Bowers & Wilkins announced the B&W CM8 floor-standing loudspeaker, a slim and exceedingly elegant mid-tower that delivers exceptional musicality and impressive extension from an elegant form. It addresses limited space restrictions and a less costly version of the B&W’s flagship CM9.
The new model utilizes the same 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter, operating in B&W’s renowned Nautilus-technology tapered-tube enclosure, that is found throughout the CM line–and is world-famous for its extended, ultra-low-coloration treble.
A 5-inch version of the family’s woven-Kevlar FST midrange unit, capable of extraordinary dynamic feats and class-leading low distortion, contributes virtually perfect mid/treble integration and extraordinary transparency. Dual 5-inch low-frequency drivers, operating in a vented enclosure supported by B&W’s proprietary Flowport anti-coloration technology, complete the driver complement with impressive extension (-6 dB at 43 Hz) while maintaining the dynamically quick transient detail heard from B&W’s best smaller-driver designs.
Versatility is also a CM8 core attribute. The new model stands on its own as a superb stereo reproducer ready for the most critical music lover, but is equally at home in a high-achieving/high-value home-theater suite. As such it is ideally voice-matched to the CM Center, with CM1s at the surround positions. Deep-bass reinforcement, whether for home-theater impact or unrestricted musical aspirations, is readily at hand in the forms of the ASWCM10 and PV1 subs, or even the imposing ASWCM12 where ultimate extension is required.
The B&W CM8’s slender column and compact plinth present an almost mathematically ideal set of proportions, all clothed in the meticulous, world-leading fit-and-finish Bowers & Wilkins has made famous. Hand rubbed black lacquer is available, as are selected-grain, craftsman-finished Wenge and Rosenut real-wood veneers. Set off with “frameless,” close-knit black grilles the overall CM8 effect is quiet, stylish, and powerfully pleasing.
The Bowers & Wilkins CM8 will be available Fall of 2010, at a suggested retail price of $1,100 each.
