705 vs cm1

[Ronald_703]

Some years ago I chose the B&W703 over the 704, leaving no budget for the rears. For the time being I have used my old Jamo sw300. In my new house I can’t put speakers on the wall, so the time has come for bookshelf speakers on a stand.

I’ve got a budget of aprox 800 - 1000 euros including nice stands. For that amount I can get a pair of second hand 705’s or a pair of new cm1 speakers.

Balance wise I would prefer another pair of 703 (about 1500 euros) but my stylist (wife) thinks that’s to massive :P

What would be the best combination, the cm1, the 705 or something else?
Thanks for your help.

[stuofsci02]

I would go with the 705 to match your 703... This will be the best match.. Maybe not the best speaker, but for sure the best match..

[Black Tang]

If you're satisfied with your current 703 and will not be upgrading them soon, I will go with the best match option which is the 705.

[dan87951]

CM1's are a very good speaker for their size however the 705 I will provide more bass and I wouldn't be surprised if the open tweeter in the 705 gave it more of a "3d effect". If you can afford it 705 but if not I bet the CM1 is about 85-90% of it.

[Ronald_703]

If you're satisfied with your current 703 and will not be upgrading them soon, I will go with the best match option which is the 705.

I am satisfied with my 703. However, I’m less satisfied with my HTM-7. It lacks the openness in the mid-tones. I also noticed this difference between the 703’s and the 704’s I listened back then, probably due to the FST speaker. It sounded to me like the 704 were behind a thick curtain.
Therefor I doubt if the 705 matches real well with the 703. The 705, 704 and the HTM-7 are a match, but the 703 might stands on it’s own. Maybe the CM-Centre2 is a better match with the 703 than the HTM-7, and therefor maybe the CM1 are the better rears.
It is hard I can’t compare the cm1 with the 705 in the same studio. Has anyone compared the cm1 and the 705 or the HTM-7 and the CM-Centre2.

Thanks in advance

[Antus]

705 sound dark and CM1 sound bright. hard to say which one is better than the other. depneds on ur system.

[Nuz1]

I'm not sure another set of 703s really takes up any more room than a monitor on a stand... So maybe you can cut up some cardboard boxes to show her?!?

I recently moved my 703s to theater duty after updating my 2ch system. The theater is still a work in progress but instead of hunting for a quality used center, I went with the CMC2 as I think it blends well with my 703s. I plan to do CM5s for surround as my next step. (CM1s would probably work fine, but I figure the CM5s give me a little more bass and more flexibility long term in case I want to move equipment around in the house if I continue to swap out equipment over time.)

I can't respond to the last comment about 705s sounding dark and CM1s bright as I've never compared the two. However, I have found that "brightness" or revealing nature of B&W to be dependent on the room that they are in and the gear they are matched with. For example, my 703s took on a whole different nature when I moved from my old house with plaster walls to one with sheetrock and a more open floor plan. Personally I think my 703s can be a little bright. And I often want more bass. But I was able to tame them down and then balance the sound to my tastes by matching with Marantz gear and a quality REL sub. As a result, I'm quite happy with the sound of mine my 703/CMC2 combo.

Hope that helps. Happy shopping!