These speakers sound GREAT. I have used them for almost a year now and I am still impressed. Coupled with a good subwoofer for surround sound, these can't be beat on a middle class budget. (Wife and three kids, Can't put too much into the audio system, have to put food on the table)

I am very unimpressed with the company backing of their product. I blew a tweeter approximately 4-6 months after buying the speakers. When I informed the company, I was told they are Vifa tweeters and I need to find a Vifa dealer and buy a new tweeter. They sent me instructions on how to install them. Well frankly, I am not real handy. I don't want to install them, but I guess there is no one to take them to. I ignored it for a couple months and just didn't turn the sound up too loud. (That is when you hear the blown tweeter) But I decided to try again recently. I contacted Norh and asked how much to get a new tweeter. I was informed 20.00 for the tweeter and 30.00 for shipping. A little steep. So I attempted to find Vifa on the internet, and in america for cheaper shipping. I went to www.partsexpress.com but was told they don't carry that speaker. It is not a standard speaker. At this point I am not sure what I will do. I have to admit this though. The tweeter blew because the sound was so good at loud volumes that I guess I just turned it up too loud. Any way don't blow a speaker as there is little company backing of their speakers.

In summary I have to say I am impressed with the speaker, but I am not impressed with the company backing of their product.

Similar Products Used:

Bose 901

Clean, clear sound, tight bass down to about 50-60hz, high quality construction.

somewhat difficult to place as they are deep(front to back) As long as they are out from the wall about 3 inches, no problem

The nOrh 4.0 speakers are in my HT system in the center and for the surrounds. These are very high quality speakers that are an obvious cut above the mass market speaks out they in appearance alone
The sound out of my center channel was always a problem as I sometimes have a hard time with understanding voices in movies. In the past I remedied this by cranking up the center channel volume- no more. This speaker has the most accurate reproduction of human voices that I have heard in all the centers that I have auditioned. My wife keeps getting startled when she thiks someone is talking in the room then looks up to see it is the speakers. As rear surrounds, they work great. E-mail me and I will tell you how I mounted them.
Music in general sounds very realistic and ballanced. Highs are clear and sweet-no piercing highs like energy or klipsch and no loss of detail like polk. Bass is surprisingly punchy and strong for such a small speaker

The rear port on these doeas not work like a typical rear port. It only needs a couple of inches clearance from the wall for best response. I moved mine around and found that the bass suddenly increased in boominess about an inch away.

This speaker can't be beat for the price. They will be a part of my HT room for many years to come.

Similar Products Used:

Polk, Boston acoustics, Kenwood, etc...

Look, Sound, price, customer service

None

I have been living with nOrh 7.0, nOrh 5.1 and nOrh 4.0 for almost a year now. This review is for a complete set of five nOrh 4.0 with a nOrh subwoofers.

I have been looking for speakers that work well in small room (11’ x 11’ x 11’) and provides good sound in both music and movies. The nOrh 4.0s are the answers to my wish. Prior to the nOrh 4.0, I tried a number of bookshelf speakers which include Monitor Audio 700 PMC, Monitor Audio Studio 6, B&W CDM-1, B&W 601, and Monitor Audio Silver 3. These speakers all have their strengths and weaknesses which might work well in a bigger room but not in an 11’ x 11’ 11’ room. The nOrh 4.0 speaker set is the first set I tried which satisfy me.

For two channel music, the nOrh 4.0 has the following characteristic:

Sound Stage: huge with depth.

Imaging: precise without large variation between the sweet spot (center) and adjacent seating. This is very important to me since I have a tendency to seat in the vicinity of the sweet spot but not right at it.

Dynamic: Can play extremely loud without getting distorted. This characteristic of the nOrh 4.0 caught me by surprise. This is where the nOrh 4.0 definitely put other brand bookshelf speakers to shame. For example, the Monitor Audio Studio 6 has a very fine sound but started to distort at high volume which is bad for movie. The B&W CDM-1 also sound very fine but at high volume, the cabinet started to vibrate and make noise.

High: Detail without listening fatigue. I was concerned about the high of the nOrh 4.0 since Mr. Barn indicated that the tweeter is a tweeter for automobile. To my surprise, the nOrh 4.0 high is almost as good as the Monitor Audio Studio 6 (cost $ 1800.00 a pair).

Mid: good integration with the tweeter. Smooth sound. Not too forward or too lay back.

Bass: Exceptionally good quality bass in small room. In larger room, it will need the help of a quality subwoofer such as the nOrh subwoofer.


For Movie: The nOrh 4.0 does need to get the help of the nOrh subwoofer. The combo turns the small room into a theater. I have demo the setup to numerous friends of mine, and they all walk out of the room shaking their heads disbelieving what they heard for the cost of the combo.

One thing I like to point out about the nOrh 4.0s are their ability to be used in small room without adding standing wave at low frequency. Large bookshelf speakers can produce deep bass but most likely will not sound good in a small room. The reason for this is standing wave at low frequency. The result of standing wave is a bump. in the mid bass frequency. In fact, I tried to put the nOrh 5.1 and nOrh 7.0 in this room but still prefer the nOrh 4.0 in the end. Small bookshelf speaker does not have standing wave problem but most of them cannot put out good sound, good image, or large sound stage. In addition, they tend to sound distorted at high volume.

All in all, I must rate the nOrh 4.0 a five star. I have serious doubt that any speaker manufacturers out there can put out speakers near the nOrh 4.0 performance for the same cost.


Associated Equipments:

Custom Built Tube Preamp.
Plinius SA 100 MK III
B&K 1430 three channel amp.
Sony SDP-EP9ES AC-3 Surround Sound Processor
nOrh silver interconnect
nOrh silver speaker cable
Panasonic A300 DVD player
Rega Planet CD Player

Similar Products Used:

MA Studio 6, B&W CDM-1, MA Silver 3, MA 700PMC, B&W 601

Open, airy, plays *very* loudwith out distortion. Excellent, musical bass. Wide soundstage, good images.

At the price, none. In an absolute sense, they can sound a little too "laid back". No bi-amping.

I recently selected these speakers for a friend for whom I was assembling an HT/Audio system. We bought a 5 speaker set (850.00 for 2 pairs of 400's, 1 sheilded 400) and an additional sheilded 400 for 225.00. I thought this represented a tremendous value, at 1075.00 usd, it cost less than a lot of "1 box" HT speaker sets from all of the mid-fi circuit city crowd. We also purchased an Outlaw Audio 6.1 channel reciever (600.00) which is another great deal. The total system price came to 1675.00 (less sources, wires, etc.) and I honestly couldn't imagine better sound at anywhere near this price. The Outlaw drove the Nohrs to realistic levels for music. We had lots of fun with the DTS version of Lyle Lovett's "Joshua Judges Ruth". The speakers were really alive, natural and easy to listen to. If the DTS music discs are a sign of things to come as far as multi-channel music goes, I may have to dump my 2-channel, 10,000.00 rig and get a rig like my buddy's. The Nohr's *really* impressed. At 400.00 per pair, they sounded about 80% as good as my 2,000.00 Nautilus 805... and I really love these speakers... until hearing the nohrs, I thought they were a good value. I can't imagine what the better nohrs must sound like... hmmm...

Well, suffice to say, my appetite is whetted for more Nohrs, and I'm spending more time at my friends apartment. These are serious speakers. Make sure you ask about custom grille colors and finishes, they dyed our grilles purple and they look really cool with the white finish.

Similar Products Used:

B&W Nautilus 805, CDM1SE, KEF, Maggie MMG, Mission 750LE

These speakers can play extremely loud without getting distorted, and will definitely put a lot of other bookshelf speakers to shame.

Lacking low bass bellow 65Hz. Requires a subwoofer.

I have been living with a set of (5) nOrh 4.0 speakers for almost 5 month now. The wooden cabinets have glossy black finish. I have been looking for speakers that work well in small room 12’x18’ and provides good sound in both music and movies.
At first I was using my NAD 1155 pre-amp, NAD 2200 amp, Audio Control Richter Scale half octave EQ – electronic crossover, M&K V-1C subwoofer, and the Pioneer DV-525. Later, I have purchased an Outlaw 1050 receiver.
Prior to the nOrh speakers, I have tried number of bookshelf and floor-standing speakers that include Monitor Audio Silver 5i, Paradigm Reference 40 and 60, B&W 602 v.2, Dynaudio 40 & 50, and Acoustic Energy Aegis 1 in my house. These speakers all have their strengths and weaknesses that might work well in rooms with specific acoustic signatures. After reading Tyson’s and other audio enthusiasts reviews, I’ve taken a chance and purchased a nOrh 4.0 speaker set without first auditioning them. I’m extremely happy with the excellent price performance compromise.
Norh 4.0’s are very dynamic: they can play extremely loud without getting distorted, and will definitely put a lot of other bookshelf speakers to shame. The sound stage is wide and deep. They have an unbelievable imaging. The tweeters produce clean detailed sound without listening fatigue. The mid-bass driver produces precise and clear sound and a good quality bass. These speakers have really opened up and extended their base after 200 hours of break-in period. However, don’t expect to get guts wrenching drum kick from this speaker, it will need the help of a good quality subwoofer.
Overall, in my opinion Norh 4.0 can easily keep-up with speakers in the $700-$1,000 range. I want to thank Tyson and others for recommending these speakers. My wife loves the way these speakers look and brags to all of her girlfriends how it matches our black lacquer piano. Also, every time my friends leave my house, they shake their heads in disbelief that I have such great sounding speakers for a very reasonable price.

Similar Products Used:

Monitor Audio Silver 5i, Paradigm Reference 40 and 60, B&W 602 v.2, Dynaudio 40 & 50, and Acoustic Energy Aegis 1.

imaging, soundstage

looks, quality control

I don't see what the fuss is about. People rave about the sound of these speakers. They are good, represent a good value, but are not the giant, world beaters that some of these over the top norh ravers say.

I bought a used pair at audiogon having to hear what the fuss is about. They are smaller than I thought they would be and are pretty light. The rosewood color is nice, the finish is terrible. Uneven laquer material and grills that do not fit right and tight.

The soundstage is wide and clear with good detail. The sound can get distorted at loud volumes. I have heard the marble versions are better, I hope so. The DIY Ed Frias AR speakers sound much better with the same source, electronics and songs and can be had for less. These are O.K speakers, nothing special but represent a nice bang for the buck. How can this be a 5 star speaker? What do you give wilson, proac and other great speakers?

Similar Products Used:

numerous, 30 years in this hobby!!

Big soundstage, detailed, loud w/o distortion, good highs and midrange.

Rear firing port, visible side binding posts, big foot print.

I got 5 nOrh 4.0 ceramic speakers for my HT after reading reviews and auditioning many different products. After reading many good reviews from critics and users alike, I decided to give nOrh a try.

Originally, I liked the Energy Encore and Boston 9000 very much for home theater and the B&W's for music. After reading good reviews on speaker manufacturers that sell direct on the internet, I decided to take a chance and try them out.

The nOrh drum series looks unique, but may be too radical for some people. The protruding side binding posts may annoy some people, but they don't bother me. Their rear firing port can cause some placement problems, putting them too close to a rear wall may reduce performance. The stainless steel feet have a foot print of about 7" x 7", it is sometimes hard to find speaker stands big enough to accomodate them. Also, they almost produce no bass below 65Hz.

But all the minor flaws mentioned above don't stop me from giving it a 5-star rating. The soundstage produced by these speakers is wide and very deep. Sound is natural and detailed, no audible coloration or distortion. Bass is tight and fast. Intruments sound clear and accurate. When teammed with a good sub (Hsu Research, SVS, Adire), the performance is incredible for the money.

If you don't mind their looks and have a room and decor that fit them, these ARE the speakers for you. Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned Energy Take 5.2, Encore, B&W DM 602, Boston Acoustics Micro System 9000, Bose Acoustimass 10, Klipsch Quintet, Polk Audio RM6600.

nice wide, deep soundstage
lively sound, has a lot of personality
company customer service

limited low frequency response
one poortly-fitting grill

I purchased a trio of the ceramic blue/silver 4.0's, but I'm reviewing them in 2 channel operation.

Recently I brought these into my two-channel setup, and put them against my Legacy Classics. I wasn't prepared for the quality of music that I heard through these diminuative bookshelf speakers! I put in my copy of Pat Methany Group: The Road To You, and let it rip. These speaker want to be cranked. They don't really sing unless you feed them, but they can throw out a serious soundstage. They also image like crazy. I've heard that mini-monitors and the like can image really well, but I wasn't prepared for this much difference! I'd dare to say that they image more clearly then my classics and the soundstage expands several feet beyond the speakers. To confirm this I played the microphone techniques track from Stereophile's 3rd test cd. In my room the 4.0's put out a noticably wider AND deeper soundstage then the classics.

The classics, on the other hand, put out a huge sound, and have a crystal clear soundstage. The classics excel at musical "trueness", some call it timbreal accuracy. Through the classics, an acoustic bass sounded woodier, cymbals had more shimmer, marimbas had more of that ghostly sustain heard so easly at live performances. Basically, the classics are very detailed, and have an even sound top to bottom.

When I listened to Michael Brecker's Two Blocks From The Edge, I really thought that his unique tone really sounded great on the little Norhs. Also, Conrad Herwig on his album, The Latin Side of John Coltrane, was portrayed sincerily through the 4.0s. Conrad's technique was there in all of its breathy glory.

I know that pitting the 4.0s against the classics is apples and oranges, but I was shocked at how many things the 4.0s did well, they weren't embarassed by the classics, and with a price difference you can drive a used-car through, I think that says a lot for these little wonders.

I've been lying awake the last few nights wondering about my purchase of the legacy classics, they're amazing speakers, but norh's bottom of their two-way line put forth such a strong showing, I'm afraid that their 7.0 and 9.0 would totally outclass my legacys in almost every way.

I guess I'm going to have to find out!

on value, these are worth every penny! As far as sound quality in the sub $1000 catagory, They absolutly deserve a listen.

Similar Products Used:

this is my first bookshelf speaker

Sound reproduction exceptionally smooth and clear. Work well for both HT and music. Aesthetically good-looking and very tactile.

It's early days but there is little more to say than that these 4.0 black marble speakers are the definition of a crowd pleaser both in looks and the quality of sound. Exquisite looks for our medium-sized New York apartment (my wife loves them - sculpted art) and the definition of sound is just a treat all the way to the bank for this value. Plain and simple - pure sound-deco!! If this what they sound like new, lord knows what they'll sound like when broken in. Great clarity at high volume but don't expect the bass to shake the walls down (if that's your bag).

Thanks go to Michael Barnes and Namphung for taking a personal interest in their customers.

System:

Marantz SR7000 Receiver
Norh 4.0
Toshiba SD 3205
Better Cables Speaker Cables

Crystal clear, clean, dynamic sound. Exortic look. Affordable, Values. Hand craft artsie looking, no more black boxes.

Long wait for delivery.

They're just barely broken-in. Not in my main system yet.

But I can declear the nOrh ceramic 4.0 piggies are winners!

In smaller to medium size room, with good amp (NAD or better. Mass marketed J-receivers still won't cut it.) With most music. A subwoofer is not really needed. They 4.0 pumps out enough bass to shake the room. No. nothing much below 70 Hz or so. But what they're designed to put out are entirly convincing, powerful, musical and weighty (Sade's "Lover's Rock" is an excellent demo for this.) The drums/percussions are very real sounding.

If you're tight with budget. You can add the subs later, but still being satisfied for the time being.

Sade's voice is a tiny bit foreward for my taste. But I think when I moved the piggies to the main system, the problem will be solved.

The velocity of the crescendo, from the "Oregon in Moscow" HDCD is mind blowing, when the Oregon and the Orchestra went full tilt boogies!

The rise, layered details, and sonic impact should not be coming out of such a small, and inexpensive speakers.

No problem even at near concert level (As loud as my ears can take.) Nothing sounded congested or compressed, just loosing a little bit of details every now and then, at the very high volume level. At lower volume, everythikng is cool!

All from such a small speakers and cabinets. I guess this is what "Form follows function" is all about.

The Thai natives must have had the basic design of the Thai "Long Drum" right, a couple thousand years ago, as an musical instrument, as the designs of the nOrh loudspeakers are based upon.

They are hand crafted by the same Thai traditional craft-persons.

The cello solos from the "Oregon in Moscow" CD will send tinkles up your spine.

"In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." from the Allman Brother's live carried such a rapid firing velocities, and bites, you can really feel each note. The duel drums , etc., all reproduced faithfully.

I'll skip the lomg review for now. All the music used in this session are very convincing, and proved that the nOrh 4.0 ceramic to be a real winner.

They love to play loud. I positioned them only 3 ft apart, on top of a desk, but with the volume up, I got wall-to wall sound, with good imaging and layerings (almost 19 ft wide!)

But the first 50 hours or so are entirly unbearably bad. Everything was harsh, metallic, and out of focus. But everything will eventually snaps in.

I think a second pair of nOrh is in my short list soon.

Music used for this session:-

Oregon in Moscow. (HDCD)

Leon Russel Gimme Shelter (vinyl)

Sade "Lover's Rock."

Jimi Hendrix "The Ultimate Experience."

Joni Mitchell "Hissings of the Summer Lawns." (HDCD)

Allman Brothers Band "Live at Fillmore East." (vinyl)

Will do a full review after a few more days, and moved to the main system.

The thingys look way cool too. No more black boxes. :-)

There're better speakers out there for sure. But at what price?

For US$400 (including shipping to anywhere by air, around the world.) I doubt you can find a more dynamic, clean , neutral speakers for within US$1k.

For $400. Highly recommanded. :-)

Alex - the good one.

Gears for this session:

NAD T760.
Supra Ply 3.4/S speaker cables.
9 years old Pioneer Elite LD / CD player.
IC: Supra EFF-ISL.
Rega 2/RB250/Goldring G1042./ NAD PP-1.

Next - Test in the main system. I think I'll be totally enveloped in sonic heaven when I hook the nOrh ceramic up with the 24/96
HDCD DVD player, and the superb Odyssey Stratos amp, plus a pair of power subwoofers. :-)

That'll be later.

Similar Products Used:

Over the years... AR3a, various Maggies, B&Ws, JBL, etc.