Neat Floor Speakers, Made in USA: Scam?

[Bigwoo]

I thought that Neat only made speakers in the UK. However, I saw a pair today (3 way?) that I thought had a small "Made in USA" on the back. I've heard great things about Neat, but these didn't look impressive to me and they weren't quite as heavy as I was expecting them to feel when I lifted them up. Definitely had a "Neat" badge on the bottom of the fronts.

Were there ever any Neat made in the U.S. or could these be knockoffs/scam? I got distracted by a vintage pair of Jensen's and didn't end up going back to the Neat set.... I don't know if Neat is basically overpriced boutique crap or if they're decent.

 

[sealy]

Apparently, a company called SpeakerCraft makes a NEAT line of speakers, that maybe are not so neat. In this case, NEAT stands for No Edge Audio Technology. You are right about the authentic NEAT speaker co. being based in the UK.:scratch2::scratch2::scratch2:

 

[Bigwoo]

Ah Ha... That's good to know. I don't really know how to spot a true pair of Neat Acoustics. Hmm... I guess that I'd better go back to have a look. Neat prices seem ridiculous to me; For that kind of $ I really would expect that the cabinets be solid wood, which these were not.

 

[Tom Brennan]

So do they remove leg hair without shaving or not?

 

[Bigwoo]

:lmao:

Well, I didn't sleep very well last night and have decided that I should go back to have a look & listen. I've been researching Neat's and I'll pick them up and post pics if they appear to be the real deal....

 

[jayczar]

So do they remove leg hair without shaving or not?

lol, I thought that was Nair.

 

[tensleep]

Ah Ha... That's good to know. I don't really know how to spot a true pair of Neat Acoustics. Hmm... I guess that I'd better go back to have a look. Neat prices seem ridiculous to me; For that kind of $ I really would expect that the cabinets be solid wood, which these were not.

Sonically, MDF is considered superior to solid wood. It is more dense, void-free, and doesn't resonate like a solid wood speaker. Void-free birch plywood was used extensively, prior to MDF. Plywood is still used today, but most speakers are made from MDF. Other materials, especially composites and molded plastics, are being used more and more. Solid wood is beautiful, but really cannot compete performance-wise with modern building materials.

Good Luck on the speakers! I hope they are the good ones - that would be neat!

 

[Nat]

There was also a highly regarded Bozak successor called NEAR (New England Audio Resource), and the name might have been misread.

 

[Bigwoo]

I just walked back in the doors guys.
You are correct Nat! They ended up being a pair of "Near New England, USA" 3 ways w/ no tech data anywhere to be seen...... I hope that I didn't make a mistake by passing on them. They were asking $59.99 for the pair and w/o knowing the company I was hesitant.

 

[Nat]

Ack! Run right back and get them! As I said, they are very well regarded, and the threeways got good reviews. Near updated the Bozak damped metal cone technology and mounted them in stout enclosures and they ought to sound wonderful.
Wish these guys were in my area -- I'd be there before you.

 

[sealy]

NEAR makes some very well-regarded speakers, some of which use inverted domes and transmission-line loading. You may have erred in not grabbing them. Now, where did you say they were?

 

[Bigwoo]

OK, OK!
Geez, you guys are going to get me in big trouble w/ Mrs Bigwoo... I'm in the Dog House for sure when she comes home tonight.
The reason that I passed on the Near's was because they had a BEAUTIFUL set of vintage 70's Advent loudspeakers that sounded exceptional for $20 and I have always felt that Advents are fantastic and one can never have too many of them in the house.
However, as soon as I read Nat's post I ran back and snatched up the Near (s). They are Near Model 50 speakers....I'm not going to lie; If they don't sound as good as the Advents they are out of here because they just look too "modern" for any area of our home.

I owe a HUGE thank you to Nat for being friendly and honest and I will create a post w/ pics of the speakers tomorrow after work. Right now I'm beat and would just like to watch the Tour de France....

p.s.,
Tensleep, I can truly appreciate what you're saying my brother, and I would agree that certain materials will have +/- effects on resonant frequencies, but I'm Old School all the way and to me new materials = laminates on the top layer and laminates = buckling, bubbling and a thorn in my side. I'm a solid wood cabinet guy for life, I think......

Thank you to all of you guys for making this forum a wonderful gathering place and resource!

 

[Nat]

Unless there is something very wrong, the NEARs ought to sound much better than the Advents -- that's not a slam on the Advents which are a remarkable achievement in essentially full range sound in a small inexpensive package -- but an acknowledgement that way more money (and even after inflation, its way more money) thrown at a problem by careful, knowledgeable, capable designers with good ears will probably produce a better product, even if the cheap one is produced by a master of the art, as the Advent certainly was.
And if the NEARs don't demolish the Advents, I'm sure you will find someone eager to give them a home (which raises the question, how far are you from Connecticut?).
But I'm pretty confident that the NEARs will be staying in your house, probably with your wife's encouragement. My experience is that women have better hearing and are less engaged by technical BS than men are. So I pay attention to my wife and daughters' opinions. And the only speakers I have ever gotten any complaints about my selling are Bozaks and JSE Infinite Slopes, which are also the only speakers I really regret selling. The NEARs are almost certainly an improvement over the Bozaks, but in their sonic mold, and I suspect you'll love them.
But: they are going to reveal problems in your system, if there are any, that the Advent (or older Bozaks) might cover up. So make sure you are using them in a good system before making any judgements.

 

[joarfeve]

Wow!!!... This is a truly Audio/Soap Opera/Saga... please Bigwoo...I soon as you test the speakers, post your comments because I will not sleep well too... :thmbsp:

 

[markshan]

Those things were $2,250 a pair in 1977!

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-76954313/n-e-r-model.html

 

[tensleep]

p.s.,
Tensleep, I can truly appreciate what you're saying my brother, and I would agree that certain materials will have +/- effects on resonant frequencies, but I'm Old School all the way and to me new materials = laminates on the top layer and laminates = buckling, bubbling and a thorn in my side. I'm a solid wood cabinet guy for life, I think......

Thank you to all of you guys for making this forum a wonderful gathering place and resource!

I hear you - you should see all of the vintage wood in my house! I just wanted to be sure you didn't discount an excellent modern speaker because of cabinet materials - it sounds like you made a GREAT haul tonight. And, as the very proud owner of a pair of Bozak B302a in vintage Barzilay cabinets, I can't wait to see your Near speakers and get your take on how they sound.

 

[markshan]

I have the same TV. It takes some serious wood (in my case with metal corner reinforcements) to support that beast. It weighs over 300 lbs!

 

[Bigwoo]

Good Lord Tensleep! You've got a killer collection.
In the 3rd photo down, is that a vintage HK analog receiver!? And what is the giant that it's sitting on? (I thought maybe vintage Klipsch or Lansing)
Beautiful Man, just breathtaking!

I've got about 45min before work so I'm getting the NEAR's hooked up right now....

 

[saltwater]

My 302a lattice runs up and down. hmmmm :scratch2:

 

[tensleep]

Good Lord Tensleep! You've got a killer collection.
In the 3rd photo down, is that a vintage HK analog receiver!? And what is the giant that it's sitting on? (I thought maybe vintage Klipsch or Lansing)
Beautiful Man, just breathtaking!

I've got about 45min before work so I'm getting the NEAR's hooked up right now....

You have a great eye - the receiver is an HK 330c and is a very nice receiver. The speaker is a single 3-way cabinet, loaded with University drivers and horns. It really sounds good as is, but I am very tempted to modify it into a MonoWave. The big C15Wwoofer is the star of the bunch. Here are some pictures of the guts:

Enough threadcrapping by me. How are the NEAR's doing?