I use to have this exact combo except I used the NAD 545. It sounded very good. Great detail and clarity. As long as the CM7's can be well clear of the back wall, they will sound terrific with the NAD 355. I would happily recommend this setup to a friend. Occassionally, I miss the CM7s. Great speakers IMO and they work well with the NAD 355 because they are a little forward sounding and the warm NAD amp provides nice synergy. I don't think you'd be giving up much to more expensive electronics.