Hi, I’ve had a demo of the CM8 and RX6’s courtesy of the very helpful guys at Sevenoaks Witham. I’ve read a few posts from people on this and other forums in the past curious about the CM8 and RX6, so I thought I would post up my experiences of demo.
While I was demoing the speakers I also couldn’t help but make some comparisons to the 782’s that I am replacing due to a toddler incident. I was also using an Onkyo 905 with audessy off, which is notably warmer than the more recent Onkyo 708 I’ve heard.
Before I started the demo I must confess to having some biases. I wanted the RX6 to be the more enjoyable speaker because; a) it’s smaller and b) it’s cheaper! First of all the RX6’s. After reading so much positive press I think I went into this one with very high expectations and while I thought they were good speakers I was surprised to find that (to my ears and with my amp) the 10 year old £700 Mission 782’s outperformed the RX6’s in most areas.
The missions were more open in the midrange and had a more realistic treble. I should note however that the RX6’s had too much bass for my room (14ft by 13ft) which caused boom, however even with low bass acoustic music the missions were more open. The RX6’s seemed quiet boxed in by comparison. In terms of handling complex music (rock and classical) the mission 782’s (a true 3 way design) definitely had the advantage. The drum in the Raconteurs “steady as she goes” was nice and clear at the start of the track, however after the first 20 seconds or so when the other instruments kick in the bass on the RX6 seemed to reduce significantly while it struggled to handle all the instruments at once. This was still the case with the 782’s (as it would be with many speakers), but far less noticeable. I’m guessing that this is because the RX6’s are 2.5 way and 782’s are 3 way.
I have in a separate demo quite a long time ago experienced the same thing with the otherwise fabulous PMC GB1’s and Marylin Manson tracks. This sounds like I hated the RX6’s...I didn’t they were enjoyable and detailed, but I did feel a little disappointed.
Next up...the CM8’s. There was something nice about listening to a pair of speakers, that up until that point I had not read any official reviews. I had no expectations at all (except that they are significantly more costly than the rx6’s). I started with the Raconteurs “steady as she goes” and was blown away. The compression seemed to be reduced to the point of being negligible and the whole sound was immersive and musical.
Long story cut short: after listening to movies / classical tracks, rock, metal, acoustic and a bit of nine inch nails I couldn’t find a single (significant) weakness. The soundstage was excellent, with good depth and placement (to the point where I may not use a centre speaker for AV purposes). The bass was perfectly balanced and I could hear instruments and backing vocals that I didn’t even know existed on some tracks that I am very familiar with. There was lots of detail, but it still managed to sound smooth and easy to listen to for long periods. Dynamics (high and low level) were also commendable and they were very cinematic.
All in all I am smitten with the CM8’s and will place an order very shortly (along with CM1’s for the rear). I preferred them to the GB1’s (which admittedly was demoed a long long time ago with a different amp) as the CM8’s seem to be a better all rounder and cheaper. The GB1’s were beautiful IMO but when given something like Manson they failed to engage me.
I have heard some people refer to the CM8’s as a little bright and bass light. However with my amp and in my room, the bass went (very) low yet without dominating the midrange and the treble was sparkly without any aggressiveness. It was definitely the most musical setup I have had in my home as well the most cinematic.
Two conclusions came out of this for me. 1) I was surprised at how good the mission 782’s stood the test of time 2) For me the CM8’s are a perfect for my tastes / amp. The only question now is the colour and whether or not to introduce a centre speaker...the FST drivers in the CM8’s offer such a good midrange / box less sound that I’m thinking an additional centre speaker may even muddy the sound. I think I will live without one and add one if I think it is necessary at a later date. (above is just my amateur opinion, but I hope it is of some use)
While I was demoing the speakers I also couldn’t help but make some comparisons to the 782’s that I am replacing due to a toddler incident. I was also using an Onkyo 905 with audessy off, which is notably warmer than the more recent Onkyo 708 I’ve heard.
Before I started the demo I must confess to having some biases. I wanted the RX6 to be the more enjoyable speaker because; a) it’s smaller and b) it’s cheaper! First of all the RX6’s. After reading so much positive press I think I went into this one with very high expectations and while I thought they were good speakers I was surprised to find that (to my ears and with my amp) the 10 year old £700 Mission 782’s outperformed the RX6’s in most areas.
The missions were more open in the midrange and had a more realistic treble. I should note however that the RX6’s had too much bass for my room (14ft by 13ft) which caused boom, however even with low bass acoustic music the missions were more open. The RX6’s seemed quiet boxed in by comparison. In terms of handling complex music (rock and classical) the mission 782’s (a true 3 way design) definitely had the advantage. The drum in the Raconteurs “steady as she goes” was nice and clear at the start of the track, however after the first 20 seconds or so when the other instruments kick in the bass on the RX6 seemed to reduce significantly while it struggled to handle all the instruments at once. This was still the case with the 782’s (as it would be with many speakers), but far less noticeable. I’m guessing that this is because the RX6’s are 2.5 way and 782’s are 3 way.
I have in a separate demo quite a long time ago experienced the same thing with the otherwise fabulous PMC GB1’s and Marylin Manson tracks. This sounds like I hated the RX6’s...I didn’t they were enjoyable and detailed, but I did feel a little disappointed.
Next up...the CM8’s. There was something nice about listening to a pair of speakers, that up until that point I had not read any official reviews. I had no expectations at all (except that they are significantly more costly than the rx6’s). I started with the Raconteurs “steady as she goes” and was blown away. The compression seemed to be reduced to the point of being negligible and the whole sound was immersive and musical.
Long story cut short: after listening to movies / classical tracks, rock, metal, acoustic and a bit of nine inch nails I couldn’t find a single (significant) weakness. The soundstage was excellent, with good depth and placement (to the point where I may not use a centre speaker for AV purposes). The bass was perfectly balanced and I could hear instruments and backing vocals that I didn’t even know existed on some tracks that I am very familiar with. There was lots of detail, but it still managed to sound smooth and easy to listen to for long periods. Dynamics (high and low level) were also commendable and they were very cinematic.
All in all I am smitten with the CM8’s and will place an order very shortly (along with CM1’s for the rear). I preferred them to the GB1’s (which admittedly was demoed a long long time ago with a different amp) as the CM8’s seem to be a better all rounder and cheaper. The GB1’s were beautiful IMO but when given something like Manson they failed to engage me.
I have heard some people refer to the CM8’s as a little bright and bass light. However with my amp and in my room, the bass went (very) low yet without dominating the midrange and the treble was sparkly without any aggressiveness. It was definitely the most musical setup I have had in my home as well the most cinematic.
Two conclusions came out of this for me. 1) I was surprised at how good the mission 782’s stood the test of time 2) For me the CM8’s are a perfect for my tastes / amp. The only question now is the colour and whether or not to introduce a centre speaker...the FST drivers in the CM8’s offer such a good midrange / box less sound that I’m thinking an additional centre speaker may even muddy the sound. I think I will live without one and add one if I think it is necessary at a later date. (above is just my amateur opinion, but I hope it is of some use)
. They are the best speakers (within budget) that I have heard in a long time. I took them home for the demo, plugged them in at 5pm, then listened to music non-stop until 2am without fatigue! Lovely sound! Out of curiosity, is the centre speaker good enough to keep up with the CM8's?
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