B&W cm5 or cm8?

[Anthony16v]

Hi,
First off if i start by listing my current spec. Its currently Denon 2312 avr, b&w 684 fronts, htm62 centre, 686 rears and Bk xxls400 sub.

Now i'm toying with the idea of upgrading the fronts to the cm range, just can't decide whether to opt for the cm5 or cm8 for my front L&R speakers.
Don't get me wrong, i love the 684 floorstanders but i've had these since before purchasing my current sub.
With the bk sub i can't help feel the cm5's would be sufficient? Or could the cm8's still bring something extra to the party?? Cm9's are above budget tbh to be a consideration regardless!

Obviously best solution would be to get a home audition perhaps, but for now trying to establish peoples opinions/experiences etc.

Many thanks in advance.
Regards
Anthony

 

[BlueWizard]

CM5 = £800/pr

CM8 = £1250/pr

For £800, the CM5 is a very impressive bookshelf speaker, but for £1250, I think you can buy better floorstanding.

That said, in a 5.1 system, the CM8 would be excellent. The bass is modest with a very slow roll-off, but that is of little consequence for movies. For music, as long as you are not a total Bass Head, the CM8 should be fine.

The final decision is up to you. But in my view, the question you have to ask yourself is whether the CM8 are worth £450 more than the CM5?

Look at the B&W Website at the specs for both speakers. Look especially at the -3dB and the -6dB Low End frequency response specifications. That will tell you a lot about the difference between the speakers.

The system you have now is already pretty nice. What is it you hope to gain from this upgrade?

Likely what you will gain from the CM5 and the CM8 is clarity and detail. If that is what you are looking for, then a bargain is made. If not ... then not.

Steve/bluewizard

 

[Anthony16v]

Thank you
yep, as per my other thread, i am looking for me detail & clarity, particularly for when listening at lower volumes.
My only concern is, on those rare occasions when i really get to crank the volume up watching a blu-ray. Is the bass from the cm5 & bk sub going to be just as good? Or, despite having the bk sub, will the cm8 still provide some extra thump?

Cheers

 

[BlueWizard]

If you have a Sub, then all the bass weight is going to be shifted to the Sub, what is left over for the Front, might be in the Bass Presence range, but the power demands are going to be lower, and the speakers are going to be less strained.

If you calculate the area of a circle (for reference), and compare a 5" driver to a 6.5" driver, you discover that one 6.5" speaker is about 1.7x 5" drivers.

5" driver = 19.63 IN²

6.5" driver = 33.18 IN²

33.18 / 19.63 = 1.69

So, roughly 1.7x 5" drivers equals a single 6.5" driver. In short, they are roughly the same. Looking at it from another perspective 2x 5" bass drivers are about 18% larger than a single 6.5" driver. Again, roughly the same.

Again, go to the manufacturer's website and look at the -3dB and the -6dB specifications on the speakers.

Steve/bluewizard