Denon 3801 + BW CDM1NT (1 Viewer)

[MatthewMM]

Hi everyone, does anyone have the experience using the Denon 3801 with the CDM1NT? I currently using the CDMCNT as my center speaker on my system, and want to upgrade my main speaker to 1NT, is it a good match with the 3801? is my 3801 power enough to power three b&w speaker up front? any input will be appreciated! BTW,I'm very happy with the CNT, very good sound drive by the 3801.

 

[Mark C.]

Matthew:
I used a Nakamichi AV-10 DD DTS receiver to power my B&W CDM 1SE mains and CDM CSE center channel for two years with no problems at all. The only time the sound got thin was at very high volumes (volume control past 11 o'clock level). The Denon is a good quality piece and should do a fine job powering these speakers unless you like things very loud. Good luck.

 

[JohnnyN]

Matthew.
This was almost the exact configuration I was going to use before I finally decided to buy the 4802 instead. I demo'd the 3802 and the 4802 side by side in the store... I went with the 4802 because music sounded better, but even with the 3802 music sounded great and when watchin 5.1 movies, they were both awesome.
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Somebody has to pay for retail businesses to let us walk in and audition high quality equipment side by side with our own dvd's and movies. I don't mind paying a premium to support this kind of service and convenience, I wish others would consider this when buying discounted b-stock merchandise from shady internet dealers.
JKB

 

[KeithH]

Does anyone find the B&W CDM-1NT to be overly bright/harsh? That's the impression I got when I listened to them at a local store about a month ago. I was looking at bookshelf and floorstanding speakers at the $1000 price point or so. I listened to the B&Ws connected to a Bryston surround-sound pre-amp and power amp (didn't catch the model numbers) with CDs from a Pioneer Elite DV-38A progressive-scan DVD/DVD-Audio player. I couldn't take the sound for more than a few minutes on a few CDs. I've always heard good things about Bryston products, and while the DV-38A may not be the best CD player (DVD players usually aren't at a given price point), it certainly shouldn't be bad. Did I get a bad impression of the B&W speakers? I can't figure out what went wrong otherwise.
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My:
HT Pics ; Equipment List ; DVD Collection ; LD Collection
KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime

 

[JohnnyN]

Does anyone find the B&W CDM-1NT to be overly bright/harsh?

I do somewhat... I listened to them as mains on 2 ch stereo and they sounded a bit harsh at first. but playing with the crossover and letting the sub do some made the situation better. anyhow I bought the SNT for my surrounds... When I get new speakers for the front to replace my Canton Ergo 90's I'm gonna get the 9NT, or even the 7NT, but I don't think there's ever gonna be a place for 1NT's in my setup.
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Somebody has to pay for retail businesses to let us walk in and audition high quality equipment side by side with our own dvd's and movies. I don't mind paying a premium to support this kind of service and convenience, I wish others would consider this when buying discounted b-stock merchandise from shady internet dealers.
JKB

 

[Mark C.]

I don't know about the NTs, since I really haven't listened to them. The SE version, discontinued in 2000, has never sounded harsh or overly bright to me. I started with CDM7 SEs as my mains and switched to the 1 SEs because of space constraints. I have them mated with a Sunfire True Sub and haven't missed the 7s. I'm now powering my HT with Rotel equipment, a fantastic combination.

 

[MatthewMM]

Thany you all for the input.Is the 1NT and CNT sound the same? Because I have the CNT running center channel and never find it bright in both music and movie, if they sound the same, I think I will probably get the 1NT to match the CNT. Does anyone experience with the new CM4, it looks like a very nice speaker too.

 

[KeithH]

Johnny, thanks for the input. The set-up I used at the store with the CDM-1NTs had no sub, so I didn't look at a crossover setting.
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My:
HT Pics ; Equipment List ; DVD Collection ; LD Collection
KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime

 

[ThucN]

I had a lengthy audition with the CDM 1NTs at the store hooked up to an Arcam CD player and Classe integrated, and yes, the 1NTs sounded forward/bright/harsh to me. However, if the music being played through these speakers is of a laid back quality (not too much presence in upper mids/lower treble), then these speakers would sound absolutely wonderful.
Instead of the 1NTs, I picked up a pair of PMC TB2s. If there's a dealer in your area, check them out - http://www.pmcloudspeaker.com . The 1NTs have a slightly smoother midrange than the PMC TB2, but the PMCs have a less harsh treble. I tested these speakers in the same room with the same equipment.
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TqN

 

[Shawn McBride]

Matthew,
That's the exact setup I have. I'm driving my CDM1NT's with the Denon 3801 and I think they sound great! I find myself kicking back on the couch and just enjoying a CD much more often than I used to. And for movies it drives the front three channels cleanly to volumes well beyond my comfort zone.

To be fair, I think the CDM1NT's did sound a bit better (warmer?) at my dealer being driven with thousands of dollars worth of separates, but, I was already pushing my budget ceiling and I got a GREAT deal on the 3801. I also went with the 6 series center channel for the same budget reason and the fact that I'm not as critical about movies as I am music.
I do plan on bringing in a separate amp at some point in the future to see what all the fuss is about but for now I'm perfectly happy with my audio setup. My television on the other hand... that's my next upgrade.
Check out my setup