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***Official HSU owners/support thread!*** - Page 101

post #3001 of 5959
6/25/10 at 6:57pm
So I have decided that once I have the money saved up, I will be purchasing the VTF-3 MK3 at the summer sale price listed on their site. Is there any other brand/model of comparable performance that I should also consider? Or am I pretty much already at the best I can get for the price?

I currently have an Infinity PS-12 along with The Primus line of speakers, and while I once loved that sub, now that I'm in a larger room (approx 12x35 with a high vaulted ceiling) it's just not doing the trick anymore. Do you guys think this sub is the right choice?
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post #3002 of 5959
7/1/10 at 8:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Strube View Post

Is there any other brand/model of comparable performance that I should also consider? Or am I pretty much already at the best I can get for the price?

I'm leaning pretty heavily towards the 3.3 because of the summer sale too and would like to hear peoples thoughts on this. Of course, this being the HSU thread I assume most responses will be to get the 3.3.

I do have another question though. It's about sub cables.

HSU sells a 20ft cable on their web site for $10 when I add the 3.3 to my cart. Does anybody have experience with this cable? Is it worth it or is monoprice still the better deal?

A sub is just like any other speaker and needs the correct gauge cable for the distance correct? Most of the ones I see only give me the 3.5mm plug size like this one.

What do you guys use?

J
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post #3003 of 5959
7/1/10 at 8:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JP Licks View Post

... HSU sells a 20ft cable on their web site for $10 when I add the 3.3 to my cart. Does anybody have experience with this cable? Is it worth it or is monoprice still the better deal? ...

When I bought my 3.3 last year, I opted to include the cable from Hsu, as the price when included with the sub seemed competitive, after you include shipping from another vendor, and 20' was just about the length I needed to try the sub in different positions.

The comparable cable at monoprice appears to be this one.
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post #3004 of 5959
7/1/10 at 5:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JP Licks View Post

I'm leaning pretty heavily towards the 3.3 because of the summer sale too and would like to hear peoples thoughts on this. Of course, this being the HSU thread I assume most responses will be to get the 3.3.

Yes, discussing other brands in this thread is probably not appropriate... but I recently purchased a 3.3, and I posted much of my logic in this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1246035

It's a pretty short read, and I included a review after I got it.

I can say that a couple of months later, I am still LOVING my Hsu sub. Every time I watch a movie or listen to music I am reminded how great it is.

If you have any more questions about my decision process, feel free to PM me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Mitchell View Post

The comparable cable at monoprice appears to be this one.

That is the EXACT cable I have, only mine is a bit shorter.

What is nice about it is that it's actually RG6 cable, so it's basically cable TV cable with RCA ends on it. RG6 can go farther without signal loss.
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post #3005 of 5959
7/9/10 at 7:14am
If you are into value and performance, the Hsu Clearance Sale might be for you. It would also help if you don't mind considering Espresso and Maple veneers.

Also:

ULS-15 Real Wood Veneer, Walnut - on sale now

-Single
-Dual Drive

VTF-3 MK3 Satin Black - on sale now
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post #3006 of 5959
7/9/10 at 8:09am
I got a question... I have two VTF2-MK3's and soon will be getting two more for one in each corner and was wondering if it would be okay to get two 3:3's or should I match the two I own?
I have read that it is a wise thing to match your subs...just wondering since they are on sale!
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post #3007 of 5959
7/9/10 at 10:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuBerger View Post

I got a question... I have two VTF2-MK3's and soon will be getting two more for one in each corner and was wondering if it would be okay to get two 3:3's or should I match the two I own?
I have read that it is a wise thing to match your subs...just wondering since they are on sale!

I would email that question to Dr. Hsu. Use the Feedback From so he has enough information to properly address your question. He was very responsive to me before I made my purchase, and in fact his detailed and thoughtful responses to my questions are part of what pushed me over the edge to buy Hsu over another brand. Who better to answer a question like that than the guy that designed the speakers.

Now for my uninformed opinion:

I think it depends on what your goal is. If you just want more of the same, then possibly adding 2.3’s would match the best.

But if you want to go deeper, definitely consider 3.3’s. They both have the same driver speaker, but with the larger cabinet and bigger amp, the 3.3 can reach lower frequencies WITH ATHORITY. I have a single 3.3 and am often amazed how clean and low it goes. Of course I have never heard a 2.3 so it is possible I would be equally impressed, but for anyone that “needs” 4 subs, I’m thinking you should go for the biggest and best.

Just out of curiosity, is your room really huge, or do you just want to hurt yourself with bass? LOL

My room is not tiny, and I can cause discomfort with a single VTF-3 MK3 and shake my walls hard enough to make the pictures in other rooms crooked.

Finally, make sure you’re getting the most out of the subs you have. I recently upgraded from an old Yamaha to a new Denon receiver, and I felt like I actually took a step backwards in regards to my sub. The old Yamaha did not have any calibration features, so it just pumped unfiltered sound (other than the crossover) to the sub. As it turns out my room seems to really boost some of the extremely low frequencies, so I became accustomed to feeling those huge pressure waves, even ones below hearing range that you just feel. But the Denon with Audyssey calibration “fixed” it to be more flat. So now my sub is performing the way is should, but I kind of miss my big fat bottom end. I am still tweaking, but simply turning up the channel didn’t get me back to where I was (I’m sure because of the EQ applied by Audyssey). So I said all that to say before you buy more subs, make sure your audio system isn’t doing something to stifle the maximum you can get out of what you have.
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post #3008 of 5959
7/9/10 at 10:28am
New member here, and have been researching subs for several days. I really like HSU so far from what i have read. Im trying to decide on which sub I want to get.

What is the extra $100 getting you on the VTF1 opposed to the STF2? They seem very similar in the specs. Anyone have an opinion on the SQ and SPL between the two?

Also, I really really like the VTF2.3 and VTF3.3(especially since its on sale right now) but not sure if i should jump that high in price from the VTF1 or STF2. Is there that big of a difference in doubling the price? My thoughts are, that since this is my first HT system im building, i could go with the VTF1 or STF1 for now, and possibly get another one later on down the road and run duals from my Onkyo HT-RC260. Would having duals be better than one VTF2.3 or VTF3.3?

My room is 33x12x9 (approx 3100 ft^3) if that makes a difference on choosing.
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post #3009 of 5959
7/9/10 at 12:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuBerger View Post

I got a question... I have two VTF2-MK3's and soon will be getting two more for one in each corner and was wondering if it would be okay to get two 3:3's or should I match the two I own?
I have read that it is a wise thing to match your subs...just wondering since they are on sale!

I don't think the sound of the VTF3 would be that different than a VTF2, I think you could safely mix those subs. Matching subs is a good idea for those who don't know a lot about sub performance, but it isn't a hard rule once you understand the reasons for it. You don't want to mix subs with wildly different performance characteristics, because it will end up either pushing one subwoofer too hard or barely using the other sub at all.
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post #3010 of 5959
7/9/10 at 2:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by blj0hnst0n View Post

New member here, and have been researching subs for several days. I really like HSU so far from what i have read. Im trying to decide on which sub I want to get.

What is the extra $100 getting you on the VTF1 opposed to the STF2? They seem very similar in the specs. Anyone have an opinion on the SQ and SPL between the two?

Also, I really really like the VTF2.3 and VTF3.3(especially since its on sale right now) but not sure if i should jump that high in price from the VTF1 or STF2. Is there that big of a difference in doubling the price? My thoughts are, that since this is my first HT system im building, i could go with the VTF1 or STF1 for now, and possibly get another one later on down the road and run duals from my Onkyo HT-RC260. Would having duals be better than one VTF2.3 or VTF3.3?

My room is 33x12x9 (approx 3100 ft^3) if that makes a difference on choosing.

I don't know a lot about the STF2, but one thing you gain with the VTF1 is variable tuning. This means you have a better chance of getting the sound you want. You can tune it to go lower, or tune it to go louder.

The 2.3 and 3.3 are where I did most of my shopping. One thing to consider is that a good sub will last you for years. So you may not feel the need for a big one now, but it would be cheaper to get the best first, and not have to repurchase. When the 2.3 is on sale, it would be at a perfect price point to fit between the VTF1 and VTF3, but now that the 3 is on-sale if you've talked yourself into a 2, it's not a big stretch to get the 3.

I personally have a 3.3 and do not regret my purchase at all. I also never have to wonder if things would be better since I got the top VTF model. You can never have too much bass because you can always turn it down. What you gain with the 3.3 is the ability to hit extremely low frequencies (16Hz and lower) with enough power to actually feel it. If that intrigues you, save up for the big one.

Also consider that most recommendations are to set all your speakers to small and let your subwoofer handle the load of all the rest of your speakers for frequencies below 80Hz. So it is a VERY important part of your HT.
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post #3011 of 5959
7/9/10 at 2:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by blj0hnst0n View Post

New member here, and have been researching subs for several days. I really like HSU so far from what i have read. Im trying to decide on which sub I want to get.

What is the extra $100 getting you on the VTF1 opposed to the STF2? They seem very similar in the specs. Anyone have an opinion on the SQ and SPL between the two?

Also, I really really like the VTF2.3 and VTF3.3(especially since its on sale right now) but not sure if i should jump that high in price from the VTF1 or STF2. Is there that big of a difference in doubling the price? My thoughts are, that since this is my first HT system im building, i could go with the VTF1 or STF1 for now, and possibly get another one later on down the road and run duals from my Onkyo HT-RC260. Would having duals be better than one VTF2.3 or VTF3.3?

My room is 33x12x9 (approx 3100 ft^3) if that makes a difference on choosing.

The STF2 is mostly just a VTF1 stuck in maximum extension mode, although there are a few other slight differences. The VTF2 and 3 are a pretty big step up from the STF2 and VTF1, I know from having upgraded from a STF2 to a VTF3, BIG difference! I think, given your room size you should go with a VTF2 or 3, and might as well get the 3 while it is on sale too. Dual STF2's or VTF1's can not go as deep and won't have the punch of a single VTF3, although they may have somewhat better room coverage. But, given the size of your room, two STF2's still might not do the trick. If you want to play it safe, get a VTF3, and add another one later if you want total room coverage and as much slam as you will ever need, it will impress the hell out of your guests. In fact, I can't get my family to stop showing off the bass in my home theater, my dual VTF3's has completely rocked everyone who has heard them!
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post #3012 of 5959
7/10/10 at 5:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by [KYA]Mega View Post

I would email that question to Dr. Hsu. Use the Feedback From so he has enough information to properly address your question. He was very responsive to me before I made my purchase, and in fact his detailed and thoughtful responses to my questions are part of what pushed me over the edge to buy Hsu over another brand. Who better to answer a question like that than the guy that designed the speakers.

Now for my uninformed opinion:

I think it depends on what your goal is. If you just want more of the same, then possibly adding 2.3's would match the best.

But if you want to go deeper, definitely consider 3.3's. They both have the same driver speaker, but with the larger cabinet and bigger amp, the 3.3 can reach lower frequencies WITH ATHORITY. I have a single 3.3 and am often amazed how clean and low it goes. Of course I have never heard a 2.3 so it is possible I would be equally impressed, but for anyone that needs 4 subs, I'm thinking you should go for the biggest and best.

Just out of curiosity, is your room really huge, or do you just want to hurt yourself with bass? LOL

My room is not tiny, and I can cause discomfort with a single VTF-3 MK3 and shake my walls hard enough to make the pictures in other rooms crooked.

Finally, make sure you're getting the most out of the subs you have. I recently upgraded from an old Yamaha to a new Denon receiver, and I felt like I actually took a step backwards in regards to my sub. The old Yamaha did not have any calibration features, so it just pumped unfiltered sound (other than the crossover) to the sub. As it turns out my room seems to really boost some of the extremely low frequencies, so I became accustomed to feeling those huge pressure waves, even ones below hearing range that you just feel. But the Denon with Audyssey calibration fixed it to be more flat. So now my sub is performing the way is should, but I kind of miss my big fat bottom end. I am still tweaking, but simply turning up the channel didn't get me back to where I was (I'm sure because of the EQ applied by Audyssey). So I said all that to say before you buy more subs, make sure your audio system isn't doing something to stifle the maximum you can get out of what you have.

Mega, thanks for the info...I will call Pete or one of the gand over at HSU and ask but I am starting to gear toward keeping them all the same...the VTF2-3 goes pretty low at that and then a perfect match would happen!
I own a Pioneer Elite VSX92TXH receiver and went through a thorough MCACC...and I was given a tip from Pete at HSU to dial in the subs a little less than a 1/4 of the volume and let the receiver do the bass management which I did. I dialed each one in seperate...got each one to read 0.0db in MCACC and then did a final MCACC with both on and tweaked from there...they match well with my fronts!

The reason I am getting two more is when we move to our new home it will offer me a large room for a HT...and I would like to even out the bass and not have to really push a sub when I can have a even, smooth response.
I am also planning on spending any extra funds after the purchase of the other subs on acoustics for the room...bass traps, panels, etc...

One other tip that Pete gave me from HSU was to try the 2:3's in "overdamp" mode...leaving the port plug in but having the switch in Max Out mode...I have to say it sounds great!

Yes, I wouldn't mind getting hurt now and then...lol!
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post #3013 of 5959
7/11/10 at 6:50am
My experience with a blown amp:

For a vacation, I unplugged my STF-2 subwoofers. But when I plugged one of them back in, I heard a distinct buzzing sound that lasted a split-second. Looking at the back panel, the LED light was off and the sub wasn't working. After calling HSU tech, they diagnosed that I likely have a blown amp and I will have to send it in for repair. Fortunately, I don't have to send the whole sub as they gave me instructions on how to remove the amp. Unfortunately, it is past warranty.

While I was removing it, I checked the fuse, and it was totally blackened and blown. So, out of curiosity, I inserted a good fuse from my second STF-2, and tried plugging it in (power switch was off), and it promptly blew that fuse too, along with the same buzzing sound. I was hoping it was just a fuse problem, but it looks like something else too. It looks like I'll have to spend a bit of cash just to fix this.

So much for "saving energy" by unplugging it for my vacation. Stupid.
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post #3014 of 5959
7/11/10 at 7:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Reborn View Post

So much for "saving energy" by unplugging it for my vacation. Stupid.

Hi Dragon, just curious is your sub plugged into a wall outlet or surge protector?
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post #3015 of 5959
7/11/10 at 7:34am
Wall outlet.
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post #3016 of 5959
7/11/10 at 8:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Reborn View Post

Wall outlet.

Thanks for the respond and sorry to hear about your sub.

Just seem odd that to unplug and replug a power cord would cause this unless it the sub power switch was still On when it was unplgged.

Wonder a surge protector would help and just leave the sub On when I go on vacation?
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post #3017 of 5959
7/11/10 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Reborn View Post


So much for "saving energy" by unplugging it for my vacation. Stupid.

My VTF-3 did the same thing while still plugged in and on standby. So, I doubt that the unplugging/re-plugging had anything significant to do with the issue.

Fortunately, in my case I still had a couple of weeks left on the warranty. Service was quick and relatively painless.
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post #3018 of 5959
7/11/10 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HDTVChallenged View Post

My VTF-3 did the same thing while still plugged in and on standby. So, I doubt that the unplugging/re-plugging had anything significant to do with the issue.

Fortunately, in my case I still had a couple of weeks left on the warranty. Service was quick and relatively painless.

Interesting.

And good to hear that your sub was fixed. New amp, I'm assuming? Lucky you that it was still under warranty!
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post #3019 of 5959
7/11/10 at 5:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Reborn View Post

Interesting.

And good to hear that your sub was fixed. New amp, I'm assuming? Lucky you that it was still under warranty!

What is the warranty on the amp, 2 yrs?
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post #3020 of 5959
7/11/10 at 11:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Reborn View Post

Interesting.

And good to hear that your sub was fixed. New amp, I'm assuming?

Repaired. I didn't ask what was replaced, but the only area that looked "disturbed" was around one of the power supply caps.

Quote:


What is the warranty on the amp, 2 yrs?

Yep.
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post #3021 of 5959
7/12/10 at 7:46am
Thanks HDTVChallenged.
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post #3022 of 5959
7/12/10 at 9:31am
Thanks Mega and shadyj for your responses. I just bought the VTF3.3 this morning !

Getting the rest of my surround sound in tomorrow and Wednesday and will be doing wiring this week to set it all up. Not sure how long the shipping is going to take, but hopefully it's not too long of a wait! My dad always says "Go big, or go home"...so I took yours and his advice and got the top model. That away I know i have the "best" and I shouldn't have to worry about upgrading for a loooong time!

Thanks again for your responses! I will post again when i get it hooked up and ill post some pics as well of my setup!
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post #3023 of 5959
7/12/10 at 1:47pm
Nice bl, you will like it I'm sure. One thing to know before you get it is that placement is crucial in getting the best sound out of your subwoofer. A badly placed subwoofer can make even a powerful sub at full volume sound like it's whispering. If you have some freedom in it's placement, you should consult Hsu's customer support for placement advice, or you can use their placement recommendations forum for tips on optimal placement. When you get it, experiment with placement, and you will see what a big difference it makes. One thing that has worked very well for me is near-field placement, where I have one of the VTF3's set up as a endtable with the woofer aimed at my couch, not only is the bass sound sharp as a knife there, but it creates a very visceral effect, you can really feel bass as well as you can hear it there.
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post #3024 of 5959
7/12/10 at 3:10pm
Here is a sketch of my house. The two "x"s are placement possibilities for the sub. I'm thinking the one behind the couch will be the best! what do you guys think? I am going to test it in both locations before making my final decision, just curious on you guys opinions on what differences im going to notice on the two locations.

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post #3025 of 5959
7/12/10 at 3:48pm
If the thick lines are full walls and the thin lines are partial walls or other furniture, then I am guessing your sub will sound best in the corner by the TV. Think of sound waves like waves in a pool when you drop in a pebble. In the area by the couch a lot of waves will go into directions you don’t need them to go, but in that corner by the TV, all the waves will either head strait to the couch, or bounce off a wall and reflect to the couch. If you have auto-calibration or have the ability to set distances from ear to speaker in your receiver, you don’t need to worry about the distance causing a delay (as long as the distance settings are accurate).

In general subs perform best in a corner. The room may color their sound more in a corner, but that actually works to your advantage in many cases making the sub effectively even more powerful.
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post #3026 of 5959
7/12/10 at 5:52pm
I don't think either spot will be bad, but the only way to know for sure is to try them both. They will definitely sound different. I'm lucky in that I have two VTF's, so I have one in the corner and one next to my couch, so I get the best of both worlds. Try them both and experiment with the different modes in each position, you'll find what kind of sound you prefer the most.
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post #3027 of 5959
7/13/10 at 9:04am
@Mega...no, the partial lines are lines i drew in paint to represent some other walls in the house. so i think the wall beside the couch will be think enough to reflect/bounce the bass waves back into the room, but i will def try it in both spots before i settle on where it will be. Got the TV wall mounted last night, tonight is drilling and getting the wires in the walls for all the surround speakers! Today my surround speakers and center arrive...then all ill be waiting on is the sub....still no "estimated ship date" yet patience....i need some, haha!
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post #3028 of 5959
7/13/10 at 2:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by blj0hnst0n View Post

still no "estimated ship date" yet patience....i need some, haha!

That surprises me. I ordered my sub on a Tuesday and they shipped it later that day and I got it on Friday the same week (from CA to TX). So you might want to call.
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post #3029 of 5959
7/15/10 at 9:33am
I emailed them and then sent me the tracking number. It arrives today!! Woot!!
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post #3030 of 5959
7/16/10 at 9:22am
so...WOW....not much else i can say....the vtf3.3 is freaking amazing....i havent gotten it put in the corner yet, my cable is only 12 feet long..and i havent made my longer one to run through the attic yet...should be doing that this weekend...but i popped in transformers 2 last night, sat back, cracked open a cold one, and enjoyed myself for the next couple hours..simply amazing!! Will be post a few pics once i complete my install!
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