CM Series
Beautiful sound With the new CM Series, beauty is
so much more than skin deep. Of course, with their
clean lines, high-quality finishes and lack of superfluous
detail, these are some of the most elegant speakers
we’ve ever built. But look beneath the surface, and you’ll
find technologies that set new standards for acoustic
performance in the home, revealing unprecedented
levels of musical detail and nuance for speakers of
this class. You won’t believe how beautiful your music
can sound.
The professionals’ choice
In leading recording studios, music that
will soon be heard everywhere is heard first
through Bowers & Wilkins speakers. Our
800 Series is used by world-famous studios
such as Abbey Road in London and Skywalker
Sound in California.
Pure and simple Less is more. That’s been our approach
to speaker design from the very beginning. We’ve taken
it to new levels with the CM Series. Each speaker is
constructed using only a few high quality components,
carefully selected after exhaustive listening tests. By
leaving out anything unnecessary, we’ve made sure
that nothing gets between you and the sound the artist
intended you to hear.
High-quality crossover
For the high-quality crossovers in the
CM Series, we’ve used superior Mundorf
capacitors across the whole range. When
you have components of this quality,
there’s simply no need for anything else.
Design and craftsmanship As with a musical
instrument, the sound of a speaker depends partly on
the quality of its materials, and the care that went into
its design and construction. The CM Series’ cabinets
are made using high-quality materials such as real
wood veneers, while concealed screw fixings preserve
a clean, uncluttered façade. These design features
aren’t just for show: solid cabinet construction and
unbroken surfaces all contribute to a sound that’s free
of resonance and reflection.
Tweeter protection
The new CM Series’ Decoupled Double Dome
tweeters are truly worthy of protection, which is
why we have voiced every model in the range
to work with an acoustic grille. This not only
provides a first rate sonic performance, it also
protects the tweeter from pokes, knocks, and
any other unwanted attention.
The CM Series
From Hi-Fi stereo to home theatre, and from the
largest reception rooms to the smallest home
offices – whatever your listening requirements,
you’ll be sure to find CM Series speakers to suit.
With three standmounters, three floorstanders,
two centre speakers and a subwoofer in the
range, it’s the most comprehensive collection
we’ve yet produced.
CM10 S2 The CM Series’ flagship floorstanding speaker
is capable of filling even the largest rooms with stunningly
detailed, realistic sound. That’s down to a drive unit
configuration featuring three 165mm bass drivers, a
decoupled FST™ midrange and studio-grade acoustic
technology in the form of a tweeter-on-top design.
Tweeter-on-top
CM10 S2’s tweeter is positioned on top of the
speaker and separated from the main body of
the cabinet: an audiophile feature also seen in
our flagship 800 Series Diamond.
CM9 S2 CM9 S2 delivers a supremely well-integrated
sound, and is capable of filling the largest of listening
rooms with a coherent, insightful performance. It
is a speaker with wonderful power, presence and
naturalness, thanks to its two large bass units, FST
midrange and Decoupled Double Dome tweeter. It is
also just as much at home as the front speakers in a
breathtaking home theatre system.
CM8 S2 CM8 S2 is the most room-friendly floorstander
in the range: a speaker with a slimmed-down profile
designed to fit comfortably into most living rooms.
Despite its leaner proportions, the CM8 S2 delivers
amazing clarity, detail and realism due to technologies it
shares with its larger siblings, such as an FST midrange
and Decoupled Double Dome tweeter.
CM6 S2 The top-performing standmounted speaker
in the range has a distinctive audiophile feature in
common with CM10 S2: the tweeter-on-top design.
Combined with a 165mm midrange/bass driver, the
result is amazingly lifelike imaging and spaciousness
from a speaker of its class.
CM5 S2 CM5 S2 is a traditionally sized standmounted
speaker delivering a sound that’s anything but
conventional. Its large midrange/bass driver is ably
supported by a Decoupled Double Dome tweeter,
capable of revealing layers of pin-sharp musical detail.
CM1 S2 The original CM speaker is back, and now
it’s better than ever. The classic CM1 S2 now comes
with updated acoustic technologies that raise the bar
for sonic performance, together with the same high
quality finishes and materials found in the rest of the
range. And all this from a speaker compact enough to
fit almost anywhere.
CM Series technology
The new CM Series will transform your
enjoyment of music, revealing all the depth
and detail that ordinary speakers miss.
That’s thanks to audiophile design
innovations originally pioneered for our
flagship 800 Series Diamond reference
speakers, combined with new technologies
developed especially for the range.
Treble Music depends on nuance. The sweep of a brush
on a cymbal, the scrape of a plectrum on guitar strings,
even the atmosphere of the room in which the performance
took place – it’s this kind of detail that gives music a sense
of genuine presence and life. To capture these subtleties,
we’ve upgraded the design of the tweeters throughout the
CM Series. Every speaker in the range now incorporates
Decoupled Double Dome tweeters, while for the topof-the-range models we’ve borrowed a feature of our
reference speakers: the tweeter-on-top design.
Tweeter-on-top
CM10 S2 and CM6 S2 speakers come with a
tweeter-on-top design – a feature shared with
our most advanced reference speaker range, the
800 Series Diamond. Isolating the tweeter in this
way aids imaging and dispersion, creating a more
lifelike sound and an improved sense of space.
Decoupled Double Dome tweeter
Stiff and light, aluminium is an ideal material
for tweeter domes. But the Decoupled Double
Dome design of the CM Series’ tweeters
pushes the performance of aluminium to new
heights. The tweeter assembly floats within a
ring of gel, isolating it from the main cabinet
and cushioning it from vibrations. Meanwhile
an extra aluminium ring reinforces the rear
of the main tweeter diaphragm, improving
its rigidity. This raises the breakup threshold
of aluminium from 30 to 38kHz, resulting in
stunning clarity and tonal purity.
Midrange Conveying the emotion in a vocal performance
demands the right kind of midrange cone material, with
the ideal balance of stiffness and flexibility. Step forward
Kevlar®. It’s resistant to bullets, and just as good at
stopping distorting resonances dead in their tracks.
Combine it with high-end technological refinements
like decoupled drive units and FST, and you’ve got a
midrange that’s anything but middle of the road.
Kevlar
Kevlar has been a Bowers & Wilkins ha llmark
since 1974 – and for good reason. Impregnated
with a stiffening resin, and then treated with
a polymer coat that seals the fibre and adds
damping, Kevlar maintains a more constant
dispersion pattern at all frequencies in its range
than any other cone material. The result? Far
fewer delayed, time-smearing sounds, and an
exceptionally clean, precise midrange.
Anti-Resonance Plugs
The bass/midrange drivers in the new
CM Series speakers also benefit from the
introduction of Anti-Resonance Plugs, first
seen in PM1. These mushroom-shaped
dustcaps reduce higher-frequency break-up
by ensuring better pistonic movement and
damping resonances inside the voice coil.
FST
FST (or “fixed suspension transducer”, to give
it its proper name) enhances the properties of
Kevlar by absorbing bending waves travelling
to the edge of the cone, further improving
response times and the integrity of sound
transmission. It’s a highly refined piece of
technology we reserve for some of our most
advanced Hi-Fi speakers, including our
floorstanding CM Series models.
Decoupled drive units
A tweeter-on-top isn’t the only thing CM10 S2
shares in common with the 800 Series
Diamond. As with speakers in the flagship
range, CM10 S2 features a midrange drive
unit that’s decoupled from the cabinet.
Decoupling the drive unit in this way helps
to isolate it from the effects of cabinet
resonance. Which means a midrange that’s
free from coloration, and an even purer,
cleaner sound.
Bass It’s one thing to deliver powerful bass: it’s quite
another to do so while preserving the precision and
detail essential to faithful sound reproduction. With the
CM Series, longer voice coils and larger magnets help
the speaker deliver a prodigious amount of bass impact
with maximum control and minimal distortion. Combine
this with rock-solid drive unit construction, and you’ve
got bass capable of wonderful depth and musicality.
Power and control
The top-of-the-range CM10 S2 speaker packs
an extra-powerful bass punch, thanks to its three
mighty bass drivers. But power is just part of the
picture. The extra driver doesn’t just fill rooms with
earth-shaking bass: it also reduces distortion and
extends bass response. Which means excellent
timing and control, no matter how loud you’re
playing it.
Subwoofers
When it comes to serious home theatre
sound, you’re going to need a seriously good
subwoofer. ASW10CM S2 features a rugged
bass driver constructed from a finely tuned mix
of paper pulp, Kevlar fibres and resin, offering
the balance of power and precision that movie
sound effects demand.
Flowport
™
Great bass depends on a smoothly regulated
airflow. The Flowport venting system minimises
turbulence in the same way as a golf ball.
Dimples on the surface generate tiny eddy
currents, over which air can flow smoothly
and silently. Extraneous noise is reduced to a
minimum – and even with the volume right up,
bass sounds smooth and tight.
Home Theatre If you’re looking to enhance your
home entertainment experience with a high-quality
home theatre speaker set-up, the CM Series will be
happy to oblige. We offer two speaker configurations
for different sizes of room: CM9 S2 Theatre and the
CM8 S2 Theatre.
CM9 S2 Theatre
Big spaces require a big audio-visual set-up to
match. CM9 S2 Theatre will fill the largest domestic
environment with rich, detailed movie sound.
CM8 S2 Theatre
This slimline-based set-up may be designed for
more enclosed spaces, but with an ASW10CM
S2 subwoofer providing the bass it still packs a
mighty punch.
Main: CM9 S2
Centre: CM Centre 2 S2
Surround: CM5 S2
Subwoofer: ASW10CM S2
Main: CM8 S2
Centre: CM Centre S2
Surround: CM1 S2
Subwoofer: ASW10CM S2
Finishes While sound is always our first priority, we
recognise that a speaker is also a piece of furniture.
So while we’ve paid a lot of attention to what goes on
inside a CM Series speaker, we haven’t forgotten about
what’s happening on the outside. Thanks to high-quality
finishes and painstaking attention to design detail, the
CM Series will fit harmoniously and elegantly into the
home environment.
Satin White
Gloss Black
Rosenut
Grilles
The CM Series grilles attach magnetically, so
there are no grille mounting features to spoil the
lines of each speaker’s façade. A simple touch
that makes a big aesthetic difference.
Finishes
The CM Series offers a choice of three finishes:
Satin White, Gloss Black or Rosenut.
Society of Sound It’s one thing to own a great pair
of speakers. But if you’re as obsessed with true sound
as we are, your appreciation won’t stop there. You’ll
want to keep learning about it, listening to it, exploring
it and discussing it with others. That’s where the
Society of Sound comes in.
Visit the Society of Sound to:
•
Find out more about Bowers & Wilkins, our products
and our technologies
•
Download lossless music, including super highquality 24-bit albums
• Explore new music curated by Peter Gabriel and
Real World Studios, and by the London Symphony
Orchestra
•
Learn from acoustic pioneers – the Society of
Sound Fellows
•
Join lively debates on sound topics with other
sound enthusiasts in our blogs
• Discover the creative potential of sound
bowers-wilkins.com/sos
Specifications Main
CM10 S2 CM9 S2
Technical features
Description
Drive units
Frequency range
Frequency response
Dispersion
Sensitivity
Harmonic distortion
Nominal impedance
Crossover frequency
Recommended amplifier power
Max. recommended
cable impedance
Dimensions
Free-mounted Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre cone FST midrange
Decoupled midrange and tweeter units
™
Flowport
Tweeter-on-top
3-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
1x ø150mm (6 in) woven Kevlar
3x ø165mm (6.5 in) paper/Kevlar
®
cone FST midrange
®
cone bass
-6dB at 28Hz and 50kHz
45Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 10º arc
90dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 86Hz - 28kHz
<0.5% 110Hz - 20kHz
8V (minimum 3.1V)
350Hz, 4kHz
30W - 300W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Height: 990mm (39 in) cabinet only
1087mm (42.8 in) including tweeter
and plinth but not feet
Width: 200mm (7.9 in) cabinet only
366mm (14.4 in) including plinth
Depth: 337mm (13.3 in) cabinet only
364mm (14.3 in) inc. grilles and
terminals but not plinth
414mm (16.3 in) including plinth)
Nautilus tube loaded Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre cone FST midrange
™
Flowport
3-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
1x ø150mm (6 in) woven Kevlar
2x ø165mm (6.5 in) paper/Kevlar
®
cone FST midrange
®
cone bass
-6dB at 30Hz and 50kHz
46Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 10º arc
89dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 90Hz - 22kHz
<0.5% 120Hz - 20kHz
8V (minimum 3V)
350Hz, 4kHz
30W - 200W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Height: 990mm (39 in) cabinet only
1025mm (40.4 in) including plinth but
not feet
Width: 200mm (7.9 in) cabinet only
320mm (12.6 in) including plinth
Depth: 300mm (11.8 in) cabinet only
321mm (12.6 in) inc. grille and
terminals but not plinth
370mm (14.6 in) including plinth
Net weight
Finishes
33.5kg (73.7 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
26.6kg (58.5 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
CM8 S2 CM5 S2 CM6 S2 CM1 S2
Nautilus tube loaded Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre cone FST midrange
™
Flowport
3-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
1x ø130mm (5 in) woven Kevlar
2x ø130mm (5 in) paper/Kevlar
®
cone FST midrange
®
cone bass
-6dB at 43Hz and 50kHz
48Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 10º arc
88dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 100Hz - 22kHz
<0.5% 300Hz - 20kHz
8V (minimum 3.0V)
350Hz, 4kHz
30W - 150W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Free-mounted Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre cone bass / midrange
™
Flowport
Tweeter-on-top
2-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
1x ø165mm (6.5 in) woven Kevlar
®
cone bass /
midrange
-6dB at 45Hz and 50kHz
50Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 10º arc
88dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 100Hz - 22kHz
<0.5% 150Hz - 20kHz
8V (minimum 3.7V)
4kHz
30W - 120W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Nautilus tube loaded Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre cone bass / midrange
™
Flowport
2-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
1x ø165mm (6.5 in) woven Kevlar
®
cone bass /
midrange
-6dB at 45Hz and 50kHz
50Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 10º arc
88dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 100Hz - 22kHz
<0.5% 150Hz - 20kHz
8V (minimum 3.7V)
4kHz
30W - 120W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Nautilus tube loaded Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre cone bass / midrange
™
Flowport
2-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
1x ø130mm (5 in) woven Kevlar
®
cone bass /
midrange
-6dB at 45Hz and 50kHz
50Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 10º arc
84dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 110Hz - 22kHz
8V (minimum 4.0V)
4kHz
30W - 100W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Height: 924 mm (36.4 in) cabinet only
Width: 165mm (6.5 in) cabinet only
252mm (9.9 in) including plinth
Depth: 277mm (10.9 in) cabinet, grille
and terminals only
298mm (11.7 in) including plinth
19.5kg (43 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
Height: 340mm (13.4 in) cabinet only
403mm (15.9 in) including tweeter
Width: 200mm (7.8 in)
Depth: 285mm (11.2 in) cabinet only
301mm (11.9 in) including grille
and terminals
8.9kg (19.6 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
Height: 340mm (13.4 in)
Width: 200mm (7.8 in)
Depth: 285mm (11.2 in) cabinet only
301mm (11.9 in) including grille
and terminals
8.9kg (19.6 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
Height: 280mm (11 in)
Width: 165mm (6.5 in)
Depth: 260mm (10.2 in) cabinet only
276mm (10.9 in) including grille
and terminals
6.7kg (14.7 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
Centre
CM Centre S2CM Centre 2 S2
Technical features
Description
Drive units
Frequency range
Frequency response
Dispersion
Sensitivity
Harmonic distortion
Nominal impedance
Crossover frequency
Recommended amplifier power
Max. recommended
cable impedance
Nautilus tube loaded Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre FST midrange
™
Flowport
3-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
1x ø100mm (4 in) Kevlar
2x ø165mm (6.5 in) Paper/Kevlar
®
cone FST midrange
®
cone bass
-6dB at 40Hz and 50kHz
56Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 20º arc
89dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 90Hz - 22kHz
<0.5% 120Hz - 20kHz
8V (minimum 3V)
350Hz, 4kHz
30W - 200W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Nautilus tube loaded Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium tweeter
®
Kevlar
brand fibre cone bass / midrange
™
Flowport
Magnetic shielding
2-way vented-box system
1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Double Dome
aluminium high-frequency
2x ø130mm (5 in) woven Kevlar
®
cone bass
/ midrange
-6dB at 48Hz and 50kHz
70Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 20º arc
87dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 100Hz - 22kHz
<0.5% 200Hz - 22kHz
8V (minimum 4.3V)
4kHz
30W - 120W into 8V on unclipped programme
0.1V
Dimensions
Net weight
Finishes
Height: 225mm (8.6 in)
Width: 590mm (23.2 in)
Depth: 285mm (11.2 in) cabinet only
301mm (11.9 in) including grille
and terminals
18.7kg (41.1 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
Height: 166.5mm (6.6 in)
Width: 480mm (18.9 in)
Depth: 260mm (10.2 in) cabinet only
275mm (10.8 in) including grille
and terminals
11.5kg (25.3 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Rosenut Black
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
Subwoofer
Stand
Technical features
Description
Drive units
Frequency range
Frequency response
Bass Extension
Amplifier
Low-pass filter
Dimensions
ASW10 CM S2
Paper/Kevlar® cone long throw driver
500W Class D amplifier
Active closed-box subwoofer system
ø250mm (10 in) paper/Kevlar
76mm (3 in) dia voice coil - dual suspension
diecast chassis
-6dB at 18Hz and 25/140Hz adjustable (EQ at A)
±3dB 25Hz – 40/140Hz adjustable (EQ at A)
-6dB at 18Hz (position A)
-6dB at 23Hz (position B)
-6dB at 28Hz (position C)
Power output: 500W
Rated power
consumption: 94W
Standby power
consumption: 0.8W
Input impedance: 33kV
Signal / noise: >80dB
Functions: Input level (line in)
Input level (speaker in)
Low-pass filter frequency
Low-pass filter bypass
Bass extension
Bass roll-off alignment
Auto sense on/standby
Phase switch
Inputs: Line In (RCA Phono)
Speaker in (Binding post)
12V trigger (3.5mm jack)
Active 4th-order, variable cut-off frequency
Height: 325mm (12.8 in) (not including feet)
Width: 325mm (12.8 in)
Depth: 362mm (14.3 in) (including grille and controls)
®
cone long-throw
Dimensions
Net weight
Finishes
FS-CM S2
Height: 560mm (not including spikes)
Width: 252mm
Depth: 298mm
5.5kg
Silver
Black
Net weight
Finishes
15.5kg (34.4 lb)
Cabinet: Grille:
Gloss Black Black
Satin White Grey
08/14 PU32522
www.bowers-wilkins.com
FST, Nautilus, and Flowport are trademarks of B&W Group Ltd.
Kevlar is a registered trademark of DuPont.
Copyright © B&W Group Ltd. Stands featured within this
brochure are not supplied with the speakers. E&OE.
Design Thomas Manss & Company. Printed by mibrand.com.
B&W Group Ltd. Reserve the right to amend details of the
specification without notice in line with technical developments.
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