HSU Research Speakers

[greg_mitch]

Anyone heard these? Similar to other horns?

I was thinking about picking up a pair or the center to give it a whirl. This review from Secrets seems pretty promising...http://www.hsuresearch.com/reviews/S...aterReview.pdf

I am coming from an RSC200 so I am looking for something with similar dialogue capabilities...the boom will be handled later.

[greg_mitch]

No one has personally heard these?

I am thinking of going with three identical speakers for my front three.

[Kevin_Wadsworth]

Sorry, I haven't heard them or even heard of them. In that price-range, you might consider the WAF-1 of our gracious host here on the forum, although the piano-black option for the Hsu's is nice.


The sub is interesting - I had not heard of a wireless transmitter for LFE. That would have come in handy for me 8 years ago...

[Larry D]

Anyone heard these? Similar to other horns?

I was thinking about picking up a pair or the center to give it a whirl. This review from Secrets seems pretty promising...http://www.hsuresearch.com/reviews/S...aterReview.pdf

I am coming from an RSC200 so I am looking for something with similar dialogue capabilities...the boom will be handled later.

I'm glad to see some interest in these speakers. They are excellent. Here is an excerpt from Stereophile from last year. James Darby wrote of the HB1 Mk2 bookshelf speaker: "It was involving and immense. It drew you into the music. Yes, more than the Kondo System ($350,000). There was no tiny sweet spot. Classical, jazz, vocals -- everything sounded good. Emotional and expressive." Me is saying that unlike most speakers that have a small "sweet spot" where you toe in your speakers and so on and focus them on your listening chair, the HSU HB1 Mk2 speakers have a ribbon tweeter that has a huge "sweet spot" -- for example, as you walk about the room or, you know, for other people sitting around the room -- for example, my wife sits about three feet to one side with a little table inbetween where we set mail, drinks, Bible when we're doing Bible study, etc. The sound field is much wider with the HSU ribbon tweeters and she is also sitting within the "sweet spot".

There are links to other reviews on the HSU website when you click on "Loudspeakers", then "HB1 Mk 2". Of course, HSU is famous for his subwoofers. I am not familiar with a center speaker, but some of the aforementioned review excerpts and links are to home theater audio magazines. I'm sure they would discuss a center speaker, as well as, using the really affordable HB-1 as surround speakers. I haven't read the HT reviews because we rarely watch movies and don't have any plans to ever have an HT system. I really prefer two channel. However, someday I might want to listen to SACD surround sound. All his speakers and subwoofers received great reviews.*

Here is a brief excerpt from the website link to the wonderful online "ezine" Affordable$$Audio: "... the HB-1's are the kind of product that makes one wonder why spending twice as much (or 10 times as much) is really necessary."

*Here is something that is very important with the HSU HB1 Mk 2's. The Stereophile magazine review and the Affordable$$Audio review... plus, the manufacturer's instructions and I think it is on the web site, too... allsay that these speakers require a long period of break-in time before they will sound really good. I mean that point is emphasized. I forget how long but it's pretty long -- not just a couple of hours, but two or three days. That's not hard to do or unique to these speakers. Many speakers require a break-in period (amps, too... great cars) before they sound good. It's just that these require quite a while. Maybe it's the ribbon tweeter... I don' know. But all the reviews say if you just hook them up and play some music through them for a couple of days or so, then from then on they sound wonderful.

*Okay, keep in mind that the long break-in time is requirred and emphasized by the manufacturer, as well as, mentioned in the leading audio magazine "way favorable" reviews.... now here's my reason for mentioning that. When I was thinking about getting some more small speakers for another room (I had AV123 X-ls Encores and the little ELT's... which are nice little speakers, too, but not as good as the HSU HB-1's) I subscribe to The Absolute Sound and Stereophile and I had just got the latest issue and read the review of the HMB-1 Mk 2's. I was pretty excited about finding another really good small speaker, so -- like you -- I went online on the AV123 forum and asked if anyone had them or had heard them, and so forth.

Well, there was one guy who shot back and terrible testimonial. I'm paraphrasing, but he said in similiar words, "I hate these speakers. I bought them and when they got here I hooked them up to my system and they sounded awful... worst speakers I ever heard... they were so bad that I unhooked them and stuck them back in the boxes and took them down to UPS and shipped them back the same afternoon!" He went on ranting about wasting his time and having to drive across town and having to carry boxes and HSU was terrible... cancelling his credit card payment, etc.

Okay, I don't doubt that to him they must have sounded bad (right out of the box)-- it just surprised me because of all the good reviews... I got to thinking about that and went back and reread the reviews, Dr. Hsu's instructions included with the speakers, etc.... and yes, they all emphasized that these speakers need a long period of break in before they sound good. I think the manufacturer even said... "they won't sound good out of the box... don't get discouraged... they need a long break-in."

Yes, they are very good sounding speakers.

The little WAF 1's also have got a lot of good reviews and happy customer testimonials. The HSU HB-1's are $149 ea. in Satin Black, or $179 in a choice of a couple or so different real wood veneers, or Piano Black. The WAF-1's are -- I don't know how to exit the Forum mid-comment and go check the price and I'm afraid I'll erase everything.... this has happened to me once before... oh, okay... more than one time... more than... two... times... more than... you get the idea... I'm computer challenged... they're very affordable and very nice little speakers.

There are several other really good small speakers in this very competitive price range. I wish I could own them all and compare them... or have different ones in every room... of my 12-15 bedroom house... if I had it!

I'll mentioned just a couple or so of the best ones (from what I've read): For the past 2-3 years both of the respected audiophile magazines have recommended the PSB Alpha as their best "budget" small speaker... for only $279 pr. I've never heard them. I'd like to. I'm sure a lot of people love them and a few people don't like them... just like all speakers. The small (and mid-size) Epos speakers were also recommended as the best small speaker in this years "Recommended Components" in one of the above mentioned magazines. Of course, the WAF-1 got a good write-up in Affordable$$Audio, I believe... or it could have been 6Moons... whichever one doesn't matter, that's quite an honor for a new kid on the block.

Sean (the Ninja) also said the WAF-1 is a good little speaker. Some people put expensive high-end component crossovers in inexpensive speakers. There is no question that it makes them sound better... but is that much "better" really necessary in a budget speaker? It depends on your listening style and source material. I prefer small speakers (even though I have some large speakers and I just bought a pair of vintage AR3a's to rebuild... and my wife is going to respond with a "Honey Do" list from here out to the barn when she finds out... no, I told her. Anyway, like a lot of people, I love the sound of small speakers for listening to music. I listen exclusively to challenging classical music. The speaker has to be accurate... have great depth and soundstage (in order to picture the orchestra in the green fields of your mind and "see" where they are located... and a lot of other technical stuff.

If I watched a lot of movies and tv then who cares if your surround speakers can reproduce music better or even if they "sound better"... explosions are explosions... bangedy bangs... tires squeeling... cars crashing... exploding body parts... tasteless obligatory exchanges of bodily fluids... creaks and squeaks... and so forth... sure you can make them sound a little better... but is it really necessary for a movie? Any of these speakers are pretty good the way they are. Sean was impressed with the WAF-1 out of the box... if Stereophile and The Absolute Sound praise the PSB Alpha year after year out of the box... do I really want to mess with it?

The point is if you spend a lot of extra money on budget speakers that can easily double the price... wouldn't you be better to just spend the same amount of money on a better speaker to start with... or a little bit bigger speaker?

Sorry this was so long. Hope it was helpful. I was upset about what happened on the AV123 forum when this person trashed the HSU speakers unfairly. It is understandable for people on any speaker manufacturer's forum to prefer that companies speakers. Most of the manufacturers have their own forums for owners of their speakers to be a part of a "community" or "family"... to promote their speakers to people who are just looking, or to keep people in the family or community for future purchases. So, you expect favorable comments and favorable comparisons... and the occassional "lemon" and unhappy guy... or in the case of AV123 apparently, some guys got really screwed by the company by sending in money in advance and not getting the product... or having to wait long periods of time and not being able to get their money back when they finally say, "Enough is enough!" And, of course, the QC was really lax or non-existant on some of the subs and left a lot of people really upset (and rightly so). You expect -- and I hate this limp-wristed word -- "fanboys" on a manufacturer's forum. But to have someone just come out and trash something unfairly when the screw-up was his fault... i.e., he said he sent them back "the same afternoon" after listening to them once when everybody very plainly emphasizes they need to break in for "days, not just hours".

I've got to go. Tell me to go. It's 5 a.m. and the coffee pot just turned on.

[tomtuttle]

Larry, I'm pretty sure the Hsu HB1 Mk2 has a Horn tweeter, not a ribbon tweeter. I've never heard of a horn-loaded ribbon.

[sbisheff]

Larry, I'm pretty sure the Hsu HB1 Mk2 has a Horn tweeter, not a ribbon tweeter. I've never heard of a horn-loaded ribbon.

Correct, they are a horn. HTD uses a ribbon in their level 3 speakers and they look similar so that may have been what he was thinking.

[snock]

...I've never heard of a horn-loaded ribbon.

...that is, apart from the Pro-10 (unless it changed). "thumbsup:

The HSU does look interesting. I like what I am reading about controlled directivity. Nice size too.

[Larry D]

Larry, I'm pretty sure the Hsu HB1 Mk2 has a Horn tweeter, not a ribbon tweeter. I've never heard of a horn-loaded ribbon.

You're right. I knew that. Sorry about that. I have a pair of large vintage ESS speakers that have a 12" woofer and two horns for treble and midrange. I rebuilt them, replaced the surrounds, connectors, stuffing -- didn't touch the crossover because I didn't know then (only a couple of years ago) the importance of better quality crossover parts.

It's one of the few speakers I've hung on to. Problem with them is that the horns sound great.. I mean really good, crystal clear... but they make the speaker sound too bright for me unless I can turn up the volume enough to hear the big woofer. All my rooms are too small to turn up the volume... plus I don't like to listen to "loud". Summer before last we had a guy completely drywall our attic. It's got a great shape to it with the gables. Unfortunately, it's half full of moving boxes. It's very dusty. The floor is wooden but not wooden flooring, it's 125 or so year old plain old attic wood. It's not smooth or level. Some boards stick up a little bit at the ends. We can't afford to have a new floor put on top. The original plan was to use half of it for a big open guest room and half for my hobby area. My wife thinks a man should have his own private workshop to potter around in, or just get away. It has a great view, our nearest neighbor is nearly half-mile away. Lots of fields (planting about 20 acres of soybeans again this year), cows, horses, trees. I wish I knew something about growing wine grapes. We have a winery about a mile away. Maybe I'll go talk to them.

Anyway, I thought if I ever do vacuum up all the dust up there and put down at least some throw rubs and make myself a big work area, listening area, I thought the ESS horns might work well up there. If they don't, I have lots of other smaller speakers -- plus my vintage AR3a's came yesterday. They're going to need a lot of work. I don't care for overly bright speakers (I like the AR, KLH, Advent, etc. "East Coast Sound"), but that said, I do like horns.

Thanks for noticing my mistake. I checked the website for the current prices and read some of the reviews to get a quote. We live in a great time for being able to buy really good... great sounding affordable small speakers. The WAF 1 is a good example (based on all the happy customer testimonials I've read). Based on those comments I don't have any reservations about referring them to people on other forums. I'm cautious about mentioning other speakers on any companies web site. However, in this case since the question was asked and I had some specific (interesting, I think) anecdotal comments, I didn't see any harm in talking about the HSU speakers because that experince I detailed -- about the guy sending them back the "same day", even though the reviewers, the company's instructions that came with the speakers, etc., all said they needed a "long" period of break-in." I don't like to see any company "trashed" unfairly. And "newbies" -- I don't like that word either -- you know, they ask the same questions that most of us were answering at one time. I think if we're going to participate in community forum we have a self-imposed responsibility to help people and (as in this example) warn them to be wise about what the comments they read, and take some of them with a grain of salt. I thought it was educational.

[tomtuttle]

Not trying to pick nits here, but Craig said in this post that the Pro-10 uses a "compression driver", which is not the same thing as a "ribbon".

I hope Craig, Jack or Ray will correct me, but my understanding has always been that the Pro-10 is a conventional horn, not a dome or ribbon loaded into a waveguide.

[woofersus]

...that is, apart from the Pro-10 (unless it changed). "thumbsup:

The HSU does look interesting. I like what I am reading about controlled directivity. Nice size too.

I thought the Pro-10 used a true compression driver. I could be wrong however....


The Acoustic Zen Crescendo uses a horn loaded ribbon. It's not a true horn though. More a time alignment offset in a small waveguide to help control response. See here Not exactly a close competitor of the Hsu speakers being discussed here though...

[gonk]

I've got a co-worker who owns a pair of HB-1's and an HC-1. I was very pleased with them when I helped set them up. Certainly a nice speaker for the money.

[snock]

Not trying to pick nits here, but Craig said in this post that the Pro-10 uses a "compression driver", which is not the same thing as a "ribbon".

I hope Craig, Jack or Ray will correct me, but my understanding has always been that the Pro-10 is a conventional horn, not a dome or ribbon loaded into a waveguide.

Ah, ok, thanks. It was way early on in development that I read "ribbon" and that must have stuck. I will still be trying a pair. :)

[InfernoSTi]

So these would be $300 for a pair in satin black up to $400 a pair in piano black? I think I'll wait for the Pro-10s...or satin black WAF-1 if I only wanted to spend $229 (and if they ever arrive from where ever the pirates have stashed them)!

Please review them if anyone gets them!

[chashint]

Wow, huge misinformation in this thread.
Maybe some clean-up editing is in order.

[InfernoSTi]

Wow, huge misinformation in this thread.
Maybe some clean-up editing is in order.

Sort of in general or did you mean something specific? Perhaps a more useful comment than "huge misinformation" is in order. As an interested reader, what exactly are you talking about, please?