New NHT Classic line to replace Super Audio - Page 5

You're still a good 6 weeks away for a Three or Four.

This from NHT FAQ:

My SW10ii / SW12 subwoofer has a loud hum when I turn it on.
What can I do to get rid of the hum?

The DSS system and all cable TV systems have a ground wire connected to the shield of the signal on the outside of the house and driven into the earth with a metal rod or water pipe. The SW10II/12 is grounded to the power outlet through the third prong of the power cord. The AC wiring in the building has the ground conductor connected to a metal rod or water pipe outside the building. Once a patch cord is connected between the DSS system and the subwoofer, a complete circuit is formed called a ground loop. Current flowing in the ground loop can cause very large amounts of noise in the system.

To legally install cable TV or a DSS system, there must be a ground conductor from the dish or cable tied to the earth outside of the building. This guarantees that if struck by lightening, the current will flow to ground (earth) outside of the building, never endangering someone's life inside or damaging any equipment. Removing the ground from the DSS or cable system is not a legal or safe option. We use a grounded power cord on our powered subwoofers and amplifiers to ensure that the customer is always safe. If there is ever any internal short in the subwoofer amplifier between the power supply and the chassis, the current will be shunted to ground (earth) through the power cord and the fuse will blow. The customer will never be in any danger of electric shock.

The proper way to break the ground loop in the system is to do it at the signal level. This should be done at the output of the device that is causing the ground loop. In this case it is the DSS or cable system. The best way to do this is with a ground loop isolator. A good one is available from Jensen Transformers.
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my question is why only NHT sub have that prob?
(all my other sub don't hum)

It is not only NHT. All subwoofers with which I am familiar can do this. It is a common problem and is system related, not product related. The grounded design is a safety feature. There are ways around this. You can eliminate the ground on the sub, it's just that NHT won't be the one to recommend it. We do this all the time. The ground loop isolator is technically the better way to go, though.

i have 2 sys, and i have another sub(hsu stf2) that don't have hum on both....
maybe the hsu sub is not ground?

edit: btw, how to eliminate the ground on the sw10? tia

Just get a three-prong to 2-prong adaptor at the local home store for 39¢. It should do it.

cool, thx....want to hear the sub and that hum is killing me, almost cut off that ground pin
LOL

edit: weird, even i turn off sub, w/ pw cord plug in, sw10 cause rest of sys to hum
removing ground work, thx

Will the sale of NHT to Vinci labs change the timetable for the new Classic line?

Nope, it shouldn't. The first of Classic should be on a ship right now, maybe even at a port. Not sure exactly. I know the cabinets went into production a few weeks back.

The sale of NHT isn't having any affect on the production status for Classic. We've already shipped at least four models to dealers (Absolute Zero, Two, Ten and Twelve).

Silly engineers

Word I'm getting is that there were only a few rep samples sent out so far, that the first major containers start arriving at NHT tomorrow with more coming each week, so shipping to dealers would start next week and at least some dealers should have them by end of next week.

And here I was standing by the door waiting for UPS to show up!

What is the time status of the THREE and FOUR?

I'd say 5 weeks.

Has anyone seen a picture of the 2 or 3 with the grill on?

Jerry, I haven't, but I just saw them in person as they have arrived! The grill looks great. Very pretty in person. I'm also happy to report after some quick A/Bing that they do *exactly* what they need to do and a bit more. The Absolute Zero has tonal balance that is brighter and more detailed than the SB1, with a bigger soundstage, but with a marginally warmer balance than the M5. It is very nearly the performance of the M5, but less than half the size and price. It pays a wonderful tribute to the original SuperZero. The Two offers deeper bass and output. Compared to the SB3 at the same price, it is clearly more detailed, a little lighter but tauter in the bass and, again, a bit warmer than the M5. I'd argue that the Two matches the performance of the M5 in most ways and may have a better overall tonal balance. It has more of that "fun" sound, somewhat missing on the SB2, that made the SuperOne a classic. What is most obvious is how they clearly enunciate vocals and pick up every syllable. And they haven't broken in yet, they're being tortured as I type. The look is just beautiful. The cabinets are also notably more rigid. Rapping on the front baffle is almost like rapping on a granite kitchen counter top. The cones are the other major upgrade while the excellent tweeter from the Super Audio is appropriately carried over. I can't wait to hear the rest of the line as these are a bigger upgrade than I'd expected.

BTW, just to be clear, it's the Absolute Zero, Two and Ten that have arrived. Nothing on the others so far.

Wow. I just saw the new lineup in person at EHX. Those are some stunning looking speakers in person. Especially the Three and Four. The iW4 looks to be an impressive inwall. Too bad I couldn't listen to them. Can't wait to audition them.

Any update on the Three's availability?

Also, how can the Two have deeper base than the SB3?
Wasn't the SB3 rated down to 39Hz?
Granted it was ported and fell off quickly......

Same as ever, last I checked. Still 2-3 weeks away.

The Two doesn't have deeper bass than the SB3, it's about the same as the SB2. Even the Three doesn't have as deep a bass as the SB3. The bass, however is more detailed in the mid/upper bass than on the SB3, so this should address any issues that came up with the SB3s for most people.

No, it wasn't ported. NHT doesn't port midranges. It's why their bookshelf speakers can sound as good as very expensive towers and others can't.

In an earlier post(s) on this thread Jack said the NHT center speakers were designed to be put on top of a television and not on a stand.

My question is: when you say: "on a stand" are you talking about an individual speaker stand OR a television stand that has a top shelf which could be used for a center speaker?

Those of us with LCD or plasma monitors really cannot set a speaker on top. I am quite interested in the NHT speakers, but if I cannot put the speaker on the top shelf of a Bell'O TV stand below the monitor without sacrificing sound quality I will look at other brands.

Thanks,

Larry

These speakers are exceptionally ugly. I'm a 20 something straight as an arrow hetrosexual male but these things look fairly horrible by eye. Definitely not WAF material. Also, funny how this thread comes about a few days after slining so much feces and mud in the Axiom speaker thread (aliminium speakers at nearly the same pricepoint)

Larry, you can place in anywhere, what Jack was saying was that the bass is optimized for placement above, below, near a TV, or up against a wall rather than in free space. Every speaker is optimized (in theory) for one placement or another, so it's not like NHT was trying to limit the flexibility, it's no less flexible than any other center speaker. Your placement is perfectly fine for the speaker.

I buy speakers for their sound, not their looks. In my man-cave, what I say goes. Maybe you should get the keys to ranch back if you're that worried about looks of a speaker.

Very interested in 3's

Jack,

Does NHT have a showroom or listening room that's open to the public? I'm about 10 mins from you guys in Benicia and would LOVE to check out the new 3's. I'm a long time Definitive Tech fan (Been using DR-7's and a C-1) and was considering the Aperion 532's before I started reading about the Classic 3's.

btw~The new 3's are visually stunning. Can't wait to hear them.

Speaking of which, I got the white Absolute Zeros and the Twelve subwoofer today. Looking forward to the rest of the line showing up!

Still no info on price? Scanned the thread and didn't see any...

$800 for the Threes(pair).
I believe all of the pricing is in this thread or there are links in this thread that will take you to a price list.

I thought I'd posted this earlier somewhere, but here goes:

Absolute Zero monitor - $200 each
Two monitor - $300 each
Three monitor - $400 each
Four tower - $1800/pr
2C center- $500
3C center - $600
Ten sub - $600
Twelve sub - $850

Best location for my HT mains in front will be on bookshelves that are only 10 3/8" high, so only the Absolute Zero would fit (I think they would fit!), standing up. I like the SB2 & SB3 because their basic rectangular shape allowed side positioning with no "obvious" signs. But on the new Two and Three, with the tapered top end, it seems they would look, well, awkward lying on their side. May be a stupid quesiton, but would it compromise the sound to position either of those on its side? Seems hard to believe the Ab Zero would almost equal the M5; so maybe I wouldn't be sacrificing too much to go with all Zero's instead of Twos or Threes? Thoughts?

You could do the speakers sideways if need be. It's not ideal and the dispersion won't be as good, but you can do it. How big is the room? I find the Two to be a bit better balanced than the AZ and handles high power a little better and more smoothly. Another option would be to get dual Ten subs with the AZs and then cross over a bit higher to give the AZs a bit more freedom to rock out.

Thanks, Alimentall. The room measures 13' x 14', with doorways on two walls, a fireplace diagonally in one corner, and 9'5" ceilings. Would you really need two Ten subs to drive 4 AZs and a center channel? FWIW, the system in reality will be used more for TV than DVD watching, and for music infrequently. My local NHT dealer sells Marantz receivers & separates, and am seriously considering this combo, though I still need to add a DVD/CD player. Recommendations? I would like to stay under $3K total budget for receiver, all speakers, and player. Thanks!