Hsu Research CCB-8 Bookshelf Speaker Preview

[shadyJ]

Thanks for sharing your impressions. Audioholics may be doing a full review of the CCB-8s later this spring. I think the comparison between the JTR Single 8 speakers may not be 100% comparable though. I would expect the JTR speakers to be more powerful. They are using some pretty heavy duty live-sound type drivers that have a very wide dynamic range. I don't doubt the CCB-8s would have a higher-than-average dynamic range, but I don't think they will match the JTR speakers. However, one thing that would be interesting to compare between them is the responses, on and off axis.

 

[StarsColliding]

I've often used A'Diva SE speakers for various setups where size/cost mattered to great effect. Also, in white with white walls they really disappear - I mean really disappear.

Has anyone compared them? I mean, certainly under 90 Hz there will be no comparison and maybe even under 150 it 200, but what about the rest? I'm about to do another system in a few months that requires hear sized/cost speakers and would love to know how the mids/highs compare. For these Gallo, the SE version has a really nice tweeter. The round enclosure has effects on the sound that give a better soundstage than a box. Price is almost exactly the same.

http://www.roundsound.com/satellite-speakers/a-diva-se-loudspeaker.html

 

[shadyJ]

I've often used A'Diva SE speakers for various setups where size/cost mattered to great effect. Also, in white with white walls they really disappear - I mean really disappear.

Has anyone compared them? I mean, certainly under 90 Hz there will be no comparison and maybe even under 150 it 200, but what about the rest? I'm about to do another system in a few months that requires hear sized/cost speakers and would love to know how the mids/highs compare. For these Gallo, the SE version has a really nice tweeter. The round enclosure has effects on the sound that give a better soundstage than a box. Price is almost exactly the same.

http://www.roundsound.com/satellite-speakers/a-diva-se-loudspeaker.html

These are very different speakers and cannot be fairly compared. It also looks like you have misunderstood the A'Diva SE speakers. First, the A'Diva SE speakers do not have a tweeter. They only have a 3" wide-range driver. The nice thing about that is it does not need a crossover. That does have disadvantages though. As you say, it will not be much in the bass department. It will also have trouble in high frequencies as it runs into breakup modes. However, in midranges it should be pretty good. It is making a lot of compromises in the interest of size, but at least it won't have much in the way of baffle diffraction artifacts. It needs a subwoofer, and, worse, it will need that sub crossed over at a relatively high frequency if you don't want to be left with a hole in the mid-bass response.

The CCB-8 is a completely different animal. It will have a much more powerful dynamic range and much wider frequency range. I am guessing it will have much smoother treble since its breakup modes likely lay in ultrasonic frequency bands. It is very large, even for a bookshelf speaker and it makes no concession to size. It will not be easily hidden and has pretty low spousal-approval-factor. I had the chance to hear them at the Axpona audio show this weekend, they do sound very good.

I would say that if you can handle the size of the CCB-8, go for them, but be aware of how large they are. They also benefit from stand-off distances from nearest surfaces to sound their best, where as the gallos would get a badly needed boost in bass from proximity to nearby surfaces and diffraction of mids from nearby surfaces might not be that bad either, since they basically have no front baffle. The choice is do you want to give a chunk of your room to your speakers and get a phenomenal sound, or do you want your speakers to remain out of the way and inconspicuous, although at the cost of sound quality.

 

[MrBoat]

You mostly see this type of design in pro-audio where the pole piece and woofer are used as a wave-guide, like so. I believe Tannoy uses similar designs for their home audio speakers. It isn't new, but it can be tricky to pull off for a hi-fi speaker. Dr. Hsu and Don Keele is a hell of a team up though, so I have a good feeling about these.

The KEF concentric designs are quite different, but, of course, their design approach addresses many of the same problems.

I guess this is the same idea as the parts express version?

 

[shadyJ]

I guess this is the same idea as the parts express version?

Yup.

 

[oaklawner]

It has been awhile since Hsu Research has released a new speaker, so their announcement of the new CCB-8 bookshelf speaker at the 2016 RMAF audio show came as a welcome surprise. The CCB-8 is a coaxial speaker design that uses the pole piece and cone shape of its 8" woofer as a constant directivity horn for its high-sensitivity tweeter. This design promises to rectify many of the problems inherent in conventional loudspeakers, especially concerning the center speaker.

Read our preview to see if the Hsu CCB-8 is the cure for your loudspeaker ailments.

Read: Hsu Research CCB-8 Bookshelf Speaker Preview

I just attended my first AXPONA held in Chicago 4/21 to 4/23/17. After spending most of the day visiting demo rooms that were demonstrating systems with electronics, speakers, turntables and exotic cables which totaled up to a cost of 10K to over 100K, I came upon the HSU demo room. Dr. Hsu had his speakers CCB-8 hooked up to an Onkyo AVR with common lamp wire and a CD player as source. I have to say that while some of the high end rooms impressed, some did not, especially considering their prohibitive cost. So now I'm in the HSU room and I can't believe the sound I'm hearing. I sit and listen to a couple of songs and I don't want to leave. I listen to comments from other show goers sitting around me and they are saying what I am thinking. One guy asks Dr. Hsu if he used the wire from the room lamps to wire his speakers. Another guy asks if the AVR is providing the crossover to the VTF1MK3 sub. We all seem very pleased by the musicality. So to my ears, this under 2K setup was what I would consider to be some of the best sounds I heard all day. No gimmicks, no exotics, no crazy unaffordable price, just honest, listenable sound.

 

[slipperybidness]

I just attended my first AXPONA held in Chicago 4/21 to 4/23/17. After spending most of the day visiting demo rooms that were demonstrating systems with electronics, speakers, turntables and exotic cables which totaled up to a cost of 10K to over 100K, I came upon the HSU demo room. Dr. Hsu had his speakers CCB-8 hooked up to an Onkyo AVR with common lamp wire and a CD player as source. I have to say that while some of the high end rooms impressed, some did not, especially considering their prohibitive cost. So now I'm in the HSU room and I can't believe the sound I'm hearing. I sit and listen to a couple of songs and I don't want to leave. I listen to comments from other show goers sitting around me and they are saying what I am thinking. One guy asks Dr. Hsu if he used the wire from the room lamps to wire his speakers. Another guy asks if the AVR is providing the crossover to the VTF1MK3 sub. We all seem very pleased by the musicality. So to my ears, this under 2K setup was what I would consider to be some of the best sounds I heard all day. No gimmicks, no exotics, no crazy unaffordable price, just honest, listenable sound.

Yup, it's amazing what a good, honest engineer can do!

 

[Pogre]

I just can't get past the look of a 2 way coaxial bookshelf speaker, though I'm sure if I listened to these or something from Kef I might change my mind...