Ultimate Center Channel, No comprimises here!

[annunaki]

I was tooling around the B&W site when I came across their new top end center channel. Check this baby out. Three, yes, THREE eight inch woofers, one Six inch FST midrange and one, one inch diamond tweeter. AND the Midrange and tweeter are in their own respective Marlan enclosures like the rest of the 800 series. Oh yeah, and it weighs 205 LBS!!!!!!

From B&W:

The HTM1D is the largest of four centre speakers in the 800 Series. It could be considered an 802D with a different aspect. The full configuration of FST™ midrange in a Marlan® sphere/tube 'head' with diamond dome tweeter on top is used, so that the system perfectly voice matches either the 800D, 801D or 802D in a substantial and powerful multi-channel installation.

To supply the prodigious bass power necessary to keep up with these powerful main speakers, the HTM1D uses three 200mm (8 in) diameter Rohacell® cone drivers with twin rear-firing Flowports™. All drivers are, of course, magnetically shielded to avoid picture distortion with CRT-based screens.

The HTM1D is specifically intended to be mounted on the floor, its low profile allowing a large projection screen to come within 600mm (2 ft) of the floor. Supplied with the system are four heavy-duty height-adjustable feet. This design allows up to 40mm (1.6 in) of vertical adjustment so that the speaker may be tilted back to face more towards the listeners. They have a case hardened spike at one end for carpeted floors, and a non marking rubber pad on the other for more vulnerable surfaces.

http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model HTM1D

Specs:
Technical Specifications : HTM1D

Description 3-way magnetically shielded vented-box system
Dimensions Height: 585mm (23 in) (not including feet)
Width: 974mm (38.3 in)
Depth: 580mm (22.8 in)

Net Weight 93kg (205 lb)
Freq. Response 38Hz - 28kHz ±3dB on reference axis
Freq. Range -6dB at 32Hz and 33kHz
Sensitivity 90dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
Normal Impedance 8 ohms (minimum 3.7 ohms)
Power Handling 50W - 1000W into 8 ohms on unclipped programme
Drive Units Unit 1: 1x 25mm (1 in) diamond dome high-frequency
Unit 2: 1x 150mm (6 in) woven Kevlar® cone FST midrange
Unit 3: 3x 200mm (8 in) Rohacell® cone bass

Finish Cabinet: Real wood veneers of Cherrywood, Rosenut or Black Ash
Grille: Black cloth
Dispersion Description: Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal: over 60º arc
Vertical: over 10º arc

Harmonic Distortion 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<1% 55Hz - 100kHz
<0.5% 100Hz - 100kHz
Crossover Frequency 350Hz, 4kHz
Max. Recommended Cable Impedance 0.1 ohms

 

[zumbo]

One of these days all of you will see what I mean. B&W makes the best speakers.

Did you know they grow their diamond tweeters. Yes. I said grow. The diamond domes are grown in a lab. I have not heard these tweeters, but the Nautilus tweeters were the best I have ever heard. I can't wait to hear this new line of speakers.

B&W will send you a free dvd with cool speaker making 101 and some cool tunes in DTS.

One of these days I am going to own some 800 series speakers.

 

[annunaki]

I agree with you Zumbo. In my opinion B&W is unmatched in R&D, which yields them excellent results. I too cannot wait to hear the New 800 series.

I used to work for a B&W dealer in the past. We did sales training with them. The amount of R&D they do is astonishing. They do as much as they can in-house as well. They explained to us that they had more people with PHDs in their respective fields than Sony did as an entire corporation. They even took us out to eat and paid for drinks in thanks for supporting them. They were class act people too. Very professional, and happy to answer any questions.

 

[zumbo]

You ought to sign-up for the free dvd. It is sooooooo cool. The music is ok. But watching the robots and people building the speakers is toooooo cool.

 

[annunaki]

Where on the site do you sign up. Post a link. Thanks.

 

[zumbo]

DVD

bottom right.

 

[zumbo]

That center channel is $8000.

 

[corysmith01]

That center is insane

Power handling up to 1000W?! Crazy.

Yeah, I too am hook-line&sinker in love with B&W, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I gave other speakers their fair shake and won't bother with knocking them...most were really solid performers. Everyone hears a little different. Actually went with Paradigm...for about 3 days. Returned 'em and went back to my B&W's. What's crazy is that I can only afford the 600 series and am still surprised at what I was missing (lots of JBL and Infinity before). I can't imagine how impressed I'll be as I work up towards the 800 series....many, many years down the road. Thank heaven for retailer upgrade policies.

 

[annunaki]

Thanks.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

OK. Maybe they make a center better than the Venturi 62 CLR-S, but I'd have to hear them side by side

Thanks for the link to the DVD. Can't wait to see it.

 

[Rob Babcock]

There's one other company that grows diamond tweeters in a similar method...is it Eidelon or something like that? I can't remember.

$8k is a bit more than I could spend for a center channel. Or even a whole system! Oh, well. Someday...

 

[Malakei]

wow.

what a fine piece of equipment. i wish i had the money for B&W cuz they are definately a quality product. thanks for the drool.

 

[Privateer]

If you do not like the B&W you can always check out the Mcintosh XR27.

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=20&cat=Loudspeaker+Systems&prodid=1047&product=XR27

Aluminum enclosure, four 8 inch LD/HP woofers, 6.5 inch midrange and 5 tweeter Bessel Array setup.

The XR27 can handle up to 1200 watts.

 

[rgriffin25]

I have always drooled over B&W speakers. Add me to the list of people that cannot afford them.

 

[toquemon]

Impressive and expensive, too. I have my doubts about the diamond tweeter just the same about the ceramic tweeter. Are they really better than a metal alloy dome or silk dome?

 

[zipper]

$8000 just for a center channel!???




Thats it!!............I quit. I'm taking my ball & going home






Wait..................do you think they'd ship me one & let me audition it?

 

[rschleicher]

I liked the screen that popped up after signing up for B&W's DVD:

"Your DVD will be sent to you in due course."

How teddibly British!

Thanks for the tip - I'm looking forward to watching and listening to it. I've always loved the sound of 800-series Nautilus speakers, but have never been willing to pony up the cash.

 

[Nomo]

Some day I'll own B&Ws! That is an aweome looking center. Probably not high in WAF though.

 

[av_phile]

Working with Rotel as their official amp to voice their speakers, B&W produces some of the finest speakers I've heard, especially their 800 nautilus line. I've always considered the B&W 800 series as one of the best sounding speakers out there, if not the best for their price. And their aftersales service matches their excellent products. A colleague emailed B&W inquiring about the availablity of a replacement for a busted tweeter in a series that was already many years old. Within a few weeks, he got a replacement tweeter via door-to-door courier. Free of charge.

 

[mhp]

The amazing thing about B&W

I too am in the devoted B&W camp. Back in the day I also worked at a shop that sold B&W. Cost for speakers in what was then the CDM SE series was a sweet deal.

Two things: a friend was our installer. He's now working for another HT shop in town. I spoke with him at length about my new HT project. He asked if I were buying speakers. I told him what I had and said I didn't see any need to replace them just yet. He said, "there's no need to replace them forever."

When I bought those, he heard them, and his response was, "they got it right this time."

As someone who sold B&W for several years, I'll say that I don't know that I've heard anything better than the Nautilus 802. An amazing speaker, with an amazing sound. And they look great, too.

(Can't wait to hear the new ones.)

The other thing is that you shouldn't count yourself out of the B&W market just because you cant afford a center channnel like the one above. Even their 300 series speakers are truly remarkable for the price. And that's true, in my experience, all across the line. Performance keeps going up as price does, but the performance/price ratio is darn near unbeatable.

I still have the speakers I replaced with the B&Ws, an old pair of Magnepan SMGas. That's a killer speaker, too. And there are things about the ol' Magnepans I miss. But the B&Ws are better, even than a planar radiator.

Don't not look at their stuff because it's expensive -- because if you avoid them because you think they're too expensive, you'll miss some of the best buys in A/V.

The 600 series -- day in and day out -- is a category killer.

I've heard oodles of speakers twice and three times those prices (and I'm talking retail) that can't compete. And I'm pretty sure they're better now than they were circa 2000, when I was spending time with them daily.

--MHP