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Sept Oct Cover Layout 06 8/11/06 4:14 PM Page 1 NHT Xd Loudspeaker System Software Changes Are Delivered Via E-Mail to Any Host Computer with a USB Connector

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Sept Oct Cover Layout 06 8/11/06 4:14 PM Page 1 NHT Xd Loudspeaker System Software Changes Are Delivered Via E-Mail to Any Host Computer with a USB Connector Sept Oct Cover Layout 06 8/11/06 4:14 PM Page 1 NHT Xd Loudspeaker System Software changes are delivered via e-mail to any host computer with a USB connector. Software is Manufacturer: NHT, 6400 Goodyear Road, Benicia, supplied by NHT to be loaded on the host computer. CA 94510; 800/648-9993; www.nhtxd.com This software is used to transfer the file in the email Price: 6-piece satellite/subwoofer system including to the XdA USB port. Updates are produced active electronics in a separate enclosure and approximately once a year. Soft keys on front panel dedicated stands, $6,000; extra XdW for stereo implement four possible boundary compensation subwoofer applications, $1,200; extra XdS, $900. modes for XdS woofer. These can be adjusted Source: Manufacturer Loan independently for each channel. As-configured Reviewer: David Arthur Rich crossover frequencies are at 110 Hz and 2.1 kHz. As-configured subwoofer output is mono for single Features and Notes: subwoofer. Unit has added electronics to support XdS satellite speaker: 1" aluminum dome stereo powered subwoofers. (3) 6 digital to analog tweeter with heat sink. Driver is directly connected converters (three for each channel). Two of the DAC to the banana jacks at the back of the speaker. 5.25" channels are assigned to drive a pair of subwoofers magnesium cone midrange unit with direct through balanced and single-ended outputs on the connections to the banana jacks at the back of the back of the XdA. Summation of subwoofer signals speaker. Molded composite acoustic-suspension for single subwoofer operation is set by a switch on enclosure. Dimensions: H 10.5" (not including the rear panel. (4) Four power amps to drive the stand), W 6.5", H 8.5". Weight: 13 lbs stereo pair of XdS speakers (woofer and tweeter). XdW powered subwoofer: Two 10" aluminum The remaining four digital to analog converters cone side-mounted drivers. Input jack: XLR connect to the internal power amps. Maximum (balanced) directly output power per channel is connected to an internal 150 watts RMS. Analog power amp, which in turn is Class D switching power directly connected to amps and switching power speakers with no internal supply are used to reduce equalization of crossover. size and weight of the XdA Level control is on the back to a manageable level. The of this unit. It has cheeky XdA takes about 7 seconds markings, less, just right, to become fully operational and more. Do not be after turn-on. During this tempted to move the control time, low-level signals may to the more position. Power amp, 500 watts RMS. emerge from the speakers. Wait for the system to Automatic power down: A music signal activates be fully operational before adjusting volume. the subwoofer but a sort delay occurs before the Dimensions: W 17" by H 3" by D 16". Weight: 12 lbs. woofer activates. Acoustic suspension enclosure XdS custom stands: Height of stand is 24.5” with very low closed box Q. Requires equalization Base of stands is a 12-inch square. On the stand the to be flat and can only be used as part of the Xd tweeter height is at 32 inches. A special metal post system. Dimensions: H 22", W 11", D 13". Weight: attaches the base of stand to the speaker running 57 lbs completely through the stand. The speaker has a XdA integrated digital amplifier: Developed built-in special locking system to accept the post and with DEQX Pty Limited. The XDA has 4 sub- another pin built into the top of the stand. You functional groups: (1) Stereo pair of analog to digital should attach the stand as soon as you unpack it converters, which are driven from balanced or and the XdS because the curved nature of the bottom unbalanced input jacks. A microphone preamp and and the extremely smooth finish of the composite phone plug jack are provided to connect signals material makes the unit hard to handle and unstable. from a microphone to the ADCs for room Do not even think of using another stand lest you calibration. The function is not yet implemented. find the XdS on the floor. (2) DSP processor unit. The DSP processor performs Accessories: Two pairs of 20-ft dedicated crossover functions and driver equalization. Room speaker cables with color-coded quad banana plugs equalization capability is possible but not yet at each end that match with color-coded banana implemented. The DSP processor is fully software- jacks on the XdS and XdA. The plugs are not key- configurable using the USB connector on the unit. locked and can be reversed if one rushes the setup and ignores the color coding. In this condition, the the boxes, you are paying for five years of software tweeter receives the woofer signal and the speaker and hardware engineering that went into the plays at a very low level. If you experience this development of what is relatively low-volume condition, do not increase the volume level lest the product from two companies, NHT and DEQX. Let tweeter become damaged. Check the connections! me recap the extraordinary amount of R&D time Also included is a 20-foot cable with an XLR and expense that went into this speaker. At the 2001 connector at each end for connection between the CES, the company now known as DEQX was XdA and XdW demonstrating a prototype DSP-based crossover On to the good stuff! and equalizer system. By chance, they used the NHT Long-time readers of Stereophile may recall that Super Ones to demonstrate the technology. They Sam Tellig first called his column “Audio switched between the prototype system of what is Cheapskate,” but after testing enough affordable now the XdA and the internal crossover of the NHT. equipment, he changed the name to “Sam’s Space” Many who heard the demo memo left amazed. NHT so he could review higher-priced stuff. So here I am representatives must have been one of the folks that reviewing a $6,000 loudspeaker system. How can left impressed, because a year later at CES 2002 they this be a sensible expenditure? Have I contracted a announced a partnership with DEQX. case of Tellig disease? It would be another four years before the unit Well, look at the feature list above. All this stuff would ship in volume. It is important to understand fills eight—count them!—eight boxes. Hint: To save that the multi-year development work on the system you time unpacking this thing (and you will want was not only on the DEQX side but also from NHT. one by the time we get to the end of the review), A handful of very expensive speakers have been remember that the 20 feet of special hookup wire is demonstrated at CES 2005 and 2006 with DEQX hidden in the bottom of each XdS box. technology separate from the NHT speaker system. In addition to the physical items that come in DEQX sells a component distinct from the XdA (see www.deqx.com) for use by other manufacturers. The composite material also makes the The software used in the DEQX stand-alone box enclosure sound almost completely dead when you differs from that custom developed by the NHT/ place your ear on top of it and do the old knuckle- DEQX team. knock test. I also tested the ability of the composite Although the other speakers with DEQX are material to absorb significant energy without excellent, the Xd system is the only speaker with damage. This test resulted from my fumbled fingers DEQX technology that has magic powers. This loosing grip on the curved surfaces at the bottom of should come as little surprise, because NHT has a one of the XdS when I was placing it on a high stand team of engineers that have deep experience to do my ETF measurements (the higher the speaker designing cost-effective speakers, with some is from the floor, the longer it takes for the first résumés extending back to the days when Acoustic reflection to arrive at the test microphone, resulting Research was a cutting-edge company. in a more accurate measurement). It fell 3 feet and When one first looks at this thing, one asks, showed not a scratch or a dent. You will not be “Why didn’t they just design a pair of thin towers dropping the XdS if you follow the instructions to instead of the satellite and subwoofer?” This attach them to the speaker stands as you unpack approach would have made system setup a lot them (see the features and notes section above). easier, since the woofers would be an established Not visible from an external look at the XdS is distance from the midrange and we would be the heat sink on the tweeter that attaches to the back dealing with placing two boxes in the room instead of the tweeter and terminates at the back of the of adding a third, which interacts with the other two. cabinet. The woofer is a top-of-the-line SEAS The first answer to this question lies in the magnesium cone speaker with an exposed pole imaging abilities of the speaker. I have not heard a piece. This speaker is well known for its low energy full-range speaker that comes close to imaging the storage (low resonant behavior) as well as low THD way the Xd system does even if it speaker has a robot and IM distortion. The high-order lowpass head (e.g., B&W and Waveform).
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