NHT SuperZero Floorstanding Speakers

NHT SuperZero Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

4 1/2-in woofer and 1-in soft-dome tweeter

USER REVIEWS

Showing 21-30 of 134  
[Dec 29, 2000]
Mark
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Nice imaging and detail in a small aesthetic package.

Weakness:

A little bright for two channel listening.

Picked up 5 superzero xu's and a boston acoustics sub to replace a conventional definitive technology front/bose rear based home theater. This is the first minimonitor/sub combo I've ever bought and I've generally been pleased. The superzeros shine on movies with their tilt toward brightness, and mate surprising well with the boston sub (sorry-can't remember the model).

I must admit that for strict two channel listening the def tech speakers still win me over, with a superior warmth over the superzero/sub combo. But for home theater the bright and quick NHT system beats out my def tech's, which sound muddy and slow with many movies.

I recently replaced the center superzero with a supercenter, which definitely improved the width of the center's soundstage. I may eventually replace the front two superzero's with superone's to get a more mid range bass and improve the two channel listenability of the system.

My wife likes them because they are nice and teeny.

Similar Products Used:

None.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 10, 2001]
Micob Tacastacas
Audiophile

Strength:

Transparency, Articulate Midrange, Resolution

Weakness:

Can sound bright with cheap solidstate gears. Suggest to mate it with tubes, or tubesounding solidstates

After hearing how expensive speakers sound like (Dynaudio Evidence, Wilson Watt, B&W Nautilus 801, ProAc Response 4, etc.) over at several high end audio shops, I never fail to see myself getting mesmerized, dazed and hypnotized in sonic utopia. However my manic state had always been shortlived whenever I see their morbid price tags. Boink, back to reality! Gholly, I should have been a politician or a druglord to get these stuffs no sweat!

I was about to plot my way either into politics or cocaine peddling when one day I chanced upon those little speakers called NHT SuperZero (aided with a Velodyne VA1012XIIE subwoofer to plunge the 20-30Hz abyss). Aha! So this is how to mimic the sound of those daft super high end speaker systems! So, without batting an eyelash, I took my credit card and boom – my car’s trunk became a temporary abode for a pair of NHT Super Zero and Velodyne VA1012XIIE sub. After an hour’s drive, and another hour’s installation, they finally rested in my living room. “Now hear this”, I said to my wife who seemed to be fuming mad seeing me hauling these electronic junks (she thought) into our residence. But when I hit “play” button on my cd player, and high end sound filled the room, she smiled and said, “wow, that sound nice! But not so fast, how much did you pay for it?” Now, this is the first time that I had ever divulged a true price to her. “$250 for the two lil’ speakers, and $750 for that black cube sub” I quipped. “Well, that’s justifiable, but enough of those horrifying classical music – let’s play my own CDs!”, she avered. Not only did these cheap but high end sounding speakers impressed the heck out of me, they also tamed my once audio-equipment-allergic wife and might as well turn her into an audiophile! Bravo NHT! Bravo Velodyne!

Nowadays whenever I stroll at those high end shops again and listen, I can always pacify myself that the sound of the speakers displayed there are not at all too distant to my NHT-Velodyne combo, with Price/Performance Value as the ultimate basis. (And besides, I always hated politics or cocaine peddling anyway).

I rest my case.

Similar Products Used:

ProAc Response 1SC, Sonus Faber Concertino

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 23, 2001]
M A
Audiophile

Strength:

-

Weakness:

-

At least I have posted different reviews, not the same review posted 12 times...I do not know if this was a mistake from the reviewer or from AudioReview. Take my reviews as the same divided in chapters.
Hanging the Super Zeros on a wall is not a good idea if you want a good soundstage and stereo image from them. They sound much better on stands, and it is not very difficult to find stands for them as there are so small. The sound reflected on a masonry wall when they are hanging tends to emphasize the high frequencies and add a kind to harshness that is unpleasant and the mid low frequencies, as there are almost absent, just disappear. But, on stands and separated from walls, sound is balanced and uncolored with very natural vocals. I have a pair or Boston VR950 in my home theater and I tried to compared them with the Super Zeros but then I was thinking it is not fair; Boston VR950 are great speakers for $700 as NHT Super Zeros are for $240, and they are not intented for the same purposes, not to mention that the VR950 delivers clean and tight bass without boominess. Overall, VR950 sounds more open and detailed in highs and softer in mids than the Super Zeros, creating a sense of smoothness and spaciousness than the Super Zeros don´t have, not because of their quality but because of their tiny size. Anyway I love them.





Similar Products Used:

-

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 22, 2001]
M A
Audiophile

Strength:

-

Weakness:

-

Me again...
When I paired the Super Zeros with the Boston subs, VR500 and VR2000, they sounded really good, but I had some little difficulties to match them properly, specially with the VR2000. I got a NHT Subone borrowed from a friend and, as I expected, they sounded great and the matching was really easy as was easy finding a location for the sub. Seems to be that NHT conceived the Super Zeros not only to be handled by high-end systems but to be connected to NHT subwoofers. I do not have tested them yet with others brands of subs but I conclude that any high quality sub conceived more for music than for home theater will match them easyly, as it should be very musical and quick,

Similar Products Used:

-

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 30, 1999]
Milind Kshirsagar
Casual Listener

Strength:

Good imaging.

Weakness:

lack of bass.

These little speakers are really good in imaging, used B&W 601's for 2-3 years and surprised by superzeros, which I bought for $100 (Display), while B&W's are for $400, B&W's are better but definately not for $300 more.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 601

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 08, 1999]
DWS
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

liquid midrange, transparent soundstage, crystal highs

Weakness:

Not much bass- but that is by design

First of, these teeny speakers at their teeny price are the least expensive high end speakers you can buy. YES, I said HIGH END. The traits of sonic quality that they exhibit DO NOT include that fake midbass hump that the vast majority of low priced speakers have. These are designed to perform within the prescribed limits of their small driver complement. And that they due supremely well. I totally admire NHT for having the fortitude and skill to do this. No thumpy bass. These would be magnificent as satellites in a bedroom setup. They are not going to blast you backward with spl, but they will provide you flat response with breathtakingly detail mids and highs. YOU CAN'T fault them! Any other speaker you can name tries to fake bass, and that takes awasy from the midrange. Mate these with a tight sub, and you have a high end system. NHT does not disappoint, they are musical as long as you don't overdrive them. A totally enthusiastic five stars!!!

Similar Products Used:

Signet sl 260, Paradigm micro, Rs lx5

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 24, 2001]
Corey G
Audiophile

Gene, how could you say the Super Zero has muddy bass when in fact it doesn't have any bass at all? It is designed to excell in midrange and treble, and rolls off pretty stiffly below 100Hz or so.

Cambridge Soundworks are for mass market, much like a "me too" product or say a surrogate for Bose. It's a great marketing gimmick to compare Cambridge to NHT. Brilliant!!!

Nice sub though, HGS-12! Same piano black finish with the NHT SuperZero.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 31, 2000]
Musicman
Audiophile

Strength:

you can't believe its high end midrange/treble if you replace the original crossover capacitor etc.

Weakness:

The dull characteristic was removed after crossover modifying.

This is the 3rd time i post on superzero,why i so emphasis to this tiny speaker?mainly because its potential!

Few day ago i checked with the speaker inside,oh! the speakers magnet was so big! however its wired with the cheapest soldering wire(the wire in matt silver colour easier for soldering)in 22AWG(8-10 strands!)
certainly the parts of the crossover was also made of very
poor quality parts.
So,i replaced the wire and capacitors & the result was
unexpectable!

I suggested all of the owner to modify this speaker:-

1.change the wire with another good quality wire,i use TARA
LAB 8N multi strand(crossover to treble & bass speakers,
solid core 8N copper wire(from input to crossover) they are not costly,in H.K. HK$10-12 per feet.(total 5 ft)

2.only change the capacitors of the crossover with SOLEN
CAP from france(the new type) the superzero use 5uF &
10uF each per one,& no need to replace the resistor & coil
(costly about HKD210) you should place the capacitors on
the soldering parts of the circuit board because the place was not enough if you soldering on the front side of the circuit board.

Afterall,the superzero will actually sound like those
high end speakers! i never heard such silky midrange &
treble! the soundstage will become very very 3D!

The system:-
Yamaha CDX993 CD player
Unison Research Simply 2 Amp.
Yamaha YST-SW45 sub(copper spike)
Kimber silverstrek interconnect
Kimber double 4TC & OEM 7N Pcocc speakers cable(mixed
together)
3 x isoclean electricity noise filter(in series)
Enacom speaker wire compensator
All couple with gemstones pyramid shaped spike
Diff.kinds of gemstones place on the top of the speakers






OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 31, 2000]
Musicman
Audiophile

Strength:

you can't believe its high end midrange/treble if you replace the original crossover capacitor etc.

Weakness:

The dull characteristic was removed after crossover modifying.

This is the 3rd time i post on superzero,why i so emphasis to this tiny speaker?mainly because its potential!

Few day ago i checked with the speaker inside,oh! the speakers magnet was so big! however its wired with the cheapest soldering wire(the wire in matt silver colour easier for soldering)in 22AWG(8-10 strands!)
certainly the parts of the crossover was also made of very
poor quality parts.
So,i replaced the wire and capacitors & the result was
unexpectable!

I suggested all of the owner to modify this speaker:-

1.change the wire with another good quality wire,i use TARA
LAB 8N multi strand(crossover to treble & bass speakers,
solid core 8N copper wire(from input to crossover) they are not costly,in H.K. HK$10-12 per feet.(total 5 ft)

2.only change the capacitors of the crossover with SOLEN
CAP from france(the new type) the superzero use 5uF &
10uF each per one,& no need to replace the resistor & coil
(costly about HKD210) you should place the capacitors on
the soldering parts of the circuit board because the place was not enough if you soldering on the front side of the circuit board.

Afterall,the superzero will actually sound like those
high end speakers! i never heard such silky midrange &
treble! the soundstage will become very very 3D!

The system:-
Yamaha CDX993 CD player
Unison Research Simply 2 Amp.
Yamaha YST-SW45 sub(copper spike)
Kimber silverstrek interconnect
Kimber double 4TC & OEM 7N Pcocc speakers cable(mixed
together)
3 x isoclean electricity noise filter(in series)
Enacom speaker wire compensator
All couple with gemstones pyramid shaped spike
Diff.kinds of gemstones place on the top of the speakers






OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 31, 2000]
Musicman
Audiophile

Strength:

you can't believe its high end midrange/treble if you replace the original crossover capacitor etc.

Weakness:

The dull characteristic was removed after crossover modifying.

This is the 3rd time i post on superzero,why i so emphasis to this tiny speaker?mainly because its potential!

Few day ago i checked with the speaker inside,oh! the speakers magnet was so big! however its wired with the cheapest soldering wire(the wire in matt silver colour easier for soldering)in 22AWG(8-10 strands!)
certainly the parts of the crossover was also made of very
poor quality parts.
So,i replaced the wire and capacitors & the result was
unexpectable!

I suggested all of the owner to modify this speaker:-

1.change the wire with another good quality wire,i use TARA
LAB 8N multi strand(crossover to treble & bass speakers,
solid core 8N copper wire(from input to crossover) they are not costly,in H.K. HK$10-12 per feet.(total 5 ft)

2.only change the capacitors of the crossover with SOLEN
CAP from france(the new type) the superzero use 5uF &
10uF each per one,& no need to replace the resistor & coil
(costly about HKD210) you should place the capacitors on
the soldering parts of the circuit board because the place was not enough if you soldering on the front side of the circuit board.

Afterall,the superzero will actually sound like those
high end speakers! i never heard such silky midrange &
treble! the soundstage will become very very 3D!

The system:-
Yamaha CDX993 CD player
Unison Research Simply 2 Amp.
Yamaha YST-SW45 sub(copper spike)
Kimber silverstrek interconnect
Kimber double 4TC & OEM 7N Pcocc speakers cable(mixed
together)
3 x isoclean electricity noise filter(in series)
Enacom speaker wire compensator
All couple with gemstones pyramid shaped spike
Diff.kinds of gemstones place on the top of the speakers






OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 21-30 of 134  

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