NHT resurrects the SuperOne....the SuperOne 2.1

Returning in one week....pre-orders taken



$300.00/pair (price as of this post....which is less expensive that the original)

 

Is that a foam or a rubber surround on the woofer?

 

When I saw/heard the prototype back in December at NHT, I remember asking whether the surround (the original being foam) would be rubber or foam....and I was told it would be rubber.

I think the woofer on the original SuperOne came from Acoustic Research (AR) back when both NHT and AR were owned by International Jensen. I wonder about the source of the new woofer.

Btw, the new SuperOne sounded wonderful when I heard it last year.

 

Those are almost identical in external dimensions to the $2300 Harbeth P3ESR.

 

I always thought the SuperOne was a failure from a sound quality perspective. It was marketed as a "SuperZero with bass," but it was anything but that. The driver NHT chose for the woofer had a completely different tonal character than the 4.5" Tonegen driver in the SuperZero, and as a result, the midrange sounded considerably duller and thinner.

 

I couldn't disagree with the above statement more! I just got a pair of the reissues and have been using the originals for years. These are some of the best small speakers I've heard and handle bass, mids, and treble elegantly. Bass is clean and punchy and not at all muddy. I'm a small speaker fan and I've never heard anything close to these for anywhere near the price.

 

I am interested in these has anyone else heard them and can comment on the sound? I have Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1's which sound fine but my apartment is very small and I think I want to try some smaller speakers. I'm thinking the sealed box enclosure will be a bonus for a small room also.

 

I believe NHT has a pretty good in home audition policy. Check their site: nhthifi.com

 

good inexpensive speakers are always good news!

 

I had the SuperTwos for a long time, which were essentially SuperOnes built down to the floor with a downward-firing woofer added. I tried for years to replace them with much more expensive speakers but found nothing that, on the whole, was as satisfying. Until I bought a pair of Harbeth Compact 7s. The SuperTwos are now gone, but they remain speakers I hold in high regard.
-Bob

 

The original NHT SuperOne (S1) was somewhat deficient in terms of bass output, although whatever bass output it had was very clean (found this out when I added a Kenwood powered sub and I preferred the NHT S1 by themselves). So when I was shown the S1 back in December '13, I made a point of hearing whether there was any improvement in bass output. The room in which the new S1 was auditioned was roughly 10' x 15' (perhaps bigger) and the gear used included some professional power amp + a vintage Sony ES CD player (complete with wood side panels). The staff at NHT made sure no powered sub was on....and these new S1 need no powered sub. The official specs actually reflects the improved/increased bass output. Very smooth and produce a full sound.

Other changes, when compared to the original:

• the new S1 no longer magnetically shielded
• the surround of the woofer is now rubber instead of foam
  
• the speaker grill now wrap around the top/bottom and both sides instead of just covering up the front
• MSRP is now actually lower that the original

Disclaimer: I don't work for NHT nor am I a writer/blogger for any publication, audio-related or otherwise. I was in Benecia and decided to check out NHT's factory showroom. Little did I know I was going to be treated to a demo of a new product. I do own NHT speakers, including the new S1.

 

I wouldn't say they were deficient, rather limited to the size of the woofer and design of the cabinet (acoustic suspension). I hate deep bass so I've looked for speakers that don't go down much below 50 (I think the SuperOnes are at about 47?). I find the bass in both sets I own (originals and the re-release) to be exactly what I want in a set of monitors for smaller spaces. The rooms mine are in are 13.5'x18.5' and 12'x15'. The bass is clean and punchy with almost zero boominess.

 

You're right, deficient was the wrong word to use. I had the NHT 1.1 (with its slanted front side), which was rated down to only 62 Hz, and I was happy with that speaker (with no subwoofer).

The original S1 was rated down to 57 Hz, whereas the new S1 is rated down to 56 Hz.

 

Yes, 57, not 47 as I wrote. Thanks for setting that straight. In any event, for the music I listen to (mostly acoustic jazz), the SuperOne's have been wonderful.

 

Over the years, I found the NHT S1 to be a wonderfully versatile speaker with the music I listen to as well. I wonder if NHT will come out will a version in glassy white?

 

I believe that most of their products over the years have been great values.

 

I'm still using a pair of NHT 1.1's in my home theater rig. I had the drivers refoamed a couple years ago, and they're still going strong!

 

I had my first "eargasm" listening to a George Duke CD using my pair of NHT 1.1 (with no sub).

 

The new reissues come across as a bit smoother to me than the originals but it couldn't be more subjective as they're being run off a different amp (Marantz PM6004) and in a different house than my originals. They are certainly as good as the originals if not better.

 

I'm glad to hear they are smooth that is what I want rather than bright and analytical. I may just give them a shot at only 300 bucks.

 

The original was my first foray into this hobby. I moved on to the SuperTwo when it came out but the music both made with my NAD integrated led to many of my first WOW moments. Tempted to give these an audition,

Bill

 

Double check but I think NHT will include shipping both ways so you can try them risk free in your listening environment.

 

I bought a pair of the original SuperOnes in 1996, and they are still in use today. A couple of years ago, I hooked them up to my system with a McIntosh MC402 (400 watts x 2) amp. Let me tell you, those SuperOnes absolutely sung! There was no "lack of bass"! You put enough muscle behind a pair of SuperOnes, and they will sound better than many $2K+ speakers today.

 

With the Andrew Jones Pioneers, Sony's recent entries, and now the return of the NHT, this is the golden age of inexpensive, good-sounding speakers. No excuse now for anyone to choose lousy speakers. Can't wait to hear these!

 

I don't get the love for those AJ Pioneers. When I auditioned them after reading all the glowing reviews I was singularly unimpressed.

What I'd love to see are the SuperOne's (and Zero's) available in a premium wood veneered cabinet. Add $100 or whatever to the price and they'll still compete or surpass many of the high zoot bookshelf speakers out there, I suspect. The cabinet finishes on NHT speakers - black, whether the laminate of the basic bookshelfs or the high polished piano finish of the Classics is not my first choice in speaker finishes for rooms where wives have input.