monkuboy
April 23rd, 2010, 10:52 PM
It seems to me that Hsu is a company that sort of remains in the background. It isn't a flashy or trendy company but one that keeps producing excellent, dependable products that don't seem to get the attention they deserve on the audio forums. Yet, as much as the subs may get overlooked, their bookshelf speakers fare even worse - and even on this forum!
So I wanted to put in a good word for them. I purchased five of the HB-1 Mk2 speakers several weeks ago and have been spending as much time as I can listening to them - mostly just the front left and right since I listen more to music, but also in surround mode, as well. I don't know why there is not more fuss about these speakers because they are darn good - not just for the very reasonable price (I bought the satin black finish, $149 each), but in terms of speakers, period.
I was kind of worried that the horn tweeters would make them sound on the harsh or bright or boxy side but nope, there's none of that at all. The sound that comes from them is very clean, clear and detailed and it really is a joy listening to them. I set them up as Dr. Hsu and Pete recommended, which is to toe them in so that the sound path crosses slightly in front of me. The imaging is excellent.
You do need a sub with them, however. Mine is also a Hsu, the VTF-2 Mk 3. I'm totally happy with it - it is musical, it is able to churn out the low frequencies on movies, and it has way more power than I will ever realistically need. It's a great sub but then that's what you expect from Hsu. The main purpose of this post is to draw attention to just how good the bookshelf speakers are - I think they are amazingly good.
If you are looking for a great subwoofer, Hsu should definitely be considered, but what I want to add is if you are looking for bookshelf speakers, you should put Hsu on that list, too!
Also, it's not just the products but the service. Pete was great about answering the many questions I had (and you see how dedicated he is about answering the questions in this forum), and I also got to meet him when I visited the headquarters and listened to the speakers before buying them. He's a very nice guy and also spent a good deal of time demoing the speakers in their sound room, and answering more questions. Everything was outstanding!
________
Vaporizer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmixODIvAtM)
So I wanted to put in a good word for them. I purchased five of the HB-1 Mk2 speakers several weeks ago and have been spending as much time as I can listening to them - mostly just the front left and right since I listen more to music, but also in surround mode, as well. I don't know why there is not more fuss about these speakers because they are darn good - not just for the very reasonable price (I bought the satin black finish, $149 each), but in terms of speakers, period.
I was kind of worried that the horn tweeters would make them sound on the harsh or bright or boxy side but nope, there's none of that at all. The sound that comes from them is very clean, clear and detailed and it really is a joy listening to them. I set them up as Dr. Hsu and Pete recommended, which is to toe them in so that the sound path crosses slightly in front of me. The imaging is excellent.
You do need a sub with them, however. Mine is also a Hsu, the VTF-2 Mk 3. I'm totally happy with it - it is musical, it is able to churn out the low frequencies on movies, and it has way more power than I will ever realistically need. It's a great sub but then that's what you expect from Hsu. The main purpose of this post is to draw attention to just how good the bookshelf speakers are - I think they are amazingly good.
If you are looking for a great subwoofer, Hsu should definitely be considered, but what I want to add is if you are looking for bookshelf speakers, you should put Hsu on that list, too!
Also, it's not just the products but the service. Pete was great about answering the many questions I had (and you see how dedicated he is about answering the questions in this forum), and I also got to meet him when I visited the headquarters and listened to the speakers before buying them. He's a very nice guy and also spent a good deal of time demoing the speakers in their sound room, and answering more questions. Everything was outstanding!
________
Vaporizer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmixODIvAtM)