B&W CM1 bookshelf speakers with fantastic imaging

Winner of the EISA Award for Best Loudspeaker. They produced holographic sound when I powered everything using a PS Audio DirectStream Power Plant 12, which demonstrates just how good these are when placed in a system with really good equipment. The maple cabinets go beautifully with teak and bamboo.

I purchased this pair of wonderful bookshelf speakers new from an authorized dealer. Downsizing my system because I am moving and will have limited space. It was used lightly in a smoke- and pet-free environment at very low listening levels. Serious inquires only. Price in USD. Buyer pays shipping and PayPal fees.

Original spikes, foam plugs for the rear-firing bass Flowport (if you need to place it close to a wall), and manual included.

Review from SoundStage:

"Retrieval of musical detail was remarkable, however, with the CM1s revealing some previously obscured nuances. The speakers exhibited a masterful separation of instruments in the mix and maintained their poise even when the musical score became dense.
...

The B& W CM1s are attractively styled minimonitors that will provide a rewarding listening experience. Their tweeter is the best that I have heard in the under-$1000 price range, approaching the performance of tweeters in much higher-priced speakers and validating the trickle-down claims of B&W. As noteworthy is the highly accomplished 5" Kevlar woofer, which lays down a foundation that is as good as that of many larger speakers. Properly positioned, the CM1s can immerse the listener in a deeply layered three-dimensional soundstage with stellar imaging, the only caveat being a slight compression of soundstage height. The midrange is rich but not overly ripe. Vocal realism is startling, creating a "they are here" feeling. The CM1s are quite forgiving, so matching with an amplifier and source is a less of an issue.

In terms of overall value, I nominate the B&W CM1 as a contender for top honors. As the price of speakers seems to creep ever upwards, the B&W CM1 shows that there are still very accomplished speakers at the low end of the price scale."

Product Key Features

Connectivity: Wired

Dimensions

Width: 6.5in.
Height: 11in.
Depth: 10.9in.

Additional Product Features

• Speaker Type: Bookshelf Speakers
• Peak Power Handling: 100w
• Sensitivity: 84dB
• Impedance: 8ohm
• Frequency Responses: 55Hz-22kHz
• Construction: 2-Way
  

Description and specifications

The CM1 ($900 USD per pair) is a minimonitor that belongs to B&W's CM series, which is described as a contemporary take on classic speaker design. I was immediately struck by the physical beauty of these speakers. The real-wood maple finish of the review speakers was exquisite, and the clean lines and lustrous light wood exuded Scandinavian chic. The dark-gray grilles are magnetically attached to the cabinet, which eliminates unsightly holes on the front, making the CM1 one of a handful of speakers that looked finished sans grille. Other speakers in the CM series include the CM7 floorstander and CM Center center-channel speaker. All of the CM-series speakers are magnetically shielded to allow for home-theater use.
The CM1 is quite small at 11" high, but it is nearly as deep, 10.9", and 6" wide. The cabinet sounded solid when I rapped on it, which explained the speaker’s 15-pound weight. The bottom of the cabinet has embedded nuts for attaching the speakers to B&W's FS-700/CM stands. B&W’s signature Flowport is around back, and it incorporates dimples on its surface to reduce air turbulence. According to B&W, this eliminates "chuffing" when the speaker is moving large volumes of air.
The driver complement consists of a 1" aluminum-dome tweeter and a 5" woven-Kevlar-cone bass/midrange unit. B&W claims that the tapered-tube "tail" of the tweeter helps reduce excess sound radiation, thus aiding in imaging and preventing the speaker from sounding boxy. Additionally, the woven-Kevlar mid-woofer helps dissipate concentric standing waves that can cause colorations. The crossover frequency is 4kHz.

Connection is by way of high-quality binding posts that allow biwiring, which the manual suggests improves resolution of low-frequency detail. Due to their protective caps, the binding posts can accommodate only spade connectors or bare wire. This is a EU safety requirement that forbids the insertion of plugs into binding posts, so if you have banana-plug-terminated speaker cables, you're out of luck. You can always try to pop the safety caps off, but this would have to be done very carefully to avoid damage, if it can be done at all.
The frequency response of the CM1 is stated as 55Hz-22kHz +/- 3dB on reference axis, with 45Hz-50kHz at -6dB. The quoted sensitivity is a low 84dB (2.83V at 1m) with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms (5.1 ohms minimum). I was worried by the low sensitivity specification -- I would be using mono tube amplifiers with a moderate amount of power to drive the speakers -- but B&W advises that the power handling of these speakers is 30-100 watts at 8 ohms, so they don't require gobs of power.