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The problem with continuing to audition stuff

Frank Sol

Frank Sol

Lunatic Member
The grass almost always appear to be greener :yes:

Almost kicked my main system to the curb :smoke: LOL

For a much smaller setup... Spent a little over 2hrs yesterday listening to a fairly new (out of the box) system: Oppo 105 , DiaLogue Premium Integrated Amplifier (EL34) & KEF LS50 -- A sub was used some. The sub helped with some pieces but overall could be left-out. Most of the music were files played from a USB... Some CDs & SACDs

Not to dwell on the price but whole setup < $6K

Listening was done in a home environment medium size room with no special Room Treatment. Speakers approx 4' out from front wall 6' apart

If I had nothing and was starting anew I would buy this setup without any doubt... Until I heard something better :D
 
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Some nice pieces there. Not surprised you had a great time with it.

Those little Kefs are killer, aren't they?
 
Auditioning can be a dangerous business for sure, whether in audio or (for me) violins. On the other hand it can and does often cut both ways. More often than not I listen to a set-up that should be far superior to my own and end up going home, turning things on and having a fresh appreciation of my own humble bits and pieces. It can lead to a realization of areas one's own system can use some improvement, though. Again a double-edged sword....
 
Bigerik said:
Those little Kefs are killer, aren't they?
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I would say 100% yes

I've been in the market for a new smaller set of speakers for a good while. I've been leaning to B&W CM5 because IMO they have a better sound with SS equipment. I've read online and heard in person people say that the LS50 really do shine with tubes. I would have to agree
 
Frank Sol said:
I would say 100% yes

I've been in the market for a new smaller set of speakers for a good while. I've been leaning to B&W CM5 because IMO they have a better sound with SS equipment. I've read online and heard in person people say that the LS50 really do shine with tubes. I would have to agree
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My listening was done with Sim Moon SS gear, and they sounded fabulous.
 
Erik , have you auditioned the CM5 ?

Erik and others... Somethings to consider:

Robert J. Reina from Stereophile Mag: The B&W CM5 touched me in a unique way. With every recording I played, this neutral, dynamic speaker revealed layers of detail that let me hear into the recording process, but in a way that made it easy to forget about that process, kick back, and enjoy the music. Just as paradoxically, its high level of resolution let me differentiate among great, good, and not-so-good recordings, but in a way that didn't lessen my enjoyment of music that had been poorly recorded. If I had to, I could live with this affordable bookshelf model as my only loudspeaker. I can't remember the last time I said that about another speaker in the $1500/pair price region. A tremendous achievement by Bowers & Wilkins.

Then JA's conclusion after his measurements: It is difficult for a conventional speaker with a flat baffle to use a low-order crossover without there being compromises in dispersion and response. However, the measured performance of Bowers & Wilkins' CM5 shows little sign of such compromises. I am not surprised BJR liked this speaker as much as he did. - John Atkinson


John Atkinson review of the LS50 comparing to the CM5: Next up was the identically priced but somewhat larger Bowers & Wilkins CM5 (reviewed by Robert J. Reina elsewhere in this issue). The CM5 was noticeably more sensitive than the LS50, and had a lighter, airier balance, but was also slightly laid-back in the treble. Both speakers had very clean upper-frequency presentations, though the CM5 was less forgiving of ticks on LPs. However, the B&W's bass was usefully more extended than the KEF's.
 
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After just reading (and watching video) about these two speakers, I'd be more interested in the B&Ws too.

It looks like a lot of fresh designs went into the KEF aided by a lot of computer modeling. The flexible rubberized port tubes are an interesting approach. and the curved faces and CLD makes sense (but how much of a difference?). But the thing I'd be most suspicious of is the tweeter mounted in essentially a bagel hole in the middle of the midbass driver. I'd like to see some computer models of what's happening with the sound waves around the seam of those two drivers.

My irrational felt-sense is there's just too much novelty in that speakers and too much hyperbole in reference too it. The amount of hyperbole is absolutely astonishing and I've never seen anything like it in my entire life! (see what I did there?)

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/kef-ls50-50th-anniversary-edition-page-2

The B&W's seem like a safer, more conventional (yet still contemporary) approach to speaker building and I like that. I really think B&W has been doing good things with their driver design/build; certainly in the last decade. Although you might understand from my recent threads how I'd be a bit wary of how many times the word "detail" and "resolution" were used in the Stereophile review.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/bowers-amp-wilkins-cm5-loudspeaker

I'd love to hear both/either of them. Of course, that's the only way to know.
 
Brett a said:
I'd love to hear both/either of them. Of course, that's the only way to know.
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I'll be doing my final audition tomorrow... The CM5

As far as I know at this point I'll be using SS equipment with whichever pair i get.

If I decide on the B&W I'll bring them home with me. If the LS50 I may have to drive up to L.A. or order direct :scratch2:

Nice 'problem' to have
 
Brett a said:
Although you might understand from my recent threads how I'd be a bit wary of how many times the word "detail" and "resolution" were used in the Stereophile review. (CM5)
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IMO from hrs of auditioning both... the CM5 is less shrill (my word) than the LS50 across a wide variety of front-end equipment.

But as I said in post #1... The LS50 with a full tube front-end is A+
 
I think LS50 are better value for money than CM5. If you account for price of stands though, you may look at R300 as better value.
 
I would like to read some direct comparisons of the LS50s and NOLA Boxers. I heard the NOLAs back in August and was very impressed.
 
Frank Sol said:
The grass almost always appear to be greener :yes:

Almost kicked my main system to the curb :smoke: LOL

For a much smaller setup... Spent a little over 2hrs yesterday listening to a fairly new (out of the box) system: Oppo 105 , DiaLogue Premium Integrated Amplifier (EL34) & KEF LS50 -- A sub was used some. The sub helped with some pieces but overall could be left-out. Most of the music were files played from a USB... Some CDs & SACDs

Not to dwell on the price but whole setup < $6K

Listening was done in a home environment medium size room with no special Room Treatment. Speakers approx 4' out from front wall 6' apart

If I had nothing and was starting anew I would buy this setup without any doubt... Until I heard something better :D
Click to expand...

I've had the Oppo bdp105 for about 3 months now and can attest that it is indeed very nice.
Siegfried Linkwitz uses an Oppo 95.
I figured that if an Oppo was good enough for Mr. Linkwitz it was good enough for me.

Art
 
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Frank Sol said:
I'll be doing my final audition tomorrow... The CM5

If I decide on the B&W I'll bring them home with me.
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Bought the CM5 today... But did not bring a pair home. I wanted Rosenut and that was the one they didn't have in stock :thumbsdn:

Guy told me UPS will deliver a pair to his business by 1pm Wednesday. Then he will call me :scratch2:
 
"The problem with continuing to audition stuff"...is that the day after you finally decide, plunk down your money, take it home, unpack it, set it up, and sit back to enjoy it, you hear something you like much better that costs less. It's just a fact of life, Murphy's Law. BTW, wait three weeks and the manufacturer of what you just bought will have announced a new and improved version. :yes:
 
Frank Sol said:
Bought the CM5 today... But did not bring a pair home. I wanted Rosenut and that was the one they didn't have in stock :thumbsdn:

Guy told me UPS will deliver a pair to his business by 1pm Wednesday. Then he will call me :scratch2:
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Congrats! I look forward to hearing more once you get them.
 
Congrats on the B&W CM5s! :thmbsp:



Soundminded said:
"The problem with continuing to audition stuff"...is that the day after you finally decide, plunk down your money, take it home, unpack it, set it up, and sit back to enjoy it, you hear something you like much better that costs less. It's just a fact of life, Murphy's Law. BTW, wait three weeks and the manufacturer of what you just bought will have announced a new and improved version. :yes:
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... AND the series that you just purchased is now heavily discounted!! :yikes: :sigh:
 
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