Driver Technology
Enclosure Design
Connections
Mounting Options
Driver Technology
2-Way/3-Driver Design: The Absolute Center's 2-way, 3-driver design
features two 4.5" polypropylene mid-woofers with rubber surround and a single 1" aluminum dome,
ferrofluid-cooled tweeter. The 1" aluminum dome tweeter features a powerful
neodymium magnet assembly and textile surround.
"Wonder Bar": The Wonder Bar is a cooling/mounting bar assembly for
the tweeter. It secures the tweeter from the back of the cabinet, while
cooling the tweeter, and provides another cabinet brace. The Wonder Bar is a
solid aluminum bar about 5.5" x 0.75". This design allows NHT to tuck the
tweeter tightly between the mid-range drivers which provides great horizontal
dispersion, excellent articulation, and high power handling.
Crossover Network: The Absolute Center uses a sophisticated 3rd order
crossover that was developed using computer (and human ear) aided design to
carefully split the frequencies between the mid-woofers and tweeter at just the right
spot (2.5kHz).
Voice Matched: NHT made the Absolute Center as small as
possible, while matching the timbre, dynamics, and dispersion of other NHT
speakers, such a "Absolute Zero" and "Classic".
Enclosure Design
Acoustic Suspension: The NHT Absolute Center features an
Acoustic suspension design (sealed enclosure with no ports or holes in the
cabinet). The Absolute Center uses the air that is trapped in the cabinet to
control and damp the woofer cone motion. The benefits of an acoustic suspension
cabinet design include -
- tight, accurate bass
- smooth, natural midrange
- low distortion
- high power handling
- smooth bass rolloff (an important benefit when blending speakers with a
powered subwoofer seamlessly)
MDF Cabinet: The Absolute
Center's cabinet is very robust, and uses MDF for all surfaces, and dual
internal braces. The cabinet is (computer controlled) CNC-milled from 21mm MDF
(for the front baffle) and 15mm MDF (for the sides and internal bracing) for
rigidity and resonance control.
Curved Side-Panels: The cabinet's curved side panels help to randomize
internal standing waves, which improves overall sound quality.
High-Gloss Black Finish: A hand-painted finish
with 2 primer coats, 7 color coats, and 2 clear coats producing a beautiful
piano quality high-gloss, black finish.
Connections
5-Way Binding Posts: The center channel speaker is equipped
with one pair of sturdy, nickel-plated 5-way binding posts to ensure a secure
connection to many types of speaker cables and connectors. The binding post
terminals will accept banana plugs (dual/single), pin-connectors,
spade-connectors, and bare wire (16-12 gauge).
Color-Coded: The 5-way binding post terminals are
color-coded so you can easily indentify positive (red) and negative (black).
Mounting Options
Placement: The NHT Absolute Center is meant to be placed
horizontally. Ideally the center channel should be placed immediately above or
below the television, in as close proximity as possible. The Absolute Center is
perfect for small to medium size rooms.
Feet Rails: The Absolute Center comes with two preinstalled
aluminum rails with butyl rubber inserts which offer an acoustically optimal and
handsome shelf placement solution without the need for additional feet, cones,
or other isolation devices.
Tilting Leg: There is an adjustable titling leg on the back of the
center channel speaker which lets you aim the speaker downward, if it is mounted
on a shelf above your television.
Wall Mounting (optional): The optional PinPoint AM15B Center Channel
Wall-Mount Bracket (121AM15B, sold separately) allows you to hang the NHT
Absolute Center on your wall.
Note: The Absolute Center does not feature key-hole slots
or threaded inserts.
Magnetically Shielded: The Absolute Center is magnetically shielded so
placement next to that vintage CRT television isn't a problem.