B&W CM Center Speaker

Description

The Bowers & Wilkins CM Centre was developed as the dedicated center-channel loudspeaker for the original CM Series, complementing models such as the CM1 and CM7 to create a seamless, high-performance home theater system. Introduced in 2006, it brought many of the technologies found in B&W’s premium 800 Series into a compact and elegantly styled enclosure. Designed with equal emphasis on music and movie reproduction, the CM Centre quickly earned a reputation for delivering exceptionally clear dialogue, natural vocal timbre, and wide sound dispersion while maintaining the refined tonal balance that characterized the original CM lineup.

The CM Centre is a two-way bass-reflex loudspeaker featuring a 25 mm (1-inch) Nautilus™ tube-loaded aluminum dome tweeter flanked by two 130 mm (5-inch) woven Kevlar® bass/midrange drivers in a symmetrical driver arrangement. This D’Appolito-inspired layout helps produce consistent horizontal dispersion, ensuring that dialogue remains intelligible for listeners seated across a wide viewing area. The Nautilus tube-loading technology absorbs unwanted rear radiation from the tweeter, reducing coloration and allowing high frequencies to sound clean, detailed, and effortless.

Like its larger floorstanding siblings, the CM Centre incorporates B&W’s signature Flowport™ rear-firing bass reflex system. The dimpled port surface reduces turbulence and port noise while extending low-frequency response beyond what would normally be expected from a cabinet of this size. An included foam port insert allows owners to tailor the bass output when the speaker must be placed close to a wall or inside an entertainment cabinet, improving installation flexibility without significantly compromising performance.

Cabinet construction reflects the premium aspirations of the CM Series. The enclosure is heavily braced to minimize unwanted resonance and finished in attractive real-wood veneers such as Rosenut, Wenge, and Maple, along with Gloss Black. Magnetically attached grilles preserve the speaker’s clean appearance when removed, while high-quality binding posts allow either single-wire or bi-wire connections depending on system configuration.

Reviewers consistently praised the CM Centre’s sonic performance. In its review of the complete CM surround speaker system, TechRadar described the package as offering “breathtaking value for money” with “true sweet highs”, “great definition,” and impressive overall coherence. The publication noted that Bowers & Wilkins had successfully incorporated technology from its higher-end loudspeakers into the CM range, resulting in a surround system capable of both excellent musical reproduction and convincing home theater performance.

Bowers & Wilkins itself emphasized the speaker’s musical capabilities, stating that the CM Centre “makes music as a seamless, cohesive whole, and displays a striking ability to resolve fine detail.” The company also highlighted its “deep, fast, tuneful” bass performance despite the cabinet’s compact dimensions, making it equally adept at reproducing orchestral scores, concert recordings, and dynamic movie soundtracks.

One of the CM Centre’s greatest strengths is its tonal integration with the rest of the original CM Series. Whether paired with CM1 bookshelf speakers or CM7 floorstanders, it creates a cohesive front soundstage where voices pan smoothly across the screen and dialogue remains anchored naturally to the action. Even by modern standards, the speaker’s refined treble, articulate midrange, and quality construction continue to make it a desirable choice for enthusiasts building or restoring a classic Bowers & Wilkins surround system.

Product Specifications

• Speaker Type: Two-way bass-reflex center-channel loudspeaker
• Tweeter: 25 mm (1 in.) Nautilus™ tube-loaded aluminum dome
• Bass/Midrange Drivers: 2 × 130 mm (5 in.) woven Kevlar® cones
• Enclosure: Rear-ported Flowport™ bass-reflex design
• Frequency Response: 55 Hz – 22 kHz (±3 dB)
• Frequency Range (-6 dB): 45 Hz – 50 kHz
• Sensitivity: 85 dB (2.83V/1m)
• Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (minimum 4.3 ohms)
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 30–120 watts into 8 ohms
• Crossover Frequency: Approximately 4 kHz
• Inputs: Gold-plated binding posts
• Dimensions (H × W × D): 166.5 × 480 × 275 mm (6.6 × 18.9 × 10.8 in.)
• Weight: Approximately 11.5 kg (25.4 lbs.)