NHT makes great speakers. I demoed a set of the NHT Classic 3's and was very impressed. Great sounding speaker.
-
Get an exclusive sneak peek into our new project. >>> Click Here
-
Our native mobile app has a new name: Fora Communities. Learn more.
I knew good sound could be had on the cheap, but WTF?! (NHT Classic Two)
9
I was humbled by an experience I had a friend's place last night.
![]()
He's just getting into higher fidelity audio and he asked me to pick out a 2CH sound system for him. He wanted to keep the total under $800 for a pair of speakers, stands and an AVR.
It has been a while since I was in this price bracket (1991), and this will sound snobbish
![]()
, buy my current system comes in at $35K for the audio side only. I really enjoy turning my friends on to good sound though, and I was up to the challenge.
I should mention that I generally refrain from picking speakers for someone else since they all sound different enough that the other person may not like what I like, but . . . I also know that most people fresh in the hobby aren't going to have the expectations that I do. Besides, he was coming from Fisher bookshelf system so the only way was up.
![]()
After a little research I recommended a pair of Infinity Kappa 200's on Audiogon for $275, and as an alternative a pair of NHT Classic Two's on Ebay for $275. I know that Infinity has great R&D behind their speakers and that they are generally neutral so it seemed like a safe bet. I've also heard an assortment of NHT speakers over the years and I've always liked what I heard. I had not heard the Classic Two's in particular though.
To power the speakers, I picked out a refurbed Denon 1609 AVR for under $300 (he has a CD player already).
My friend wasn't too fond of the styling of the Inifinity's, so he bought the NHTs for $300 delivered (the MSRP is $700 / pair).
I went over to his apartment last night to help him set the system up, and long story short, their was no power reaching the speakers from the Denon, and it could not be used. Bummer for sure, but we both really wanted to hear the NHT's, so we improvised.
This is where is gets interesting. He had a cheap Fisher mini-system tucked away that we used to power the speakers. It's the type of system that you get at Target or Wal-Mart for $150, and it looks something like this:
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
I'm sure that you can imagine that our expectations were not high, and I was even a little worried that the Fisher amp could possibly damage the NHT speakers if we turned it up too far. We kept the volume on the low to moderate side and proceeded to listen.
I was not prepared for the natural, balanced sound that came out of those little NHTs. I was floored at how good they sounded. The bass had nice body and warmth, the mids sounded very natural if a bit laid-back, and the highs were nicely detailed but not etched or bright. What stood out to me the most is was what didn't stand out. IME, affordable speakers usually have more character, like sizzling highs or thumpy/punchy midbass. But the Classic Two's sounded just so damn balanced. And this was with a power amp made of plastic and tin that probably had more R&D time put into the multi-colored lights all over its face than the actual audio components inside.
![]()
It just wasn't right that this system sound this good. And for his apartment use, it went loud enough.
More on the NHT Classic Two's: The first thing that grabbed me was their bass quality and extension. They are a sealed design and use a single 6.5 mid/bass driver so you would think that a subwoofer would really be necessary. I didn't feel that way at all while listening. I think they were hitting a solid 45hz in his room, which is low enough to feel like nothing is fundamentally missing. There was definitely more weight to the bass than I expected. And the treble coming from that aluminum tweet was also much better than I expected. Detailed without going over the top. I know that a good metal dome can sound great, but at this price point I didn't expect this level of refinement.
After listening for a little while, it we noticed that the bass was a little bottom heavy, but by walking to and from the speakers, it was clear that most of this was due to room interaction. So we moved the speakers out into the room 6 inches, which helped a bit. I also wanted the mids to come forward just a little, but I don't know if this is a character of the speaker or the cheap-ass amp we were using. We'll have to see how things change when he gets a working Denon AVR. I'm sure that with a little more time with the speakers and comparing them against something higher caliber in the same room we could pick out some additional shortcomings, but these would likely be sins of omission, which is the way to sin if you ask me. So many speakers try too hard to impress, but over time what was initially wowed you becomes annoying.
So there ya have it. A $300 pair of speakers, connected to toy amplifier / CD player that I thoroughly enjoyed and could listen to for hours without complaint. And this is coming from a guy that has spent more than this on cables. Hell, I've owned $12K per pair speakers that weren't as listenable as the NHT's.
WTF?!
![]()
He's just getting into higher fidelity audio and he asked me to pick out a 2CH sound system for him. He wanted to keep the total under $800 for a pair of speakers, stands and an AVR.
It has been a while since I was in this price bracket (1991), and this will sound snobbish
I should mention that I generally refrain from picking speakers for someone else since they all sound different enough that the other person may not like what I like, but . . . I also know that most people fresh in the hobby aren't going to have the expectations that I do. Besides, he was coming from Fisher bookshelf system so the only way was up.
After a little research I recommended a pair of Infinity Kappa 200's on Audiogon for $275, and as an alternative a pair of NHT Classic Two's on Ebay for $275. I know that Infinity has great R&D behind their speakers and that they are generally neutral so it seemed like a safe bet. I've also heard an assortment of NHT speakers over the years and I've always liked what I heard. I had not heard the Classic Two's in particular though.
To power the speakers, I picked out a refurbed Denon 1609 AVR for under $300 (he has a CD player already).
My friend wasn't too fond of the styling of the Inifinity's, so he bought the NHTs for $300 delivered (the MSRP is $700 / pair).
I went over to his apartment last night to help him set the system up, and long story short, their was no power reaching the speakers from the Denon, and it could not be used. Bummer for sure, but we both really wanted to hear the NHT's, so we improvised.
This is where is gets interesting. He had a cheap Fisher mini-system tucked away that we used to power the speakers. It's the type of system that you get at Target or Wal-Mart for $150, and it looks something like this:
I'm sure that you can imagine that our expectations were not high, and I was even a little worried that the Fisher amp could possibly damage the NHT speakers if we turned it up too far. We kept the volume on the low to moderate side and proceeded to listen.
I was not prepared for the natural, balanced sound that came out of those little NHTs. I was floored at how good they sounded. The bass had nice body and warmth, the mids sounded very natural if a bit laid-back, and the highs were nicely detailed but not etched or bright. What stood out to me the most is was what didn't stand out. IME, affordable speakers usually have more character, like sizzling highs or thumpy/punchy midbass. But the Classic Two's sounded just so damn balanced. And this was with a power amp made of plastic and tin that probably had more R&D time put into the multi-colored lights all over its face than the actual audio components inside.
More on the NHT Classic Two's: The first thing that grabbed me was their bass quality and extension. They are a sealed design and use a single 6.5 mid/bass driver so you would think that a subwoofer would really be necessary. I didn't feel that way at all while listening. I think they were hitting a solid 45hz in his room, which is low enough to feel like nothing is fundamentally missing. There was definitely more weight to the bass than I expected. And the treble coming from that aluminum tweet was also much better than I expected. Detailed without going over the top. I know that a good metal dome can sound great, but at this price point I didn't expect this level of refinement.
After listening for a little while, it we noticed that the bass was a little bottom heavy, but by walking to and from the speakers, it was clear that most of this was due to room interaction. So we moved the speakers out into the room 6 inches, which helped a bit. I also wanted the mids to come forward just a little, but I don't know if this is a character of the speaker or the cheap-ass amp we were using. We'll have to see how things change when he gets a working Denon AVR. I'm sure that with a little more time with the speakers and comparing them against something higher caliber in the same room we could pick out some additional shortcomings, but these would likely be sins of omission, which is the way to sin if you ask me. So many speakers try too hard to impress, but over time what was initially wowed you becomes annoying.
So there ya have it. A $300 pair of speakers, connected to toy amplifier / CD player that I thoroughly enjoyed and could listen to for hours without complaint. And this is coming from a guy that has spent more than this on cables. Hell, I've owned $12K per pair speakers that weren't as listenable as the NHT's.
WTF?!
1 - 20 of 70 Posts
And not just good for the price. I don't think the qualifier is needed.
![]()
And not just good for the price. I don't think the qualifier is needed.
The answer to that is easy - its called diminishing returns. NHT can make a speaker that pummels speakers at twice and more the price of the boutique brands for a very simple reason - R&D. The boutique brands often hit (or miss) on a formula and stick with it - never making the advances that the bigger mass market manufacturers do.
I haven't heard NHT in quite a while but have heard the Kappas recently. I think you'd have found much the same thing - a great sounding speaker at a very reasonable price.
The boutique brands? They are stuck in the mud.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifisponge /forum/post/16864012
WTF?!![]()
The answer to that is easy - its called diminishing returns. NHT can make a speaker that pummels speakers at twice and more the price of the boutique brands for a very simple reason - R&D. The boutique brands often hit (or miss) on a formula and stick with it - never making the advances that the bigger mass market manufacturers do.
I haven't heard NHT in quite a while but have heard the Kappas recently. I think you'd have found much the same thing - a great sounding speaker at a very reasonable price.
The boutique brands? They are stuck in the mud.
I've heard that more than once about the three's. I didn't hear that in the two's and I was listening for it. Must have something to do with the metal dome midrange driver in the three's.
Yup.
![]()
I've heard that more than once about the three's. I didn't hear that in the two's and I was listening for it. Must have something to do with the metal dome midrange driver in the three's.
Yup.
Great sounding speakers paired up with one of most highly regarded subs. Yeah, I bet that is a hellavu system.
![]()
Great sounding speakers paired up with one of most highly regarded subs. Yeah, I bet that is a hellavu system.
2
I come from having had fairly reasonably priced equipment at the start of this hobby, and I'm a pretty much a realist, so I know that a lot of what you pay for is for the workmanship, the rarity and prestige of the equipment in the high-end. But once I started climbing up the ladder I never really looked back.
The experience at my friends house was an eye-opener and a good reminder of how much of what you get above a certain price point is just different, not necessarily better in terms of sound quality. Hearing the NHT's being powered by that cheap mini-system amp also confirmed just how big a role the speakers actually play.
I'm certain that the Fisher power amp would have given up the ghost if we would have tried to play the speakers at high volume, but within it's limits, it sounded much cleaner than I expected. I wouldn't be surprised (as long as the Fisher amp wasn't being overdriven), if I would have a hard time telling that toy amp apart from my Classe.
![]()
Either that or audio memory really is a short as they say, and I had forgotten just how kick ass my system really is when listening to my friends system. I think I'll chose to believe that for now-- just to keep my pride intact.
![]()
I come from having had fairly reasonably priced equipment at the start of this hobby, and I'm a pretty much a realist, so I know that a lot of what you pay for is for the workmanship, the rarity and prestige of the equipment in the high-end. But once I started climbing up the ladder I never really looked back.
The experience at my friends house was an eye-opener and a good reminder of how much of what you get above a certain price point is just different, not necessarily better in terms of sound quality. Hearing the NHT's being powered by that cheap mini-system amp also confirmed just how big a role the speakers actually play.
I'm certain that the Fisher power amp would have given up the ghost if we would have tried to play the speakers at high volume, but within it's limits, it sounded much cleaner than I expected. I wouldn't be surprised (as long as the Fisher amp wasn't being overdriven), if I would have a hard time telling that toy amp apart from my Classe.
Either that or audio memory really is a short as they say, and I had forgotten just how kick ass my system really is when listening to my friends system. I think I'll chose to believe that for now-- just to keep my pride intact.
Excellent reply. So many people lose perspective on where to spend money so they hear a difference, and what kind of difference - especially when the system is realistically going to be used for background and casual listening, rather than focused critical listening at higher volumes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifisponge /forum/post/16880026
I come from having had fairly reasonably priced equipment at the start of this hobby, and I'm a pretty much a realist, so I know that a lot of what you pay for is for the workmanship, the rarity and prestige of the equipment in the high-end. But once I started climbing up the ladder I never really looked back.
The experience at my friends house was an eye-opener and a good reminder of how much of what you get above a certain price point is just different, not necessarily better in terms of sound quality. Hearing the NHT's being powered by that cheap mini-system amp also confirmed just how big a role the speakers actually play.
I'm certain that the Fisher power amp would have given up the ghost if we would have tried to play the speakers at high volume, but within it's limits, it sounded much cleaner than I expected. I wouldn't be surprised (as long as the Fisher amp wasn't being overdriven), if I would have a hard time telling that toy amp apart from my Classe.![]()
Either that or audio memory really is a short as they say, and I had forgotten just how kick ass my system really is when listening to my friends system. I think I'll chose to believe that for now-- just to keep my pride intact.![]()
Excellent reply. So many people lose perspective on where to spend money so they hear a difference, and what kind of difference - especially when the system is realistically going to be used for background and casual listening, rather than focused critical listening at higher volumes.
1 - 20 of 70 Posts
