B&W Technology

How can B&W speakers be made to sound so transparent, so natural - in effect, to "disappear",leaving only the actual music to be enjoyed? B&W research and development found that certain cabinet designs, driver design and materials were essential to create transparent speakers. They engineered internal cabinet brace and sound flow configurations, coupled with driver materials like Kevlar and carbon Fiber, for unrivalled clarity.

No artificial additives, that's been our approach to sound quality from the very beginning. It's exactly the same with the new CM Series. By using our most refined drive unit technologies developed for reference-standard speakers such as the 800 Series, we've been able to hone the speaker down to its purest essentials. The CM Series uses minimalist crossovers of remarkable simplicity and quality, so what you hear is much closer to the sound of the original recording. In its functional perfection and understated elegance, it's nothing less than a masterpiece. Pure and simple.

B&W CM-9

If it's hard to put the sound of the CM9 into words, that's just as well. This top-of-the-range floorstanding speaker will fill even the largest domestic spaces with music so richly detailed, and so startlingly life-like, that it will leave you speechless.

The three-way CM9 delivers truly commanding bass with the aid of twin 165mm paper/Kevlar cone drive units. An FST driver, with its characteristic compression surround supporting the outer edge of the distinctive Kevlar cone, is specially developed for outstanding midrange performance. The CM9's Nautilus tube-loaded aluminium dome tweeter keeps high frequencies crisp and sharp all the way up to 50kHz and beyond.

CM 9 speakers come with aluminium driver trims. Grilles attach magnetically, so there are no unsightly grille-mounting features to spoil the clean lines of the speaker's facade. For the finish, you can choose either one of two real-wood veneers in Rosenut or Wenge, or a highly polished gloss black.

B&W CM-8

The Bowers and Wilkins CM-8 floorstanding loudspeakers are a stunning new edition to the CM Series. We were taken aback the moment we first unpacked these beautiful loudspeakers with the fit and finish, and the presentation of the sleek and slender cabinets that elegantly fit into the listening area. In its functional perfection and it's nothing less than a masterpiece.The way the speaker grill attaches to the front is unique; it uses magnets eliminating the small plastic stanchions that usually attach the grill to the speaker. This gives the front of the CM-8 a nice clean appearance; there are no unsightly grille-mounting features to spoil the clean lines of the speaker's facade.There are four finishes available, two with wood veneers, Rosenut and Wenge, and High-Gloss Black, and the new stylish white.

When we first connected to our Rotel two channel audio system and we were stunned on the speaker's ability to present a superb dimensional soundstage that was wider and taller than many other larger loudspeakers. We started with a track from Diana Krall, "Gee baby, haven't I been good to you", and were blown away with her presence, she sounded like she was right there playing just for us! Then we wanted to play something different, so we put on Steely Dan, "Cousin Dupree", and we were impressed on the speaker's rhythm and pace. It seems no matter what type of music we played with these speakers, they performed so well, we could listen to them all day!

The CM-8's are a three way loudspeaker that incorporates twin five-inch paper and Kevlar bass drivers for a musically accurate bass response, without any "boominess" or bass "overhang" that many larger woofer designs use. The CM-8's bass response is quick and tight, and extends down to the very lowest octive with ease. The FST midrange driver used is the same design that Bowers and Wilkins have utilized very successfully in their flagship 800 series. It is made from Kevlar; the same wonderful fabric used in bulletproof vests. But, as Bowers and Wilkins discovered that no material is better suited to disrupt the standing waves that cause distortion and coloration of the midrange. To further enhance this unique driver, they have added something very special, the FST acts like a circular shock absorber around the cone, almost totally absorbing the sound smuggling bending waves that travel outwards to the cone's perimeter. This provides a cleaner and purer sounding midrange unlike you've experienced before. The tweeter is fabricated from aluminum and its frequency response extends upwards to 50 KHz! This does not mean necessarily that it is overly bright however, just the opposite is true. The engineers at Bowers and Wilkins using computer model testing have discovered that using aluminum for the tweeter's dome extends what they call the "breakup frequency" where the diaphragm begins to distort its physical shape; is greatly extended past the audible frequencies which allow a greater level of detail to be heard when playing music. The high frequencies from this tweeter design are very sweet and extended, without a sense of harshness that many other speakers exhibit. Like all of Bowers and Wilkins CM Series loudspeakers, the CM8 uses crossovers of remarkable simplicity and quality, so what you hear is that much closer to the sound of the original recording.

The Bowers and Wilkins CM-8 are a welcome addition to the CM Series lineup, and make a wonderful choice for anyone who desires a loudspeaker that looks as beautiful as the music it creates!

B&W CM-5

On a bookshelf or a speaker stand, the CM5 will give you a wonderfully big, expansive sound even if you don't have the floorspace to match.

It's a slightly larger speaker than its sibling the CM1, with even higher sensitivity and power handling, and better bass extension. It partners a sizable 165mm Kevlar cone bass/midrange driver with a Nautilus tube-loaded aluminium dome tweeter, capable of keeping high frequencies crisp and sharp all the way up to 50kHz and beyond. CM-5 speaker come with aluminium driver trims. Grilles attach magnetically, so there are no unsightly grille-mounting features to spoil the clean lines of the speaker's facade.

For the finish, you can choose either one of two real-wood veneers in Rosenut or Wenge, or a highly polished gloss black.

B&W CM-1

The CM1 may be ideal for smaller spaces, but don't let the size of this bookshelf speaker fool you. Thanks to the quality of its construction, it's capable of producing a sound that's a match for its bigger brothers.

The partnership of a 130mm Kevlar cone bass/midrange driver with a Nautilus tube-loaded aluminium dome tweeter helps the speaker handle musical detail with ease across the full frequency spectrum. Despite the size of the speaker, the CM1's bass is always deep and under control thanks to the CM Series magnet and voice coil system technology, which keeps distortion to a minimum. CM-1 speaker come with aluminium driver trims. Grilles attach magnetically, so there are no unsightly grille-mounting features to spoil the clean lines of the speaker's facade.

For the finish, you can choose either one of two real-wood veneers in Rosenut or Wenge, a stylish white or highly polished gloss black.

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