The CM9 floorstanding speaker from Bowers and Wilkins has been awarded Best Louspeaker by the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA).

The CM9 is a three-way floorstanding speaker that features a 25mm aluminium dome tweeter, a 160mm Kevlar FST midrange driver, and twin 165mm paper/Kevlar bass drivers.

The EISA judging panel said: “The CM9 floorstanding loudspeaker offers tremendous value for money, and features Bowers & Wilkins’ highly regarded FST midrange unit as part of a four-driver system. The woven Kevlar cone of the FST driver is swaged at its edge and rests on a ring of foamed plastic that acts in compression. This novel arrangement improves the driver’s dissipation of unwanted vibrations but limits its excursion, so the unit hands over to twin 165mm bass drivers, reflex loaded through a dimpled port, for deep and extended low frequencies.”

“Suitably partnered, the CM9 offers a very lush sound, big and expressive with a very realistic sense of musical dynamics. It’s one of Bowers & Wilkins’ most compelling floorstanders to date and at a price that seals its EISA commendation,” added the panel.

Bowers & Wilkins’ CM9 are priced as follows: CM9 $4,499, CM9 Theatre System $10,796