North Reading, Mass. – Bowers & Wilkins is replacing its CM series of in-room speakers with nine new models said to deliver improved aesthetics and sonic performance.
The series is positioned right under the flagship 800 series and right above the brand’s opening-price 600 series. The new models, shipping in September, will be displayed at the CEDIA Expo.
The bookshelf/stand-mount models are the CM1 at $1100/pair, CM5 at $1,600/pair, and CM6 at $2,000/pair. Prices exclude optional stand. The floorstanding speakers are the CM8 at $2,400/pair, CM9 at $3,200/ pair, and CM 10 at $4,000/pair. The center-channel speakers are the CM Centre at $700 each and CM Centre 2 at $1,250 each. The ASW10CM S2 is a 10-inch 500-watt Class D sub at $1,500 each. The FS-CM stand retails for $500/pair.
For the first time, the entire CM series features decoupled double-dome tweeters, and the CM10 and CM6 add tweeter-on-top technology, which is used in the 800 series to improve imaging and dispersion. The double-dome tweeters use a thin aluminum dome surrounded by a thicker aluminum ring to deliver lightness and rigidity to help prevent distortion, the company said. To decouple the tweeters from the cabinet, Bowers & Wilkins uses a gel ring to decouple the assembly from the cabinet and thus improve dispersion and imaging.
Other improvements to the series include new crossovers and anti-resonance dustcaps on all bass/midrange drive units to deliver smoother response and lower coloration.
The speakers retain real-wood cabinets but with a “cleaner, more subtle look” that also enhances sound quality, the company said.
