Friend of mine has the CIII and the same main speakers, but obviously his room is different so it is hard to make any definitive comparative conclusions. I prefer the overall sound of my 861 (but I would think that, wouldn't I?) although he has certainly had less maintenance problems with his CIII. I also employ all digital sources and have grown fond of listening to 2-channel sources through Trifield - something CIII cannot match.


My Kit: 861v8+ID41, 800v4, UHD722, MD600, MS600, MS200, Oppo BDP-203, Genesis 201, Genesis 350 SE, Genesis S4-8 Sub, BG 520i, VTL MB450 II, Krell Showcase 7, Genesis 928 Subs, Danley DTS10 sub, SVS Ultra 16 subs.