Are you out there, Vinyl Addict? Now I'm curious about the Von Schweikerts in your reference system. What model are they? Interestingly enough, I just read that Von S's entry-level line—the VR-1s that I was initially interested in and a few others—were recently discontinued. And from the looks of the products page on the site, it looks like their price points now start at close to $6K and move up from there. Talk about all or nothing...

Btw: Did those NHTs arrive yet?

Hey Doug - NO - it's a GREAT combination!!

The C3s are a very nice match with the 2150. I borrowed the Energys from an office system and couldn't be happier. The combination offers very clean highs and nice, punchy bass.

That all being said, the NHT's should offer a bit more at the extremes and I suspect better definition and detail. As they should - they're quite a bit more expensive than the Energy C-3s (which could be had, er - stolen!, from AudioAdvisor for less than $300 a pair!).

Not to hi-jack the question - but, there's not a "speedbox" that's compatible with the P2 and P3-2000 that I'm aware of. I believe the brand new P3-24 offers a speedbox as an option, the same one the P5 and P7 used. I ran a P5 for a couple years and the box worked well.

NHT's should be here on Tuesday along with some cabling from Zu that will complete the system.

I heard, too, that the VR-1s were being discontinued. That's a real shame - they are fine speakers and allowed a lot of people to hear the Von Schweikert sound. I've got a pair of VR-4JRs in my main system.

Not to discourage you, but the difference between the NHTs you have and the VR-1s would be negligible at best is my suspicion. I'll have a better idea once I have the Classic Threes hooked up, but, knowing NHT I'm betting it would be a draw.

One thing concerning Von Schweikert is they are VERY detailed speakers. What I mean by that is that you WILL hear every nuance of your system... the good, the bad AND the ugly! I've learned over the years that this is not always a good thing - this goes back to my love for mid-fi systems I was talking about above.

The reference system is amazing on exceptionally recorded works (some jazz, some exceptional rock - Dark Side of the Moon, etc.) but I can tell you that I'll spend more time listening to music on the 2150 / NHT combo. I've got a love for all things related to 70's hard rock (Rush, Sabbath, Guess Who, Bang, etc.) and most of it is not recorded in what would be called "audiophile" mode!

Thanx for the reassurance, Vinyl Addict. I'm actually pretty satisfied with what I've got, though I keep thinking it'd be cool if I could substitute another speaker for the Mirage Omnisat I'm using as a makeshift analog center-channel (left and right channels are fed into it through a monoblock amp). Alas, that's a space/spouse consideration; the Omnisat's size and shape allows it to disappear and be in the center of the room.

I've got a version of '70s hard rock on right now: Devotion, guitarist John McLaughlin's first, pre-Mahavishnu solo album. It's an LP I acquired back in the '80s; snagged it when we visited my parents a week or so ago. It was stored on shelves I built way back when in their basement; thousands of my LPs are there, in great shape. The band (organist Larry Young, drummer Buddy Miles, bassist Billy Rich) is astonishing, and because it's kind of a jazz album, it's actually recorded pretty well. The best of both worlds, one might say.

Thanks a lot VA, now I'm really looking forward to getting my gear. Wife still insists before years end. Am I crazy though ? She said I could have it, but I had to choose between IT and a new camera. This was after having come back from vacation. I chose the camera. (Canon S3) My reasoning was logical though.. we're going to move this month, plus the camera was cheaper (bout half) and I've really gotten into photography so....

Soon enough, soon enough.

Doug

Well - thought it was about time I finally posted back!

I'm loving the RR2150/Classic Three combination - this amp just continues to amaze me.

I'm not going to go into too much detail because I ordered a LFM-2 sub to mate up with the system. Don't read too much into that, the Classic Three's deliver on the bass, especially for a bookshelf speaker. I'm just sitting there looking at the RR2150 and realizing it's MADE to mate with a sub... so why not!

I primarily listen to rock and you can't have enough nice clean bass....

Will report back in a few weeks once I have everything up and running fully with some time to listen.

Great to hear, Vinyl Addict! Going with the sub, too, eh? Guess the word's out on the Classic Three—and the RR 2150 as well. Seems like it's becoming kind of a go-to combo for music.

Jeez, you two really have me pumped to get a pair of those Threes. I'm really glad to hear that they pair well with the 2150 (since I own one).

It really is too bad neither of you live in Austin, thereby giving me a chance to listen/audition them.

Tru Blue and VinylAddict: You don't think that the Threes sound too bright? Detailed= very good. Too Bright= not so good. Let me know.

Absolutely not. For me, that would've been a huge disappointment—and ultimately a dealbreaker. I think there are a couple of other folks on the forum with the Classic Three/RR 2150 combo; maybe they'll chime in, too.