Strengths: detail and imaging great bass (when bi-amping)
looks
vocals are amazing!
Weaknesses: soundstage could be more defined
Love Power--I recommend atleast 180 watts.
if you don't bi-amp, don't buy!
placement can be tricky because of large size
Bottom Line:
I managed to strike the motherload with a local classified ad awhile ago. i got a pair of nht 2.5is, a pair of vt-2s, a yamaha receiver, and an nht center for $450--(an the invoice so no they did not fall off the truck ;) i listened to the vt-2s and the 2.5is, however right now i am away at college and the poor dorm room properties led it near impossible for me to decide which was better. however, i had the choice made for me when i was offered a trade of a sony crt projector for my 2.5is--so the vt-2s it was! (p.s. yes i know i am crazy to have a pair of nht vt-2 tower speakers and a crt projector in a dorm room) it is hard to use words to describe these speakers, i have listened to many systems and $5k+ speakers. however there is something about the vocals of these speakers; they appear literal. putting on the beatles let it be “the long and winding road” is simply jaw dropping in it the imaging. the soundstage is defined, however i feel that it is not as wide as the polk rta 11ts i had before (thought these sound much better then the polks) during the end of american pie, i have experienced the soundstage extend so much past the right and left channels that it makes your hair stand on end, however i did not experience it with the nhts. overall however if anything one word can describe the vt-2: detail. caveat: to enjoy these speakers you must bi-amp!!! if you do not bi amp them you are wasting your money. the crossover is only 100hz, so the bass does not need a great amp to do the job, but it does need a separate amp. i use an old pioneer integrated amp to do the job, and it works very well. bass: bass is very nice when bi-amping, however it is not lfe quality bass. despite nhts claim that bi-amping the speakers will allow it to serve as a powered sub, it still does not do justice to lfe in movies. this is somewhat strange, as it is dual 10” ported subs—it should be able to do it, but i still prefer my sub for movies. also the side firing sub and rear porting make placement a big deal with these speakers, it is especially hard with the fact that these speakers are almost 5 feet tall and 80 pounds each. putting them near the wall results in a very noticeable bass distortion. nht recommends using the floor spikes to improve bass performance, however i do not have them—i will update this review when i can find a pair and see if it helps with bass.
Submitted by
wigmon
a Audio Enthusiast
from columbus, oh
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2003
Strengths: Full range speaker, look great and are sturdier than monitor speakers on stands. I prefer the soft dome tweeter to the metal dome tweeters of the newer generation.
Weaknesses: maybe size if you don't have a decent size listening room, as you can't put them right against a wall (back, left or right). Do need a fair amount of power, or bi-amped for best results.
Bottom Line:
I've been listening to these for several years now, and decided to finally write a review. Actually what has prompted me to write this review is that I have just recently bi-amped these with the NHT SA-2 amp. I've always been happy with the quality of the sound from these, and they match very well with the VS-2a which I use for front and surrounds, but if there was one area for complaint, it was that I needed to increase the volume significantly to get much bass response. Not that the bass wasn't good at lower levels, it just didn't match what I got when I had a powered sub. I figured that this was probably due to the power in my receiver. Its not a lightweight by receiver standards (yamaha avr-2095, 100wpc), but everything I've heard from people that reviewed these speakers said that 100 watts was a minimum requirement.
I was considering either upgrading my receiver, buying a seperate 5-channel amp, or bi-amping the woofers with a 2-channel amp. I chose the latter, and I can say I'm quite pleased. With the SA-2 I have more control over the bass output (crossover, phase switch, volume comtrol) and has freed up my receiver to only work on the upper and mid-range drivers. The bass output is now whatever I want it to be, and the middle and upper frequencies sound much more detailed as well. I would recommend this upgrade to anyone that owns the VT-2's or other NHT tower speakers. I chose the SA-2 after debating whether to get it or the SA-3 (120 Watts vs. 250), and chose the SA-2 due to the size of my living room (19X18) and the fact that I got a good deal on the SA-2.
I'd always been happy with the look and sound of these speakers, but now I'm going back through my cd and dvd collection to hear what I've been missing. If you are not already bi-amping these, or don't have at least 150 watts (real watts, meaning low distortion through the entire frequency range) driving them, then I would suggest trying the SA-2/SA-3 amp, especially if you use these for watching movies, and don't have a powered sub.
Gave it 5 stars on the ratings, 'cause if there was something better for the price, I would have bought it.
Similar Products Used: Listened to PSB, Paradigm, Polk, Klipsch (under-rated speakers in my opinion). Liked PSB for music, Polk for HT based on their value, but NHT for the best mix.
After looking and listening to a lot of other, similar tower speakers, these have won my ear. Part time I assist in producing live concerts and doing sound checks, so i consider my ears to be well tuned. The VT-2's are capable of putting out superb raw sound at all volume levels. They are not suited for everybody. They will NOT produce a warm or "smooth" sound; rather, they will emit true and accurate sound reproduction. I feel that the sound quality you get is comparable to towers that are 2-3 times the price. The 10" sub is ported for good low frequency response and delivers more punch and rumble than you would expect. The enclosure is also magnetically sealed to prevent tube television distortion. They are finished beautifully but do not take well to "duct tape" as well as Sony's do.
Similar Products Used: If you want your home theater to sound like the movie theater or a bar, Buy some Sony's and save a few bucks. If you are an audio enthusiast who desires precision sound and affordability, then these t
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick Lindblom
a AudioPhile
from Stockholm, Sweden
I was looking for the best affordable system for high-end classical music recordings and home theater applications. After a number of serious rounds of listening, I chose the VT-2/VS-2 and I have had no reasons to reconsider the choice. They are sensitive on placement and the equipment feeding them, but I still get that "WOW!" feeling when I bring home a new great classical recording. The resolution in symphonic music or the freq response in pipe organs is amazing. For Home Theater applications, a sub-woofer doesn't seem necessary (at least if you have a "normally" sized room). Maybe they are a bit too large for a non-enthusiast and they can't be placed too close to the wall. But if you do it right it pays off good.
