Very detailed and accurate three dimensiona soundstaging involving the listener to an unbelievable extent. Of course, you would have to be a really critical listener to exploit the value of these speakers.

i dont know, i never auditioned the Nautilus 803/804.

I must admit that I ordered these loudspeakers without actually listening to them. My decision was based on research on the net and having owned and enjoyed the B&W DM602S2's for the past 5 years I knew I couldnt be wrong. My System i have the NT9's hooked up to a Harmon Kardon AVR7000 via two pairs of Kimber 8TC cabling to each speaker. The speakers are biwired. My source is the Rotel 965BX bitstream player (a little aged but extremely musical) and this is connected to the amplifier through the Madrigal Digital Fat Boy. I also have the B&W ASW 1000 hooked up, read my comments on this below. The NT9 need some time to burn in, probably 5 hours a day for 10 days. But even during this initial period the ability of these speakers to emotionaly involve the listener is uncanny. Whilst I am certain that they would be terrific for partying, I would say that they would be best suited to classical, jazzy, light rock type of music, music that requires analytical listening. Top End Detail. The Nautilus tweeter set back does make a massive difference from my old 602's. The top end frequencies are extremely open uncluttered and detailed offering as it were a view into the recording studio. i must admit that sometimes the tops can be on the bright side but that is a fault of the recording. be warned that bright recordings would become somewhat more difficult to listen to. Mids The midrange once again is different with the new Fixed Suspension Transducer. The crossover of only a limited bandwidth of the signal to the FST midrange unit allows accurate, open, three dimensional soundstaging whilst producing the minimum of movement to achieve this. Recordings that i have listened to for years suddenly sound as though they have been re-recorded with more sophisticated equipment. I have actually heard more with the NT9's than ever before. I mean a significant increase in detail, in fact so must so, that some recordings that i considered really "present" are now far too involving, even to the point of perhaps being eerie. Low end This depth is detailed, fast and tight. Going down to 30Hz is reasonably substantial but the beauty is the ability to be in total control at that frequency. Overall Tonal Ability i would say that B&W have integrated the whole frequency of audio signal immaculately in the NT9's. The depth of the soundstage and the separation is only appreciated when heard. i could write details here but unless it is experienced, it cannot be appreciated. Ofcourse, the amplification has to be of standard, i imagine i would achieve better with a better amplifier, but i am totally transported when i listen to these speakers. Subwoofer I would imagine that a subwoofer would be a nice to have, the trouble is which one? i must say that only a superbly clean, tighter than the NT9's subwoofer would complement these. And even then to set this at just 30Hz and below would be critical, with just the correct sound pressure and perfect phasing. it is possible nut unless it is done perfectly the beauty of the NT9's would be compromised. Certainly the B&W ASW1000 is not the right sub. I have found that listening to the NT9's alone is extremely enjoyable, i use the sub more for Home theatre now.

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Articulate and precise high register Glorius midrange Plentiful, crisp bass. Overall, a wonderfully musical speaker

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As a professor of music, I have picky ears but, with a teacher's salary, I had to find speakers that I could afford. There are many speakers in this price range that caught my attention, but none were as clear, articulate, and accurate with music reproduction as the CDM 9NT. When listening to live Orchestral music performances or chamber music in any genre (classical, jazz, - even pop or country) notice that there is always cohesiveness throughout the ensemble. The cdm 9nt reflects that; there is cohesiveness from high to low. The other speakers I auditioned seemed to distract my attention from the music. I was quite impressed with the B&W Nautilus series. The CDM 9NT performed admirably when compared to the Nautilus 804 (the 804 was slightly more precise in clarity). It was an absolute pleasure listening to the Nautilus 803; they really are quite remarkable. If I had the money, (don't get me started on teacher salary!) I think the next big step above the CDM 9NT is the Nautilus 803. That statement is not a criticism of the 804, but rather a compliment to the CDM 9NT. I'm extremely pleased with my purchase - Highly recommended.

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Paradigm Studio 100, Studio 60, NHT, Boston Acoustics, Mirage, Monitor Audio, Energy

Sweet midrange Nice top end Great, tight, quick low end Fantastic Value

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I have listened to practically dozens and dozens of speakers before purchasing these bad boys. Wilson, Dynaudio, JM Labs, Martin Logan, Apogee are all fine manufactures, but B&W line are top notch, and both LucasFilms, and THX, Ltd use the B&Ws in their recording studios. B&W is also used extensively in Telarc, Gramaphone, and other top tier recording studios. B&Ws kick ass. The CDM9NTs are the best value for the money within the realm of the ' hi end ' of the audio world. The mid range is as sweet as it comes, the bottom end is tight and muscular, and the NT tweeters are among the best in the business. At $2600 they are a bargain, considering you would have to spend another $2400 in the B&W line to hear a sig improvement ( NT803 series ) to justify the extra expense.

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Boston Acoustics, Monitor Audio, Vandersteen, psb, energy, nht,

Low's, mid's and highs's Build quality.

None found so far.

I couple of weeks ago I bought a second-hand Harman Kardon 680 amplifier to replace my HK 6550 amplifier. I new I needed a stronger amp to power the average floorstanding speaker. Now I could savely look (hear) around for a good floorstander speaker. I bought several magazines to see what was on the market for my budget, and I decided the Dynaudio 72 was on the top of my list. When I went for a listen at a good store (Staffhorst-Utrecht), I found this speaker to be very poor in dynamics. The shop-employee then showed me a Chario-Constellation-Cygnus. Which then impressed me with music at last. A week later I scheduled a listening appointment for the Chario's to decide if I wanted those. I said I also wanted to listen to the CDM9NT since this was, according to several magazines, a better speaker but almost twice the price! I wanted to know if it was worth to spend more money on speakers then I had planned. I expected the CDM9NT to perform slightly better, so I could savely decide to buy the Chario's! BOY WAS I WRONG! After listening to the Chario's I decided they were worth the money. I then listened to the CDM9NT and within 5 minutes I knew this was what I wanted! I have got the speakers at home now and it was worth the money. With an average home like mine with no dedicated listening room, these speakers are about the maximum sound quality possible. All the musical detail which I usually only heard with a headphone, I now hear via the speakers. The bass is very detailed, deep and strong. In my case I needed to plug in the sponge-like things in the reflex-port, since my speakers are too close to the wall (about 25 cm), which makes the bass a little too heavy for my taste. You definetely don't kneed a subwoofer with these.

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HK TU-9400 HK HD 7450 HK 680 amplifier Monster speaker cable

You'll hear everything in the music -- everything, good or bad. When my eyes are closed I sware I'm right there in the studio with them! For surround sound, stay with CMD series all the way for perfect balance."

Room placement is a challenge, but a little time a patience will yield the right results.

These speakers deliver the sound quality I've dreamed of since a kid. Although for years I've owned only junk audio equipment, I've always known exactly what my favorite speakers would sound like -- and these are them! From the first eight bars I was in love. I've longed to hear the music as it was recorded and not massaged to sound good. I WANT to hear the imperfections; I want to hear the mistakes; I want to experience the humanity in music. And these speaker are so REAL it is sometimes scarey. In a home theatre environment I can honestly say that I've had to turn it down because it is just too damn intense and real!

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Rotel

Voice Balance (from Top to Midrange to Bottom) Detail Clarity Spatial Definition (Soundstage) Value Beautiful Design (with and without grills)

Sensitive to poor placement, room acoustics and supporting equipment. If you are not completely charmed with the sound, try to get someone else to help diagnose your system configuration (as hard as that can be to do). Otherwise, I wouldn't believe it unless I heard it with my own ears...

If I had a significantly bigger listening room, I would own Nautilus 802's. N802's need significant space, behind and to the sides, to allow them attain their full voice. I believe B&W has created a monster. Their long reputation for audio quality and design has created expectations of a level of perfection that can be almost impossible to achieve. Just read some of the reviews of the Nautilus 802's and you will notice a small but passionate number of really upset owners (usually new to B&W). I vigorously agree with those who have defended the N802, as they point to the importance of speaker position, room acoustics, and the supporting cast of equipment. Great speakers are not unlike living creatures, which need the proper environment to thrive. The CDM 9NT is spacious, detailed, clear, and firm at the bottom end. A smaller cousin to the N802, N803, and N804. In my auditions, I could not justify purchasing the N804, as the CDM 9NT kept up note for note; and while the N803's had a clearly perceptible advantage, it was not a N802, and it was also on the borderline of being too big for my space. Not that my room is diminutive; it is 20 feet wide and 16 feet deep, but not enough for proper speaker placement in a surround set-up. The CDM 9NT has essentially the same Nautilus tweeter, and the same FST Midrange unit found in its larger cousins. The two base drivers and a tuned port handle everything under 350 Hz. These are in an isolated compartment within the speaker cabinet, and are very quick and balanced for my size space. B&W specifications give a lower limit of 38 Hz (+/-3dB) which I believe to be conservative in my configuration. The cabinet is very well tuned, and rock solid braced to almost eliminate second and third order harmonics (distortion). Of course for movies, or for organ music with pedal frequencies down at 22Hz, you will need a good musical sub no mater how full range your speakers are. The inclusion of the FST midrange and the extra base driver make the CDM 9NT such a clearly superior speaker to the CDM 7NT that it disturbs me to think that someone would think of saving the $600, unless a child's school tuition or lunch money was at stake. So many companies produce unique drivers which disappear in the next generation as they no longer are as ground breaking as their hype would have suggested. When B&W developed the FST midrange, it created a reference quality driver design that will be around for a very long time. Because the FST handles frequencies between 350 and 4000Hz, the crossover at the Nautilus tweeter is incredibly smooth and balanced. Vocals are so lifelike that it will literally leave you breathless. Well engineered DVD-A and SACD recordings are rendered to their full potential; or as close as any speaker twice the cost could ever reach. My system includes an Outlaw Audio pre/pro and seven channel amp (200w/channel), with four of those channels driving the CDM 9NT's in a bi-amp configuration. The bi-wire option improves the sound, but bi-amping reveals just a little bit more, especially in the mid-bass. This is a beautiful piece of furniture (I have the Red Cherry finish), which is so completely qualified to produce a wide range of beautiful music (and movies too).

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B&W, Vienna Acoustics, JM Lab, Martin Logan, Mags...

sound, sound and sound again, and, oh yes, looks good and another guy here said "it oozes quality"...yes exactly how I would describe it, too.

Couldn't find a serious weakness.

After about 20-30 hours of testing, I finally settled for the B&W 9NT after testing Quadral, ASW, Canton, Lua, Piega, Burmester and whatnot. I used Rotel electronics to run all comparisons as these are what I use at home. Now what can I tell you others didn't already? I say they sound great, just great, they give you all details there are on your cd's, no less, which can be a pretty hard experience sometimes...some cd's do sound so bad, it's unbelievable. Fortunately most of my cd's do prove to be listenable, and quite well so (my favorite music is classic, jazz, lounge music, and those seem to be better than average obviously). After deciding to buy the 9NT I gave myself the ultimate kick and listened to some of the songs I used during the decisison process on the Nautilus 800 using an all-Accuphase-basis just to get an idea how far away I am from such a dream chain. Tell you what..not that far away. Of course the 800 does everything a little better, sometimes even significantly better, certainly if we are talking bass, but when I switched back to my choice I was not disappointed, and that made the decision final for me.

The sound, the Nautilus tweeter, the looks. These speakers ooze quality!

Makes you wonder how those B&W N800 Signature Series would sound in your house. ;^)

I got these for $2000 because they were demo speakers. For $600 off list,in the finish I wanted (black ash), and they're already "broken-in", I had to get them. I also got the matching center (CDM CNT) and surrounds (CDM SNT). These speakers replaced an Axiom set-up, M40 mains, M3 surrounds and VP100 center. I was disappointed in the VP100's performance, that's why I decided to upgrade. Plus, I wanted a 3-way tower. As far as how they sound, the B&W's share the Axiom's neutrality, but I think the 9NT's are a little more on the laid-back side of neutral. These speakers will let good recordings shine, but the down-side is your bad recordings will become unlistenable. 9NT's rock for movies and music. One of the best all-around speakers in this price range. IMHO, you'd have to spend a good deal more money to get a marginal increase in performance than these speakers provide.

Nautilus tweeter, FST mid-range (read about it at www.bwspeakers.com), dimpled flowport, bi-wire capable. Gorgeous natural cherry finish and straight lines. An attractive speaker, not a box.

None.

How I got turned on to the CDM series: Originally I was going to get a pair of CDM1's with a Velodyne sub. I knew in the long run that I wanted a floor-standing speaker. After I demoed the CDM7 with the CDM9, I knew the CDM9 had it all over the CDM7. Luckily, I am a dealer, and I literally listen to these speakers everyday. These are the little brothers to the Nautilus 804. Sonic Attributes: The CDM9's are truly transparent. Even when you look at the speaker, the soundstage draws you back to the center of the audio image. My speakers are placed approx. 9ft apart. My sitting distance is approx. 9ft back. The imaging is uncanny for the price. Not an explosive or boomy speaker. Though, my floorplan is not ideal for low-frequencies. In my showroom, the bass is subtle, yet accurate. If you need more warmth, get a sub ASW-CDM. Physical Attributes: My speakers are in the natural cherry finish, and are beautiful. The straight lines are attractive, as well. B&W has recently switched to a warmer/richer stain for that finish, which really made an improvement from the previous natural cherry finish. Conclusion: These are the best full-range speakers for under $3000. They will give you the cleanest highs, the most life-like mid range, with a relaxed low-end.

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- Denon DP-60L direct drive turntable - Rotel RC1070 pre-amp - Rotel RB1080 amplifier (200W X 2) - Rotel RCD1070 reference CD player - MonsterPower 5100 AC line conditioner

looks, mid range clarity, and bright top end, although it has two bass drivers it does not sound as though they are commited to their job, not bad if you want a floorstanding two way speaker. If so save your money and get the cdm7's.

price, high end delivery seemed somewhat striking at times and not much bottom end with few exceptions.

Having started with the BW600 series and trading them in for the CDM7NT and then adding a pair of CDM1NT for the rear I felt I was very close to finishing up my HT setup. The only thing missing so far as speakers waere concerned...a true 3 way, stand alone pair of mains. The CDM9NT'S ain't it! Neither are the BW 804'S. The 804's are the same drivers but in a different cabinet, oh yeah, the tweeter is the TRUE Nautilus tweeter as well. Any significant step up in the BW line is only acquired by going to the 803 or if you hock your first born, the 802's. I spent the best part of three years and over $5000 trying to stay with what I believed to be a Quality product and was about to trade up to the 804 this year and the 803 next year. A funny thing happened with this plan. BW decided to stop vending to Sound Advice and the opportunity to move up in the BW line to obtain my hearts desire, the 802's, went out the window. Unfortunate. That is the answer I got from BW. 3 years and four pair of BW's plus an 805, some loyality being shown here? Only by me, not BW. OK, I'll stop muy rant now. If you only want a 2 way speaker and truly love the BW style, the 9's do a good job, but buy a sub. You can listen forever as they are sweet and plesant to experience. The cabinetry is uniquely styled. As time passes, a couple of months or so they start to open up and become somewhat fuller, this is my experience with every BW I've owned. To do it all over again, I would start with the 7's, and move directly to the 803's or the 802's, provided your sold on the sweetness and limited sound pressure level. (not quite as big a problem once you get into the Nautilus line, just bring lots of cash) Two way speakers have there place and these ain't bad...just not truly satisfying. Looks great, sounds good, over valued as are all the BW products. Most importantly, if you buy into the upgrade program some A/V stores have get in and out just as fast as you can afford to. More importantly don't listen to the "We've carried these forever and I don't think we'll stop doing so in the near future." Maybe, maybe not, too big a ganble for me to take again. On any HiFi purchase, Be OK WITH IT NOW. Even more importantly, if you can return it in 30 days for any reason, and get your money BACK, do so. Most mid to high end audio pieces require a break-in period (a week or so of extended use, leave it

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BW: 602, 604, cdm1, cdm7, cdm9, 805, kRELL: KAV 250P, kav 250a. Sony: STRV 444es 120w x 5 receiver, S30 rear projector, SAT A55 5.1 DTV receiver, XM satellite Receiver, 50+1 CD. Toshiba 3750 DVD. Mons