Speakers I have heard and liked

[JohnMichael]

I am at work and I have too much time to look at audio magazines and catalogs. I saw where the NHT Three bookshelf speaker is now just $800 a pair. When I spent an extended time listening to them they were $1,000 a pair. They are a three way design with dome midrange and tweeter. I enjoyed my NHT SuperOnes for a number of years and really enjoyed them.

They are an acoustic suspension design which I prefer for the slower bass roll off. The midrange as I remember is more detailed than the OML 1's. The foam X between the midrange and tweeter helped with precise imaging and good integration of drivers.

Anyone use this speaker? I was very pleased with the sound and remember a glowing review in The Absolute Sound. At home I listen to my speakers and at work I read about speakers. I am looking forward to being home with dog and speakers.

[dingus]

i've never had the pleasure, but NHT does have a proven track record of high return on your dollar in quality sound. NHT also enjoys the pedigree of co-founder Ken Kantor. being familiar with a few of his designs, i wouldnt hesitate to grab the brand.

[Jack in Wilmington]

I was just on the NHT website and the 3 bookshelf is $399, unless we're looking at two different speakers.

Never mind, I just saw that the price was $399 ea. I hate when they do that.

[JohnMichael]

I was just on the NHT website and the 3 bookshelf is $399, unless we're looking at two different speakers.

Never mind, I just saw that the price was $399 ea. I hate when they do that.



If they were $399 a pair I would have ordered them. It is a little confusing when some are pairs and some are priced each. I sit at work and read about speakers thinking about what I may want. Then I come home and listen to my speakers and enjoy the music. I am not sure if I need new speakers or just want something different. Another pair of speakers could really confuse the mix.

[Jack in Wilmington]

If they were $399 a pair I would have ordered them. It is a little confusing when some are pairs and some are priced each. I sit at work and read about speakers thinking about what I may want. Then I come home and listen to my speakers and enjoy the music. I am not sure if I need new speakers or just want something different. Another pair of speakers could really confuse the mix.

If you get a new pair, make sure you get what you want and not just a stop gap measure. I've listened to a few NHT's and I don't think they're your cup of tea. They were OK in short stints, but became very fatiguing the longer I listened.

[JohnMichael]

If you get a new pair, make sure you get what you want and not just a stop gap measure. I've listened to a few NHT's and I don't think they're your cup of tea. They were OK in short stints, but became very fatiguing the longer I listened.



Ya I was concerned since they are all metal drivers. Kits were an idea but who knows how they will sound. I need to take the time and shop in a city with lots of choices. I would love to hear several different speakers to compare with music I like. It used to be so easy.

[Hyfi]

I liked the older 2.3s which were the tilted back floorstanders with the large woofer on the side. I only heard them with Parasound gear and was impressed. I'm sure with the right pairing, they would have even sounded better.

[frenchmon]

JM are you sure you are not making a side ways move with the NHT ? Seems to me you would want a good speaker that would satisfy you for years to come. Have you found a Canton dealer yet? The Ventos are excellent speaker with the ceramic drivers. I also was impressed with Theil speakers as well. Both have a great midrange presence and are 3D. I remember you saying your budget was 2k....I would look at the Spendors....ProAcs....Canton Vento's....even give Neat Acoustics a look if you can. perhaps you could sell both pair of your speakers to help with funding of a new outstanding pair. I know at $2400 for my Canton Vento's seem like a lot of loot, for stand mount speakers but dang, they are every bit worth the money. Give that Krell a move up in class and I betcha you will have a new and different experience with music....much more passion. A audio friend just purchased a new Musical Fidelity integrated amp..costing $2999.. the m6i, to mate with his Spendor's and he is just floored.....the Spendors needed a amp in its class to perform at its best....your Krell may need Speakers on its class as well. before I got the Vento's I felt that my older Cantons where not on the same class as my other gear and boy was I right...the Vento's took my entire rig to a different level and class in sound.

[JohnMichael]

JM are you sure you are not making a side ways move with the NHT ? Seems to me you would want a good speaker that would satisfy you for years to come. Have you found a Canton dealer yet? The Ventos are excellent speaker with the ceramic drivers. I also was impressed with Theil speakers as well. Both have a great midrange presence and are 3D. I remember you saying your budget was 2k....I would look at the Spendors....ProAcs....Canton Vento's....even give Neat Acoustics a look if you can. perhaps you could sell both pair of your speakers to help with funding of a new outstanding pair. I know at $2400 for my Canton Vento's seem like a lot of loot, for stand mount speakers but dang, they are every bit worth the money. Give that Krell a move up in class and I betcha you will have a new and different experience with music....much more passion. A audio friend just purchased a new Musical Fidelity integrated amp..costing $2999.. the m6i, to mate with his Spendor's and he is just floored.....the Spendors needed a amp in its class to perform at its best....your Krell may need Speakers on its class as well. before I got the Vento's I felt that my older Cantons where not on the same class as my other gear and boy was I right...the Vento's took my entire rig to a different level and class in sound.



I have not been listening to any speakers. I sit and frustrate myself by reading reviews and searching online. I have decided my issue with the OML 1's is a lack of musical color. They were designed to use for mastering a recording and are rather dry. The Reference 3A Dulcet has great tonal color but even less bass. I have not listened to speakers since I bought the RS6's.

You are probably right in the fact that the NHT's will not get me to where I want to be. I was just going through a list of speakers I had heard and enjoyed but as you mention I want to enjoy them for years.

I am taking some time off in October and plan on doing some audio shopping. I very much need a break from work. I think my frustration with work is driving my need for new toys. A little depressed buy a little excitement in new equipment. Which is why so many nights I have almost purchased a pair of Nola Boxer speakers. I have never heard them but have read many reviews. The designer has a good track record and I have read god things about his other designs.

Oh well I am still very pleased with the Rega motor mod and the Rocket 44 cables.

[Florian]

Buy a V12 and move to Germany :-)

[RGA]

I'd upgrade the P2 before the speakers.

The Dulcet doesn't have the bass. Maybe look at the Legacy Audio Standmount - $1600 a pair is pretty awesome - 8 inch woofer with ribbon tweeter. Worth a try.

[JohnMichael]

I'd upgrade the P2 before the speakers.

.



If you are speaking of my Planar 2 it is not a P2 and feel free to check my signature for all the upgrades. My Rega is performing quite nicely.

I realized I need to stop asking advice on speakers and get out and listen. I really love the musicality of the Dulcets and maybe I need to hear the Veena's. I need to travel to a major city where I can listen to many speakers and create a short list.

[JohnMichael]

Speaking of speakers I received my new Stereophile and saw the RX6 were in their Class B recommended components. The RS6 was also Class B in it's day.

[RGA]

One guy at Stereophile chooses what is in which section of the list. John Atkinson. Nobody else. It is NOT a list made up of 10 people each having a vote and the thing that gets the most votes goes into class A. If a different reviewer makes the list (one with better ears like Art Dudley) the list would be a completely different animal. As Art Dudley said about the AN E speaker that it should get A++. That ain't where it is. (which is why it's more important to read the reviews than the lists.

I bought stuff based on their list before and man was it mediocre - meanwhile there is stuff 10 times better that isn't even on their list.

The upgrades you made to the Planar 2 are good and pretty much what people seem to always do to them - I just think you can transfer most of those upgrades and put them on a better turntable.

If it comes to speakers - it really comes down to the legwork - you are correct - no way around the listening. The reviews, lists are all fun to read but nothing replaces the audition.

Von Gaylord speakers were not even a blip on my radar until CAS. They proved to be some of the finest I've ever heard - it ain't on no list but it's better than 95% of every speaker I have heard in a Stereophile/TAS list I can tell you that!

[JohnMichael]

The upgrades you made to the Planar 2 are good and pretty much what people seem to always do to them - I just think you can transfer most of those upgrades and put them on a better turntable.





When I do look at better tables I tend to look at ones with which I can transfer my tonearm. The Incognito rewire and Michell Technoweight are upgrades that I would want to continue using. The motor upgrade and power supply really deserve to be heard. I have enjoyed the evolution of my turntable. I am afraid it would cost me several thousand dollars to better the level I have achieved.

[JohnMichael]

Von Gaylord speakers were not even a blip on my radar until CAS. They proved to be some of the finest I've ever heard - it ain't on no list but it's better than 95% of every speaker I have heard in a Stereophile/TAS list I can tell you that!



Yes I would love to spend $13,000 on a two way stand mount speaker. Yes I think they should be good for that sum. Maybe I will save up for YG Acoustic Carmel's. I should remind that I am an underpaid homecare provider. Suggestions that are accesible to the OP might be better.

[RGA]

My point wasn't to recommend the $13k Von Gaylord but that the "lists" you read have IMO and IME completely inferior sounding speakers for several TIMES the sum of money. It's not on the radar. I said the same thing for 15 years about the Sugden A21a which Stereophile never revieweddespite it being the longest selling integrated amplifier in the world.

They finally did a semi-review because I and others badgered the magazine to cover it. John Marks finally did - I pressed him on AA and he said it is the best amplifier he's heard for the money. Yet for 20 years Stereophile had a lot of other "much worse" sounding amplifiers that received class A and B status. Oops - granted you can't cover every amp but to miss the longest selling integrated amplifier is a big miss IMO especially when you were recommending amps like the Arcam Delta 290 which I bought and it's laughably bad in comparison. But it got the coveted Class B rating. Bah.

The YG Acoustics speakers I heard at CAS were marvelous - Given what I see as your preferences this is probably the better avenue for you than Von Gaylor or Acoustic Zen. I'd also add MBL which blends great staging and unbelievably tight grip and can play very loud indeed. They have more affordable options.

If we're in the $1k -$2K budget range it's a matter of choosing compromises. You might want to look at the Air Motion speakers that Martin Logan has put out - they sound better than their panels for a lot less money. They're well under $2k The speakers sound better than their panels for a fraction of the price.

MartinLogan Motion® Series, Premium floorstanding home theater speakers (http://www.martinlogan.com/motionSeries/models/towers.php)

[dean_martin]

John, I think you're going to have to leave the $1000 price bracket and jump up to something in the $2000 to $2500 range. JM Reynaud may have the warmth and soul you're looking for. I think the latest iteration of the Twin is the Bliss with a list price of $1995.

However, I do love the sound of NOLA's small speakers. I haven't heard the Boxer, but I listened to its predecessor (can't remember the name) and was impressed by the way they suspended images in space. My only concern was that the dealer had a sub in the system which may have helped stabilize imaging.

If you just want something different, then the Revel Concerta F12 floorstander might be different enough from your RS6s to please and they're close in price - maybe a couple hundred more. The last time I listened to them they were serving as fronts in a home theater system. Not optimal for a 2 ch audition but I thought I preferred them over a pair of similarly priced Focals in the next room and they seemed to be smoother than the RS6s I listened to the same day but at a different shop. The Revels might be a good match for your Krell. I have a Jolida integrated. If I was running a high-powered solid state amp, I'd call the Revel dealer and ask them if they would set up the F12s in a 2ch system for my next audition.

[JohnMichael]

John, I think you're going to have to leave the $1000 price bracket and jump up to something in the $2000 to $2500 range. JM Reynaud may have the warmth and soul you're looking for. I think the latest iteration of the Twin is the Bliss with a list price of $1995.

However, I do love the sound of NOLA's small speakers. I haven't heard the Boxer, but I listened to its predecessor (can't remember the name) and was impressed by the way they suspended images in space. My only concern was that the dealer had a sub in the system which may have helped stabilize imaging.

If you just want something different, then the Revel Concerta F12 floorstander might be different enough from your RS6s to please and they're close in price - maybe a couple hundred more. The last time I listened to them they were serving as fronts in a home theater system. Not optimal for a 2 ch audition but I thought I preferred them over a pair of similarly priced Focals in the next room and they seemed to be smoother than the RS6s I listened to the same day but at a different shop. The Revels might be a good match for your Krell. I have a Jolida integrated. If I was running a high-powered solid state amp, I'd call the Revel dealer and ask them if they would set up the F12s in a 2ch system for my next audition.



I have read many good reviews on the JM Reynaud line of speakers. I will have to hunt for a dealer. Glad you have liked the Nola's and I am trying to give them a listen. The Revels are often a suggestion I receive and I would love to hear a pair. I need to travel to hear a wide range of speakers I might like.

[Florian]

I sold my Apogee Stages for 905€ .... maybe look for a used Apogee

[Jimmy C]

JM... definitely give the JMR like a look... I have the Twin Sigs, and although they have obvious limitations, they are VERY "musical" and rewarding given their price point... I'm gonna say I have not heard a piano done better at any price point - bigger no doubt, but not necessarily "better"... I have a sub as well to round out the bottom... in my 17x15ish livingroom, very satisfying would be the way I would describe it.

If ya like the "old school" Boston "A" series (I have the 100s) just picture a more refined version...

[Byron4]

Von Gaylord speakers were not even a blip on my radar until CAS. They proved to be some of the finest I've ever heard - it ain't on no list but it's better than 95% of every speaker I have heard in a Stereophile/TAS list I can tell you that!

My wife heard these speakers at one of the Stereophile shows when they were still called Legend. It was her favorite because the music played sounded like music to her. She even had me go listen to them and I really liked their natural sound.

[JohnMichael]

My wife heard these speakers at one of the Stereophile shows when they were still called Legend. It was her favorite because the music played sounded like music to her. She even had me go listen to them and I really liked their natural sound.



I would love to hear a pair plus retune my ears to what top of the line speakers offer. Then look for a pair with similar qualities, but not all, in my price range. I have two pairs of speakers that I can listen to but I want one pair I could love.

[Florian]

We went to a HIFI Show in Zurich (Switzerland) recently were i heard some speakers i like including an Audio Note E speaker driven by EAR electronics. I took a coolpicture, can post it when i am home. Its a good sounding speaker, can throw quite some dynamics into the room which one would not excpect from its size. Had a good resolution too. Surely was one of the better sounds at that show. Sometimes you can find them as a kit for as low as about 2K in Germany on audiomarkt

You can use a good sounding amplifier (at least to my ears) like lets say an NAT Audio Single and have a system were you could just spin records and be happy with. ;)