|
Review 3 of 16
Price Paid:
$500.00
from Norh Website Summary:
Oddly enough, this post appears to be the only one on the Synthetic Marble version of the Norh 5.1.
1.Preliminaries:
First off, I had waited until the speakers were well and truly "burnt in" before posting a review. I have heard about Norh's need to play about 200 hours minimum to run-in. They were delivered in July 2003 (superb packing, speakers were moulded into three-inch deep foam), and were then shipped off to Cairo, Egypt where I am now based, and thereafter, I subjected them to daily 3-hour plays of everything from rock to jazz to orchestral music at decent levels (9-10 o'clock on the amp volume knob - not that this is meant to be any objective standard mind you!).
2. Appearance
The SM 5.1's, as befits their reputation, look nothing like any speaker I have every owned or ever will. I have the White SM model (which took Norh 3 weeks to make)and it is stunning, a little off-white with light pinkish swirls in the material. The four feet are wide, as reported and speaker stand top-plates have to be as wide as a normal A4 size piece of paper to be safe. But you will NOT want to put them on normal stands. It will not do justice to the visuals of the speakers. I had a local company make a pair of dense, heavy columns out of plaster 60 cms high. The ported rear of the speakers are also longer than they look in photos, so make sure to have ample "breathing room" behind them. Mine stand well into my listening/reception area.
2. Sound
The reports about the burn-in period are all true. Before the 100-hour mark, the speakers sounded a little slow. The bass was tubby and bass extension was poor. I did comparison testing with my Epos ES14, not a bass champion by any standard, and the SM 5.1s lost out in speed, pace, musicality and even bass definition. I shipped them off to Cairo to hook them up to the setup I had there, and waited for the sound to "mature".
In Cairo, I was running the system on an Optimum Audio Tube amp with 4 KT88s putting out 60 watts in ultralinear and 38 in triode mode. This was fed by a Marantz SACD 8260 SACD player, big, beefily built with a lovely open sound. I have just added a turntable to the set up.
First off, after the burn in period and some experimentation, a few characteristics of the SM 5.1s became apparent:
i) They LOVE POWER. I initially ran them using the triode mode of the OA amp. The sound was all tube - liquid midrange and a nice, vocal-friendly presentation with the mids thrown slightly forward. The bass started slowly to assert itself after the 50 hour mark. Imaging was first class right off the mark though and was clearly superior to the Epos. However, I felt that the sound of the Norhs was still a little too polite, recessed in the higher frequencies and lacking ultimate punch in the lower. Rock and dance tracks were nice ... but didn't force me to jump out of my seat to boogie like rock and dance should. Then one day, I switched the amp to the ultralinear mode ... 60 watts up from 38 watts. I also popped out the grilles. The difference, in a word was ... WOW! It may sound unbelievable, but the music came "on-line" at that point. The extra power made the speakers more open and greatly expanded the soundstage. Bass became well-extended, tight and tuneful. Details I had never noticed before in my tracks started showing up. It became a speaker which matched the precision of US speakers like the Thiels (which I love for the way they throw out 100% of the information in each song, but which I hate for being so obsessive and clinical about it) and the pace and musicality of Britboxes like the Naims and Neats. It sounded like ... an old Rogers LS3/5A with bass, and a little more speed. Highs are now extended, Bass is full and punchy and the mids and soundstage are brilliant. BUT, they have to be fed. Switching back to triode feels like sticking them in a felt box. I recommend at least 50 watts of tube amplification and 100 watts of solid-state to really do them justice.
ii)They really like analogue. I haven't really tried the norhs out with any solid-state amplification of note besides the 35-watt Naims, but with the OA-1 tubes, the speakers really sing. I expect norh feels the same way, seeing as how they are putting out these budget tube amps now to drive their products. But remember point 1. above. No 9-watt triodes for these babies! With my new turntable, through the tube amps - these US$500 speakers beat every system I have ever owned. They are musically enthralling with low-key small scale pieces, but with enough weight and dynamics to play any kind of music you want.
Most reports say they are great speakers for home cinema. I got these for a stereo setup and they have beaten speakers more than 4 times their price.
At US$1000 they would be well worth the money. At US$500, its no contest. The only component in my chain I wouldnt need to upgrade for a long time. Strengths:
Pinpoint imaging, expansive soundstage, liquid midrange, detailed and musical,very good bass response. It will not be embarrassed by much better partnering ancilliaries. Very involving when paired with powerful enough tube amplification. Great value for money. Weaknesses:
It really demands much better equiptment than it would usually be partnered with at this price point. But great if you never want to upgrade your speakers ever again. Odd styling may not be for everyone. Can't be positioned on a bookshelf hard up against a wall. Similar Products Used:
Epos ES14 and ES11, Neat Petite I, Rogers LS3/5A, Monitor Audio 10, Thiel CS1.2, Norh 3.0s, B&W 803, Quad 11, Snell E/IV
| 
5 of 5
5 of 5
