Today's press event held by NHT in New York City brought back a lot of memories for those in attendance. It is hard to believe that it has been almost seventeen years since the original NHT SuperZero minimonitor loudspeaker made such a huge splash and became a tsunami that helped build the NHT brand. A lot of really good loudspeakers have come from the California-based company since then: including the astounding 3.3 towers, and uniquely designed and styled powered Xd series. None of them, however, had the appeal or the impact of the SuperZero monitors.
Not only did I own four pairs of the original Super Zeroes, but I also drove them with some over-the-top and incredibly expensive amplifiers. The same can be said for many of the people who tried and bought them during the mid nineties. It was not out place to see people using $2,000 amplifiers with this $250 pair of loudspeakers. They were that good. Yes, they had some serious limitations in the bass department, but that's why NHT created some of the best subwoofers around.
Sometimes, if you are really lucky, lightning does strike the same spot twice. You just don't want to be that guy standing there, reading the Huffington Post on your brand new iPad when it does. NHT has done something so crazy with the new SuperZero 2.0 monitors that we left scratching our heads. We actually thought that NHT's Chris Byrne was kidding when he told us that the speakers would cost "$99 per channel." No, really. $198 per pair. They are totally serious about the pricing and have basically declared war on the entire affordable high-end loudspeaker establishment (and right before the exciting mid-term elections, no less) with today's proclamation. To top it off, they introduced 3 new subwoofers just to make everyone in the room drool; Super 8, B-10d, and the monster B-12d. It was like the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor all over again.*
The demonstration system was powered by a $125 Sherwood stereo receiver (which is available on NHT's website), a Sherwood Blu-ray player, and my brand new Apple iPod Touch which was plugged into a Sherwood docking station. As with their predecessor, the new Super Zeroes offer very little low bass, so these duties were picked up by the cute little Super8 powered subwoofer ($349.99), designed to be a perect match to the little guys. Not only did this incredibly affordable system rock, but it easily showed up the quality of the digital downloads on my Touch. The assortment of Apple AAC files, AIFF, and Apple Lossless files were easy to distinguish. The music wasn't bad either.
The crossover point on the new SuperZero 2.0 monitors has changed from about 3.2 KHz to 2 KHz and gone is that beaming issue that existed nearly two decades ago. The new sound is super smooth and amazingly transparent. For $99, the sound emanating from the SuperZero 2.0 was downright beautiful. The addition of the Super 8 sub just made it all come together. In addition to some aidophile-friendly fare, we listened to the Beastie Boys "Root Down" and it just did a number on the room. The competition should be very concerned.
The SuperZero 2.0 looks the same, but it isn't the same little honey that you remember from the first Clinton administration (there's a joke there somewhere, but we'll resist the urge). Version 2.0 offers higher power handling, lower distortion, improved detail, and better off-axis response. The 4.5" long-throw pulp cone woofer rolls off at 100Hz and you really do hear the difference with the revised crossover point between woofer and tweeter. The 1" silk dome tweeter is in a sealed enclosure. The new frequency response of the SZ2 is stated as 100Hz - 22khz +/-3dB, and the sensitivity is 85dB. The sturdy and really heavy cabinet is 9"H x 5"W x 5.5"D. The finish on the new monitors is a striking black laminate.
Bass junkies are going to love the new Super 8 subwoofer. Not only does it extend the system's response below 40Hz, but it makes everything sound so precise. Unlike many low cost subs, there is none of that one note boom and the transition between satellite and sub was as seamless as one could hope. The Super 8 measures only 11" square (it has a 8 inch driver), but it contains the same amplifier and DSP technology as NHT's more expensive subwoofers. It features a 110 watt PWM BASH amplifier. Like all NHT subwoofers, it has more connections than one can count, and there is even a USB connection for use with an upcoming NHT wireless audio adaptor which is due out in early 2011. We did some quick math and realized that you could build a 5.1 SuperZero/Super 8 system for $845. But look for the pricing to be even lower when bundled with one of the afore-mentioned Sherwood receivers on NHT's web site. Talk about recession beating high-end wunderkind.
All Your Bass
Not to be undone by the inexpensive super-system, are NHT's latest subwoofers which look like they could huff and puff till your entire neighborhood falls down. The new compact B-10d ($499) and B-12d ($699) compete the brand's shift to acoustic suspension designs and employ Class 'D' BASH amplifiers (350 and 500 watts respectively). Both subwoofers are designed to seamlessly integrate with music and home theater systems, boasting compact footprints of 12.5" and 14". The amplifiers feature a new digital signal processor (DSP) engine that controls all equalization, low and high pass filter functions, and a compressor and limiter which helps both subwoofers play lower and louder, without giving up any of NHT's trademark controlled bass response. Talk about beauty and the beast. This thing is both.
All of these new products will be available in late-October/November and we're literally dying to get our hands on them for a more extensive audition. The $99 SuperZero 2.0s combined with one of the larger powered subwoofers may just be the 5.1 budget system to beat in 2011.
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Where to Buy NHT Speakers Online:
*Yes, we know Germany didn't bomb Pearl Harbor... watch some more movies.
