Thanks for the review.
I run the Classic Threes with an Outlaw EX in 2.1 for music and think it makes for a really nice "budget" rig. Like zieglj01, however, I'd like to see Audioholics measure this speaker. It's been done before by Stereophile and SoundStage, but the Three has been in service for a while. A new and competent analysis by you guys would be useful and welcome, I think.
A few other comments:
Because of their shape, they
are a little tricky to handle at first. Simply orient them upside down when you first open the box. The packing foam is dense and shaped to fit the curved contours of the cabinet. It will hold things fairly securely while you install the base rails.
As mentioned, when installing the rails use a proper size, manual Philips-head screwdriver. I suggest pre-installing the screws about half way, then backing them out, indexing the rail, then re-driving the screws until the rail is secured flush. It takes a bit of effort because the cabinet material is dense and the finish is hard. When pre-driving the screws, take care that they're oriented 90 degrees tangent to the curve and don't go in at a goofy angle.*** Failure to do this may result in the rail "sitting high" with a slight gap, or at the very least, the screw head won't fit properly into its recess in the rail. It's not difficult to do properly and is mostly a cosmetic issue, but it's the kind of thing that'd drive me buggy. I agree with the reviewer that a more elegant solution would've been a nice touch here, but it functions just fine.
Oddly, the review made no mention of the little adhesive-backed, foam "mustache" doohickey that the user should apply between the tweeter and mid before firing them up. It's purpose is to help control diffraction between the two drivers. Maybe NHT has done away with it, one of those "small but measurable" things? I frankly doubt I could hear a difference with or without it. My ears are pretty good, but I know they're not
that good.
At the risk of stirring up the break-in debate, I thought the tweeter on the Threes sounded a little harsh for the first hour or so of use. And I'm not even a true believer! But here's the deal. When I received the Threes one of them, unfortunately, had a
slight imperfection in the shape of the curve at the top near the tweeter. I didn't even notice it at first, thought I could live with it, then couldn't stop seeing it at every moment. It was
minor, but that's just the way I'm wired (glossy black is a harsh mistress for me, apparently). NHT sent me a new speaker, right away, no problem. Great customer service. When I swapped in the new speaker the harshness returned for a while on that side only (confirmation-bias-placebo-wacka-wacka-I-know-I-know). Now, in my defense, my wife noticed it too, despite not knowing which speaker had been replaced. So, maybe it was real.
As far as the pricing is concerned, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't know
anybody who pays full price for audio gear, or much else for that matter. It's the way of the world these days. I got a great deal on my pair (sale plus coupon code). Look to NHT's dealer network for some wiggle room, or, you know, ask around. Someone might know a guy.
Like the reviewer, years ago I had a thing for KEF monitors. Loved my 101s and enjoyed them for a long time. I'm not foolish enough to think the Threes sound anything like them, but with well recorded and mastered material they deliver similar pleasures. Makes me wish I'd had an EX in 1983, though.
***ETA: This worked for my Threes in Feb 2012. Check the angle for your rail screws before proceeding.
