Thinking of Buying the HSU HB-1 mkII, should I?

[6L6X4]

The pro reviews of this speaker are outstanding, but I'd like to get opinions from real people who have them. Does anyone here have these? If so, what are your likes / dislikes about them.

Are there better options for $300? I have a good sub, so the low frequencies are already covered.

 

[shadyJ]

I have them and I really like them. I have compared them to my other bookshelf speakers, Infinity Primus p162's and Behringer 2031p's, both of which are also highly regarded budget speakers, and it held it's own nicely, at least to my ears. They have outstanding bass for bookshelf speakers, so you could safely use a LFE crossover lower than 80 hertz if you wanted to, and not have to worry about losing much of anything, down to at least 60 hertz. There is even usable bass below that, but it noticeably begins to drop off at 55 hertz and below. This is about the same as the Behringer's, but the Behringer's have larger 8.75" woofers and a larger cabinet. I do think the Primus and Behringer's have slightly more detailed treble, although the highs on the Hsu's are very nice. The Behringer's and Primus speakers have better off-axis response too. The Hsu's have a greater dynamic response, which give them a more impactful sound, more 'slam'. This makes for some awesome lifelike sounds, especially if you are sitting close by. I guess this is because of the way their horn-loaded tweeters project sound, and I think this gives them a big advantage in larger rooms, where their off-axis response becomes less of a disadvantage.

I would say they are the go-to speakers in their price range for large or medium-large rooms. In smaller rooms, they have some stiff competition, but they have a edge in dynamics. I think Ascend Acoustic CBM 170s would be a nice alternative, as well as the ones I mentioned above. They are all excellent speakers. For home theater though, I think most people might prefer the 'slam' from the Hsu's, I think they sound a bit more like commercial theaters than the others.

 

[6L6X4]

The Hsu's have a greater dynamic response, which give them a more impactful sound, more 'slam'. This makes for some awesome lifelike sounds, especially if you are sitting close by. I guess this is because of the way their horn-loaded tweeters project sound, and I think this gives them a big advantage in larger rooms, where their off-axis response becomes less of a disadvantage.

Thank you for your excellent, detailed reply.

I'm actually surprised the Hsu's have more slam than the Behringers considering the Behringer's have an 8 3/4" woofer. And I'm shocked at the low prices the Behringers are being sold for.

If you were forced to pick the Hsus or the Behringers, which would you choose?

Thanks!

 

[shadyJ]

The application would determine the choice between the Behringers and Hsu's for me. The Behringer's are neutral, very flat, very low distortion, solid speakers. Very nice soundstage- stereo panning is invisible, and absolutely excellent off-axis response. I got a really good deal on mine, got a pair for 130 before taxes. They are built as solid as a tank too, large and fairly heavy speakers (25 lbs- too heavy for most speaker mounts). The problem with these is they are 4 ohm speakers, which would present a problem for many medium to lower end receivers nowadays. There is it's little brother speaker, the 2030p, which is 8 ohm, thus low-end receiver friendly, and has all the advantages of the 2031's minus the powerful bass. But that shouldn't be a problem with a good subwoofer which is well placed and calibrated. Both of these are really meant for studio work and sound engineering, but they work fantastically well in home audio, if you can get past its 'industrial' aesthetic. They are front vented speakers, unlike the Hsu's, which are rear ported. That means you can place them right up against a wall if you need to, where as the Hsu's really need a bit of space behind them, for the ports to breath. The Behringer's do not have a matching center, unlike the Hsu's.

The Hsu's look nicer, at least they will blend in with the room better, and right now they have a sale on the espresso finish, which is very nice and glossy looking. Like I said before, I think the Hsu's sound resembles that of a commercial theater more They hit a bit harder, thanks to the horn-loaded tweeter. They sound nice with music too, in fact I use them for music more than I ever do with movies. Whenever I hear a tune somewhere which I like, I wonder how it would sound on my Hsu system. Not that the Hsu's really color the sound, I just have the system setup well so that it has a full, rich sound. The Hsu's can be cranked to very high volumes without clipping, I have had them hooked up in a bunch of different systems since the time I have had them, and they have sounded great with all of them, from 50 watt amps to 200 watt amps. If you want something you can crank to zero and not worry, the Hsu's are good for that, and still sound good. Like I said before, they would be the speaker to get for a large room.

 

[ErnieM]

I love my Hsus

I have the HB-1 MK-2 s as my fronts and they sound great! They are combined with a very nice sounding Hsu sub in a room 12 by 20, so a sort of medium to large room.

I use them about 75 % for movies and 25 % for music, ranging from classical to jazz to classic rock.

I am very impressed with the performance of these bookshelf speakers.

 

[sholling]

Note that the Behringers usually recommended on here are the smaller and (Per WmAx) flatter playing B2030P and not the B2031P. Only a handful of members are running the larger speakers. Also the 2030 is an 8ohm speaker and the 2031 is a 4ohm speaker. An important consideration depending on whether your receiver is 4ohm friendly. I know that's been a consideration for me while researching my next speaker purchase since the TX-SR606 in my master bedroom isn't designed for a 4ohm load.

 

[AJinFLA]

Are there better options for $300? I have a good sub, so the low frequencies are already covered.

It depends on how you define "better".
All loudspeakers will have a sonic signature.
Some are designed (purposely) to have less. Others, more (purposely or incompetently). Which do you prefer?
Is your stored memory reference, real, live acoustic sounds, or box loudspeakers (re)producing music?
Unless the MkII version has been radically upgraded (from the original), they will definitely impart a significant signature:

The question is, will you hear it...or care?

For around $360, lower sonic signature in a small monopole box can be had

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But there is simply no guarantee that you will prefer it for reproduction purposes. Hence the subjectivity of it all.

The pro reviews of this speaker are outstanding

Which is proof positive that there is absolutely no correlation to hearing ability and "Pro" reviewer self-appointed-status, nor a shred of accreditation required.

cheers,

AJ

 

[shadyJ]

That FR chart was from the mk 1's. Supposedly the mk 2's have gone a long way toward leveling that out. I have not seen any FR chart for the mk 2's though. But it wouldn't bother me very much anyhow, I know my Behringer's and Alesis' monitors are much flatter in FR, but, like I said before, the Hsu's sound like I am at the movie theater, which is something I really enjoy. Even flatter than my studio monitors are my Denon D2000 headphones, which sound even crisper and more clear than any of my speakers, those things sound fabulous. They all sound great, although I probably listen to the Hsu's the most.