# Hsu Research CCB-8 Review Discussion Thread



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

_(picture courtesy of Hsu Research)_



Hsu Research CCB-8 Speaker

By Jim Wilson (theJman)​


I'm willing to bet you've never heard a speaker this size sound this good. There are but two driver elements that comprise the Hsu Research CCB-8 - with the tweeter nestled in what would be the dustcap of the woofer in a conventional speaker - yet in spite of the somewhat unorthodox configuration the results achieved are incredible. You hear detail and precision that simply should not come from anything that costs what these speakers do, but it's there nonetheless. They do require some discipline with regards to placement and aiming, but with that taken care of you are rewarded with outstanding sound quality from something that's simply too small to be this full and rich.


*For the full review Click Here​*​


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## 86eldel68-deactivated (Nov 30, 2010)

A (perhaps) inevitable question: How do these compare to the HB-1s?

Great review, BTW.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

I've never had the opportunity to hear the HB-1's so I can't really say unfortunately. Given the different drivers used on both sets of speakers, and how they're physically arranged/aligned, I would imagine the sound signature is quite a bit different.


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## Nordo (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks for the great review Jim.

What was your set-up for your tests?

Did you use a CCB-8 centre with the movies and the music tests?

Did you have a sub?
If not, do you think a sub would improve the overall sound - with movies and music?

We're moving house, and I'm going to leave my home theatre (and everything in it) and downsize in the new home to the living room.
So I'm looking for all new equipment.:smile:


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Nordo said:


> Thanks for the great review Jim.


Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the article.



Nordo said:


> What was your set-up for your tests?
> 
> Did you use a CCB-8 centre with the movies and the music tests?
> 
> ...


The center was used for the TV and movie portion, but music was strictly 2 channel so no center. I used two different subwoofers during my time with the CCB-8's; a JTR S1 - which is my own personal unit - and the Rythmik FV18, which is my next review to be published. I did that deliberately so I could test their interaction with both sealed and ported alignments. The majority of the review was using the FV18 though. A sub is a must with these speakers as they were not designed to handle deep bass.

Moving is always a good opportunity to start fresh with audio gear.  Do you know the size (HWD) of your new HT room?


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## Nordo (Feb 28, 2008)

theJman said:


> Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the article.
> 
> 
> The center was used for the TV and movie portion, but music was strictly 2 channel so no center. I used two different subwoofers during my time with the CCB-8's; a JTR S1 - which is my own personal unit - and the Rythmik FV18, which is my next review to be published. I did that deliberately so I could test their interaction with both sealed and ported alignments. The majority of the review was using the FV18 though. A sub is a must with these speakers as they were not designed to handle deep bass.
> ...


Thanks for replying.
I wasn't sure whether you were given the Centre for testing or not.

Had a quick read about the FV18. The Direct Servo technology sounds very interesting.
Really looking forward to your review.

We haven't actually bought and sold yet, but basically looking to downsize (kids have gone and the large garden, etc is becoming too much hard work).
So with the downsizing will probably mean no dedicated media room, apart from the main living area.
However, if we find a house with the ideal spare room . . . 

Cheers:wink2:


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## JWitt179 (Oct 4, 2017)

I'm very interested in the CCB-8 speaker, and really enjoyed your review. I was lucky to hear them at AXPONA. This has largely contributed my interest. I unfortunately have not heard the HB-1s either. Anyway, my question is that have you reviewed the Elac uni-fi speaker line? I'm very interested in the tweeter mid-range driver and how the off axis response and imaging compares to the CCB-8s.


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## -Jim- (Mar 25, 2016)

I too would like to thank you for the review. My only concern is that the bright yellow color of the woofer, and limited finishes, might make it impossible to gain the ever important WAF. 

We are remodeling the main floor and I was informed my old JBLs weren't going to make it in the new Family Room adjacent to her Dream Kitchen. I was also informed no rear speakers would be allowed to be hanging off the walls. (I've put some in-wall speakers in their place.) My wife hate wires (she married an Electrician ) and big speakers. I've been narrowing the field, and have it down to SVS Ultra Bookshelf in gloss white or these HSU CCB-8. If they came in gloss white with black cones they'd be an easier sell in my household. 

Anyway, I love to audition them when we are finally finished at the end of the month.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

-Jim- said:


> We are remodeling the main floor and I was informed my old JBLs weren't going to make it in the new Family Room adjacent to her Dream Kitchen.


Seems to me her dream kitchen should have a counterpart that you consider to be a dream as well, like a killer audio system... :jiggy:


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## -Jim- (Mar 25, 2016)

Hi Jman,

While I agree, balance is important, as part of the main floor Reno =>it started as just the kitchen, and morphed to everything on the floor=> we have a HT system in a "games room" which in the new era becomes more of a"Front Room" I'm told. (The front room became the dining room, as the dining room became part of her dream kitchen.)

I negotiated modifying that wiring from a 6.1 system to a 7.2.4. I got a great deal on some Polk in ceiling speakers, and decided to install them even though my present Denon AVR-S900W is only 7.2 capable. I decided that if I ever wanted to try Atmos, or another immersive technology, I'd never be able to rip out the ceiling again and get it done. If I don't like the Polks later, I can change them out and move to something else. I'm not certain the immersive technology will stick (I bought into 3D TV when it was the rage :laugh2: trying to be "forward" thinking when we needed a new TV at the time...) 

As the ceilings came down I took the opportunity to pre-wire the in-wall speakers for the surrounds in Family room as well as LAN cables, Home runs for Cable TV and a router, etc. As the Reno was "Substantially Complete" on February 1rst, and the Games room is now full of boxes to unpack (no system to play with :huh, I decided to mount the TV in the Family room and get some sound going . I installed a North Bayou Universal Full Motion Articulating Gas Spring Wall Monitor TV Mount F400 for LED, LCD, Flat Panel Screens 50" - 60" inch, which supports a load from 30.8 to 50 lbs. (The Samsung UN55ES6150 weighs 35.7 pounds without the stand.) Other than working through some strange Ikea like instructions, the install was straight forward and the mount works like a charm. I decided to bring up the "classic" JBL L-36 Speakers just to get some sound going, and maybe motivate the Misses to green light the CCB-8s. 

Initially she was miffed as she said she never wanted those speakers up here again, and wanted me to go with nothing - "until we get something smaller". She also forgot that this system has a Klipsch Sub, and she wants no part of any Sub in the Family Room. (! :surprise "big boxes just don't fit the new Decor". But to her chagrin, I've left it all as is as I need something on this Floor - especially to watch the Superbowl - until I can set up the Games Room.

One thing I forgot when she decided to pull out all the carpets and drapes, is it's now so "lively" there's sound bouncing off all the hard surfaces everywhere. I hate it. The TV speakers (which are not good) are distracting, and I find myself turning on the HT even to watch the news.

Now I'm thinking with so much resistance, if it's worthwhile putting in anything decent in the Family room. Maybe I should just grab some very small bookshelves and move the Sub to the Games room and focus my attention there. My main speakers there are ancient (Altec Santana with new Caps and a Soft Dome tweeter some years ago) and maybe it's time to retire them and move into something current...


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## -Jim- (Mar 25, 2016)

I decided to put some decent speakers across the front in the Games Room Setup. I phoned HSU today and ordered a 3.0 CCB-8 package to replace my aged front speakers. They are having their "Fall Sale" so I negotiated. (I told the Misses after the fact.)

It's a CCB-8 satin black speaker package. He said he'd include a test CD with the speakers. That's not a problem."

I saved a whopping $21 (US no less!) Whoo Hoo! (What a Sale!)

I also bought a Denon AVR-X4400H a while back, and a second Sub so now I have a 7.2.4 setup but only enough amplifier for a 7.2.2 or 5.2.4. Oh, I almost forgot, my BluRay Player needed to be replaced. I found out most Atmos Blu-Rays are 4K (very few regular Blu-Rays do Atmos or DTS-X). Besides, my old Blu-Ray Player didn't like to output Bitstream via HDMI to the Denon for those few standard BluRays that had Atmos. So it got retired. Now the only "old" thing is my 55 Samsung 3D TV that only does 1080P. 

The CCB-8s ship tomorrow.

It never ends...


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Gotta love a person whose screen name is Jim... :wink2:

I suspect you'll enjoy the CCB-8's. Be sure to spend the requisite time aiming them as the results will be much better when you get that part right. If Dr. Hsu sends you the same disk he sent me there is some good demo material on it. The best stuff is what your ears are familiar with though.

Be sure to come back and post your impressions. Feedback from actual owners is very beneficial to others considering them.


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## -Jim- (Mar 25, 2016)

Thanks for the post & encouraging thoughts Jim.

I've had the CCB-8s temporarily setup for a couple weeks. The L&R speakers are too low as I haven't gotten around to getting 36 inch high Stands for them. So far they are sitting on top of my old 25 inch high Altec Santanas. But I did spend a Saturday modifying my TV stand so I could slip the CCB-8 Center into position. 

I really haven't gotten into tweaking them as yet, as work and family obligations keep getting in the way, but based on my limited testing, I'm going to keep them. The impact the Center makes alone is worth that. Mostly I've been breaking them in a Home Theater role with some BluRay concert disks, and Roger Waters, The Wall in Atmos. I also watch TV with them on but a pretty low volumes. The manual says: For optimum bass performance, use a system with bass management and crossover the CCB-8s to a subwoofer at 80 Hz. So after Audyssey did it's thing, I reset the Denon suggestion of 60 to 80 Hz. I've left both rear ports open as HSU recommends (somewhere - I forget where - but probably on their website or Forum) for the initial setup.

HSU forgot to send me the CD but I did download the tracks (in Flac) from a link they supplied. Some dig real low and are more about their subwoofers that CCB-8s. They are also going to send my the wave file link.

I'll post some more when I get further down the road and have some spare time.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Glad to hear they're working out for you. As time goes on and you start hearing more and more familiar material you'll likely come to realize just how much detail they have.


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## -Jim- (Mar 25, 2016)

Hi again,

I am enjoying these CCB-8s speakers, and after i decided to keep them I went looking for stands for the L&R speakers, so I could officially retire my Altec Santanas. 

Locally I couldn't find any suitable 36 inch high stands for them, so off to the web I went. I found a set, and thought (erroneously it turns out) that they'd have a "special" Black Friday promo price. So after waiting for weeks I bought them anyway last Friday from a US based vendor. They'll take a while to get here as the estimated delivery is Tue, Nov 27 - Tue, Dec 04. 

HSU did send me a link to the Wave Files for their test CD. I have some vacation time to burn up before year end. I'll add mucking about with this to an ever growing long list after the "Honey Do" list is complete. Wish me luck!


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Congrats, I'm glad to hear they worked out for you. Not surprised though... :T


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