August 2006 Reviewed by Randall Smith	NHT Classic Four / Three C / Three Home-Theater Speaker System

Description Model: Classic Four floorstanding speaker Price: $1800 USD per pair Dimensions: 41"H x 7.5"W x 16"D Weight: 64 pounds each Model: Classic Three C center-channel speaker Price: $600 USD Dimensions: 21.825"W x 7"H x 8.25"D Weight: 23 pounds Model: Classic Three surround speaker Price: $800 USD per pair Dimensions: 13.75"H x 7.5"W x 10.375"D Weight: 17 pounds each Warranty: Five years parts and labor System Price: $3200 USD

Features Acoustic-suspension design 0.75" fluid-cooled aluminum-dome tweeter with neodymium magnet structure 2" fluid-cooled aluminum-dome midrange with neodymium magnet structure Aluminum-cone woofers Gold-plated five-way binding posts Black high-gloss finish Biampable (Four) Wall-mountable (Three) Stands included (Four)

Living in a small town in North Carolina, I don’t have the opportunity to audition all of the audio products I might like, and NHT speakers had escaped me. I was happy to finally get a chance to check them off my "must hear" list.

Located in Northern California, NHT Loudspeakers has been around since 1986. In 1992 they introduced the SW2P, which, they claim, was the first subwoofer for home audio powered with an external amplifier. Setting itself the goal of delivering high-end performance for reasonable prices, this innovative company is well respected by reviewers and consumers alike, so my mind was open yet my expectations were high. I received a 5.0-channel system from NHT’s Classic series: the Four floorstanding speakers ($1800/pair), Three C center-channel ($600), and Three bookshelf surrounds ($800/pair). Total system price: $3200.

Description and placement

When I opened the cartons containing the stout Classic Fours, I wasn’t disappointed. As I carefully extracted each speaker from its box, I was surprised by the weight of this floorstander. At 64 pounds, the Four is heavier and appears better built than several more expensive tower speakers I’ve owned. All of the Classic models have an impressively high-gloss, piano-black finish and come draped in two protective wrappers. Smooth and without blemish, the Fours stood in my living room awaiting further installation.

Included with each Four are floor spikes and two stabilizer pieces that need to be attached. I fastened the stabilizers to the bottom of each speaker with four Phillips-head screws and a screwdriver. Once installed, the stabilizers did in fact steady the Fours, and provided an unobtrusive profile at the bottom of the speaker. I wrestled the speakers into position, disconnected the jumpers between the binding posts, and biwired the Fours to my Anthem MCA 50 power amp with Nordost Red Dawn speaker cables.

Positioning the Fours took a little time and was aided by Home Theater & Sound editor Jeff Fritz. Because the Four has a side-firing 10" aluminum woofer, we switched the left and right speakers, trying them with their woofers facing away, then toward the TV. In the end, we faced the woofers toward the TV. This, and toeing the Fours in a few inches, provided the cleanest, most neutral sound.

The Classic Three C center-channel speaker weighs a stocky 23 pounds. I placed it atop my TV and used the adjustable stand on the back of the speaker to angle it down toward my listening position. The Three C has two metal runners attached to the bottom that raise the speaker an inch; on the back is a single pair of substantial binding posts.

A pair of Classic Three bookshelf/surround speakers rounded out the review system. I set the Threes on homemade brackets on the wall behind my couch and aimed them so that their tweeter axes crossed slightly in front of my listening position. The NHT system’s lack of a subwoofer meant that I identified them all as Large in my Anthem AVM 20 processor, after which I matched their levels.

All three Classic models use the same tweeter and midrange drivers: a 0.75" tweeter and a 2" midrange, both fluid-cooled aluminum domes with a neodymium magnet structure, to ensure that the speakers’ tonal balances seamlessly match. These two upper-frequency drivers are built into one integral faceplate. When coupled with a woofer, this combo of midrange and tweeter helps lower distortion and raise the power handling compared to NHT’s recent two-way speakers, according to the company. NHT provides a piece of foam shaped to fit between tweeter and midrange and thus reduce unwanted interaction between them. The woofers of all three models are aluminum; the Four has one 6.5" woofer and one 10" side-firing cone, the Three C two 6.5" cones, and the Three a single 6.5" cone.

Sound

After setting up the NHT Classics, I decided to enjoy some of my favorite music tracks in a preview of the weeks of listening to come. My first impressions were positive: The highs were sharp and extended, the midrange clean but slightly laid-back, and the bass deep and surprisingly low, despite the absence of a powered subwoofer. I then placed my judgmental ears on the shelf, set my processor to 5.0-channel stereo, and let the speakers play for a few days before doing any more evaluation.

Over the next few weeks I enjoyed having the NHT Classics in my system, especially when listening to two-channel acoustic music, with which the Fours simply shone. "Landlocked Blues," from Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning [CD, Saddle Creek LBJ 72], allowed the towers to do their thing. Connor Oberst’s voice sounded very natural and transparent, and the Fours created a precise image as the accompanying guitar lingered in the background, revealing the studio’s ambience. A minute in, Emmylou Harris joins Oberst, and her voice expands the soundstage in an extraordinary way. The image was just as sharp as before, but instead of one center image, the two voices now "appeared" in space side by side. The duet was powerful, their voices full and creating a breathy sensation in the room. The instrumental accompaniment then takes the form of a duel between guitar and bass, and rises to a level far louder than in any other part of the song. Although the sound level increased, the detail did not distort or lose any accuracy. Every plucked string was clean and razor-sharp. The Fours achieved a perfect balance -- it was a wonderful experience.

While the Fours excelled with well-recorded acoustic music, I felt the reproduction of rock music was not as graceful. "Seven Nation Army," from the White Stripes’ critically acclaimed Elephant [CD, V2 Records 63881-27148-2], was not presented as spotlessly or as precisely as the acoustic music. While this may be obvious due to the nature of the music, I have enjoyed this song with several speakers through which it sounded more well-rounded. The area in which the Fours seemed weakest was the midrange; the thumping bass and pounding drums seemed less prominent than the driving guitar. While the midrange dome blended well with the tweeter, it left a soft spot in the midbass. The highs were extended -- the guitar ripped through the song -- while the deeper bass was present and lively.

James Taylor’s Hourglass [SACD, Columbia CS 67912] helped me confirm how well the entire system meshed together. "Little More Time with You" was a great test of the front soundstage’s tonal balance. My Denon DVD-2910 universal player lets me chose between multichannel and two-channel playback when listening to SACD; I took advantage of this feature to play Taylor’s vocals through the Three C, then through only the Fours (two-channel). I found the speakers’ tonal balances to be a great match. In fact, the Fours’ imaging was so stable that, even in two-channel, Taylor’s voice seemed to be coming from the center speaker. The rest of the system meshed well too, but the front soundstage was seamless.

The Four’s natural reproduction of cymbals was crisp and quick, and bass lines were deep and solid despite the lack of a subwoofer, but the Classic Three surrounds didn’t quite reveal themselves in the rear. I’m used to the more energetic sound of my Von Schweikert VR-1 surrounds, to the point of having to reduce their level so that they don’t draw too much attention to themselves. I had to do the opposite with the Threes: Once I’d adjusted their level in my processor by +2dB, the information I’d been missing suddenly appeared. Now, collectively, the NHTs encircled me in sound that was very pleasing to my ears.

Once I’d made that level adjustment of the surround channels, the entire system stepped it up a notch. In fact, while watching Munich I had to remind myself that I wasn’t using a subwoofer. This movie’s soundtrack includes gigantic explosions and piercing gunfire, and even though I expected them, I was still caught off guard by their effect. Strong waves of bass from the Fours’ side-firing woofers filled the room with potent, authoritative sound. The Three surrounds weren’t too shabby themselves. Gunfire from the rear was strong and energetic, fast and accurate across the rear soundstage, adding great detail to the action scenes.

One scene that provided great material for the Classic Threes was the "100 Mile Dash" chapter of The Incredibles. The sound of Dash running through the jungle gave me plenty of opportunities to hear intimate detail. Whether he was swinging on a vine or falling through tree limbs, the sounds were present and easily discerned. Pans were smooth and full as the entire system was put to the test. The whole scene was honestly reproduced, detailed, and dynamic, even without a sub.

Comparison

The floorstanding Classic Fours did well when compared with the more expensive Energy Veritas 2.3i towers ($2800/pair). While both speakers have aluminum-dome midrange drivers, the Veritas’s tweeter and midrange are housed in separate compartments to prevent their interaction. The Energy does have a beefier midrange sound, but the Four’s higher frequencies are just as extended, and easier on the ears. The Energy’s bass is not as deep as that produced by the Four’s side-firing 10" woofer, but the Energy’s midbass is tighter and more well rounded. In the end, the speakers were more alike than different.

I heard similar differences between the NHT Classic Three C and Energy V2.0C center speakers. Both reproduced vocals and dialogue well, although the Energy played deeper and louder. The NHT was more detailed and more accurate than several center-channels I’ve owned, including two different Polk Audio models (each costing about $400) that spent quite a bit of time in my system. Bottom line: If you like the Classic Fours, you have to own the Classic Three C because of how well they mate with one another.

The NHT Classic Three bookshelf/surrounds blew away the SVS SBS-01 ($225/pair) stereo speaker, which I recently reviewed. The NHT was far superior in its reproduction of high frequencies and in the number of small details revealed. But at $800/pair, the Three costs more than three times as much as the SVS, and I didn’t think it compared well with the more pleasant and dynamic Von Schweikert VR-1 ($1000/pair). The Three’s low end came close to the VR-1’s, but the highs were warmer and more expressive on the Von Schweikerts.

Conclusions

NHT’s Classic Four / Three C / Three home-theater speaker system was a joy to have in my home. The sound was exciting: dynamic and full-range. The high-gloss piano-grade finish was very attractive, and gave me a sense of pride when people visited. NHT strives to make the sound and appearance of its loudspeakers inspire such a response without emptying the buyer’s checking account. Their Classic series accomplishes this goal and deserves a spot on your short list of home-theater speaker systems to hear.

Manufacturer contact information:

NHT Loudspeakers
6400 Goodyear Road
Benicia, CA 94510
Phone: (800) 648-9993

Website: www.nhthifi.com

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