SETUP
With no exotic drivers, no ports, and not a ton of bass, the Absolute Tower presents no setup complexities. I got great sound with the back of each tower about 15 inches from the wall, with each speaker angled in to face me; experiments with positioning didn't significantly improve the sound.

The Absolute Zero and Absolute Center include slim aluminum-and-rubber feet that allow them to rest securely atop a stand or shelf. The feet, which are very easy to install, are a must for the curved-bottom Abso- lute Zero and optional for the Absolute Center. The Ab- solute Zeros went on 30-inch-high stands along the side walls, just behind my couch, while the Absolute Center sat on top of a 17-inch-high short stand.

NHT camouflaged the rubber grommets that the grilles attach to by building them into the driver assemblies. Thus, the speakers look great without the grilles - a good thing, because as with all the Zero descendants I've tested (and owned), I immediately removed the grilles and shoved them under the couch where they belong. (The treble sounds more detailed and en- veloping without them.)

The Classic Ten subwoofer was simple to set up. I dropped it into my room's usual subwoofer sweet spot, hooked it up, and set the subwoofer crossover on my receiver to 110 Hz for the center and surround speakers. I ran the Absolute Towers full range.