I have had the B&W 602s and have the Cdm1nt. Used with with a Denon integrated and rotel Cd player,niether model sounded bright or forward sounding to me- never hard or harsh. However, I will say that I once auditioned a marantz cd player in this system and the difference was night and day. The sound was considerably brighter,even aggressive. Whether this was the result of the attributes of a very well made cd player in a not so great system I can not say. Perhaps. I would not doubt it, even as I liked the balance achieved with the Rotel. It did make me aware of how much influence the source can have on the rest of the system though, and how remarkably changed the B&Ws could seem through system changes.One thing has been consistant through both models. They do seem to reveal the quality of recording listened to. I am pleased I can hear the difference, so for me it is not a bad thing.It might be worth your while to borrow some different components to switch into your system for some critical listening. Then perhaps you could discern whether the B&Ws are consistant in what you percieve them as doing. Although I have not heard the Cm2s , I liked the 602s and I love the Cdm1s- both were worth the time invested in some experimentation.
Need help w/ B&W CM2
Looking for advice to help tame that harshness that comes with bright recordings, top hats, crashy cymbols, and pronounced 's' sounds in voice. My friend is using the B&W CM2s and NADc370. I know a large part of the problem is the metal dome tweeter, but he'd like to try some different amps before giving up on the B&W's (they look too damn good). Price range should be around $500 used (could probably go higher but lets start slow) and ultimate volume is not a big issue since they are only occationally played loud (the 370 was overkill). A remote control is preferred but not necessary. I was thinking tubes- Cary, Jolida? hybrid -Jolida 1501? SS- Rega, Linn, Musical Fidelity? I have no idea what is a good synergistic match w/ B&W. I've heard both arcam and rotel with B&W and noticed some harshness with those as well. Please help!!!