These speakers are really fantastic for the money. My top pick still is the Muse 18s. But the quality for the price of the Hsu's is incredible. A sales person (name withheld for obvious reasons) from Legacy Audio recommended them over their subs. I am glad I took him up on the recommendation. I can afford and love these subs.

Had my 12V for over a year and am still in love with it.
Mains are custom-built Dynaudio which I've been in love with for about 12 years. Whether watching video and called upon to break plaster or listening to music when the tambre of the piano key needs a little on the bottom, it does it just right... clean, hard, and fast.

Bravo to the good Doctor.

No distortion, great sound, somewhat large, very accurate. I just purchased the 12Va last week and have been very impressed. With the sub, I also purchased the 250W separate amp. This is my first sub and after demoing Velodyne, M&K, Sunfire, Definitive, etc., I believe the HSU to be the more musical than these others. The Velodyne ULD-15 came in a close second and the FSR1800 was just too much to spend. Living in an apartment makes for limited "high volume" testing, but even my Denon's test tones make the walls rattle. I've had to crank the output down to 25% from the amp and reduce the channel level for the sub well into the negative to keep the neighbors at bay.
As with all subs, placement is critical. I have noticed that per HSU's recommendations, having the sub out front about half way between you and the fronts gives absolute transparency. You simply cannot locate the source. Next to a wall and slightly behind the listening position creates a boomy, uneven, easily located source, probably because of my room shape.

My only complaint is that the crossover point is not adjustable without purchasing optional crossover cards. Default is 91Hz. My amp is set up to send only 80Hz and below so this is no big deal.

Compared to the other subs in class, for the money, HSU is impossible to beat.

The Hsu is a good sub, but let us not go and knock M&K or Velodyne either. First off, the perceived boomy sound you described only happens in speakers in the 80 to 100hz range; an area good subs rarely venture into. This means that either your ears are misaligned or you do not know basic audiophile terminology. Speakers that are not designed to go into the upper bass regions would not sound boomy. Second, M&K is the preferred sub used in mixing audio by top labs around the world including Dolby, THX, Motorola labs, Post Audio, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Colombia Pictures, ......Note that they do no use Hsu as their reference speakers. I say that their demands for absolute top notch sound equiptment far surpasses your needs, and their choice is based upon a more critical ear than yours ever will. In the future comment on the performance of the product, and not justifiably bash its competitors.

The HSU 12Va is outstanding in both its musical applications ranging from pipe organs to serious rock'n'roll and its fantastic for home theatre.I run my sub with one channel of an ADCOM 5800 (250 W continuous into 8 ohms with high peak power) and have comparable performance to the top of the line Velodyne 15 inch sub and clearly superior to the M&K, Paradign, and Klipsch 15 inch subs which I would describe as relatively "boomy" reminding me of the sound of automobile bazooka tubes.
In closing, I simply can't believe the value of this product for $ 625 !
Bravo Dr. Hsu!!

Like you even know what a subwoofer is, you use a MK...i.e. not a good sub, overpriced yes, but not a good sub. and you blaten slandering calling at Hsu owner more or less low-fi Bose speakers lovers with JVC receivers is quite stupid on your part for you see i know what your system is i can see it by your post...you have an Denon AVR-2700 receiver, denon cdplayer, and all you speakers are made by MK, why else would you defend them so much as to post a message here. and i'm willing to bet cold hard cash that you are also "very" defensive of your Denon equipment....ala bias denon-MK fanatic.and come on just use you real name....John KO is know it you!

and for your knowledge the 12Va and the V1b aren't even comparable 12Va can kick that sub ass into last tuesday!

I bought this several years ago, but no longer use it. It is definitely worth the money if you need the sub lower frequencies(below 35hz).
My problem with it is that the xover in the 125 w amp adds distortion when used between preamp and amp. I found it better to run my main speakers full range and use the HSU as an add-on. Of course, this meant my mains suffered low frequency distortion if I played too loud, still this sounded the best for me with my old mains (SPectrums)--at least it was clear if not the best dynamic range.

Another thing. My new mains (PSBs) go flat to 35 hz so there's not much to be gained by using the HSU. The only music where it was really needed was the Telarc 1812 Overture where it rattled the foundation, the St Saens Organ Symphony, and Dutoit's "Pines and Fountains of Rome."

I suppose someone into Home Theater with a really good xover (who makes one that doesn't muddy the sound?) who also likes a lot of organ music would need this.

I rate them a 5 for the speaker, 3 for the amp and xover: 4.

True low end; High performance/price ratio

Location

Could someone share the experience on how to get the most
from this sub? I got a number of different crossover modules from Hsu and was able to tailor it to my mains in terms of frequency integration.

But location is still makes me scratch my head. Putting it
in the corner or next to the wall renders too heavy bass. Placing it behind the listening chair doesn't seem to work either. Someone mentioned its best position between the listener and the mains, but I can't see how it would work for me. Normally, you wouldn't want any object in front, between you and the mains. Help!!!

Anyway, I agree that the sub built-in crossover does affect
the signal getting thru it before going to your main amp to the extent that I am willing to use the mains without the sub for absolute transparency (My setup is a minimalist approach with DAC connected directly to the main amp, using Meridian 518 for volume control.)

Maybe a good preamp with two sets of outputs will give me both: Uncompromised full range sound augmented by the sub.
Five stars for performance/price value, four for overall rating (easy of use, apprearance, service).

Similar Products Used:

None

Not for the timid. Tight, focussed, true sub-sonic bass. A snare drum sounds like a snare drum. A stand-up bass like a stand-up bass. And the rumble of a Harley like the rumble of a Harley. Katie bar the door because the neighbors' will be investigating what it was that separated them from their gold fillings.

I purchased the HSU 12Va subwoofer a little over six months ago. I wanted to increase the lower end and over all dynamics of my Thiel CS2 speakers. I was more than pleased with the results. I have read that some subwoofers are designed for music and others for home theater. My main interest is in music and the HSU was the right choice for my system and budget. I also use my system for home theater and there I really would not want much more in a subwoofer (how much do your walls have to shake after all?)
Last week the crossover/amplifier failed (even in the best products). Because I live near to the HSU offices, I drove my unit over for repair. I left it in the late morning. By the early afternoon, they had found the problem and fixed it. This is service that I have never encountered with electronic products.

If you are considering a subwoofer, you need to look at the HSU. Do not be put off by their mail order marketing strategy. They stand by their word and the service is absolutely first rate.