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.