# Home Theater Direct (HTD) Level TWO System Review Discussion Thread



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

*Home Theater Direct Level TWO System​**By Jim Wilson (theJman)*

​
Inexpensive often equates to cheap, but not in this case. The Home Theater Direct Level TWO System revealed its modest pedigree in one or two areas, but those proved to be the exception and not the rule; for the most part these speakers and subwoofers fought above their weight class (so to speak). This system proved very easy to live with on a day-to-day basis. A common saying is "champagne tastes with a beer wallet", which is a person who likes finer things but simply can't afford them. HTD has you folks covered; you won't need to spend a lot to get a lot from them. Thoughtful touches and very good sound quality make it such that Home Theater Direct should be on the 'short list' of anyone looking for a high value system.

*For the full review Click Here​*​


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## tesseract (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for the review, Jman! Just the other day, I was just recommending Home Theater Direct over Bose to a friend of mine. 

The tweeter used in the Level 2 looks a lot like the driver used in several really nice sounding speakers, one of which I own and enjoy the highs of very much.


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## TheLaw612 (Jan 17, 2012)

Awesome write-up Jim. I have always been intrigued by the Level TWO system. I'm currently building a pair of speakers but may have to put the build on hold due to some circumstances so these look to be a great value. Plus their good looks are appealing to my wife :T


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

TheLaw612 said:


> Awesome write-up Jim. I have always been intrigued by the Level TWO system. I'm currently building a pair of speakers but may have to put the build on hold due to some circumstances so these look to be a great value. Plus their good looks are appealing to my wife :T


Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

Have you entered the contest yet? You could possibly end up with them after all...


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## TheLaw612 (Jan 17, 2012)

I did enter it so we'll see how it goes!


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

Great review, Jim. Sounds like the Level 2's give a lot of bang for the buck.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

i entered the giveaway as well.ive been curious about transmission line design speakers for a long while.


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## needspeed52 (Aug 2, 2008)

Jim,
Thanks my friend for the straight forward honest review, you have that rare quality, INTEGRITY :clap:
Cheers my man, Jeffrey


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

needspeed52 said:


> Thanks my friend for the straight forward honest review, you have that rare quality, INTEGRITY :clap:


Jeffrey;

Thank you. I put a tremendous effort into maintaining my candor, which isn't always easy given the circumstances. Thankfully HTS affords me sufficient latitude, something that has proven very beneficial; they have never once redacted any of my reviews, not something all that common in an advertising-based industry such as this.


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## 3dbinCanada (Sep 13, 2012)

Nice review Jim. :clap: 

I'm curious how they stack up to the Andrew Jones designed Pioneer towers and bookshelfs which are also priced along the same lines? Its good to know that you can some decent quality at such a low starting point. This makes entry into the Home Theater, a viable option for more families.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

3dbinCanada said:


> I'm curious how they stack up to the Andrew Jones designed Pioneer towers and bookshelfs which are also priced along the same lines? Its good to know that you can some decent quality at such a low starting point. This makes entry into the Home Theater, a viable option for more families.


I suspect the HTD's would surprise a lot of people, especially when you consider there cost.

Unfortunately I've never had the opportunity to hear the AJ speakers myself. They do seem to get favorable reviews though, so perhaps I'll set something up in the future.


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## alphaiii (Nov 30, 2007)

You know, I remember in the 2007-2008 time frame when I was first getting into this hobby, HTD was the "flavor of the month" for a short time, then discussion sort of died down. Back then, AV123 was the typical brand discussed when talking budget speakers.

Good to see HTD getting some press again. I actually have a set of Level Two Towers/Center on the way to demo. We'll see if I'm impressed as well.

I'll be able to compare to the Cambridge Audio S30, the new Wave Crest HVL-1, and possibly the Mordaunt Short Aviano 1 (unless I have to return them before I get the HTD).

I'm sort of in audio limbo right now, seeking out a budget system I'd be happy with... After owning NHT Classic Three/Two C and Boston Acoustics VS260/325C, my bar has been raised for what I consider good audio... I'm finding it hard not to nitpick everything I listen to now...

I demo'd the AJ Pioneer towers and center for a few weeks, but ended up taking them back to Best Buy. They really are nice for the money, but I thought just a little treble forward, and a touch sibilant (at least I noticed that in the center), and any sibilance drives me nuts. 

What I'm realizing though is that with most source material, when it comes to TV shows and alot of movies, sibilance is all too common, and most speakers don't do anything to hide it. At this point, I just want something that has reasonable detail/resolution without exacerbating sibilance... we'll see if the HTD can do that.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

alphaiii said:


> Good to see HTD getting some press again. I actually have a set of Level Two Towers/Center on the way to demo. We'll see if I'm impressed as well.
> 
> What I'm realizing though is that with most source material, when it comes to TV shows and alot of movies, sibilance is all too common, and most speakers don't do anything to hide it. At this point, I just want something that has reasonable detail/resolution without exacerbating sibilance... we'll see if the HTD can do that.


I didn't find the HTD speakers at all forward, so hopefully they'll work out for you. Be sure to come back and post your impressions after they've been broken in and tuned.




alphaiii said:


> I'll be able to compare to the Cambridge Audio S30, the new Wavecrest HVL-1, and possibly the Mordaunt Short Aviano 1 (unless I have to return them before I get the HTD).


I actually reached out to the Wavecrest folks about reviewing the HVL-1, but they were concerned that the timing wasn't right for them. Perhaps at some point in the future I'll be able to get some of those for evaluation.


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## alphaiii (Nov 30, 2007)

I'll definitely post my impressions...

Jim, just curious - how do the HTD compare to the Arx speakers you reviewed?


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

alphaiii said:


> I'll definitely post my impressions...
> 
> Jim, just curious - how do the HTD compare to the Arx speakers you reviewed?


The Arx have more detail and a bit of additional brightness, especially on the top end, whereas the HTD's have a smoother overall presentation.


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

Just ordered a pair of Level Two Towers and they should be here Friday..........Fingers crossed, thanks for the review.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Congrats on your new toys! After they've been tuned and broken in be sure to come back and post your opinion of them.


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

Just a couple of quick thoughts..........The Level Two Towers came very well boxed, and are near flawless. The finish is a nice satin black paint, and the cabinet feels very substantial. The bases bolted on without issue with the supplied hardware and hex head key. They sound very smooth when compared to my outgoing Klipsch WB-14/WC-24 setup.

I found that I prefer to have no center speaker in my living room based config, and dialog sounds perfect with the LTTs next to my 60" Sammy. Audyssey XT in my Denon X2000 set the LTTs as Large, but I changed them to small/60hz and let my Power Sound Audio X15 handle the rest. I tried 80hz, but 60hz seemed more seamless. 

My Klipsch WB-14/WC-24 seemed harsh at higher SPLs, where the LTTs are not.......So far, I am very impressed. I will update in a few weeks once I get some more time on them.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Glad they're working out for you. I found them to be pretty smooth as well. Looking forward to your next update.


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

I should be getting my Level Two towers, center, and bookshelves tomorrow, i will give my impressions after i get them set up, dialed in and get some run time on them.

even though I've had the Level Three bookshelves and center i am really excited to get these, especially after reading Jim's review of them.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

I look forward to hearing your impressions of them.


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

Well i got my Level Two towers, center and bookshelves. they sound very good for the price point. they present a nice soundstage and are very well balanced in their tonal balance. overall i cant add much to what Jim says in his review.

One note however is that both bookshelf speakers came with cosmetic blemishes.... one tweeter dome has a white dot on it and the other the enclosure for the tweeter has a shiny half ring on it that looks like it is from when they applied the coating on the dome. again Chris and HTD had no issue with replacing them, the new ones are due to arrive next Thursday. this really makes me wonder about their quality control, but i am overall happy with the speakers.

I will say that the Level Threes have a more refined sound and are more laid back than the Twos even with the tweeter issues i had. I actually prefer the sound of the Level Threes to the Twos, but the Towers are really nice looking and go really well with my rig. It's nice that my display stand is also cherry and is almost a perfect match. I had some home brew stands that I made for the Threes that just didnt gel well with my setup so the towers look a lot better.

So wrapping up, if anyone is looking for a budget set of speakers and are looking at Polk, Energy, Bic, ETC., I feel with these you get a lot more for your money aesthetic and sound wise. I've heard the Polk monitor 70's and had the energy CF-70's and matching center that had a $1400 retail price and I think these sound better, the tweeter an the Energy's arent that good at all, I think my ears may have actually bled... ;-)


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

I'm glad you liked them and were able to get your issues addressed. The TWO's do offer a lot for the money.


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

mark62 said:


> Well i got my Level Two towers, center and bookshelves. they sound very good for the price point. they present a nice soundstage and are very well balanced in their tonal balance. overall i cant add much to what Jim says in his review.
> 
> One note however is that both bookshelf speakers came with cosmetic blemishes.... one tweeter dome has a white dot on it and the other the enclosure for the tweeter has a shiny half ring on it that looks like it is from when they applied the coating on the dome. again Chris and HTD had no issue with replacing them, the new ones are due to arrive next Thursday. this really makes me wonder about their quality control, but i am overall happy with the speakers.
> 
> ...


One of my Level TWO Towers had the same white dot on the tweeter too? I called Mike, and he shipped a new tower the same day I called and all is well with the new tower. I literally just finished installing a pair of Level TWO Surrounds and they were shipped flawless. 

I also tried a Level TWO Center in my compromised location that a center has to live due to WAF, and it also was flawless as well. I ended up returning the center because it just didn't sound as good as my towers do in phantom mode.............Gotta go run Audyssey on my new toys Santa brought me :bigsmile:


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

D Bone said:


> One of my Level TWO Towers had the same white dot on the tweeter too? I called Mike, and he shipped a new tower the same day I called and all is well with the new tower. I literally just finished installing a pair of Level TWO Surrounds and they were shipped flawless.
> 
> I also tried a Level TWO Center in my compromised location that a center has to live due to WAF, and it also was flawless as well. I ended up returning the center because it just didn't sound as good as my towers do in phantom mode.............Gotta go run Audyssey on my new toys Santa brought me :bigsmile:


I wanted the surrounds too but in my configuration i cant hang the surrounds and they are bottom ported so they wont work on stands.

Chris gave a somewhat guessing explanation on the white dot, saying that it was part of QC, but what he said to me didnt quite add up, but as you had the white dot too maybe there is something to do with QC, but i sure dont want a mark on a tweeter.

one other thing i didnt mention is that on one of the towers the dome is not evenly coated with the black substance, it is blotchy. I'm not sure that would affect the sound quality but at this point with all the issues I've had I dont want to trouble them with this, I'm starting to feel guilty about it even tho I'm just a consumer that just wants everything to be correct. I feel like I'm being picky but the truth of the matter is I shouldnt have to feel that way.

all things being considered I'm still satisfied with the speakers and HTD is trying their best, I just think their QC could be a lot better.

edit-- regarding the center channel, I have mine mounted on top of a 60" display so it is up about 5', but i do have it angled down but it does not sound timbre matched very well but every center I've used is the same way. it will have to do until i find another option to mount it. it still sounds better for me with movies than without it.


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

mark62 said:


> I wanted the surrounds too but in my configuration i cant hang the surrounds and they are bottom ported so they wont work on stands.
> 
> Chris gave a somewhat guessing explanation on the white dot, saying that it was part of QC, but what he said to me didnt quite add up, but as you had the white dot too maybe there is something to do with QC, but i sure dont want a mark on a tweeter.
> 
> ...


My surrounds are mounted on a 7' high corner bookshelf unit behind and to the sides of the MPL. I bought these from amazon to raise up the speaker: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00516DL5Y/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Before I bought my sub I talked in depth with Tom over at Power Sound Audio and he feels very strongly that a speaker only needs 1/2 of the port opening so long as it's flared. I had limited space behind my sub and was worried about the 4" monster port on the back. The port on the bottom of the surrounds is 1.5" flared, so I bought the 3/4" vibration dampers to raise up the speaker. I ran Audyssey and it found the surrounds to extend to 60hz......Not bad for a couple of 4" drivers! (I changed them to 80hz) The surrounds definitely provide a wider sound stage than the Klipsch WB14s that I had. 

As for the tweeters not being "evenly coated" I asked Mike about this, and he said that every driver's coating/doping was hand applied and that would account for the variances. He assured me that it doesn't effect the sound at all.

I thought I was the only OCD nut job!!! :neener:


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

D Bone said:


> My surrounds are mounted on a 7' high corner bookshelf unit behind and to the sides of the MPL. I bought these from amazon to raise up the speaker: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00516DL5Y/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Before I bought my sub I talked in depth with Tom over at Power Sound Audio and he feels very strongly that a speaker only needs 1/2 of the port opening so long as it's flared. I had limited space behind my sub and was worried about the 4" monster port. The port on the bottom of the surrounds is 1.5" flared, so I bought the 3/4" vibration dampers to raise up the speaker. I ran Audyssey and it found the surrounds to extend to 60hz......Not bad for a couple of 4" drivers! (I changed them to 80hz) The surrounds definitely provide a wider sound stage than the Klipsch WB14s that I had.
> 
> As for the tweeters not being "evenly coated" I asked Mike about this, and he said that every driver's coating/doping was hand applied and that would account for the variances. He assured me that it doesn't effect the sound at all.
> 
> ...


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

Yes, all 6 tweeters look just a little different from one another. Nothing crazy, but you can tell that someone brushed on the coating, rather than spaying it on with a robot. I am stoked with how these sound compared to my Klipsch setup. Enjoy yours!


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

I am enjoying them, they sure are a lot of speaker for the money. thanks for the replies, it is nice to relate our experiences with these gems.


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## hearingspecialist (Mar 15, 2010)

After breaking my level 2 books and center, they sound completely different. They dig deeper than the bs22's and with much greater resolution and of course the top end, open and precise. What a difference from when I first got them. Also, feeding them quality class D ice power from my sc-25 totally changes their sound. I've been messing a bunch with the advanced mcacc which has to aid in breaking them in and they just get better and better in resolving. They easily absorbed the THX modes and really opened up and provided that...holy moment. You'd swear your sub was on, can't imagine what the level 2 towers sound. In the right setup, you could easily get away from using a sub with normal use with music.

Brian in Fresno...


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

Im using a cheaper denon and know it is not the best but still sounds very good.

I have a Topping Class T amp. ive been wanting hook it up to the towers because that little amps sounds a lot like tubes just sounds great, but only 15wpc into 8ohm.


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

hearingspecialist said:


> After breaking my level 2 books and center, they sound completely different. They dig deeper than the bs22's and with much greater resolution and of course the top end, open and precise. What a difference from when I first got them. Also, feeding them quality class D ice power from my sc-25 totally changes their sound. I've been messing a bunch with the advanced mcacc which has to aid in breaking them in and they just get better and better in resolving. They easily absorbed the THX modes and really opened up and provided that...holy moment. You'd swear your sub was on, can't imagine what the level 2 towers sound. In the right setup, you could easily get away from using a sub with normal use with music.
> 
> Brian in Fresno...


Nice! I am really digging mine too. The towers and surrounds were one of the best performance vs money spent upgrades that I have ever done.


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## alphaiii (Nov 30, 2007)

Did anyone see HTD's new Macassar Ebony finish? It looks very nice.

In fact, I think I'll have to give HTD another shot and try a pair of the Level Two bookshelves in that finish...


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

You're right, that is a sharp looking finish.


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## D Bone (Feb 23, 2012)

I bet they look even better in person. In the pics, they're just a little too zebra like for my tastes, but it's nice they are offering something other than black (although I love my black)


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## alphaiii (Nov 30, 2007)

D Bone said:


> I bet they look even better in person. In the pics, they're just a little too zebra like for my tastes, but it's nice they are offering something other than black (although I love my black)


Yeah definitely has a bit of a zebra pattern going on... but I like that it has some obvious character/grain, and that it's not red.

From pics I've seen of the dark cherry (and not referring to just those on HTD's site)... it always looked way too red, and the grain was almost nonexistent. Some people really liked it... but not my style at all.

Anyway, I'm anxious to see how the Macassar looks in person.


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## needspeed52 (Aug 2, 2008)

theJman said:


> You're right, that is a sharp looking finish.


Hey Jimbo my man, long time no hear from you, hope all is well my friend, miss you as I haven't been hanging around here much but intend to do so.:T
Cheers Jeffrey Nordi


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

needspeed52 said:


> Hey Jimbo my man, long time no hear from you, hope all is well my friend, miss you as I haven't been hanging around here much but intend to do so.:T
> Cheers Jeffrey Nordi


The last person who called me Jimbo limps to this day, and that was my mother!


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## needspeed52 (Aug 2, 2008)

theJman said:


> The last person who called me Jimbo limps to this day, and that was my mother!


Well that's quite the compliment, to put me in and your Mother in the same sentence, JIM


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## Nightshade (Feb 23, 2015)

Hi new member here and wanted to say how impressed I was with the HTD lvl 2 review

I have a living room HT system and I decided to go with HTD level 2. 

I am slowly swapping out all my HT audio and have so far replaced the AV receiver and the center channel which is an HTD level 2(I will use HTD L2 bookshelves for the remaining speakers, my next step is the sub and I was looking at the HTD level 3 sub. 

This is going in a living room that is 20'L x 13'W with 8' ceiling. It is not completely sealed as there is a 7' wide opening on the back wall leading into the kitchen dining area. This is mostly used for TV(Dish Network), DVD and Internet Radio.


I would prefer a sub that is front firing and front ported given the furniture and limited options I have for placement. 


I currently have 2 older subs from Panasonic and I plan on running dual subs again but it will be a few months before I'm able to buy the 2nd one.


My budget is in the $450 range I can get the L3 for around $420 Any other suggestions or am I good to go with the HTD?


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Nightshade said:


> Hi new member here and wanted to say how impressed I was with the HTD lvl 2 review


I'm glad you enjoyed my review and that it was helpful with your decision.




Nightshade said:


> I would prefer a sub that is front firing and front ported given the furniture and limited options I have for placement.


I'm not sure I understand your need for front orientation. Low frequencies are omnidirectional so where the driver and port are located is not terribly significant when it comes to performance.




Nightshade said:


> My budget is in the $450 range I can get the L3 for around $420 Any other suggestions or am I good to go with the HTD?


$420 would be a pretty solid deal for the L3, so it's definitely worth considering.


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## Nightshade (Feb 23, 2015)

theJman said:


> I'm not sure I understand your need for front orientation. Low frequencies are omnidirectional so where the driver and port are located is not terribly significant when it comes to performance.


Where it will go there will be a couch to the side and fairly close to a wall to the back of it. Just don't want the port to be obstructed.

Also I like that the port is on the front of the HTD and is covered by the grill, I have a 3 year old that has been prone to stinking things in a speaker port. The sub in our little bedroom system had this rattle in it and when I picked it up I could hear something was loose in it I opened it up and found several toys inside it.


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## craigsub (Sep 9, 2006)

Nightshade - as long as you have an inch in clearance, you will be fine with the port firing into the wall. If the ports were down firing, they would only be an inch from the floor, right? lddude:


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## Nightshade (Feb 23, 2015)

Thanks for the info and Jim since you have reviewed the HTD sub how would you compare it to the SVS PB-100 they have one on their outlet for $479


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

The system I evaluated had the L2 sub so I can't really comment on the L3 from personal experience. If you can swing $500 the PB-1000 is an impressive performer. A pair of those in a room that size should do quite nicely.


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## Nightshade (Feb 23, 2015)

I found an SVS PC12-NSD it should be in end of the week


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