NHT Model 1C Bookshelf Speakers, Pair – Gloss Black, Re-Foamed

A pair of NHT Model 1C bookshelf speakers in gloss black, dated 1992, in very good condition and freshly re-foamed by us.

What it is

NHT stands for Now Hear This. The company was founded in Benicia, California, in 1986 by Chris Byrne and Ken Kantor, who had designed loudspeakers at Acoustic Research and NAD before setting out to build affordable speakers a cut above the mass market. Its first product, the Model 1, shipped in 1987. The Model 1C was made in the USA, and this pair is date-stamped March 2, 1992 on the rear panel.

The 1C is a two-way acoustic suspension design, which means a sealed box: a 6.5-inch woofer below a 1-inch dome tweeter on its own square mounting plate. A sealed cabinet gives tight, well-controlled bass that rolls off gently rather than booming, and it is forgiving of placement near a wall or on a shelf. The drivers are magnetically shielded, so the pair can sit right beside a television. The deep, mirror-like gloss black finish looks as good on a bookshelf or stand today as it did in 1992.

Freshly re-foamed

The foam surrounds on speakers of this age eventually dry out and crumble, and that is the most common reason a good vintage pair stops sounding right. This pair has just had its woofer surrounds replaced, so the woofers move freely and evenly again, and you start out with fresh foam rather than thirty-year-old foam.

Condition

Very good, and free of significant marks, with a deep gloss on both cabinets. Being high gloss, the black cabinets do show a few very faint marks, noticeable only under certain lighting, as is normal for this finish. The black cloth grilles, each with its NHT badge, are included.

Around the back, red and black 5-way binding posts take bare wire, spade connectors, pin connectors and banana plugs. We recommend our own Radique Audio gold-plated banana plugs for a secure, colour-coded connection that’s quick to swap, and our Custom Speaker Cable Builder will make you a pair to the exact length, terminated and ready to plug in.

A compact, beautifully finished pair from NHT’s early years, with new foam and plenty of life ahead.

Available for pickup in Kanata, or shipped across Canada and internationally — we have sent equipment to fifteen countries in the past year, each piece packed in-house in 275 lb test double-wall boxes. Live shipping rates for your address are calculated at checkout. Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Available for audition by appointment in Kanata.

NHT Model 1C Specifications

• Type: 2-way bookshelf loudspeaker, acoustic suspension (sealed box)
• Woofer: 6.5-inch cone, freshly re-foamed
• Tweeter: 1-inch dome
• Frequency response: approximately 62 Hz to 20 kHz
• Sensitivity: 86 dB
• Magnetically shielded: yes
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms
• Suggested amplifier power: 20 to 150 watts per channel
• Terminals: red and black 5-way binding posts (bare wire, spades, pins or banana plugs, including our Radique Audio banana plugs)
• Finish: gloss black
• Grilles: black cloth, NHT badge, included
• Date stamp: March 2, 1992
• Made in USA
• Dimensions: (Width x Height x Depth) 7.5 x 12 x 9 inches (191 x 305 x 229 mm)
• Weight: 12 lbs (5.4 kg) each

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Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program. When you’re ready to move on, we’ll take it back. That’s the Radique difference.

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