(This is an identical post to a thread in the speakers section entitled "sub or surrounds first." I am copying it here since it belongs in the subwoofer section. I am leaving it also in the speaker section since it is the culmination of that soon to be forgotten thread there.)
The Hsu STF-1 came today!
I hooked it up quickly and adjusted the volume knob some. I haven't yet adjusted the cross over setting and only messed with the phase switch a little. All that other stuff takes some reviewing of the manual for me to do right. I suppose I can borrow my neighbors audio meter this weekend, as well.
The comparison between the Velodyne CHT-8 and the Hsu STF-1?
Both 8 inchers, the Hsu is about an inch skinnier but an inch deeper and higher. But in the corner I stuck it there is now room to spare that the Velodyne didn't give.
The Hsu looks stunningly like an Ascend speaker. Maybe by design? Didn't Dr. Hsu and David Fabrikant both work for M&K at one point? I know that Ascend sells Hsu subs, so maybe Ascend designed their speakers to match the Hsu subs?
Uh - oh yeah - the sound. I am not really good at hearing or describing what I hear, but the Hsu seems to blend exactly with my Axiom M22s. The Velodyne seemed occasionally to be something else - like a timbre that was significantly different from the speakers. I guess it is just the quality of the Hsu matches the M22s. Now my M22s sound like they have signifcantly deeper bass and when I turn the Hsu up I don't get the lowered quality I think I got with the Velodyne.
I wouldn't exactly call the Velodyne boomy - but some people might. The Hsu is definitely better.
Specs say down to 35Hz for the Velo and down to 32 or 31.5Hz for the Hsu. But I think the Hsu FR graph would look flatter than the Velo graph (if I could find a graph of this now discontinued model).
I discovered that by moving a bookcase I could probably fit a STF-2 easily in my skinny room - but the WAF is strong around here and I dare not challenge her delight that the Hsu looked smaller than the Velodyne. At least for now!
"For once daddy bought something smaller than before" she said to my 2 year old daughter