|   B&W CDM-9NT vs. Nautilus 804 | bhurst462
Dec 10, 2002 12:50 PM | | In my search for a great floorstanding speaker, I've narrowed it down to two, both are B&W. The B&W CDM-9NT and the Nautilus 804. I have auditioned both and like them both, but not sure if the 804s are worth the extra $900. Any suggestions? |
| Both are very good... | Jimmy C
Dec 10, 2002 1:30 PM | | ...whether the N804 is worth the $900 extra is up to you.
IMO (insert all other disclaimers here), The Nautilus is more accurate. It is also more revealing - demo with your music. Upstream equipment will also play a slightly more important role with the 804s. Some call them bright, I say they are passing on the signal as intended (for better or worse - usually better!)
One other thing to consider is the bass. I'm not sure which speaker specs lower, but the CDM seems to have more bass. The bass output on the 804s seems a little reticent or shelved back a notch. The Ns do very well with a quality sub.
Both come with gorgeous finishes - I think I would do the red wood (cherry?)
Bottom line is easy since it's not my money. Go for the 804s! Actually, I could live with the CDMs and spend the rest on a few good dinners or some more music. Musical preference and associated equipment might play a big role in your decision. Good luck and have fun! |
| I did this same thing......... | BK
Dec 10, 2002 1:35 PM | | I had CDM 1NT as my mains, and was ready to upgrade to a floorstander. I went and had a lenghty audition with N804 vs. CDM 9NT.
My thoughts were that N804 was worth the extra $$$ over 9NT. Although 9NT seemed to have more authoratative bass, N804's was tighter and a bit more refined. I also thought N804 had greater depth, and was more detailed. Soundstage was relatively close with both, but N804 just had the edge in too many areas overall. But that's to be expected, they are in a higher price bracket. 9NT is a fine speaker, and they were relatively close on most counts, but to me, N804 was worth the extra cash. I would have gone with them.
Actually I ended up going a different route altogether, but N804 gets my vote here. But, you need to decide if N804 is worth the extra expense to you.
Have fun!
BK |
| re: B&W CDM-9NT vs. Nautilus 804 | bhurst462
Dec 10, 2002 1:56 PM | | Thank you for the responses. Everyone please keep them coming.
System:
NAD C370 Integrated Amplifier
NAD 541i CD Player |
| re: B&W CDM-9NT vs. Nautilus 804 | bhurst462
Dec 12, 2002 1:14 PM | | I really appreciate everyone's responses. I do think I would like to stay with a floorstanding speaker. I'm not too big on bookshelves or subs, but that is just my preference. My listening mostly consists of music, and want a good three way speaker that can handle all ranges. Please keep the great responses coming. |
| Might I make a suggestion?...... | BK
Dec 12, 2002 2:14 PM | | Find a dealer and have a listen to Dynaudio Audience 82. I ended up going with the Danes after having lengthy listens to B&W.
82 is a large floorstanding 3 way, that is also front ported, and imho, was a cut above CDM and Nautilus. The level of air, refinement, and detail is nothing short of breathtaking. 82 is a 4 ohm speaker, and does require a good amp, which I assume you have if you're looking at CDM and Nautilus. But, the Danes will be a bit easier to drive than Nautilus as 82 is a pretty linear 4 ohms. N804 does have a varying impedance curve and is a bit tougher to drive. Regardless a good beefy amp will help with either speaker.
82's retail for $2399 per pair. I can honestly say these are the only pair of speakers I've heard that just absolutely disappear. They are really amazing.
Dealers are a bit hard to find, but you should be able to locate 1 in your area. Just bring your favorite cd's and have a listen and decide for yourself.
If you do give em a shot, let me know what you think.
Cheers!
BK |
| Before you blow your wad....Meadowlark Shearwater | cone
Dec 12, 2002 9:00 PM | | and nothing against the B&W 805...but for this kind of money...it is wise to explore all your options...be it Reference 3a,Dyanudio,etc...at this level...or for any level really...I like Meadowlark...they are a smaller...more esoteric brand...but most hi-end speakers are "out of the mainstream"...the Shearwaters is the one in your price range...I know you have your heart stuck on a 3-way...but a 2-way has the advantage of more simpler crossover...in this case 1st order...in layman's terms...the purest there is without the original wave signal being degraded...and unlike most floorstanders these are not ported...the bass is run through a trasnmission line design...without being too technical...it has the tight bass of a sealed design with the added extension of a port...Pat M. from Meadowlark has been building hi-end speakers from the 70s...he knows "what time it is" in regards to sound...they are also very easy to drive...no heavy 4ohm loads... a must audition in my book.. |
| re: B&W CDM-9NT vs. Nautilus 804 | snickelfritz
Dec 10, 2002 2:05 PM | | I own the 9's and demo'ed the 804 against them.
The difference I heard was in the treble response; the 804 seemed to have better integration between mid and treble, and the overall treble is slightly smoother and cleaner.
Not sure if the sonic difference is actually worth a $900 premium, but the Nautilus cabinets are drop-dead gorgeous, and would be a good enough reason to spend the extra cash if you have it.
The bass response of the 9's measures flat to 30hz in my living room(palpable shuddering of air in the room with warble tones), but I decided to augment those little woofers with a Servo-15 to increase the dynamic range.
BTW, the bass of these speakers is slightly shelved down below 300hz or so, and they tend toward dryness rather than warmth. |
| re: B&W CDM-9NT vs. Nautilus 804 | RGA
Dec 10, 2002 3:35 PM | | The 804 is better but i have two other options for you.
1) Reference 3a MM De Capo(i)($2500.00US - $3000.00CDN)) and IMO is a better speaker than the 9NT. And because of the price I'd take it over the the 804 and add a sub. http://www.divertech.com/reference.html
2) Nautilus 805(not as good as the De Capo(i) IMO but if you are only considering B&W I'd check the 805) and again add a top flight sub.
I generally don't love sub satellite set-ups but because we're in much bigger price band and we're talking about top flight speakers it can be done very well. For the money you save with the 805 or De Capo you have plenty left to put into a high quality musical sub. In fat this applies to the CDM 7NT/Good Sub I'd take over the 9NT.
Check out the De Capo(i)...it's a grand less than the 9NT and IMO is a better speaker. It will also allow you to run a tube amp well if you decide on one down the road. |
| re: B&W CDM-9NT vs. Nautilus 804 | jdodmead
Dec 11, 2002 5:16 AM | | I agree, take a good look at the 805's with a good sub. The 805's are much more detailed than the cdm series. I have the 7's and although they soud great, I have done some listening and side by side comparisions to the 7's and the 805's. To me the difference was quite noticable. But for me to take a hit on selling the 7's to get the 805's it's going to take some work to get my wife to buy in. It would have been much easier up front, but at that time I couldn't hear much difference. But now that I have spent a lot of time(and money) upgrading and listening to my system, I am hearing much better than I used to. |
| Agree with RGA.... | cone
Dec 11, 2002 7:41 PM | | If you stick with B&W...the 805s..and outside of their budget 601...their best in terms of price vs. performance...have not hear the Reference 3a...but RGA swears by them...and he generally knows what he is talking about...either way...you are fortunate to have the means...most can only dream about this stuff...myself included... |
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