they look great with the grills off. smooth, even when you've got them placed incorrectly and there's way too much sibilance. amazing low end. two different ways you can set them up for two different tastes in sound, both hi-end.

the left speaker has a slight scuff to the top of the lacuer finish. the same speaker's upper left screw on the midrange driver has the blueing warn off and there's a slight scuff about two inches long clockwise along the edge of that driver from the screw on. the tweeter was also slightly rotated counterclockwise and had to be gently twisted perfectly vertical. odd aesthetic and quality control shortcomings from an otherwise gorgeous pair of speakers.

That's $750 shipped for the pair. I can call myself an audiophile now because of these. At first I thought they sounded a little warm and vague in the imaging. There are two ways to set them up. One is according to the manual with the grills on. If pointing them directly at your ears is whole (100% - 1/1) toe in, then you want to toe them in about 1/3 the way. I actually had them toed in this way first and they were gorgeously warm and smooth, though not totally precise in their imaging. Alison Goldfrapp and David Gehan had warmth to their voices, though, that made me melt with glee. The soundstage also had more depth than my previous system and a lot of height. If you toe them in too much, though, they'll start sounding forward and more like nearfield monitors. Now, taking off the grills does cause a spike in the 8khz region that opens them up way too much. The solution, as mentioned in the Absolute Sound review and recommended now by NHT's chief designer, is to take the grills off and not to toe them in at all, speakers strait ahead. I've found that you need to move them far enough to the sides to mostly get rid of the 8khz peak, which exaggerates T's and S's (never makes them harsh, though), far enough from the rear wall to balance out the extra midbass without making it sound thin. This placement also needs to be balanced to keep the speakers from being too far away from each other that the center image loses fill and depth. You don't want out of phase material grouping around the speakers. You'll still get a very slight boost at the 8khz range, but it should now be subtle. If you prefer the warmer sound, put the grills back on and toe them in a bit. But the precision in imaging and dynamics you get with the grills off set-up will knock your socks off. The lows go extremely low, and the highs are extended but tend to integrate well with the mids. I'm using this with a Harman Kardon 7200 and the combination on Dolby Digital soundtracks like the Matrix Reloaded is stunning. That ship sounds like it is landing in my living room when it sets down for the meeting. No joke. I don't remember it sounding like that in either the THX or Imax theaters. I'm no longer fiddling with my sound system (maybe just a little) and instead can simply enjoy the music and sound design. I need to get my friend Russ and his wife back over here. The only time they've heard it was with grills on and way too much toe in.

Great speaker. Beat the polk, bose and infinity for the price. Work great with my NHT Sub. Music to movies! Using NHT SuperOne in walls for rear surround.

cant find one

Great speaker. Beat the polk, bose and infinity for the price. Work great with my NHT Sub. Music to movies!

Crystal clear highs and great bass.

None that I can hear yet.

Holy S_it! I am a casual listener on my way to "Audio Enthusiast"... I just got wired up and have been going through my cd's trying to find one that sounds bad with these ST4's! I bi-wired them to my new Yamaha RX-V1300. Not hooked to my tv yet but I plan to put together a home theatre system shortly. Wow am I glad I bought these speakers. I almost went with the Polk LSi15's but am happy with these.

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Polk Audio, Cerwin Vega (never again)

Very balanced, clean sound. Extremely clear and precise reproduction of instruments. Unfortunately at the same time shows some background noise in the recording, if any.

Not that I can tell. If they sell more at this price, I am picking up another pair for surrounds. What the heck!

I love these speakers. I had compared Klipsch RF3-II, Paradigm Monitor 7, Definitive Technology BP8B, and Polk RTi70. All were in similar price range, which was what I stuck to for comparison. Although these were not apples to apples because the amp driving them were different sometimes, but none were low-end (B&K separates, Denon 5803, and HK AVR8000). The NHT speakers were balanced, although not as sensitive as others because the lowered volume while switching speakers was noticeable. I did all the listening tests without a subwoofer and I believe the NHTs produced the best bass (clear and yet impactful) out of all of them. At home I drove the speakers with an Yamaha RX-V1, and in stereo it sounds beautiful. In movies (with subwoofer) it didn't make too much of a difference, but that was not what I was looking for anyway. Best of all, after I made my decision at the $700 per pair range, 6th Ave decided to sell me these for $387 per pair! I ended up buying two pairs and am putting one set in my bedroom. :)

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None personally, only tested.

Details, details, details. I also like the stability the spiked feet give the speaker, and the finish is really nice.

You do need some power to drive them, and as others have noted, some of the detail is lost at low volumes, though the sound is still enjoyable. Give them a little juice and they will really sing for you.

I heard the ST4's in an audio store and fell in love with what I heard. I was about ready to purchase them, when I came across an eBay add for NHT theater system of SB3's with SB2's for rears. The good price influenced my decision, and I bought the package. I listened with uncertainty to the SB3's and SB2's, while adding an NHT SC1 and HSU Research sub. I knew the SB3's were the same as the ST4's without the extra woofer, so I didn't think the difference in sound between the SB3 and ST4 would be great. I was wrong. I felt the SB3's were missing something, and I can only describe is as clarity. They were enjoyable to listen to, and the home theater experience was awesome, but my music seemed muddier than I wanted and instruments/vocals weren't as distinct as I remembered the ST4's to be. I eventualy bought a pair of ST4's (also on eBay) and as soon as I set them up, I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear -- there really was a huge difference, and I wans't imagening it. My wife could easily hear the difference between the two, and I would classify her as merely a casual listener. Also, I noticed the ST4's image a lot better than the SB3's -- I'd go as far as saying the SB3's don't image at all, or so little that it took me listening to the ST4's to see the huge difference. I have to agree with the other reviews on this speaker -- it offers detail and clarity that I felt was always missing from others I reviewed in my search. My music tastes are mostly Jazz and some pop/rock with a little classical thrown in for seasoning. The NHT ST4's have never left me feeling like I was missing anything. I'm currently running the SB3's as my rears, though I don't think the difference between the SB2's and SB3's (for rear) for home theater use is really noticeable. I'd recommend the SB2's over the SB3's for rears just due to the large difference in price. On the other hand, the 6-channel stereo sounds better with the SB3's in the rears, as if it is tonally matched better than the SB2's, even though they are supposed to be matched and in the same NHT series. I'm using a Marantz SR7200 A/V receiver (also recommended!)

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I considered Definitive Technology, Energy, Klipsch, Boston Acoustics, Mirage.

Clarity, precise soundstage, smooth highs, detailed bass, open, non-boxy midrange, no distortion (the old Bose speakers were distortion city!)

This is not a major weakness, but the ST-4's don't really begin to reveal all the facets of their sound quality until the volume gets pumped up to a fairly significant level. That's not to say they don't sound good at lower volume levels - they do; but their special magic thrives on volume. My major listening is done, therefore, during daylight hours, in order not to disturb my neighbors (luckily I work at home so I get to listen all day).

The ST-4's are, in a word, magical. I got lucky and found a demo pair in impeccable condition for just over half the MSRP. I purchased the ST-4's to replace my Bose Acoustimass 5 Series 2 speakers that I had been using for well over a decade. Tht NHT's reveal a stupendous amount of detail in my recordings, far more detail than I was aware of! This means two things: Well-made recordings sound extraordinary. And poorly-made recordings sound - well, lousy (but, then, don't they deserve to?) On well-made recordings: the high frequencies are forward and quite precise, without turning strident or over-bright - in fact, the highs have a silky smoothness that many audiophiles associate with fabric rather than metal tweeters; the bass is big and detailed without being boomy; and the midrange is simply outstanding - clear and unmuddied - there's genuine excitement in following the inner voices of a fugue with these speakers. I use these with the following components: Pioneer Elite VSX-27TX A/V receiver; Pioneer Elite PD-F27 CD player; Panasonic RP-62S DVD player; Pioneer PDR-W839; Rotel RP 900 turntable; Monster Cable for speaker wire (10 guage) and component interconnects. And I removed the jumpers between the binding posts and made my own out of the speaker wire I'm using and a set of banana plugs. While having nothing to do with the music, it's a plus that these speakers are beautiful to look at. Hand-lacquered to a shiny black gloss, they look much more expensive than they are.

Similar Products Used:

Bose Acoustimass 5 Series 2; Polk Audio RT15i; Advent.

Very smooth sounding,beautifull hand rubbed gloss black laquer finish,excellent value.

none for a speaker in this price class.

I have these speakers in my living room system,running off a Sony ES receiver and I find myself listening to more music there than I do in my main Home Theater/Listening room.I also have the SC 1 center speaker and Mission 731i pros in the rear (soon to be replaced with SB 3's)The sound quality is fantastic,detailed but not bright,strong bass output but not boomy.The finish and build quality is also first rate.Great value for the money.

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B&W 803's,Def Tech BP10B's,Mission,Energy,etc.

For the price, nothing can beat these speakers (you'd have to spend a LOT more from other companies to compete with the ST4's! Very detailed highs, midrange, and clean, accurate bass.

For the price, NONE. Without considering price, some lack of imaging (only compared to much more expensive speakers, like NHT Evolutions, JM Labs, and Meridians.

These are INCREDIBLE speakers, especially for the price. I've compared/listened to may makes of speakers from B&W, Infinity, Advent, JBL, Theil, Boston Acoustics, and many others. I always come back to NHT - they are the best speakers made for the price (actually can out-due speakers that are twice it's price)and these are no exception. The ST4's are a full range speaker with incredible detail, crisp-clean treble, detailed and clean mid range, and accurate, non-boomy bass. These speakers are very neutral to any type of music, reproducing them with great detail and accuracy. As a stereo pair, they are incredible to listen to - throw a great sound stage. Matched with it's equivalent book-shelfs in the rear and center (SB3's) for a full surround-sound system -it just kills the competition within its price range. I highly recomend that everyone looking for speakers, in any price range, have a listen to these and other NHT's! You'll find NHT dealers very knowledgable, helpful, friendly and fun. Find more about this speaker and other NHT's online at www.nhthifi.com. Listen to all other brands within the same price range and dare to compare the quality. Bring a variety of full range music, vocal's and accoustical music. You'll hear things comming out of them that you've never heard before. The ST4's are also wonderful to look at - very well put together, incredible finish, high-quality build! I've owned other NHT's in the past, all incredible, and they keep on improving - these are a great example of quality speaker engineering, build, quality, and style - and most of all -musical! Happy Listening!!!

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None, but I did compare them to other NHT's, B&W s, Infinity's, and others.

Very clean, detail, rich sounding, superb imaging & ambiance. This is one solid system that play very well (& I really mean superbly well) & cleaner sounding with both musical & home theater materials. Before you spent thousands of dollars, give this pair an audition; you'll be amazed by them!

Tends to sound initially bright, but could be tamed by a good set of amplifier.

I've a few considerations when selecting good speakers; I do not want to cluster my living room with too many speakers; one of that is to reproduce excellent home theater video via my DVD players (through DTS, DD, etc.) But my FIRST priority is to get TRUE good quality sound reproduction for my stereo listening. The NHT ST4 truly fit the bill & stretch my dollars to the fullest - really value for money. My first impression (after several audition of various loudspeakers including PMC, B&W, Mission, Energy, Tannoy, Warf. diamond series, etc.) is that the ST4 is very well built & I'm especially attracted by its dark, shiny exterior with smoothly rounded edged. Certainly, it looks so much pricier than its listed prices dictate. Once thoroughly run-in, I'm captivated by its open, clean & natural sound reproduction. Oh, that sweet sound reproduction really makes music ticks! When I played various classical tracks (such as Beethoven Symphonien Nos 5 & 7, Yundi Li Encores, etc.), every nuances remained & so revealing. The result is simply terrific! I play mostly jazz music vocal, especially female vocalist like Izzy, Laura Fygi, Diana Krall, Wang Hong Yin, etc. & ST4 units exhibited superb imaging, richness, details of this materials very well, or I should say again terrific! The mid-bass thickness & transparency are of very good quality where you only can find it in higher end of audio units. The ST4 seems to always able to play with most materials with greater authority, richer sounding & makes most recordings sound more realistic with greater sense of stage depth. I can't seems to stop playing my CDs now & all my previous CDs (old recordings) seems to have injected with new lease of life & all played with greater musicality. I love this pair of loudspeakers so much that I decided to upgrade my surround speakers to the NHT SB1 & SC1. I throw in a couple of DVDs (including the Jarrasic Park, Hollow Man, Pearl Harbour) & mine, the surround reproduction is very, very enveloping detail with greater punch & very well blend. The listening distances sound closer, & that allowed the detailing & imaging of the NHT systems work very well to good effects. Strangly, after so many months of "soaking" into NHT, accostomed to its sound styling, I found some speakers sounding off-the-mark. Undeniably, my accoustic acumen has risen a mark. This is one so

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PMC, B&W, Mission, Energy, Tannoy, Warf. diamond series, Thiel, etc.