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I think I have to blame perla4u for his "Worried new B&W owner thread" 
I have been in the B&W family for a couple of years now, with a pair of 603 S3s in my main 2 channel setup and a pair of 600 S3s in the kitchen.
I was thinking that It might be time to upgrade the 603s this summer, and that I might as well get a start on auditioning some speakers. I honestly had no intention of buying something right now!
I've checked out much of the Paradigm line, and while I like them, there is something about the B&W sound that really works for me.
So, on the B&W front, I first checked out the CM7, and I have to say that I am very impressed with that speaker for the price. I added the 704 to the comparison and spent a lot of time going back and forth, listening to the same passages of music. I was fortunate that this dealer duplicated my electronics for me, so I was listening to these on a humble Rotel RX-1052 Receiver (which is exactly what I use at home).
I've read several people on other forums claim they like the CM7 better than the 704; after my extensive comparison I found that I did not. The CM7 does do some things extraordinarily well, but overall I would pick the 704 over it. Well, maybe not if money is a big constraint - the 704 does cost considerably more.
But in this case, the price for me would have been very close. They had a new pair of 704s that had just been purchased, then returned as the buyer decided he wanted the 703s instead. Since these were open box (but full warranty) the price was substantially reduced.
I knew that the 704s wouldn't last long, so I decided I'd go back today and do one more listening session before pulling the trigger. This time, I compared the 704s to the 703s. For me it was no contest - I absolutely fell in love with the 703s! They did well with all the music I threw at them, and honestly, I didn't find them overly bright at all.
They had enough bass for the music I listen to, and I found it tight and controlled. And the midrange was *marvelous*!!
So, in about 10 days or so I'll be taking possession of my cherry finish 703s! I really haven't been this excited about an audio purchase since I first got into this hobby.
Just wanted to share - I'll get some photos up when all is said and done.
Bill
I have been in the B&W family for a couple of years now, with a pair of 603 S3s in my main 2 channel setup and a pair of 600 S3s in the kitchen.
I was thinking that It might be time to upgrade the 603s this summer, and that I might as well get a start on auditioning some speakers. I honestly had no intention of buying something right now!
I've checked out much of the Paradigm line, and while I like them, there is something about the B&W sound that really works for me.
So, on the B&W front, I first checked out the CM7, and I have to say that I am very impressed with that speaker for the price. I added the 704 to the comparison and spent a lot of time going back and forth, listening to the same passages of music. I was fortunate that this dealer duplicated my electronics for me, so I was listening to these on a humble Rotel RX-1052 Receiver (which is exactly what I use at home).
I've read several people on other forums claim they like the CM7 better than the 704; after my extensive comparison I found that I did not. The CM7 does do some things extraordinarily well, but overall I would pick the 704 over it. Well, maybe not if money is a big constraint - the 704 does cost considerably more.
But in this case, the price for me would have been very close. They had a new pair of 704s that had just been purchased, then returned as the buyer decided he wanted the 703s instead. Since these were open box (but full warranty) the price was substantially reduced.
I knew that the 704s wouldn't last long, so I decided I'd go back today and do one more listening session before pulling the trigger. This time, I compared the 704s to the 703s. For me it was no contest - I absolutely fell in love with the 703s! They did well with all the music I threw at them, and honestly, I didn't find them overly bright at all.
They had enough bass for the music I listen to, and I found it tight and controlled. And the midrange was *marvelous*!!
So, in about 10 days or so I'll be taking possession of my cherry finish 703s! I really haven't been this excited about an audio purchase since I first got into this hobby.
Just wanted to share - I'll get some photos up when all is said and done.
Bill
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