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Review 4 of 13
Price Paid:
$500.00
from Audio Warehouse Summary:
(That was the price per pair.)
These Norman Laboratories Model 7's have a 12" woofer and a pair of surface-blocked tweeters as others have mentioned. The cabinet is HDF, high density fiberboard, with a full fiber fill of some kind. It has a low-high brightness toggle on the back, which I switch depending on the acoustics of the current room and my typical listening area.
These speakers don't have a sharp edge anywhere, sonically speaking. I would call it a "sweet" sound, though I tend to crank up the treble to bring it out more.
I purchased them around 1978, brand new, with a pile of dough from my $2 an hour job (and a little help from my dad). I was only 14, but knew good sound when I heard it.
My dad always had these Universal 3C speakers when I was growing up, which are tough as nails and harder than a rock--the opposite of the Norman sound.
The Universals were In-your-face in an instant, while the Model 7's spread slowly through you like a warm shot of brandy on a cold winter day. Go figure, I guess I was rebelling in some subtle way.
Norman Labs have a distinctive sound, like all great classic speakers, and I am sorry to hear that no more will ever be made.
For those of you with experience with other model Labs, the main difference in the Model 7 sound in comparison with those is a deeper bass response. I don't have any testing equipment, but I bought the 7's overtly to compensate for years of listening to a cheapo no-bass Lloyd record-changer. I wanted to FEEL the music. Many of my neighbors have felt it, too, over the last quarter-century--to their dismay. :)
...and this is a bookshelf speaker.
I have personally witnessed the windows rattling on my neighbors house when playing "Children of the Sun" a half-acre away.
Don't bother to e-mail me asking to buy them. I ain't selling, no way, no how. I'm too sentimental for these babies.
To sum up the Norman Lab experience:
I tend to close my eyes when listening to them. It feels like floating.
I highly recommend you look for pair for yourself from some poor lost soul who doesn't know what they have. Buy a slice of audio history. You won't be disappointed. Strengths:
Strong bass for a bookshelf speaker. It rivals most tower systems. Midrange is flat, with an airy high end. Walnut cabinet is solidly crafted. Weaknesses:
Consider this the opposite of the Klipsch sound. I prefer a sharper tweeter with more presence when playing dance or house music, but the delicate sound has grown on me as my musical tastes have changed over the years. The clear yet smooth treble makes these undesirable for hard rockers, but perfect for classical vocals and instruments, as well as other music where accuracy is more desirable than power.
Not compatible with some amplifiers. Specifically, I had to return a Peavy power amp because its internal circuit protection would trip immediately with the Norman's, but worked fine with other speakers. I was told that the Model 7's were an "active load", electronically speaking, though I have no proof of that. Similar Products Used:
Time Window, Klipsch Reference 7 series.
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