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REVIEW: NSM 10s Speakers

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Model: 10s
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $1395
Description: Tiny 2-way acoustic suspension, first order
Manufacturer URL: NSM
Model Picture: View

Review by vickgeo@live.com on March 31, 2009 at 15:35:08
IP Address: 76.202.194.189
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for the 10s


I'll start by correcting an error: According to NSM, the suggested retail on these speakers is $1595, not $1395.
So, what does $1600 for a tiny monitor buy you? A lot: They only LOOK small, but perform large. The reviews in TAS, Soundstage, and Audioreview are exactly correct. They are right up there with the very best and most expensive, including the top line Tylers, Josephs, Dynaudios, etc. And I've heard them all.
The 10s has a very slghtly warm, smooth midrange,extended sweet treble, and tight, quick midbass (being a minimonitor, there really isn't much beloww 50cps). It images like crazy, and produces those images with a 3D transparency which floats free from the speakers. As I type this, I am hearing Gulda and the Vienna Phil do Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto. Ravishing!Sweet strings, piquant woodwinds,clear singing piano.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of these is the sheer size of the sound without an audible trace of compression in my 14x11ft dedicated listening room. My taste runs toward large scale symphonic music, which demands solid bass.Coupled with a pair of small NSM EXP subs ($595ea.) the system is effortlessly within 3db flat down to 25cps.
I recommend them without reservation to any audiophile/music lover with tastes similiar to mine. With this caveat: These are sealed box speakers, so the bass is tight and fast, but they are quite inefficient at 82.5db, so I suspect it would take at least 50wpc to get them to sing, even a farly small room such as mine.


Product Weakness: Light bass (I use NSM EXP subs), Need at least 50wpc.
Product Strengths: Imaging,smoothness,speed.


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: 2 PS Audio Trio A100 biamped
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Adcom 750
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Marantz 15-A SACD, Cambride Audio Azur 840 cdp
Speakers: Pair NSM 10s Monitors, Pair NSM EXP subs
Cables/Interconnects: VH Audio, Element, ELF, Signal
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical, jazz, a little 60's rock
Room Size (LxWxH): 14 x 11 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: tube traps, roomtunes, auralex diffusors
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): BPT conditioner, Tice, Quantum
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: NSM 10s Speakers - vickgeo@live.com 15:35:08 03/31/09 ( 1)