Legendary Bowers and Wilkins CDM 7 Special Edition Series Floorstanding Speakers

The Bowers & Wilkins CDM 7SE (Special Edition) floorstanding speakers are highly regarded late-1990s audiophile classics. They combined premium components from the flagship Matrix and Nautilus series into a more accessible, beautifully crafted cabinets and have been accredited to be some of the best value speakers ever made



The Bowers & Wilkins CDM 7 SE (Special Edition) is a highly regarded, premium floor-standing loudspeaker system released in the late 1990s. It was designed to bridge the gap between B&W's entry-level models and their flagship Matrix/Nautilus studio monitors. [1, 2]

Here is a comprehensive overview of this classic audiophile speaker:

Key Technical Specifications

Type: 2.5-way, passive floorstanding speaker.

Frequency Response: 40 Hz to 20,000 Hz (± 3dB).

Sensitivity: 90 dB (2.83V at 1 meter).

Impedance: 8 ohms nominal.

Recommended Amplifier Power: 30W – 150W into 8 ohms.

Dimensions: 95 cm (H) x 22 cm (W) x 29 cm (D).

Enclosure Type: Front-ported, bass reflex design. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Core Technology & Design Features

Tweeter on Top: Features B&W’s iconic free-mounted tweeter design. Placing the alloy-dome tweeter on top of the cabinet reduces internal diffraction and opens up the soundstage.


Kevlar Midrange: Outfitted with B&W's signature yellow woven Kevlar cone driver. The "SE" version specifically upgraded this driver with a bullet-shaped phase plug in the center. This drastically improved transient response and midrange clarity over the original CDM 7.

Paper/Kevlar Woofer: Includes an additional dedicated bass driver made from a composite mix of paper and Kevlar, providing deep, fast, and highly controlled low frequencies.

Premium Cabinets: Known for their sloped top baffle and beautiful real-wood veneer finishes, most commonly found in Cherry, Red Ash, or Black Ash. They feature high-quality bi-wireable terminals at the back.

Sound Profile

Midrange Clarity: Exceptional vocal reproduction and realism due to the upgraded Kevlar driver and phase plug.

Imaging: The "Tweeter on Top" design creates a wide, precise soundstage that makes the speakers "disappear" in the room.

Bass Response: Punchy, tight, and fast, though it benefits heavily from proper room placement. Placed too close to walls, the front-firing ports


Technical Specifications

System Type: 2.5-way, fourth-order vented-box system

Drivers:

1x 25mm (1 inch) alloy dome high-frequency tweeter

1x 165mm (6.5 inch) woven Kevlar cone bass/midrange with phase plug

1x 165mm (6.5 inch) paper/Kevlar cone bass woofer

Frequency Response: 40Hz – 20kHz ±3dB on reference axis

Frequency Range: -6dB at 30Hz and 30kHz

Sensitivity: 90dB spl (2.83V, 1m)

Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (minimum 4 ohms)

Crossover Frequencies: 150Hz, 3kHz

Power Handling: 30W – 150W into 8 ohms on unclipped program

Total Harmonic Distortion: <1% (60Hz – 20kHz, 90dB spl at 1m)

Physical Dimensions

Height: 950mm (37.4 inches)

Width: 220mm (8.7 inches)

Depth: 290mm (11.4 inches)

Net Weight: 18.5 kg (40.7 lbs) per speaker

Cabinet Finishes: Real wood veneers (Black Ash, Cherrywood, Red Ash)

Grille: Black cloth