News - April / May 2006

April was a very busy month with lots of travel. NorhTec had a very big month working on the big voting machine project and doing a e-Governance show in Thailand. We are working on solutions that will provide kiosks that operate for up to 24 hours on a battery charge. This capability is quite unique. The batteries are internal to the kiosk which is a one man carry with touch screen, card reader and printer. A version of this device without screen would be ideal for security applications. The system is completely DC powered so it can be powered off of solar power.

NorhTec is also working on projects to power thin clients with touch screens with power over ethernet. This will allow systems to be deployed and powered without having to run electrical lines. We are also working on battery backup systems that can be charged from power over ethernet. This is some very cool stuff.

In the meantime, Yuth has been working on the L3 project. I have been reading and answering e-mails from our nOrh customers.

Custom Speakers

One of the more interesting e-mails I got was from a customer who was using our cabinets to build a system using a Fostex FE168E. He said that the sound was astonishing. I believe these drivers cost over $100 each. Our customer swears that the driver in a nOrh 19 liter cabinet is the best sound he has ever heard. It was very easy to modify the port to get the correct tuning for this driver.

This is not the first time we have worked with customer to create a custom cabinet. Using full range drivers is easier but we have some customers who have moved drivers from old cabinets or modified projects to work with our cabinets. Our cabinets are more rigid than other cabinets and the shape of our cabinets sound and look better. A project such as the one we described would cost about $800.00 per pair.

I apologize that I am repeating most of last month's newsletter. We continue to get rave reviews for our SE 9, SE 18 and ACA 2b. For example, Steve from the US writes:

The SE18 and SM 6.1s I bought from you sound absolutely amazing. I couldn't be happier with them. Thanks very much to you and your staff for the great service and support as well.

From Last month (April)

I must apologize for not being able to update the web page last month. I was in Nigeria for a couple of weeks. NorhTec is a subcontractor on one of the bids to build an electronic voting machine. NorhTec built the hardware for one of the companies bidding the project. The machine has a lot of very good features. The first is that it is a fanless design. It has an integrated touch screen. The system can speak in multiple languages to help people through the voting process. The system also prints a ballot that is safely stored in the machine. The solution was engineered by IBS in Atlanta, Georgia.

Since I have been back, I have had a lot of work revising our hardware and getting the production units ready.

Yuth is a great fan of bicycles. He has two very nice Conondale bikes. Both of them have had every component upgraded. Yuth enjoys working on his bicycles as much or if not more than actually riding them. During March, he was taking apart the shock and the spring propelled the plunger into his eye. The result was he had to rest for nearly a month and he was not able to attend to any of his projects.

When I spoke to Yuth today, he said we are ready to take orders on the L3 amp. We run the credit cards just prior to shipment and ship out the first batch very soon.

Part of the team bidding for the Nigeria Voting Machine

Updates

NorhTec has put a deposit on a new factory. The new factory will be on a 2 acre property about 80 kilometers outside of Bangkok. I hope that we will be able to combine the activities of nOrh and NorhTec when we complete the new factory. I see a great synergy for computers, audio, advertising and multimedia.

As I had said earlier, Yuth had an accident last month. Fortunately, he wasn't blinded but it took three weeks for him to recover. During this time, some of our projects got behind. However, Yuth has continued to work on the L3 and he tells me we are ready to accept orders. We should be able to ship one month after receiving a total of fifty orders and we have orders for about half that number now.

This month, Lek took some photos for the website. I am publishing them with some comments about the speakers he is taking photos of.

nOrh 6.9

The nOrh 6.9 is an update to our original nOrh 6.5. The nOrh 6.9 uses the save Vifa woofer as the original. This woofer has fantastic power handling and produces very deep bass. The 6.9 uses the very highly rated XT tweeter from Vifa. This same tweeter is used in loudspeakers costing upwards of $35,000.00. The nOrh 6.9 has received fantastic reviews from our uses. We can ship either wood or synthetic marble nOrh 6.9 for $995.00 to the USA. For other locations, please contact us for a quote.

nOrh 9.0 wood

The nOrh 9.0 is the best loudspeaker we have ever produced. An Italian audiophile review said it was the best bookshelf speaker in the world. I personally believe that the nOrh 9.0 and the mini 9.0 are the best sounding two ways speakers I have ever heard. We make these speakers available as kits as well as complete unit. We now have a very limited number of marble cases in both black or gray.

nOrh 3.0 showing in red

The nOrh 3.0s are one of our favorite speakers. I like it so much because it introduces a very high quality sound at a very affordable price. I do not believe there is a better value in audio speakers available. The nOrh 3.0s are ideal for dorms, bedrooms or offices. I use a pair of 3.0s in my main office. I power them with my SE 9. I think it is a wonderful setup. Everyone who has heard my office system thinks it is absolutely wonderful.

SE 9 Single Ended Tube Integrated Amplifier

The SE 9 is one of our best selling products ever. We have sold over 1,000 of these great integrated amplifiers. Customers are amazed at how effortlessly the SE 9 powers their speakers. Most customers assumed they needed 100 watts per channel to fill their rooms. The fact is, most of the time when you are using an amplifier, you are using less than two watts of power. The problem is that most low cost amplifiers simply can't deliver high quality sound. The SE 9 will compete with some of the more expensive amplifiers for its price and power. If you bought an ultra expensive audio system, chances are, that at two to nine watts, the SE 9 will sound just as good. So if it is true you don't need more than four or five watts, and you still have another four or five to spare, why spend thousands of dollars when you can spend a few hundred. The SE 9 is only $450.00 USD shipped to the USA. We will quote shipping to other locations.

The SE 9 has prove itself to be an ultra rugged device. Only a few people have had even a tube go bad in three years. The SE 9 is very easy to use. It also looks cool. We suggest either the nOrh 3.0or the nOrh 6.0 loudspeakers with the SE 9. The nOrh 3.0 provides a low cost high performance option. The nOrh 6.0 is a larger speaker with more bass and it will play louder as it uses very high efficient drivers. The nOrh 9.0 will ship to the USA for $600.00 per pair. We will ship a pair of 6.0s an a SE 9 for $995.00 to the USA.

As everyone reading this knows, nOrh has been working on upgrading the Le Amp 2 for over two years. Our goal has been to create the best sounding, most reliable amplifier ever made. The original Le Amp 2 has been praised for its sound and power but it wasn't as reliable as nOrh customers have come to expect. We have changed the focus of trying to build an ultra low cost ultra high power amplifier to building an rock solid amplifier that sounds as good as the best amplifiers available.

The L3 will use an Ultra-Low noise tordial transformer. We have also divided the amp so that we have balanced the heat on two sides of the amplifier. The design is now more modular and easier to repair.

Le Amp 2 will be smaller, more powerful and better designed. Note the XLR input

The L3 uses high-end connectors. The case and build quality are very high end.

The L3 will sell for $350.00 USD each. This includes shipping to the US. We will offer two specials. Anyone who has purchased a Le Amp 2, can order an equal number of L3s for $250.00 USD and anyone ordering first shipments and allowing us to charge their cards prior to shipment will be able to buy for $300.00.

We will be publishing the full specifications soon. The amp is rated at 120 watts RMS at 8 ohms and 240 watts RMS at 4 ohms. While this is a lower power rating than the Le Amp 2, The L3 is using the same output devices and the same transformer but the focus for this amplifier is for a more high-end sound and not the most power.

We are confident we have now created the best sounding amplifier for the price ever. We will be using the same topology with same or better components.

I get a lot of e-mails from people who like to ride bikes. Thailand is a mixed bag when it comes to riding bikes. The weather is very hot and there is the rainy season. Bangkok is a very major city with lots of traffic, noise and pollution. None-the-less, Thailand is a great place to bike. Thailand has just about everything one can imagine in terms of natural beauty except for snow. There are mountains, beaches and forests. There are many biking clubs and groups and it is just amazing how much you can see on a one or two hour bike ride.

Last week, our group went on a 90 kilometer ride to Cha-Am beach. The ride was hot and windy but the roads were excellent. The photo below was taken at one a beach about 30 kilometers away from our final destination. I was feeling very good about the ride. There is something about riding to a beach that is exciting--when you finally get to see the beach.

This is me on the way to Cha-Am beach

This week, we went to a park to ride off road. I am not a very good off road rider. I thought I was pretty good when I went down Kao Ito twice. However, watching more experienced riders do it and nearly breaking my neck trying to imitate them convinces me that I am not very good. On the way down one of the hills, I caught my tire in a rut and flipped my bike. Once again, my helmet saved me from more previous injury. I was spitting dirt out of my mouth and checking for broken bones. My arm, shoulder and knee were bleeding but nothing was broken. I took my camera out of my side pouch so I could photograph my wounds. I saw that the camera didn't survive as well as I had. My brand new Casio EX-Z750 now had a broken LCD. It was a great camera for a week. I sent it in and hopefully it will be fixed in a month.

Today, (which is Sunday the 2nd), I went for a road on flat pavement. During that ride, I found a few problems with my Giant bike so I will get it fixed and ride my DaHon in the meantime.

Pan (53) with her new Honda City

Pan is Yuth, Namphung and Lek's mother. She is now 53 but as you can see in the photo, she is in very good condition for her age. We started nOrh about 8 years ago when the Asia Economic Crisis hit. I hired Yuth to help me design the nOrh loudspeakers and I hired Namphung to help me set up the marketing and shipping. Pan and Lek set up the factory and that is how we started. Everyone now works for NorhTec and volunteers for nOrh. NorhTec has been very successful and has provided all our staff with a much better lifestyle. It is our hope that we can do the same with our nOrh staff and that by combining companies, create more wealth for more people.

I have a big hope that if we can win the project in Nigeria, we can find a way to hire Nigerians. There are a lot of very talented but underemployed people in Nigeria as well as the rest of Africa. Pan and her family are now middle class and enjoying the American dream in Thailand. We would like to help more people do that through commerce. Pan came to me the other day. She told me that one of the nOrh employees needed hearing aids. I asked her if we had money enough to buy them and she said yes. We bought them.

None of us take any salary for nOrh. We are doing this to create jobs and incomes as well as to share some of the best handcrafted speakers in the world with everyone. NorhTec now pays our wages but we want to keep nOrh going because that is what started it all.

Custom Speakers

From Last month (April)

Updates

Introducing nOrh's newest amplifier - L3

Biking in Thailand

Pan Buys her first new Car