NHT Xd wins 2005 'Best of CES' award

John Ashman · « **Reply #41 on:** 19 Jan 2005, 05:47 am »

Quote from: tex-amp

I'm sorry I misspelled your new name on AVS. It should have been Joel Bernstein.

Pass the bong.

Rick Craig · « **Reply #42 on:** 19 Jan 2005, 02:34 pm »

Quote from: tex-amp

Quote from: John Ashman
Who the heck is Joel Bernstien?

I'm sorry I misspelled your new name on AVS. It should have been Joel Bernstein.

Actually I went back and looked at the various AVS posts and I don't think Mr. Ashman is the same as Joel Bernstein. I'm sure you have your reasons but Mr. Bernstein looks legit to me.

ehider · « **Reply #43 on:** 19 Jan 2005, 10:58 pm »

Hi all,

Can SOMEONE here explain to me how this thread is anything OTHER than a slick attempt to market these speakers, using this forum to advertise?

FYI: I was at CES myself and didn't hear "boo" from ANYONE I was in contact with regarding the supposed "superiority" of this particular sound system. (In fact, this is the first "over the top" accolade I've heard of regarding this system.) Please also understand that I was in contact with more than a dozen separate audiophiles which I continuously asked "what are some of the more impressive standouts that you have heard?" (each and every day mind you too

). Many of my hard core audiophile buddies were VERY FOCUSED (perhaps even obsessed) with finding "new" audio standouts, advancements and genuine breakthroughs.

Again, this thread sure looks to me like a slick marketing attempt to impress and susbsequently sell to Audiocircle members. Any insights about the people involved in touting this system (and it's supposed greatness) will be greatly appreciated!

John Ashman · « **Reply #44 on:** 19 Jan 2005, 11:50 pm »

ehider · « **Reply #45 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 12:26 am »

Hi John,

Thanks for the clarification. It looks like this speaker may be something special, for home theater applications at least. In my humble opinion, it's one thing all together to reduce or eliminate distortions and increase the dynamic range but there are many other things to consider in creating a true world class two channel audiophile speaker system.

Here is some perspective that I am aware of regarding the history of NHT: A few years ago Ken Kantor bragged how his metal dome tweeter was made for a mere six bucks

. I absolutely agree that he'd probably found the best six dollar tweeter on the entire planet.

But that was also the problem. IMHO "Over the top" two channel audiophile sound reproduction takes allot more than the best six dollar tweeter to be at the same level with speakers that have decent silk dome or ribbon tweeters comparatively (at $30 to $250 for the pair of tweeters mind you, great audiophile level tweeters cost "real" money.). That has always been the downfall of NHT's engineering decisions in my humble opinion. They were so focused on the cost of their drivers that their speakers just wouldn't be truly capable of portraying the subtle nuances that can only be had with very precise drivers i.e. silk dome or ribbons for instance.

For me the bottom line regarding NHT's potential "breakthroughs" (such as reducing distortion or increasing dynamic range through DSP, DSD or other silicon based digital integrated systems along with integrated digital amplification) become fairly "moot". Overall sonic excellence requires very precise drivers made with care (and cost) that cannot be corrected with DSP and such. This is what separates the very best world class high end two channel audiophile speakers from the rest of the crowd. (Again were talking about portraying nuances that only world class drivers can convey, and which DSP, DSD cannot solve).

Of course when you are focusing on home theater requirement it's a whole different ball game. That I'll give NHT the benefit of the doubt for now. Low distortion and high SPLs are pretty damn imperative goals for home theater sound reproduction. If that is the crowd that NHT made this system for then they may have hit the ball out of the park.

Perhaps now that NHT may have figured how to drastically reduce distortion and such they may consider engineering a speaker with world class drivers too (for us "two channel guys"). One can only hope it's more than just the home theater crowd that they care about.

John Ashman · « **Reply #46 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 01:20 am »

John Ashman · « **Reply #47 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 01:23 am »

jermmd · « **Reply #48 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 01:33 am »

I wonder how much of the improvement in this system is due to the NHT speakers? How would the new ACI Sapphire XL speakers with a maestro sub compare if calibrated with DEQX and using the same amps? I believe there has been too much positive press about the NHT system for them to be anything but awesome. I also love the look and form factor. There are simply too many variables in the system to really say why they're so good. We'll see what people say after they become available to the public.

Joe M.

Davey · « **Reply #49 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 01:50 am »

John,

My DIY dipole system will kill speakers in the $15K-$50K range and easily compete with the NHT Xd setup, and it only costs $650.00 to build. That's a steal, not the Xd system.

Davey.

JoshK · « **Reply #50 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 01:55 am »

Eric,

I for one am glad John A is here sharing with us his knowledge. I have read most all of this thread and I don't see his 'slick marketing' of NHT speakers. It seems to me that he is tauting the virtues of the DEQX system, which I think are probably very real, albeit I haven't heard it in action myself, although I know a number of people who have.

We do have a precedent here about not schelking your wares in a general forum when your weren't directly asked. I think in this case, John A is new so he isn't going to know all the history, although there is the FAQs for manufacturers and such. Secondly, he is being addressed with regard to the NHT Xd system as he has a part in it. Therefore, I don't see anything underhanded in this thread.

JoshK · « **Reply #51 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 01:58 am »

Welcome Davey!

(for those who don't know, Davey is reg on diyaudio.com and the apogee forums)

eico1 · « **Reply #52 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 02:12 am »

Hey, all the Dunlavy/Duntech speakers use $10 tweeters, so I disagree that real audiophile speakers cost real money, they just take up space.

But in the case of the NHT Xd, I heard them on a trade show floor and found them exceptionally unique. I don't doubt anyone being extremely enthusiastic about them, they would probably be my ideal speakers for my jazz system at least.

steve

John Ashman · « **Reply #53 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 02:15 am »

John Ashman · « **Reply #54 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 02:19 am »

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #55 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 02:30 am »

It's been suggested, both here within the topic and to me on PM, that this topic has veered into self-promotion and Audio Central may not be the circle for it. I just re-read the topic and think it comes close, but still offers up good insight into an exciting new idea that reportedly reduces errors in (arguably, of course

) the one component in the audio chain that has had the least advances in the past, oh, 30 years.

So, I think it still merits a place in Audio Central, but let's not let this get outta' hand and have this end up in either Market Square, or fer' cryin' out loud, Fight Club.

Thx,

John aka TheChairGuy
Facilitator / Audio Central

John Ashman · « **Reply #56 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 02:37 am »

Davey · « **Reply #57 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 02:57 am »

Thanks Josh. Not much on the Apogee forum anymore....lost interest. I will lurk here if you folks don't mind.

Davey.

Quote from: JoshK

Welcome Davey!

(for those who don't know, Davey is reg on diyaudio.com and the apogee forums)

mac · « **Reply #58 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 03:22 am »

Quote from: Davey

My DIY dipole system will kill speakers in the $15K-$50K range and easily compete with the NHT Xd setup, and it only costs $650.00 to build. That's a steal, not the Xd system.
.

Dave, is the Linkwitz Orion among the speakers that your $650 dipoles "kill"?

Seriously, as someone who has owned the Orions and now the DEQX, I can tell you it's really not a very fair comparison. Cheers, mac.

Davey · « **Reply #59 on:** 20 Jan 2005, 04:12 am »

Mac,

I hope you noticed that I used John's own words in my comment for a (hopefully) humorous effect. Maybe not.

Generally, if a person says speaker X "kills" speaker A, B, etc, I immediately think it's a biased subjective comment and lose interest in reading further.

The Orion and Davey systems are another subject and I'd be happy to discuss those in a different thread if someone would like to. I didn't mean to take this thread off topic with my comment. Sorry.

Cheers,

Davey.