B&W CDM7 NT Floorstanding Speakers

B&W CDM7 NT Floorstanding Speakers 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 41-50 of 90  
[Jul 05, 2001]
Sanjay
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

accurate sound, enough bass for jazz and classical music, excellent imaging, clear treble and midrange

Weakness:

Can be bright on the treble side, but depends a lot on recording

Well all I can say is that I will never regret buying this pair of speakers. First of all for all those living in the northeast, I would like to recommend cameraclub of Hanover, an authorized dealer of B&W speakers especially Alonzo who gave me a good discount on the cdm7nt and nautilus HTM2 center channel. It is not even a month since I bought these speakers, and I enjoy every minute that I listen to music. I auditioned the CDM7NT, 9NT and the 804N. I found that the worst of the lot was the cdm9nt. I think that there is something wrong with the design. Is it the 3 way crossover, the problem. I am sure most amps wont get much out of it. I heard them all on a rotel amp and figured the bass was muffled or loose in comparison to the 7nt and the 804N.Even the change of midrange to lower frequency was better on the 7nt and 804. I settled for the 7nt because the 804N needs a good stereo amp and I have a Denon avr 3801 which is fine compromise for movies and music. The two go well in stereo mode. However the AVR3801 is not as good as my old denon stereo amp.I guess denon compromised quality for all the features. But for the money, the two are well worth it. The only drawback is that sometimes the treble can be bright and it depends on the recording. For ex. when you listen to BOB James/ Earl Klugh - Cool, the treble seems to be a little bright and can cause listening fatigue similar to horns of the klipsch. But then it is one of the few recordings that I found this to happen.
All praise for B&W for a product well within the reach of many people who listen to good music. Again speakers are a personal choice, but I would recommend this pair because of the sonic clarity and good construction.

Similar Products Used:

jmlabs,klipsh, N804

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 28, 2001]
Ian
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

dynamics, soundstage, Speed

Weakness:

Give the CDM7 NT's 4-5 months to improve

I have recently changed from DM 220's which have served me faithfully for 13 years. This pretty little pair provides all the speed and soundstage one could ask for.
If you are strapped for room but don't want to go for cubes & a boom box, then your prayers have been answered. This is an ideal speaker for close listening. Feed it good quality silver bi-wire cable and it will strenghten the bass and lower the harsher frequencies. I would consider spending about half the cost of the speakers on cable, as it can make all the difference. Spend some time positioning them and you won't be dissapointed.
Expect these speakers to just sound better, as the drivers are quite tight when they are new. I run the CDM7 NT's through an Aronov 960 tube amp, and they play all the bass and midrange with a great soundstage quality. A a great looking speaker that just want's to please.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 19, 2001]
Peter Duminy
Audiophile

Strength:

Superb Imaging. Astonishing clarity. Excellent super fast bass with excellent detail and slam. Transparent highs and Mids. Superb woodworking craftsmanship.

Weakness:

After 4 months, still trying to find one.

This is a follow up retest from April on here as these speakers have had the 3 month burn in required. I can say these wonderful speakers sound even smoother with even deeper bass as the suspensions on the drivers have freed up.
Like a fine wine, they do improve with use as per B&W's website recommendations. There is no harshness, or excessive brightness regardless of level. I have to say the woodwork on these speakers is simply superb. They throw a wide soundstage in front of the listener with imaging that must be heard to be beleived. I stand by my first impression of these classic loudspeakers, by saying they deliver 90-95% of the Nautulus 804's sound, but at $1000. saving here in Canada. These B&W CDM7NT's are an Audoiphile's Best Buy without any reservation.

Similar Products Used:

NAD C390 and C290 amps. Harmon Kardon, Marantz.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 04, 2001]
Helge
Audiophile

Strength:

natural, transparent and dynamic sound, very good imaging and thus very realistic speakers (for the price)

Weakness:

Bass could have a little bit more weight

I feel sorry for those recent reviewers having been more or less disappointed with these speakers. Maybe their musical taste does not compliment these speakers since my experiences with the b&w 7nt have been of an entirely different nature: For the given price range I think these speakers are absolutely fabulous!

I mainly listen to classical music and the first thing one notices is that the b&w 7nt are very natural sounding. Listen to vocal music and there is almost no false coloration of voices at all. The timbre of singers for example to whose concerts I have been are very well rendered. These speakers manage well to simply get out of the way and let the music come through (and do possess plentiful coulors for this).
Secondly they are beautifully transparent and of abundant detail. You can listen to a Bruckner Symphony (conducted by Wand for example) and will find no difficulty in following the invidual scores without the overall orchestra picture desintegrating. The same happens with chamber music or with comlex 8-part double choir pieces like motets by Bach (if there is an only slightly bad controlled vibrato of one singer somewhere in the second sopranos or an individual timbre desintegrating you will notice it). This transparency however never leeds to a cold or analytical sound, rather the contrary.
Thirdly the b&w 7nt are beautifully dynamic speakers. This I could best experience with operatic music. But also all the micro dynamics are there: if a bow hits a bit harder on the strings - it will instantanously be there.
The final quality of the b&w 7nt ist the immense soundstage it draws (for the price). If you close your eyes you will have the orchestra / chorus / soloists enter your room.

Are there no weaknesses? Oh yes there are: Compared to the b&w 804nt for example, there is a clear lack of bass weight - but this comparison is somehow unfair since we would be talking of a completely different financial commitment with the 804nt. Given the price of the b&w 7nt I can very well live with the slender but precise and sufficiently far reaching bass. For classical music it is even adaquate to fill my 5m x 7m room (should be around 16 x 23 feet).

For anybody listening to classical music and willing to spend around $2000 I can only strongly recommend to audition the b&w 7nt.

Similar Products Used:

Several in the price range

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 19, 2001]
clay
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Extremely natural, clear, and detailed midrange. Crisp highs. Wonderfull imaging and decent soundstage

Weakness:

A bit slim and shallow in the lower frequencies, but detailed and tight.

I think just about everything has been said already about these speakers. The highs may be unforgiving to some peoples tastes, but this is very dependent on the rest of the equipment in your system and room conditioning. I have a bright room (hardwoods with an area rug that covers about 1/5 of the room) and a bright amplifier (bryston B-60), yet I still don't think that the highs are too bright/harsh. The detailed, metallic sound of the high frequencies is what I crave. My last set of speakers (Mirage) had a composit titatium tweeter with a piece of cloth over it to allow for a lower crossover, also allowing lower bass extension. The highs were therefore rolled off and much less detailed. My roomate had a pair of B&W speakers (602's) and I always envied their detail and clarity compaired to my Mirage's.

Yes, the bottom end has room for improvement. At least the frequencies that are produced are clean an not muddy (some of you may want more "character," like the analog sounding bottom end of Mirage speakers). The lower frequencies seem most fullfilling when listening to classical music, followed by jazz, and lastly rock. (My favorite composer is Frank Zappa, who uniquely dables in all of the above styles.) My only gripe is that some percussion sounds distant and weak, rather than a full bodied (check out the kick drum on Frank Zappa's "Revised Music For Guitar and Low Budget Orchestra" from the Studio Tan CD...this song is always one of my references, do give it a try!)

As for low-fi recordings, these speakers are definitely unforgiving. I think this is an advantage though. My 70's punk rock records aren't supposed to sound good and listening to them through the 7nt's brings out the filth! Actually, the first Clash record sounds quite good...bizare...

The 7nt's get a 3 for value (I think retail should be $1600) and an overall rating of 4 because the bottom end could be fuller. Most of what you hear is midrange (i.e. that's most important) and B&W definitely got that right. Imaging and soundstage are also very impressive.


Equipment:
Bryston B-60 integrated amplifier
California Audio Labs DX-1 CD player
Rotel RP-955 Record player (speed toggle switch = excellent for lofi!!)
B-Tech phono amp
Audio Magic Presto II speaker wire
Audio Magic Presto II interconnects

More John Zorn and Frank Zappa than humanly tolerable (my neighbors hate me!)

Similar Products Used:

Formerly used Mirage speakers

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
3
[Dec 23, 2001]
Jerry
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

If given the right amplification Highs, Mids, Bass

Weakness:

If you do not have good upstream products can be very bright and lack mid bass, bass punch

I now love my speakers !!! I have had these just over a year and have hesitated to write a review because they never really sounded the way I was hoping they would.........until yesterday. When I purchased these I bought a Denon AVR4800 to drive them and on home theater I was quite satisfied, but in 2 channel it just did not do it for me, I listen about 70% music 30 % HT. So in the last year I have been through 3 cd players, a couple of sets of interconnects a couple of sets of speaker wires, changed speaker positions countless times ect,ect,ect..........Yesterday I purchased a
B&K Ref 2220 Amplifier rated @220*2 75 Amps Peak to Peak and let me tell you what an amazing difference in depth of soundstage, imaging, bass punch, everything words can not describe the difference. I did not sleep last night listening to these amazing speakers.

Equipment:
Denon AVR4800 Reciever center, rears.....Pre Pro
B&K Ref 2220 2 Ch Amp Mains
Denon DCM 370 HDCD CD Player
Marantz DV 7100 Prog Scan DVD Player
Sony SLV-N71 VCR
B&W CDM 7NT Bi-Wired Mains
B&W CNM NT Bi-Wired Center
B&W LM1's Surounds
Monster M950i Interconnects
Monster Speakerwire
Sony KV36-FV16 TV prog scan dvd but no hd tv (
Time Warner Digital Cable
Monster Home Theater Powerbar 2100 Power conditioner Stage 2 Filters

Similar Products Used:

Paridigm, Def Tech, Monitor Audio, NHT,

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 30, 2001]
Aaron Schmidt
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

General quality of build and sound, imaging, design, the kevlar cone is damn cool.

Weakness:

Sensitive to room and placement.

While it is clear that they lack a bit of bass, chances are you have a sub to rectify this situation. When listening to music I set both the crossover and volume on my B&W ASW1000 extremely low to just give the 7NTs a bit of support. Not only does this help with low frequencies, it seems to improve their overall sound.

Recently I took on loan an Arcam Alpha 10P amp to bi-amp these fine speakers. The results were nothing less than fantastic. I strongly advocate listening to these speakers "normally" for a few months and then succombing to the upgrade bug by purchasing an amp with which to bi-amp your speakers. You'll be amazed that the speakers will respond with great mid to high frequencies. Cliche as it is, you'll hear different things when listening to even your old favourites.

The 7NTs image just as well as 800 series B&Ws, producing a respectable soundstage which does not seem to be altered negatively by my ASW 1000. (Another advantage of the 7NTs over, say, the 802s or 803s is that one does not need to deal with extreme amplification to power them, as you would for such massive speakers.) This shouldn't be that much of a surprise considering that these speakers aren't *too* far downstream from B&W's flagship. Like I always say, "The trickle-down effect work for technology, not economics!"

The speakers are fun to play with, experimenting with placement and toeing them in. I've found the best sound (in my room) comes from toeing them in so that they converge 6-12'' behind my head. While this does limit the size of the sweet spot, it is not a dramatic narrowing and well worth it. Presently I have my 7NTs about 7 feet apart, and 2 feet from the back wall. When I change my listening/HT room in May it I'll be interested to give them a bit more space to see how that alters the speakers' performance.

The 7NTs also function well for HT applications, reproducing soundtracks as well as surround effects with precision, clarity and fullness.

Although I'm interested to listen to 9NTs to hear the difference in bass (if they would indeed satisfy me, I would consider upgrading since I would prefer to listen to music in stereo rather than 2.1) these speakers will satisfy me for years to come.

Similar Products Used:

I auditioned various speakers at the same price point.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 21, 2002]
Sander v.d Pol
Audio Enthusiast

I own the CDM 7 NT for 1,5 year now and I am still satisfied with this incredible speaker.

I use the CDM CN as center speaker and the CDM 1 NT for rear.

For the deep bass I use the ASW 2500.

I am still impressed how beautifull this speaker system sounds!!!


Keep the good work B&W!!!!!!!

Regards Sander

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 24, 2001]
Paul Green
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

clear and accurate midrange and uppermid

Weakness:

a little placement sensitive and the highs are a bit bright

I spent a good 8 months researching and,in short, have made the right purchase. For this price range you cannot buy a cleaner sounding speaker. Some complain that the mid range is too bright (each to there own) but with this brightness comes detail that some may not hear or they're just used to over-equalized music. If you are looking to experience the detail present in quality recordings regardless of genre and are not looking for speakers that rock (aka thump) you'll be very satisfied with these speakers. Although the bass isn't full range its more than adequate for natural sound and surprisingly tight. Very realistic sound.

Some advise: If you listen to music usually while doing something else and/or find yourself using equalization to pump up the bass and treble on most systems, your in the wrong price range. There are plenty of inexpensive speakers that will suite you better. In my experience most people listen to music as background sound and don't like it to interfere with conversation (mid range). Most speakers on the market naturally are geared to this larger group. Paradigm, PSB or Tannoy are a few suggestions. But if your like me, very detailed oriented (engineer), and just sit a listen for hours much like others watch TV, you'll love what you can hear.

Similar Products Used:

Mission 780, Paradigm Ref Studio 100

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Oct 03, 2001]
Robert
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

clarity, imaging, detail.

Weakness:

shallow, weak bottom end. mids are too forward. highs are a bit much

Put a 600 dollar price tag on this speaker and the above weaknesses would be justified. At that price, I would be thinking "you get what you pay for." I expect more out of a 2000 dollar speaker.

I was impressed with the detail and imaging while listening to these speakers at two different dealers. I heard the bottom end shallowness but thought the greater detail would be an optimal trade off. After 3 months with these speakers, I am starting to think that I made a mistake. I am going to bring a sub home to see if I can balance things out a bit...and maybe carpet my walls and ceiling. If that doesn't help, my cdm-7nt's are headed straight to ebay.



OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
2
Showing 41-50 of 90  

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