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Anyone know anything about Nohr prism speakers?

post #1 of 9
8/12/06 at 4:04pm
Thread Starter 
I can't find any reviews, but they look very interesting in the $1k range. Has anyone heard them, or indeed any of the Nohr speakers? Also looking at QUAD 22L's which I've owned before. Looking at floorstanders only.
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post #2 of 9
8/12/06 at 4:09pm
I don't know about that model. I am very happy with my 7 ceramic 4.0's for HT. I am also happy with my 9.0 kit ($2K once I bought the Scanspeak drivers to go inside the marble, instead of $3K to get them pre-packaged) which are about to get even better with a custom crossover designed for them, for only $100.
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post #3 of 9
8/12/06 at 4:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by russdog
I don't know about that model. I am very happy with my 7 ceramic 4.0's for HT. I am also happy with my 9.0 kit ($2K once I bought the Scanspeak drivers to go inside the marble, instead of $3K to get them pre-packaged) which are about to get even better with a custom crossover designed for them, for only $100.
Thanks - there are quite a few reviews, mostly glowing for the 9.0. I can't find anything on any of the prism series, and as I'm looking for floorstanders that's my main interest. How have you mounted your 9.0s? What other speakers did you compare them with?
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post #4 of 9
8/13/06 at 1:37am
I owned a pair of the Marble 3.0s and didn't like them. I definitely wouldn't recommend the Prism 3.0s (if they're still made, that is). I don't know what Prisms you're thinking of buying.

The concept behind nOrh is nice -- a non-profit speaker vendor meant to help employ Thais that sells directly to customers -- and their construction is great, but after hearing my 3.0s and seeing measurements for the 9.0s (absolutely terrible measuring speakers; the only thing I've seen that were worse were the white van speakers and Zu Druids), I wonder if Michael Barnes even has any measurement gear at all. He uses expensive drivers, but expensive drivers can't save a completely ham-fisted crossover.

Here's a page with measurements for the 9.0s, if anyone is interested:
http://murphyblaster.com/content.php?f=marble.html
Really sad, because visually they look very nice.

Here's a page with measurements of the 6.9s:
http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/me...nts/norh_sm69/
Again, disappointing, though not quite as bad as the 9.0s.
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post #5 of 9
8/13/06 at 2:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wodgy
I owned a pair of the Marble 3.0s and didn't like them. I definitely wouldn't recommend the Prism 3.0s (if they're still made, that is). I don't know what Prisms you're thinking of buying.

The concept behind nOrh is nice -- a non-profit speaker vendor meant to help employ Thais that sells directly to customers -- and their construction is great, but after hearing my 3.0s and seeing measurements for the 9.0s (absolutely terrible measuring speakers; the only thing I've seen that were worse were the white van speakers and Zu Druids), I wonder if Michael Barnes even has any measurement gear at all. He uses expensive drivers, but expensive drivers can't save a completely ham-fisted crossover.

Here's a page with measurements for the 9.0s, if anyone is interested:
http://murphyblaster.com/content.php?f=marble.html
Really sad, because visually they look very nice.

Here's a page with measurements of the 6.9s:
http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/me...nts/norh_sm69/
Again, disappointing, though not quite as bad as the 9.0s.
I saw the 6.9 measurements - but didn't quite know what to make of them, being in room speaker measurements and all. With headphones, I know how to read a FR graph very accurately but with speakers I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt based on graphs, just because they get so complicated and are so many variables in play.

But I'm rather into objectivity, so if they don't measure well (I was considering the prism 6.9, the prism equivalent of the other 6.9 that was measured), I'll be happy to give them a miss and go to something that I know does measure well.

I noticed the Spendor 5e today which is in the same price range as the 22L and has some rave reviews. But that QUAD L series is just so darn good from top to bottom, I suppose I should save myself the effort and get what I know.

Any other suggestions for floorstanders around $1k? A great bonus would be something that isn't rear ported...
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post #6 of 9
8/13/06 at 3:38am
I'm very sorry to tell you - the soundstage measurements are not in room measurements. They were taken in the NRC anechoic chamber. And the murphyblaster measurements are gated, meaning the measurements were taken at a time interval small enough so that the sound had not yet hit the walls of the room. These measurements are typically good down to about 200hz, which is where the graph cuts off.
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post #7 of 9
8/13/06 at 12:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSloth
Thanks - there are quite a few reviews, mostly glowing for the 9.0. I can't find anything on any of the prism series, and as I'm looking for floorstanders that's my main interest. How have you mounted your 9.0s? What other speakers did you compare them with?
I have the 9.0's sitting on a pair of sturdy little tables 24" high, so they are at perfect height. Tables are sturdy because these things are made from a block of marble, so they weigh a ton.

As for comparison, at the time I worked at a university where there were a few EE guys who had megabucks in their systems. Plus, I listened to many things at various Atlanta shops. But there's no way to compare Norh's unless you know somebody who has them, they come from Thailand with no middle man. I got some of those EE audio freaks to look at the Norh spec's. They said their cabinet design makes perfect sense, and was insightful. They said the specified drivers were top-shelf. They said these things had the potential to be the bargain of the century. They said the only possible fly in the ointment was the crossovers. Turns out they're right, according to this. I'm getting this guy to make me some crossovers. In the meantime, the Norh's sound very good, but they stop short of being a miracle. From what others say, the crossovers may change that.
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post #8 of 9
8/13/06 at 12:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wodgy
I owned a pair of the Marble 3.0s and didn't like them. I definitely wouldn't recommend the Prism 3.0s (if they're still made, that is). I don't know what Prisms you're thinking of buying.
I've got a HT setup with 7 ceramic 4.0's and a Hsu subwoofer/amp. Sounds amazing to me for HT. I'm thinking about asking Murphy if I can ship him a 4.0 to see what he thinks about their crossovers...
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post #9 of 9
8/14/06 at 1:51am
Thread Starter 
I just discovered the Omega single driver loudspeakers, of which the 3 XRS falls nicely into my price range, even with the optional base. The single driver technology intrigues me, but I can't quite get my head around the idea of full range output from that little driver (yes, I know headphones do it all the time but relative to the size of your ear and distance from it, it's a gigantic driver)
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