Something blew the mids in his nht also. Unless it’s possible they broke from old age?
Switched them in place of the Klipsch R26 F speakers that I was using for rears. https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-26f The NHTs have an angled front and work better in the rear since they line up better with my main listening position. https://www.audioexcite.com/?page_id=5386 The...
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I don’t know what a good spl meter is but maybe you should measure it sometime. I’m sure someone here knows if you ask.
Yes; (sigh), here is the NHT blowout story; several years ago I noted that sony avrs had a "new" room equalization program called Audessy. I ordered one, to try it out.
After following all of the instructions, microphone positioning, etc, I initiated the Audessy routine the sony avr cranked itself up to max and blasted away (talk about ear bleeding levels, it even scared the cat...) then told me that it could not detect the NHT speakers; investigation found that the mid-ranges had been blown out: after reconnecting the Technics (I noted the typical vocal buzz , characteristic of blown speakers; the cones of the drivers also, now, showed some distortion). I started investigating fixes and found that replacement mid-range drivers for the NHTs'were nearly impossible to get. so I started looking at non stock fixes/workarounds.
I returned the sony AVR with another vow to Never again purchase sony.
I wondered at the time why the avr apartently blew out my speakers on purpose, but dismissed the thought as paranoid. Yes, the NHTs were old and this could have been a contributor but in my experience it was never and is still not a good idea to crank the level to its higest setting and instantly blast the speakers. After much research and several driver trials I got the NHT's (kind of) working again and they still are ('though now I am paranoid about level control); yet another reason to doubt that I blasted the Polks.
I realize that there are some folks that are addicted to Measurements. However I, personally have found that measurements are mostly good for laboratory purposes and technical comparisons and do not measure many subjective thing that, also are important... I had a Realistic spl meter, decades ago and, other than curiosity, found little use for it.
Too loud is basically obvious... find a meter that can measure tweeter harshness (the klipshes and the polks both exibit ithis so it should be easy) Publication of such a thing would IMO result in fewer poor purchases (at least by me). Note; some reviewers of Klipsch speakers have noted that they can sound harsh...(my fault fot not believing them) and their subjective opinions without measurements.
I will continue to select speakers based on my ears, in conjunction with reponse curves. Although, now, I will put less faith in supposed brand names and reviewers' opinions.
Knowledge is expensive and I am, slowly, becoming smarter.
IMO trying to argue the definition of a subjective "Half volume" is a waste of effort; the speaker is blown and the bird has flown...
All that remains are recovery/replacement decisions and implementation... Belief does not enter into it; never did.
Enjoy!
