Speaker upgrade Naim 5i-2 Combo B&W CM7 vs. Spendor A5

[admin_exported]

Hello there,

Looking to upgrade my system, and have taken the advice not to go for interconnects but to upgrade my speakers instead. I have a Naim 5i-2 CD & Amp with B&W 685's. The 685's were from my previous setup, so I always intended to replace them at some point. I like the sound of the B&W's, hence me looking at the CM7's. I'm leaning towards floorstanders and am currently home demoing the Spendor A5's. They are amazing vs. my 685's (no suprise). I can't find a local hifi shop that has home demo CM7's available. What sound can i expect out of these vs. my 685's?

I am willing to buy them blind and understand that they may not be as good all round as the Spendor A5's. I'm more concerned about the sound vs. my 685's. The other thing to consider is the price difference (1000 CM7 vs 1500 A5's). I'd rather not spend the 500 if it's a marginal improvement.

For my setup what would you recommend?

Thanks

 

[ear]

never heard spendor.but heard bridfly to 685 and cm7's.cm7's look wonderfull and of course big improvement over the 685. cannot compare them to the A5 though.

 

[Anonymous]

Of course having the CM7s I can sing there praise. Massive upgrade over the 685's in my opinion, in every department. Yet this is only so if matched carefully. I believe they can be bright if not partnered well, hence i have the Yamaha a-s1000 to tame them. Bass is impressive, the bass ports can be used to reduce the bass response, (if too much is not to your liking).

However, after hearing the Spendor A5s a few months ago, I have to say I was hugely impressed, and admitidly I believe they hold a greater attention to detail than the CM7s. Therefore as always I believe you should attempt to auditon before you buy. Saying that I bought my CM7s not just on the sound, but also aesthetically, the maple wood matched my amplifier side panels, that was enough for me

The great thing is that the Naim would partner the CM7s wonderfully, I auditioned the yamaha and the naim with the CM7s in store, I found that the 5i was more than capable of expressing mids and highs effectively through the B&W's. Guitar strings were vivid and very forward (less so with my yamaha), vocals were clear and crisp, the drum beat was accurate and made me tap my feet in response. Yet the 5i also had the ability to represent lower frequencies very well, bass was impressive. Rather than listening to music I felt I was enjoying the music.

To be honest for an alrounder in every department I think you should choose the CM7's. They offer a greater bass response due to the larger cabinets. You will sacrifice a little detail but for 500 less than the spendors this will be the least of your worries.

best of luck deciding

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm sure you'd be very happy with the CM7's. What is it about the A5's that you like?

 

[Anonymous]

I like the improved crispness (if that's a word!) of the music, more detail, cleaner more organised sound. If I'm honest, I thought the top end was a little flat vs. the B&W 685's (I'll probably be shot for saying that!), and the bass was a little overwhelming and unbalanced at first. After 5 or so albums worth of listening it was an absolute joy! This confirmed that I would definately benefit quite substantially from a speaker upgrade, and the spendors would be a great choice. However, I do like the (and always have since my i listened to my Dad's arcam & B&W system when I was little) B&W range; hence me wanting the CM7's.

What price do you think I could negotiate? How much could I get for my 685's (1 year old) mint condition on the second hand market?

Thanks

 

[plastic penguin]

Last Tuesday I heard the A5's with Naim XS and Cyrus 8 SE. Stonking sound.....

 

[Frank Harvey]

fro_288: I like the improved crispness (if that's a word!) of the music, more detail, cleaner more organised sound. If I'm honest, I thought the top end was a little flat vs. the B&W 685's (I'll probably be shot for saying that!), and the bass was a little overwhelming and unbalanced at first. After 5 or so albums worth of listening it was an absolute joy!

The Spendors are very smooth, and that initially takes some getting used to. I used to think they were dull and closed in, but about 2 months later (hearing them in various dems and trying stuff out for myself) it clicked with me what they were all about. All of a sudden I was hearing far more detail then I originally thought was there and they actually sounded very open, it was just that they were extremely smooth. When you first hear them, you actually wonder if the treble units are working!

 

[Anonymous]

Bought some CM7's, received delivery today! Listening to The Wall by Pink Floyd at the moment, even before they've bedded in they're sounding awesome! The sound stage is like nothing I've heard before!

 

[ear]

yeyyyyyyy

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe you could try some ProAc's like D18? They have just had a very good review in WHF.