CM5 S2 - Loudspeaker B&W - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	2-way bookshelf speaker
Brand	B&W (Bowers & Wilkins)
Model	CM5 S2
Dimensions (H x W x D)	350 x 200 x 280 mm
Weight	8.1 kg
Power	Passive (requires external amplifier)
Nominal impedance	8 ohms
Sensitivity	88 dB (2.83 V/1 m)
Frequency response	45 Hz – 50 kHz (±3 dB)
Recommended power	30 – 150 W per channel
Speakers	25 mm aluminum dome tweeter, 165 mm composite cone mid/bass
Finish	Black lacquer, matte white or real walnut
Main features	High-fidelity sound reproduction, compatible with all Hi-Fi amplifiers
Maintenance and cleaning	Dust with a soft dry cloth; avoid chemicals and moisture
Safety	Do not expose to shocks, water or extreme temperatures; place on a stable surface
Spare parts and repairability	Tweeter, bass driver and front grille available; repair by an authorized technician
General information	Speaker designed for critical listening; ideal in stereo or as surround

Frequently Asked Questions - CM5 S2 B&W

What is the recommended amplifier power for the CM5 S2?

The recommended power is 30 to 150 watts per channel for optimal performance.

Can I use the CM5 S2 with a 4 ohm amplifier?

Yes, but the nominal impedance is 8 ohms. Check that your amplifier supports this impedance. A 4 ohm amplifier will deliver more power, but stay within the recommended power limits.

How to clean the CM5 S2 speakers?

Use a soft dry cloth to dust. Never use chemicals or water directly on the speakers or the lacquered finish.

What is the diameter of the CM5 S2 speakers?

The tweeter has a diameter of 25 mm (aluminum dome) and the mid/bass of 165 mm (composite cone).

Is the CM5 S2 suitable for home theater use?

Yes, it can be used as front or surround speaker in a home theater system, but it excels mainly in Hi-Fi stereo.

What is the frequency response of the CM5 S2?

The frequency response is 45 Hz to 50 kHz (±3 dB), offering deep bass and detailed highs.

How to connect speaker cables to the CM5 S2?

Use the screw terminals on the back. Strip the cables about 1 cm, insert them and tighten. Observe polarity (+/-) for a good stereo image.

Does the CM5 S2 require a subwoofer?

No, its bass is already good for a bookshelf speaker (45 Hz). But adding a subwoofer can reinforce lower frequencies for home theater.

What finishes are available?

The available finishes are: black lacquer, matte white and real walnut.

How to position the CM5 S2 speakers for optimal listening?

Place them at ear level, about 1 meter from the rear wall and at equal distance from the listening position. Tilt them slightly towards the listening position if necessary.

USER MANUAL CM5 S2 B&W

CM1 S2 CM5 S2 CM6 S2

Welcome and thank you for choosing Bowers & Wilkins.

Our founder, John Bowers, believed that imaginative design, innovative engineering and advanced technology were keys that could unlock the enjoyment of audio in the home. His belief is one that we continue to share and inspires every product we design.

This is a high performance product that rewards thoughtful installation, so we suggest that you take some time to read this manual before you begin. Continue on page 5 →

1. Unpacking

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Carton Contents

Check in the carton for:

2 Foam plug
8 Self-adhesive rubber supporting feet

Environmental Information

This product complies with international directives, including but not limited to:

i. the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment,
ii. the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals (REACH)
iii. the disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

Consult your local waste disposal authority for guidance on how properly to recycle or dispose of this product.

Speaker Installation

The speaker is primarily designed to be mounted on a dedicated floor stand (FS-CM S2), but may be placed on a shelf if preferred. However, it should be noted that this offers less flexibility to optimise the speaker's performance. If shelf placement must be used, we recommend using the foam bung inserts (supplied) to optimise port performance (see Section 4: Fine-Tuning).

In both installation cases, the speakers' tweeters should be approximately at ear height at your usual listening position.

Note: If using a shelf, ensure that it is strong enough to properly support the weight and fit the 4 rubber supporting feet to the underside of the speaker.

1. Positioning
   

Speaker Positioning

Adjustment of speaker position following initial installation will probably further improve the sound quality and is usually worthwhile.

In either stereo or home theatre installations, try to ensure that the immediate surroundings of each speaker are similar in acoustic character. For example, if one speaker is adjacent to bare walls while the other is adjacent to soft furnishings and curtains, both the overall sound quality and the stereo image are likely to be compromised.

Conventional Stereo Systems

To begin with, the speakers should be positioned between 1.5m and 3m apart at two corners of an equilateral triangle completed by the listening area at the third corner. The speakers should be approximately 0.5m away from the back wall, and at least 0.5m away from any side walls (above).

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Home Theatre Systems

If the speakers are to be used for the front channels in a home theatre system, they should be placed closer together than for 2-channel audio, because the surround channels tend to widen the image. Positioning the speakers within approximately 0.5m of the sides of the screen will also help keep the sound image in scale with the visual image. As with conventional stereo positioning, the speakers should ideally be at least 0.5m away from any side walls. If you would prefer to place your speaker against the back wall and this location results in over emphasised bass, see the Fine Tuning section of this manual for information on using the foam plugs.

Stray magnetic fields

The speaker drive units create stray magnetic fields that extend beyond the boundaries of the cabinet. We recommend you keep magnetically sensitive articles (CRT television and computer screens, computer discs, audio and video tapes, swipe cards and the like) at least 0.5m from the speaker. LCD, OLED and plasma screens are not affected by magnetic fields.

3. Connections

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All connections should be made with the audio equipment switched off.
There are 2 linked pairs of terminals on the back of the speaker. For conventional connection (above left), the terminal links should remain in place (as delivered) and just one pair of terminals connected to the amplifier. For bi-wire connections or bi-amplification (above right), the terminal links should be removed and each pair of terminals connected to the amplifier or amplifiers independently. Bi-wiring can improve the resolution of low-level detail.

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Ensure that the positive terminals on the speaker (marked + and coloured red) are connected to the positive output terminal on the amplifier and the negative terminals on the speaker (marked – and coloured black) are connected to the negative output terminal on the amplifier. Incorrect connection can result in poor imaging and loss of bass.
Ask your dealer for advice when selecting speaker cable.

1. Fine Tuning
   

Before fine tuning, make sure that all the connections in the installation are correct and secure.

Moving the speakers further from the walls will generally reduce the volume of bass. Space behind the speakers will also help to create an aural impression of depth. Conversely, moving the speakers closer to the walls will increase the volume of bass. If you want to reduce the volume of bass without moving the speakers further from the wall, fit the foam plugs or, for less severe bass reduction, the foam rings in the port tubes (above).

If the bass seems uneven with frequency this will most probably be a consequence of the acoustic properties of your listening room. Even small changes in the position of the speakers or listening position can have a significant effect on sonic performance, especially at low frequencies. Try moving your listening position or locating your speakers along a different wall if possible.

If no alternatives exist, you can adjust your loudspeakers' low-frequency performance using the supplied foam bungs. The bungs are a two-piece part, allowing for a degree of fine-tuning using either the outer, larger-diameter piece in isolation or the two parts together. Using solely the outer, larger-diameter foam bung will deliver less bass attenuation than the complete bung assembly.

If using floor stands to support the speakers, ensure that they rest firmly on the floor. Use carpet piercing spikes if appropriate and adjust them to take up any unevenness. If you are using our FS-CM S2 stands, we recommend mass-loading them to deliver the best combination of stability and performance. We recommend filling each stand to its maximum available volume using an appropriate material such as kiln-dried sand.

1. Running In 6. Aftercare

The performance of the speaker will change subtly during the initial listening period. If the speaker has been stored in a cold environment, the damping compounds and suspension materials of the drive units will take some time to recover their correct mechanical properties. The drive unit suspensions will also loosen up during the first hours of use. The time taken for the speaker to achieve its intended performance will vary depending on previous storage conditions and how it is used. As a guide, allow up to a week for the temperature effects to stabilise and 15 hours of average use for the mechanical parts to attain their intended design characteristics.

The cabinet surfaces will usually only require dusting. If you wish to use an aerosol or other cleaner, apply the cleaner onto the cloth, not directly onto the product and test a small area first, as some cleaning products may damage some of the surfaces. Avoid products that are abrasive, or contain acid, alkali or antibacterial agents. Marks on the paint surface may be removed with a dilute perfume-free soap solution. Remove any remaining streak marks by spraying with a proprietary glass cleaner and lightly wiping dry with a microfibre cloth. Do not use cleaning agents on the drive units and avoid touching them as damage may result.

Real wood veneers are treated with an ultra-violet resistant lacquer to minimise changes in colour over time. Nevertheless, like all natural materials, a degree of colour change is to be expected. Colour differences may be rectified by exposing all the veneer surfaces equally and evenly to sunlight until the colour is uniform. This process can take a long time, but may be accelerated by careful use of an ultra-violet lamp. Keep the speakers away from direct sources of heat such as radiators and warm air vents in order to minimise the possibility of the wood veneer cracking.

1. Déballage

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Heimkinosysteme

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Posizionamento

Sistemi Home Theatre

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Luidsprekeropstelling

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Home Theater Systemen

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Hz

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Domácí kino

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Ustawienie głośnika

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扬声器的定位

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家庭影院系统

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揚聲器的定位

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家庭影院系統

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スピーカー設置位置

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스피커 설치 위치

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홈씨어터 시스템

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EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

We,

B&W Group Ltd.

whose registered office is situated at

Dale Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2BH, United Kingdom

declare under our sole responsibility that the products:

CM1 S2, CM5 S2 and CM6 S2

comply with the EU Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive 89/336/EEC, in pursuance of which the following standards have been applied:

EN 61000-6-1 : 2007

EN 61000-6-3 : 2007

EN 55020 : 2007

EN 55013 : 2001

and comply with the EU General Product Safety 2001/95/EC, in pursuance of which the following standard has been applied:

BS EN 60065:2002 + A12:2011

This declaration attests that the manufacturing process quality control and product documentation accord with the need to assure continued compliance.

The attention of the user is drawn to any special measures regarding the use of this equipment that may be detailed in the owner's manual.

Signed:

G Edwards

Executive Vice President, Operations

B&W Group Ltd.

Bowers & Wilkins

B&W Group Ltd

Dale Road

Worthing West Sussex

BN11 2BH England

T [phone]

F [phone]

[e-mail]

www.bowers-wilkins.com

B&W Group (UK Sales)

T [phone]

E [e-mail]

B&W Group North America

T+1 978 664 2870

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B&W Group Asia Ltd

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Copyright © B&W Group Ltd. E&OE

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