Kam
04-12-2006, 08:52 AM
Alrighty... (so as a mini follow up with my mini discussion with deano in the amp forum) i'd like to share my lil audio-nirvana story of the last 15 or so years.
As some of you know, I am a big NHT fan. The reason for this is a combination of reasons both 'technical' and 'personal.' When i first got into audio seriously (well, seriously for me at least) i started off listening to M&K, Kef, Klipsch, Def Tech's, Polk, PSB and Infinity. They were all good speakers, and i liked the M&K sound a lot, but they were out of my price range. I was leaning towards klipsch or polks, and the polks were very hot in the treble for me (i cant remember the model names of everything i heard, so making some sweeping generalizations here). Then I found Pete McGrath's store when i was living in miami (go 'canes, not sure if the store is still there, "Sound Components", or if he is still affiliated with them, but they were extremely helpful and cool to a college kid walking in with flipflops and obviously no coin to spend on their equipment. Am not affiliated with them in anyway, but i like to point out and appreciate great customer serivce when its deserved, especially in a hobby that fosters a great deal of snobbery associated with money) and found a WHOLE 'nother level of audio-bliss. The salesguy was totally cool with me and allthough even the def techs and kef's were out of my price range he walked me in to their Wilson room and sat me down to expose me to some seriously incredible equipment. Could i tell the difference between the Watt/Puppy's and the Grand Slamm's? Not really, although they were both ridiculously amazing for my ears, like telling me to pick between Mrs. Kam's...
I didnt end up buying anything from them, but their customer service was phenomenal. After ending up with a pair of klispch and a denon reciever, i ran into NHT and it was love at first sound (and sight). The super-zero's were my first purchase to replace my floor-standing klipsch's (the horns got to be too hard for my tastes) and while the zero's had no bass, their sound was just so damn sweet. Even though i technically "downgraded" to them,I enjoyed them waaay more than the klipsch (i cant remember which ones they were, but had the horns with two woofers floorstanding model). next i switched the denon out to a marantz and was in two channel bliss (for me, relatively speaking with the memory of the watt/puppy's still fresh). Then... then i got to hear the 3.3s... and while there was some serious time delay between my time in mcgrath's store and the 3.3's... i couldnt tell much of a difference between the 3.3's and the watt/puppys (yes i know the watt/puppy's are about 4 times more than the 3.3's and am sure in a side-by-side would be better, but for my ears... [[and eyes, i think the 3.3s are waaaaay better looking than the watt/puppys, with only the Revel Salon's being prolly the hottest "looking" speakers around]] the 3.3's were incredible).
however, with the super-zero's (at $175) nearly breaking my bank, the 3.3's were as far away as the watt/puppy's, or the grand slamm's for that matter.
over the years my system has advanced (the superzero's have gone to the surrounds and 2.5's have become my mains... although, when choosing a center, i picked the AC2, which actually doesnt exactly match with the 2.5's, the AC1, is the perfect match, but i just knew this was an ongoing system and i knew the AC2 was a perfect match for the 3.3... which i am sure didnt make the 2.5's feel like they were really a part of my family, as much as i loved them, i am sure they keep looking between them at their younger brother the AC2, KNOWING... just KNOWING... that the family is not quite complete... i kinda feel sad for them, as much as i really do love my 2.5's and have treated them with some love.... they're just not the 3.3s)
i've thought about switching out of nht and going with an entirely different lineup of sound... the only serious contender was B&W and switching to a whole B&W lineup, although the more i heard them (the 802's and the 805's mainly) there was just somethng not quite right for me in the sound (although a friend of mine owns the 802's and for his listening preferences and what ive heard of them, they are some seriously kickass speakers).
i also thought about switching to mirage (between def tech and mirage, i liked mirage's bipolars far better), but again... just something not quite right about their sound, and to me, the massive soundstage felt a little artificial, a little too 'manufactured' if you will, not sure if that's the right term, but i guess just bipolar speakers arent for me either... and that left me with my original baby... NHT.
flash forward to yesterday when i finished my taxes and found out what my refund would be... flash back to about an hour ago... when, after hearing them for that first time over a decade ago and wondering if i'd ever get them, i finally pulled the trigger on a pair of 3.3s!!!!! albeit used, but finally within my price range... (after FOUR unsuccesful attempts on ebay where some other monster kept us apart at the VERY last second outbididng me)We've both taken a long journey to finally come together.
so, just from my own experience, you never know where the day takes you, and what speaker you think you may never have now, might actually be yours somewhere down the line with enough patience and love for this hobby. can't wait for that bittersweet moment when i take them out and place them next to the 2.5's... i'll post pics of the heartbreak if anyone's interested.
peace and happiness
k2
:)
As some of you know, I am a big NHT fan. The reason for this is a combination of reasons both 'technical' and 'personal.' When i first got into audio seriously (well, seriously for me at least) i started off listening to M&K, Kef, Klipsch, Def Tech's, Polk, PSB and Infinity. They were all good speakers, and i liked the M&K sound a lot, but they were out of my price range. I was leaning towards klipsch or polks, and the polks were very hot in the treble for me (i cant remember the model names of everything i heard, so making some sweeping generalizations here). Then I found Pete McGrath's store when i was living in miami (go 'canes, not sure if the store is still there, "Sound Components", or if he is still affiliated with them, but they were extremely helpful and cool to a college kid walking in with flipflops and obviously no coin to spend on their equipment. Am not affiliated with them in anyway, but i like to point out and appreciate great customer serivce when its deserved, especially in a hobby that fosters a great deal of snobbery associated with money) and found a WHOLE 'nother level of audio-bliss. The salesguy was totally cool with me and allthough even the def techs and kef's were out of my price range he walked me in to their Wilson room and sat me down to expose me to some seriously incredible equipment. Could i tell the difference between the Watt/Puppy's and the Grand Slamm's? Not really, although they were both ridiculously amazing for my ears, like telling me to pick between Mrs. Kam's...
I didnt end up buying anything from them, but their customer service was phenomenal. After ending up with a pair of klispch and a denon reciever, i ran into NHT and it was love at first sound (and sight). The super-zero's were my first purchase to replace my floor-standing klipsch's (the horns got to be too hard for my tastes) and while the zero's had no bass, their sound was just so damn sweet. Even though i technically "downgraded" to them,I enjoyed them waaay more than the klipsch (i cant remember which ones they were, but had the horns with two woofers floorstanding model). next i switched the denon out to a marantz and was in two channel bliss (for me, relatively speaking with the memory of the watt/puppy's still fresh). Then... then i got to hear the 3.3s... and while there was some serious time delay between my time in mcgrath's store and the 3.3's... i couldnt tell much of a difference between the 3.3's and the watt/puppys (yes i know the watt/puppy's are about 4 times more than the 3.3's and am sure in a side-by-side would be better, but for my ears... [[and eyes, i think the 3.3s are waaaaay better looking than the watt/puppys, with only the Revel Salon's being prolly the hottest "looking" speakers around]] the 3.3's were incredible).
however, with the super-zero's (at $175) nearly breaking my bank, the 3.3's were as far away as the watt/puppy's, or the grand slamm's for that matter.
over the years my system has advanced (the superzero's have gone to the surrounds and 2.5's have become my mains... although, when choosing a center, i picked the AC2, which actually doesnt exactly match with the 2.5's, the AC1, is the perfect match, but i just knew this was an ongoing system and i knew the AC2 was a perfect match for the 3.3... which i am sure didnt make the 2.5's feel like they were really a part of my family, as much as i loved them, i am sure they keep looking between them at their younger brother the AC2, KNOWING... just KNOWING... that the family is not quite complete... i kinda feel sad for them, as much as i really do love my 2.5's and have treated them with some love.... they're just not the 3.3s)
i've thought about switching out of nht and going with an entirely different lineup of sound... the only serious contender was B&W and switching to a whole B&W lineup, although the more i heard them (the 802's and the 805's mainly) there was just somethng not quite right for me in the sound (although a friend of mine owns the 802's and for his listening preferences and what ive heard of them, they are some seriously kickass speakers).
i also thought about switching to mirage (between def tech and mirage, i liked mirage's bipolars far better), but again... just something not quite right about their sound, and to me, the massive soundstage felt a little artificial, a little too 'manufactured' if you will, not sure if that's the right term, but i guess just bipolar speakers arent for me either... and that left me with my original baby... NHT.
flash forward to yesterday when i finished my taxes and found out what my refund would be... flash back to about an hour ago... when, after hearing them for that first time over a decade ago and wondering if i'd ever get them, i finally pulled the trigger on a pair of 3.3s!!!!! albeit used, but finally within my price range... (after FOUR unsuccesful attempts on ebay where some other monster kept us apart at the VERY last second outbididng me)We've both taken a long journey to finally come together.
so, just from my own experience, you never know where the day takes you, and what speaker you think you may never have now, might actually be yours somewhere down the line with enough patience and love for this hobby. can't wait for that bittersweet moment when i take them out and place them next to the 2.5's... i'll post pics of the heartbreak if anyone's interested.
peace and happiness
k2
:)