13x10x8 bedroom

[KJ7894]

Hi, I need help choosing a 3.1 set up driven by an onkyo 606.

I was looking at Pioneer towers and a center for $280. 3 HSU HB-1 MK2 for 387. Several Behringer 2030p for $260. Those are my preferred choices. 3 energy rc-30 for $597 is also possible but I'd like to stay under $650 total for 3.1.

Due to lack of time during day and weekends can't audition. I'm fine going with what others like and returning if I don't have the same taste. Will be buying online. I've settled on a little Hsu STF-1 for the subwoofer. I have a friend who has a huge HSU sub (not sure model but its a big old thing) and its amazing for under 1k. I'm willing to consider other speakers for $600 + STF-1.

 

[sholling]

I'm rather fond of the B2030Ps for small rooms if you don't mind the industrial look. A nice step up for a small room would be Ascend CBM-170SEs which are on sale right now but are still a bit of a budget buster. Maybe start with 2.1 instead of 3.1?

The little Hsu STF-1 probably wouldn't be my choice just because it only goes down to 32hz and by the time you add shipping I think you can get a lot more sub for the money or just slightly more. For example the STF-2 is on sale right now and is a lot more sub.

 

[KJ7894]

I had chose the STF-1 based off Hsu's FAQ that has room size recommendations. However, I can go up to the STF-2 if that wouldn't be too much sub for a small bedroom. Also I'm fine with 2.1, but would like to stick to mini towers/towers as opposed to bookshelves then. Are the energy rc 30s the best deal at $199 each?

 

[sholling]

I like towers but in reality the only reasons for going with towers over bookshelves are 1) you aren't running a sub and need deeper bass than bookshelves can deliver, or 2) you need more output to fill a large room. Here is a thread where a member wanted towers in a small room, bought really nice towers, and is now having second thoughts. I'm neutral on the subject so consider it just food for thought.

As for the subwoofer sizing suggestions on Hsu's site - that's the maximum room size that a given sub can handle and in my opinion a bit optimistic. You could run a huge sub if you wanted and just turn it down enough to mesh well with your speakers. It's always better to have too much sub and have to turn it down, then have too little sub and need to go shopping again.

 

[timoteo]

I live near HSU. A friend of mine & I went to their showroom & demoed some of their products.
I was skeptical about their horn bookshelves because im not a big fan of Klipsch. However I was VERY impressed with the bookshelf & center channel they offer. Extremely open & airy. For your room size, floorstanders would be too much because they couldnt breath. But HSU's bookshelves are amazing &at $199 a pop, unbeatable in my book!

 

[shadyJ]

Whether or not you decide to go with the Hsu speakers, I would hurry up and get the Hsu sub- that sale was supposed to have ended last weekend. Their speakers are very good, but all of the speakers you listed are very good, you can't go wrong with any of them. If you decide on the Hsu speakers, make sure you can give a bit of space behind them, they are rear ported and those ports shouldn't be blocked. If you are using this system to listen to music, the STF1 will do fine, but if you are watching action movies, you may benefit from the deeper bass extension of the STF2.

 

[timoteo]

+1 on what ShadyJ said. Both about the room behind rear ported speaks & going with the larger sub. ALWAYS better to turn down a bigger sub than push a smaller to its max!

 

[KJ7894]

Thanks for the opinions. I guess the only thing left to decide is if I should buy the HSUs in a slightly more expensive finish like rosenut and go up to the vtf-1 so the sub's finish matches the speakers. How does standard satin black look? I've looked at pictures online at places like avsforums, but I can't quite get a feel for the aesthetics. Maybe I should continue to search for high-res images. I'm estimating that I'll be > $1300 including the shipping and the stands. I'm fine with that, but how much of the value advantage is lost if I invest that much? Any other suggestions around $1300 for 3.1?

 

[shadyJ]

The Satin black is a pretty smooth finish, finer than most matte black finishes. They don't draw attention to themselves in that finish, and they don't stick out. In low lighting they mostly disappear, I guess that is the point. If you want something that looks really nice, check out the clearance section where they have a 3 speaker set of the HB-1s in discontinued piano black. Those will really look gorgeous, especially with the grills off.

By the way, I find that the Hsus hold their value pretty well. Some years ago I bought my STF2 for 350, and a couple years after that I sold it on ebay for 270 not including shipping. From tracking prices on audiogon and ebay for awhile, the Hsu subwoofers seem to sell for around 75 to 80 percent of their purchase price, when in good condition- that is pretty good for audio equipment. I was looking to buy a used one for awhile but eventually gave up getting a really big discount on one.

 

[sholling]

The Hsu speakers do sound decent but be aware that they still sound like horns with a slight horn harshness. That doesn't mean that they sound bad, just that they aren't my taste in speakers. As for other suggestions: Ascend CMT-340SE up front (b-stock to save money) for about $800 shipped. Call and see if Dina will give you a 3.0 package discount on b-stock. Not fancy looking but they sound very good. They are rear ported and like the Hsu will need 6-10" of space behind them and some room around them. That's about the biggest speaker I'd want in a room that size but that's me. For that room I'd probably stick with the STF-2 just to stay in budget.

BTW Hsu doesn't always list all of their b-stock on their website and you could ask if there are any b-stock VTF-1 or VTF-2. It's a long shot but worth a call.

 

[timoteo]

I am not a fan of horn speakers either however HSU's had a much smoother sound compared to any other horn Ive come across.
As far a B-Stock call Pete over at HSU (800-554-0150). He is extremely nice & very helpful. I am by no means a rep or hired by them, just a very impressed walk-in customer. I like supporting smaller/local businesses!

 

[KJ7894]

I am not a fan of horn speakers either however HSU's had a much smoother sound compared to any other horn Ive come across.
As far a B-Stock call Pete over at HSU (800-554-0150). He is extremely nice & very helpful. I am by no means a rep or hired by them, just a very impressed walk-in customer. I like supporting smaller/local businesses!

It's cool man. Appreciate the input. I'll call later on this evening. Going the clearance route is a pretty good idea. Seems like I'll save several hundred dollars that way. I'll probably check this site called audiogon one more time too and see what's up for sale.

 

[KEW]

The Hsu speakers do sound decent but be aware that they still sound like horns with a slight horn harshness. That doesn't mean that they sound bad, just that they aren't my taste in speakers. As for other suggestions: Ascend CMT-340SE up front (b-stock to save money) for about $800 shipped. Call and see if Dina will give you a 3.0 package discount on b-stock. Not fancy looking but they sound very good. They are rear ported and like the Hsu will need 6-10" of space behind them and some room around them. That's about the biggest speaker I'd want in a room that size but that's me. For that room I'd probably stick with the STF-2 just to stay in budget.

BTW Hsu doesn't always list all of their b-stock on their website and you could ask if there are any b-stock VTF-1 or VTF-2. It's a long shot but worth a call.

Sholling,
As a reference to the above, I know you are familiar with The SongTowers, Sierras, and 41-B's (as listed in your signature) and the Usher 520's. Are there others you owned/tried along the way?
Thanks!

 

[KJ7894]

As far a B-Stock call Pete over at HSU (800-554-0150).

Called them up about 20 mins ago. Unfortunately they don't seem to be getting many returns lately so what you see in the clearance section is what you get (no subwoofers atm).

May check out this fairly new lava sub brand. They still have a discount going on for avsforum members and members with more expensive subs seem to give it good marks. I was kind of avoiding them since they were new, but may give their product another look. Hopefully someone will put out some independent objective measurements in a week or two for comparison purposes.