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Reviews For: BHI NES 10-2 MK3.

Category: Filters, Audio: (DSP and others)

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Review Summary For : BHI NES 10-2 MK3.
Reviews: 13MSRP: CIRCA £100.00
Description:
DSP NOISE REDUCTION SPEAKER
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.bhi-ltd.co.uk
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00133.8
VK2NZA Rating: 2020-07-08
Can work well but proviso. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 3 of thse small DSP speaker units, Two Mark 2 and one mark 3.
I use 2 of them for mobile use in vehicles and 1 for a portable rig.
I also have BHI component versions fitted to YaKenCom comms speakers and 2 BHI 1031 desk top amplified DSP rigs.
Now the NES-10 Mk2 -3
The good: they are compact.
the DSP works very well.
the speaker can be bypassed and fed to a
better speaker.
The ugly: placement of the mini inputs/outputs is random and has its neccessary controls located on the top, the bottom and the rear of the unit, that is 3 sides of the speaker enclosure must be accessed to alter DSP or switch DSP on or off or to bypass the speaker,
Ergonomically its a nightmare, there is an external speaker mini phono that is positioned just above the mounting bracket that means it can only be located one way as if mounted the other it blocks the outlet.

Basically what I believe BHI have done is sourced a commonly produced mobile speaker unit and attempted to jam their DSP circuitry, controls and jacks into the enclosure wherever space will allow.

The fittings are not robust and look cheap in feel and appearance, I have had problems with an intermittent mini plug jack and replaced it with what i believed is an inexpensive better quality fitting.

The DSP level control is a recessed plastic pot and a small plastic knob (and i mean small, Liillpution size) is placed with a small keyed end into the control to alter the DSP level.
The knob can fall out if left in the control, it is easily lost leaving the owner to resort to using a small jewellers std blade screwdriver to alter., at least thats what i have done.

Having said that I tend to find a setting 4-5 and leave it!
The DSP chip works very well and is better than some other offerings IMO.
Mine are several years old now and continue to operate well so reasonable longetivity can be expected albeit replacing a jack or knob.

If one uses the external speaker jack to a better speaker it works and sounds very good.

Its just a pity that such a good product is assembled and operated in such a difficult manner.
The price (at least here in VK) demands a better format and quality of case and ergonomic usage design.
Basically a "silk purse in a pigs ear"
just my take!

BUT ...it does work very well and although AF DSP it can improve modern rigs with IF DSP's intelligibility and noise reduction surprisingly.
SAPPHIRE Rating: 2019-03-26
Not pleasant sound Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Eliminates noise but the quality of the speaker is poor. Sound too digitized and unreal
AA5JD Rating: 2017-09-17
This speaker works GREAT! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have tried a variety noise-cancellation speakers and this one is by far the best. It produces clear sound that is much more understandable than without. The adjustable level of filtering is amazing and makes HF listening a dream compared to without. This IMO is the best.
G7HZZ Rating: 2015-12-28
Barely adequate Time Owned: more than 12 months.
On an older rig (TS-570), this speaker barely helps in reducing noise (QRN) but does nothing to help with off-frequency interference (QRM), especially heterodynes and whistles.

But the worst aspect is that its immunity to RF interference is lamentable. At almost any setting of gain or DSP level it is virtually impossible to remove the breathiness that percolates through the DSP from the microphone, etc. BHI's answer is to add clip-on ferrites, but frankly they don't help, even if used by the dozen. I have added a (commercial) line isolator to prevent pickup from an earth loop, ferrites, chokes and carefully routed the cables and none of these really solve the problem. I don't know if the NES-10 incorporates an opto-coupler; but if not, the question is whether it might help, or is the core processing unit inherrently susceptible to RF? Taking the NES-10 out of the equation solves the problem 100%.

I get far, far better results with an analogue Datong FL-3 Multimode Filter, with auto notch, which admittedly has less effect on QRN noise, but is unbeatable in attenuating squawky QRM.

I acquired the NES-10 for a few pounds (after having returned a NEIM1031 which I found to be completely useless, especially for the inflated price charged), but I do still not consider it to be worth the money. £70 spent on a Datong FL-3 is a much better deal.

My view is that a simple aanalogue tone control (hig/low cut) that can be built from cheap components will probably do much of the job that the NES-10 does, at a small fraction of the price, and with better RF immunity.
MM0HRL Rating: 2015-07-13
Mainly quite effective, details annoying. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my second review of the Mk3 speaker. I've changed my mind about some aspects of its use so hope this revised version will overwrite the first.

I was a little too quick to crit its NR properties, I now feel. There is always some white noise present, for sure - but it represents a significant reduction over the untreated audio.

I've now used it with a Yaesu FT857d and an old Kenwood TS50. With both it performs similarly as might be expected.

However, an issue that I can't resolve involves a sensitivity to RF on TX. BHI offers quite a bit of information on this issue so I'm not very surprised to find it's happening with mine. Festooning cables with ferrites etc seems to have little effect. They offer a helpsheet to illustrate how to position ferrite rings on DC and audio cables, but I've been unable to isolate this problem so far. If cables commonly need suppression of this sort, BHI should be providing them at this price level.

That apart, I've become used to the sound characteristics of the noise reduction circuitry. Previously the water-dripping sounds had seemed too much to tolerate, possibly I'm mellowing a little as I use the thing.

However I still feel the bracket is a cheap and low grade item which does not belong on a speaker costing around a hundred UK pounds. And the on/off switch position is just ridiculous, sandwiched between the speaker bottom and its bracket - if you use the bracket as a stand instead of a hanging device the switch can only easily be used by poking a pencil around under the speaker. Is its internal cavity so packed there's no real estate where the switch could be re-sited? When its warranty expires I'll see to that myself.

I decided its audio performance does rate a 5, but the bracket and switch as above mentioned rate a point deduction apiece, hence the score of 3. So if those things don't matter to you, read this as a 5.
PU2NBU Rating: 2013-03-19
The QRN Killer ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This dsp speaker just really works.

If you operate SSB mode, get one of this marvelous box to have clear audio and a good fight against QRN.

I am proud to have in my shack this master piece of audio-enginneering, the BHI NES 10-2 MK3 DSP one from UK. God save the Queen !!!

73!
TURBO68 Rating: 2013-01-01
Excellent Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I already own the MK2 and the MK3 is just as good
main intrest for me is monitoring hf aero/ndb
clarity on this dsp speaker is excellent do have lots of receivers and its beats the dsp boards that my receivers have well done bhi...
NENSW Rating: 2012-09-27
Disappointed a little Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the Mk3 and it arrived today 29/09/2012.
I live in Darwin, the tropics of the Northern Territory in Australia.
Noise from distant storms is a problem here always, but in our wet season it is almost impossible to use the lower bands (<40m) due to distant constant lightning crashes.
I contacted a supplier and specifically emphasised I wanted a noise cancelling device to cope with the constant crashes of distant storms.
I even asked if such a device to accomplish this actually existed!
After looking at youtube demos, I asked the retailer about the Mk3 and the MFJ1026.
The guy said he had both but the MK3 was the pick of the two.
Well if you live in the tropics and want storm noise cancelled, don't waste your money.
On 40 and below, this device is useless.
It copes very well with noise that is constant, like computer noise, some ignition noise, noise from power lines, but when it comes to serious atmospheric noise, you might as well put some pillows over your normal speaker.
The audio quality disappears severely and the distant lightning crashes beat the MK3 mercilessly. ALL you can hear is the crashes!!
No audio at all!
Considering I explicitly explained what I wanted the Mk3 for, the advice I got, and the MK3 was certainly not worth the $214, for what I thought I was paying for.
I have no idea if an MFJ 1026 would do what I want,or if indeed any noise canceller will.
What does the military use?
I bet it isn't an NES10-2 Mk3
CR7000 Rating: 2012-04-09
Super Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Removes unwanted noise better than anything else

Get one - you wont go back to listening to raw transmissions again
F5VDM Rating: 2012-03-03
I love this Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this as I thought if it wasn't much good, I could use it in my car for my mobile setup.

The speaker output is a bit tinny, but I have it connected to another speaker and the outputted audio is nothing short of brilliant!

It does take some getting used to, but working with the DSP on my FT 920, it is fantastic, no more white noise, I can also hear DX stations much better than before.

A great purchase.