Re: CBM-170se how does it compare today?
Thanks for all your replies, they are helpful. I'm currently listening to a pair of PSB Alpha P5's which are quite good. I A/B'd them against a pair of Wharfedale Denton 80th anniversary editions and I like the PSB better. The Denton 80 has a beautiful midrange and great bass, but the highs are very rolled off to me.
I like the P5 better and sold the Denton 80. So far, short of the Denton 85, the P5 is the best of the bunch. They have a balanced sound, the bass is tight and fairly deep without any boominess. They have great clarity, good imaging and a very good soundstage. The tweeter on the Vandersteen still brings out more detail and upper information, but unless you're A/B'ing you wouldn't really notice.
I re-ordered a pair of CBM-170se to try out. BTW, its kind of cool getting an email letting you know that your speakers are being assembled and tested before shipping.
Re: CBM-170se how does it compare today?
My pair of CBM-170se's arrived. They are better looking than I expected and feel like a quality product. I happen to like their dimensions. I'm letting them play downstairs before I sit down and really listen to them.
Re: CBM-170se how does it compare today?
I’m interested to hear your impressions. Are these for music, HT, or both?
Re: CBM-170se how does it compare today?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JonCr
I’m interested to hear your impressions. Are these for music, HT, or both?
They are just for music.
I've had a chance to listen to them and my initial impression is that the CBM-170se is a very good speaker. They are very clear, really detailed and they handle complex parts of music without getting congested sounding; everything still sounds separate and clear. Also, they are dynamic, when there's a louder pluck of a guitar it sounds real and palpable, not just louder. There's a good soundstage that's 3 dimensional with good separation of singers and instruments. Not sure if the CBM-170's will still loosen up and I don't have a lot of hours on them yet, but the PSB Alpha P5's go lower. I really like the P5, and at first listen they seemed pretty comparable, but after A/B'ing the two, the CBM is the better speaker. The P5 actually sounds a bit muffled by comparison when switching back and forth which was surprising, because they really do sound good. The CBM-170se are a step up over the other speakers that I tried out with the exception of the Denton 85 and while I no longer have the 85, I think the CBM's would be competitive (other than bass).
At this point I haven't tried them with a sub yet. I'm sure they will sound fantastic with a bit of bottom end weight.