Enormous musical bass output without sounding boomy. Outstanding value.

Aesthetically, the design takes some getting used to, but now I really like it. Perhaps a bit top heavy.

Wow.

I was initially a little skeptical about this sub, probably due to its very unusual design (a tall cylinder with 12" driver mounted on top). But once I heard it, I was very impressed. And honestly, have only become more impressed as time has gone on. And now, I really like the design. It's small footprint is key, and it simply sits in the corner behind my RF speaker, in an area that would otherwise be wasted. And the physics behind the design seem to make alot of sense (at least to this non-physicist).

While this sub is outstanding in home theater applications, it is even better on music. The sub adds an entire new dimension to my music, and seemlessly blends in with my Vandersteeen 1C's. The Vandy's are outstanding in their own right, but are not designed to transmit the bottom octave. I enjoyed the Vandy's tremendously before I got my Hsu. But now, when I remove the sub, the speakers sound a bit thin. I know they are great, but I simply enjoy them much more with this sub.

Like many of the previous reviewers, I too must compliment Dr. Hsu on some outstanding customer service and support. I received purchase advice, placement advice, and one other piece of technical support, all very timely (either Dr. Hsu answered my call, or called me back within an hour) and all very curtiously. Thank you Dr. Hsu for a terrific product with terrific service.

Equipment:
Vandersteen 1C's, VCC-1, & VSM-1
Hsu TN-1220HO w/500 watt Hsu amp
Rotel RB-976 amp
Rotel RTC-965 pre/pro
CAL DX-2 CD
Panasonic A120 DVD
Kimber 4VS (front 2) & 4 PR speaker cable
various interconnects, including Kimber PBJ, DH Labs Silver Sonic, & Radio Shack HT Gold

Similar Products Used:

Own a velodyne (VA series). Demoed M&K, Vandersteen, Paradigm, and others. Only one I wish I could have tried and didn't was a REL.

Great low-distortion bass

Pretty tall and top heavy.

I bought this one to replace the Sunfire I had just out of that itchy audio boredom. It's a great product, better than the Sunfire (though that has its own strengths--they're just different design priorities). If you've got the room, this is the one to have. If it's small you need, the Sunfire is tremendous--don't believe the occasional odd, spiteful review to the opposite. If you've got tons of money, get the big old Velodynes. But if you really want value, there's nothing even close to the TN1220.

Similar Products Used:

Sunfire MKII, M&K, Velodyne.

Deep, clean powerful bass that fills up my entire room.

a little too tall.

This is a true subwoofer as all the reviews here said. It provides deep clean powerful bass. One thing I like it the most is that the bass seems to be everywhere in my room not just at the corner where I put it unlike other sub that I could hear where it booms from. It's really good for music listening and for home theater, there's no comparision. The bass coming out from this baby is so gooood, it Hertz.

Similar Products Used:

Velodyne FSR15

performance and price

none

I purchased a TN1220HO subwoofer and 500W Hsu amplifier approximately one year ago. I provided HSU Research (Dr. Hsu) with a layout of my listening room and received suggestions for optimum placement of the sub. I followed the advice and the performance of the sub system was outstanding. Before deciding on Hsu Research, I reviewed many of the more prominently advertised subwoofers, some costing nearly three times as much, at local audio stores. A few of the subs were even demonstrated in very high-end systems. I found nothing that was superior to the Hsu products, and most were clearly behind Hsu in the areas of extension, distortion, and impact. One of the Hsu product reviews I read mentioned that the 500W amplifier was actually designed with the capacity to drive two of the TN1220HO subs, and that a second sub would increase the gain of the system.

Several weeks ago, a year after installing my original sub system, I ordered and received a second TN1220HO sub. Truthfully, I questioned whether there would be a noticeable difference. The results, however, removed my doubt. The additional efficiency and output even forced me to decrease the volume setting on the amplifier, and all of the performance characteristics I loved about the single sub system were heightened by the addition of a second. I have never heard such clean, tight, and authoritative low frequency output from any other system. My main speakers are high efficiency, 32-year old JBL L77 bookshelf units whose drivers were recently refoamed. The Hsu 500W amplifier has a built-in filter that sends only frequencies above cutoff to the main speakers, and match between the sub and my main speakers is perfectly seamless. I often listen to music at low volume levels. Low volume normally translates to greatly reduced bass response. With my Hsu system, however, I can listen at low volume, and the bass response comes through beautifully.

Dr. Hsu provides his customers with the highest return on investment imaginable. The TN1220HO subwoofer is designed purely for audio performance. Its enclosure is ideally structured for extension, efficiency, and output. Most of the cost(and weight)seems to be found in the sophisticated and powerful long-throw driver. Don’t let the overall light weight of the unit fool you. The TN1220HO can move enormous volumes of air!

My experience in dealing with HSU research was an absolute pleasure on both occasions. Dr. Hsu’s talent as an engineer/designer and the integrity he brings to his business are rare, indeed. Anyone interested in extending the low frequency response of their audio or home-theater system should definitely consider the Hsu TN1220HO with an Hsu amplifier.

Similar Products Used:

JBL PSW1200

Deep, clean bass. Value.

Looks like a big cat scratching post.

This product is terrific. The price and performance of this sub beat out those at twice its price. Plus, the customer service is great. Dr. Hsu will answer your e-mails personally and give you a suggestion on where to put the sub for optimal perfomance based on the specs of your room.

Excellent bass extension - Customer Support - Best "boom" for the buck!

May have directionality problems (see below)

Here we go ...

First, I have to start out with the customer support provided by HSU Research. I purchased the TN1220HO with the 500 Watt Amplifier. After talking with Dr. Hsu, I faxed him my room dimensions (3D drawings, since I have an asymmetrical vaulted ceiling) and told him that I was matching up the sub with my Martin-Logan Quests. (I got to talk over the technical stuff with the designer/owner - Is that cool or what?). He recommended where in the room I should put the sub, and the cross-over resistor network value. (Side note: Dr. Hsu *always* returned my call on the same day I called. That is a better response record than any other company I have dealt with in the past - and he's the owner!)

OK, so obviously I was impressed by the customer support. But if the sub didn't sound good ...

Before I get to the sound, here's a little SPL measuring. Test source: Stereophile Test CD (The original), tracks 20 - 31. Measured by the bargain basement Radio Shack SPL Meter, Slow "C" Weighting. 1 kHz reference tone volume was set at 70 dB, and all deviations are taken from there. Here's the measured 1/3 octave response at my listening position:

1000 Hz: 0 dB
200 Hz: 0 dB
160 Hz: -2 dB
125 Hz: -2 dB
100 Hz: +3 dB
80 Hz: +2 dB
63 Hz: +2 dB
50 Hz: -3 dB
40 Hz: -1.5 dB
31.5 Hz: -4 dB
25 Hz: -1 dB
20 Hz: -14 dB

Here's a few items of interest to keep in mind while looking at these measurements:

(1) This is a "real world" environment. I don't use any acoustic treatments, and have tried to make my environment visually appealing as well as acoustically stunning. The TN1220HO sits in a corner (somewhat) hidden by a 6' tall Dracaena Corn plant. My Martin Logan Quests are far more visually overwhelming than the subwoofer. I am very impressed with how flat the response was in my environment!

(2) While it looks like there is no output at 20 Hz, there is actually quite a lot of output - it was just not measured at my listening position. It just so happens that my listening position is at - you guessed it - an acoustic node at approximately 20 Hz. Notice that the measured output was actually rising from 31.5 Hz to 25 Hz. My guess is that these babies actually have good output well below 20 Hz. Even though I couldn't measure anything from the SPL meter at 20 Hz at my listening position, I could still hear the effects of this subwoofer - stuff that was on my shelves in the room were rattling around while playing the 20 Hz track.

(3) The output to my main speakers (the Quests) comes from the my B & K preamp with speaker size set to "small" (80 Hz cutoff). This got the flattest response in my environment. Dr. Hsu set the subwoofer amp's low pass filter to 50 Hz, if I remember right. This means that very little bass is coming from the Martin Logans, which lightens their load significantly. The Quests used to output down to about 32 Hz and then dropped like a rock.

So, how does it sound? In a word - awesome! The Quests really opened up from their lighter load. The Quests also used to exhibit a 50 Hz peak of around +8 dB that got a little annoying, now gone due to the handling of the Hsu subwoofer. The subwoofer never draws strong attention to itself, except when needed - and then it rocks the house! (literally!) The Hsu blended very well with the Quests, offering a deep, quick, well-defined, and broad bass characteristic. This sub is not a "one-note" bass subwoofer, like so many other brands too long to list here.
I was amazed that this quality of bass can be had for such a cheap price!

Great material for showing what the amp is capable of:

The HBO mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon" - any time a rocket is taking off. Also possibly the best mini-series of all time, IMHO.

Craig Chaquico - Panorama - Just about any track. The bass isn't complex, but it goes pretty deep.

Michael Hedges - Aerial Boudaries - Any track. The bass isn't deep, but it goes pretty complex. (-:

Titan A.E. - A fun DVD for showing off a surround system, as long as you don't pay too much attention to the thin plotline and wooden acting. The animated special effects are pretty impressive, and it has one of the best soundtracks I have found for surround effects that are perfectly integrated to the video.

The Matrix - OF course!

Two notes of caution:

(1) I use a B&K Components Ref 10 pre-amp that can output up to 10.0 V on its line-level outputs (at least that's what the specs say). This proved to be a problem, since apparently this high of an input voltage to the Hsu Research 500 Watt amplifier caused something to fry about a week after I bought it. The subwoofer output of the B&K Ref 10 could only be lowered by -12 dB by the pre-amp's speaker configuration settings. The preamp's output needs to be lowered more. The dial on the subwoofer amplifier is set to about 1/4 of the total dial range. I prefer to crank my amplifiers to near full scale and adjust the volume on the preamp. I sent the pre-amp back to Hsu Research (via a cross-ship arrangement, more kudos for their Customer Support!). Make sure to watch your preamp output levels. If you aren't moving the sub's amplifier level dial very far, you may end up having the same problem I did ...

2) I notice some sort of directionality cues that call my attention to the sub's location during music and movie play. Not super strong, but sometimes the bass noticably seems to be coming from the front right corner. Why this is occuring, I'm not sure yet. I suspect that it could be due to my Corn plant's proximity to the sub, close proximity to 3 large windows & blinds, the sub's cross-over frequency, or maybe the cheap "styrofoam-'n-stucco" construction so popular down here in the Southwest. Playing the 1/3 octave test tones didn't call any attention to the sub during the testing. It only seems to have this problem while playing music/movies. Right now, I'm blaming something in my environment, not the subwoofer - you'll have to decide on your own ...

Finally, before I get going, I have a nagging concern - I question the "review" of Brian from Michigan (below this review). Although he gave the Hsu Research TN1220HO subwoofer 5 stars in both categories, it appears to me that he is advertising more for the SVS subwoofers (which may be excellent subwoofers, I haven't heard them). It doesn't appear to me in his review that he has purchased (or even tried) BOTH the TN1225HO and the TN1220HO to review them against the SVS subwoofers. The SVS sub's design concept is similar to the Hsu Research tubular design. Ah well, at least Brian didn't lower the overall ratings of this excellent subwoofer!

Similar Products Used:

None owned, though I have listened to many - I just used the normal bass response of my Martin-Logan Quests until now.

Powerful bass, low distortion, blends well with system

none

Pre-Order:
I originally was looking at the Sunfire subs because I have a problem in that there is only one place to put the sub... behind the Lazy-Boy recliner in the right front corner on my room. The recliner sits diagonally in the corner of the room between my right front speaker (the RF speaker is about 5.5 feet from the corner) on one side and the fireplace hearth (which is along the right wall of the room) on the other.
The Sunfire was ideal (appearance wise) because the recliner could hide it in the corner. However, when I listened to the Sunfire in the store, I was not able to get it to blend convincingly with the main speakers no matter how I set the gain, crossover, or phase. No matter what I did, I could hear the sub booming away as a separate source. This may have been an artifact of the listening room and the fact that it was behind the listening position (I couldn't change that) and not necessarily the fault of the sub. I have always liked Sunfire equipment and don't want to give the impression that it was not a good product... but it worried me that I might not be able to get good results with it in my room also due to the rigid constraints I had in placement for my room.

I had read very good reviews of the HSU subs and their ability to blend well and be "musical". So, I called HSU to ask about placement of the TN-1220 and also sent a fax of my room layout. Dr. HSU responded quickly with setup advice, crossover suggestion, and noted that it could lay down along the wall behind the chair with very good results. Needless to say since I am writing this review... I ordered the sub with the suggested 51hz crossover module.

Delivery:
I am very happy with the service I received. When I ordered the TN-1220 and 500W amp, they told me when they would be shipped. They called me a few days earlier than that date to tell me that it was being shipped out and when I could expect it to arrive. A day before the expected arrival date, I received two boxes in excellent condition and the equipment was very well packed.

Installation and Setup:
Per Dr. HSU's recommendation, I set the mains to "Large" and directed the LFE signal to the "MAIN" speakers. I then connected the main output of my Yamaha receiver to the sub amp input, and sent the 51hz and above output back to my main channel amp. The sub is lying down horizontally behind the recliner chair along the front wall between right front corner of the room and my right front speaker. My right front speaker is out about 16 inches form the wall so there is some room between the end of the sub and my 65" projection TV.
I quickly found that I had a very strange problem... one that I never had before... I had too much output at 20 hz! I also had a dip in response at about 50hz at my listening position (my main speakers playing alone and full range also produce a dip in this range so I know it is not a shortcoming of the sub). I know that there will be larger variations due to room modes but I have never had a sub that would go low enough and with that much power to excite these. I had to turn the sub amp down to just a few clicks above off or it made my ears ring.
I then set up the sound levels with a sound level meter, AVIA, and a Stereophile test tone disk (I think I drove my family crazy listening to low frequency tones and sweeps) to get the overall level balanced. Also, after talking to Dr. HSU, I placed the woofer end facing the corner. This let the port end have some room between it and the TV, which helped tame the 20hz peak, and helped balance the upper range of the sub's output.

Listening Impressions:
WOW! This sub blends very well with my main speakers (Ohm Walsh 4's). Even in my initial setup when the sub amp was adjusted way too high, it just sounded like my main speakers had too much bass. It never sounded like the sub was booming away on it's own. With a little adjustment of the levels, I was able to get very powerful, undistorted, and seamless bass that I had never heard before in my system.

Movies: When I watched T2, the future war scene in the beginning reminded me of the T3-3D attraction at Universal Studios. When the flying HK crashed, the whole room shook and I could feel the vibration. My room is on a concrete slab, so it is not easy to transmit the FEELING of bass across the room. Man... I'm gonna like this.

Music: I popped in the "Titanic" soundtrack and was very impressed with the subs ability to play the low bass tones on this disk without sounding boomy during the more complex passages. Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine" sounded almost as powerful as it does in my car (with 4 subs that reach below 20hz). For those of you who have a car stereo capable of very deep and undistorted bass, you know the visceral feeling you get that is hard to achieve in a larger home environment.

Summary:
I am VERY happy with my purchase. This sub is more powerful than I expected. I was a little skeptical about all the 5 star reviews here, but they are not exaggerating. This sub is capable of very powerful and undistorted bass that blends seamlessly with my speakers. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sub regardless of price range.

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned Sunfire MK2

High Quality Bass Sound, low distortion down to 14HZ; Small footprint for easy placement.

NONE

I have all Polk Configuration and was not happy with the Polk sub-decent but only to 35hz; I was going to buy Velodyne but I read the reviews concerning HSU Subs, You cannot find a better value for performance versus cost. I bought one 1220 Sub and 250 watt Amp for around $950 versus $1700 for the Velodyne.

EXCELLENT customer service, I had a couple questions about setup and sub placement and Dr. HSU returned my call personally within the hour, Thank You. The sub sounds fantastic! Buy it.

Front- RT-55
Center- CS 400
Rear- RT 35
Sub- PSW140 (Replaced with HSU)
Onkoyo 777B

Similar Products Used:

Velodyne HG12-FS18; EarthQuake, Sunfire

Seemless integration within the context of my system.

A little top-heavy

I am using the Spectral/MIT/Avalon 2C3D reference system. The speakers that are the reference for this system are the Avalon Eidolon. The Avalons are rated to go down to 26Hz, and I can attest to the fact that this system delves deeply and accurately into the low frequencies all by itself. However, there are times when I want to experience the window-rattling, sofa vibrating impact that a good sub can provide. I previously owned Bag End subwoofers and they did an excellent job in the earth-shaking department. I got rid of the Bag End, however, because I felt that the integration with the Eidolon was not as seemless as I would have liked. Basically, the Bag End was a bit boomy, and that took away from the articulate, neutral and accurate bass the Eidolons provide. However, I did recall how much I liked the "earthquake" sensations provided by a sub. I read a lot of good things about Hsu, visited their website, and soon after I ordered the TN1220HO with 500 watt amplifier. I usually use the Hsu while watching movies, but I have, on occasion, used the Hsu while listening to music. Within the context of my system, the Hsu integrates very well with the Eidolon and I am left with the impression of seemless bass. The overall bass performance with the Hsu in place is tight, articulate and not at all boomy. The Hsu does not take away from the impact of the Eidolon in terms of accurate and tight bass. However, I don't usually use the Hsu when I am listening to music because the Eidolon does not need reinforcement in this regard. However, with Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park, the subterranean rumblings of the Hsu are most welcome. The Bag End and the Hsu are the only subwoofers I have heard within the context of my system so I can't make a blanket recommendation that the Hsu is "the best sub in the world." Within the context of my system, I can't really imagine another sub being significantly better in performance than the Hsu TN1220HO. Additionally, Dr. Hsu was very helpful in helping me to decide which sub would work best with my system and we spoke about this over the phone. It is clear he is very knowledgable about accurate bass response and knows what he is doing as well as being concerned about customer satisfaction. Ultimately, all of this leads to another five-star recommendation.

Similar Products Used:

Bag End

Articulate and musical, but also enough muscle to reveal build quality of housing structure.

Yeah right

If you've never listened to your favorite music without a great subwoofer, you do not know what you are missing. It is a myth that there is not much musical presence below 50 hz. One listen to some "in your face" classical from the likes of Shostakovich or Stravinsky on a system with great bass reproduction and you'll gain a new perspective. And any Victor Wooten cut will put a smile on your face from ear to ear.

I bought two of the HSU 1220 subs with the HSU 500W amp. My room size was borderline to need two, but the output is there if I need it. I love the amp almost as much as I do the subs. It is on my component rack, so output adjustment is soooo easy. No more lifting or tilting a big box to adjust levels.

I think the subs are even more incredible on dvd's. Scene's such as in ID4, where the mother ship first comes into the picture, the DEEP BASS is incredible. The couch vibrates, your shirt moves, the plaster falls, items in the kitchen cabinets shake. But with no sense of distortion whatsoever. Or in the beach invasion scene from Saving Private Ryan(DTS). This scene is already dramatic visually, but with the hsu's reproducing all the blasts, booms and dynamics from the gunfire, its takes you two steps further into the whole experience.

About the "tube" look - I simply love it. They are very inconspicuous, and are very manueverable. Even with two, the footprint is smaller than most other subs. Besides, the design works.

One last word on a tangent - customer service. It was outstanding. Wether by phone or email, response was always quick and informative. And with a 30 day trial period risk free, you owe it to yourself to give HSU a try.

System:
Rotel RMB-1095 Amp
Rotel RSP-976 Pre/Pro
Marantz DV-7000 DVD
HSU 1220 (2) w/ 500W amp
Paradigm Reference 100's Main
Paradigm Reference 40's Surround
Monster HTS3500 PowerCenter
DH Labs cables and interconnects
Mitsubishi 55807 TV

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned every sub within one hour of me - REL, Paradigm, M&K, Velodyne, B&W, Infinity...