The HT3s arrived last Wednesday in perfect shape--not a scratch or ding anywhere. And they are gorgeous, in every way.
I am using them in a 2-channel audio-only setup, driven by a Fet-Valve 550 exr and T7 by Van Alstine. I will compare with the Ultimate 70 in a week or two--it's a bit underpowered for the HT3s but I love its sound. My wife and I listen about equally to LPs (Linn Sondek) and CDs (Meridian 588), some to iTunes (so shoot us) and FM radio (Meridian 504), and occasionally to cassettes (NAD 6100).
The HT3s are extraordinary, truly. There is a very similar musicality and naturalness to the MBOW1, which is a small, bookshelf design. But that, and the exquisite woods and craftsmanship, is about where the comparison ends.
The accuracy, dynamic range and frequency range of the HT3s are truly amazing, and as much I have read folks in AC raving, these speakers are much better than I ever imagined. There is nothing added or taken away--it's hokey to say, but it sounds like the performers are here with us. As good as the MBOW1s sound, and other speakers I have owned and lived with, the HT3s seem to have no "sound" at all. It's almost an eerie feeling.
The demo CD Jim sends along is very revealing of what the HT3s can do, as many people have said in this forum. These speakers will rock, and will best your neighbors down any street in America. The bass is awesome yet very tight and integrated. Subtle dynamics and nuances are revealed. The mids and highs are very, very smooth and detailed.
But what really gets me is when I listen to pre-50s recordings (both LP and CD) of Billie Holiday, Jim Jackson, Furry Lewis, Jussi Bjoerling, Count Basie and many others and hear so many things I've never heard before. The HT3s seem to bring all the music out of my records and CDs. With well-produced and engineered recordings this is especially dramatic, of course.
I have been going through my own collection of demo cuts, including stuff like The Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" live album, "I've See All Good People" from "The Yes Album," Peter Gabriel's "So," Duke Ellington's "Blues in Orbit," Johnny Cash's "The Legend," "Dave Brubeck's Greatest Hits," Pinback's "Summer in Abadon," the Chandos recording of Copland's Symphony No. 3 with the Detroit Symphony and Neeme Jaarvi, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's Bach Cantatas and the Haydn Songs, Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride," Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Lucky Man" and more. Every time I've tried out or bought new speakers it's been fun to hear what they can do with well-produced material like this.
But now everything sounds better. My bet is that everything sounds like it is supposed to sound. I'm writing this on my iBook as I listen to Beethoven's Sixth in my favorite recording of it with Bruno Walter and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra from the 1950s. It is spectacular and rich.
Joni Mitchell's and Cat Power's and Bono's voices, Red Garland's and Glenn Gould's and Bill Evans' pianos, Paul Simon's and Andre Segovia's and Jim Salk's guitars--they all sound incredibly vivid.
Words don't suffice. Do what you need to do to hear a pair. Better yet, do yourself a favor. Order a pair.
Craig
