Distinctive, Audiophile Quality NHT Bookshelf speakers 1.3

Finished in a gloss-black high-pressure laminate, the 1.3 is elegant, even beautiful, and is distinguished by its unusual angled front baffle.
This design means that the rear baffle is nonparallel to the driver, thus reducing the amount of internal cabinet energy reflected back toward the woofer. This is said to improve imaging and midrange purity by reducing comb filtering. In addition, the angled baffle puts the listener directly on-axis with the loudspeakers pointing straight ahead. This increases the ratio of direct-to-reflected sound reaching the listener and further improves imaging.
Rather than use off-the-shelf drivers, the 6″ woofer and 1″ soft-dome tweeter are custom-made for NHT. The woofer took 18 months to develop from the ground up, and is manufactured in Asia by KSC. The tweeter is made by Tonegen in Japan, to NHT’s specifications. Tonegen manufactures many drivers for high-end loudspeakers, including, I believe, the EMITs for Infinity. The drivers are mounted symmetrically on the front baffle, vertically in-line. Crossover frequency is 3.1kHz, with second-order slopes and a damping compensation network. Air-core inductors are used, along with some polypropylene capacitors. A single pair of five-way binding posts is mounted in a large cup in the rear panel.
In addition to its attractive appearance, the Model 1.3 has excellent fit and finish.
Excerpt from Stereophile’s excellent review:
“Conclusion
The NHT Model 1.3 excels in those areas that are most important musically: tonal neutrality, uncolored and transparent midrange, and well-defined and articulate bass presentation. In these areas, it rivals much more expensive loudspeakers. The midrange is especially clear and detailed, giving instruments and vocals a natural texture and providing an excellent view into the presentation.
I prefer the 1.3’s somewhat lean mid-to-upper bass to a tubby, underdamped bass. This improves the overall presentation by the absence of that thick, congested sound that often accompanies a loose bass. In addition, the bass was articulate and agile, clearly resolving pitch. The slight loss of body and warmth to some instruments was, in my opinion, worth the increase in definition and control. In addition, bass extension was surprising for the 1.3’s cabinet size. I found the brightness in the extreme treble to be a liability, but not significant enough to preclude a recommendation. This minor fault is more than compensated for by the 1.3’s strengths and overall musical performance.
The NHT Model 1.3 offers the audiophile on a budget a glimpse of high-end sound at a mid-fi price. Highly recommended.”
Description:
Two-way loudspeaker with 6½” woofer and 1″ soft-dome tweeter.
Bass alignment: sealed-box.
Crossover frequency: 3100Hz with second-order slopes.
Frequency response: 53Hz–24kHz ±3dB.
Power handling: 150W maximum. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal.
Sensitivity: 86dB, 2.3V at 1m (as published in owner’s manual).
Dimensions: 7″ W by 16½” H by 10″ D. Weight: 15 lbs each, net.
Finish: high-gloss black laminate.
The NHT 1.3 Bookshelf speakers listed for $480 USD when new ~$740 CND with HST. Asking just $295 for these distinctive, great sounding bookshelf speakers from California’s “Now Hear This”