detailed sound, soundstage

soundstage, echo quality

This is a quality speaker. It does sound different from the last SEs, but I'm not sure if the sound is better. The old SE was a very good speaker, detailed midrange and highs. In comparison of the 2 the old SE were a little more boxey sounding, but stronger in the mid to low high range. The new NT is also a very good speaker; the difference is that the NTs have a much larger soundstage, however, the soundstage can tend to get "echoey" maybe too much air if that is possible. Some recordings this echo sense is a little too much and detail is lost. Which one you should get depends on which sound quality you like more. The SE are more in your face while the NT is a little more laid back, expansive soundstage. Both are excellent speakers and deserve a 4.

everything...see all other reviews

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best 1100 ever spent...if you cant afford them then buy them used if you can find them...otherwise get some vandersteen 1B'S if you're on a budget...lovely speakers....even run off my 15 year old NAD 7225PE....so I recommend buying one of these recievers on Ebay for 75-125 bucks...it WILL be enough to make these speakers really sing at all but the highest levels.

P.S.

You will need a sub with these...after all they are bookshelf speakers...but you'll also need one with the $3000+ cdm 9nt's....so for an audiophile on a budget, you can build a TRUE simple system for less than $1500...look at the Velodyne CT100 as it offers great bang for the buck

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listened to all b&w lines incl nautilus

I compared the CDM 1 NT to the Nautilus 805 (and the 805 to the 804 and 803). The biggest performance increase/price jump was between the CDM 1 NT and the 805.

The 805 has noticeably more focus, more detail (the subtleties that make the instruments and voices seem real and in the room), and more air around the instruments (the emtiness and openess of space where there should be space).

I certainly could hear differences in the recording studios and micing with the 805 that weren't apparent with the CDM 1 NT.

I echo others here who would spend the extra $800 if possible.

The CDM 1 NT are a very good speaker, and if you're going to stick to that price range they are probably one of the best (but I made the mistake of investigating what the extra money would buy).

The 804 and 803 were not as much of a step up from the 805 as the price difference might suggest, and if I were going to spend the money, I would go to the 803 (or save up so that I could). The 804 was too intermediate for the cost.

terminals at the back.

I satisfied by CDM1 for 3 years. Once CDM1NT released and at the first date available at the shop. I bought one pairs without any audition, becos I like the outlook too much. 30mins later, back to home, connect the cables immediately, then switch on. WOW! What kind of noise, too sharp, no bass, but the room is really bigger then I saw. Two weeks later, well burned, difficult to said how good it is. If CDM1 = 70 then NT = 100 . NT have not any properties similar as CDM1, two different kind of speakers. Just like two different brand. Main difference is the speed!! Also thanks to Canare speaker cable.

AV Marantz-SR7000
I Amp Myryad MI120
P Amp Myryad MA120

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CDM1

imaging, overall finesse, beautiful construction

pricey, require stands, need quality electronics

Initially I bought the Paradigm Studio 60/CC combo but within 2 days I decided to exchange them for B+W CDM 1NT/CNT. The Paradigm speakers are fine *if* you never listen to music and only use them for movies. The imaging of the Studio series is so hazy and muffled that vocals absolutely get buried in the overall sound. This isn't that noticeable for movies since the center channel handles most of the dialogue but is completely unacceptable for music.

So exchange made, I'm now using the B+W combo. It is a stellar setup for music and for movies.

Music: My first impression was that the sound was fairly bright and forward but I would now attribute that to inexperience with a speaker that has as much detail and extension as the B+W does in the upper frequencies. Most speakers tend to soften the treble response to create a more subdued overall sound but the nautilus tweeter let's it all hang out. Yes, trumpts and cymbals are sometimes harsh but at a live performance that is sometimes the case. That said, given enough time to break-in the speakers, as well as the listeners' ears, I think the added treble detail will become an asset rather than a liability.

I have one CD of organ music that until now has sounded fairly bad on any speakers I've heard it on. On the CDM 1NT's it actually comes across in a pleasing manner. Jazz and vocal CD's are just splendid with a wonderful sense of airyness and virtually no apparence that the sound is coming from the boxes themself. The nautilus tweeter works.

Without a subwoofer these speakers do just fine for most music. Even so, my organ CD still came across with a satisfying amount of bass even though the speakers are pretty much done around 50hz, and my CD has notes that delve all the way down to 17hz. If you want to pair these with a subwoofer for music, just be sure the sub is in the same class as the mains. B+W's new 10" subs with the huge amps may be suitable but their previous subs are way too "floppy" for serious musical use.

Diana Krall came across in a very natural and smooth way. Her voice never gets lost and even the drum players quiet brushing is easily discernible. Bryan Ferry's music is always deeply textured but each layer and instrument is still clearly audible without the vocals ever becoming lost. Lenny Kravitz's use of analogue mixing boards can often sound sibilant and harsh on many speakers but he came across in a well balanced fashion. His bass guitar player sounded punchy and full but never muddy. Miles Davis sounded best at a lower volume level that would more closely emulate the loudness of a small jazz club. His trumpet could be considered harsh at higher levels but then again that volume level would not be faithful to the performance. Pepe Romero's classical/flamenco guitar was yet another satisfying rendition. Organ music was surprisingly nice, not something most people like but still something that the B+W's did well. More general fare such as alternative, rock and rap still did nicely but punctuated the need for a subwoofer for those genres.

Movies: Paired with the CDM CNT, and a capable subwoofer, these speakers make an excellent setup for home theater. The same detail, clarity and imaging that make them great for music, also make them great for movies. Lots of speakers can play loudly but these deliver an extra level of detail and almost a texture to the sound effects that you'll miss on lesser speakers.

Dialogue is very intelligible and never "boxy" or "chesty" but brash sounds like punches and guns are still full-bodied. The timber across the 3 speakers is also quite close since the center speaker is basically the same speaker in a horizontal layout with an identical tweeter mount. When a car pans across the 3 speakers the only thing that changes is the position - not the sound character. Power handling is not a problem at all even when pushed to reference volume levels (105dB peak), in fact, the only thing getting stressed will be your amplifier. Speaking of which, these speakers work fairly well even on lower end receivers but you can definitely tell that they "want" more. If you're receiver is at all noisy that detailed nautilus tweeter will let you hear every smidgen of hiss present.

For movies, a subwoofer is mandatory with these speakers. For music DVD's such as the Eagles or the Bee Gee's, a sub is optional since they put out a decent amount of bass as is.

Build Quality: Many speakers are clad in cheap black ash vinyl. These come in a choice of 3 real wood veneers, with the light and red cherry choices being particularly attractive. On a nice pair of stands these are quite an elegant pair of speakers. Rapping on the side of the cabinet returns a sound that would make you think they are actually solid blocks of wood - that's how well made they are. With the grilles off, the striking kevlar bass/midrange drivers make a nice statement. The isolated nautilus tweeter design is also an eyecatcher. The binding posts are of excellent quality. They are gold plated accepting bare wire, pins, bananas, or spades, and allow for bi-wiring as well as bi-amping. 12 gauge bare wire easily fits and they should accept at least 10 and perhaps 8 gauge (bare). Overall, a beatifully made speaker.

Summary: These are speakers for someone who wants more from music and movies. They are certainly not cheap, but with a carefully chosen subwoofer and surrounds, these will become part of a system that you can confidently call an audiophile system as well as a top notch home theater.

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Paradigm Studio 60, NHT vt1.4, Definitive Tech BP-10B, M+K 750THX, Linn

Highs, mid range

Bassssssssssss !!!!!!

A great speaker, but too much money to justify the lack of bass, must add a subwoofer. I really enjoy the nearly fully exposed nautilus tweeter , and handsome kevlar cone woofer, overall a beautiful looking speakers however with just one 6.5 inch woofer it deeply suffers from a lack of bass. They are bi - wireable , which helps the non exisitent low-end. If you have money to throw away and want a decent bookshelf speaker go for it. Btt if youre on a budget and want a good sounding bookshelf speaker look elsewhere.

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NHT, Klipsch

Amazingly crisp highs, smooth seamless transition from high to mid range..I can't say enough.

Bookshelf speakers? Are you sure?!

I'm not going to waste your time - These speakers are hands down, the BEST bookshelfs in this price range. I recently had the fortune to demo a new system using the CDM-CNT (center channel version of the CDM-1NT) and a pair of CDM-1NT's with the ASW-2500 Sub (yet another replacement, this time to replace the ASW-2000) using some CDS 6 rears. (I was so pleased, I ordered a system immediately after demoing it)

The sound can only be compared to other B&W speakers, such as the Nautilus 805's (In fact, I couldn't tell a difference audibly between the two - Not to mention they look almost identical..coincidence? I think so! NT in CDM-1NT stands for Nautilus Technology)..Highs are crisp and clear, though with the wrong reciever sometimes too bright (it's all part of the game, isn't it?) - These are a pure high end B&W experience; at a steal!

I haven't heard better speakers in this price range. Period. The only downside that I've found is the size - these "compact boockshelf" speakers just seem to be getting larger and larger ;) B&W isn't the first to make their bookshelfs large, however..I see a trend.

Overall, 5 stars. Value deserves 7..but I'm limited to 5 again ;)

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M&K S-150THX

Awesome imaging and soundstage, smooth and well-balanced

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After trading in my previous speakers (Vandersteen 2ce's)being unhappy with the overall sound I was getting (or should I say not getting) from them, I decided to look for smaller speakers that would excel in the mids and highs and eventually add a subwoofer. After extensive auditions of the above mentioned similiar products, a clear winner was in the midst. The B&W CDM1-NT's were exactly what I was looking for. The N805's, granted were a little more forward sounding with a smoother soundstage, but it was miarginal and the price difference was not justified. The Sonus Fabers and the Totems really lacked any mid range sounding a bit tinny.

The CDM1-NT's, in my opinion, were the best sounding in that price range. The vocals were live sounding, the instruments sounded orchestal, and the overall sound seemed to come alive. I have no regrets with this purchase.

I plan on adding a REL Strata III subwoofer in the near future.

Current system setup:
YBA Audio Refinement Multi-3 125wpc AMP
Nova CPA-100A Preamp
Linn Mimik CD player
MIT terminator 4 biwire speaker cables
MIT terminator 5 interconnects

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Sonus Faber Concertinos/Concertos, Totem Acoustic One, B&W N805

Great sounding mid-range and high

Bass

I auditioned a number of speakers such as NHT, KEF, Paradigm and Vandersteen and other B&W products before I settled on B&W CDM series.The latest CDM series which features the nautilus tweeter technology are great. The CDM1NT although categorized as bookshelf speakers can hold their own against more pricier speakers for great sounding mid-range and high. As the bass is not deep it should definitely be mated with a subwoofer. In my system I used a REL Q100E subwoofer and the overall system now sounds amazing.

I definitely recommend these speakers for their high quality sound. People interested in more bass should look into the floorstanding CDM7NT model. These definitely sound better than the B&W 603 model considering the same price range. The CDM1NT sounds better mounted on weighted stands than on a shelf. I bought these speakers from Stereo Plus in Mountain View, CA and based on my experience would definitely recommend them to anybody.
My system consists of:
B&W CDM1NT Front
B&W CDMCNT Center
B&W LM1 Surround
REL Q100E Subwoofer
Tara Lab Cables
Denon AVR3300 Receiver

Lack of bass support ( rolls off in the 65Hz neighborhood )

I did some extensive listening of these versus the CDM 7NT and others in the B&W line. Also have listened to some comparables namely Monitor Audio Silver 5i 's (for $1000/pair), and Vienna bookshelfs for same money.

B&W truly makes an amazing speaker line. If you like the sound of high-end bookshelf speakers combined with a good sub like the HGS-10 or HGS-12 then by all means. Save up the $1100 and get a pair of these

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