Beautiful speaker for the price. deep holographic soundstage with grilles off and when properly positioned. Very warm and sweet sounding especially playing jazz.

None, but since tweeter is positioned under midbass, I recommend using 26" or higher stands. Or placing 24" stands on 2, 1" thick stone tiles (stacked) to raise them to ear level.

This is my first pair of high end loudspeakers. I did alot of research when buying them and decided on them because of their looks and price. I had only heard the super zero from NHT before this purchase. They sounded great so I decided to try the SB-3. I kind of jumped into this hobby backward. I started with the speakers and found them to sound good. Since I bought them I was bitten by "the bug" and since then I have added A Jolida tube amplifier, audioquest cables and learned everything about speaker placement. I have heard these NHT speakers go from sounding just good, or what I thought wast good at the time, to sounding absolutely unbelievable. Since I have added my other components these speakers have shown me their true colors. They now have a very warm and sweet sound and a holographic soundstage. When I play Jazz I feel like I can point to where every musician is standing. They also look great in my listening room. I cannot believe that I missed out on listening to music like this for so many years. These are the speakers that opened my eyes to hi fidelity and I look forward to a lifetime of enjoying it. Thanks NHT.

very even handed great bass response from a speaker this size excellent for movies AND music lush vocals (both men and womens)

Are you kidding? NONE for this price

I checked out many brands before going with the nht sb-3's.for the price i paid i cant think of a better speaker.Plenty of bass unless you are a basshead like me,then a sub will fill in the lower octaves.These speakers are very even handed.i went into TWEETERS and listened to their $1,200.00/pr SONUS FABER and literally laughed at the sound quality of the Faber's.In fact,not 1 bookshelf speaker they carried in the store held a candle to the NHT SB-3's. If you have a sub,BUY THESE with CONFIDENCE !!!

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned Paradigm,B&W Klipsch,Bose,Sonus Faber,Mirage,

Unheard of bass coming from a pair of bookshelves.

But one thing you have keep in mind is, there is only so much you can get out of a 6.5 inch woofer. At high volumes (85db or louder) I did notice the sound started to lose coherence. But this is to be expected from any bookshelf speakers.

These bookshelves do indeed go very low, far lower than any other bookshelves I have heard. In a modest sized room, I used them as my mains without a sub. Amazing sound coming from a pair of bookshelves, kudos to NHT for their amazing engineering.

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Mission, Tannoy, NHT 1.5, Infinity Kappa 400.

Neutral sound, great soundstage, non-straining, beautiful finish, and not too stylish or trendy.

Accoustic suspension design makes the speakers highly inefficient, but are not a problem if you have a good power supply in your amp.

I have been wanting to write a reivew about these speakers for a while now, but I just haven't had the time to do so. I previously had the SB2 speakers for a while, but I was always intrigued by the low end capabilities of the SB3s. So, a few months ago, I came into some bonus money, so I bought a pair. These are great speakers. For the price I paid, I do not know if you would be able to find a pair that can probably replace a lot of floorstanding pairs out there that cost a lot more. The kicker is that they look gorgeous, too.

Similar Products Used:

NHT SB2, NHT Super One XU, Infinity RS5, Infinity RS3, Infinity Reference Series Tower

Wonderful detail partnered with extended but tight bass. Excellent gloss black finish.

none

This is a great bookshelf speaker. I listened to NHT models years ago and found them to be overly bright to the point of sterility. After reading several reviews of the SB3s I thought I'd give them a try. What an improvement over earlier models. The SB3s have an inviting warmth while maintaining the detail required to hear into the recording. I am hearing things on some favorite CDs that escaped me before. Considering the size of these speakers the bass is outstanding. These were purchased for a small (12X11) listening room left to me when my daughter went off to college. I am one of those people who change equipment frequently -- more so now with on line buying -- but the SB3s will stay in the room for awhile. Considering the price, five stars are in order.

Similar Products Used:

Thiel 1.5, Acoustic Energy Aegis One, PSB Alpha

Gorgeous looks, clear midrange, refined highs, extended and punchy bass.

Inefficient.

I've been at this hobby for about 4 years. My first speakers were NHT SuperOne Xu monitors. Later, I purchased Polk RT25i and RT35i speakers and a Polk CS245i center channel for a home theater system. This gave me the opportunity to audition the SuperOne, RT25i and RT35i in my 2-channel bedroom system. The room size is roughly 12' x 12' with a sloped ceiling, and I listen mostly to vocals, country and jazz, at low to medium volume. I initially liked the RT25i better than the SuperOne, because the Polk is slightly more dynamic and sounds good at low volume. I also liked the RT35i because of the deeper bass and bigger sound, but to me it lacked "presence" for music. After listening over time to these 3 sets of speakers, I decided I still preferred the SuperOnes overall. The SuperOnes do have weaknesses: they require more power to drive, they sound a little lifeless at low volume, they sound "hard" at higher volume, they lack deep bass, and they don't sound big -- that is, they don't "fill the room" with effortless sound. However, at medium volume there is something "right" about the SuperOnes: they are balanced and coherent, smooth yet detailed, and the bass they do have is tight and tuneful. So, I decided that I was looking for a speaker that possesses the good qualities of the SuperOne, plus (in order of priority): deeper bass, bigger sound, and more dynamics at low volume. I recently purchased a pair of NHT SB3 speakers, without an audition. The SB3 is a gorgeous speaker, and looks very classy in the piano black finish. The SB3 is very solid and well built. The physical dimensions of the SB3 (13"x8"x10") are "just right" for my room size -- not too big, not too small. On the back of the speaker, I was surprised to find the binding posts near the TOP of the enclosure. Perhaps this is because the woofer is located on top, above the tweeter. Fortunately, my speaker cables are long enough to make it that extra distance. My impression when first listening to the SB3 (which were not yet broken in) is how different they sound from the SuperOne Xu. The sound was fuller (deeper bass), the music seemed to appear from a "blacker" background, and vocals were slightly recessed behind the speakers. I was initially somewhat disappointed about the "recessed vocals" effect. I quickly discovered, however, that toeing the speakers in toward the listening position, and increasing the volume slightly, brought the vocals right back where I like them. With the SB3 I have to turn up the volume more (they seem slightly less efficient than the SuperOnes), but the music does not turn harsh in any way with the increased volume -- it just gets louder. The highs are there, but they don't stand out from the rest of the frequency spectrum. I initially wondered if the highs are "rolled off" on the SB3, but I don't think that's the case. I still hear lots of detail on the SB3, even more than on the SuperOne. I'm not sure if the right word is "smooth", "sweet", or "refined", but in my system the SB3 is nicely balanced from top-to-bottom, offers nearly full range performance, and are pleasantly non-fatiguing even at higher volume. Compared with the Polk RT35i: The SB3 has a clearer midrange (easier to hear separate voices singing in harmony), and the bass is slightly more extended and punchy. The SB3 requires more power. Compared to NHT SuperOne Xu: The SB3 seems slightly more laid back, but more refined, and the bass is MUCH more extended. Piano is much more realistic on the SB3 than the other two speakers. In conclusion, I got exactly what I wanted with the SB3, and then some: deeper bass, bigger sound, more dynamics at low volume, a clearer midrange and more refined highs. The SB3 is a fantastic speaker and a great value -- highly recommended! Associated equipment: - Audio Analogue Puccini (40 Watts) integrated amp - CAL DX-2 CD player - Analysis Plus Oval One interconnects - Analysis Plus Oval 12 speaker cable

Similar Products Used:

NHT SuperOne Xu, Polk RT25i and RT35i.

LOOKS and nice midrange. oh yach PRICE$$$ for the people with budget. It pass W.A.F (Wife Approval Factor), my wife gives it a 10 stars. :-)

it's not a ribbon/planner speaker so don't compare it with them. for a small bookshelf. it has none that i can think off. Cleaning part is a ....? high gloss finished is really a pain in the (_!_). but if you loves your speakers like i do, cleaned it once every 2-3 days.

Somehow i like/prefer bookshelf speakers, compare to towers. Once i looked at these speakers, i fall in love with it. It's beautifull on the outside and oh my what a sound quality. Big sound for a small speakers not forgetting warm. Nice on the mid's and high's, as the bass is not dissapointing at all. i also use SW-10 for the sub so it helps. People at the Sound Factor were great, go see Dr. Jack for advice and also he will gave you a great price also some free accesories. i definetly recommend NHT SB3 if you want a nice appearance bookshelf with a beautifull sound quality, soft an warm. I did compare it with B&W but i prefer this NHT, for me B&W sound is to clean...frigheting

Exceptional warmth and smoothness in mids, absolutely fatigue-free high ends and strong, tight bass that's almost shocking for a small bookshelf model. Great soundstage. Excellent build quality, gorgeous piano black finish.

Imaging could be better, but I'm used to listening to speakers that cost twice as much. I still have to adjust, and I still have to get another 50 hours or so on these before I can really discover their full potential.

I didn't want to buy speakers. I have a lovely set of PSB Stratus Bronze towers, but their bass extension was proving too much for my downstairs neighbors. So I decided I needed bookshelf models and with excellent stands to help isolate the bass. I went to the store to audition the B&W 601S3, and I enjoyed them, but I couldn't stop looking at the NHTs sitting next to them. I owned a pair of NHTs years ago, when the company was new, and I loved the sound except that it was lacking in bass extension. So the salesman let me do several quick-change listening tests on the same tracks, going back and forth between the B&Ws and the NHTs, and there was just no comparison. While the B&Ws do have a sweet high end, it just isn't as true as the NHTs', and the bass extension of the NHTs is phenomenal for a bookshelf of its size. Overall, I found it flat, neutral, gorgeous. In fact, in the mids and the highs, it surpasses by PSBs, and I'm still just breaking them in. The PSBs will still eat their lunch on string bass and kick drum, but the NHTs sound better for vocals and acoustic most nonelectric instruments. I'm in love with NHT again. And paired with cast-iron stands, I have finally found peace. The bass is plenty and tight, but it doesn't roll through the floor as it does with my floor-standing PSBs. These are inefficient speakers, which I peronally like. I have a very gutsy amp, and I'm finally getting to turn the volume past 9 o'clock. The bottom line is that I've auditioned and owned tons of speakers, and in the $600 and below price range, these speakers sound better to my ears than anything on the market right now. It's interesting to me that there aren't more reviews out there. These things may be as-yet undiscovered gems. Do yourself a favor and discover them.

Similar Products Used:

Other NHT, Boston, Paradigm, PSB Stratus, etc.

This speaker is essentially an updated super version of the highly-regarded Super One. It has updated drivers and a somewhat larger cabinet (beautiful black gloss finish, BTW) than the SO. It goes lower than the SO and sounds more detailed and neutral. At 600.00 a pair they are a little expensive for a bookself model, but the sound is worth it. NOTE: They sell individually and are video shielded, so you can buy one as a center channel if you wish.

deep bass, ruler-flat response, very transparent, beautiful appearance (high-gloss black)

it's not a loud speaker that's for sure

the best bookshelf speaker in this price range. it's kind of mandatory that you buy the nht stand because placement can be picky with these. with the exception of paradigm reference, i've never heard a speaker in this price range which doesn't beg for a subwoofer. i heard it teamed up with a 70-wpc denon 1602.

Similar Products Used:

paradigm reference, dunlavy, tannoy, polk