The Official B&W Speakers Thread

[MAL01]

Originally Posted by btf1980

I've given in to temptation, i'm so weak. I'll be swapping my CM7's for CM9's. Can't wait!

btf, when will you get your CM9`s? What color did you go with? How do you think these stand up against the 803D?
I have hit a snag. The only local dealer that has a pretty full line doesn`t have the CM9`s. I have heard the CM9`s at another dealer and really liked them,but wanted to do an A-B comparison with some of the 800 series.

I have made contact with the rep in our area and he said i would have go to a place that is about 2 hours north from me to hear the CM9`s,CMC2. I`ll probably do it, although going the used route is looking better and better.

Lee

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by MAL01

btf, when will you get your CM9`s? What color did you go with? How do you think these stand up against the 803D?
I have hit a snag. The only local dealer that has a pretty full line doesn`t have the CM9`s. I have heard the CM9`s at another dealer and really liked them,but wanted to do an A-B comparison with some of the 800 series.

I have made contact with the rep in our area and he said i would have go to a place that is about 2 hours north from me to hear the CM9`s,CMC2. I`ll probably do it, although going the used route is looking better and better.

Lee

I'll be getting them in rosenut.

The CM9 are great speakers at the $3K pricepoint, but the 803D is in another league. How does the CM9 stand up against the 803D? The 803D is superior is every imaginable way. Comparing them is unfair given that the 803D is triple the price.

I know some owners of the 802D, that went back to the 803D. It's that good. But given the pricepoint of the 803D, I have no idea why it would come between it and the CM9. For what you will pay for the 803D from a dealer, you could snag an 802D used from Audiogon.

[J6P]

Speaking of price points, my dealer has a program where they'll buy my speakers back for exactly what I paid as long as I'm spending at least double the MSRP to replace them.

Is this common practice? It seems brilliant to me -- and a little diabolical.

[saprano]

Heading to my local dealer in new york on thursday to take a listen to the 684's.....its $1100 a pair.

I was talking to him for like an hour, he was saying how amazing b@w's are and was telling me lot of other info about speakers. he sounded really passionate.

One down, tons more to go

[Slec]

:settles in to read this thread:

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by saprano

Heading to my local dealer in new york on thursday to take a listen to the 684's.....its $1100 a pair.

I was talking to him for like an hour, he was saying how amazing b@w's are and was telling me lot of other info about speakers. he sounded really passionate.

One down, tons more to go

Who's your dealer? Is it Stereo Exchange? If so, those guys are great. Lyric hi fi is also solid.

[Slec]

I had a couple of really nice conversations with a 'local' shop about the B&W line of speakers. They seemed fairly dialed in on this whole 700 series going away thing.

600 series has been moved to China for manufacturing (were a year or two ago) in order to keep the costs down.
700 series is the lowest series to still be using real wood and made in the UK, and has been mentioned is being phased out.
CM Series (didn't catch where these are being produced) will be taking the 700 series place.

In my own auditions, the 703's were a nice step above the 683's. IMO, the CM7's were definitely a step down from those two. Those 703's were sweet sounding. Having now read Beta's comments on the 705's I may have to make another trip! i didn't have my own source music when I stopped in. That will be the REAL test.

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by Slec

I had a couple of really nice conversations with a 'local' shop about the B&W line of speakers. They seemed fairly dialed in on this whole 700 series going away thing.

600 series has been moved to China for manufacturing (were a year or two ago) in order to keep the costs down.
700 series is the lowest series to still be using real wood and made in the UK, and has been mentioned is being phased out.
CM Series (didn't catch where these are being produced) will be taking the 700 series place.

In my own auditions, the 703's were a nice step above the 683's. IMO, the CM7's were definitely a step down from those two. Those 703's were sweet sounding. Having now read Beta's comments on the 705's I may have to make another trip! i didn't have my own source music when I stopped in. That will be the REAL test.

The CM series also use real wood. Prior to the production of the CM9, CM5 and CMC2, they were produced in England. Going forward, they are being produced in China. Inevitably, I think everything with the exception of the Nautilus and Diamonds will be made in China eventually. It makes financial sense.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by btf1980

The CM series also use real wood. Prior to the production of the CM9, CM5 and CMC2, they were produced in England. Going forward, they are being produced in China. Inevitably, I think everything with the exception of the Nautilus and Diamonds will be made in China eventually. It makes financial sense.

filled in the holes perfectly. B&W is pretty new for me, so keeping track of everything I was listening to, the models and detail on changes (impending or otherwise) was a bit tough. Hell, I went to the shop to listen to some Paradigms. That ended within 15 minutes. The next hr was all B&W

[JJ]

You know, that's the same way it went for me back in May of last summer, Slec? I went into another audio store to check out Paradigm, and they swung me towards B&W instead. Four months later, it became B&W officially.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by btf1980

Who's your dealer? Is it Stereo Exchange? If so, those guys are great. Lyric hi fi is also solid.

Innovative audio, but i will be heading to those two also.

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

You know, that's the same way it went for me back in May of last summer, Slec? I went into another audio store to check out Paradigm, and they swung me towards B&W instead. Four months later, it became B&W officially.

How did the Paradigm's sound to you?

[ShockWave]

No love for the CDM's!

[ShockWave]

Originally Posted by btf1980

I'll be getting them in rosenut.

The CM9 are great speakers at the $3K pricepoint, but the 803D is in another league. How does the CM9 stand up against the 803D? The 803D is superior is every imaginable way. Comparing them is unfair given that the 803D is triple the price.

I know some owners of the 802D, that went back to the 803D. It's that good. But given the pricepoint of the 803D, I have no idea why it would come between it and the CM9. For what you will pay for the 803D from a dealer, you could snag an 802D used from Audiogon.

Just curious. Why wouldn't you try to land the 804s used for 2k?

[Slec]

I know you were asking JJ, but I'll throw in my $.02.

The Monitor 7's had a really pleasant sound. I currently have Klipsch reference speakers. The upper register wasn't like a klipsch and sounded good. I was pretty happy with the way they sounded. The low end was nice and strong

The B&W 683's were a whole different sound all together. The Full range of sound was much more neutral. Listening to Money by Pink Floyd, the sax solo was very smooth. It wasn't harsh on the Paradigm's by any means, but in comparison to the B&W's the center register seemed accentuated.

I'm not intimately familiar with Pink Floyd, so that's just a basic review. Once I get in there with some Radiohead and Beethoven I'll feel more comfortable with my own preference.

For now, the B&W's sound incredible for music, the Klipsch sound perfect for movies. I'd put the Paradigms as a happy medium between the two.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by ShockWave

No love for the CDM's!

perhaps i missed it. What were your thoughts on them compared to the other model lines?

[ShockWave]

Originally Posted by Slec

perhaps i missed it. What were your thoughts on them compared to the other model lines?

Just messing around actually. I wouldn't expect people to talk about speakers you can't even buy new any longer.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by ShockWave

Just messing around actually. I wouldn't expect people to talk about speakers you can't even buy new any longer.

thought the CM and CDM lines might be the same

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by Slec

thought the CM and CDM lines might be the same

No they aren't. The CDM was the predecessor to the soon to be discontinued 700 series.

[ShockWave]

Originally Posted by btf1980

No they aren't. The CDM was the predecessor to the soon to be discontinued 700 series.

I really wish I could find a pair of 9nt's. If anyone runs into some please let me know.

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by ShockWave

Just curious. Why wouldn't you try to land the 804s used for 2k?

Simple. If I go back to the 800 series, I intend to start with the diamond tweeter. That means nothing less than the 803D for fronts.

Furthermore, I think the 805s is actually superior to the 804s. Yup, I think a bookshelf speaker can be better than a floorstander. When I was a strictly 2 channel, I had the 805, and I thought the imaging and accuracy was superior to the 804s. I just think the 804s is like the middle child in the 800 series. It's a good speaker, but I would advise people to either pony up the dough and move up in the range, or save their money and get the 805s, and a sub if they feel the need, but I used it for a while without a sub and it was great. A pair of the 805s with a sub will run circles around just an 804s.