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nOrh 6.0 loudspeakers as reviewed by Francisco Duran and Larry Cox
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Do you just get snazzy-looking speakers for your money or do these things perform? They perform. The first thing that caught my attention was their bass. It was deep and powerful for a speaker this size. I felt it was a little dominant in the tonal balance, but it was never boomy and didn’t seem to either get in the way of the music or lag behind it. This was one of the reasons that I placed them on my stands. By placing them two feet high and four feet out into the room, the bass characteristics were still intact but the rear-firing port had a little more room to breathe. This speaker placement also gave me a chance to hear the Nohrs’ soundstaging and imaging capabilities. The verdict is that they do very well indeed in these areas. They throw a very credible stage, not flat or narrow, and this can be heard even when the Nohrs are placed on the floor. These speakers are pretty revealing. Whenever I switched an amp or cables, the Nohrs would let me know. I am sure the midrange of this speaker, which is pretty open and neutral, had something to do with this. No, it wasn’t as crystal clear or transparent as the best, but it was competent. Colorations and anomalies were kept to a minimum. I felt that the upper mids and top end could be a little more fleshed out and the midrange a little smoother, though I must say that the Nohrs can compete very well with other speakers in their price range. If you use this speaker as it was intended and with the appropriate matching components, their weaknesses will disappear even more. If you bought the Nohrs, you would feel that you got your money’s worth, and they look so cool. They are definitely conversation pieces for your bachelor pad or den. Just throw them on the floor, crank your amp to 11, and start the party! They also sound pretty darn good. They have very good bass, image well, and are very listenable. So what are you waiting for, let’s mambo! Francisco Duran
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A product that doesn’t demand a lot of visual attention is something of a welcome relief in the world of high end audio. The Norhs deliver a musical sound. For such a small speaker, the bass is darn nice. It isn’t tight and fast, but it is present down to about 100Hz. High frequencies, which are directional in nature, also aren’t of the first tier, especially when the tweeters are pointing at your ankles, but they are reasonably good. Imaging is also a casualty of speakers that are placed low to the ground. However, the overall presentation is sufficiently realistic, and you do feel that you’re getting the musical goods. If the speakers were cheaper, I’d recommend them to anyone who wants nice sound and a conversation piece. However, at $500 they aren’t cheap, so they’ll have to make it on their performance. Their performance was quite likable. After I pulled my nose out of the sky and just listened, I was surprised that most of the music was well-represented. Timbre was good, with vocals, woodwinds, and brass instruments having their appropriate character, though the brass was missing some of its blatty, metallic sound. The sound was sufficiently coherent that it was not easily broken down into constituent parts. Instead, the sound was charming and fun. If you are in the market for an unusual and interesting audio product, the Norh is a good place to go. Yes, there are those little Gallo speakers, but they don’t have the same hand craftsmanship that the Norhs have. Fun to listen to? Yes. Good sound? Yes. Worth checking out? Yes, by all means. Larry Cox nOhr 6.0 loudspeakers
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The Nohr loudspeakers
look like a pair of bongos, only about three times the size. They have rubber feet on
their sides, and are meant to be placed on the floor. If this was a magazine that
showcased multi-thousand dollar home theater systems, we would call them
"lifestyle" speakers, but we aren’t, and we won’t. Okay, they ARE
lifestyle speakers, but more in the vein of the Gallo Acoustics Micros than those plastic
computer mini-speakers. The Nohrs are very cool-looking and solid as all get out, and the
cabinets are very nicely finished. The binding posts are solid, and behind those, where
the enclosure tapers off, is the rear-firing port. In front, the speakers have round black
grill cloths, but don’t bang on them, because right underneath is where the woofers
and tweeters reside.
Most audiophiles associate high
quality mini-monitors with rectangular cabinets of rock-solid construction, placed on
stands that allow the tweeters to be firing at the same height as your ears. Also
associated with that performance, and with audiophilia in general, is being stuck in one
place to hear good stereo. Say it ain’t so! Well it is, generally speaking, but it
doesn’t have to be. Enter the Norh loudspeakers from Thailand. The Norhs look a bit
like wooden drums set on their sides, with the drivers placed where the drumskins would
be. Instead of speaker stands, the Norhs have three rubber feet on their sides to damp
resonances and raise the speaker a little above the ground. The last word in detail? No.
Great imaging? No. Deep bass? No. Lame speakers? No.