I am not familiar with the classe' sp25. I currently own a pair of NHT 2.5i's. I am using an all tube amplification set-up consisting of ARC SP-8 pre-amp and ARC D-115Mk 2 amp. I have heard the NHT 2.9 in the showroom with Krell gear and I can tell you for a fact that a good POWERFUL tube amp works better. Don't however sell yourself short on power. At least 100 watts should do the trick. You need it with the NHT's. I am currently thinking of upgrading to the 2.9's. Have owned the 2.5i's for just over 2 years and they are really singing. I love this design but one thing is for certain to get the best out of them is to use the best amplification you can. Also careful cable matching is a must. I have heard several knocks on the NHT's and they are unwarranted unless the associated electronics are not excellent. These speakers are not very forgiving and will reveal any deficiencies in front of them.
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I am currently using litzline speaker cable and have just acquired Harmonic Technology Truth-Link interconnects which I like much better than the Cardas crosslink I had previously in the System. Due to the fact that you have A Classe pre-amp you are probably better off with a Classe or another good solid state amp. |
This may sound silly, but I once heard a pair of NHT 2.9 (the very sam speakers you own) hooked up to a pair of Cary 300b monos, and I COULD NOT BELIEVE the sound coming out of them. Granted, you may not get much volume out of this combination, but I had a handful of CD's with me (I was auditioning DA Converters) and played them through the setup...mostly rock, and it was SO ENGAGING! I was drooling. Voices...my god! I think they had them hooked up using nordost red dawn speaker cable...I still haven't heard anything like it. But, I recently grabbed a used Audio Research VT60 for my 2.5's, and the sound is so beautiful, I sold my Bryston 3B-ST two months ago, with no regrets. I would say, having heard NHT's through all sorts of gear, tubes really make them beautiful. 'course, others may disagree. Jason Lyman [email protected] |
I used to own NHT 2.9s and now have 3.3s. I've tried a variety of amps: denon poa8200, Parasound 1500A, HK signature 2.1, Carver 705, Citation 5.1. For 2.9s, I would recommend a Citation 5.1 bridged to 300x2 or 7.1 bridged to 450x2. These speakers need ALOT of sweet power to maximize their potential. Also consider the big Rotel 380x2, Parasound 350x2, and bryston 4b 250x2. |