynamics with a warm, richly detailed balance and remarkably open imaging. Marc Phillips of Part Time Audiophile found its tight, powerful bass and disappearing soundstage especially compelling once carefully positioned. Superb cabinet execution and adjustable bass tuning complete a compact floorstander engineered for serious musical scale.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Expansive, disappearing soundstage with an unusually open, spacious presentation.
Powerful, dynamic bass becomes tight and focused after careful placement and room-adaptation adjustment.
Warm-leaning yet clear, detailed and lively sound avoids excessive coloration or roll-off.
Exceptional fit, finish and tactile build quality in a relatively compact floorstanding form.
&
Cons
Bass can sound soft and excite room nodes before placement and the rear room-adaptation control are optimized.
The $19,000 price places it firmly in the high-end category.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 89/100
The B18/101 combination was described as exceptionally detailed, lively, clear and spacious, with a presentation that disappeared into an unusually open soundfield. Bass is substantial but requires careful room matching; the review provides less direct, speaker-specific commentary on the midrange and treble than on its low-end performance, scale and imaging.
Bass
91/100
The reviewer found the lowest registers extended and powerful, and praised the speaker’s tight, pounding impact once positioned correctly. In his room the bass was initially too soft around the edges, but the rear room-adaptation switch removed bass nodes and brought tighter focus and better driver coherence; port plugs, however, restricted the B18 too much.
Mid
84/100
The review characterizes the overall presentation as clear, detailed and alive, without excessive warmth, roll-off or obvious coloration. There is little direct listening commentary isolating vocal timbre or the crossover region, although the final result was heard as coherent after room adjustment.
Treble
84/100
The reviewer praised the system’s detail, clarity, air and openness, with no complaint of glare or fatigue. Direct comments specifically assessing the B18’s treble refinement, extension or tonal balance are limited.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
Imaging was a clear highlight: the reviewer said the speakers seemed to kick down the room’s walls before disappearing, creating the sensation of standing in an open field. He also heard a spacious, open presentation alongside strong clarity.
Dynamics
91/100
The B18s were explicitly described as dynamic and able to energize the room with tight, pounding bass. That report points to convincing large-scale drive, though the review offers less detail about microdynamic delicacy at very low levels.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
95/100
Fit, finish and tactile execution impressed the reviewer enormously, who found no detail that did not look and feel as good as it could be. The cabinet and base are also carefully engineered for damping and floor decoupling, while the reviewer calls the speakers beautifully made and easy to accommodate.
Value for Money
82/100
At $19,000 for the speakers, and $28,000 for the reviewed speaker-and-amplifier combination, the reviewer acknowledges that this is a substantial outlay for most buyers. He does not directly compare the B18 with similarly priced rivals or make a clear value-for-money recommendation, despite his strong enthusiasm for its performance and finish.
Reviews
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Burmester B18
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Audio & Video Expressions — in-store — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (website)
- Audio Advisors — in-store — West Palm Beach, Florida, United States (website)
- AUDIO EXCLUSIVE — in-store — Wels, Oberösterreich, Austria (website)
- Audio Venue — online and in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- AudioART — in-store — Sudbury, Massachusetts (website)
- Auditorium — in-store — Hamburg-Mitte, Hamburg, Germany (website)
- Aug & Ohr — in-store — Zürich, Zürich, Germany (website)
- AV Luxury Group — in-store — Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (website)
and 29 more verified dealers