Big Picture Big Sound

A hot three-way, no ports

NHT is sort of a forgotten hero of the speaker world. They don't have the name recognition of JBL or Polk, but they've consistently made excellent, affordable, speakers since the mid-80s. In 2009 they re-launched as an Internet-direct company, still based in California, with many of their original employees still on board.

The Classic Threes you see here are a, um, classic three-way design. For the top end, there's a 0.75-inch anodized aluminum dome tweeter. This is crossed over at 3.2 kHz to a big 2-inch anodized aluminum dome midrange. While not unheard of in speaker design, most speakers use a more traditional cone driver for the midrange. NHT claims of this layout: "This compact array keeps the drivers in close proximity to each other improving phase (multi-driver timing) coherence. Using 3 drivers also reduces distortion and allows the woofer to concentrate on bass reproduction." Concentrate it does, coming in below 800 Hz. It's a 6.5-inch anodized aluminum cone (seeing a trend?)

NHT rates the Classic Threes at 45Hz to 20kHz, with a sensitivity of 87dB with 2.83 volts at a distance of 1 meter.

Weighing in at 17 pounds, the Threes are solidly braced, and the old-school rap test (thunk-thunk not hip-hop), reveals a dead sounding cabinet.  In this case, dead is good as you don't want the cabinet resonance detracting from the sound of those finely tuned drivers.  The curvy design and black gloss coating itself is rather old school, with many new competitors featuring colorful wood veneers as options. I've never been a big fan of black speakers, but as far as black speakers go, these are very attractive.

Now that said, I've had black reference speakers for the better part of 10 years. Black NHT speakers to be precise. I'm a fan of accuracy in my speakers, and I got that with the Evolutions I've used as a reference.

But can NHT make an accurate sounding speaker for a 10th of the price of the Evos?

Setup

Well, they're bookshelf speakers, so I, um, set them up. They were on stands. The stands were black. Not a lot of mystery here. One quirk, because of the rounded bottom, you need to install metal and rubber rails so they'll sit correctly. Seems an odd design choice, but it's not a big deal.

Turnin' and Burnin'

For me, a speaker is made or ditched in its treble performance. Nothing will make me hate a speaker faster than inaccurate, colored, or harsh treble.  I had high hopes for the Classic Threes, as the use of a tiny tweeter can result in quality high frequency performance.

So along those lines, my first demo track was Jeff Buckley's version of Cohen's "Hallelujah." This track has the treble of the guitars, and tons of ambience and reverb. The Classic Three's were open and detailed. With each pluck of the strings delicate without being too metallic or artificial. At really high volumes, there was a bit of sizzle, but nothing severe.

Next up was "Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)" from Tom Waits' classic Closing Time CD. The Classic Three's featured excellent stereo separation, with each instrument placed precisely in the soundstage. They had a wonderful neutralness, with strong bass for such small speakers.

For a bit of a change, next was MSTRKRFT's "Beards Again," with its powerful beat, distorted guitars, and electronic bits. The Classic Threes surprised with the amount of bass. This track can sound tinny, but with the Three's it just drove.

On a recommendation from my friend Brent, I tried out The Decemberists The King Is Dead. The lead track, "Don't Carry It All," had a great soundstage, while maintaining strong imaging.

Moar PwrR

All speakers like good amplification, but the Classic Threes like it a little more than most. Switching in the fantastic Simaudio MOON 330A  stereo amp really awakened the Classic Threes. They were fuller sounding, and a bit more open. True, this is way more amp than $750 speakers are likely to get, but it's just worth noting that they like more power.

One way around this would be by adding a sub. For a smaller system, the Threes certainly don't need one, but offloading the bass to a powered sub would free up some extra power in your receiver/amp.

Turn Ons

• Clean, neutral treble
• Well, neutral everything, pretty much
• Decent bass for a small speaker
• Great imaging

Turn Offs

• Glossy finish reflects like a glossy finish
• Rubber runners an odd assembly requirement
• Sound better with more power

Final Thoughts

The Classic Threes from NHT are attractive, and sound great. The really come alive when given lots of power, but that's not a requirement by any means. There's a real transparency to these speakers that's rare in this price range. Paired with an inexpensive receiver, these could make for a fantastic 2-channel system, or as the basis for an excellent 5.1 channel home theater system.

Product Details

• 3-Way Acoustic suspension design with a 30mm front baffle and 18mm cabinetry and bracing
• 0.75" anodized aluminum dome  tweeter
  
• 2" anodized aluminum dome mid-range
  
• 6.5" anodized aluminum cone woofer
  
• 13.75" x 7.5" x 10.375" (H x W x D)
  
• 17 lbs (each)
• Price: $375/each (MAP)

Manufacturer claimed Specs

• Frequency Response: 45Hz - 20kHz
  
• Sensitivity: 87dB (2.83v@1m)

Manufacturer Contact information

NHT Inc.
140 West Industrial Way
Benicia, California 94510
(707) 747-0122

Website: www.NHTHifi.com