The previous warning is not without merit. Similar warnings have come up from time to time here, as no one wants to see anyone fall for some Bose or White Van-type BS act. The Rockets are quite good in build and character, they're priced at an entry level, so as a result there are some VERY enthusiastic testimonials floating around from folks with little audio experience. I hate to see the downright squelching of those who are new to the hobby, but I do see the points of those who've been offended. Given a different product with which I'm not familiar, I'd probably think of responding in a similar fashion. I will give you the benefit of the doubt however, and entrust you to pick the wheat from the chaff.
I have not A/B'ed my Rockets with the CDM line, but I did spend some time checking out a pair of CDM 9NT's earlier this month.
The CDM 9NT's are a class act, no doubt about it. What they share with the Rocket 750's is a very good ability to convey tactile dynamics, and mid-bass slam to a slightly lesser extent given the lesser woofer area. That's a good thing by my standards. The upper-midrange is a bit more forward and the treble more detailed, and what's better will be your preference. Warmer speakers are enjoyable for their ability to play at higher SPL's before hitting my fatigue point, and for their forgiving nature with older CD's and bright high-rez recordings. OTOH a bit more zip can be nice on certain material, and some will prefer it overall. I found the soundstage width and overall imaging qualities to be similar enough to require a rapid A/B session to distinguish, and that opportunity has not presented itself.
The cabinet quality is outstanding on both counts. 3/4" MDF with outstanding wood veneer treatment and proper internal baffles, however the B&W's have an edge for their build at the top of the cabinets. The gloss black endcaps on the Rockets look very nice, but they don't appear quite as expensive or difficult to pull off as the tops of the CDM's or especially the Nautilus 803's. When you look at either up close and personal, you get a very good feeling of quality and detail.
I didn't get to open the CDM's to see the the crossovers, cabinet internals, and drivers, but of course they're going to be quite a bit better than those of the B&W 600 S2 Series which I found not to compare all that well. My guess is that the engineering and internals of the CDM's are at least as savvy as Dick Pierce's Rocket designs, but one is likely to find fewer yet more expensive caps and resistors in the CDM's. The 750's use a Zobel network for each crossover leg to flatten impedance and a cascading woofer network, so they're large and complex. He did keep the "good stuff" ie. metal film resistors etc. in the direct signal path.
Try
www.audioenvy.com to see if there's a Rocket owner near you who can give you a demo. Talk is cheap, check 'em out if you can.
