HSU HB-1 MK2 or SVS SCS-02M systems?

Having such a hard time deciding between the 2. I've loved Klipsch Refrence systems in the past, so I'm not against a horn loaded speaker at ALL.

The SVS SCS-02M setup looks nice, but for some reason i cannot stop thinking about the HSU offerings. I've read until my brain has melted and am looking for anyone that has experience with either/both.

HSU Enthusiast 3 setup or SVS SCS-02m (x2), SCS-02, and SSS-02(x2)

The price is pretty much a wash.

This price range is tough. 10 years ago if you were looking for "good sound" and then included "oh, i want to pay about 150 per driver" you were SOL.

IF you found a set that was even decent they were a clear winner.

Just placed an order for a Yamaha RX-A2000. That reciever seemed to meet where I felt comfortable with price and quality. I wanted the 3000 but couldn't figure out why, other than "it's the flagship model", and the Pio VSX-1021 was lacking a few key features...eventhough AirPlay was cool.

I don't disagree. Ended up having Newegg's weekend deal almostmatched at a cash price. (newegg was offering a 500 giftcard).

Years past when I developed ideas of how much to spend I was going by Retail pricing, and then picking up gear via Factory Accomidation (working @ various retail establishments). Today it's hard to say, "Well, I spent $950 on a $1500 reciever. Now lets set a budget of x(1500)*retail* for speakers."

My previous setup was Klipsch RF-62 II mains, RC-62 II center, RS-61 surr, RB-61 II Rear Surr, and a Phasetech Power 12. Retail was a bit north of 3k.

I happened on the SVS and HSU speaker setups after reading about their Sub's. The idea of an internet direct company was very appealing. I love the personal service, care in product and passion for sound. At first I reguarded their "full range" packages as weak attmepts to provide HTIB solutions, but was suprised at the reviews these LOW PRICED speakers were getting.

It's tough to know where ID pricing is comparable to Retail products (on paper).

Along this line of thinking, I picked up the Yamaha A2000 over the Pioneer 1021 because -I- Feel like buying anything retail @ full Pop is a bad idea...after getting factory accomidation it's tough to pay retail. Sumiko annually gave 75% off to their entire imported line (that's 2500 for a pair of VA Mahler's). Ok, that and I wanted the second HDMI output, pre amp outs, Zone remote (for that house that's a year off) and I dont think i'm going to "run out of reciever" anytime soon. The "previous" system I mentioned was origionally run with a Denon 3801, a Pioneer Elite 37tx, and currently a Pioneer vsx-1018. The 1018 does a good job with movies, but doesn't make music sound like it used to :-(.

I'd rather have the headroom, future expandability, and that 1 extra HDMI output...and a $400 dollar bump dind't seem to bad.

Back to the speakers though - My thoughts are that these ID speakers may just be worth a listen. If not, I can wait :-(


EDIT: Oh, the Previous system is stying with my roomate of 10+ years, and I'm getting married in July. Currently I live in an apartment with My fiance and am trying to "knock out" some of these Man-essitentials prior to the wedding :-). Mits 73"dlp-Check, Reciever with some future in mind- Check, Speakers-in progress.

--btw is there another theread that I started comparing SVS to Warfedale...appoligies for the duplication...same convo tho.

There is a trend here and in just about every forum post I've read. EVERYONE likes the idea of the HSU speakers, but ultimately goes with the SVS SCS speakers and is happy.

SVS Is having a sale to which makes them even more attractive.

With SVS I'd think that using the Main speakers for surrounds would be a good way to go, and pretty cost effective too.

I still have a bit of time before I make a final determination.

Thanks Shady for your input! I always value the impressions people have against different speakers, enen if 1 person hasn't heard the exact 2 in question.

SVS has their spring sale going and they also have priced their B stock accordingly. I was able to pick up the "front three" shipped for a great price.

Ultimately it came down to a few things: The number of people that for 1 reason or another ended up w/ the SVS over the HSU, Everyone is that has purchased the SVS has been more than satisfied, there have been a couple of "warnings" about Harshness @ higher volumes, and off axis issues with the HSU...oh and the SVS is a steal!

Oddly enough, I showed pictures of 3 speakers to my Fiance (SVS, HSU, and Cherry Warfedale Evo2-10's) and she picked the SVS out of the 3. I know, highly scientific.

Enough people have said that after they listened to the SVS SCS-02's they stopped shopping, so I'll give it a shot.

They should be here in a week or so, and I'll give them some time to break in before relaying my impressions. I'll be plesently suprised if I'm actually satisfied by these speakers, and will let you all know either way.

I've had the speakers in place for about a week now and I have mixed feelings about them. Please take the following evaluation with a grain of sand, as I'm not comparing them with their price range, just using my own thoughts.

Positives:

AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE! Understated astetics that help the speakers disappear, VERY neutral sound, good detail at higher volumes, non fatiguing, better than expected imaging and weight of sound.

Negatives:

They are not as mid-forward as I would have expected from a M-t-M speaker. The center especially keeps me thinking that I need to nudge up the center gain a bit. At low-moderate volumes they do not have the detail that I was hoping for. I often find myself wishing dialogue was a bit stronger in just about everything I watch.

Movies- These speakers do a surprisingly good job with being seamless across the front stage and don't drive you out of the room with an overly bright experience, like so many HT speakers can do trying to "sizzle".

Pardon my broad conclusion but here goes:
Musically, they sound about where I expected - HT tasked speakers that don't really keep me wanting to go through my music collection to "re-listen" to songs/albums. The best way I can describe them is by comparing them to a particular Movie Theater Chain. These speakers (at volume) sound EVERY BIT as good as any of the "side" Movie Theaters in a Cinemark Movie house, but nowhere near the dynamic impact and detail of Cinemark's XD theaters.

For the Price, I'd say they are amazing speakers that would satisfy 90% of the listeners out there (the same group that would rather NOT pay an additional 4 dollars for a seat in the XD theater). Personally, I think that I've been exposed to a little bit higher end, and am going to need to look elsewhere for satisfaction. Focal Utopia's in the car could be the cause.

I know it's VERY unfair to hold a budget speaker to the standard of $1200 components...but I had to give them a shot.

Now, I have 3 contenders in mind (still exploring the bang for budget sector):

STILL: Wharfedale Evo2-10's (and matching Center)
HSU HB-1 mk2 and center

NEW ADDITION:
Arx A2 x 3 or A3x2 +A2

I'll try and do a little more of an in-depth review when I get time. Great speakers, just not for me.

UPDATE: I've been so intrested in what is going on with the Arx line (via The Audio Insider) that I've decided to give them a try.

Just ordered 3x A2. @ $189/ea.

They are a MTM offering with some impressive technologies built into them, and a lot of heart from their designers.

Here is a short thread over there , but I've been in contact with Jon Lane and he has impressed me to the point of spending money in anticipation to their sound.

As before, I'll let them break in before giving my thoughts, but it should be an intresting comparison.

The A2's should arrive shortly (either tomorrow or Monday) and I'll be happy to give my impressions.

There definately are a ton of SVS supporters. From what I experience it's well worth it. The SCS-02's were built solidly and sounded very natural...they just left a little too much to be desired when I listened to music, and were a little TOO laid back with dialogue.

I was sad to see them go, but hopefull enough that I could find something that didn't leave me wanting.

Three A2's were delivered Saturday around noon! After running a quick 8-position Config with the RX-A2000 I started Transformers 2 (it's on my DVR, and has been a recent watermark). Having JUST hooked them up I was just looking to make sure my ears agreed with the Auto Calibration, and that traffic noise hadn't really thrown it out of whack. The movie started with Optimus Prime's voice and somerandom dynamic action and what happened next was so unexpected...so beyond what I thought could ever happen...that I had to sit for a second and just believe...

My Fiancé walked in and said, "Wow, those speakers sound amazing! How much more did you spend to get those?"

"Not a lot, really."

You would think I just tried to tell her the sky was purple and the moon was made of cheese. So I asked her how much she thinks they cost, based on the SVS speakers (B-stock) being $468 shipped

"Jesus, did you spend 1k on these?"

After letting her in on the price, she was happy about how they sounded all over again. Her impression was "They sound richer, more detailed...if that makes sense. I just think these sound more life-like." (not a bad description from somone that doesn't see the value in HT equipment ... but sure does enjoy it)

My initial impressions are VERY positive. They are immediately more musical than the SVS speakers (not a contest) and are more natural sounding than the Boston CM-9's that were pulling stand-in duty.


Ok, not the most technical update...but what do you expect when they have less than 20hrs on them. Here in a week or so I'll re-calibrate them and give them a real review!

I’d like to take a second to comment on my experience with Arx A2’s running as L/C/R.
My first impressions of the A2’s were VERY positive! They arrived well packaged and the build quality of these speakers was immediately apparent. As instructed I adjusted the tweeter configuration on the 2 speakers that would pull L/R duty and was presently surprised by the internal bracing and care in manufacturing. My initial comment was that the Arx line appealed to my own sense of worth by spending money where it counts, not on making the enclosure more attractive.


After hooking them up, I ran a quick multipoint calibration leaving the Bass Reflex ports open on all 3 speakers. For a first listen I turned on the opening 10 minutes of Transformers 2, and to my surprise it got the attention of my Fiancé from the other side of the apartment. She was amazed at how much of an improvement the A2’s were to the SVS speakers, and demanded to know how much I spent! Once I told her that they were in the same price range she was a huge fan!


I let the speakers break in a bit by letting a playlist of RANDOM music play on them at moderate volume while I was at work, and they would get TV/Movie duty in the evenings. Even during the initial break in period it was apparent that the A2’s were a special speaker. Even watching things like “Mike and Molly” sounded rich and exciting, and I noticed American Idol was getting some extra volume.


After 1-2weeks of this type of “break in” I recalibrated the speakers and decided on plugging the center speaker and letting it cross over at 80Hz due to its location inside the TV stand. After that I started to really listen to these speakers.


For Movies they have a larger than life presence and paint a soundstage much larger than the room they are placed in. How to Train your Dragon was a delight to watch and I had to keep reminding myself that there was not a subwoofer installed. The speakers are highly dynamic and completely disappear regardless of seating position. Dialogue has a lot of weight but I felt like it could be a little more forward. This could be due to the position of the center channel.


Music is much tougher on speakers, and I spent a great deal of time with positioning and seating before passing judgment. I have used the same playlist structure for over 10 years, it always starts out with some delicate tracks that have only a few instruments and solid vocals and progress to much more aggressive music. Everything I listen to is very familiar to me, and I have a “reference point” in my head, sometimes to fault (I’ve never heard Diana Krall sing to me unamplified, so my idea of reference is subject to what I feel is correct).


In this price category the A2’s exceeded what I thought was possible. I was starting to believe that everything would have that “kept” feeling and I’d just have to accept that listening to music on my HT system (at this budget) would be…meh. The A2’s completely changed that idea. I was continuously surprised by the weight and “fun” these speakers brought to music. The amount of low end available with these speakers prompted me to play some DubStep (low bass techno stuff) and just sit back in amazement. Granted these speakers don’t have the authority of a subwoofer or some floor standers, but I can tell you that they play deep, and without distortion. I actually enjoyed being able to hear the lower end of music without having to worry about bothering the neighbors, and am happy to say that they have a more natural bass than 12” Cerwin Vega floor standers (old garage speakers).


Another area that surprised me was how well the A2’s filled the room. My listening area is 14 X 22, but is open to the Kitchen and Dining room…pretty much everything that’s not a bedroom in my 1200sqFt apt. While cleaning or doing laundry the A2’s were just as rich and enjoyable everywhere in the apartment.


For “critical” listening they also performed admirably. They have a very convincing soundstage that is multidimensional at times. While listening to the chorus of Willie Nelson’s, “Maria” I had to double check that the receiver was indeed in 2ch mode and there were no rear effects on. Everything I listened to from Nora Jones and John Mayer to the Sick Puppies and Avenge Sevenfold was entertaining. To clarify, I would rather just NOT listen to music on previously reviewed speakers in this price range.


With everything I listened to, music and movies, there was a reoccurring theme: deep, natural, undistorted bass, great soundstage, but the midrange could be a bit more forward. This is the first set of MTM speakers that I’ve auditioned for music (the SVS speakers just weren’t fun to listen to with music). I expected the midrange to be a little more “in my face” than it was, not harsh, just more… With the presence of 2 mid drivers and a planer mag tweeter I expected to be almost overwhelmed by dialogue and vocals, this was not the case. The A2’s are laid back and have a great deal of weight.


Overall, I think the A2’s are a superb offering and perform well above their price range.

For both movies and music they are dynamic, fun, and non-fatiguing. While I’m sure the addition of a subwoofer will further add to the enjoyment of these speakers, they stand on their own with authority. My only criticism is that I would like a little more articulate midrange presence, but I must reveal that I compare everything to the Focal Utopia 165W’s in my car (bi-amped, 150/channel to mids, 75w/channel to tweeters, high end cables and sources). In fact the “laid back” sound to the A2’s is VERY welcome for TV viewing. It’s nice to have the added depth and dynamic range to shows without the overly bright I’M USING MY HOME THEATER TO WATCH COMMERCIALS feeling that is so often the case with “high-fi” equipment (e.g. using some Boston Acoustic CR9’s as a stand in prior to the A2’s arrival).


I would honestly recommend the A2’s for R/C/L duty to 95% of the people I know. The other 5% have either been exposed to much higher end equipment, or would simply want something finished “prettier” without caring how they sounded.


One last note, The Audio Insider, specifically Jon Lane is an absolute dream to deal with. It’s refreshing to find a company head that has that level of enthusiasm and knowledge while still taking the time to provide personalized customer service.