B&W Nautilus 804s or New CM9?

[Sutch71]

I am currently have on home demo the B&W CM9 and Centre 2. The Centre 2 is amazing, the CM9 probably just a little too much bass for my room so planning to trial the CM8.

Here is the dilemma, I have always loved the 800 series and I have an opportunity for a pair of Nautilus 804S (non diamond) and HTM1 centre speaker second hand for roughly the same money.

My system is Yamaha RXV1800 driving centre and rears with 2x musical fidelity X-AS100 biamping the two fronts. Front speakers are Mission 753F with Mission 77C centre and 77DS surrounds.

I much prefer front ported speakers especially for positioning and have always had a yearning for the Nautilus.

Has anybody any experience of these speakers side by side?

Thanks

 

[DandyCobalt]

Hi Sutch,

I haven't heard them next to each other, but I own CM8s and my brother has 804s.

The 804s are beautiful, and sound fabulous in the room they are in - but it is a big room. My CM8s at our house are in a smaller (5mx4m approx) room, and in a corner, but sound great. (The CM9s would have been overkill).

However, I think the 804s might be too much for my size of room, and I think I'd have to move to a bigger house to get the most out of 804s

If you have the room size, perhaps you will always yearn after the 804s?

 

[Sutch71]

Thanks Dandy

My room is 17.10 x 11.5 - but still not a big room by any stretch and the CM9's sounds good when good but with bloomy bass at times!

With your CM8's in the corner do you have them bunged? I am home demoing a pair of CM8's this Thursday and then its the MA RX6, but I really want the CM8's to temper the bass that the CM9's chuck out and I am a happy man.

Is there much sound difference between your brothers 804's and your CM8?

 

[DandyCobalt]

Hi Sutch,

I've experimented with the bungs provided withthe CM8s (which have an outer and inner section together - so two options) , and found that just the outer section (inner section removed) does a very good job in reducing any ill-effects of being close to the wall.

I can't really compare directly the 804s with the CM8s, as the 804s are in a room about 9m x 6m, placed square in the room and away from the walls, and my CM8s are not ideally placed in a corner of a smaller room.

Personally, and if I had the space, I think my heart would always be after the 804s.

 

[Sliced Bread]

Interesting post.

I have just replaced a mission 78 series package (a step up from the 77 series) with, cm8, cmc and cm1 speakers and have found it a significant upgrade. Hopefully you will be impressed, although as always it depends upon taste and partnering equipment.

I didn't demo the CM9 as I found the bass on the CM8's to be just right in my room (without bungs), so I thought the CM9's would be over kill. Incidentally I also tried the RX6's on home demo at the same time as the CM8's. I found the RX6 bass too much for my room and the CM8's to be a generally better speaker especially in the midrange (although it should for the price difference).

 

[Sliced Bread]

One other thing I forgot to mention. My friend has a pair of 804's partnered with some high end beast of an amplifier (cannot remember which one...I think it was a Krell), and it sounds very good.

It has alot of nice clean bass, however I think that in some rooms it may be too much. I'd home demo them first, or at least buy them for a price that you feel you can sell them on for in-case they are not a suitable match for your room.

They look gorgeous too

I cannot directly compare them with the CM8's though, as I have heard them in different rooms with different classes of amplifiers. They are nice though.

 

[Sutch71]

Thanks guys, I think I will go for the 804's - I will only regret it if I dont. Watch this space for B&W 804S for sale - too big for room lol.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[poldo]

2 years ago I did a demo B&W CM9 against B&W 804s, on a Supernait. I preferred the 804s but I think the CM9 was not that far away. I think the bass control on the 804s was slightly better and a bit more detail but not much.

I would say 80% vs 83%.

So if budget is not a problem I would go for the 804s (I think the looks are better too)

 

[duaplex]

Both very impressive in sound, the CM9 can be an overpowering speaker and will need space as you discovered.

Demo them and see which sounds good with your AV. Only you will be able to decide which you prefer, but by the sounds of it you have already chosen the 804.

I am in a 14x12 room and the CM8 is perfect, the CM9 would have been OTT, but the 804 would be probably work better.