General Asylum: REVIEW: Hsu HB1-MK2 Speakers by mhardyman

Model:	HB1-MK2
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$159-189 each
Description:	Horn loaded bookshelf speakers to work with a sub
Manufacturer URL:	Hsu

Review by mhardyman on August 30, 2013 at 11:50:58
IP Address: 75.68.18.240 Add Your Review
for the HB1-MK2

Four years ago I purchased a 7.1 speaker system from Hsu Research and installed it into a future media/exercise room that I had visions for. That was not to be. Life intruded and I found myself moving out of a marriage and a house. New digs were not conducive to a 7.1 anything so... I broke it up into three 2.1 systems and went on a building frenzy with various tubed kit amplifiers from Transcendent Sound, Bob Latino's ST-70, Bottlehead Paramount 300B's as well as monoblocks from DIY HiFi and Audio Note Kit. Throw in a tiny MiniWatt N2 for giggles. I've had Klipsch in here as well as still maintaining a pair of original DCM Timewindows (no number).

These little speakers which only cost $129 each at the time continue to astonish and amaze me. They are absolutely neutral and not shouty at all for horns. I play them soft in my bedroom and can still hear every detail. Pump more power and they just get louder. My little 3.5Watt N3 will drive them into pain territory. A 300B SET is just amazing! They play smooth with no harsh edges and reach all the way to cymbal territory with palpable realness. Voice and acoustic are mesmerizing. It sounds real. If you step around a corner it spookily sounds like there is a person just around the corner singing or speaking and every syllable is clear and understandable. Using them as speakers hooked up to my TV monitor is amazing as I can now understand everything on newscasts (aside from the content!) and can turn the volume down as it is all there... They are my preferred Desktop monitor as I am using PureMusic with iTunes on an iMac that is a trouper.

Product Weakness:	Huh? Haven't really found one, yet.
Product Strengths:	Price, looks, ease of placement

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Bottlehead Paramount 300B, Bob Latine ST-70, Transcendent Sound OTL-16, DIY HiFi Ladyday 91, Audio Note Kit Parallel 300B SET,
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Sonos, Oppo Blu Ray,
Speakers: Hsu and DCM
Cables/Interconnects: Homemade silver and Blue Jeans
Music Used (Genre/Selections): All
Room Comments/Treatments: none
Time Period/Length of Audition: 4 years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): APC S-15
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Bottlehead Paramount 300B, Bob Latine ST-70, Transcendent Sound OTL-16, DIY HiFi Ladyday 91, Audio Note Kit Parallel 300B SET,
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sonos, Oppo Blu Ray,
Speakers:	Hsu and DCM
Cables/Interconnects:	Homemade silver and Blue Jeans
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	All
Room Comments/Treatments:	none
Time Period/Length of Audition:	4 years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	APC S-15
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner