Entry-Level Higher-end speakers Vs. Midline mass production

[Shadow_Ferret]

Hey all, I have a question which I hope doesn't sound silly. I keep hearing the cliché "you get what you pay for" meaning that you pay cheaply, you get cheap stuff (or something like that).

Now how does that apply when you're paying the same dollar?

Let me explain. My budget for my LR front and back speakers is around $600, $150 ea. I've been looking at the midlines of several mass marketed speaker companies: Athena, JBL, Polk Audio, Infinity, Klipsch, etc. Now they all sound fairly comparable. For instance the Athena AS-B2 and the Polk Audio Monitor 40 come across rather equivalant to my ear. Granted I can't do direct comparisons because Best Buy handles Athena and Circuit City handles Polk. But using my memory, I liked the sound of both and feel I wouldn't be disappointed with either.

Then I went to a highend store for the heck of it knowing I probably would get laughed out when I told them my budget. Instead, the salesman showed me these smallish entry-level speakers from NHT (a brand I'd never heard of before), the SB1. Entry-level? Hmm. OK, I'll listen but entry-level just sounds like something you should stay away from. So he put in a CD, in this case Phil Collins and holy cow! I'm not often given to hyperbole, but the clarity of the mid-range was incredible compared to what I recalled of the other speakers at the big chain stores. The room filled with this rich textured sound that I can only describe as captivating. I heard things I'd never heard before in those songs. Any speaker that can make Phil Collins not just listenable but enjoyable must be one helluva speaker! (And I wasn't just impressed with the sound, I was impressed with the quality of the glossy piano finish, compared to the wood veneer of most midline brands.)

WHich begs the question, are these entry-level NHTs really that good or were they somehow optimized for that showroom to sound that good? When I get them home will Phil Collins once again be just another run of the mill pop star?

All the speakers I've looked at are all in the same price range and yet this small entry-level speaker, in my mind, blew those other larger bookshelf midlines away. Am I imagining it? Is such a thing possible? (Remember, I haven't been able to do a side-by-side, I'm relying on my memory.) Is it possible that "you get what you pay for" might be a flawed philosophy?

Up until now, because of my budget, I hadn't even considered anything from a Higher-end manufacturer. I thought their better stuff was just out of reach and I've always thought of entry-level as a four-letter word, something to be avoided at all costs. (This phobia of mine plays out in receivers, too. I'd like to get a Marantz, but hesitate looking at their "entry-level" model and have been looking at midline receivers from Yamaha, Pioneer, Denon, and Onkyo.) Yet after hearing these, well, I'm rethinking this whole attitude.

Are there other entry-level speakers in this price range from other Higher-end manufacturers that I should be considering? Because right now I'm leaning very heavily toward 4 of the NHT SB1 and a matching NHT SC1 for the center (I'm still undecided on what subwoofer.)

Thanks.

 

[Lincoln]

Except for the lack of low frequency the SB1 is an incredible speaker for the money. I'm not sure how NHT does it since their cabinets are fairly nice and they appear to have high quality drivers. I've had to repair one of my SB3s that was knocked off it's stand and terminal broke off the back of the speaker so I've been inside one of these speakers and the only thing that looked inexpensive was the terminal cup and the fact that the crossover board is mated to it and sorta hangs in midair inside the speaker (in my case the entire crossover broke off inside the speaker when it fell). The upside was that it was cheap to replace this terminal/crossover combo ($39). I was going to get SB1s with an SC2 for my bedroom system (and I still might) but the store I go to CES with every year doesn't sell NHT nor are there any dealers I like in my area, so I ended up with a pair of B&W 601s for 10% over cost...I don't like them as much as the NHTs so I might sell them and start over.

 

[corysmith01]

I too was in your position...wondering if I'd get laughed out of the store, knowing I had $400-$500 MAX to spend. I wondered if I'd get more bang for my buck at the big box shops. I can say I couldnt' be happier that I went with the "entry-level" of a higher end brand.

For reference, your monitor 40's are going for $300 at circuit city. For $380, I auditioned the Paragigm Mini Monitor. Absolutey stunning. I'm going to guess (not having first hand experience with the Polks) that these would also leave you with the impression that the NHT's did. I ended up buying B&W DM601 s3's. A bit higher at $450/pr, but incredible sounding (to me)...plus the place I got them has a 1 yr. trade-in policy, so in a year, I can step them up. Beyond these two that I experienced personally, there are plenty more out there.

I guess what I'm getting at is, in my experience, entry level for an upper-end brand is a bit of a misnomer...it seems like it's labeled as such simply b/c the price points are significantly below their premier offerings. However, in terms of performance, you're not gonna go wrong. As you've seen, your ears can tell.

 

[warnerwh]

You're getting good advice. The NHT's are well known to offer good quality for the dollar. Also Paradigms outdo the average company for the money spent. In speakers you can get a wide variety of sound quality for the same money. You may even upgrade as you go. Like spend the entire 600 on the two fronts and then you can get two smaller rears later. Most of the sound is coming through the front anyway and watching movies this way works well. I did it for years before the home theater biz hit. The NHT's are excellent but there are others. Many of the brands you hear the most about in the magazines spend alot of money on advertising, therefore they get more press. Great companies like Thiel, Vandersteen, VMPS, Joseph Audio, etc, etc. Actually now that I think of it a pair of used Vandersteen 2c series can be had for your price range. They sound very good and are still considered one of the best buys in high end. Cheers

 

[nm2285]

I have owned happily NHT SB2s for quite some time. They're my favorite bookshelf speaker under $500 (tied with the Energy C3s). You're not hearing things, they're just incredibly enjoyable to listen to.
Many high-end manufacturers have great speakers in this price range, but few (none other than Energy in my experience) have brought together the overall sound and musicality like NHT does.

As a side, I built my own speakers over the summer so if you wouldn't mind purchasing some SB2s in great shape, I'd definately offer a good deal. That'd let you focus some more money on the sub!

 

[nm2285]

Oh yeah i forgot to mention. Don't discount Yamaha, Denon, Harman Kardon, Onkyo, or Pioneer as just mass market brands; they make some very nice equipment that could rival Marantz. My two fav receiver brands in that price range are HK and Marantz, personally.

If you can take a slight step up and are most concerned with audio and not video or features on a receiver, check out NAD. They're outstanding.

 

[Tdekany]

I have a pair of NHT Super Zeros - awesome sounding. Not trying to put down Best Buys brands but NHT and other High End brands will give you much better sound in my opinion. Also check out: www.danaaudio.com

Neither brands will fatigue your ears.

 

[se7en]

lol thats what happened to me. i was going to get home theater system, like the all in one box. then i started to hear seperate speakers and thought forget the all in one box. then i went and heard a little bit more expensive speakers and they blew me away. i couldnt believe how much better they sounded. i was thinking is it because they set it up really good or somthing but i heard them from other places too. home entertainment is evil, its a money sucker but oh well its fun

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Well, when I started doing this research a couple months back the WAF was rather low for the whole idea and I was relegated to looking at HTiBs in the couple hundred dollar range until we were at a mall with a Bose Store and while she did her shopping I waited in there. When she heard Bose's $1500 system she was very impressed and I said if you want that kind of sound you have to spend. So she gave me the go ahead to look into more expensive systems.

So you see, Bose is good for something!