Beautiful styling, compact design

small sound

Like most B&W speakers, these too are incredibly detailed little speakers. They are stunning to look at. The technology used in them is interesting. They sound clean and clear.

Unfortunately, they have no bass. They also lack in midrange enforcement (ok, if you're not looking for a lot of sound from your speakers).

Relative to their looks, I was disappointed. Relative to the B&W 602, it is disappointing.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 602s, Klipsch Heresy, Klipsch RP-3

Accuracy, Bass, and oh, did I mention accurate Bass?

None

A splendid sounding speaker. A splendid looking speaker. I prefer them with the grilles off, but they look fine with them on also. These speakers struck me right off the bat with incredibly tight, controlled bass that didn't sound tubby or "chesty" like most ported designs do. Different bass notes had exactly the same output level and there were no holes or peaks that I could notice in the response. Just nice, solid bass tones (let me say that again: TONES) coming from these speakers. The mids and highs left little to be desired. I thought that the KEF tweeters (not the UniQ ones) from the C60s and C80s were some of the best in the world, well the aluminum Nautilus tweeters on these speakers are just as good, if not better. No harshness, but they sound as if they have flat response out to infinity. Just clean, extended, dynamic highs that aren't at all harsh sounding. I'm very pleased with every aspect of this pair of speakers. I also got the CMC center channel for my new surround set up (Denon AVR4800) and that should be a pretty great home theater, but I must admit I'll listen more to music than movies.

Similar Products Used:

Kef

imaging, soundstage, clarity

a little too bright

Like many of the other reviewers have mentioned, break-in time is fairly lengthy. It is still a little on the bright side, however. It shines in imaging, and soundstage depth. They are also very clear. In some ways they remind me of the NHT 2.5i, in that they sound incredible with well recorded material, but so-so on imperfect software. Compared with the Mirage OM9s I had, they are much more focused. Still, the Mirage's have a much more laid back, warm sound. If your room is carpeted and does not have solid walls, the CM4 would make an excellent choice. On the other hand, if your room has hardwood floors or tile, this speaker will be way too bright.

Overall, a very good speaker. At this price point, there is serious competition (Paradigm, NHT, Mirage, and Snell come to mind). Fit and finish is definitely a cut above the other brands howvever.

Happy listening

Similar Products Used:

NHT, Mirage, Klipsch, and other B&W models

Balence throughout it's range, amazing clarity and focus of soundstage

slightly thin in low bass, grill covers screw up the sound

As a college student to extend my budget to include these in my system was a stretch but well worthwhile. I spent the last several months extensively auditioning these and other speakers and consistantly came back to the fact that for the money everything else I listened to while one thing ie image, soundstage, bass response or something else may have performed slightly better the B&W offered the most comprehensive balenced presentation. They are extremely musical, and truthfull. This can be a problem if you have a poor quality source or recording as they will truthfully give you the garbbage you are feeding them. It is quite easy to get swept up inside of their sound losing track of the speakers and just hearing the musical experience as images are crisply presented in from of you, Miles Davis kind of blue I swear you can see everyone on stage sometimes. Also if you plan on adding them make the effort to bi-wire,you will not be disipointed the performance gain particularly in the bass is well worth it. Also if your auditioning them make sure to remove the grill covers you will find they block a noticeable amount of treble, turning a smooth natural caharacter into a cut off somewhat lifeless experience. Also even on a broken in pair give then at least ten minutes to warm up again. After that though you may hear some of the most truthfull balenced, fun and exciting music for the price.

System

NAD 515 CD changer
Cambridge Audio
C500 Pre-amp
P500 Amp
Custom House Interconnects
Locally made high purity copper cables
4 12-gauge wires per cable biwiree at amp
and speaker ends

Principal Music for comparing with other speakers
Tori Amos - Under the Pink
Crash Test Dummies - God shuffled his feet
CBS Masterworks shostakovich 5th symphony, and cello concerto
Murcury Living prescence, Bach six suits for cello, janos starker
Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
John Coltraine - Love Supreme
Paul Oakenfold - essential collection
Sarah Mclaughclan - Fumbling towards exctasy

Similar Products Used:

NHT, JM Labs, Acoustats

precise imaging, great hights and mids

as additional subwoofer needed in home theatre system

I spent a lot of time for searching the right speakers to entertain me in home. Because I share my interest between listening traditional CD music in stereo and also in home theatre system, I tried to find speakers that will suit both well. And many of you may know and maybe disagree that this marriage is almost impossible to make to combine home theatre with fine stereo reproduction. Well because I am not a typical “gold-eared” audiophile (please do not mistake this description with “typical audiophile”, that here in Europe we use to call just an “audiophile enthusiast”) I decided to go for a compromise.

First of all I wanted to complete home theatre system with speakers that comes from the same manufacturer, the same model line, to achieve maximum compatibility in sensitivity and of course the same finish. My research was based basically on getting first of all main speakers. I used to listen some of these in price around $1500, these were:
- Vienna Acoustics Bach (precision sound, a great finish, far beyond B&W even)
- Dynaudio Audience 122 (great mids, imaging, but black - “plastic” looking front :-(
- B&W CDM 7NT (fantastic hights and mids, but typical “paper” bass)
- B&W CDM 9NT (same as above, more expensive)

The most interesting thing was to compare CM4 with more expensive CDM 9NT - a more expensive speaker. Still, even now I’am not sure with the results, after I heard a lot of about” 9NT”, but” 9” played with less tight bas that was just like „paper”, what I mean - slow and just too soft. Personally I prefer fast and more like metallic bass, and that just what CM4 offered. By the way, after listening the dealer noticed me that CM4 have a metal - aluminum cone bass. That was what I wanted!

To complete the rest of the system was just only a matter of time and money of course, because B&W offer in CM-line: CM2 monitors and CMC center speaker. There is also a range of subs, but at that time I didn’t think about it, I just thought that what I heard from CM4 (in stereo) will be enough when watching movies on DVD.
My top-model (right after DSP-AX1) YAMAHA DSP-AX2 A/V amplifier (not receiver) offers 6.1 channel configuration so I decided to get two CMC speakers, and it was worth the money I spent.

Still, when listening some of my favorite movies or rock concerts (Eagles, Bee Gees, Santana) I felt a lack of bass with CM4. I tried to move speakers to achieve required bass depth, but I couldn’t. After that I noticed that CM4 frequency response ends in 38Hz (+/- 3dB - and that is twice loudness margin) I realized that frequencies like 30Hz cannot be reproduced with enough intensity only with CM4’s. Then I decided to get as additional subwoofer and it was the new B&W model ASW2500. Compact in size, but very efficient 700W sub with beautiful “cherry finish”, that even my wife accepted from the first time.
Since then I enjoy listening traditional stereo (with sub switched off) and from time to time some DVD movies (sub is on) and in both CM4 and the rest of “CM-guys” works just perfect.

Finally I must say that thanks for a little effort, time, a lot’s of cash :-) and a bit of compromise I found the system that is great for music and movies. CM4 plays the main part in this system together with CMC and CM2. But
If anyone of you think about speakers that are good for both of these, consider B&W CM series. You also be pleased, how pretty they look. I use these in “maple finish”. B&W offers also a “rosenut finish”, check out the B&W page at: www.bwspeakers.com .
I think it is a very good product, but of courde not the best. But with price that CM4's are offered here It's a great bargain, a real Giant killer !

Regards

A NOTE TO WEB ADMINISTRATOR:
Please, place not listed (!) yet on “audioreview” other models of CM series like CM2 (monitors) and CMC (center speaker). Many of audio enthusiasts are waiting to read or submit some reviews about these also.

Similar Products Used:

before I purchased CM4, I compared them with CDM 7NT and CDM 9NT

The CM4 are beautiful speakers, that have very highly defined clean highs and mids.

They seem to have less bass then the 603S2.

These speakers are great, definitely better then the Paradigm, much more capable of playing music then the Klipsch interms of hearing all aspects instead of just bass. The Boston Accoustics are the closest in terms of sound quality. I was originally attracted to the design of the speaker, they sound superb and they are bi-wire capable.

Similar Products Used:

603S2, Paradigm, Klipsch, Boston Accoustic.

DETAILED CLEAR SOUND

TIME RUNNING IN

USED THESE SPEAKERS FOR 7 MNTS SOUND GREAT ,TAKE A WHILE TO RUN IN BUT WELL WORTH THE WAIT, LIKE A BIT OF SPACE FROM REAR WALL.UK HI FI PRESS SLAGGED THEM OFF, EAR CLEANOUT ON THE CARDS MAYBE. SOUND GREAT ON NAIM 3.5 + PRIMARE 30.1. GO AND LISTEN,A REVIEW IS ONLY A OPINION WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT EARS ,JUST ASK NODDY,S MATE.

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TO MANY TO MENTION