Just an update on my system

Hey guys, haven't posted here for a while, ive chopped and changed a fair few things in my system the last few months with my most recent addition being the B&W Cdm 9NTs

Heres a mini review on them and click on the link below for pics of them plus my old gear, theres quite afew albums to browse through if you are bored!

I have finally got some new speakers after an epic struggle to find a pair i want. Papa Lazarou came round with the B&W CDM 9NT's yesterday and i am now the new (very happy) owner.

They are very good looking speakers, tall dark and handsome and are built to a very high standard. Not far off the Nautilus range considering the price difference! The HNE granite plinths were very solid and nicely finished too. The Aluminium phase plug is also a classy litte extra.

Pics here in the B&W album: http://spaces.msn.com/rogmeister

Initially we were both worried that they were too big for my bedroom, Phil looked abit shocked when he walked in there! Once both speaker were lugged up the stairs we hooked them up and just roughly positioned them the same for a quick listen. The system was turned off to plug them in so wasn't warmed up yet-especially the DAC which significantly improves once the feet glow blue.

However it still sounded nice from the start. I was blown away at 1st but wasn't dissapointed either, we played abit of a dull damien rice track and the speakers did nothing to flattter the song, it just played what it was fed.

Next i put the mandatory Katie Melua debut album in and played my two favourite tracks "learnin the blues" and "Belfast" Vocals were very nice indeed- abit on the smooth side but i really enjoyed the sound. The extended high notes were airy sweet and not at all harsh. Very impressive for a metal alloy tweeter.

Alicia Keys Diary of album was up next, the piano sounded very nice indeed and i noticed how deep the bass went down more with this cd. It is some of the nicest bass i have heard from a speaker. It went as deep as my Rel did but way more tuneful and bouncy.

The most surprising part was that all concerns about them being too big and boomy for my room dissapeared. There wasn't even a hint of boominess, just tight controlled and deep bass which has been my main goal!

Phil left after this as it was a long drive home and he needed some weekend time to himself. I went back upstairs and played around with the positioning abit more to get that sweet spot just right. Now they sound good regardless of precise positioning but when i got it right they sounded phenomenal



The midrange gained focus and the soundstage was firmly put in place. I moved the speaker slighty further apart and the sounstage simply went through the room boundaries-it was huge! 3 hours later i had rifled through 15 of my fave albums and listend to all my fave tracks. It was an afternoon of musical bliss.

I tried every genre and also rough recordings to try and find a weakness in these speakers. I failed.

I just couldn't find any faults with these, they sound stunning with well produced material and while lesser recordings are exposed and obvious they are still played in a very musical manner, letting me forget about the analytical side of things.

With rock metal tracks there was awesome scale and authority-perks of a large loudspeaker but yet the finer details weren't swamped either. I think the best attribute of theses speakers are the way the 4 drive units are seamlessly integrated. The entire frequency range is so coherent. Stereo imaging is 1st rate too, the sound comes from in between and outside the speakers in a very natural and enjoable manner. Some stuff really those make my spine tingle. For the 1st time i can clearly hear the emotion behind the singing-regardless of genre-from the groovy tracks by beyonce, soulful voice of Alicia keys to the quick fire rap lyrics in Rage against the machine.

I also think credit is due for the Tri Vista DAC which is a massive improvement over the cd6000Ki. Just 5 mins without it was awful. The boomy signature of the Marantz was very apparant and treble hardened up. Soundstage was also more narrow and less atmospheric.

So they look gorgeous, very well built and sound amazing, i am extremely happy indeed and can't see myself getting rid of these for a very, very long time. In fact i don't want to change a thing in my setup right now as it sounds perfect to my ears! They have the ablity to grip the listener and not let go.

Unfortunately i had to go see my girlfriend so had to peel myself away from my new loves! The hifi is fantastic but not good enough to miss :groupies:



Thank you Phil/Papa Lazarou for selling them to me at a great price

No more upgrades for a while now, need to let the hole in my wallet mend!

Ultra

 

They sure is pretty!

Out of interest, what size is the room?

 

Small! About 4mx 3.8m But surprisingly there is not even a hint of boom-in fact the tiny rear ported m71s i was using while waiting for the Bee Dubs were boomier! I think its due to a few factors-partnering kit has tight tuneful bass, they are front ported, cabs are very well braced and the overall sound has a very neutral balance. I think the FST midrange is a biggest factor as it doesn't create sound using bass reflex-it vibrates gently instead. I think most bass boom problems are associated with mid bass humps.