Detail, Mid-Range Clarity, Imaging, and Fit and Finish.

Bass Response and Depth.

When I first bought these speakers I was in the process of upgrading my very mediocre Sony based system with quality seperates. I've withheld putting in any reviews until most of my system was together and I had been running everything for a while. Now that I've had a while with my base system finished I feel I can add my personal opinion. When I first chose these speakers I had listened to a number of equivalently priced speakers. Of all the speakers I listened to other than the CDM 7SE the only one I liked was it's cousin the B&W DM604. The Studio 80's I found to be too clinical in sound. The Mirage was far too muddy. The Castle Eden was the nicest sounding of the best of the rest but lacked any serious bass response. The AE 109Se were close to the B&W's but seemed to be a step behind on almost everything. In the end I found that the CDM 7SE's involved me in the music more than any of the others and were better looking than the DM604's.

The listening enviroment for this system is an L shaped living room/dining room in a medium sized apartment. The speakers are placed on the end of the long portion of the L 5' apart at centre of cones and are 24" out from the back wall and 36" inches from the side walls with toe-in focusing at 10'.

Associated equipment:
1. Sonic Frontiers Line-1 Preamp
2. Anthem MCA-2 Amp
3. Toshiba SD3109 DVD Player
4. Sony CDP-CX230 200 CD Changer(Legacy System)
5. Audioquest Indigo 2 Bi-wire speaker wire with WBT-0645 Safety-pin Banana's with locking mechanism.
6. Straight Wire Sonata Interconnect, various Monster Interconnects & Straight Wire Silverlink S-Video cable.
7. Lovan Classic II Audio Stand

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Studio 80, Monitor Audio Silver 5,
Castle Eden, Mirage FRX 9, Acoustic Energy 109SE & B&W DM604

clarity of midrange and high. Bass is not overpowering, and boomy.

Initially seem to have a relatively small "Sweet Spot" (prime listening area) but then again, I think this is the case with most speakers. Placement is important with any.

I just purchased these a few days ago, and I love them, I chose these speakers because they seemed to have great clarity in midrange as well has high frequency range, no uberbass, while having very good, controlled bass response. I simply loved the way they sounded in the store, and they sound at least as good at home, and they are not even broken in yet. I reviewed paradigms, monitor audio, definitives, and B&W 600 SII, in my searching. I wholeheartedly recommend previewing these speakers. 4 stars for value, simply becasue they were pricey for me, and I extended my top level to purchase them. I got the cdmse center channel as well.

What?

Please read on....

Waaay overpriced. Waaay over-rated. Why waste your money when there's so many other great high-end speakers out there for a lot less money?

Mellower tunes sound fantastic.

Like David B. said, too many instruments playing at once causes a loss of detail. This is a follow-up post, and an fyi for all. These are not a true 3-way design. I received an email from the designer himself stating just that. If you bi-wire, and unplug the LF posts, only the tweeter plays through the HF posts. I wondered if there was something wrong with the wiring, but per the designer, they are correct.

....

All around good performa

could be a little light in the lows for some

For the $ a great all around speaker. Remember most speakers cannot be all things to all men (women). Some of the older reviews that slam this speaker have had to be written by either the competition, or someone with an ax to grind that most likely did not listen at all or very briefly. These are well thought out speakers that perform well with various music, excell at vocals and are as most, sensitive to placement and listening angles- usually toed in slightly and kept @7 feet apart. They are beautiful to look at in any finish and with the introduction of the NT series you should be able as I was to pick them up for $1000 or so and get a really fine performa for a good price.

Similar Products Used:

801's
dynaaudio 40's
tyler acoustics

Distinctive and well-made.
Low harmonic distortion less 1%, 45Hz-20kHz.

None

I have strongly searched to buy some speakers for six months. I have required they would be of high quality and get a relly fine performance for a good price.
However, The Bulgarian music stores don't offer for a large variety of brand hi-fi speakers. I stopped a search and bought CDM 7 SE, between of the follows models: JM-Serie: Cobalt; Dinaudio; Tannoy-Serie: Saturn; Jamo-Concert 11 and B&W-Serie CD600.
I considered my realizing an optimum choice I bought them for 1900 DM (850 U.S.). After I had compared the pair of CDM 7 SE at the store in equal conditions with a Jamo-Cocert 11 (they are made an excellent performa and prima external image), Jamo are sounded incomparably with more narrow base. The B&W speakers have a really superb sound and more realistic presence at commensurable sound implements.
When I have searched to buy my speakers Iused to web site: www.audioreview.com, like a guide. There I read a bad reports about CDM 7 SE who it's not true, absolutly.
The B&W speakers are required with high-quality equipment, actually; from optimum suit firmware sequence into the listening-room.
They are speakers who needed also from the neutral sound source. And they are very clearly monitor sounded speakers too.
On the German Magazine "AUDIO", they were highest awarded in comparision with the rate of price 3000 DM (1360 U.S.) and they were placed higher level thanmore expensive speakers. More I have listen them, than Ilike their sound.
These are one of the best speakers in comparision with others, for the rate of price.
They sound bloody great!
I have listen them in the room with 4.3 x 4.3 metres. I like music styles as the: LightJazz, Orchestral Music and Classical.
Tast system:
Speakers: B&W CDM 7 SE
Power amp.: McIntosh M275
Pre-amp.: Remote Passive CREEK-model OBH 12
CD player: Musical Fidelity-model X-ray
Interconnect: audioquest - Quartz 3
Speaker cables: audioquest - MIDNIGHT 2 - 2 x 2 metres

Similar Products Used:

JM Lab-Cobalt 810,815; Dinaudio Audience 70, Contur 1,8;
Mission 782,775; Sony SS-X9 ED; Technics SB-M1000