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Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: NHT - Now Hear This 2.9 Speakers by DaveinFremont

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REVIEW: NHT - Now Hear This 2.9 Speakers

198.81.16.179


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Model: 2.9
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $2500/pr.
Description: four-way, full range floorstanding speaker
Manufacturer URL: NHT - Now Hear This
Model Picture: View

Review by DaveinFremont on November 01, 2001 at 23:33:32
IP Address: 198.81.16.179
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for the 2.9


I've had NHT's 2.9 four-way floorstanding speakers for over six months now, and I must say that I am extremely happy with them.

They do seem somewhat sensitive to placement, however. As recommended, keep them a small distance out from the walls (I keep mine only about six inches out, as these speakers are very deep-- almost 21"), and equidistant from the listener. Distance between the speakers should be 2/3 distance to the seated position. In my case, it's about 7' between speakers, and about 10' from my seating position. Try to keep at least several feet between you and the wall behind you to avoid any reflections. No toe-in necessary, thanks to the 21 degree slant-in of the front baffles.

The 2.9s qualify as a true full-range speaker, with response down to the mid to low 20s, and being an acoustic suspension design, gentle rolloff of the low frequencies. These speakers are excellently suited to rock music and anything with very low frequency content-- they can shake the house, believe me!

Tradeoffs are a somewhat modest efficiency, and thus require better-than-average power amplification. SETs need not apply.

Bass is very solid, never sloppy or with overhang. It's a clean bass, yet available in amounts so copious as to amaze me that two 10"s can push so much air! I've been asked on more than one occasion 'where the other speakers are'. The bass and imaging of the 2.9s are that good. One guy even had a home theater system himself!

I think that the NHT 2.9 can sound somewhat bright on certain source material, particularly if you are running them in a room with hardwood floors. This is not so pronounced, however, that a change in power amplification can also have a surprisingly profound effect on the overall high frequency spectral balance.

I'm currently feeding them with a 300wpc Sunfire load invariant stereo power amp, biwiring them so that the voltage output goes to the woofer section, and the current output (higher impedence, sounds supposedly more like a tube amp) going to the mids/tweeters. It works well, and mellows the sound to the point where it almost errs on the side of being a bit too mellow. Preamplification is done with an Adcom GFP-750. Oddly enough, the passive and active modes make a big difference in the sound of this setup, and especially so using the Sunfire power amp.

I'd say that given the modest floorspace that the NHTs take up, they are an excellent investment in space, given the quantity and quality of sound they produce. Soundwise, it's no question that they can compete quite successfully against designs costing substantially more if setup and speaker positioning are done correctly. Full-range performance is better than most if not all contenders at this price point. Dynamics are great, but don't quite flutter the trouser legs like the best subs. For all but the most bass-hungry DVD fans, this speaker is plenty. And neutrality and handling of low level detail and midrange voicing is superb. I've heard it said that this speaker, like the 3.3, is a very revealing speaker, and I don't disagree.

I'm happy with my pair, and don't see myself giving them up for anything else under $8,000/pr and 250 lbs. in the near future.


Product Weakness: somewhat conspicuous looking in glossy black, aesthetics might not be for everybody
Product Strengths: imaging, bass quality and quantity, neutral sound characteristics, very good value for the money


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Sunfire 300wpc load invariant amp
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Adcom GFP-750
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Marantz CDR-500
Speakers: NHT 2.9
Cables/Interconnects: Audioquest Sidewinder, balanced XLRs
Music Used (Genre/Selections): rock, classical, jazz
Room Size (LxWxH): 18 x 17 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: none, hardwood floors with oriental rug
Time Period/Length of Audition: six months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): SL Waber power line conditioner and voltage regulator
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): Marantz CDR-500 CD player/recorder, Adcom preamp, Sunfire power amp, NHT 2.9 loudspeakers




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Topic - REVIEW: NHT - Now Hear This 2.9 Speakers - DaveinFremont 23:33:32 11/1/01 ( 0)