[Glady86]

Just curious if anyone owns NX series speakers and has had experience with highly acclaimed speakers like REVEL. Can the GR offerings compete? I haven’t had any experience with big company brands except KEF and NHT. Other models I owned were from small companies.

[mkrawcz]

I have a pair of Focal Electra 1038be that have been sitting in my basement since January 2020 when I built the NX-Studios. The Focals at the time were often compared to B&W Diamonds, WIlson, and Revel Salons. It wasn't even close. Once I heard the Studios, I never wanted to listen to the Focals again. Then I built the NX-Oticas and those where a significant step up even from the Studios. Every once and a while, I hook the Focals up to see if I'm crazy and the answer is no, it's pretty obvious what sounds better. 

[jmimac351]

Just curious if anyone owns NX series speakers and has had experience with highly acclaimed speakers like REVEL. Can the GR offerings compete? I haven’t had any experience with big company brands except KEF and NHT. Other models I owned were from small companies.

I have heard Revel's best including Studio2 and the Ultima.  Don't be fooled by marketing and stuff you see elsewhere... chatter, the things others seem to be chasing after. I used to think I wanted to buy a pair of Revel.  Then I heard the GR stuff and it being "right" top to bottom, midrange that you think must mean a lack of clarity, then the highs hit.  It makes you take notice because you haven't heard that kind of balance before.  In comparison, the Revel sounds very clean... like isopropyl alcohol.  I'm not a metal dome guy - I like soft dome tweeters and paper cone woofers, and that's exactly what Danny makes. So, no wonder I liked GR speakers better.

When you hear something better, your baseline changes... but you don't know until you hear it - so people buy speakers that start with a "K". 

Another example... for my Wilson Duette... a friend has a pair as well (where I first heard them and bought a pair).  We had 2 pairs of crossovers made from Danny's design.  I burned the first pair of crossovers in as he is down in Sarasota (and this whole "new crossover" thing was my idea anyway).  After several months he came for a listen / pickup his pair of crossovers.  This is a guy who has 3 different high end systems in his home including larger Wilson Audio Alexia, Wilson-Benesch, MBL speakers, large Levinson amps, Naim, CJ preamps, Class A Pass Labs monoblocks, etc. etc. Well, he was absolutely blown away by the revised Duette, and he bought my Ayre KX-5 Twenty preamp on the spot.  He's been so thrilled with his Duette that he moved his Alexia out of the main spot.  Now he's mentioned to me crating up an Alexia speaker and sending to Danny.  He measured the crate earlier last week...

Danny has made this speaker thing pretty easy... and if he gets some 8" servo subs squared away, watch out for the kind of "traditional" floostanders that could come to fruition.  You know the feeling when something just isn't right with what you're listening to... speakers / equipment come and go and it's still not "right"?  I don't experience that at all anymore - and it's not for a lack of seeking out / listening.

I happen to think if the NX-Studio ends up on top of a pair of 8" servo subs in a single, floor standing speaker... Danny won't be able to get enough wood cut.  That setup is exactly what I'm working on right now with Rythmik F8 subs.

[jmimac351]

I'll add one more thing as I have seen this happen in the car / track hobby...

Don't let someone else define what your version of Fun and Happiness is. 

Reading this forum and seeing the GR offerings, one could think "Well, if I don't get Otica, Xtreme... anything open baffle, it must not be "great" and I won't have great sound". That is absolutely not the case, for me.  I have heard the NX-Treme and they are spectacular.  Who knows, I may have a pair someday... but do not let the pictures / projects of the exotic open baffle stuff fool you into thinking "you're doing it wrong" if you don't have that.

Well, I guess I'll add one more thing... I don't think people realize how good the M165NQ driver is.  That driver absolutely SMOKED the legendary Scan-Speak 8545.  I heard the 8545 in a revised crossover done by Danny and thought it sounded great... then I heard the M165NQ in the same application, and it was no comparison (midrange clarity).   

Have fun... don't let it drive you crazy. 

[Glady86]

I’m not second guessing my purchase or anything, I am satisfied. And hopefully after I add the GR subs it’ll improve further over the previous speakers I owned.

It’s certain websites I should probably steer clear of that dismiss the possibility of these speakers being   competitive to expensive big name offerings mainly cause they don’t like Danny’s approach to designing.  And  think he’s a “snake oil” salesman. I’ve had a response claiming, Danny can design a good sounding speaker but you could do better for less money. I had the NX OTICA flat packs since when Covid screwed up the supply chain and didn’t buy the parts till last summer. I was discouraged after reading some of those negative GR bashing posts, but now I’m happy I finally followed through and bought the rest of the kit.


 

[Tyson]

I did show coverage for RMAF for about 12 years and I have heard all the top gear from alll the major brands.  GR Research makes the best speakers I’ve heard.

[Jon L]

I happen to think if the NX-Studio ends up on top of a pair of 8" servo subs in a single, floor standing speaker... Danny won't be able to get enough wood cut.

Truth 

[Huskerbryce]

I used to be an audio salesman.  We sold many brands.  Some of the higher end were good stuff.  Paradigm, B&W, yamaha, BK, Adcom, McIntosh among others.  I have owned them all.  Heard them all.  I live in a large market where you can hear just about anything you are willing to pay for.  I just never owned anything that I got super excited about.  Over the years of spending cash on equipment that was not great, I got into building my own.  DIY has come a long ways.  People like Danny have made this fun and very rewarding.  I started with many (sealed box) Diy projects from many designs. Ive built bookshelf all the way to full range and subs.  Many subs.  NOTHING could have prepared me for what I would hear with Dannys open baffle sub builds.  The control, depth, detail and pure musicality, was nothing short of life changing.  It forced me to think different about my next major DIY speaker build.  Enter the NX otica.  I just built them this spring.  I wont bore with comparisons because there are none that I have heard.  If I would have had a bigger room, I would have built the NX treme.  Im so happy with the otica and the servo open baffle subs.  Simply the best sounding speakers I have ever heard at any price.  Some things in life must be taken on only faith and belief. I believe in things that I cannot hear, see, touch or smell, that I still believe are life giving🐟.   You can build these and have a tangible thing to hear. If you don't believe what myself or others are saying about these speakers Danny built, just go build a pair…….you wont regret it.  Then you will know what we are talking about.  Cheers, to bigger better and more awesome speakers!

[ahmadie]

I have nx studio for 3 years now and they are magnitude times better than my old passive kef ls50, but there is a catch with NX series, there are brutal honest and revealing I had to do room treatment, and upgrade to high end equipment to get them sound nice. Fortunately gr research youtube channel start introducing equipment that matches his speakers 

[Glady86]

I can’t get my NX Oticas to not sound nice. I tried four different amps I own and all worked just fine with the NX Oticas. Getting the placement and some basic room treatment seemed the most important in my experience. Also, one change I made that stood out, was replacing the QRD dispersion panels with GIK Evolution Polyfusers behind the speakers. Improved tone balance , better defined imaging and spatial cues. Also KEF sounds good, but the GR stuff is miles ahead IMO.

[johnwoitalla]

I've had a pair of NX-Studios since May 2024. My wife bought them for me, completed and finished in walnut for my birthday. For the last 25 years I have been listening to diy Dynaudio Gemini's from Madisound with a built-in diy passive sub made made with a pair of JBL 12'' drivers. Previous to the Gemini's I listened to Vandersteen 2c's with a Counterpoint preamp and Adcom 545 amp. The Gemini's sounded way better than the Vandee's(from what I remember). I got years of satisfaction from the Dynaudio's. In 2011 I had a big screen installation done when I got a new big screen television. The men who did the install were from a studio salon(that no longer sells high end stereo equipment), they were very impressed with the sound of the Dynaudio's. When I got the NX-Studio's, after reading all of the accolades here on this forum, I expected the Studio's to be another epiphany of improvement. But, to be fully honest, I couldn't really hear that much of a difference. Which is not a negative thing to say as the Dynaudio's are amazing. I now use the Studio's as my main speakers and have set up the Dynaudio's/SVS Micro 3000 sub. in an alcove by the kitchen where I do near field listening. I like the sound of both set ups. Neither set of speakers cause listener fatigue when played at moderate levels. If anything is better with the Studio's, it is the in midrange.  After listening to both systems now, I can say that what I have really learned is that the recording and the room are absolutely tantamount to quality sound-so much so, that I hve concluded that I would take a mediocre pair of speakers with a great room/recording, over a great pair of speakers with a mediocre recording/room. Unfortunately, my room could really use some good tweaking, but that's not gonna happen in the near future do to the wife factor. Neither system is set up to their full potential as I have a wife to consider(who is a musician, but really not much a hi-fi enthusiast) like me. It also very important to note that at 63 years of age, I'm certain my hearing isn't what it used to be and I suffer from tinnitus that sounds like a low volume super high pitched ring 24/7. I will close with saying I got chill bumps listening to James Taylor through the Studio's streamed through my apple TV from Apple music. The guitar in that recording and the vocals were fabulous. I have listened to that album hundreds of times from a cd, but when streamed it was a night and day difference. I knew that when I got the new Studios that they would sound great, and they have not disappointed. What the studio's did, was confirm just how well the old Madisound/Dynaudio truly sound.