CM9 vs 804S

[gpo344]

My local B and W dealer is telling me that the new CM9 speakers are very strong sellers now and compare very favorably to the 804S. They are especially good value for the money. Is that true? How good are the CM9's?

[sunshdw]

My local B and W dealer is telling me that the new CM9 speakers are very strong sellers now and compare very favorably to the 804S. They are especially good value for the money. Is that true? How good are the CM9's?

Just a thought....while you are at your B&W dealer perhaps you should listen to them and tell us what you think. We have the 804s at my store but dont have the CM9s so I cant review them. The CM9s are getting rave reviews and at 3k are a value compared to the 804s. Take some of your fav music, spend a bunch of time listening and give your opinion

[altanpsx]

I had a chance to compare two speakers side by side, with classe cap-2100 with classe 202 cd player and, audioquest niagara interconnects, audioquest volcano speaker cables.

CM9 are very good speakers. Wide and depth stage, dynamics are good. Mid range is fair, bass's are strong.

But when you start to listen 804s, you'll start to understand what high end means. Preceise bass, real-like mid range, exceptional coherence, extraordinary 3d imaging.....

If you can buy 804s, go grab them. But if you can not, do not compare cm9 vs. 804s. Just go buy cm9.

[style]

Hi,

they are two great speakers.

Ok, the 804s is sure a level up But not so much.

if you use for HT the CM9 make you happy, with a stereo modus the 804s is the best choice (personaly opinion)

Read this review:

http://www.audiogamma.it/upload/pdf_news/HFC_July09_CM9.pdf

hope this help

Style

[emig5m]

I personally wouldn't bother with the middle ground B&W's

But when you start to listen 804s, you'll start to understand what high end means. Preceise bass, real-like mid range, exceptional coherence, extraordinary 3d imaging.....

I never heard the CM9 and don't really plan to (my local dealer does have them though), but this is the same thought I had when comparing the 804S to the 683.....starting to understand what high end means... word for word just like you described it you notice the difference just as explained. Now my own personal opinion with B&W speakers is that there is no middle ground. If you're worried about budget, just get the 600 series and call it a day. They're amazing sound when setup properly. If you want to go for the gusto, then go for the gusto and go 800 series, lol. I mean, the middle ground B&W's are already so expensive, might as well just go the full distance at that point (probably why the 700 series wasn't a good seller)... Pick a size in the 800's to fit your room and call it a day. But to each and their own, you all know what you want! :T

[aquaanox]

I had a chance to compare two speakers side by side, with classe cap-2100 with classe 202 cd player and, audioquest niagara interconnects, audioquest volcano speaker cables.

CM9 are very good speakers. Wide and depth stage, dynamics are good. Mid range is fair, bass's are strong.

But when you start to listen 804s, you'll start to understand what high end means. Preceise bass, real-like mid range, exceptional coherence, extraordinary 3d imaging.....

If you can buy 804s, go grab them. But if you can not, do not compare cm9 vs. 804s. Just go buy cm9.

Nice summary, i own the CM-9's right now and upgrading to 804's this week i hope - i couldnt agree more. If i was to do it all over again, i would start with 600's and upgrade to the 800's skippin the rest of the line-up (ive basically owned them all over the years, except the 700's).

[Antus]

CM9 does sound very nice in home theater setup. i demoed a theater setup with cm9, cmc2, cm1 and 700sub and they sound amazing. The package was driven by Integra receiver and a entry level blue ray player. I think the entire package including everything is like $5K. (which has all speakers and receivers and even cables connecting them)

on the other hand, 800 series are just a big leap up. In fact, i think the current 804s and 805s are a very good deal in today's high-end audio. When you hook them up with the right electronics, the speakers just "disappear" within the room and u don't feel like u are listening to speakers anymore. it's very life like.

[KyaDawn]

I demoed the CM9s last week and I have to concur with what's being said. The CM9s are very nice speakers and they also look really good, but I think they perform better for HT than music when compared with the 804S. For me, the 804S had a fuller, richer sound with a more realistic soundstage. For music, I would even prefer the 805S to the CM9.

However, that doesn't mean the CM9 isn't a good speaker or good for music. For the price, it's probably near the best of its class, just that it's not at the level of the 800 series.

If I had a certain budget and wanted a full 5.1 system for both HT and music, I would definitely consider CM9 as the fronts and building the rest of the system with the CM line.

[dan87951]

I have had lots of B&W's over the years and I currently have CM9's downstairs. The CM9's are great speakers for the price, nice full bass, great mids, and beautiful highs. The CM9's are a huge step up from the old Nautilus 804's I had down there. The bass from the CM9's is much fuller and deep. Sound stage improved alot. The new 804S's are better, the CM9's is almost as good. The 804S's have deeper more balanced bass and the highs are a little softer/sweeter. Are they $1500's sweeter? Youd be the judge. I didn't think so and the CM9's in gloss black are stunning to say the least! We also did a back to back comparsion with a set of 805S's that my buddy has and for all around stereo and HT we preferred the CM9's over the 805S's. The 805S's are a bookshelf and are limited by there size and lack the soundstage presence the CM9's can provide.

[Ken49r]

My local B and W dealer is telling me that the new CM9 speakers are very strong sellers now and compare very favorably to the 804S. They are especially good value for the money. Is that true? How good are the CM9's?

My dealer said the very same thing about the 703 before it was discontinued.

The CM9 & 703 are closer in comparison than the 804. We compared the 703/804 on McIntosh equipment, swapping the same Kimber wire between the two speakers and the 804 deffinitly did it's magic over the 703. The 804 floated the mucisians in the air as though you were sitting in the room with them. A side by side comparison of the two will reveal why the 804 costs more than the CM9.

On a side note, there are alot of 804 owners on this forum obviously from what I see on the B&W pictures thread. I just don't understand why B&W would drop a popular speaker from the 800 lineup if the rumors are true. :cry:

[audiofiel10]

ha ha....

the cm9 is nice...but noway comparable to the 804.

[KyaDawn]

The 805S's are a bookshelf and are limited by there size and lack the soundstage presence the CM9's can provide.

The 805S is a "bookshelf" speaker only in the loosest of definitions. :B In real-life, these babies are huge!

When comparing them with the CM9, the only advantage I would give to the latter is, of course, bass response as the 805S lacks woofers. Having said that, the 805S does provide surprisingly adequate bass, especially for music. For the mids and highs, however, there is no question that the 805S exceeds the CM9. With precision imaging, wide soundstage, and incredibly sweet highs and mids, the 805S is a better speaker for music in general than the CM9, particularly for classical and jazz and vocals, and even rock and pop music without a heavy emphasis on the bass.

The CM9 again is a fine speaker, but I think they are better for HT when compared with the 800 series, particularly the 805S. With the two 8" woofers, the CM9s do pack a nice low punch. Having said that, I've demoed them with and without a sub, and a sub definitely improves the overall sound, particularly with movies. If comparing the 805S with a sub against a CM9 also with a sub, the 805S is superior in all applications, including HT and definitely with music.

[aquaanox]

Get the 800's before the price hike! you wont look back.

[dan87951]

The 805S is a "bookshelf" speaker only in the loosest of definitions. :B In real-life, these babies are huge!

When comparing them with the CM9, the only advantage I would give to the latter is, of course, bass response as the 805S lacks woofers. Having said that, the 805S does provide surprisingly adequate bass, especially for music. For the mids and highs, however, there is no question that the 805S exceeds the CM9. With precision imaging, wide soundstage, and incredibly sweet highs and mids, the 805S is a better speaker for music in general than the CM9, particularly for classical and jazz and vocals, and even rock and pop music without a heavy emphasis on the bass.

The CM9 again is a fine speaker, but I think they are better for HT when compared with the 800 series, particularly the 805S. With the two 8" woofers, the CM9s do pack a nice low punch. Having said that, I've demoed them with and without a sub, and a sub definitely improves the overall sound, particularly with movies. If comparing the 805S with a sub against a CM9 also with a sub, the 805S is superior in all applications, including HT and definitely with music.

There is no right or wrong answer to this its all a matter of preference. Obviously for me the CM9's won out over the 805S's that we tested in my room configuration. In my opinion they were just to small to provide the full sound I was looking for. They sounded thin in comparasion to the CM9's even with a sub.

[KyaDawn]

There is no right or wrong answer to this its all a matter of preference. Obviously for me the CM9's won out over the 805S's that we tested in my room configuration. In my opinion they were just to small to provide the full sound I was looking for. They sounded thin in comparasion to the CM9's even with a sub.

I agree, it's all a matter of personal opinion. :T