Need help w/ B&W CM2

I have heard the Bryston B-60 be brutal in the higher registers on many different speakers. This is why I am not a big fan of Bryston amps - they simply require VERY careful system matching to sound good to my ears. I have never heard NAD sound good in any system, but I'll keep listening and may be surprised some day.

It would be a shame to get rid of the CM2's since I have heard them sound good in several systems. They have a problem resolving complex harmonics and chords in orchestral pieces, especially when the chord stradles the crossover between the tweeter and the woofer. There seems to be a disconnect betweent the two drivers responses to some music. That said, I truly enjoy their sound on the types of rock and jazz sounds that you are having trouble with on these speakers. I have not found them to be overly bright.

You have so far not mentioned the source or the cables that you are using. From what I have heard of these speakers I really think that the fault lies elswhere. For example, in my old system that had quite good sound, some CD's that were poorly recorded sounded awful. One of the worst was Prince's Purple Rain album - it positively screems in the higher registers. I love the music on this album but the recording is among the worst I have ever heard. It was recorded and mastered at at time when some thought that "digital is perfect." They just did not completely understand the recording and mastering of digital music since it was so new. I could not listen to this album on my old system. This album may be a prime canidate for remastering.

Sometimes you can buy a remastered version of an album on which the sound is greatly improved, but not always. The remastered version of Joe Jackson's greatest hits from A&M still sounds terrible in the treble. This may be because some of the mastering studios do not have updated equipment and do not have speakers that can resolve some of the problems. Another reason could be that some record companies do not care to spend the time and money needed to do a good job of remastering. If you want to hear a good remastering of a rock album, listen to Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" in XRCD format (playable on all CD players - buy at amusicdirect.com for $39.99). Also, all of the Sony remasters that I have heard sound good.

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.

i own a pair of cdm2's along with a rotel 970bx mk2 60 watt amplifier. there isn't a hint of brightness with my rig.. the cdm2's sound better than most speakers i've ever had, and i've had magnepan 1.5's, dahlquist dq20's, apogee centaur's, and vandersteen model 1's as well. maybe check into the pre-amp cd player combination. bad cd players will usually show up to be a problem in cases like this.