We A/V mavens tend to sneer a little (okay, a lot) at those who choose sleek, on-wall aesthetics over all-out audio chops (damn the cost in looks, livability, or length of marriage). But in the dark night of my soul, I confess that if I wasn't one of Us, I'd almost certainly be one of Them.
NHT offers a range of Verve systems, and the 5.1-channel system reviewed here, designated Verve IV, incorporates three models: V Large, V Small, and V Woofer. The first two are subcompacts formed of a thin-but-strong molded composite material finished in handsome piano-black. Both monitors use the same three-way configuration, with the tweeter suspended over the midrange driver, though the V Large earns its name from the second woofer that provides for a bit more power-handling and makes the tapered speaker symmetrical for use as a horizontal center channel. This is accomplished by simply shifting the supplied plastic tabletop/shelf stand.
The V Woofer is the most unusual of the trio, looking more like a small widescreen TV than a subwoofer. Nevertheless, it houses a pair of 10-inch aluminum cones, and the requisite amplification, but is just 7 inches deep, allowing virtually flush-to-the-wall location — a very cool and livable layout. The sub has just a single line-level input and a level knob on the front. NHT presumes, fairly, that crossover chores will be handled by an A/V receiver or processor. As to the lack of a phase control, NHT points out that virtually all such components have a setup "distance" adjustment that performs the same function but with greater precision.
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The Short Form |
| Price $1,999 / nhthifi.com / 800-NHT-9993 |
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Snapshot
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| This flexible packaged solution looks great on the wall and will fit lots of rooms (and budgets), delivering honest, well-balanced sound. |
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Plus
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| •Nice big image, despite on-wall location •Solid center-channel spread, performance •Brilliantly compact, ergonomic subwoofer •Flexible layout adapts well to wall, stand, or shelf mounts |
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Minus
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| •Bottom-octave output falls a bit short •Low-midrange warmth could be emphatic in some rooms |
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Key Features
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| V Large •(2) 4.5-in cone woofers, 3-in cone midrange, 1-in dome tweeter; 15.5 in high (16.5 in high incl. base); 13 lb V Small •4.5-in cone woofer, 3-in cone midrange, 1-in dome tweeter; 10.8 in high (11.8 in high incl. base); 9 lb V Woofer •(2) 10-in aluminum cones; 200-watt amplifier; 16.9 x 23.3 x 6 in (7.8 in incl. base); 29 lb |
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Test Bench
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| The V Large measured nearly identical when used both vertically and horizontally, thanks to the coaxial midrange/tweeter that avoids off-axis lobing typical of horizontal center channels. Thus, all the satellites should sound the same, adhering to a flat but slightly up-tilted response curve that measured about 2 dB "hot" above 8 kHz. The V Woofer had limited low-end dynamics, averaging 95 dB from 25 to 62 Hz, and hitting max SPL of 104 dB at 50 Hz. — Tom Nousaine Full Lab Results |
SETUP I placed the V Large left/right sats on stands almost directly against the wall, flanking my Samsung 50-inch DLP TV. This put their baffles just a couple inches behind the screen's plane — essentially the same as if they were wall-mounted (this is optimal for the speaker's voicing, according to NHT). The third V Large, positioned horizontally, went on a stand below the screen, while the V Smalls used as surrounds rested per usual on high shelves flanking the listening area and aimed slightly to the rear.
Balancing up the Verve system required a bit of experimentation with the V Woofer's location, as well as with the level, crossover, and "distance" settings on my preamp. NHT recommended a crossover of 100 Hz between the sub and satellites, but I ultimately settled on 90 Hz. I further found that my usual location for a subwoofer (left of the left-front speaker) did not deliver the best blend; moving the sub to the right-front corner and retrimming the sub's level delivered a clear improvement in both clarity and extension.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE I quickly confirmed that the V Large speakers do not possess enough low-frequency capacity for any sort of serious listening on their own (nor are they intended to), so I proceeded quickly to 2.1-channel stereo listening with the subwoofer engaged. My impression was of a slightly warm but generously detailed balance, with very good vocal accuracy and smooth, reasonably extended treble. The Verve system produced a surprisingly deep, out-in-the-room stereo image from well-recorded material. Many on-, in-, or flush-to-the-wall speakers image fairly two-dimensionally, but the NHTs did a good bit better.
The V Large also scored quite well on the "James Taylor test." J.T.'s whipped-butter baritone is tough to beat for exposing midrange warts. Speakers that might seem level and accurate on voices that contain more treble — for example, Sting's — can reveal a vestigial touch of "hoo" or boom from Taylor's voice on a track like "Line 'Em Up" from Hourglass. And in fact, the NHTs' presentation was to my ear a shade over-rich in the lower chest tones of Taylor's mellifluous vocals, though well short of the level that I would characterize as "hoo." And I'm not sure I'd have noted it without having made direct comparisons to my everyday speakers, whose slightly "analytical" sound is unabashedly on the opposite end of the spectrum.
The V Woofer did a fine job filling in the missing octaves down to perhaps 35 Hz, but it didn't seem to have a great deal of oomph much lower. The same Taylor CD carries about as much bass level as you'll find on a pop production, making it ideal for checking sub/sat blend and flatness. Although the V Large speakers matched well with the V Woofer through the crossover zone, the system initially sounded a bit heavy around 60 Hz, which may have robbed it of some bottom-octaves impact. In any case, moving the V Woofer to the corner improved evenness noticeably and upped the perceived deep-bass impact somewhat.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE The center channel is key to any home theater system, and the NHT suite's sideways V Large proved an able contributor. It was relaxed yet intelligible over a wide range of voices and delivered a somewhat wider field of balanced sound than that of many a horizontal, dual-woofer center. Much beyond ±15° to either side, high treble fell off noticeably. But basic vocal tonality remained quite consistent a good bit further, giving the NHT system a comparatively wide best-sound zone — which is probably a good thing in the small rooms (with their closer seating distances) where the Verve may often be placed.
The Blu-ray Disc of Casino Royale is likely destined for home-theater-demo classic status, yet the compact Verve layout handled it deftly and dramatically. The solid imaging I'd noted in two-channel auditions was just as evident here, with the many fast-action chase sequences flashing across the sound field cohesively and smoothly; the three-across V Large speakers produced a big, impressive, well-knit stage. The sound of the surround channels was just fine as well. The V Small speakers demonstrated generous enough dispersion to deliver good envelopment and nonlocalizing ambience, while not giving themselves away on hard-panned sound effects.
The V Woofer also did a solid job of filling out the bottom end of Casino's Bondesque musical score and big-action explosive effects; like the full system, it could reach surprisingly high levels without audible strain. But it lacked the bottom-octave, earth-moving ability to bring out everything that big-ticket film sound has to offer. For example, in the sequence where a building implodes and submerges (an everyday occurrence in Venice, I'm sure), there was plenty of rumble — almost to the point of localizing the sub a bit — but not all of the deep, seismic sensation I knew to be in the recording. In a level-matched comparison with my everyday sub, my reference woofer damped the rumble a bit and revealed plenty of the extra-deep stuff — though I hasten to add that this sub costs almost as much as the entire Verve system.
BOTTOM LINE Okay, I need to remind one and all (and myself) that this is a $2,000 matched system. Yet in everything but deepest-bass power, it should hold its own rather well with plenty of larger, more costly designs, including some with small-tower fronts. And if its balance falls a hair toward the warm-and-seductive, that may well be a deliberate design choice, and one that most owners will approve. All in all, NHT's Verve system is a finely flexible and immensely attractive solution to the looks/sonics conundrum.
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