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Setting new performance standards for affordable accurate sound reproduction for two channel stereo reproduction and multi-channel home theater.
Signature Edition... Legendary performance now even better!
Our CBM-170SE has achieved worldwide recognition as the modern standard in affordable bookshelf speaker performance. A speaker specifically designed for accuracy, power handling, high sensitivity, surprising dynamics and compactness.
Its unique squarish shape is a demonstration of form following function, keeping diffraction at bay while maximizing cabinet volume. This is a true bookshelf speaker, being easy to place nearly anywhere, on a shelf, in a bookshelf, on a stand, and even wall mounted – with little to no compromise on performance.
Along with tens of thousands of happy customers, the CBM-170SE is being used in research labs, recording studios, college music rooms and even a few bars. It has been in continual production since 1999, with only one change - from the original version to the now standard Signature Edition.
Typical In-Room Frequency Response | 53Hz - 20kHz |
Typical In-Room Sensitivity | 93dB @ 2.83v / 1 meter |
Nominal Impedance | 8 ohms |
Max Continuous Power* | 200 watts |
Max Short Term Peak Power* | 400 watts |
Cabinet Detail | internally braced 5/8" MDF, magnetically shielded, bass reflex via rear tuned port |
Tweeter | (1) 27mm custom soft dome tweeter, double-chambered w/neodymium magnet, ferrofluid cooled voice coil, wide dispersion faceplate, manufactured by SEAS of Norway |
Woofer | (1) proprietary 6.5” long throw woofer featuring a composite polygel cone, real phase plug, non-resonant polymer chassis, rubber surround, vented former, magnetically shielded |
Connections | (2) gold plated all metal 5 way binding posts |
Inserts | (1) M6 threaded insert for simple mounting to wall mount brackets |
Anechoic Frequency Response | 58Hz - 22kHz +/- 3dB |
Anechoic Sensitivity | 89dB @ 2.83v / 1 meter |
Dimensions H x W x D** | 12" x 9" x 10" |
Speaker Weight (each) | 14 pounds |
Shipping Weight (pair) | 32 pounds |
Minimum Recommended Amplifier Power Rating for Speaker Distance to Listening Position | |
3 Feet or Less | 1 watt minimum |
9 Feet or Less | 8 watts minimum |
15 Feet or Less | 23 watts minimum |
21 Feet or More | 45 watts minimum |
*Unclipped peaks | **Grille On |
*All of the measurements you see below are unsmoothed and use a 5dB/division scale where appropriate. It is common for loudspeaker manufacturers to publish measurements that have been smoothed to 1/3 octave (meaning 3 graph points per each octave) and use a 10dB/division scale. This has a tendency to make the graphs look smoother than they are.
We have chosen to be different.
Full-range quasi-anechoic on-axis frequency response @ 1 meter unsmoothed:
Horizontal & Vertical off-axis + listening window @ 1 meter unsmoothed:
Impedance + Electrical Phase:
Cumulative Spectral Decay:
Both the on- and off-axis frequency response measure so flat that this little gem exceeded our initial expectations and is suitable for professional studio monitoring. This means that sound is reproduced almost exactly as it was recorded, making it ideal for audio and home theater usage. We promise that you will hear information hidden deep within even the most stubborn recordings.
Vocals sound clean, natural, and truly 3-dimensional. The treble is detailed, smooth, and crisp yet pleasantly subtle.
Because we elected to focus on vocal accuracy and clarity, instead of unrealistic over emphasized bass (like most other speakers in this class,) bass is fast and tight, not boomy and muddy. If you desire deeper bass extension, we recommend pairing the CBM-170 SE with a high-quality powered subwoofer.
Simply put, sit back, relax and listen as these speakers simply disappear deeper and deeper into the background as individual instruments and vocalists become more present and move closer into the foreground giving the listener a true sense of actually being there.