NHB-458 monoblock power amplifier
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no, not really. although they are clearly related.
the MM7's use the same drivers for the tweeter, mid-range, and sub. and the same basic cabinet for the tweeter-mid and the sub. but otherwise they are completely different.
the MM3's, MM2's and MM1 are all a 2-way speaker with an integrated sub that crosses over around 120hz-80hz. MM7 is a three-way with 4 woofers per side added to the mid-tweeter in the main tower; with a totally different crossover. the sub towers now cross over to the 3-way main tower around 35hz to 50hz. the woofers are a new purpose built ceramic matrix driver and now the ceramic mid-range only has to go down to around 500 hz instead of the 120hz-80hz it does in the MM3.
the result of all this is considerable increase in clarity compared to the already highly resolving MM3's. (i heard them side by side). also, the increase in driver surface brings an overall level of linearity, micro and macro dynamic life, and effortlessness that simply needs to be heard to be appreciated.
Kevin showed me the graph of the top to bottom frequency response. it's + or - 2db from top to bottom. and it sounds like it. it sounds real. i can't get 'Keith Don't Go' out of my head from that day. it's like i never heard it before. i was floored!!!
each sub tower contains 2 1000 watt amplifiers for separate adjustment of the 2 top and 2 bottom sub drivers for the ultimate in bass-room integration. also; the separate bass towers allow for optimal location for bass performance and for imaging independant of each other. my room was made for these bad boys to strut their stuff.
when i walked into the room at Kevin's i was immediately taken with the physical scale of the MM7's; and then the way 1200 pounds of speaker (per side) completely disappears so easily and naturally. the extra effieciency loves the NHB-108 amp. hard to imagine how one could use more power.
Congrats Mike,,,, freaking awesome.
I need to hear them someday.
Now you know the NHB-458's will always be on your mind. Here is hoping Herve plugs the gap on the mono blocks & stereo amp........... stay tuned......
Gary
Mike, you've got to be careful about talking about disappearing speakers around here -- someone might hear you ...
:bFrank
Mike, you've got to be careful about talking about disappearing speakers around here -- someone might hear you ...
Frank
i equate a speaker disappearing to very low levels of distortion in a speaker (including room and set-up) and signal path along with good overall frequency balance and naturalness. the more full frequency and dynamic the speaker the more of a challenge it is to pull off. a small, high quality, bookshelf speaker with limited low frequencies can pull the trick off reasonably easy, but doing all the bottom octaves with proper slam yet still not drawing attention to the drivers, crossover, and cabinet takes a bit of doing. but that is part of what you supposedly pay for in a speaker like this.
a speaker can disappear but not necessarily be your favorite in terms of character. but normally a disappearing speaker does not draw attention to itself with colorations (non-lineraities).
some (even very expensive) speakers might disappear in most of the frequency range but have some non-linearity in the mid-bass <-> deep bass transition where it sounds like a speaker. or maybe the tweeter will have slightly different character from the mids. or maybe it disappears but the speaker cannot quite do the full range weight and slam....and i mean full range to well below 20hz without strain.
the MM7's completely disappear, and are equal to any speaker in frequency extention and dynamic capability....yet only need minimal power from an amplifier which allows for the most musical amplification choices yet no compromise in full frequency performance.
Just as a note, the MMMiniTwo, MMTwo, MMThree and MMSeven loudspeakers actually all go below 10Hz.
Just had a quick read of the description: the designers are ticking many, many of the right boxes. This should be capable of the highest levels of sound quality with minimal tweaking -- what happens when engineers really have their hats on the right way around ...
It should have no trouble recreating the sound levels equivalent to standing in the middle of orchetra in full cry, let alone down in the audience; a worthy contender to Basspig's system in terms of maximum clean db's. Assuming good amps, of course ... :b
My only concern is having an adjustable tweeter: this is potentially a weak point, unless extremely well implemented ...
Frank
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Congrats mike , youve got the " really" big boys in.
I think it will sound pretty amazing when you open the throttle with those babies .
Loydellee ,I wouldnt think its a upgrade from the mm3 because there are extra drivers for the upperbass , different design
I read kevin malmgren came from von schweikert , i can still see some of the same designideas in the mm3/ mm7 as to VR 11 for example.
Putting some nhb 458 behind them, will gave other systems " a blast to the past " i reckon
That probably wont even be nescesary though with 97 db
I think it will sound pretty amazing when you open the throttle with those babies .
Loydellee ,I wouldnt think its a upgrade from the mm3 because there are extra drivers for the upperbass , different design
I read kevin malmgren came from von schweikert , i can still see some of the same designideas in the mm3/ mm7 as to VR 11 for example.
Putting some nhb 458 behind them, will gave other systems " a blast to the past " i reckon
That probably wont even be nescesary though with 97 db
I wouldnt bother about an adjustable tweeter fas , i tested a lot of resistors and in the end i found they dont degrade sound .
I also listened to resistor less crossovers
I also listened to resistor less crossovers
I found the Caddocks definitely sounded better than the stock resistors for the Magnepan ribbon
I read kevin malmgren came from von schweikert , i can still see some of the same designideas in the mm3/ mm7 as to VR 11 for example.
What might they be?
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Not trying to play the devil's advocate here but could MikeL or JT explain to me why the MM7 "disappears better than other speakers?
IMHO when one listens, the speakers either disappear or they don't
Quite honestly I have never owned a pair of speakers of any make or kind that didn't disappear
IMHO when one listens, the speakers either disappear or they don't
Quite honestly I have never owned a pair of speakers of any make or kind that didn't disappear
http://www.stereotimes.com/011904cesinterviewavs.shtml
If i look at this picture and interview where KM was chief designer at von schweikert ,numerous :
about what he says about measurements being important , mike mentioning staying within + - 2 db from 20hz up .
folietweeter for the highs
towerdesign.
the way the tweeter compartment slopes to the midsection
1000 watts wooferamp for the vr 11
high eff. design
level controls tweeter /woofer
http://www.vonschweikert.com/techspecs/17.php
If i look at this picture and interview where KM was chief designer at von schweikert ,numerous :
about what he says about measurements being important , mike mentioning staying within + - 2 db from 20hz up .
folietweeter for the highs
towerdesign.
the way the tweeter compartment slopes to the midsection
1000 watts wooferamp for the vr 11
high eff. design
level controls tweeter /woofer
http://www.vonschweikert.com/techspecs/17.php
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Steve,
jtinn did not mention that the MM7's disappear, i did. Jonathan has not heard them. i have.
and i agree with you that most high quality speakers do disappear to one degree or another; but i'd also say that in my experience some speakers disappear much better than others. some speakers have non-linerarities which some listeners can listen around but for other listeners will draw attention to the fact there is a speaker and not just music.
if you were to line up the last 3 or 4 Wilson speakers you owned next to each other, you would likely find that the more recent ones have less of a signature as a speaker and are more like music. not that all of them did not disappear, only that the newer more advanced one's do it better.....to some small degree at least.
and if we were to assemble a number true full frequency capable speakers together there would some more and some less capable of truely disappearing, yet all/most could do it to some degree.
so the point of what i was saying was that the MM7's, having likely as much frequency extention and dynamic capability of any speaker system i have heard, also disappear as well as any speakers i have heard in terms drawing attention to themselves.....yet are 86 inches tall and weigh 1200 pounds. it's about the lowest levels of distortion....and that was one thing that really impressed me so about the MM7's.
It is funny, because the drivers, amplifier and cabinet design was pretty much done on the MMThrees before Kevin came on board.
Mike,
I feel duty bound to extensively audition these speakers when they arrive and report my findings back to the WBF membership. I volunteer for this thankless mission for purely altruistic reasons
Mike,
I feel duty bound to extensively audition these speakers when they arrive and report my findings back to the WBF membership. I volunteer for this thankless mission for purely altruistic reasons
maybe you can also help me break the news to my wife about this decision.
no?
i thought so.
i considered that. but when the 14 large wooden crates arrive i'm not sure i can sneak then in. it is a bit different from my Anna Cartridge. and Kevin coming up to dial them in would be hard to explain. the first lie is easy. after that it gets complicated.
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
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