Pair of NHT Model 1C bookshelf speakers in gloss black, grilles off, showing tweeters and woofers

NHT Model 1C bookshelf speakers seen from a front angle, gloss black cabinets with grilles off

Rear of the NHT Model 1C speakers showing the binding posts and NHT speaker system labels

NHT Model 1C bookshelf speakers with black cloth grilles on and the NHT badge at the bottom of each grille

NHT

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

Name: NHT Model 1C Bookshelf Speakers, Pair – Gloss Black, Re-Foamed
Brand: NHT
SKU: 19618
Price: 275.00 CAD
Availability: InStock

$275.00

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

✔️ Very good condition — free of significant marks; grilles included
✔️ Freshly re-foamed by us — new woofer surrounds
✔️ Sealed and magnetically shielded — made in the USA in 1992
✔️ Covered by Radique Warranty
✔️ Includes Perpetual Trade-Back Program eligibility
✔️ Expertly packed for safe shipping

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Description

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

🔌 Speaker Cable, Built on Our Own Bench

The speaker terminals here are five-way binding posts, so they take banana plugs or spade lugs and you have the run of the options. We hand-build speaker cable here in any length you need — choose the gauge and the terminations on our Custom Speaker Cable Builder. If you would rather terminate cable you already own, we make our own gold-plated banana plugs and spade connectors as well. 👉

✅ Buy With Confidence — The Radique Promise

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.

📦 Watch how we protect your gear — our unboxing video.

📺 Curious about our business? Check out our YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes videos and more!

📞 Questions? Use the Ask a Question button above, or call us at 613-416-9995.

$275.00

Additional information

Weight	26 lbs
Dimensions	13 × 21 × 16 in
Impedance	8 Ω
Power Handling	101–200 W
Sensitivity	86–89 dB
Woofer Size	6–7″

About brand

NHT at Radique

We service NHT, too. Bring us your own NHT speakers and subwoofers for repair, servicing or restoration (speakers up to 80 lbs each), with a 90-day warranty on the work. See our Audio Service page

NHT was founded in Benicia, California, in 1986 by Chris Byrne and engineer Ken Kantor, and the name stands for Now Hear This. We carry NHT bookshelf speakers, towers, centre channels and subwoofers. We've had more than 40 NHT listings so far, covering more than 25 different models. Every used NHT here is inspected, tested and serviced as required, then photographed in-house and covered by our Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Don't see the model you want? Tell us on First Dibs and we'll email you when one arrives.

The NHT models we've sold most often include the Three and SuperOne bookshelf speakers, the SW2 and Ten subwoofers and the 2.9 tower.

The NHT story

Chris Byrne, who had been Pioneer Electronics' vice-president of marketing, and engineer Ken Kantor, whose career had taken in Acoustic Research, Boston Acoustics and NAD, founded NHT in Benicia, California, in 1986. Its speakers were known for front baffles angled at 21 degrees, which NHT called Focused Image Geometry.

Jensen and Rockford. In 1990 NHT was sold to International Jensen, which also owned AR and Advent and let NHT keep its design independence. The four-way 3.3 flagship followed in the early 1990s, Kantor left in 1997 after designing the 2.9 tower, and by 2004 NHT was part of Rockford Corporation.

Today. Secrets of Home Theater calls the Classic Three of the mid-2000s NHT's best-selling model, and the C Series followed it. NHT is still based in Benicia, making acoustic-suspension and in-ceiling speakers. Chris Byrne died in December 2025.

Which NHT is which?

Original Model line (late 1980s to early 1990s): from the Model 1 to the four-way 3.3, with slim baffles angled at 21 degrees.

2.9 tower (by 1997): Ken Kantor's last NHT design, with separate terminals for bi-amplifying its woofers.

Super series: the SuperZero, SuperOne and SuperTwo, often paired with the SW2 subwoofer.

Subwoofers: the SW2 with its MA-1A amplifier, and the Classic Ten and Classic Twelve.

VT home theatre towers: such as the VT-1 and VT-3.

Classic Series (mid-2000s to 2016) and C Series: including the Classic Three.

Buying used NHT: what to check

Stabilizer bars and spikes. NHT towers such as the VT-3 and SuperTwo rely on stabilizer bars or spikes, so check they come with the pair.

Amplifier match. NHT says underpowered amplifiers are the most common cause of speaker damage, so check the tweeters on any pair that ran on a small receiver.

Subwoofer amps. If an MA-1A's front light doesn't come on, an internal fuse may have blown. On a Classic Ten or Twelve, check that the line-voltage setting is 120 V.

Baffle foam. The original angled models have anti-diffraction foam strips on the baffle, so check they are there.

Everything we list is inspected, tested and serviced as required here, and comes with our warranty.