Are NHT VT2.4's harsh, or is it just me?

Carlabara

I lived with the 2.5i for a few years and while they were quite accomodating to better gear, I still had a difficult time really getting into the music with them on a long term basis. They require good amplification and lots of it and of course good source material. The problem long term was that there is an upper midrange/low treble emphasis that after time becomes more apparent and fatiguing. The midrange performance also appeared recessed with that emphasis. I've heard this much more apparent with other designs but the NHT's are not flat in this area. They aren't bad speakers and for home theater as you note, work quite well. For music they take a mite of effort and at the end of the day, I feel there are better choices. Your ears are your ultimate guide. On the other hand I never found them to be harsh, just a tad bright for my taste.

I have a more modest home theater with NHT SuperOnes, SubOne and a Rotel receiver, and I'm very happy with it, although I have a separate 2 channel system (5 channel vs. 2 channel is another thread). Since you like the immediacy and dynamics of the 2.4's, my advice is to tweak it. First, put the grills back on, then put that Sony on a pneumatic base like a Brightstar Airmass and put some cones between the player and the base. You'll be shocked. A nice mellow, copper interconnect is also mandatory. Also, acoustic treatment of the first reflection points can be very effective in taming harshness. Even if none of this is really satisfactory, it will improve the sound of any other speaker you may buy to replace the NHT's, and it's pretty cheap.

Never been a big NHT fan...those tweeters are just too bright and aggressive for my taste...they have a loyal following...and for HT are pretty good...but for extended listening periods...they are just too much...

I agree with you on the newer metal tweeters . . . but you should listen to the older, soft-dome NHT models. Still EXTREMELY revealing, but not harsh.

I have heard the older NHTs as well...and granted the soft dome is an improvement...but I am still not convinced of their "Focused Geometry" slanted baffle...the soundstage never gets outside of the speaker...the imaging between the speakers is decent..but they end up sounding small and closed in...