NHT Classic 3 Speakers - Are They That Good?

[avliner]

I've seen at The Absolute Sound last issue, a short review of the Classic Three Bookshelves and at front cover its written:

World's Best $ 1K Speaker??

It really doesn't matter to me whether they're the best or not, but I believe that they should be - at least - an excellent choice indeed ($ 800/pair, which is basically the same MSRP as the Polks LSI 9's).

Believe that there are quite a few guys here that owns NHT speakers, so I'd appreciate any inputs about them, though.

At what position on the grid would you guys classify the NHT range and specifically the Classic Three's??


Cheers.

 

[Seth=L]

I have NHT 1.5s, they aren't the most efficient speaker, but they sound excellent in my opinion. They aren't overlly bright and they aren't grainy sounding. Are the Classic 3's a sealed design or ported?

 

[avliner]

Thanks Seth,

they 3's are sealed.
Yeah, you're right, they gotta be THAT good, though.

By the way, I normally take all reviews with a grain of salt, but let me tell you what Chris Martens (the reviewer) said about them:

" As I see it, whether listeners are spending $800 or $80,000 on a new pair of speakers, they want the same thing - namely, to get as close as possible to the heart and soul of the music. No other affordable bookshelf speaker I've
heard does a better job of that than NHT's Classic Threes ".

Cheers.

 

[Seth=L]

I like sealed designs, which the 1.5s are. I don't like port noise and trying to combat it. I also like the even responce that sealed enclosures offer. Do they go low, they go low enough. If you have a sub or subs there is no reason not to get sealed, not that ported designs are bad, I just prefer the closed.

 

[avliner]

Seth,

would you mind elaborating a bit more on why you consider such a difference between sealed & ported designs? Seems to be an interesting matter, though.

Cheers.

 

[Seth=L]

Seth,

would you mind elaborating a bit more on why you consider such a difference between sealed & ported designs? Seems to be an interesting matter, though.

Cheers.

Ported or Bass Reflex enclosures usually have lower bass response but when they dig low in bass they tend to roll-off quickly and less refined ports result in port noise, which is obnoxious. Sealed speakers or Acoustic Suspension have more uniform response in most cases and roll-off more steadily than a ported speaker. The downfall of Acoustic Suspension is less Db than a ported sub and doesn't go quite as low in the bass.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Thanks Seth,

they 3's are sealed.
Yeah, you're right, they gotta be THAT good, though.

By the way, I normally take all reviews with a grain of salt, but let me tell you what Chris Martens (the reviewer) said about them:

" As I see it, whether listeners are spending $800 or $80,000 on a new pair of speakers, they want the same thing - namely, to get as close as possible to the heart and soul of the music. No other affordable bookshelf speaker I've
heard does a better job of that than NHT's Classic Threes ".

Cheers.

How much "heart and soul" comes through is a function of the performance and the recording. What I look for in speakers is the ability to reproduce what is on the recording accurately. Describing speakers as having "heart and soul" is voodoo nonsense.

 

[Seth=L]

How much "heart and soul" comes through is a function of the performance and the recording. What I look for in speakers is the ability to reproduce what is on the recording accurately. Describing speakers as having "heart and soul" is voodoo nonsense.

Audiophile Voodoo, is bad Voodoo.

 

[avliner]

Yeah, you're right guys,

pretty much "subjective audiophile voodoo" (average), but what really cought my attention is the fact that the reviewer is wondering whether the Threes are "world's best" bookshelves, so the guy is not being humble under any circumstances, though.

They look like pretty awesome, but I never saw any real NHT's before.
Hope to see & hear those beauties someday,somewhere.

Cheers.

 

[tubesaregood]

How much "heart and soul" comes through is a function of the performance and the recording. What I look for in speakers is the ability to reproduce what is on the recording accurately. Describing speakers as having "heart and soul" is voodoo nonsense.

I don't think he described the speakers as having heart and soul. Rather, he was saying that those speakers faithfully reproduce the heart and soul in the music. And that's certainly something I believe in.

 

[Julio]

I am from Brazil and since I didn’t have the chance to hear most American speakers before buying then, I bought mine NTH Classic Three after reading this review. I liked then, but since I’ve got a Yamaha RXV 861 receiver as pre/pro and an emotive Emotiva XPA1 as power I found this combination too bright. Can anyone help me with a suggestion for a pre/pro or receiver under US$ 500,00 I could use as pre/pro that could make my system sound better, not too bright.

 

[Adam]

Julio, welcome to the forum!

Have you run the auto set-up routine (Yamaha calls their system YPAO) since you got the NHTs? My system used to sound bright to me with my NHTs when I had a Yamaha receiver, but that was before they had auto set-up with equalization. I got a Pioneer receiver that does auto set-up with equalization, and I much prefer the sound now. So, if you haven't run the YPAO set-up with your NHTs, I highly recommend that you do that.

 

[R-Carpenter]

Ported or Bass Reflex enclosures usually have lower bass response but when they dig low in bass they tend to roll-off quickly and less refined ports result in port noise, which is obnoxious. Sealed speakers or Acoustic Suspension have more uniform response in most cases and roll-off more steadily than a ported speaker. The downfall of Acoustic Suspension is less Db than a ported sub and doesn't go quite as low in the bass.

Let me elaborate a bit more on the subject.
Ported enclosure can reach 1/3 octave lower in the same volume as a sealed speaker.
Only improperly designed cheap commercial speakers with smallish port diameter will create an audible port noise. Drivers, used in ported speakers require less X-mass (maximum diaphragm displacement) to reach low and loud.
Sealed enclosures require bigger box, drivers with larger x-mass (and quite sometimes higher distortions) but tend to have better transient response. Improperly design sealed enclosures sound distorted at the power limits.
Better part of actual response depends on the room and placement. There's no shortage of bad and good designs on either island.

 

[Julio]

Julio, welcome to the forum!

Have you run the auto set-up routine (Yamaha calls their system YPAO) since you got the NHTs? My system used to sound bright to me with my NHTs when I had a Yamaha receiver, but that was before they had auto set-up with equalization. I got a Pioneer receiver that does auto set-up with equalization, and I much prefer the sound now. So, if you haven't run the YPAO set-up with your NHTs, I highly recommend that you do that.

Hi Adam!
I have tried YPAO but that didn’t fix the problem. Is the Emotiva power as important in the matter of the bright/warm sound as the Yamaha used as PRE/pro?

Thank you !

 

[Adam]

I have tried YPAO but that didn’t fix the problem. Is the Emotiva power as important in the matter of the bright/warm sound as the Yamaha used as PRE/pro?

Hey, Julio! Sorry that the YPAO didn't fix that. You have a good question about the amp. I would think that the Emotiva amp wouldn't be the issue. I'm not familiar with their XPA line of amps, but I own two of their earlier models and am running them with my NHTs. The equalizer in my Pioneer (which is set for each speaker with the Pioneer auto set-up) caused the big improvement in my system, and I didn't notice any more brightness when I added the amps about a year later.

I can say that my Yamaha didn't match well with my NHTs - at least, I sure thought that they sounded bright (harsh, actually). I'm assuming that the new amps would sound better with the built-in auto equalizing, but I don't know because I've never heard the new Yamahas. I do know that I really like how my Pioneer 1015 works with my NHTs. Can you return the Yamaha? If so, you might want to try out a different brand of receiver, maybe a Pioneer.

 

[dem beats]

classic 3

I love the classic 3. It was on the short list when I finaly decided on the energy set up.

I think that the classics image verry verry well. They also reproduse sound amazingly clear. I also found them harsh though. They do have some little plastic do-dad you can put over the tweeter, and that helped. I also heard them in a verry well treated room, but it was small. I think I may have been a few feet too close. They were the cats meow, but I am really sensative to high pitch sounds, and I would rather edge on the side of mid bass heavy than heavy in the highs, and that helped me to make my choice.

I did test drive both the classic tower and the classic 3 bookshelp BTW.

 

[avliner]

Hi Julio,

don't know whether or not your Yammi has the MANUAL EQUALIZER function (same as the Denons). In case it does, I'd strongly srecommend you to try that out, in order to turn your NHT's harshness into a much more palatable sound overall

Regards, Chuck

 

[Julio]

Hi Julio,

don't know whether or not your Yammi has the MANUAL EQUALIZER function (same as the Denons). In case it does, I'd strongly srecommend you to try that out, in order to turn your NHT's harshness into a much more palatable sound overall

Regards, Chuck

Hi avliner!

I tried a diferent option on the YPAO called natural and It reduced the highs. Now it sounds better, but still a bit harsh. I looking for a new receiver for the nhts. I have tried Yamaha and Pioneer, but It didn't sound as warm as I want.
Could anyone help?

 

[mazersteven]

I liked then, but since I’ve got a Yamaha RXV 861 receiver as pre/pro and an emotive Emotiva XPA1 as power I found this combination too bright. Can anyone help me with a suggestion for a pre/pro or receiver under US$ 500,00 I could use as pre/pro that could make my system sound better, not too bright.

Maybe it's your room acoustics that make the system sound "Bright".

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Maybe you just need more BASS - like a great SVS subwoofer or something.