Are NHT VT2.4's harsh, or is it just me?

Just said the same thing to Erik on my system thread . . . . I think this is a classic example of "It wasn't broke, so you shouldn't have fixed it . . . ."

Pat

I agree with Bigtee -- NHTs generally have a more forward and "brighter" sound, but the metal tweeter in the newer models amplifies (no pun intended) the problem. The original 3.3 (as well as the 2.5, 2.3, 2.1, 1.5, 1.3, etc)had a soft tweeter and sounded (IMO) much better than the newer models. I'm using an all NHT "Focused Image Geometry" series HT setup with Rotel amps and a Lexicon pre/pro, and I don't find the sound to be harsh at all. My NHTs are all soft tweeter models, though, and all VERY well broken in (since most of them have been out of production for 8-10 years . . . .)

Pat

I agree with you on the newer metal tweeters . . . but you should listen to the older, soft-dome NHT models. Still EXTREMELY revealing, but not harsh.

Maybe it was the electronics you heard them with . . . . on good recordings, my 2.3As throw a wall-to-wall soundstage, even with the TV in the back of the speaker plane. (Now IMAGING is compromised by the TV, but not soundstage width).

Pop in the latest Enya CD and you'll SWEAR that the rear speakers are active . . . .

However, they don't throw a "fake" big soundstage like some speakers do. If the recording is small and closed in, then the speakers sound small and closed in, too.

They also have somewhat of a design flaw . . . in the floorstanders, the driver layout puts the tweeters well below ear level for most people's seated listening position. I raised mine up 8 inches off the floor, so that the tweeters are where they're supposed to be -- BIG difference.

Carlabarla --

FINALLY got my Channel Islands VPC-1 passive preamp and hooked it up yesterday . . . . BIG difference in the sound. The little bit of harshness that I was hearing in the midrange is gone now -- female vocals sound fuller, and everything is "richer" sounding. Plus, there is a LOT more low level detail now -- audience noises are much more noticeable in Eva Cassidy's "Live at Blues Alley," and echoes and treble decays are more noticeable and natural.

I guess what everyone says about the Lexicon DC-1 not being great for 2-channel is dead on the money . . . .

I don't know what preamp you're using, but if it's a HT type of thing, you might want to give the VPC-1 a try. It's only $220 new, and it will let you hear exactly what's coming out of your source, without any added coloration or sonic disturbance from an active preamp.

It's easy to rig into a HT setup, too, as long as you only want to have one analog source. The VPC-1 has two inputs, so you just run your CD/DVD analog outs into one input, and then the main L/R outs from your HT processor into the other. For HT listening, just switch to the HT outs input and turn the preamp volume all the way up -- then it's sonically not even in the circuit, basically, and there's no need to level match.

Pat