Whatta Ya Think About Hsu Research Subwoofers?


I’m in the market to add one or possibly two subwoofers to my stereo set-up.  I would like to spend $1,000 or less per unit, and that puts some of the higher-rated units out of reach.  I came across an ad for Hsu, which I had not heard of before.  I didn’t want a Chinese product and it turns out that Hsu Research is based in California and founded by Dr. Hsu, who has a Ph.D from MIT.  Audio reviewer Steve Gutenberg gave one Hsu product a positive review.  I was wondering if any of you have experience with Hsu and could share your impressions/recommendations with me.

My existing set—up is:  Parasound P5 pre-amp with Parasound A21 amp;  Martin Logan 60XT tower loudspeakers.  Thanks!
bob540
Hello Bob,

     I actually wrote and posted my last thread post before I even read  your post about your decision to buy a pair of SVS SB-2000 subs.  I believe you wrote your post before me but somehow it was delayed in being posted because I didn't see just read your post on Saturday night.  I don't want to take back or change anything I stated but, given your room, I am a bit surprised you decided to buy wired subs and not choose the more convenient option of wireless subs. 
     
     However, it sounds like you have some ideas and plans about how to run and conceal the wires you'll need to run from your preamp to a currently unknown exact location for the second SVS SB-2000 sub that needs to be located along one of the 3 remaining walls in your room ( a wall other than the front short wall where your tv, equipment rack and main speakers are currently located, as well as the wall the first SVS SB-2000 sub will be located.). 
     Can you state your plans about how you plan to connect both SVS subs, using line-level rca cables from your preamp or using high-level speaker wire connections to your amp? 
    And about how you plan to run the wires past the the 2 doors in the right front corner of your room?

Thanks, 
  Tim
Sure.  I plan to put the subwoofer to the right on a ledge that is part of the fireplace, just to the right of the second door.  I will run the cable for that beneath the first door, where the carpet ends and vinyl flooring begins.  I will tape it down so that it isn’t a tripping hazard. I will run the cable around the corner and then tape it to the inner part of the threshold for the garage door, then up to the short ledge where the sub will sit.  I have to avoid stepping on the cable going through the doors, but that shouldn’t be a problem as the floor surface is uneven at both of those spots anyway.  I could look at covering the cable with some sort of protective strip, like you see at concerts where cables must be run through traffic areas.
Hello Bob,

     Okay, it seems like you have a good plan for routing the required  single rca cable from your P5 preamp's Sub Output 2, past both the doors to the line level input on the 2nd of your SVS subs.  The 1st SVS sub, positioned to the left of your equipment rack, will also require a single rca cable run from your preamp's Sub Output 1 to the SVS sub's line level input. 
     As I stated earlier, I have no doubt that you'll be able to attain good quality bass performance at a single listening position in your room utilizing 2 good quality subs like the two SVS subs you bought.
     But it's very important you understand that just plopping down each sub where it's convenient, you have the space or where you prefer them being located, is a highly unlikely path to success. Ideally, the best process is to use the crawl method to determine the exact position in your room for SVS sub#1 at which the bass sounds the best at your designated listening seat.  Then with sub#1 optimally positioned and playing, the crawl method is used again to determine the exact position in your room for SVS sub#2 at which the bass sounds the best at your designated listening seat.  The final step is to optimally set the volume, crossover frequency and phase control settings on each sub.
     By determining that you only have one possible position for SVS sub#1 in your room which is to the left of your equipment rack along your front wall, however, this ideal locating process has already been compromised.  It's possible you still might be able to attain good bass performance at your listening seat but I think this would definitely require you to use the crawl method to optimally position SVS sub#2 in your room.  The exact optimum position in your room to locate sub#2, however, will probably not be on the ledge that is part of your fireplace. 
     I suggest you buy the longest rca cable you can because the optimum exact location for sub#2 could be anywhere along the perimeter walls of your room; further down your fireplace wall, along your rear wall or even your wall opposite the fireplace.  Using the crawl method, it will be fairly obvious when you find the optimum room position, the bass will suddenly improve in its quality and become more solid, smooth, fast, detailed, realistic and natural.  
      In the meantime, it would be useful to reread your preamp manual's sections on about how to connect a pair of subs beginning on page 10 of the attached P5 maunual below:

https://parasound.com/pdfs/P5Manual.pdf  

Tim   
Tim, I saw that you mentioned the “crawl method” for determining best position for subs. Does that involve moving the subs a little at a time and listening to the sound each time?  i.e., being on my knees crawling about with them til I find the sweet spots?

Good advice regarding the RCA cables.  Oddly, I have the subs coming but don’t have the cables ordered yet.