B&W CCM 8.5D

A rotatable ceiling-mounted baffle

CCM8.5D aims both drive units by rotating its mini-baffle.

The single Bowers & Wilkins CCM8.5D is an in-ceiling speaker. It needs a square 331 × 331 mm opening beneath a 351 × 351 mm frame. The body is 166 mm deep, while the assembly with BB CCM8.5 back box reaches 177 mm; front protrusion is 8 mm. Check the available void against the actual mounting arrangement.

Key features

• Cut-out 331 × 331 mm; frame 351 × 351 mm; depth 166 mm.
• Drive units: 180 mm Continuum bass/midrange and 25 mm Diamond Dome tweeter.
• Impedance: 8 ohm nominal; power: 120 W recommended.
• rotatable mini-baffle; BB CCM8.5 back box

Aiming the complete array

The decoupled 25 mm Diamond Dome tweeter uses Nautilus tube loading; the 180 mm Continuum bass/midrange unit has an anti-resonance plug. Both sit on a rotating aluminium mini-baffle that aims the system towards the listening seats. This differs from CCM models where only the tweeter pivots: the axes of both drive units move. Flowport is part of the acoustic design.

Dimensions and matching

The -6 dB range is 35 Hz to 35 kHz, sensitivity 88 dB and nominal impedance 8 ohms. Recommended amplifier power is 120 W. The BB CCM8.5 back box has a 701 × 343 mm frontal envelope: make sure the structure can accommodate it before cutting. With a square frame, alignment to the ceiling architecture also deserves attention.

The square cut-out describes the speaker opening, but its back box occupies a much wider area behind the surface. Check the whole span between structural members before finalising the ceiling design. The mini-baffle can then be rotated towards the listening area after the frame alignment is chosen. Its Diamond tweeter and Continuum driver remain together on the same adjustable assembly.