New Bookshelf speakers

[Gikaseixas]

Hi,

I want to buy a pair and run them as my fronts on a 5.1 setup. An Harmon Kardon AVR 255 will drive them.

My two choices are:

Definitive Technology SM65
http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Tec...echnology+sm65
or

NHT Classic Three
http://www.amazon.com/NHT-Classic-Bo...keywords=nht+3

 

[s44]

Mostly HT? What's the space? What's the sub?

(I'm just waiting for someone to push the Behringer here.)

 

[Gikaseixas]

60% Music
40% HT

19 x 14 feet

This is the sub
BIC PL-200 Acoustech Platinum Series
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-PL-200-Aco...ic+america+sub

 

[hans030390]

Recently found these: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170.html

Measured performance appears to be excellent, and the price is great too. Worth considering.

 

[alcoholbob]

NHT Classic line is excellent, the three-way design gives you imaging that's almost unreal. Unfortunately they are quite low in sensitivity. If you plan on running a full 5.1 system of NHT Classic speakers you may need something beefier a Harman 255 if you listen at high volume levels--this of course varies based on room size and listening distance.

 

[MongGrel]

Out of my price range looks nice.

Have fun

 

[Gikaseixas]

Recently found these: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170.html

Measured performance appears to be excellent, and the price is great too. Worth considering.

hans thanks for the feedback. I will definitely look for some reviews on the web and if possible audition them if I can find a vendor.

 

[Gikaseixas]

NHT Classic line is excellent, the three-way design gives you imaging that's almost unreal. Unfortunately they are quite low in sensitivity. If you plan on running a full 5.1 system of NHT Classic speakers you may need something beefier a Harman 255 if you listen at high volume levels--this of course varies based on room size and listening distance.

Harman Kardon was very conservative with the power output figures for this receiver. I'm however looking into replacing it sometime next year. As you guys know, when you're married, you have to get this things one at the time
Thanks for your input, one vote for NHT I guess

Powerful receiver


Inside its suave and sophisticated-looking case are seven channels of a claimed 50W a piece. Now this isn't going to set the world afire by current standards, but as I suspected, our Tech Labs' tests show the real figures are above this – measuring 90W per channel into 8ohms with five channels driven.

 

[Gikaseixas]

Out of my price range looks nice.

Have fun

I agree, both are nice pieces

 

[RollWave]

Used speakers a consideration or no?

 

[Gikaseixas]

Used speakers a consideration or no?

I'd prefer new ones but thanks for trying to help

I'm this close to pull the trigger on those Definitive Technology SM 65's

When i do i'll post pictures and first impressions

 

[JackBurton]

Ok, I just want to throw this out there because I think these are THE best bang for you buck bookshelf speakers available today, but they may be a little out of your price range.

KEF LS50

Phenomenal speakers! Well suited for music OR HT. May need a little more power to drive them than what you have, but you can always upgrade your AVR.

 

[razel]

Long time NHT fan here. Only bought one pair from them nearly 15 years ago and I still LOVE them. Like Astrallite mentioned, they are low sensitivity. Mine were very detailed and polite with my Yamaha AVR @ 100 watts and they didn't wake up dynamically until I put nearly 300 watts into them. I even tried 500 watts, but that's where things got expensive TOO quickly.

I considered the NHT 4 myself, but couldn't justify the cost over the NHT Absolute Zero or Absolute Tower. That classic 3 is essentially a bookshelf version of the NHT 4. We all have different ears which means different tastes. NHTs are clinical and that's because they're accurate. They're boring at 100 watts and crave power, but that's because they're sealed cabinets. However they are speakers that won't be the weakest part of your audio chain that you can keep for a long, long time.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Ok, I just want to throw this out there because I think these are THE best bang for you buck bookshelf speakers available today, but they may be a little out of your price range.

KEF LS50

Phenomenal speakers! Well suited for music OR HT. May need a little more power to drive them than what you have, but you can always upgrade your AVR.

This. They're in a completely different league than the NHTs or Def Techs. Never heard them in an HT setup, but they're an incredibly musical speaker.

 

[alcoholbob]

This. They're in a completely different league than the NHTs or Def Techs. Never heard them in an HT setup, but they're an incredibly musical speaker.

Their $1500/pair though, well above $900 msrp of the Classic Three. Although the Classic Three retailed for $399/pair back in 2009. NHT either hasn't outsourced enough of its manufacturing or has a bad business back-end to increase prices 225% in 5 years without improving the product.

At the $1500 price range the Revel M105 and Ascend Sierra-2 are very competitive with the LS50 though, it's not like they are in a class of their own (maybe in looks).

 

[Carson Dyle]

No question, there's a huge amount of competition at the $1500 price point for stand-mount speakers. Depends on what you prefer, so listen first, preferably in your listening room. Never heard of Ascend before, to tell the truth.

FWIW, here's a 2006 review of the NHT Classic Three, showing an $800 per pair MSRP, so the price has risen only $100 in eight years.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/nht-classic-three-loudspeaker-specifications

NHT has always been a good choice for HT. Nice, punchy sound.

 

[Anubis]

Ascends are really nice.

TBH in the 1500$ is market for bookshelfs the Salk WOW1 is hard to beat

http://www.salksound.com/wow1 - home.htm

 

[JackBurton]

Ascends are really nice.

TBH in the 1500$ is market for bookshelfs the Salk WOW1 is hard to beat

http://www.salksound.com/wow1 - home.htm

I love Salk speakers, but the WOW1 and SILK bookshelf speakers look awful. I've heard the SILK speakers sound great though.

 

[alcoholbob]

No question, there's a huge amount of competition at the $1500 price point for stand-mount speakers. Depends on what you prefer, so listen first, preferably in your listening room. Never heard of Ascend before, to tell the truth.

FWIW, here's a 2006 review of the NHT Classic Three, showing an $800 per pair MSRP, so the price has risen only $100 in eight years.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/nht-classic-three-loudspeaker-specifications

NHT has always been a good choice for HT. Nice, punchy sound.

NHT went through a change of ownership a couple years ago went from a dealer model to online only. Back then for over a year the Classic Threes were down to $399. The reviews don't reflect the prices back then.

Also even before then the speakers were constantly on sale for around $499-549.

 

[Anubis]

I love Salk speakers, but the WOW1 and SILK bookshelf speakers look awful. I've heard the SILK speakers sound great though.

????

they look like almost any other speaker with a woofer and a tweeter

 

[Gikaseixas]

Brand new AVR in December only, still debating what brand and model to get

For now the HK will have to do it's best but after reading some posts i'm afraid it won't give me (at least) decent sound.

 

[carlton_fritz]

If you listen to HT at all, make sure the fronts match your center. You don't want one to be significantly better than the other or you will notice the difference. If something onscreen goes from left to right, you want the sound to be the same from left speaker to center to right.