A cry for help w/ some CM series demo speakers

[lca355]

Hi all,
I have been shopping for speakers, and like the B&W 600 series line for my budget and tastes. I am upgrading from, well the speakers inside my TV, so to say I am a Newb is an understatement. While listening to some of the B&W 600 series at a local dealer, the dealer suggested I have a listen at some demo model CM4's floorstanders and a CMC center channel. I did not have the time that day, so I came back the next and gave them a listen compared to 603s3's.
Ofcourse, I did some searching for posts on these speakers at this site and others and got various opinions from they are just cosmetically enhanced 603s3's to they sound better, etc, etc. I know listening is subjective, and while I did not quite hear it as first, the more I listened to them, the better they did sound to me, gave the music a little more life.
Now, on to my questions. Upon closer inspection, taking off of the grilles, and the salesman's comments at pointing this out. The tweeter on the CM4 and CMC have a couple of very small dents in the aluminum looking surface. He said this is something he would have them replace, not the actual tweeters themselves, but the thin aluminum color piece covering it. That seems respectable enough, but I am curious as to what would cause that to happen? just someone accidentally bumping into the tweeter, or somebody playing the bejeezus out of it?? I am kind of curious as to whether or not these speakers have been used and abused, how does one tell? I listened to them at different volumes, they sounded good to me, but I really do not know what to look for. With the CM series models being discontinued, it's not like I can listen to a different pair somewhere else to compare. . .
The price I think is appealing, but not so sure. For the CM4 and CMC, it's about $1400 or 1/3rd off of what they retail for, which is about what I would spend for a new pair of 603s3's and I'd save a litttle bit compared to the lcr600.
I am just concerned about purchasing new vs used, especially considering that I saw actual physical damage to the aluminum cover of the tweeters on the demo speakers.

Thanks in advance for your comments

Ryan

[grit]

I might like that idea better if they replaced the whole tweeter. General rule of thumb, if it has moving parts, dont buy it used. What's the warranty you'll get on them?

[lca355]

The salesman said it would have the normal full warranty. . . guess I might want to get some more details on that and maybe get it in writing.

[Sim reality]

The salemen is BS'ing you in that the aluminum domes are the tweeters (they voice coil is actually attached to those "the aluminum covers" which makes me question the integraty of the store in general...).

That said, the sort of damage is superficial and is kind of expected for demo Models (people tap on speaker diaphams which caused the dents)... Unfortunately that is also not a manufacurers defect so it's not covered under the the warrenty.

Personally I would bargain him down because of the dents and by the speakers "as is" and then buy parts to replace the entire tweeter (and I might get it done at another dealership given the salemen knowledge is "questionable" at the shop you bought them at).

But it's might be more hassle then you are willing to put up with...

[dyazdani]

I don't think the "dents" will affect things too much - a friend of mine in college had 803s and one of them fell over somehow in transit and pushed one tweeter almost completely inward. Surprisingly, there wasn't a noticeable defect in the sound.

I would do as the other post suggested, get him to knock off a little more $$ and get replacements. Or have the dealer get them repaired FULLY for the asking price.