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  1. #1
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    Question about B&W center speakers

    I'm wondering if it's possible to use a B&W Naut line HTM1 or HTM2 with the CDM 9NT fronts, or would it probably better to try to find a CDM CNT? Any thoughts on this. The CDM 9NT's have the FST midrange and Nautilus tweeter, but the CDM CNT's don't have the FST midrange, actually I don't think the HTM2 does either, but the HTM 1 does. I was just wondering.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    RGA
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    It's certainly possible - how you will like it is unknown. Can you try it before you buy it? Ideally you want the front three speakers to be identical - but because most TVs are in the way they came up with horizontal speakers which do not integrate properly no matter what they try and advertise and no matter what so-called expert they pay-off to say otherwise. There is more to a spekaer than a driver type. Just because two speakers use an 8inch kevlar woofer and the same tweeter does mean they will sopund ANYTHING even remotely alike - and conversely one speaker might use a 7 inch kevlar woofer and another might use two 6 inch polypropolyne and sound very similar indeed.

    B&W's CDM and Nautilus line are not that far off in sound to start with. The Nautilus center channels are better speakers in themselves - The CDM 9 is a bit different than the CDM 1NT and I can't remember but those differences supposedly bring it close to the 804. If you have the money and you can try before you buy I would give the Nautilus one a try. This way if you decide to upgrade your other speakers to the Nautilus line - you have the center channel. The CDM is no longer made and as a result trying to sell the CDM center later may be very difficult.

    Of course you should not buy speakers with the intent of thinking you would want to trade or sell them in the near future.

    The B&W's have a house sound - they may be close - then again they may not be. And there is also the 700 series out which may have a closer option.

  3. #3
    Suspended topspeed's Avatar
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    B&W center channels are vertically stacked, not horizontal like most center channels. In other words, the tweeter is still time aligned and positioned over the mid-driver, unlike most center channels that utilize a horizontal m-t-m.

    The HTM's are great speakers but don't forget the Naut's utilize different crossovers than the CDM's which may or may not yield symmetry problems across the front with your 9's. Don't discount the CDM CNT because it lacks the fst. It is a very, very competent center speaker and was made to timbre match both the 7 and 9.

    Good luck.

  4. #4
    Forum Regular Woochifer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stevos2005
    I'm wondering if it's possible to use a B&W Naut line HTM1 or HTM2 with the CDM 9NT fronts, or would it probably better to try to find a CDM CNT? Any thoughts on this. The CDM 9NT's have the FST midrange and Nautilus tweeter, but the CDM CNT's don't have the FST midrange, actually I don't think the HTM2 does either, but the HTM 1 does. I was just wondering.

    Thanks!
    Give it a try and see for yourself. In general, you want something with that matches the general tonal characteristics of your mains as closely as possible. Because of the horizontal alignment, the match won't be perfect, but some of the ones I've heard are pretty damn close. Unfortunately, at least one of the center speakers I've heard that's nowhere close to an adequate match for its supposedly matching main speaker did come from B&W (albeit their previous bottom-of-the-line model, which was recommended for both their 300 and 600 series models, and was a poor match for both), so I would definitely give it a listen before plucking down money on it. The closer the match, the better the front panning imaging and overall surround coherency. Whether or not the Nautilus will work right depends how differently that particular center speaker was voiced from the Nautilus and CDM series.

  5. #5
    Forum Regular Woochifer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    It's certainly possible - how you will like it is unknown. Can you try it before you buy it? Ideally you want the front three speakers to be identical - but because most TVs are in the way they came up with horizontal speakers which do not integrate properly no matter what they try and advertise and no matter what so-called expert they pay-off to say otherwise.
    Oh, I see now. So, YOU are the expert on center speakers -- very pleased to meet you! I never knew that ALL of them are a poor match and anyone who disagrees with your point is on "their" corporate payroll (I guess I'm not enough of a conspiracy theorist to know who "they" are -- oh well, nobody's perfect!) and is obviously not nearly the authority that YOU are!

    Obviously a center speaker expert like yourself has listened to EVERY center speaker on the market and have actually heard every one of them in a proper 5.1 placement (and since you're such a surround sound expert, I won't bore you with the details about the ITU-775 reference placement) with the proper levels and delay timing. Having done such due diligence gives you the right and authority to factually say that all center speakers do not integrate properly no matter what. Since your word is indisputable fact, my observation that the Vandersteen center speakers are a seamless match for their mains is clearly in error, and I need to get my ears checked.

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