HSU HB-1 MK2. Best $300 bookshelves I have ever heard.
Jun 15, 2009 at 6:08 PM Post #16 of 29
Ah ok. I have heard the C-200, C-100 and 50. So I can't say if the RC10 matches up.

I will say, that horn tweeter gives it an advantage in the resolution of the speaker though. I think the ability to make things sound like you are there is what gets my head nodding especially with live concert dvds.

All I know is that they get your toe-tapping and head nodding. That means as much as anything to me.
 
Jun 15, 2009 at 6:35 PM Post #17 of 29
listened to these over the weekend

theyre great for the price. hard to get anything good at 300-400 new anyways.

i found them to be too upfront/forward sounding (in your face) and slightly bright. im not a fan of the horn, it's a little too harsh depending on the style of music that you listen to. also found them not to be that tonally accurate and a little bit sloppy when it comes to complicated pieces. i still found it rather musical overall.

used a cambridge audio 640v2 as amp.

i've also listened to the RC-10s back when i was doing entry level speaker shopping. I'd say the RC-10s are better at jazz or music that requires more finesse but they arent as musical as these.

overall, hard to beat the value. cant think of that much to compare with at this price other than wharferdale 9.1 or something similar. perhaps monitor audio BR2, which is more polite sounding but better at detail.
 
Jun 15, 2009 at 7:30 PM Post #18 of 29
Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleDavid218 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Going to order these in maple finish soon. I'm thinking my setup will be:

ALAC/FLAC > USB Fubar II > Harmon Kardon 3490 > Xiangsheng H-80BIII > HSU HB-1 MK2

I'm undecided on the sub but will for sure get one. Which speaker stands would be appropriate for these?

By the way I heard some Magnepan MG12s over the weekend and am also considering these. Time will tell.



I have both the MMG and MG12 and in my room (12X14X9) while listening to classical music, I think the MMGs sound as good as or even a little better than the MG12s. The key to making Maggies sing is pouring on the power which doesn't have to be expensive to sound good. The Behringer EP1500 pro amp for $250 is an ideal budget choice, IF you can get beyond the fan noise which can be easily fixed.
 
Jun 15, 2009 at 11:12 PM Post #19 of 29
Oh I would take Maggies over these. Just atm I need bookshelves. Remember, this setup is for pc desktop use. I am refinishing the basement and have the floor down now. Just a matter of months. However, for the $$, these are tough to beat. I do not find them harsh btw. Especially when using the usb dac and my laptop on battery. Sounds pretty amazing for what they cost.

I also have them so to-ed in that I can see the outside side of the speaker. This is at two feet from me. Sounds like a pair of open Darths with more detail.

I need to see if I can swap for a pair of PSB speakers. Those and the Ascend Acoustics are also bookshelves I would strongly consider. Av123 too. Just that, yeah, they might not have a lasting warranty. Great speakers though. My Rocket MkII 550s are jammmmming floorstanders. Just to compare. I know I want Maggies for my system when I have total room control. Aka no wife interjections. lol

I hope I can trade for a bit like I do headphones sometimes. Bookshelves are not that much of a pain to ship.
 
Jul 4, 2009 at 4:28 AM Post #20 of 29
Two months in. Not nearly as much listening time as I would like but they are improving still. Really effortless sounding. My wife, she does not understand. She stood too close to the speakers back in the day though. Me? I was near the middle, taller than most, enjoying the live stereo sound.

Anyway, if Winamp would just stop crashing every 2nd song, all would be great. Need another player.
 
Aug 19, 2009 at 3:57 PM Post #22 of 29
Hmmm.

Can't say my sub is properly placed or tuned yet but I still do not notice the speakers at all. They are not boring or too bright. Just seem to do a good job disappearing.
 
Aug 30, 2009 at 11:18 AM Post #24 of 29
Hey the imaging of these are amazing. I just heard, clearly, people BEHIND me playing Cod2 with EAX3 enabled. As in, I could have sworn I had rear channel speakers real sounding. Just a little snippet. I wish I had more time for them. Still, damn amazing.
 
Apr 12, 2011 at 8:19 PM Post #25 of 29
I'm glad you like these speakers, I definately have my eye on them but cannot pull the trigger because of the Wharfedale Evo 2-10's being price at 450.  I know it's 150% the cost, but at this level it's not that much.
 
Has anyone heard them both?
 
Apr 9, 2013 at 7:29 PM Post #27 of 29
Quote:
You can get a pair of the Hsu w/ sub for $549:
 
www.hsuresearch.com/products/value1pkg.html
 
If it's as good as folks say, that's a gem of a buy.

I just went for that deal myself! Wanted something nice for out in the Workshop. Dr. Hsu actually came to my house once to bring me a replacement Amp for my 10 year old VTF-3 sub. With customer service like that, I felt like I could trust them to make good speakers too. The reviews are very glowing on this little setup. Can't wait to give them a listen. 
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Apr 9, 2013 at 8:19 PM Post #28 of 29
I had a chance to demo these HB-1 MKII speakers as I was demoing the VTF-1 mkII at HSU's headquarters in California. Though I was only there to buy a subwoofer, it amazed me how well these little bookshelves sounded. HSU toed in both speakers so that the point that the front axis/sound waves intercepted was in front of the listening position. Usually speakers are not toed in that much, and the point of interception is at or behind the ears, but HSU said that the HB-1s sounded better the other way. Anyway, the sound was phenomenally detailed and the imaging and soundstage were spectacular. Their horn tweeter certainly has its advantages, as violins, horns, snares, and even bass drums had a satisfying amount of presence, making it feel like the band was in the room, not coming out of the speaker. The highs could be just a tad bright, and I think on less-than-stellar recordings that might detract from the experience, but compared to Klipsch horn speakers, the HSUs are much less shrill and fatiguing while still imparting a hint of that jump factor horn speakers are known for. These are the first horn speakers I've ever enjoyed listening to. If listening to music that's well-mastered, these speakers are an absolute treat, and I was quite tempted to buy a pair, but having just purchased a surround sound system, I was only there for a sub. The HSU employee who arranged my listening session also demoed the VTF-3 for me ( a huge 12" subwoofer that could knock the wind out of your chest) and the VTF-3 managed to blend in with the HB-1s perfectly. It amazed me that such a colossal subwoofer could blend so beautifully with these relatively small bookshelves, but the combo sounded amazing. For a music-dedicated 2.1 setup, the HB-1s are a tremendous value and put out much more sound (and much more resolution and imaging) than their small bookshelf cabinets suggest. 
 
Apr 9, 2013 at 9:22 PM Post #29 of 29
They are for my workshop so my budget was only about $600.00... Needless to say, these are much higher quality than I expected to get. I envisioned being able to afford some mediocre speakers and a "bad" Sub from Amazon. Very pleased to be able to get something so highly regarded that still fits my budget! It's a bonus that I get to send Dr. Hsu some more business.  
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