B&W DM 603S3 vs, B&W CDM 7NT [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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alcamaya
02-18-2004, 07:16 PM
Is The 7NT Really Far Superior Than The 603 S3? Or Is It A Very Minimal Difference Between The Two? Thanks Again My Friends In The Audio World......

RGA
02-18-2004, 11:19 PM
I would say that the 603S3 is a better value because there is less stiff competition...maybe it would fall into my top 3 floorstanders in the price range...probably 1st. The 7NT is in a price band that would probably not see it in my top 5.

topspeed
02-19-2004, 12:16 PM
If you are into the B&W sound, which it sounds like you are considering your past threads then yes, the 7NT is really that much better. The bass is much cleaner, more accurate, and there is no overhang. The mid-bass is also very quick and the treble seems to have more extension. Aesthetically, the differences are obvious. The downside is that the 7's are harder to drive and absolutely require good amplification to get the best out of them. Trust me, I found out the hard way. They aren't as forgiving of poor sources either and will let you know where any shortcoming are whether in the front end or the recording itself. Poor recordings that were passable on other speakers will be unbearable with the 7's. It's just reality so deal with it. However, when hooked up to the right gear, they will really draw you into the music and remind you why you love music in the first place. They just sing.

Of course this is just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

BassThatHz
02-20-2004, 05:49 PM
I can't say anything on the 7NT or 603s3 but I have compared the 604s3, CM6 and 9NT together. The 9NT and CM6 both have the FST Kevlar driver which the 604s3 does not (hint…hint). When switching from either of them to the 604s3, the soundstage collapsed immensely (almost shockingly) and became rather bright sounding. Clearly the FST driver offers the degree of midrange clarity and detail that the 604S3 just could not match. As well, the CM6 had significantly more bass output than the 604S3 (not as clean as the 9NT though!). The 9NT is nice, but the CM6 was close enough (IMO) to justify the saving’s in price.

As stated, the NT’s will absolutely require good amplification!! Considering that the 7NT doesn’t have an FST driver and the CM6 does (both being close in the price range). I would have to say, go listen to the CM6, 7NT and the 603s3 then let your ears make the decision (hint…hint ;) leaning for the CM6).

Good Luck.