Official HSU ULS-15 Thread [Text View]

gchuva

04-23-09, 04:23 AM

cacihome

04-23-09, 09:42 AM

Ok. I have one ULS in a 3,100 cufeet room.

1. The ULS is the best sounding sub I have heard to date in SQ...Also for its size and price.... I have not heard a more powerful, or with as much extension, sub yet.
2. I have not heard a Rythmik sub.

The amount of low clean bass this sub produces is amazing...For music, especially pipe organ, it is definately awesome.

Azanon

04-23-09, 12:21 PM

Any thoughts on the ULS-15's place in the market?

Also, other HSU alternatives; namely the VTF-3, Mk. 3. Less expensive, and technically larger, but depending on where its going the design might actually be better. For instance, my VTF3, Mk. 3 fit in a corner behind my couch and fires across the back of the couch.

In practice, and positioned length-wise against my wall, it takes up less (usable) space than most of those other subs you listed because it sticks out less than most of those other subs you listed would.

Kain

04-23-09, 03:34 PM

Azanon

04-23-09, 03:47 PM

My question is, does the ULS-15 really sound "better" than the PC13/PB13-Ultra? I know it's a matter of sealed vs. ported but the question still stands valid due to their fairly equal price points.

I'm going to guess if you have the room to accommodate the PB13-Ultra, that it would be the overall better sub. To me, those subs are for different markets. The ULS-15 is for someone who needs either a smaller sub or wireless. PB13-Ultra is bang for buck for someone who doesn't need wireless or isn't concerned about size. I would have probably gone with that sub had I had the space for it and extra money.

Also though, I'd definitely want to know what one primary uses their system for. If you're like me, 75%+ HT, 25% or less music, then a heavy hitter makes a lot of sense. But if you only listen to mostly music... I'd focus more on a sub known for being musical.

spyboy

04-23-09, 03:51 PM

cschang

04-23-09, 04:00 PM

My question is, does the ULS-15 really sound "better" than the PC13/PB13-Ultra? I know it's a matter of sealed vs. ported but the question still stands valid due to their fairly equal price points.
IMO, yes.....but that needs qualifying....If you do not require the output of the Ultra, and I have not heard the Ultra in its sealed configuration.

Kain

04-23-09, 04:01 PM

I'm going to guess if you have the room to accommodate the PB13-Ultra, that it would be the overall better sub. To me, those subs are for different markets. The ULS-15 is for someone who needs either a smaller sub or wireless. PB13-Ultra is bang for buck for someone who doesn't need wireless or isn't concerned about size. I would have probably gone with that sub had I had the space for it and extra money.

Also though, I'd definitely want to know what one primary uses their system for. If you're like me, 75%+ HT, 25% or less music, then a heavy hitter makes a lot of sense. But if you only listen to mostly music... I'd focus more on a sub known for being musical. I'm considering the PC13-Ultra not the PB13-Ultra so size is quite the same. I listen to movies/music 50/50 but I concentrate on better sound for movies more than for music.

Are you going to neuter the PB-13 by running it sealed all the time? I never said anything about running the PC13-Ultra in sealed mode. I'll be most likely running it in 15Hz mode.

Kain

04-23-09, 04:11 PM

Hksvr4

04-23-09, 04:12 PM

I was surprised that there was no offical thread about the ULS-15. I remember there are a few who owns one or four of these on the board. Maybe a hand full? From personal opinion the ULS-15 is a bit pricy compared many popular ID brands. The wireless option is not a big deal or a strong selling point. Even though my Dragon might not have more output or go deeper, but it's is priced $200 less. That's all for an 18" driver. I know, the size of the driver doesn't mean much. Maybe that's another reason why the ULS-15 is not so popular. There are other ID brands that will perform just as if not better at a lower price.

Why buy three when you can have one with the same output? One Epik Conquest. That's only if you the space for it. When I was looing for a ID subwoofer, the ULS-15 was on the bottom of my list. The VTF3.3 was more attrative.

Azanon

04-23-09, 04:19 PM

I'm considering the PC13-Ultra not the PB13-Ultra so size is quite the same. I listen to movies/music 50/50 but I concentrate on better sound for movies more than for music.

Perhaps if you're talking about footprint, but that's about where the size comparison stops. The ULS-15 definitely does not resemble a water heater.

If movies is your preference, go with that SVS if you can afford the space and the eye sore (my opinion on that latter). I visually could accept the box subs, but those huge cylinder subs look pretty horrid to me.

cacihome

04-23-09, 04:25 PM

Do you have any problems with reaching reference levels for movies with a single ULS-15 in your room?

With a single ULS you won't get to reference levels in a 3,000 cufeet room.Not from 10hz-80hz. In fact very very few commercial large subs can do that, if any.

However it is very good and clean sounding, and as I said before for the price vs performance vs size there is nothing I know of that comes close...

The experience is nice beacuse of the clean and powerful the low bass sounds, which becomes even more appreciated when listening to pipe organ music or some movie content of very deep passages...

spyboy

04-23-09, 04:25 PM

I don't own this sub, but am very close to buying one (probably three). With that prospective purchase in mind, I thought I would start the official thread (my 9 to 5 job remains terrifingly quiet).:(

A few initial thoughts as a non-owner.

1. Hsu is general, and the ULS-15 in particular, does not seem to get credit/respect in these forums compared with SVS, JL Audio, Submersive, etc. Any thoughts on this?

2. I think the ULS-15, but also the Rythmik DD15-SE (and Sunfire if you can accept a smaller driver) monopolizes a high value, high quality niche of strong SQ, premium finishes, reasonable size. The commercial competitors:

A. JL Audio Fathoms, Earthquake, Velodyne - More expensive
B. SVS - Larger
C. AV123 - Having organizational issues
D. Seaton Submersive, Epik, ED - No premium finishes

Any thoughts on the ULS-15's place in the market?

You may want to take Sunfire off your list. Amp failures seem all too common and Sunfire charges a flat $450 for you to return the sub to them and fix it regardless of what is wroing. I don't know if Sunfire has a local repair option for buyers in Singapore.

My thoughts on the ULS-15s place in the market is that it was released at a time when Rythmik was being picked up by Ascend. I think that Rythmik has a slight edge in sound quality, probably due to the servo, and is also less expensive.

Just a case of bad timing for HSU. With the difference in price and probable slight advantage in sound quality, the ULS-15 is facing very stiff competition.

Fit and finish edge goes to HSU ULS-15 and wireless is a nice feature, but I wonder how much of a deal-maker it is.

Kain

04-23-09, 04:28 PM

With a single ULS you won't get to reference levels in a 3,000 cufeet room.Not from 10hz-80hz. In fact very very few commercial large subs can do that, if any.

However it is very good and clean sounding, and as I said before for the price vs performance there is nothing I know of that comes close...

The experience is nice beacuse of the clean and powerful the low bass sounds, which becomes even more appreciated when listening to pipe organ music or some movie content of very deep passages... Where have you placed your subwoofer? Near-field or far-field?

cschang

04-23-09, 04:31 PM

Why buy three when you can have one with the same output? One Epik Conquest. That's only if you the space for it. When I was looing for a ID subwoofer, the ULS-15 was on the bottom of my list. The VTF3.3 was more attrative.
A couple of things....two or more subs will help the overall room FR. Secondly, sound quality may be more of a premium.

Once you have excellent sound quality, you can get more output by using more of the same subs. If you go for output first, you can not add sound quality (other than room FR) by adding more subs.

cschang

04-23-09, 04:33 PM

My thoughts on the ULS-15s place in the market is that it was released at a time when Rythmik was being picked up by Ascend. I think that Rythmik has a slight edge in sound quality, probably due to the servo, and is also less expensive.

Just a case of bad timing for HSU. With the difference in price and probable slight advantage in sound quality, the ULS-15 is facing very stiff competition.

Fit and finish edge goes to HSU ULS-15 and wireless is a nice feature, but I wonder how much of a deal-maker it is.
My thoughts exactly.

spyboy

04-23-09, 04:34 PM

With a single ULS you won't get to reference levels in a 3,000 cufeet room.Not from 10hz-80hz. In fact very very few commercial large subs can do that, if any.

However it is very good and clean sounding, and as I said before for the price vs performance there is nothing I know of that comes close...

The experience is nice beacuse of the clean and powerful the low bass sounds, which becomes even more appreciated when listening to pipe organ music or some movie content of very deep passages...

Can you enlighten us as to how far you think the Rythmik F15 with 370 watt amp falls behind the ULS-15? Can you point to test figures to back up any statements?

Azanon

04-23-09, 04:35 PM

Fit and finish edge goes to HSU ULS-15 and wireless is a nice feature, but I wonder how much of a deal-maker it is.

I think the feature's huge, and other sub makers would be wise to be scrabbling to add it. Are there any other subs in this price range that have that feature? That one feature allowed 3-4 possible locations for that sub in my living room, whereas pretty much all other subs only had 1 feasible location.

I'm trying to talk my dad into going ULS-15 because he has a great hidey spot for it on the other side of the room where it'd be very difficult to get a wire to. He has WAF issues like many of us do (my mom, in this case).

cacihome

04-23-09, 04:37 PM

Can you enlighten us as to how far you think the Rythmik F15 with 370 watt amp falls behind the ULS-15? Can you point to test figures to back up any statements?

I have not heard a Rythmik...that is why I say "that I know of" meaning: from what I have tested.

I believe however that curtis have said that the Rythmik does not have as much output as the ULS...
I have a ULS and the driver has lots of clean excursion spyboy...But I wont argue with someone who does not own one.

cjv998

04-23-09, 04:40 PM

I would like to hear everyone's input regarding the ULS-15 vs. PC13/PB13-Ultra. I know I have started a thread before regarding this topic but I have yet to come up with a conclusion. I CANNOT hear these subwoofers prior to buying them and thus must rely on people's opinions/comments.

Basically, it came down to the ULS-15 sounding "better" than the PC13/PB13-Ultra while the PC13/PB13-Ultra has more output than the ULS-15.

My question is, does the ULS-15 really sound "better" than the PC13/PB13-Ultra? I know it's a matter of sealed vs. ported but the question still stands valid due to their fairly equal price points.

I'm in the exact same situation as you. Trying to decide between the Ultra, ULS-15, and any other similar subs (feel free to add to my list!). My usage is also roughly 50/50 music/movies, maybe a tad more on the music side.

I, too, don't think I can hear the subs before buying, unless I find someone nearby that has them (nearby = 1-3 hour drive, unfortunately).

I currently have an STF-2, and while I'll stand by it as being a great entry-level sub, it simply isn't cutting it now that I've upgraded my mains. I want more impact and more clarity, which means spending more, hence looking at the ULS. I agree about not caring about the wireless connection and small-ish footprint; those aren't selling points for me. I do like the finish on both the subs though, so a nice finish is a must-have IMO at this price.

spyboy

04-23-09, 04:41 PM

I think the feature's huge, and other sub makers would be wise to be scrabbling to add it. Are there any other subs in this price range that have that feature? That one feature allowed 3-4 possible locations for that sub in my living room, whereas pretty much all other subs only had 1 feasible location.

I'm trying to talk my dad into going ULS-15 because he has a great hidey spot for it on the other side of the room where it'd be very difficult to get a wire to. He has WAF issues like many of us do (my mom, in this case).

SVS will be releasing its 16 inch sealed sub with wireless. Release probably for the Christmas shopping season. With the already stiff competition from Rythmik, the SB-16 is going to make things even more difficult for HSU.

Azanon

04-23-09, 04:47 PM

SVS will be releasing its 16 inch sealed sub with wireless. Release probably for the Christmas shopping season. With the already stiff competition from Rythmik, the SB-16 is going to make things even more difficult for HSU.

All that being true, I'd sweat the most if I was Rythmik, ..... not SVS or HSU. Rythmik still seems to have much further to go to even have parity with either SVS or HSU from a business model perspective.

Sounds like they have a great start though with their first retail model subs.

cschang

04-23-09, 05:04 PM

SVS will be releasing its 16 inch sealed sub with wireless. Release probably for the Christmas shopping season. With the already stiff competition from Rythmik, the SB-16 is going to make things even more difficult for HSU.
I am looking forward to the SB-16 and SB-13, but I think the 16 is going to be a fair amount more money than the ULS-15.

I have been critical of SVS in terms of sound quality in the past, but from hearing the latest Ultra, they have come a long way. I still think Hsu as the edge though...especially per dollar.

Azanon

04-23-09, 06:04 PM

I have been critical of SVS in terms of sound quality in the past, but from hearing the latest Ultra, they have come a long way. I still think Hsu as the edge though...especially per dollar.

I certainly agree with that last statement. I occasionally peer through my window shade to see if the cops are coming to get me for the $629 retail I paid for this mammoth VTF3.3. I could have paid a few hundred more for more or less the same overall quality of sound.

I like the Rythmik, ULS-15, and the top SVS's, but ouch those prices make me hurt a little bit! I have the money, just a little too tight to let that much fly out of my wallet.

Pete_Hsu

04-23-09, 06:47 PM

While I think a single ULS-15 is quite nice given it's size, the ULS really shines when used in multi-sub configurations. Two/three/four or more ULS-15's certainly challenge some of the biggest and baddest subwoofers on the planet in terms of performance and flexibility in a subwoofer system (based on customer feedback), while being very reasonably priced in multi-sub configuations. The truth is that there are tradeoffs in any subwoofer design, but provided that one has the money, multiple sealed subwoofers can be a real treat that is hard (if not impossible) to match with a single larger ported subwoofer.

In our demo room, we have two ULS-15's spaced equidistant from the main listening position, in the back left/right corners. I am able to set the crossover on the receiver as high as 150Hz without being able to localize the ULS's from the main listening position (which is only 6 feet away from the subs!), all while maintaining a flat upper bass response. The dynamics and bass quality in this setup are simply awesome, by far the best sound we've ever had in our demo room for both music and movies. And then reality sets in, and I have to set crossover at 80Hz to demo single subwoofers to customers... :)

David_SG

04-23-09, 07:14 PM

I was debating between the ULS-15 and the Rythmik 15. I'm at 60/40 movies/music. 12' x 20' room in basement that opens into another 150 SF or so. Townhouse, so not really planning to listen at high levels. Pulled the trigger on the ULS-15 last night.

For me, the deciding factor (on the blind faith assumption that both are comparable from a sound quality standpoint) was fit & finish. Not a fan of the piano black (I went with the espresso finish on the ULS-15). Wireless was also nice, but not a primary consideration, as I don't plan to use it right now but you never know when that feature might come in handy.

Certainly more than I thought I would spend when I first started researching various options, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Heck, I've never owned a sub before so I should be ok with anything half decent. Wife thinks I'm insane, but she's getting a new kitchen so figured this was a good opportunity to splurge a little on myself.

cschang

04-23-09, 07:19 PM

The available finishes on the ULS are very nice.

gchuva

04-23-09, 10:15 PM

Fit and finishes are important to me also (I like the Piano Black) and that is what stops me from the Rythmik. Cost is what stops me from the Fathom. Is the sound quality difference in the Rythmik or the Fathom significant?

cschang

04-23-09, 10:47 PM

Kain

04-24-09, 07:29 AM

With a single ULS you won't get to reference levels in a 3,000 cufeet room. What about in a 1,639 cubic feet room?

Pete_Hsu

04-24-09, 02:39 PM

Wow, you guys actually listen at reference levels??? That is waaaay too loud for my ears!

The problem with a 1600 ft^3 well-enclosed room is that there may be some frequency response anomalies that may not be present in a deeper room. So even if a single subwoofer can fill the space easily, one may get a significantly better result with multiple subwoofers...

t6902wf

04-24-09, 02:44 PM

error

spyboy

04-24-09, 02:45 PM

What about in a 1,639 cubic feet room?

I think the answer to your question lies in the first couple of sentences in post #25 by Pete_Hsu.

Curtis can correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to remember him stating that Reference Level for the LFE channel is 115 db.

People keep trying to point out that each design has its own set of strengths and weaknesses.

Meanwhile, everyone seems to be looking for one sub that has no weaknesses.

Much as I like HSU products, the PB-13 in 15 Hz tune is a very successful compromise between output, extension, and sound quality.

t6902wf

04-24-09, 02:46 PM

spyboy

04-24-09, 02:57 PM

Spyboy did you listen to both subs in the same room?

The list of subwoofers I would like to try in my home includes:

Genelec HTS6
Epic Conquest
Submersive
PB-13
HSU ULS-15
Rythmik 15
Def Tech Trinity
MFW-15
Ed A7-900
Danley TH-50
JTR Captivator
Velodyne DD-18
J L Audio F113
J L Audio F112
J L Audio F212
J L Audio Gotham

There are others, but in-home comparisons are not affordable. If money was not a problem, I could do what several people with more money than I have done and compare whatever I wished to compare.

I am interested in which subs you have compared in the same room, and at the same time, since audio memory is poor.

cacihome

04-24-09, 03:19 PM

What about in a 1,639 cubic feet room?

One of my friend has a sealed room of 1,200 cufeets... We tested my sub in his house....the SPL meter was crazy!

I obtained the same SPL levels,(peaks of 115dbs sometimes, sustained bass over 105) and the same feeling I have in my house with my ULS and A7s-450 pair!

That friend of mine has an VTF2-MK3 in that room and sounds impressive, but the ULS just felt stronger.

cacihome

04-24-09, 03:23 PM

Spyboy did you listen to both subs in the same room?

No. He is just making things difficult for the ULS... HAHA

He probably hasn't even heard a ULS...

t6902wf

04-24-09, 03:23 PM

I have 2 ULS-15’s in a 1800 cubic foot room. I had a single for a month or so before I went to two. A question was raised, will one hit reference levels? I would like to know how you define reference levels? I don’t think anyone actually listens at true reference levels it is much too loud.

With two running level with the mains I regularly hit 116 db peaks on War of the Worlds heat ray scene and Master and Commander canon battle. Master and Commander will just about knock the wind out of you. For music it is awesome, the best thing I can say is that it blends in and you do not notice the sub. It is in no way boomy. I think the % music to movies number is flawed. There is lots of music in movies which is critical to the illusion and plot, every sub must be musical.

A PB13 or PC13 would not really fit in my room and it would look horrible, it is too big for me.

Here is a REW reading in room at the listening position. That’s pretty flat and pretty low. This is with Audyssey as an EQ.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/463912051_esN56-XL.jpg

Here are the subs without EQ, flat to 5 hz.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/464074315_XCwej-XL.jpg

Here is a photo of the room
http://bill-stan.smugmug.com/photos/440627799_dqKKQ-XL.jpg

Top quality in my opinion.

t6902wf

04-24-09, 03:26 PM

The list of subwoofers I would like to try in my home includes:

Genelec HTS6
Epic Conquest
Submersive
PB-13
HSU ULS-15
Rythmik 15
Def Tech Trinity
MFW-15
Ed A7-900
Danley TH-50
JTR Captivator
Velodyne DD-18
J L Audio F113
J L Audio F112
J L Audio F212
J L Audio Gotham

There are others, but in-home comparisons are not affordable. If money was not a problem, I could do what several people with more money than I have done and compare whatever I wished to compare.

I am interested in which subs you have compared in the same room, and at the same time, since audio memory is poor.

So you are siting your expert opinion on this sub vs the Rhythmic but in truth you have not listened to either one.
Why render an opinion on something you have no knowledge of?

cacihome

04-24-09, 03:27 PM

Yeah...Try to convince spyboy and you will learn my respect....HAHAH

cacihome

04-24-09, 03:28 PM

So you are siting your expert opinion on this sub vs the Rhythmic but in truth you have not listened to either one.
Why render an opinion on something you have no knowledge of?

The word SVS f_ n, ring a bell to you?

t6902wf

04-24-09, 03:30 PM

Yeah...Try to convince spyboy and you will learn my respect....HAHAH

I am not trying to convince him of anything.

t6902wf

04-24-09, 03:31 PM

The word SVS f_ n, ring a bell to you?

It is safe to say this is the SVS forum not the AVS forum. I have come to terms with that.

cacihome

04-24-09, 03:34 PM

i am not trying to convince him of anything. I am just perplexed as to why he renders these never ending expert opinions? If he posts craigsub or tom n graphs again i may pass out. He must have the links alphabetized for easy retrieval.

hahhahhahah
+1

cacihome

04-24-09, 03:37 PM

The list of subwoofers I would like to try in my home includes:

Genelec HTS6
Epic Conquest
Submersive
PB-13
HSU ULS-15
Rythmik 15
Def Tech Trinity
MFW-15
Ed A7-900
Danley TH-50
JTR Captivator
Velodyne DD-18
J L Audio F113
J L Audio F112
J L Audio F212
J L Audio Gotham

There are others, but in-home comparisons are not affordable. If money was not a problem, I could do what several people with more money than I have done and compare whatever I wished to compare.

I am interested in which subs you have compared in the same room, and at the same time, since audio memory is poor.

I'll give you mine...

A7s-450, A7-450, ULS-15, VTF2.3, VTF3.3 Turbo, VTF2, MBM-12,SPL1200R, VLF810,
CHT12R, DD15.

The best in palpable extension, and musicality was the ULS...

t6902wf

04-24-09, 03:56 PM

The best in palpable extension, and musicality was the ULS...

What do you mean by palpable extension?

Pete_Hsu

04-24-09, 03:58 PM

Easy there fellas :) He actually has a couple VTF-3 HO's and a couple MBM's. and is just expressing interest in wanting to listen to many different subs.

I'd love to be able to listen to every subwoofer, but it's just not realistic. Also, to be a fair comparison, one would need to compare one sub to another in the exact same room. And even then, one subwoofer may work better with one particular crossover frequency, and another subwoofer may work better with another crossover frequency...or one subwoofer may work better with one placement position, and another subwoofer may work better with a different placement position...or one subwoofer may work better in one room size, and another subwoofer may work better with a different room size. And after all that, there are user preferences in play. So there are many different variables to factor in.

It's enough to give one a headache if they think about it too much :D

Pete_Hsu

04-24-09, 04:10 PM

cacihome

04-24-09, 04:12 PM

What do you mean by palpable extension?

Palpable bass...mmmm let's say that my ULS make me feel more some very deep content that even my 3.3 turbo wasn't... So for that ultra low content it is, in my room, adding a little "air sensation presence" that wasn't there before it.
Hard to describe,small, but, it is there...

In the the new Incredible Hulk for example.... When Edward Norton is trapped at the bridge, and is turning into The Hulk when he touches the glass walls of the bridge...You receive a very deep wave...that just isn't as strong with my 3.3 in the same spot.

t6902wf

04-24-09, 04:20 PM

Bill, your setup is so beautiful and clean, I always enjoy seeing it :)

Thanks,

Many people say they don't need wireless but I like the total lack of wires around the subs. I have jacks in the walls and I truly don't need wireless but I use it.

I also want to get an MBM when wireless is available. On an MBM in my setup wireless is a big deal for my layout.

Any ETA on the MBM? My birthday is in July I have to begin laying the groundwork with the fun police.

King_David

04-24-09, 04:22 PM

SWEET!:)

That is not a projector is it?

Is that a flat screen LCD or Plasma? If so, what size is it?
I have 2 ULS-15’s in a 1800 cubic foot room. I had a single for a month or so before I went to two. A question was raised, will one hit reference levels? I would like to know how you define reference levels? I don’t think anyone actually listens at true reference levels it is much too loud.

With two running level with the mains I regularly hit 116 db peaks on War of the Worlds heat ray scene and Master and Commander canon battle. Master and Commander will just about knock the wind out of you. For music it is awesome, the best thing I can say is that it blends in and you do not notice the sub. It is in no way boomy. I think the % music to movies number is flawed. There is lots of music in movies which is critical to the illusion and plot, every sub must be musical.

A PB13 or PC13 would not really fit in my room and it would look horrible, it is too big for me.

Here is a REW reading in room at the listening position. That’s pretty flat and pretty low. This is with Audyssey as an EQ.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/463912051_esN56-XL.jpg

Here are the subs without EQ, flat to 5 hz.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/464074315_XCwej-XL.jpg

Here is a photo of the room
http://bill-stan.smugmug.com/photos/440627799_dqKKQ-XL.jpg

Top quality in my opinion.

Pete_Hsu

04-24-09, 04:27 PM

t6902wf

04-24-09, 04:56 PM

Hey Bill,

It looks like Dr. Hsu wants to come out with a more basic MBM for now that has newer finishes and a sealed/ported variable tuning switch. Adding wireless to the unit will require a much more significant board redesign, and will add significant expense to the unit, so he wants to hold off on adding wireless for now. Bummer :( That said, maybe later down the road you can accomodate one or two more ULS-15's instead :)

I can't see how more ULS will improve things. My FR is smooth and I have the power. I am sorry to hear that the wireless MBM is not being done now. I could run a wire but wireless would sure be easier.

t6902wf

04-24-09, 05:00 PM

SWEET!:)

That is not a projector is it?

Is that a flat screen LCD or Plasma? If so, what size is it?

Thanks for the compliment.

It is an Epson 1080UB, I like it a lot. The Screen is a Stewart Firehawk with a narrow frame option. It stands up to ambient light really well although I can control the light.
If you have a Superbowl party or something like that you want to be able to keep the lights on dim for people coming and going.

Pete_Hsu

04-24-09, 06:23 PM

I can't see how more ULS will improve things. My FR is smooth and I have the power. I am sorry to hear that the wireless MBM is not being done now. I could run a wire but wireless would sure be easier.

We'll see, maybe at some point down the road, we will be able to come out with a wireless MBM. For now, I think there are some aftermarket wireless devices that can be used if necessary.

On the bright side, we should be getting the MBM-12 MK2 sooner than expected, since we don't need to make big changes. I would expect availability within 2-3 months.

Sincerely,

David_SG

04-30-09, 12:12 PM

Well my single ULS-15 arrived yesterday. Unfortunately my basement renovation isn't complete yet so for the next week or so it will remain in its box, serving as nothing more than a new perch for the cat. I'll report my thoughts/impressions once I've got everything set up.

wingnut4772

05-01-09, 10:02 AM

I have the ULS-15 Quad Drive and I like my subs. The wireless is a mixed bag. At first I liked the versatility of it but I was getting too much interference with my Bluetooth PS3, my wireless network, Squeezebox etc. I decided just to hook them up the old fashioned way and they sound great. If I were to put them in a custom room I would not use wireless but would run cables to their positions.

wingnut4772

05-17-09, 11:17 AM

Wow. This thread died quickly. Where did everyone go?

ssabripo

05-17-09, 11:27 AM

Wow. This thread died quickly. Where did everyone go?

they went to steal your Von Schweikert's!

http://www.xmission.com/~sna/pictures/ot/forum/seinfeld_yeah.gif

gchuva

05-17-09, 10:10 PM

I decided to buy the Fathom (for appearance and SQ reasons) so I will not be driving this thread.

wingnut4772

05-18-09, 01:27 AM

they went to steal your Von Schweikert's!

http://www.xmission.com/~sna/pictures/ot/forum/seinfeld_yeah.gif

LOL. I am vigilantly protecting them.

hometheatergeek

05-18-09, 02:19 PM

After reading this forum for 9 months I decided to go wth a ULS-15 Dual Drive system. Here is the reason I picked the ULS-15s. I wanted a powerful subwoofer (1000 watt) with super low extension (10 HZ) in a premium finish (Walnut) to be placed inside a family room which is open to everything on the first floor (8000 cubic or more). My listening habits are 50% HT/ 50% Music so I was leaning towards a sealed sub.

Since I already own a Velodyne HGS-12 and a VA-1012, my midbass in room response was great. While I was waiting on the Hsu's to arrive I even thought "Why do I need any more wooferage?" :confused: :rolleyes: :confused:

Well after setting them up and dialing them in, which took almost three weekends, you all know, place one here then move one there then swap this one with that one and so on I put the normal demo material on. TDK, Ironman, Incredible Hulk and others. All I can say is the same as Robin in Batman and Robin: "Holy (insert), Batman!" :eek::eek:. The Ironhide flip in Transformers was grinning provoking. :cool: I have never experience the full spectrum of bass like that before. The sound cannons in Incredible Hulk chased away all of the wildlife in the back yard. :D JK but it was easy for the Hsu's to play the 10 hz information in that scene. I also now believe that I am in the cave with Ironman. Along with watching David Gilmore live at the Royal Albert Hall and the Eagle's Farewell tour from Melborn my collection of video concerts including the ones played on the MTV HD channel Paladium never sounded better.

All of the demos i have shown to friends and neighbors all commented the same way. They proclaimed "That's the cleanest bass I have ever heard."

Also. I can't believe some of you that actually bought the Quad drives. But I guess in my own way I am using four subs so I guess I understand. I could get by with just the two Hsu's, since they are quite powerful even when the gain is only set at 10:00.

So if you all are looking for outstanding cabinet workmanship in a well rounded 15" powerful subwoofer you too might want to check out the ULS-15s.

See signature for location of pics. One is by the couch and one is in between our recliners.

Peace

cacihome

05-18-09, 02:29 PM

Glad you like them man!

They are true deep bass machines...

wingnut4772

05-18-09, 04:28 PM

Yep. Glad to hear. :D

Pete_Hsu

05-18-09, 09:01 PM

Thanks hometheatergeek, I really appreciate that! I'm so happy that you like them :)

Recently in our demo room, we have been running two ULS-15's in the back left/right corner (along with the other STF/VTF subs in the back). Everyone who gets a chance to listen to the multiple subs is amazed at how much difference it makes vs a single subwoofer. Interestingly enough, I am able to set the crossover at 150Hz and even 200Hz without the ULS's being localizeable at the main listening position! The ULS has a flat response out well past 200Hz (to maybe 400-500Hz), and very low distortion in general at regular listening levels too, so it works very well in this scenario.

I'm glad that some of you guys are able to try out multiple subs. It is a real eye opener for a lot of people when they get a chance to experience it!

Dan Woodruff

05-25-09, 07:54 PM

Hi Pete,

I'm still having trouble with the clipping on my ULS-15. I've done everything you suggested but it's still there and driving me bats!

Dan Woodruff

05-26-09, 02:03 PM

Thanks for talking with me on the phone, Pete. It will be on it's way as soon as I can get it to FedEx.

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

06-05-09, 12:17 PM

I don't recall seeing the ULS-15s discounted before.

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/uls15.html

ULS-15 DualDrive

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/uls15dualdrive.html

cacihome

06-05-09, 01:17 PM

Yep. It is actually the first time.

hometheatergeek

06-05-09, 03:34 PM

That is a great price for a great sub. Its like getting a discount plus free shipping from regular price. Wish I knew this was coming, I could have saved some mulah.

If anyone is on the fence this just might put them over the edge and pop for one or two. I can seriously say they really are great subs and I wished I had bought mine last year when thery first came out.

vivid

06-09-09, 08:50 PM

Duel ULS-15s here I come... just ordered them, big shout out to Hometheatergeek for one wicked demo and Pete at Hsu for the pre-sale help.

I really can't wait... but I have a vacation between now and when the subs arrive... I can't wait for vacation (June 25th) to be over so I can start playing with the subs

t6902wf

06-09-09, 09:58 PM

prophcy0

06-10-09, 12:41 AM

hometheatergeek

06-10-09, 08:58 AM

I have been trying to decide on subs for my 5000^3 ft + bonus room. I was leaning toward getting a single SVS PB13 Ultra now and buying another later. I was also considering getting two SVS PB12+ subs; however, the current deal on the ULS-15 is really, really nice.

How does the DualDrive ULS-15 compare to the above configurations? This will mainly be used for HT and gaming, but I also enjoy listening to music.

If you post in this thread you can almost guess the response you will get and if you also post in the SVS thread same kind of results.

They are all excellent subs.

So it comes down to your budget.

If you look at my eariler post I explain why I went with the Dual Drive. I listen to as much music as I watch movies.

This is not to say that the Ultra PB-13 is not musical. I have never heard that sub. I would like to hear a SVS Ultra if there is anyone in Atlanta Metro that owns one. Then I could give a comparison but it still would not be as good as comparing them in the same room at the same time. Unless we have a SUB GTG.

Tough dilemma ain't it? If you want the HSU ULS-15 at the sale price you will have to hurry. On the other hand maybe you can see if anyone in your area can let you listen to the models you are considering and hope another sale will come along. Hope this helped.

Peace

JackOften

06-13-09, 01:36 PM

Didn't really have the ULS-15 on the radar for my sub purchase (my price point was $1000 bucks) to replace my Infinity IL120 but when it went on sale I took the plunge for my 4500 cu. ft. irregularly shaped room.

Ordered on friday evening, shipped monday and arrived wednesday (CA to AZ) in great shape via FedEx ground. After about 3 attempts at calibration using Audyssey (Onkyo 876) and a failed wireless connection (more on that in a bit) I ended up placing it in the back corner due to my wiring limitations as opposed to the nearfield as recommended and couldn't be happier. I put in "Master and Commander" and those gun battles just rock the room. The Audyssey ended up putting the db's on the sub at -8.5 (the ULS-15 is about 10 feet from the sweet spot listening area) and it's nice tight bass sounded amazing. I was a little concerned I may have needed dual-drive when it shipped but I no longer see the need... it's a ton of subwoofer for the room.

The only issue I ran into on the sub was with the wireless setup. I have a 4 wireless sources in my room (Xbox 360 wireless LAN, Wii, Directv has a wireless LAN connected to it for OnDemand, and the wireless controller for the XBox 360) and on all four channels of the HSU, it would interfere with something. The wireless transmitter messed with the 360's controllers the worst... bringing the xbox to actually freeze when a subwoofer signal was sent.

My A/V setup is all about movies and gaming... despite the ULS-15 as being proclaimed as a 'musical sub' it's more than up to the task as a HT sub. The wireless issues aside (wireless wasn't the primary reason for me purchasing, i was looking for a fantastic sub) i'll be very happy with the ULS-15 for the forseeable future.

hometheatergeek

06-14-09, 09:44 AM

JackOften

06-14-09, 02:58 PM

Welcome to the family Jack,

Glad you are enjoying your new purchase and finding out, that the naysayers on this forum, incorrectly state that no one would be happy with these subs. You might just have to start to listen to some good CDs to further enjoy your sub.

haha, you must be talking about THIS GUY (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16643775#post16643775). He definately has a system of which sub to purchase (SUBMERSIVE > SVS > EPIK > HSU> VEL... ) without taking into account different models, room sizes and budgets. One thing you learn quickly on these boards is it's all subjective. Is a Submersive better than a JBL? We'd all say yes if we skipped over the paragraph stating the purchaser has a $400 budget and is going to pair them with his 3" sony satellite cubes.

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

06-25-09, 09:12 PM

Fourth of July Special on the ULS-15 as well as other Hsu products. Wood Veneer and Piano Black finish this time.

Happy Birthday America.

timlinca

07-01-09, 07:08 PM

I got one! I ordered it Friday and it arrived Tuesday. That's fast service. The rosewood is finished beautifully.

hometheatergeek

07-01-09, 08:14 PM

Welcome to the family. Rosewood must look awesome. Need pictures ASAP.

cocobeli

07-01-09, 11:11 PM

I got one! I ordered it Friday and it arrived Tuesday. That's fast service. The rosewood is finished beautifully.

Color me ever so slightly jealous. I jumped on the black satin two-fer Fathers' Day sale. OTOH, that hammered my wallet quite enough. ;)

I'm still trying to learn a vocabulary to speak about what I hear. :D

eightninesuited

07-02-09, 01:45 AM

I want to order 2 ULS 15s in Rosenut but I live in Canada. Dammit!! :mad:

hometheatergeek

07-02-09, 07:35 AM

I want to order 2 ULS 15s in Rosenut but I live in Canada. Dammit!! :mad:

Call Pete at HSU. Last time I checked they ship to Canada. Or is it the duties and extra fees that concern you?

BTW nice name you got there. I play poker too.

eightninesuited

07-02-09, 12:40 PM

Call Pete at HSU. Last time I checked they ship to Canada. Or is it the duties and extra fees that concern you?

With shipping and taxes it wouldn't be worth it. I'm talking nearly double the price. The only HSU dealer in my area is now selling SVS. I got a PB10, which is a wonderful sub but I'm relocating my HT room and need a dual setup to be effective.

In canada we have ONE subwoofer option - SVS, that's it.

BRAC

07-02-09, 01:22 PM

With shipping and taxes it wouldn't be worth it. I'm talking nearly double the price. The only HSU dealer in my area is now selling SVS. I got a PB10, which is a wonderful sub but I'm relocating my HT room and need a dual setup to be effective.

In canada we have ONE subwoofer option - SVS, that's it.

That is not necessarily true. We do have a few decent options. SVS, Axiom, Paradigm, Velodyne, just to name a few. And, I know of another Canadian member who just recently got some reasonable quotes on a few US ID products, all taxes, fees and shipping included. The one quote I remember off the top of my head was the Seaton Submersive to his door for a little over 2400. Not too bad really...

spyboy

07-02-09, 01:27 PM

That is not necessarily true. We do have a few decent options. SVS, Axiom, Paradigm, Velodyne, just to name a few. And, I know of another Canadian member who just recently got some reasonable quotes on a few US ID products, all taxes, fees and shipping included. The one quote I remember off the top of my head was the Seaton Submersive to his door for a little over 2400. Not too bad really...

I seem to remember that the SVS PB-13 Ultra has a delivered price of under $2,000, but I don't the exact figure.

BRAC

07-02-09, 01:44 PM

I seem to remember that the SVS PB-13 Ultra has a delivered price of under $2,000, but I don't the exact figure.

Taxes in, the PB13 from Sonic Boom would put most Canadians in the ~2200-2250 range, and in Alberta ~2100. Considering that price on a PB13, it makes an imported Submersive for ~2400-2500 look very attractive.:)

Yosh70

07-04-09, 05:22 PM

Taxes in, the PB13 from Sonic Boom would put most Canadians in the ~2200-2250 range, and in Alberta ~2100. Considering that price on a PB13, it makes an imported Submersive for ~2400-2500 look very attractive.:)

The highlighted portion is something I cant ignore....let me just say that there are better
looking subs out there.:p
I do understand your talking about value for your money tho....

Anyways, what I really wanted to add, if a product is sold to an individual outside the province from where it came, only the GST has to be paid. Its not just an Alberta deal.

And with a price of $1995 U.S., a price of $2400 Canadian would be very good. Unfortunately with the exchange rate and shipping costs, I would think more in the $27-2800 range.

hometheatergeek

07-04-09, 06:19 PM

You all won't mind taking your talk about your PB-13 to your own thread now. This is the ULS-15 thread. Thank you very much. ;)

cschang

07-06-09, 08:53 PM

New review of the ULS-15 is up. Not my favorite publication, but it is a review.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue44/hsu.htm

Pete_Hsu

07-09-09, 05:35 PM

I want to order 2 ULS 15s in Rosenut but I live in Canada. Dammit!! :mad:

We ship quite often to Canada, and have sent many ULS's there too. The cost of shipping/taxes/duties is not bad at all on these units. Total landed cost for two ULS-15's sent to Canada would be close to $3k USD (not anywhere near double the price). Feel free to email us for a quote...

Sincerely,

keef95

07-09-09, 06:10 PM

You all won't mind taking your talk about your PB-13 to your own thread now. This is the ULS-15 thread. Thank you very much. ;)

It's funny how no matter where you go, things are the same... I'm a member of several motorcycle forums and people will come on the Ducati forum and talk about their Ninja or to the GSXR forum to talk Honda...I love it! :D

keef95

07-18-09, 04:06 PM

I got my ULS-15 the other day and all I can say is "HOLY COW!" that's an impressive piece of kit! I thought my old Sony WM-500 wasn't a bad sub. Compared to the ULS-15, it's not a sub at all but rather a powered bass speaker.

My room is 2500 cubic ft, Paradigm Monitor 7 fronts, CC490 center and Titan rears pushed by a Yamaha RX-V663.

I have no perspective with this stuff as I don't know anyone with real "HT". One thing I do know is it's very cool having equipment that shakes my guts!

Thanks Pete!

John H

07-18-09, 06:55 PM

cocobeli

07-18-09, 06:57 PM

i got my uls-15 ... And all i can say is "holy cow!"

+1 :)

hometheatergeek

07-18-09, 08:18 PM

cocobeli

Have you come up with a vocabulary to describe your Dual Drive yet?

Pete_Hsu

07-18-09, 08:52 PM

I just moved my ULS-15 QuadDrive back in my HT room. I had them setup briefly a few months back.

My room is a dedicated sealed HT.

13' 10" W x 21' 7" L x 8' 6" H (2538 cf)

There are GIK Tri-Traps in all 4 corners from floor to ceiling.

Floor is thick pile carpet over cement.

Could someone explain how the ULF Trim operates? In a room this size what would be a good starting point?

I will be using an SVS AS-EQ1 for correction.

John

John, the trim control will adjust the low frequency rolloff of the subwoofer when measured in an anechoic environment. So if set to 50Hz, the sub will gently roll off below 50Hz when measured in an anechoic environment. When set to 16Hz, the sub will gently roll off below 16Hz when measured in an anechoic environment, etc.

There is no "correct" setting per se. Some people prefer to have a bit more mid-bass punch, and/or have a lot of room gain in the deep bass, and may opt for the 50Hz setting to maximize headroom. Some people prefer to have a deep bass response that gradually slopes upward, and/or have less room gain in the deep bass, and may opt for the 16Hz setting. Some people split the difference as a good compromise.

With a room of your size, the best starting point would be 50Hz.

If you get a chance, listen to the canon pulse scene on the Hulk Blu Ray disc. The ULS-15 is much more powerful on that burst than any of our ported subwoofers, even when set to max extension mode.

Let us know which trim setting you end up preferring.

Thanks

Sincerely,

J_Palmer_Cass

07-18-09, 11:11 PM

John, the trim control will adjust the low frequency rolloff of the subwoofer when measured in an anechoic environment. So if set to 50Hz, the sub will gently roll off below 50Hz when measured in an anechoic environment. When set to 16Hz, the sub will gently roll off below 16Hz when measured in an anechoic environment, etc.

There is no "correct" setting per se. Some people prefer to have a bit more mid-bass punch, and/or have a lot of room gain in the deep bass, and may opt for the 50Hz setting to maximize headroom. Some people prefer to have a deep bass response that gradually slopes upward, and/or have less room gain in the deep bass, and may opt for the 16Hz setting. Some people split the difference as a good compromise.

With a room of your size, the best starting point would be 50Hz.

If you get a chance, listen to the canon pulse scene on the Hulk Blu Ray disc. The ULS-15 is much more powerful on that burst than any of our ported subwoofers, even when set to max extension mode.

Let us know which trim setting you end up preferring.

Thanks

Sincerely,

Here is a waterfall of the canon pulse scene.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm232/Red_Foreman/capt_Hulk-2_Ch-10_0hr_54min_30se-2.jpg

keef95

07-20-09, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by keef95
i got my uls-15 ... And all i can say is "holy cow!"
+1 :)

I didn't say "holy cow!"... I said "HOLY COW!". :D

hometheatergeek

07-20-09, 07:05 PM

cocobeli

07-20-09, 10:07 PM

Have you come up with a vocabulary to describe your Dual Drive yet?

I wish I could say I’ve come up with some worthy descriptors, but so far my similes stink and my metaphors miss their mark. I think about the deepest, darkest chocolate. Words like thick and rich and creamy come to mind.

Or, how about… they purr and mutter at need or blast and surge when asked. There’s a palpable thickness, a sepulchral presence, from movie sound tracks that I’ve never heard before. They are full and rich and mellow; orotund and abyssal. They boom without boominess. I can hear to the bottom notes the way I used to be able to see all the way to the bottom of Tahoe back in the olden days. Elephantine infrasonics.

Maybe “HOLY COW!” sums it up pretty well. :)

Note, since speakers like our subs are part of a system, it’s probably well to mention the rest of the story. My HT speakers have for years been satellites of one sort or another. I very much liked having three identical speakers across the front. To fill in the hole between the satellites and my trusty HRSW10 subs, I’ve employed an old C-V Sat-6 subwoofer unit as a mid-bass module. It was the shredding of the surround on the C-V woofer and then the acquisition of different speakers all around that led to the ULS-15s. My receiver is a Denon 988 and I’ve employed the Audyssey MultEQ XT (a marvelous accessory) throughout. I will note that I used to spend hours trying to EQ the room, looking for that perfect flat response and all the while lusting for an Acousta-Voice Equalizer. I never got that flat response or that equalizer. But I think I was tilting at windmills and now I try to just enjoy the ride. The ‘15s are currently positioned with one up front and the second in the rear, behind our seats.

I could wax on, as others have, about how clean they sound and how deeply the ULS-15s reach. They can do that while hitting volume levels exceeding my desires in an 8000 cu. ft. space. I’ve read about gizmos you attach to chairs to get a “magic fingers” experience, but our chairs are vibrating already.

My prior experience with true subs (the HRSW10s) doesn’t give me a very broad basis for comparison. Musically, I don’t notice a large change from the old subs. Standard warhorses like the Saint-Saëns No.3 (a piece that I have heard performed live) seem to me to sound about the same. The ULS-15s can certainly speak louder, with more authority, if you like; kind of like having more notes and less thrump. I wish it wasn’t so doggone hard to bring the old subs (and their amp) back into the picture for a side-by-side comparison.

It’s HT that puts the big demands on the subs and it’s here that the improvement truly shows. I confess that I’m still running the ‘15s ‘hot’ right now just because I can and because it’s fun. There’s horsepower to spare. Rumbles and explosions certainly seem to be reproduced fully and without distortion; they sound right to my ear (but, they’re noise, so who really knows?). The ‘15s manage the vortex scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the scene that shredded my old C-V MBM, with flying colors. I believe that what I hear here is easily equal what I’ve heard in any movie house. We’ve been playing through a number of movies noted for deep bass (some new, some already on my shelf) and we’re having a blast. :D

On the subject of the wireless capability I can say I did try it and it worked great, but since I’d already hardwired lines to the rear of the room, that’s how the rear sub is getting its signal now.

So what are the ULS-15s really like? Well, back to chocolate…

hjones

08-07-09, 06:46 PM

I am the proud owner of new walnut ULS-15s in the Quad Drive package and I thought I would share what led me up to the purchase and my initial impressions of the sub system.

For about 6 months or so I have contemplated a sub upgrade. For the past 11 years, a Velodyne FSR-18 was my HT sub. While its LF extension was fine, it was somewhat limited in output. This time I wanted something that could keep up with my Klipsch Heritage setup - 4 K'horns (one in each room corner) a Belle center and a pair of Heresy IIIs for the side surrounds. Truly, the new sub would have to have the proper mix of sound quality and output capability to satisfy me this time.

At first, I considered adding another Velodyne but the cost now floored me. For a while I looked around for a used one, but backed away from that idea. Then I looked at the Epik Conquest, but it was discontinued before I decided to make the purchase. I looked at the offerings from SVS and ED, but wondered if ported would sound OK since I had a sealed sub for 11 years. Then I looked at the Submersive - certainly it was a worthy contender. But, Mark said two were needed to really get the most out of it. I did not know anyone locally that had any of these, so anything that I bought would be unseen and unheard and based on other's reviews.

Then I happened across the AVS thread about 2 ULS-15s being equal to a single Submersive. Well, to be honest, I had not checked Hsu out and did not even know they made a 15"er now. Hmmm, looks nice - walnut veneer might look really nice with my walnut Klipsch. Folks are saying that SQ and LF extension both were outstanding. Smaller and lighter enclosure than anything I had been looking at...

I posted a couple of questions about the ULS-15 on Hsu's website and Pete supplied answers very quickly. I sent him a few PMs, all of which were answered same day. Maybe these guys are serious about customer service...

So, the decision was made. Now, Dual or Quad Drive? The discount on the Quad was almost buy three and get one free. Well, whatever I bought I wanted to truly be wowed to make the $s spent well worthwhile. If I bought the Dual, Hsu offered to sell me two more at the same price as the Quad if I did it within 30 days. There's that customer service thing again. You know, I bet these folks will be easy to contact if I need service on one of them...

After all the rationalization was done, I knew that I would end up with the Quad Drive anyway, so why not start with it. After all, Welti's paper said 4 was the best setup. What more justification does a fella need?:)

So, on Thursday July 30th I ordered the Quad Drive in walnut from Hsu's website. Got an e-mail from Pete saying they would ship the next day. Sure enough, Friday night 4 tracking numbers came in by e-mail. Three arrived on Wednesday, Aug. 5th. FedEx put #4 on a different route and it came in the following day.

Upon opening them, I found the packaging to be excellent and the walnut finish was stunning. I set up the first 3, set all to the same volume at the main listening chair, ran Audyssey, REW and EQ'ed them with my BFD. I fired them up for a listen. Nice, really really nice. Family watched a Blu Ray movie and I was really impressed - wondered what # 4 would do for me.

I found out the next day. I was absolutely FLOORED at the difference the 4th one made. Same setup, same EQ settings, but magic was happening. A whole new level of performance. They were set up along a 12.5 ft wall, so at least two were within 1/4th wavelength of each other up to crossover, so I was getting co-location gain.

Another poster expressed his feelings about the ULS-15 as "HOLY COW!" Well, after a few high volume pipe organ tracks and a few SACD tracks, my impression was "LORD HAVE MERCY!!!!!"

Family watched "Knowing" on Blu Ray last night. Not only did the Quads perform well at high volume, the LF extension, impact, and overall smoothness was there even at "wife's volume."

Let me close out this long post by saying that the mission is truly accomplished. The Quad Drive has a permanent position in my HT. There are so many sub choices on the market now, but let me assure you that you cannot go wrong with the ULS-15.

I will post a picture of the setup and a REW FR plot in another post.

hjones

08-07-09, 06:59 PM

Now for a picture of the setup and a REW FR plot. The room dimensions are 12.5' x 20.5' x 8' - just over 2000 cu ft. I have a LOT of bass trapping in the room that I added in January - that is a whole different story, but you owe it to yourself to add traps if you don't have them now. OK, here is where the Quad Drive is set up.

As you can see, the outside pair are pulled out from the corner in front of the K'horns. I wondered if I would still get corner LF gain with them pulled out, but I read that if they were within 1/8th wavelength or so from the corner I would still get gain.

Distance between the outside pair and the inside pair is about a foot; about 32" between the inside pair.

The first REW plot is without any EQ other than Audyssey. Crossover was set at 80Hz and only the subs were on. I have a BFD, but it was bypassed for this measurement. Three plots were run - one at each recliner (about 11 feet back from the screen wall). The gold plot is from the center recliner; the other two plots are with the mic at the adjoining recliners.

Measurements were taken with a Behringer ECM-8000 mic and a Behringer mixer connected to an X-Fi Notebook sound card. Sound card and mic calibration curves were loaded into REW.

Although I cut the curve off at 15Hz, the output was still climbing up to about 5Hz or so. But, I did not know what the accuracy of the mic is that low even with the cal file loaded. So, I cut it off at 15Hz.

hjones

08-07-09, 07:04 PM

Now here is the plot with the BFD engaged. Three filters were used to get this response. This time the blue curve is the center chair and the other curves are for the adjacent chairs. The dip in the green curve is a room node that apparently is only present at the left chair.

Anyway, that is my story so far. I will close with this: With the Velodyne, the Skadoosh scene in Kung Fu Panda was barely audible. I woundered what all the fuss was about. I found out when I played it with the Quad Drive! Lord have mercy indeed!!!!

hjones

08-08-09, 05:30 AM

I found out Thursday that it is very easy to hurt your ears with these things. High volume low frequency content kinda sneeks up on you. Since the ears are less sensitive to LF you really don't appreciate the SPL that can come out of these things. Of course, you don't have to play them that loud, but it sure is fun.

After a few pipe organ tracks at pretty high level followed by a few SACD tracks - all played at elevated LFE settings - my ears were hurting. There were no audible signs of distress from the mains or subs. Like I said, it kinda slipped up on me as I was having some fun trying to find out the Quad Drive's limits (never did).

So, Quad Drive owners, perhaps it would be wise to have a SPL meter on if you decide to test the limits of this awesome system.

hometheatergeek

08-08-09, 08:22 AM

cocobeli,

When I asked for a vocabulary to describe your Dual Drive I did not realize that I would need to use the dictionary to look up "sepulchral" and "orotund". :confused:

I did understand "Holy Cow". That's not the exact words I used when I first listen to the pipe organ songs, on the supplied CD from Hsu, but this is a family forum. ;) Anyway thanks for the review and the two new words of the day.

hometheatergeek

08-08-09, 08:54 AM

I am the proud owner of new walnut ULS-15s in the Quad Drive package and I thought I would share what led me up to the purchase and my initial impressions of the sub system.

Welcome to the club hjones. :)

This time I wanted something that could keep up with my Klipsch Heritage setup - 4 K'horns (one in each room corner) a Belle center and a pair of Heresy IIIs for the side surrounds.

That setup is just insane. You have all of this in a 2000 cu ft room? :eek::eek:

I posted a couple of questions about the ULS-15 on Hsu's website and Pete supplied answers very quickly. I sent him a few PMs, all of which were answered same day. Maybe these guys are serious about customer service...

That is one of the reasons I went with them too. My very first call to them was answered by Pete and he seemed to be very knowledgeable about his products.

So, on Thursday July 30th I ordered the Quad Drive in walnut from Hsu's website. Got an e-mail from Pete saying they would ship the next day. Sure enough, Friday night 4 tracking numbers came in by e-mail. Three arrived on Wednesday, Aug. 5th. FedEx put #4 on a different route and it came in the following day.

Almost identical to my shipping experience with Hsu. I called at 3:00 PM EST on a Friday and received tracking numbers at 8:00 PM EST that night and I swear that the Fedex driver drove all weekend from Cali just so that I could get my first one on Tuesday morning.

Family watched "Knowing" on Blu Ray last night. Not only did the Quads perform well at high volume, the LF extension, impact, and overall smoothness was there even at "wife's volume."

They do play nicely at lower volumes but I bet they perform even better in your room due to your bass trapping.

Let me close out this long post by saying that the mission is truly accomplished. The Quad Drive has a permanent position in my HT. There are so many sub choices on the market now, but let me assure you that you cannot go wrong with the ULS-15.

I'm really glad that you are happy with your purchase and was glad to help you make that decision. It almost seems like that the ULS-15 were purposely designed to work really well with the older 90 Db+ efficient Klipsch speakers. But of course they are just well designed subs.

hjones

08-08-09, 07:37 PM

cocobeli

08-08-09, 10:44 PM

The CD was attached to the outside of one of the boxes, packing slip style, if I remember correctly.

hjones

08-09-09, 04:32 AM

Thanks, Jed. That is exactly where it was and I have it now. Guess I overlooked it in my excitement of getting them unpacked.

hometheatergeek

08-11-09, 02:14 PM

I pulled out the old Telarc 1812 CD this afternoon - the Quads handled the cannon shots very, very well. Also put in Danley's demo sound effect tracks from their website. Sounds OK, but kinda boring...

What surprised me the most in this afternoon's music session was the impact of the bass drum and electric bass on the Michael McDonald Motown II SACD. Very, very tight control, these subs have. Couple that with the ability to move a lot of air and it is a very realistic presentation.

I did not get a demo CD with the Hsus that others mention. Was it supposed to be in the box, or is it mailed separately?

You might know this but I have another recommendation for a Video concert with excellent bass. And that would be the "Two Against Nature" by Steely Dan DVD with DTS sound. I just re-visited it this weekend for the first time with the Dual Drive in the house and it sounded great. You need to check it out Mr Jones.

shadyJ

08-11-09, 05:20 PM

For a serious subwoofer workout, check this dubstep mix (http://bun.culte.be/FOB/BunZer0_Dubstep_Mix_XVI.mp3) out by Bunzero, and also this one called Cave Dreams (http://audio.gotdarker.com/4c304250a271691fb2024cb3561781bf/download.mp3) by Shutta, they both have heavy, deep, and massive bass.

hjones

08-15-09, 07:52 AM

I received a Behringer ECM-8000 mic yesterday with a calibration report from Cross Spectrum. The report lists mic correction factors to load into REW for that particular mic. The calibration goes down to 5 Hz and up to 25 kHz.

I re-ran the REW freq. response plots of my Quad Drive subs with the new mic's correction data loaded. Only the subs were on. Here is the plot with Audyssey off and the BFD EQ bypassed with the mic at the primary listening chair. Note the significant room gain below 20Hz. I made sure that the HVAC was off when I ran this and the other plots that I am uploading. I believe that the resonse below 10Hz is very real - with the REW signal generator at 10Hz, there was significant shaking of the back of the recliner.

The green curve is REW's plot for the default 80Hz crossover response.

hjones

08-15-09, 07:58 AM

Now, here is the REW plot with Audyssey on and 4 BFD filters. I did not try to address the notches above 100Hz - that has to be done with the mains on, which I will do later.

I believe that I can live with this response!:D

After I ran this measurement I turned the Velodyne FSR-18 on and made a few more BFD filter adjustments. The overall response with all on is not quite this smooth, but is pretty close. Perhaps moving the Velo around from its current position in the back of the room would help.

Of course, I don't need the Velodyne and I guess I could sell it, but everytime I sell a speaker I end up regretting it later on:).

cocobeli

08-15-09, 11:29 AM

Far out! I am impressed. :cool:

hjones

08-22-09, 11:25 AM

I ran more REW plots this morning of the Quad Drive with the Left Front Klipschorn also driven to obtain a composite. The Hsus are still in the same place as before, spread across the front of the room.

In addition to FR, I plotted waterfall and spectral display. The benefits of the bass trapping that I added to the room early this year are evident in the waterfall plot.

The calibrated ECM-8000 mic was used and only the main listening position was measured. No smoothing was applied to the plots and the Velodyne was turned off. The BFD was engaged with 6 filters.

hometheatergeek

09-06-09, 09:03 AM

Very nice graphs Mr. Jones. You now seem to have a pretty flat response.

hometheatergeek

09-06-09, 09:34 AM

I had a friend over yesterday and showed him some of the usual demos. The one that I got the most enjoyment out of was when I played the lightning scene from Ratatouille. He literally jumped out of the seat. After he sat back down he said "I even knew that was coming. My daughter watches that movie often, but I have never experienced that movie like what you just played." He also said he liked how good the gun shots sounded. He was also impressed with the Ironhide flip in Transformer. I replayed that scene at least five times while watching the grin on his face.

ronnt88

09-06-09, 09:57 AM

extreme poison :D

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

10-16-09, 03:11 PM

"Say it ain't so" Hsu Research.

hometheatergeek

10-17-09, 08:06 AM

Maybe they did not sell well. :confused:

However the Satin Black is on sale right now. Save $100 on a Dual Drive system, which is basically $20 for shipping over regular price. :D

Stiletto

10-20-09, 12:22 PM

Where is the option to convince my wife that I need these?

hometheatergeek

10-20-09, 12:43 PM

Where is the option to convince my wife that I need these?

Bring your wife and yourself to Atlanta and I'll show her my walnut veneer subs and let you listen to them. Hehehe ;) :cool:

keef95

10-28-09, 04:42 PM

I didn't say "holy cow!"... I said "HOLY COW!". :D

So I take it that you really really really like it. Anyway you made a good choice and now you need to save your money so you can buy a sibling so they can play together (pun intended).

I did exactly what you suggested and got my 2nd ULS-15 a couple of weeks ago. I now believe (when it comes to low freq) that you just can't have too much of a good thing. My room is a closed 2500 cu.ft. room and in certain scenes in certain movies the impact and extension scare people (the crash scene in Castaway freaked out my kids). Don't get me wrong...One ULS was no slouch but two of them handle EVERYTHING so "effortlessly".

hometheatergeek

10-28-09, 04:50 PM

That is great. In that small room: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I really try not to steer people in the wrong direction. I have been doing this hobby for a long time and I also consult in the HT arena and I still believe that a ULS-15 dual drive system is at the top of the class for both HT and music play back. And of course some of the other lucky owners that have a Quad system well just damn.

I am glad you are now in a special club. Need pictures when you can get them.

hjones

10-28-09, 06:54 PM

[QUOTE=hometheatergeek;17435736]And of course some of the other lucky owners that have a Quad system well just damn./QUOTE]

You rang??

I have a SACD on the way - 4 pipe organs at the same time - 1 in each corner, played by E Power Biggs - can't wait:)

John H

10-29-09, 03:13 AM

That is great. In that small room: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

And of course some of the other lucky owners that have a Quad system well just damn.

I use a QuadDrive System in my sealed 2537 cf HT along with a pair of Seaton Sound SubMersives.

John

keef95

10-29-09, 10:48 AM

I use a QuadDrive System in my sealed 2537 cf HT along with a pair of Seaton Sound SubMersives.

John

John H...That room is WICKED! Nice job!

hometheatergeek

10-29-09, 11:11 AM

Yes John, I see you are trying to become the subwoofer king. You still have a way to go before you catch TheEar but your getting close. A very fine system you have and I find it hard that you have to be the only one enjoying it. Maybe the bassheads in this forum can all gtg and come visit your place.

hometheatergeek

12-05-09, 06:34 AM

Just watched a rented Terminator Salvation last night. So all I got to watch was the PG-13 version.

BTW Blockbuster what's up with no popup/top menu choices? I stopped the movie to eat dinner and when I came back to it you can't select a chapter to go to. The only choices were audio setup. WTF? I had to manually skip chapters to get back to where I was when I stopped the movie.

Anyway

You got to own this one.

Some of the scenes in this movie have the most intense bass I have ever heard. Better then Ironman, Incredible Hulk and the Transformers movie. This movie will work those 15" drivers harder than any previous movie played on your system. Critics panned this movie but they must not have the same systems we have. The bass was so intense it made watching the movie extremely enjoyable. It really drew you into the movie experience.

In fact all of you bassheads out there, and you know who you are, need to get this movie.

keef95

12-05-09, 11:04 AM

You got to own this one.

Some of the scenes in this movie have the most intense bass I have ever heard. Better then Ironman, Incredible Hulk and the Transformers movie. This movie will work those 15" drivers harder than any previous movie played on your system. Critics panned this movie but they must not have the same systems we have. The bass was so intense it made watching the movie extremely enjoyable. It really drew you into the movie experience.

In fact all of you bassheads out there, and you know who you are, need to get this movie.

+1
I thought the same... I've got a pair of ULS-15s in a pretty small room and the LFE was "most bodacious".

Off topic, I enjoyed this movie a lot more than Trans2 or GIJ...The other two movies are just a little too busy for my taste.

hometheatergeek

12-05-09, 11:12 AM

Are you ever going to post pictures of your twins? We must see family portrait pictures soon or I might not believe you. LOL

keef95

12-05-09, 11:33 AM

Are you ever going to post pictures of your twins? We must see family portrait pictures soon or I might not believe you. LOL

I haven't had the time to set up a shoot so I could use some flattering light, a wider lens and better composition but since my integrity is being called into question :), here's a couple of test shots I did to look at the color balance. All the couches are recliners and there's a Paradigm Titan lurking in the shadows in the upper left of the book case.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/keef95/HT/IMG_0312.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/keef95/HT/IMG_0317.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/keef95/HT/IMG_0314.jpg

Samsung PN-58B560
Yamaha RX-V663 A/V Receiver
Yamaha YDS-11SL iPod dock
DirecTV HR20-700 DVR Receiver
Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray player
Monoprice HDX-401E HDMI switch
Paradigm Studio CC-490 center speaker
Paradigm Monitor 7 front speakers
Paradigm Titan Monitor rear speakers
HSU Research ULS-15 subwoofer X 2
Microsoft XBox 360
Nintendo Wii
Logitech Harmony One remote

hometheatergeek

12-05-09, 11:48 AM

I'm liking the setup keef95. I know the ULS-15's play nice with those Paradigms.

I turned my boss on to the Monitor 9s. They are great sounding speakers. If I hadn't upgraded my crossovers and tweeters in my Klipsch speakers last year, I might have moved to the 11s or signature series. When you get the photography right please post some more.

Peace

Kimwyn

12-16-09, 07:13 AM

i cant wait to pick up my dual drive ULS-15.

hometheatergeek

12-16-09, 08:17 AM

i cant wait to pick up my dual drive ULS-15.

Well well well we have another new club member. Welcome Kimwyn. So many questions.

So what was it that convinced you to try a Dual Drive system? I guess, since you said that you where going to pick them up, did you go to HSU for a demo? Was it something you read in your research? What size room are they going into? What veneer did you decide to get?

Keep us updated if you can. And congrats on the new purchase.

tomtoo

12-16-09, 09:15 AM

hometheatergeek

12-16-09, 09:40 AM

Just got tracking order for my new Dual Drive order. How easy is the setup with wireless..etc. if I am not the kind of guy who knows anything about spl meters... etc? Have dedicated room 16x20x10. I figure I should be able to get great performance just with basic adjustments....

I see the club is getting bigger. Let's all welcome Tomtoo.

The wireless setup can be hit or miss depending on your home enviroment. I do not use the wireless feature. My Dual Drive is hardwired. However shadyJ wrote a good setup guide here: http://forum.hsuresearch.com/showthread.php?t=12560

In order to help you with the settings on the sub, please answer the following questions.

What receiver do you own?

What other speakers do you own and what are the main speakers frequency range?

What size woofers are in your main speakers?

In order to get the subs properly intergrated into you system you really want to invest or borrow someones SPL meter.

Also you should read this if you haven't yet: http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/get-good-bass/subwoofer-connection-guide

tomtoo

12-16-09, 10:01 AM

Yamaha rx-v3900, and speakers are 12 year old Acoustic Research 315HO. I believe they have 100hZ crossover to dual 5 1/2 midranges. I have no idea how this is all going to sound together. I expect that I will be buying new front towers soon (have beautiful B&W center channel) with more mid bass response.

hometheatergeek

12-16-09, 10:29 AM

Ok Tom

I have the rx-v1800 myself.

This would be a good starting point. Set the speakers to small in your Yamaha. Set the volume on the subwoofers to 11:00 and make sure the X-over on the sub is set to out. Set the ULF trim knob midway between the 16Hz and 50Hz setting. Then run YPAO on the Yamaha.

Of course all of these setting can be changed after you play around with them some. I spent 3 weekends moving my 4 subs around and tweaking them manually until I found the optimal settings for my room.

Good luck and let's hear from you again after you get the subs setup.

tomtoo

12-16-09, 11:44 AM

Will do. Have not tried YPOA program yet. Is this a major engineering task or simple? I assume it just sets the speaker distance and crossover settings.. or more?

hometheatergeek

12-16-09, 12:05 PM

It would take to long here to answer your question fully. The simple direction is, read the manual first. Then plug the microphone into the front of the AVR, go into the Yamaha menu and select auto calibration.

I am not a big fan of the YPAO. It does not always work correctly. But I have the tools to do a manual setup. And I have the experience to know when it has not done the calibration properly.

If you want the system to sound the best that it can be, you might need to find help locally or maybe read this entire section while you wait on your delivery:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=824554

Of course if you want to pay the airfare I can become available. ;)

tomtoo

12-16-09, 02:23 PM

I would have to decline, as I suspect you are not a 5'8" blonde bombshell. If I am incorrect, please advise

pbc

12-19-09, 08:40 AM

Are there any other reviews with measurements of performance other than the Secrets review? It seems to show distortion at 100db of over 10% from about 25hz downwards. Maybe that's just the case with most sealed subs (I see the JLF113 had around 12% at 20hz, and the Sub25 less than 10%) but was curious how audible that would be. I currently run my PB13 in 15hz tune which seems to provide much more output with distortion well under 10% even at 15hz if I recall. But was looking to possibly sell that and add dual sealed subs so I can put them up front in my family room theater (about 1700sqft, not a sealed room) and place my Paradigm Sig S2's on top of each sub (as if I stand moun them I can't put subs up front and need to keep it nearfield as I have now which for me isn't optimal due to a null I have in the subs current location).

I recall reading in this thread that dual ULS's would be "equal" in output to one Submersive, but was wondering if that output was at the expense of distortion higher than 10% and where/who measured this? Maybe duals would lower this distortion somewhat I assume.

Somewhat shocked that there are only 5 pages on this ULS 15 sub (and not really that many on the HSU forums either)? Curious as to why that is?

hometheatergeek

12-19-09, 10:11 AM

Hi PBC

Here is Pete, who works for HSU response to the distortion in question from the HSU Forum:

I'd like to thank Ross Jones and Dr. John Johnson for the great review on the ULS-15 and HB-1 MK2/HC-1 MK2.

Some of you may be wondering why THD was 15% @ 20Hz @ 100db with mic 1 ft away from the cone. In Dr. Johnson's room, at the location where the ULS was placed, notice from the frequency response graph at 1 ft distance that there is a deep bass suckout where 20Hz is 6db down vs 60Hz. This inflates the 3rd order harmonic with a 20Hz test tone, which is what caused THD to be relatively high at that frequency. With outdoor measurements, the ULS would be no more than 1-2db down at 20Hz compared to 60Hz.

In our own demo room, where we don't have a deep bass suckout, THD @ 1ft from the ULS-15 was actually less than 5% @ 20Hz.

So the moral of the story is to use some caution when comparing results from one room to another or to outdoor measurements. In fact, even a small change in position within a given room will mean that data cannot be easily compared between one sub and another. For example, the ULS must be in a different location than the JL subs that Dr. Johnson measured, because there is not a prounced 45Hz suckout on the frequency response graph at 2m distance with the ULS.

P.S.: Even if not directly comparable due to potential differences in positioning, the THD measured from 25-50Hz @ 100db @ 1ft was even less on the ULS-15 compared to the F113 (note that 25-50Hz data is not shown in the review). Also, the frequency response is much more extended than the F113 too.
__________________
Pete - Hsu Research

Regarding your other question:

Somewhat shocked that there are only 5 pages on this ULS 15 sub (and not really that many on the HSU forums either)? Curious as to why that is?

Two reasons really, they are expensive,:eek: therefore most ppl are hesitant to spend that much money on subwoofers. And 2 we are having so much fun with our subs that we don't post much. :cool:

I have probably been the most vocal on the merits of these subs. I used to do Ht installs and to me these are some of the best sounding accurate subs I've heard to date. You have probably read the reasons why I went with the HSu over the SubM, so I won't spend time here.

One last thing I would like to add is most of the customers who have bought these subs are not the type of ppl to post on any forum.

If I was you I would try the Dual Drive before selling the Ultra. Hsu does offers a 30 day trial and I would not want you to get the DD and then not be completely happy. You would be going from a ported to a sealed design and as you know they will sound different. Would that be an option? I have no doubt that if you do like them the Ultra would not be up for sale very long.

Hope this helped. :)

pbc

12-19-09, 10:29 AM

hometheatergeek

12-19-09, 11:17 AM

Did HSU write/respond directly to Secrets? I'm somewhat shocked that JEJ would not have mentioned that response in his review. It's the only review I know of that posts measurements of this sub for THD. So most people like myself would simply compare the various JEJ reviews (as he says they're all done in the same rooms/spot and the same way) to get some sense regarding max output at 10% THD. I'm sure he'd post a followup or response from HSU to the review. HSU should really consider this. Especially given how other subs JEJ is measuring in that room have not seem to have this "suck out".

As for Pete's response re: less than 5% at 20hz, was this too at 100db?

I do not know the answer, maybe Pete will be by to answer that question or you could PM him.

Unfortunately I live in Toronto so the 30 day trial is out of the question given the costs of shipping. I think the previous page mentions $3,000 landed for dual ULS-15's, so shipping/brokerage duties would likely be upwards of $300 to $500 in that.

That does make a difference on doing a trial.

Still surprised at the lack of ownership on AVS and other HT forums. An ID company's best marketing is these forums and HSU seems to have fallen off the face of the map it seems which is unfortunate. The ULS is less expensive than the PB13 and several other options that are available and much more talked about for some reason. If these subs perform as some say they do one would think given the size factor these would be discussed at length and have hundreds of owners talking about their merits, especially on this and other similar forums. Hmmm.

With your assumption that there is a lack of ownership how does HSU stay in business?

Hsu marketing is probably more magazine based. I have seen their ads in Home Theater and Widescreen Review. I believe they cater more to the HT installation business. That is why I said One last thing I would like to add is most of the customers who have bought these subs are not the type of ppl to post on any forum.

As you say there is not alot of postings of their merits but I can say I have never seen a post from anyone who was disappointed with the performance and sell them to get something else. It was one of the reasons that convinced me to buy a Dual Drive system.

When I said expensive I meant when you buy a Dual Drive system or Quad. Unless a single is placed in a small sealed room you really need to get at least a Dual Drive system to get the benefit of output.

Bone215

12-19-09, 03:23 PM

shadyJ

12-19-09, 04:05 PM

I don't think anyone will be able to field that question because no one who owns a PB13 is going to run it in sealed mode. You don't gain much, but you lose a lot. I don't think that sub was ever seriously intended to be used in sealed mode. I would expect the ULS-15 to have much greater performance in every respect to a sealed PB13.
Also, regarding the above discussion concerning distortion, I would expect the ULS-15 to have much less distortion than say another comparative sealed 15" sub, because of the XBL^2 technology (http://www.adireaudio.com/Files/XBL2DetailsPaper.pdf) being employed, so I would tend to believe Pete's figures over that of the publication. XBL^2 is a very highly-regarded (http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/4/151628.html) motor design.

pbc

12-19-09, 04:34 PM

So how would these two subs compare, one HSU and one SVS PB 13 ultra in sealed mode? Sound similar, any distinct advantage between one and the other?
I am presently using the SVS (one) and must admit I am intrigued with dual HSU, but just curious about sound quality etc. The SVS is rather large and having two of them in the room would be a stretch, two of the HSU might fit better.
My preferences are clean low distortion accurate. I listen to jazz, classical, electronic and watch blue ray movies at about 50%-50% ratio.
Thank you.
Happy Holidays.

I think in sealed mode the HSU would outperform the SVS for sure, but would love to see some measurements. As you can see here, above 20hz in sealed mode the PB13 is pretty impressive.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/subwoofer-tests-archived/5748-cea-2010-standard-compilation.html

It seems to beat out the HSU VTF-3 HO subwoofer almost right across the range in terms of clean output.

Darn I wish Ilkka was still doing these.

mojomike

12-19-09, 05:37 PM

The PB13 in sealed mode and the ULS-15 will sound fairly different. The ULS is internally eq'd for anechoic flatness down to 15hz while the PB13 is not and is allowed to naturally rolloff at 12db/octave, similar to the Submersive. Also like the Submersive, it would depend on the sort of room gain you get in a sealed room to give a flat response down into the teens.

The sub that should be most comparable to the ULS-15 would most likely be a Rythmik 15.

t6902wf

12-20-09, 10:32 AM

So how would these two subs compare, one HSU and one SVS PB 13 ultra in sealed mode? Sound similar, any distinct advantage between one and the other?
I am presently using the SVS (one) and must admit I am intrigued with dual HSU, but just curious about sound quality etc. The SVS is rather large and having two of them in the room would be a stretch, two of the HSU might fit better.
My preferences are clean low distortion accurate. I listen to jazz, classical, electronic and watch blue ray movies at about 50%-50% ratio.
Thank you.
Happy Holidays.

I have the dual drive and the best thing I can say is that with music you don't hear it them it just blends in. With home theater it has great impact.

pbc

12-20-09, 12:59 PM

Bone215

12-21-09, 07:25 PM

It sounds like the HSU is quite a nice set up. I have tried my SVS in all modes and recently have been running it sealed. My room is only 1900 cubic feet, but opens to the kitchen. All of the different settings on the SVS make the sub sound different. I am surprised at the deep base from the sealed mode. Must be room gain.
I can't imaging how nice it might be to have either dual HSU or dual SVS ultras.
Thanks for the input, I wasn't trying to veer this thread off course. I will go back to lurking.
Happy Holidays everyone.

mojomike

12-21-09, 08:24 PM

Doesn't EQ'ing typically add distortion?

As for the Rythmik, too bad they don't have nicer boxes/finishes. Surprised it would compare that well to the HSU given the significant amp difference.

Eq'ing doesn't literally add distortion, but if the deep bass is boosted, it eats up headroom when those boosted frequencies are played. The higher excursions needed to play those frequencies at high volume can result in distortion as the woofer or amp reaches it's limits. Nevertheless, almost all sealed subs are eq'ed to some extent or another. If not, most would show a rolloff under 40 or 50hz at a 12db/octave slope.

As far as HSU vs Rythmik, the amp differences are not really that much. The 1000w HSU rating is a short-term output rating. It's actually continuous output is 500w vs Rythmik's 370w.

pbc

12-22-09, 08:52 AM

Eq'ing doesn't literally add distortion, but if the deep bass is boosted, it eats up headroom when those boosted frequencies are played. The higher excursions needed to play those frequencies at high volume can result in distortion as the woofer or amp reaches it's limits. Nevertheless, almost all sealed subs are eq'ed to some extent or another. If not, most would show a rolloff under 40 or 50hz at a 12db/octave slope.

As far as HSU vs Rythmik, the amp differences are not really that much. The 1000w HSU rating is a short-term output rating. It's actually continuous output is 500w vs Rythmik's 370w.

Interesting. Given the amp rating and box size, there must be a considerable use of EQ below 30ish hz. I'd definitely be interested in seeing subjective measurements of this sub as I find a hard time believing the claims of 20hz and 100db at 5% THD. Based on the results of the Shacks' review and looking at the F113 (larger enclosure, one of the best drivers in the business, and some serious amp power), I highly doubt the ULS would come that close to it, or for that matter, the much larger PB13 in sealed mode which also scored incredibly well.

My search goes on!! Argh! Maybe in this box size I simply need to seriously compromise on the clean output down low, or stick with the one PB13 until I see how the new sealed offerings perform.

hometheatergeek

12-22-09, 09:49 AM

pbc

12-22-09, 11:48 AM

I really think that you should call HSU and ask for Pete. He is the best person to answer all of your doubts, because the Walnut version of the ULS-15 would look great flanking your credenza. BTW nice system you have.

All of the other reviewers of this sub claim "high output and low distortion." In my room I do not detect a large amount of distortion. If these subs would have the distortion you believe they have then my wife would have no part of them being in my family room. Instead, she now uses the system more then she use to when I only had the Velodynes.

It appears to me that you are trying hard to talk yourself out of the ULS-15 DD because you live in Canada. That is understandable. I would be hesitant also.

Good luck in your research.

Honestly, if I could simply purchase them and return them if I found they didn't perform as well as I thought they would "free of shipping", then I'd likely do it.

But all I can find is objective data/opinions on the sub, and I'm not one to simply take what a manufacturer tells me without a grain (or several) of salt. Heck, if I did that I'd have a Bose surround system. :D I.e., as I do more and more research into subs I simply can't see how the HSU would outperform the PB13 in sealed mode. But one poster does comment "I would expect the ULS-15 to have much greater performance in every respect to a sealed PB13". Or how duals would compare favorably to a single Seaton. Again, both could be true, but without subjective data, for me spending $3k on a few comments that aren't backed by measurements showing CEA2010 limits, GP Measurements/THD, etc. Owner comments all sound great, but I haven't seen any comments from people going from a F113 to a ULS15 or a PB13 to a ULS15 (or vice versa). Pete did email me and mentioned that the sub could do 20hz at 100db at 5% distortion in "their demo room".

I still recall when I tried my brothers old Mirage 12" 150 watt amp sub in my room I thought it was great. Then I went to a Mirage OM200 (dual 8") and thought it was incredible and tough to do better and most reviews I mentioned how incredibly low distortion it put out (never really mentioning what SPL/frequencies, etc), and then went to a PB13 which again was a huge step over the OM200 and I further understood what "low distortion" meant vs. "low distorion at very low frequencies at high SPLs" and this time it was actually backed up by subjective data. Just want to make sure I'm not taking a step backward and spending CDN$3k or more in doing so.

In any event, I feel like I'm hijacking the thread and don't want to detract it any further. Just wish all manufacturers would have the guts to send their woofs to a common testing facility (anechoic chamber perhaps) for testing and provide that data as my guess is they all do it anyhow. But then, none of them do.

Maybe forums like this just cause more paranoia with all HT purchases than they're worth. I recall going through the same thing when I was debating the PB13 vs. the HO vs. whatever else I was looking at at the time!! Stupid AVS. ;)

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

12-22-09, 12:23 PM

Just wish all manufacturers would have the guts to send their woofs to a common testing facility (anechoic chamber perhaps) for testing and provide that data as my guess is they all do it anyhow. But then, none of them do.

From a business perspective, there is probably no benefit for any manufacturer to do that.

Also, consider that your area will not be an anechoic chamber and the wild card in any setup will be the room and its effect it will have on what you hear and measure.

Maybe forums like this just cause more paranoia with all HT purchases than they're worth.

Yes.

Good luck in your search and Happy Holidays.

Kimwyn

12-31-09, 07:17 AM

whats does the SPL vs Freq graph for the dual drive ULS 15 look like? does anyone in here know or has it?

hometheatergeek

12-31-09, 08:43 AM

Here is one graph I found:

I did not have enough time to play with this but here is what I measured.
I may have had Audyssey enabled, not sure. Based on my experience it was not because it was cutting output below 14Hz.

This was -6 MV my normal listening level is -10. Beyond this level I "become concerned"

I have measured 114 db peaks in WOW, Master and commander at -10 MV.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/464582272_xsfMK-L.jpg

sethhobrin

12-31-09, 01:07 PM

hometheatergeek

12-31-09, 01:26 PM

since there has been a flurry of activity here and on the HSU forums regarding the ULS15 i just had to stop by and say the 2 ULS 15s that I bought in September are still performing amazingly. I upgraded to dualdrive from a single VTF3.3.

The walnut finish is BEAUTIFUL and is what allowed my wife to approve :)

Hey Seth,

We need a little more of a review then that from you. Maybe when you get time you could post your impressions of the DD system and maybe a couple of pics of the subs. What has been the best movie experience you have had since buying the DD? Do you find yourself or even your wife listening to music more?

As Dr Evil would say "throw me a frickin bone here". :cool:

sethhobrin

12-31-09, 02:01 PM

Hey Seth,

We need a little more of a review then that from you. Maybe when you get time you could post your impressions of the DD system and maybe a couple of pics of the subs. What has been the best movie experience you have had since buying the DD? Do you find yourself or even your wife listening to music more?

As Dr Evil would say "throw me a frickin bone here". :cool:

I'll try and come back with some pics. Honestly I bought these when I moved in to a new house from a small apartment. The new house is open concept so the dual drive system is open to many rooms. Layout issues prevent me from placing them in optimal locations. SO I am not getting the performance I was hoping for but I am at least not feeling like I lost something. I am certain if these were places in a non open concept room that they would bring the walls down.

Transformers and Terminator Salvation are the best movies I have seen so far bass wise but I think you all know that :)

We don't listen to music(other than ipods). We use the system for 100% HT.

Rpresner

12-31-09, 03:15 PM

I'll try and come back with some pics. Honestly I bought these when I moved in to a new house from a small apartment. The new house is open concept so the dual drive system is open to many rooms. Layout issues prevent me from placing them in optimal locations. SO I am not getting the performance I was hoping for but I am at least not feeling like I lost something. I am certain if these were places in a non open concept room that they would bring the walls down.

Transformers and Terminator Salvation are the best movies I have seen so far bass wise but I think you all know that :)

We don't listen to music(other than ipods). We use the system for 100% HT.

Have you tried that movie "9" with your system yet. I watched it not expecting much from the soundtrack but WOW....i actually thought in some parts it hit harder than terminator salvation. I only have dual vtf 2-mk3's and it shakes my house(or townhome, which is the reason I cant get more powerful/bigger subs) I actually had to put gamma boards under them because it is quite wall shaking. I need a single home god d***it

Kimwyn

01-01-10, 10:09 AM

i am really thinking and rethinking getting these subs. the reason is i live in an apartment and there is someone below my apt, and all i keep hearing is how these shake the walls. in all honest opinion, should i judt wait until i move into my own home (which should be this time next year) or is it still feasible to get these subs now?

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

01-01-10, 10:40 AM

hjones

01-01-10, 11:51 AM

hhawk

01-01-10, 05:21 PM

I see where the ULSs were on sale last summer. Does anyone know how often HSU rotates the subs on sale? I see the lower models are on sale now and was wondering when the ULSs would be reduced again. (I know this is akin to if you have to ask, you can't afford it.)

hometheatergeek

01-01-10, 05:37 PM

Ask away hhawk,

They have only been on sale twice so far since being introduced. They have only been reduced by $100 for the Satin Black, none on the better wood veneers. There is a built in reduction in price if you buy mutiples. Save your money and get at least a Dual Drive. ;)

hhawk

01-01-10, 07:12 PM

Ask away hhawk,

They have only been on sell twice so far since being introduced. They have only been reduced by $100 for the Satin Black, none on the better wood veneers. There is a built in reduction in price if you buy mutiples. Save your money and get at least a Dual Drive. ;)

Thanks for the info. Love the idea of the non ported model but checkbook says goes for the biggest model now on sale.

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

01-01-10, 10:01 PM

They have only been reduced by $100 for the Satin Black, none on the better wood veneers.

The Luxury Finishes were discounted last June.

hometheatergeek

01-02-10, 06:31 AM

The Luxury Finishes were discounted last June.

Oops. Age + canadian whiskey = :confused: memory

I will blame it on the holidays. http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/smiley-faces-78.gif

sethhobrin

01-03-10, 11:12 AM

hometheatergeek

01-03-10, 04:19 PM

I recalibrated and moved one of the subs from the front(used to be where the HTPC is now) to the side of the room kind of in the arch between the tv room and the fireplace room.

I also changed the phase of the sub in the arch of the rooms to 180 and that immediately made a HUGE difference. My bass is back and its rocking the whole first floor :) What a difference moving the sub and chaning the phase made.(the phase change made the greatest improvement) Terminator salvation was crazy.

That sounds more like it. The new placement must now be helping some nulls you had with the other placement. I guess you got the wireless feature to work which is also a plus in your case. Nice place you have there. :)

tomtoo

01-05-10, 09:25 AM

So I have my dual drive installed, and got it sounding great at louder movie levels (ie - ironman, terminator...). My only question left is whether I am getting the kind of bass I should expect from TV viewing. It is obviously less bass, but would a ported system (like Ultras.....etc) give me greater OVERALL performance that I would really want or need for movies and TV? (or just muddy up things and give me sloppy boomy noises at incorrect times) Tough for me to tell because I have no comparison. Bottom line is - would I really see a major difference in performance with Ultras or similar or not in my 16x20x10 room? If you could share your experiences where you have experimented with both sub approaches (big ported vs. tight sealed) I would appreciate it.

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

01-05-10, 11:48 AM

...is whether I am getting the kind of bass I should expect from TV viewing. It is obviously less bass...

It's not a sealed vs. ported issue. It's really more to do with the source material.

tomtoo

01-05-10, 11:51 AM

hometheatergeek

01-05-10, 12:08 PM

I will answer the first part of your question. Any sub will only play the signal presented to it. DVD and Blu-ray discs have less compression in their audio then broadcast TV. There is less bass present on TV because of the compression they use to fit all those channels on cable or satellite. Try this for me, without changing your settings play some Food Channel material. They actually have alot of bass in their signal. You will see what I mean about how much bass is in a particular signal. I also find there is different bass levels even on the digital music channels.

If you like what you hear from the Food channel and you have an AVR that has memory settings abilities, you can then increase the sub channel setting in the AVR louder when you have the TV input selected and a different setting when you watch a movie.

It does take some getting use to accurate subs. They are not like car audio subs. They have a more refine sound.

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

01-05-10, 12:15 PM

So should I resign myself to fact that I will only really appreciate the impact of these subs with blue ray movies and maybe a little from television if decent feed from direct tv? If so, I can relax and learn to live with my duals in an imperfect world.

My advice would be to resign yourself to the fact that not all sources or source materials are created equal. It would be an unreasonable expectation to compare the impact from Terminator Salvation on Blu-ray to Judge Judy via satellite. The configuration of your source and its connection as well as your receiver and its configuration will add a mixed-bag of variables for you to sort through.

Enjoy!

bsoko2

01-05-10, 12:20 PM

This is odd because I have ported subs and I get the same from TV as from BluRay.

Bill

JackOften

01-05-10, 12:34 PM

So should I resign myself to fact that I will only really appreciate the impact of these subs with blue ray movies and maybe a little from television if decent feed from direct tv? If so, I can relax and learn to live with my duals in an imperfect world.

I've got Directv also... as someone else above mentions it really depends on the channel. 'Slumdog Millionaire' on DTV (if you have premium channels) really sends my room into a (good) sub frenzy, more than nearly every blu-ray i have.

This really doens't have much to do with the sub. Check to see if your receiver has the ability to change audio settings depending on source. For example I have an Onkyo tx-sr876 and I have DirecTV input source set to play +2db's higher than my blu-ray source, since DirecTV usually sounds flat to me. Some receivers allow you adjust bass/equalization per input... depends on what you have.

tomtoo

01-05-10, 12:43 PM

so you guys only appreciate these subs with limited source materials as well? that's good to hear, as misery loves company

hometheatergeek

01-05-10, 01:06 PM

so you guys only appreciate these subs with limited source materials as well? that's good to hear, as misery loves company

That's not true Tomtoo. My system sounds great on all sources which include TV, Blu-ray, DVD, cassette player, turntable or network file server.

Did you just run the AVR Auto setup and left it at that and have not fine tuned it yet? If so it is not completely calibrated yet. You need to read some more articles that are available here on this and other forums to help you learn all of the different ways to calibrate a system. Or as I told you before you need to find someone locallly that knows how to do a calibration.

JackOften

01-05-10, 01:15 PM

so you guys only appreciate these subs with limited source materials as well? that's good to hear, as misery loves company

I'll be honest. I'm not sure what you're looking for. You've told us that the sub sounds good with blu-ray content. Obviously the limitation isn't with the sub.

This is similar to owning a porsche and coming in here complaning that the car is a smooth ride on the highway, but the car sucks because it feels like crap over potholes and dirt roads.

tomtoo

01-05-10, 01:35 PM

hometheatergeek

01-05-10, 01:54 PM

JackOften

01-05-10, 02:02 PM

Ported subs are *generally* louder. Sealed = lower

Have you tried working with your phase and trim settings? Dual Drive... right? What size room?

An Integra 8.9 instead of the Yamaha may fix the issues as well (same price range).

tomtoo

01-05-10, 02:30 PM

hjones

01-05-10, 02:39 PM

Well Mr. Jackoften, I was looking for confirmation that I am not missing anything with sealed subs that ported might resolve - but it sounds like no from what I've heard. I was looking to know that I should stick with what I have before my 30days runs out to return, giving me time later to fix all the complaints I have. Most of all, I think there is something wrong my new rx-v3900 receiver as it takes setting the gain on sub to plus 8 and all other speakers to around minus 6 or 7 when it auto calibrates to get the sub to play loud and play right with my system. These are problems that seem to present a significant impediment to me making an informed decision about my new subs. I was just looking for confirmation that I bought the right subs......

Nothing wrong with setting the sub's gain (volume) controls to 2 o'clock or so if you want the receiver's levels to match more evenly. I suspect that the 11 setting from Hsu is intended to be a starting point so that the subs are not too loud when first set up.

Note that if you have any hum pickup from your sub cable to the receiver, setting the sub's control higher will make the hum louder.

My quad ULS-15s are all set at about 2 o'clock, but that is because I am driving all 4 from one sub output from my receiver.

What the receiver sets each speaker level to is rather ambiguous anyway. The goal is for the levels to be matched. With that in mind, a ported will not be louder than a sealed if the volume is matched. It may sound louder due to port noise, difference in frequency response or boominess, but in reality it will not.

As to which will actually PLAY louder - there are many variables that are independent of enclosure design, such as amp power, efficiency of the sub's driver (speaker) itself, whether the sub's amp has volume limiting (to prevent distortion) etc.

hometheatergeek

01-05-10, 02:43 PM

My duals are set at recommended 11oclock/second notch setting. I suspect there is some problem with a muting transistor or something else in the sub preout area of receiver that would cause me to have such a severe auto calibration result - I'm just happy it sounds decent now. I played with the phase on subs, but not phase settings on receiver.

Ok that is right with the volume.

Next question: Have you checked the crossover toggle switch on the sub? It should be set to OUT. Please confirm and post back your findings. Because I want to help you as best I can over the internet if possible.

After that we can check some settings on the AVR. Is that OK with you?

tomtoo

01-05-10, 02:46 PM

tomtoo

01-05-10, 02:48 PM

x overs both set to OUT. At work now - will have to wait till later tonite to mess with this stuff

hometheatergeek

01-05-10, 02:55 PM

That's good to hear. I will try knocking subs up toward 12:00 spot and tweak a little more. Then maybe hsu can get my wireless working (one sub will not light up to recognize wireless transmitter).... damn this hobby

x overs both set to OUT. At work now - will have to wait till later tonite to mess with this stuff

Your on the wrong forum if you are going to "damn this hobby" LOL
This is the best part of the hobby besides hunting for the next best thing to purchase. So Buck Up You Hear!

I will check the forum after seven tonight or send me a PM with your phone number and I can call if you like. And just to let you know I had to help another forum member called vivid with his calibration. He is local to me. Dual subs are alot harder to configure than one sub so hang in there. :cool:

tomtoo

01-05-10, 03:08 PM

hjones

01-05-10, 03:40 PM

Thanks - I will see what I can get to tonite. For HJONES, I looked pictures of your setup - and you commented on the distance between subs and wavelength in a prior thread. Are you guys all engineers or something? Is there an ideal distance you have discovered that I should try? Thanks

Yep, I are an engineer:). The biggest factor, tho, is that I have been tinkering with this stuff for 49 years! Built my first stereo from a Knight Kit when I was 11. 11 + 49 = 60... I are getting old:D

The discussion about distance related to obtaining acoustic coupling between the subs, and related to gain from corner placement. Two subs side by side gives a 6 db gain in volume due to acoustic coupling. Putting a sub in a room corner gives a 6 db gain over being out in the middle of the room.

What I was trying to determine is how far away the subs can be from each other and still get the coupling. There was another factor in play here, related to smoothing out freq response by having the subs spread out (evening out of room modes). What I learned is that the subs can be 1/4th to 1/8th wavelength apart and still get the benefits of acoustic coupling. Same for distance away from the room corner.

When you REALLY get serious about this stuff :) you will fill your room with bass traps and be in bass nirvana. Then, everyone that enters your room will look at you really strangely;) Went thru that with my brother over Christmas. Then I played the car chase scene at the first of Quantum of Solace at reference level and he understood...

hometheatergeek

01-05-10, 03:47 PM

Long time no see Mr. Jones. I'll be in Birmingham next week Monday through Wednesday. Maybe you can pick me up from the Sheraton Hotel next to the Convention Cnter and take me to your cave.

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

01-09-10, 01:03 PM

Hsu ULS-15 (http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/clearance.html)

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/ULS15Maple-big.jpg

hometheatergeek

01-14-10, 05:17 PM

Well I want to give hjones a huge Thank You for your southern hospitality.

In case you other readers didn't know, Harry picked me up from the Sheraton hotel in downtown Birmingham and took me to his wonderful home. I first had to play with his new puppy. Yes dogs take precedent. Then it was off to his HT room.

Well all I can say is WOW. Seeing four Klipschorns in that room was a sight to behold. Then of course sitting in front of the front speakers like pawns in a chess game were the four ULS-15s. A Quad Drive in Walnut sitting there just waiting to be abused. Well Of course Harry obliged.

We started out listening to some of the Chris Botti Bluray and some of the Stevie Wonder Bluray. Along with the DVD of the Eagles "Farewell Tour 1".
Well all I got to say is JUST DAMN. Imagine if you will sitting inside a very large set of headphones where the iindividual instruments are scattered around a 360 degree circle. And then throw in the bass from the Hsus and you would never need to go to a live concert again. His system can easily hit 130 dbs without any hint of running out of steam.

We then moved on to some movie demos. We started with the first scene from the Quantum of Solace. When that was over I had to take the time to remove the glass and the bullets from my body. That was how intense it was. We watch a couple of other movies then I showed him the scene from Transformers where the helicopter flys into the air base. Then of course I had to show him the Ironhide flip near the end of the movie at least three time. We both had the same response, grinning and giggling like little boys who just got away with something.

I forgot that you hadn't seen it before Harry, so when are you going to add this to your collection?

Unfortunately we ran out of time and I was unable to hear my copy of Terminator Salvation. But in May I might get the chance when I have to return to Birmingham.

In closing like you predicted Harry, once my Velodynes die I will have to get a couple more of these extraordinary subwoofers. I hope that Hsu does not discontinue this model unless they get a hankering to build an 18 incher. Hint Hint. :)

Kimwyn

01-28-10, 08:44 PM

hey, thats great testimony but unfortunately, i am moving (due to some very unfortunate circumstances) and will no longer be able to get these subs cause the room is WWWWAAAAYYYYY too small (15' x 10'). i was actually pairing the dual drive with the Paradigm Studio 100s but that idea is through the door until later (probably very later). but until then i guess i will have to listen to testimonies like these.

P.S dont you guys find that this thread moves extremely slow?????

hometheatergeek

02-14-10, 08:18 PM

Rosenut and walnut versions of the ULS-15s are 200 dollars off right now.

http://www.hsuresearch.com/images/ulsRnWnt200off.gif

hmmmmmm Might have to call Pete tomorrow morning. :D

Rayjr

02-15-10, 07:17 PM

cocobeli

02-15-10, 08:12 PM

hjones

02-16-10, 06:01 AM

Hjones,
Nice to hear that you are putting the quad drive to good use :)
Find there limit yet ? :D

RayJr

I need to ask Pete for a comission, especially if the 'geek buys another pair:)

We have a new puppy who is terrified of those subs. She has to be in my laps when I am in the HT, so it is rare for me to give the subs a proper excercise:D

hjones

02-16-10, 06:03 AM

What are you all doing for feet on the ULS-15s? Are you sticking with those stock brass spikes? I know we want the beasties planted firmly on the floor, but it can sure be hard to shift the boxes come cleaning day.

Mine were not brass; they are rubber and they hold in place (on carpet) very well. One thing I noticed when I first got them - black marks from the feet on the carpet when I moved them. Not sure if that is common, but it happened on all 4 of mine.

Dan Woodruff

02-16-10, 09:03 AM

Mine were not brass; they are rubber and they hold in place (on carpet) very well. One thing I noticed when I first got them - black marks from the feet on the carpet when I moved them. Not sure if that is common, but it happened on all 4 of mine.

The brass spikes are not stock, at least not with all finishes. I have a set of spikes for each of mine and I agree that moving a ULS-15 with spikes installed can be a bit tricky. Since mine are on carpet, I make sure I clean around the sub (I don't want to scratch the finish) before moving it, then I carefully turn it on its side. If you have the black lacquer finish, you may want to lay a quilt down before moving your sub.

jaeelarr

02-16-10, 02:43 PM

It's not a sealed vs. ported issue. It's really more to do with the source material.

I can certainly attest to this.

I got my Outlaw Audio sub (which is bascially an HSU) and plugged it in, hoping to get a much louder thud than my last two subs that didnt go nearly as low. Well, I was a bit disappointed when watching House. I figured "wait until I get my 2nd sub, then I will judge". I also noticed that while playing GOW II, there was much thud either.

Well, I slapped Silent Hill on BD last night and OH MY GOD. I literally had the couch shaking...and the sub is 11 ft away. In fact, it was actually TOO loud (i live in an apartment).

SO yes, source material DOES mean a lot.

Jrunr

02-23-10, 09:03 AM

I have to admit, I do love the deep bass these put out. In my room it is definitely impressive. I even really like how they sound for music with my PSB Syncrony One towers and I usually just play those full range.

I think I may need two more now... lol

(even though it does get quite annoying having to re-align all the pictures and art work on my walls after a good movie... ;)

Kimwyn

02-23-10, 12:23 PM

back on track and getting one of these babies.....cant wait!!!!

filcro1

02-25-10, 12:44 AM

cyberbri

02-25-10, 02:03 AM

Just ordered the HSU ULS-15. Looking foe any advice.

Will be using it with (6) Canton CT 1000's for HT with a Denon 4308IC and a Panasonic 80 BR and FLAC Music Server.

The Canton's got down to 20Hz for REAL!

What might be the best way to go? Let the Denon handle the show?

How will this sub work with speakers that go this low? The Sunfire was NOT up to the task.

The ULS-15 will be able to handle bass much better than the speakers and receiver, even though they may be very capable. Can the speakers and receiver do 105dB in the bass region?

Set the speakers to small and run a crossover of say 60~80Hz, whatever sounds best. There are lots of places online to read up on finding the best sub placement, phase settings, etc.

The speakers will still be handling all of the bass above that crossover point, and will be able to do so more efficiently if not trying to push 20Hz bass at 105dB in multiple channels in addition to 80-20KHz. Plus, the best place in the room to reproduce bass isn't necessarily going to be where the (left/right main) speakers are located.

Now, if you had outboard amps running those speakers instead of the receiver, and they really could do bass at that volume, then you could possibly run them as large and let the sub handle the LFE only.

filcro1

02-25-10, 10:10 AM

The ULS-15 will be able to handle bass much better than the speakers and receiver, even though they may be very capable. Can the speakers and receiver do 105dB in the bass region?

Set the speakers to small and run a crossover of say 60~80Hz, whatever sounds best. There are lots of places online to read up on finding the best sub placement, phase settings, etc.

The speakers will still be handling all of the bass above that crossover point, and will be able to do so more efficiently if not trying to push 20Hz bass at 105dB in multiple channels in addition to 80-20KHz. Plus, the best place in the room to reproduce bass isn't necessarily going to be where the (left/right main) speakers are located.

Now, if you had outboard amps running those speakers instead of the receiver, and they really could do bass at that volume, then you could possibly run them as large and let the sub handle the LFE only.

The AMP is about 140 watts per channel and the sub is rated at 500 watts.

Rolling off the bass from 7 speakers in the 20 to 60 range... won't that get muddy with one speaker (sub) handling the input? 60 to me is not very low. Would 20 to 40 not be better? Let the sub concentrate on the lower Freq's?

Would that be better?

GoCaboNow

02-25-10, 01:49 PM

cyberbri

02-25-10, 02:53 PM

The AMP is about 140 watts per channel and the sub is rated at 500 watts.

Rolling off the bass from 7 speakers in the 20 to 60 range... won't that get muddy with one speaker (sub) handling the input? 60 to me is not very low. Would 20 to 40 not be better? Let the sub concentrate on the lower Freq's?

Would that be better?

I wouldn't go lower than 40. You can experiment with different music and movie scenes (SPL level differences will be most apparent with bass-heavy movie scenes at high volume levels). 60 is still low, when you consider the amount of power and driver excursion goes up a lot as you go lower in frequency. A 15" driver is much more efficient at doing 40Hz or 60Hz, let alone 20Hz. Most of the power from the receiver will be going to drive the bass drivers at loud levels, so if you take some of that load off of them, you have less strain on the amp that can instead play cleaner and louder for the rest of the frequencies (and less chance of clipping), and you have less possibility for distortion from the speakers trying to play that deep bass. Just because your speakers may "play to 20Hz" doesn't mean they can play 20Hz at 100+dB like your sub can.

No, subs don't usually get muddy (or show distortion, which is probably what you're talking about) from playing bass from multiple channels. You're more likely to get muddy sound (bloat or boomy bass, "slow" bass because of boom/echo) from poor room acoustics, multiple speakers playing the same thing (like speakers set to large and playing the same bass with the sub),

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

02-25-10, 03:15 PM

I wouldn't go lower than 40. You can experiment with different music and movie scenes (SPL level differences will be most apparent with bass-heavy movie scenes at high volume levels). 60 is still low, when you consider the amount of power and driver excursion goes up a lot as you go lower in frequency. A 15" driver is much more efficient at doing 40Hz or 60Hz, let alone 20Hz. Most of the power from the receiver will be going to drive the bass drivers at loud levels, so if you take some of that load off of them, you have less strain on the amp that can instead play cleaner and louder for the rest of the frequencies (and less chance of clipping), and you have less possibility for distortion from the speakers trying to play that deep bass. Just because your speakers may "play to 20Hz" doesn't mean they can play 20Hz at 100+dB like your sub can.

No, subs don't usually get muddy (or show distortion, which is probably what you're talking about) from playing bass from multiple channels. You're more likely to get muddy sound (bloat or boomy bass, "slow" bass because of boom/echo) from poor room acoustics, multiple speakers playing the same thing (like speakers set to large and playing the same bass with the sub),

Another post right on the money -- good info.

filcro1

02-25-10, 04:16 PM

hometheatergeek

02-25-10, 08:05 PM

shadyJ

02-26-10, 12:12 AM

I haven't heard about any comparisons between the A7s-450 and ULS-15, but I did read about a comparison between the A7s and a Epik Dragon, another sealed 18", which favored the Dragon. I think I read that here, you might do a search in these forums to see that.

GoCaboNow

02-26-10, 12:05 PM

I do not think you will find that comparison here on this thread. But if you liked the sound of the sealed design you will really like the ULS-15 Dual Drive system. :)

Yeah, I am just trying to get as much comparison as I can. :) Oviously posting on the ULS thread expect pro ULS views but since these are both highly regarded sealed units in a similar price range I was hoping someone had experience with both.

hjones

02-26-10, 01:15 PM

I do not think you will find that comparison here on this thread. But if you liked the sound of the sealed design you will really like the ULS-15 Dual Drive system. :)

Kinda off topic, but there has been a lot of discussion over the years about localization of bass from subs relative to crossover point. Mine are crossed over at 80Hz.

Anyway, a couple of nights ago, I turned on my system and it sure seemed that the bass was coming from the left side of the room. I checked the pilot lights and the left pair was on but the right pair was not. Seems that I had accidently tripped the switch on the surge protector for the right pair when I was moving stuff around in a closet. I reset it and all was well again.

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

02-26-10, 01:16 PM

...Oviously posting on the ULS thread expect pro ULS views...

I don't recall coming across an unhappy Hsu sub owner with a negative impression of the ULS-15, here or across the internet. My impression is that this is applicable to their other products as well.

Hsu, eD, SVS, Epic -- and the rest of the ID best -- all make exceptional products. So, win/win for everyone.

Good luck and enjoy your selection process.

hometheatergeek

02-26-10, 03:13 PM

I'd have to agree with the Tango man. Alot of good choices available. But wink wink I still say you would like the ULS-15s. Only one forum member that I know of that went a different route. Everyone else seems to enjoy them immensely.

Right Harry, at least when you have them plugged in eh? ;)

hjones

02-26-10, 04:40 PM

Right Harry, at least when you have them plugged in eh? ;)

Yeah, gotta clean that closet out so that such a travesty won't ever happen again:)

filcro1

02-26-10, 07:40 PM

cocobeli

02-27-10, 02:15 AM

Everyone else seems to enjoy them immensely.

That’s sure me. When I got my original Hsu subs I felt at the time that I couldn’t think of anything I’d purchased for my hi-fi system that gave me less reason to look back and wonder if I’d made the right choice. My reaction to the Dual Drive has been déjà vu all over again. These things are just doggone awesome!

I did survey the field before buying and for me it boiled down to my previous great experience with Hsu Research, the continuing good reputation of the company and, in that same vein, the maturity of the company, that carried the decision. Buying these things unseen and, especially, unheard is a leap of faith but I genuinely feel my faith was well placed.

hometheatergeek

02-27-10, 06:30 AM

That’s sure me. When I got my original Hsu subs I felt at the time that I couldn’t think of anything I’d purchased for my hi-fi system that gave me less reason to look back and wonder if I’d made the right choice. My reaction to the Dual Drive has been déjà vu all over again. These things are just doggone awesome!

I did survey the field before buying and for me it boiled down to my previous great experience with Hsu Research, the continuing good reputation of the company and, in that same vein, the maturity of the company, that carried the decision. Buying these things unseen and, especially, unheard is a leap of faith but I genuinely feel my faith was well placed.

Hey Jed, nice to see you come back and visit us again. You don't come around much. Still having those "HOLY COW" moments aren't you? :D

cocobeli

02-27-10, 12:31 PM

Still having those "HOLY COW" moments aren't you? :D

Almost every day; the thrill is NOT gone. :D

lewdogg

02-27-10, 01:52 PM

I'm having trouble finding a high quality RCA single male to two RCA plugs for the wireless on the ULS-15. Has anyone got one they are happy with?

Thank you!

BJC makes great cables and they also sell y-adapters...scroll down to the bottom and you'll see them.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/subwoofer/index.htm

Also, great to see this board becoming more active. ;o) I know I haven't contributed with thoughts of my new-ish ULS-15 but it's always nice to see folks talking about them.

hometheatergeek

02-27-10, 03:27 PM

BJC makes great cables and they also sell y-adapters...scroll down to the bottom and you'll see them.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/subwoofer/index.htm

Also, great to see this board becoming more active. ;o) I know I haven't contributed with thoughts of my new-ish ULS-15 but it's always nice to see folks talking about them.

Wow two new members. Let's all welcome filcro1 (pending until March 2) and lewdogg, we already met but play along will you? Maybe we can convince GoCaboNow to join too.

Hi guys. Welcome to our little club here on AVS. Let's hear your impressions/reviews and of course PICS ASAP.

GoCaboNow

02-27-10, 10:18 PM

Wow two new members. Let's all welcome filcro1 (pending until March 2) and lewdogg, we already met but play along will you? Maybe we can convince GoCaboNow to join too.

Hi guys. Welcome to our little club here on AVS. Let's hear your impressions/reviews and of course PICS ASAP.

After installing the third warranty driver in my MFW15 - and it still bottoms in scenes from Transformers 2, Hellboy II and StarTrek that I tested it with today - I can tell you I will be looking for a bulletproof sub and the ULS15 is tops on my list - well two of them.

JackOften

02-27-10, 11:47 PM

After installing the third warranty driver in my MFW15 - and it still bottoms in scenes from Transformers 2, Hellboy II and StarTrek that I tested it with today - I can tell you I will be looking for a bulletproof sub and the ULS15 is tops on my list - well two of them.

Is there a bulletproof sub? Calibration, calibration...

Hellboy 2 has a hyperactive LFE channel and bottoms out my ULS-15 unless I highpass the sub at around 18 hz. I've talked other ULS owners who have also had bottoming out issues, especially in conjunction with Audessey.

shadyJ

02-28-10, 07:46 AM

hometheatergeek

02-28-10, 08:31 AM

After installing the third warranty driver in my MFW15 - and it still bottoms in scenes from Transformers 2, Hellboy II and StarTrek that I tested it with today - I can tell you I will be looking for a bulletproof sub and the ULS15 is tops on my list - well two of them.

Funny you said that. I just re-visited Transformers 2 yesterday afternoon. I thought I noticed a possible bottoming out during the scene where Megan Fox was leaning over Shia after he got hurt near the end of the movie. I replayed the scene and walked over to the left ULS-15 in the front of the room and sure enough the sub was running at full Xmax. I also was playing the scene at -5 from reference volume and was hitting 107 db in that scene. But I do not the think it was bottoming out. I have not notice any issues with Star Trek. I have only rented Hellboy II once so I can not recall having any problem with that one either.

Jack, is that with just one ULS-15 or have you heard anyone with a Dual or Quad drive system using Audyssey having issues?

Is there a bulletproof sub? Calibration, calibration...

Hellboy 2 has a hyperactive LFE channel and bottoms out my ULS-15 unless I highpass the sub at around 18 hz. I've talked other ULS owners who have also had bottoming out issues, especially in conjunction with Audessey.

These movies have intensive LFE moments and will push most subs very hard. When Widescreen Review Magazine reviews these types of movies, they will state: Bass response easily exceeds 25 Hz, at times, during intense action scenes. At full SPL the sound can be system threatening, and caution is advise during playback.

With that being said, the more subs you have, in my case 4, the less likelihood of this issue, since you do not have to run them as hard, ie lower sub volume setting on each sub. I have read other stories of a single Ultra, Seaton SubMs, alot of MFW's and other subs bottoming out also.

In my case I opted for the ULS-15s for there accurate ability to portray the nuances in music and having the ability to handle the output for movies at reasonable SPL levels. My take on all of this is unless you have a room which will allow you to install an IB system or build a Danely DTS-10 sub there will be some compromises.

Then again any of you could be like Harry Jones and install a Quad Drive in a 2050 feet^3 dedicated theater with bass traps all around and very large Klipschorns in all four corners, you would go deaf before you reach the limits of the subs. I was fortunate to experience it first hand while I was in Alabama earlier this year. :eek:

http://forum.hsuresearch.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1108&stc=1&d=1249589249

Or be like Audioguy who has 4 Submersives in his Rives design HT room with 7 foot tall Dunlavy SC-IVA's. I have only heard 2 SubMs so far. I have not been back since he went with four. :eek:

http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr7/audioguy123/IMG_1826.jpg

Hope this helps guys.

hometheatergeek

02-28-10, 08:36 AM

Perhaps Audyssey is really jacking up the LFE, but in my limited experience, Audyssey tends to underdo the LFE.

I think it has more to do with Audyssey's implementation of Dynamic EQ than anything else. IMO

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

03-01-10, 10:43 AM

I think it has more to do with Audyssey's implementation of Dynamic EQ than anything else. IMO

Bingo -- my opinion as well. Dynamic EQ is really meant to be utilized at lower listening volumes, especially with the wide dynamic range of uncompressed soundtracks (Blu-ray).

http://www.audyssey.com/technology/dynamiceq.html

Also, what Shady said.

GoCaboNow

03-01-10, 03:12 PM

Is there a bulletproof sub? Calibration, calibration...

Hellboy 2 has a hyperactive LFE channel and bottoms out my ULS-15 unless I highpass the sub at around 18 hz. I've talked other ULS owners who have also had bottoming out issues, especially in conjunction with Audessey.

Thank you all for your responses. How do you high pass your sub?

I am ordering a 20hz high pass fmod and curious if there is another way to set this?

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

03-01-10, 03:39 PM

Thank you all for your responses. How do you high pass your sub?

I am ordering a 20hz high pass fmod and curious if there is another way to set this?

You may have no need for an FMOD RCA high pass filter. You can adjust the Trim Control on the ULS-15 to roll off low frequencies.

Pete from Hsu says: (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=16848759&postcount=97)

filcro1

03-01-10, 04:22 PM

Bingo -- my opinion as well. Dynamic EQ is really meant to be utilized at lower listening volumes, especially with the wide dynamic range of uncompressed soundtracks (Blu-ray).

http://www.audyssey.com/technology/dynamiceq.html

Also, what Shady said.

I find Dynamic EQ to muddy things up. Quite often I'm taking it out. I find it adds a bit of reverb, over states the bass and makes voices harder to hear at times.

There are some things that benefit. MP3's that lack bass and some TV shows that lack bass also.

I get my ULS-15 tomorrow. If it's half as powerful as my Sunfire sub I'm replacing I'm sure it will feel tha same way.

My Denon allow the SUB to be set to LFE or to all channels + LFE.

I'm sure there will be may hours of tweaking! WHAT FUN!

filcro1

03-01-10, 04:28 PM

Wow two new members. Let's all welcome filcro1 (pending until March 2) and lewdogg, we already met but play along will you? Maybe we can convince GoCaboNow to join too.

Hi guys. Welcome to our little club here on AVS. Let's hear your impressions/reviews and of course PICS ASAP.

Thank you for the cable link for the wireless ULS-15. Nice stuff. Funny! I would have paid HSU for the wireless cable... Perhaps they should offer them???

hometheatergeek

03-01-10, 04:50 PM

Thats was actually lewdogg that gave you the link to the sub cable but if you want another choice:

Look here (http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=184-224)

WhskyTangoFoxtrt

03-01-10, 10:02 PM

Thank you for the cable link for the wireless ULS-15. Nice stuff. Funny! I would have paid HSU for the wireless cable... Perhaps they should offer them???

I had to do a double-take here. :)

rpr13

03-01-10, 10:44 PM

I'm stuck between the Velodyne Optimum 12 and the Hsu ULS-15. Any help from the experts???

shadyJ

03-02-10, 03:28 AM

The Velodyne would be a great sub, no doubt, but the ULS will go a lot deeper. Velodyne's onboard EQ is nice but most EQing will come from the receiver anyway, so that isn't such a big draw. It seems to me that the ULS is more about raw performance whereas the Velodyne has more of an emphasis on features. For home theater, the ULS is the clear winner in my opinion, however in a 2 channel setup in a system without bass management, the optimum will be at more of an advantage.

hjones

03-02-10, 06:08 AM

Funny! I would have paid HSU for the wireless cable...

Shhhhh... don't tell Noel Lee about those wireless cable thingys. Monster Cable would come out with a $200 version of it:D

tomtoo

03-02-10, 11:39 AM

I've had the ULS-15 Dual Drive for a couple months now. It is truly amazing with Blue Ray, and subtle enough with Directv broadcasts that it is an all around pleaser. My only complaint remains the wide selection of really poor low end bass signal in most television broadcasts - but that has nothing to do with the subs.

cacihome

03-02-10, 12:17 PM

Has anyone heard the A7S 450 and the HSU ULS 15?

I am looking for two subs to go in my 2700 sealed ht. I am thinking a sealed sub as the Aperion duel 12" that I heard demo'd in my room blew away my current MFW15 in tight bass and slam. Can anyone enlighten me how the A7S 450 compares to the hsu uls15?

Hi,

I actually have a ULS and the A7s-450 /LT1300...

They are very very different...Apples to oranges comparison here...:D

You can find my thoughts on the HSU forum and in the ED section as well!

http://forum.hsuresearch.com/showthread.php?t=21279&highlight=A7S-450

Post 4865:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15016586&highlight=#post15016586

Take care,

GoCaboNow

03-02-10, 02:31 PM

Hi,

I actually have a ULS and the A7s-450 /LT1300...

They are very very different...Apples to oranges comparison here...:D

You can find my thoughts on the HSU forum and in the ED section as well!

http://forum.hsuresearch.com/showthread.php?t=21279&highlight=A7S-450

Post 4865:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15016586&highlight=#post15016586

Take care,

Interesting read. That is what I was looking for.

triggernick

03-02-10, 10:20 PM

I really like the quality of sound that I'm reading about in these, but I'm having hesitations due to output. I have a 19x20 listening area with a 8 foot wall vaulted to 16 on the opposite side (which if i remember geometery correctly) would put me over 4000 ^3ft and to make it worse, its open to the kitchen and dining room and loft... (it's temporary until the basement is finished and I have a dedicated HT but that could be in a long time so I want it to do well where I will have it for the time being). All that being said, I'm slightly worried about the uls 15 (or even dual drive) being able to put out enough sound to get the desired effect.

I listen to a ton of music (one of the primary reasons for looking at this sub, and the wireless is attractive to me as well) and watch BluRays probably a 40/60 respectivly.

I would just hate to be underwhelmed with the dual drives if I could have gone for the pb 13 ultra and filled the room.

can I get a little assurance that the duals will rock socks in a L A R G E viewing/listening area?

rpr13

03-03-10, 01:09 AM

cocobeli

03-03-10, 02:59 AM

The main living area of our house consists of a 29 x 27 foot area divided with half as great/living room and half as dining/kitchen/entry. The ceiling in the living area is vaulted, 8 - 14 feet. A 15 foot septum wall divides the living area from the kitchen. Open doors at opposite ends of the main area communicate to the other areas of the house. I reckon that’s about 8000 cu. ft. in the main area.

I have a Dual Drive with one unit located in a far corner from the primary listening position while the other is located behind the listening position, about 6 feet off. Levels were roughed in using a Radio Shack sound level meter and the system was then Audyssey’d. The subs are running a bit hot (just ‘cause it’s fun). I have resisted running any curve on the subs; I swore, I swore, that this time I was gonna listen to the music (& movies) and not the gear.

Using a selection of movies picked for their bass content, I find I can hit volume levels as loud as I could wish and easily comparable to what I’ve experienced in theaters. I have never yet detected any signs of the subs bottoming or misbehaving in any fashion. It’s a little tougher on the music side of things, but recalling a performance of Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C minor (Organ Symphony) I heard live last spring, the Duals certainly seem to do full justice. I can’t make any sort of comparison with other current vintage subs, but I’m sure pleased with these.

On another note, I do agree with tomtoo that some of the broadcast bass can be wretched.