Round 3: AV123 x-ls vs. Hsu HB-1
Round 3 Price Category: $200 - $250
Clint DeBoer: Coming full circle, we brought back the Hsu HB-1s and set them up against the AV123 x-ls speakers. During "Cousin Dupree" the HB-1s had plenty of highs, but they lacked detail, in fact we could hear compression during the cymbal crashes, which wasn't flattering at all. There did seem to be a more even frequency response overall with the Hsu speakers. The x-ls bookshelf speakers pushed quite a bit of bass, which we found to be overdone, as were the upper mids - pronounced and a tad too overzealous. This was a tough comparison and it was nearly impossible to select a winner.
Gene DellaSala: This was a tough call for me as well. Both speakers shared similar sonic attributes in terms of spectral balance. Too much bass, recessed mids and warm, almost dull highs. The x-ls’ to me had a more natural, less nasily sound to them. I suspect properly bass managed in an acoustically live room, the x-ls would be the clear winner. Again, I couldn’t get over the commanding appearance of the x-ls. They won based on sheer beauty alone. You won’t find a nicer looking speaker for under $2,000 / pair in my opinion.
Tom Andry: I found this pairing to be the most interesting as it was the two speakers that I felt had muted highs and were a bit boomy. I honestly didn't know what to expect. The HSU's sounded a bit better on the top end with a little more extension but with very disappointing imaging (something I found to be true during my review of these speakers). The midrange of the AV123's was nicer than the HSU's but only marginally. The AV123's speakers sounded too boomy even in comparison to the HB-1's. Imaging was definitely a step up from the HSU's. Overall, I'd probably go with the x-ls's as I know that a sub crossed over at 80hz would take care of some of that boominess I was hearing.
J. Walker Clarke: Both pairs exhibited a muted or muffled sound during this test. Heavy on the bottom, with more to be desired up top. I have auditioned a pair of x-ls in my room at home and had better results. This pair did not sound near as good as I expected, having heard the model before. Overall, the x-ls was a bit boomy. In this test, I found the HSU's to have a little bit better balance, especially up top. A difficult test, but for my money and ears (as well as earlier experience with another pair of the same model), I chose the x-ls as the winner.
Guiria;302038
I find it interesting that reviews away from this one regarding the X-LS are all great, positive, and people boast the ID concept as a better bang for your buck than speaker companies using brick and mortar distribution etc. Then this review has a slightly less expensive (than X-LS) model of Polk's from a line available at Circuit City that appear to be equally if not better than the super valued X-LS.
I now doubt my internet direct beliefs which were "You get more for your dollar going ID".
There is more wisdom in auditioning several speakers before purchasing than many believe.
Thank you for writing a review that challenges my hyped up notions from all the forum buzz out there, and a review that has made me a wiser consumer.
I hope other people read this and come to the realization you did (thanks to this review). There are no absolutes in the audio world.
My observations:
ID brands are not always a better value than B&M brands sonically.
Price only loosely correlates to sound quality when comparing brands.
Sound quality is highly variable among different speaker brands.
PENG;303908
You may be right about the B&Ws, but Paradigm? Don't they offer products from US$120 a pair Cinema series all the way up to US$6,000 top of the line Signature series? I would say they can compete at all levels except the real high end level such as the B&W80X Diamond series and beyond.
I think the poster is referring to Paradigm offerings at the same price point.
This is what a reviewer had to say about the Sierra 1 and where it matches up with Paradigm...
With the Ascend Acoustics, something did: From the very beginning, I could tell that the Sierra-1 had outstanding clarity, and was conveying much more low-level detail than any other under-$1000 two-way I’d ever heard -- qualities that became even more apparent when I sat down to do some critical listening. In fact, the Sierra-1’s ability to let me hear into recordings was right up there with Paradigm’s Signature S2 and PSB’s Platinum M2, two of the best two-way monitors on the market, and each of which sells for about two grand per pair. (I own a pair of Signature S2s.)http://www.soundstageav.com/onhifi.html [soundstageav.com]
silversurfer;303610
Have you actually done side by side comparisons?
At the same price points, I would agree that PSB and Energy have comparable product, but not Paradigm and B&W. Again, none of them can touch the finish of the X-LS.
You may be right about the B&Ws, but Paradigm? Don't they offer products from US$120 a pair Cinema series all the way up to US$6,000 top of the line Signature series? I would say they can compete at all levels except the real high end level such as the B&W80X Diamond series and beyond.
anamorphic96;303870
But getting back to the main point. All of these speaker companies being talked about are like great bottles of wine. Each has a slightly different character.
It's all subjective. One mans neutral is another man's bright. Just because someone doesn't like a certain companies character does mean its a bad speaker. Their just not the flavor you like.
If that is the case, then everything is comparable.