i'm thinking nht c1's .. any thoughts?

That would be a good option, if wanting to step it up

thanks.. i am anxiously waiting on your full review , the way i understand it nht has a "house sound" that is kinda unique..

I owned the SuperOne 2.1 back in the day. Very nice build quality. The finish is a little too glossy for my tastes but the cabinet is solid and robust. The drivers are actually pretty good and have ample detail for the price. I'd give them the edge over Wharfedale and Elac in that regard.

They are a real steal for under $200. Only Elac 6.2 at $150 or Wharfedale 10.1 at $180 come close. Luckily, all three sound very different.

My only gripe about the NHT budget models is their W-shaped response. It's very similar to the Dali Zensors and the old Music Hall Marimbas. The 3D soundstage and precise imaging is a nice feature of that shape though.

It's just the forwards mids, lack of upper mid/lower treble "presence", and sometimes "zingy" treble that made me move on eventually. That's purely a personal taste though.

I could have easily lived with all three and sometimes I actually miss that sound signature so I can see where many people would like them.

Here are the smaller SuperZero's which are similar in sound but much less bass:





The C-series is a whole different ballgame, and by all accounts is extremely neutral and smooth. I've never heard them though. I would only consider the smaller C1 or SZ if I was using a sub. Even then, sealed speakers aren't really for me.

Yes the glossy finish takes some getting use to -- I am not hearing much of a mid rise in my set, however still early in the test -- they have some nice bass for their size .... and the cabinet really is braced inside. .... The Classic Two that I use to own is on another level

I will have more info on my subjective take soon, they do hold their own and more compared to some entry level ones going around. -- NHT has a somewhat house sound, but not like the Q A speakers. The Super series is their so called entry level speakers. The former Classic series and current C series is where more resolution takes place for detail, definition, and air. I use to own the Classic Two, Model 1.1 and older SuperZero .... and auditioned a few more in the past.

Agreed all around. The cabinet is especially nice and inert. The glossiness (not unique to NHT) only really bothers me for TV/Movies when they reflect what's happening on the screen. Not a big deal for most.

I never really heard the mids as "too" forward but they did sound north of neutral. Not forward like a budget Klipsch. The upper mids and treble was the only thing that sounded a little "too" sharp sometimes, but not always.

They do have excellent imaging and soundstaging by any measure. Overall, very nice.

thanks very much guys..

Here is the C3 -- it is nice

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And likewise the Absolute Zero (predecessor to C1):



Nothing to complain about there...(well bass maybe, but with a sub who cares.)

i have talked myself into ordering, i think,,, i've been stalking these c1's for my small room for a while.. if i really like them i can always grab the c3's on sale later as well...

Crossover and braced cabinet of the SuperOne 2.1 -- more than a simple cross brace -- and they did put stuffing behind the woofer

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Wow. That's a real quality crossover and indeed a quite beefy brace. Stuffing where it's supposed to be. Very impressive.

While the SuperOne 2.1 is not so-called perfect, they are not bad -- they do have a somewhat roller coaster frequency response -- the Super series is made to stand out a little bit -- there is a rise in the treble that may remind some people of the KEF Q100. While the tweeter can be somewhat sharp, it can be controlled by a little bit of EQ. The woofer is better than the tweeter. They do have a decent soundstage, but not as wide as some other speakers can be, they do lack some depth. They have some nice and rich detail but are lacking in some definition and layering and can sound a little dry. Some good decent bass for a sealed design, but are not -3db at 56 hz -- but there is still some usable bass below 60 hz. The speakers do a nice job with drums and for a budget friendly speaker a good job with human voices

For one on a tight budget, pretty much a no-brainer for $206 a pair, but the sound is below their $375 suggested retail. But I will easily take them over the Sony, Q Acoustics, JBL Arena and HTD Level Three, the Xtonebox, the older PSB Alpha, the older Paradigm Titan, the former Infinity Primus, and the likes of some Polks and Klipsch speakers -- they will make many people happy. And would really make some nice surround speakers.

For one who likes to toy with manuel EQ >> +1 at 400 khz > +1 at 4000 khz > -2 at 6300 khz > -2 at 10000 khz made them sound more linear and better

thanks , good info there , are you going to hold onto them a while? or will the auditions continue?

I will decide in a few days -- they do have a chance to stay

I have the Absolute Zeros coupled with a 12 inch sub. The combination is terrific. Really love the Absolute Zeros and assume the C-1 would sound the same since dimensions and drivers all look almost identical.
It would be hard to pass up the C-3 though since on Amazon they are only $50 each more than the C-1.

but if the c1 was $340 per pair??

Great price. Coupled with a decent sub to fill in the lows, you would have something very hard to beat.

sounds like you really like your version.. i do have a nice little sub in my bedroom ( it excels at music , for the price anyway.. emotiva basx8).. i think the thing i worry a bit about is the tweeter being fairly smooth , i would think that the c series has plenty of detail and looking at the charts it doesn't look bright at all, so for my taste a smooth tweeter would go a long ways ..

I use the Absolute Zeros exclusively for music (mostly classical). These speakers are flat with no hint of a peak in high frequencies. Take a look at the Sound & Vision review of the Absolute Zeros. There freq response curve is very flat. Since the C-1 uses the same 1 inch tweeter, I expect the C-1 to have similar characteristics. They do roll off around 70 or 75 hz, so a sub is a real plus.
On the other hand, I'm 77 and so my ears don't hear the highs like they used to.
https://www.soundandvision.com/compa...speaker_system

thanks , you have given me a little reassurance about maybe picking up a pair at that price.. i kinda get the feeling it's a pretty safe bet .. thanks again..

I would definitely go with the Paradigm Monitor SE out of those. Simply because I've heard them right next to Paradigm Prestige 15B's. It's true the bass isn't as clean as the Premier and Prestige series, but for $300 a pair, they do a really great job compared to speakers that cost several times more. The tweeter was almost identical to the Premier series, very smooth sounding.

Coming Wednesday for the fun of it the Creative E-MU XM7 Passive Bookshelf Speakers that are on sale -- they use to list for $269 a pair -- I am suspect that they will be on the bright side, but I have been looking at them a long time
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wanted to give the Wharfedale 220 a chance, but the measured -3db at 99 hz does not inspire me ... I am still looking at the PSB Alpha B1, Paradigm Atom, Emotiva B1, but leaning toward Canton again .... one thing about the SuperOne 2.1 is that they do a good job for Movies/TV

I have heard the 2.1s before in a small room about a year ago....

What I remember their mids/highs were not good at all with any higher volume and the sound was bright to me and my friend who had bought them, we both got ear fatigued a few songs in
Also, the bass was definitely lacking.
Soundstage was definitely narrow and compact vs many other speakers I've heard in $300 range


The other speaker he did AB comparison with the 2.1s was the Sony Cores

Although I didn't get a chance to hear the AB just had time to hear the NHTs
He kept the Cores and sent the NHTs back

I think I am sensitive to any speaker that even floats to the bright side after owning Chane and Emotiva

No, it is 70%. Oh...wait...that was how often Chairman Mao was right. Never mind!
I find it odd to consider Q Acoustics if you've returned two sets. Most manufacturers keep a kind of "house sound" and if you don't like a couple of their speakers you probably won't like another. But then again speakers are all so inaccurate it depends. What didn't you like about the previous two pairs?
And as an NHT fan, how about finding the one you liked used?
Used Celestion 100s...or 300s (slim transmission line mini-towers), if you can find them. Very flat and neutral.

I will say with Q Acoustics I had a weak moment, I was hoping this time that there might actually be some real difference -- but in reality based on my past experiences, a $30 to $50 price difference does not give you a head and shoulders upgrade. Plus I did like the fact about free cable, but since I really did not like the speaker, I never did use the cable .... As far as the other previous two sets, the 2020i was too forward and bright and grainy, with the 3020 it was not as forward and less bright, but the bass seemed to choke and was not extending, they were also lacking some in definition -- the 3020 did do better on the door-knock test over the 3020i -- but the 3020i bigger box was better for bass extension (fullness) within its limits, the bass now sounded right. But the 3020i now having a little more detail and a little bit better definition is also a little bit more forward. The biggest gripe I have is the 3020i has a honky and boxy sound with certain dynamic peaks.

Yes most speakers do have a sort of house sound, as that is their niche to make money in the market, and marketing likes to play on the mentality of human nature. And a lot of reviewers do a good job of inviting Mr Placebo in when people buy the speakers that they review. Setting the honk and boxiness aside, I understand why a lot of people would like the 3020i and they will sell a lot of speakers, and their customer service seems to have gotten better.

As far as NHT -- the SuperOne 2.1 seems to have improved on their woofer and the bass from the SuperOne 2.1 is better and tighter compared to the Model 1.1 and the Classic Two that I use to own. But the overall frequency is bumpy and they are not as smooth as I desire and some definition is lacking. I hope they upgrade the tweeter in the future

And I have been looking at the used market, and some older NHT, but the SB2 has a big happy bump built into the mids. And I still eye Celestion from time to time. I waited too long to push the button on some Acoustic Energy speakers, but Phil Jones likes to add some brightness to his speakers, but he did OK with his Platinum Audio speakers that I use to own. In reality if Dennis was healthy and still did the AA+ speakers, I would have most likely gone with them as I have experience with his work. I am still thinking about Canton, as they are one of my favorite brands. My goal is to save for the Vento speakers.

Yes they are somewhat narrow sounding -- and while being somewhat roller-coaster in the sensitive 1 khz to 3 khz band, they have that rising treble from 3 khz on up -- while they say for music, they are voiced to stand out more for movies/tv -- I like the bass for the frequencies that they can hit and can blend with a sub -- but they roll off around 70 hz and are not -3 db at 56 hz

They are gone -- but someone will be happy with them -- NHT did a good job with the plastic laminate finish even with the edges and corners -- and the Q A walnut finish was really nice and sharp looking

It is pretty much a no-brainer what to buy for now as I save up -- I ordered a pair of JBL Studio 230 for $159 delivered off the Harman Audio Ebay store ... and they still have plenty left.