# HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 Discussion Thread



## theJman

HSU Research ULS-15 MK2

By Jim Wilson (theJman)

​photo courtesy of HSU Research​

Taken as a whole, the HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 may be the best value going in the 15" subwoofer market. At less than $850 shipped it represents an amazing bargain, yet it's not just the low price that makes it stand out. This subwoofer was executed to near perfection by HSU; from its appearance to the obvious attention to detail - and of course the magnificent sound quality - they nailed every aspect. You realistically couldn't ask for more from a subwoofer that costs what this one does. With all the changes the company has recently made to their product line it seems HSU Research may have grown weary of being an also-ran in the ID (Internet Direct) market. It's evident they want to be on top of the heap now, and if my experience with the ULS-15 MK2 is any indication they have every right to be. Make sure HSU is on your short list the next time you go shopping for subwoofers. You can thank me later.

*For the full review Click Here​*​


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## Talley

As a HSU VTF-15H MK2 owner I will say this. My sub is stupid big for a 15". Had this been out I would of likely bought it instead. 18" cube is excellent for a 15" driver.

all three subwoofers are identical (VTF-15H MK2, ULS-15 MK2, VTF-3 MK5 HP) It's nice to see enclosure options. Completely sealed small size. Ported midsize and large size (mine).

I love mine I really do. I want to try PSA out but my sub leaves nothing to desire. I just want to add a second to take advantage of the XMC stereo subwoofer capability and have better room response across my couch listening space.

Good review btw.


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## Savjac

I WILL make one of these mine !! 
Tis the season to be bassy.


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## Talley

Savjac said:


> I WILL make one of these mine !!
> Tis the season to be bassy.


Why not two? 

What surprises me is their flat to 20hz claim when the other subs when sealed and in EQ1 fall off from ~40hz. This ULS has 5db more output at 20hz than the VTF-15H MK2 that I own when sealed and in EQ1. Is it being my enclosure is too big for sealed? I know mine was made more for ported w/ the ability to seal but thats a pretty significant hit. Although 1 port open and mine is 6db louder at 16hz compared to the ULS. Of course this is comparing the charts.

And then you factor in the price. Dual ULS-15 mk2 for 1640 shipped is a crazy good price especially since it's the same driver/amp as mine where dual mine are $2016 shipped.

I'd love to see/hear what dual ULS's could do in my room. Unfortunately I already own the bigger box version so economically adding second is all I need to do.


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## RayK

Jim Wilson, thank you for the review and suggesting new source material to feed my need for sound excellence.


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## theJman

RayK said:


> Jim Wilson, thank you for the review and suggesting new source material to feed my need for sound excellence.


You're quite welcome. I'm glad you found it of value.


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## spanish68

Hi Jim, how does the ULS-15 MK2 compares to the subs you already reviewed, the Rythmik E15 and the SVS SB-13 for both movies and (music) sound quality? Thanks.


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## Savjac

Talley said:


> Why not two?
> 
> What surprises me is their flat to 20hz claim when the other subs when sealed and in EQ1 fall off from ~40hz. This ULS has 5db more output at 20hz than the VTF-15H MK2 that I own when sealed and in EQ1. Is it being my enclosure is too big for sealed? I know mine was made more for ported w/ the ability to seal but thats a pretty significant hit. Although 1 port open and mine is 6db louder at 16hz compared to the ULS. Of course this is comparing the charts.
> 
> And then you factor in the price. Dual ULS-15 mk2 for 1640 shipped is a crazy good price especially since it's the same driver/amp as mine where dual mine are $2016 shipped.
> 
> I'd love to see/hear what dual ULS's could do in my room. Unfortunately I already own the bigger box version so economically adding second is all I need to do.


Well now that you mention it Tally !!!
Actually, as with many things in our life, it is a matter of money, nothing more or less, just plain old cash.
I have it on my Christmas list and I will of course have to throw some cash in the bowl for my wife to buy it so my other subs will have to go on the for sale block. :T


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## theJman

spanish68 said:


> Hi Jim, how does the ULS-15 MK2 compares to the subs you already reviewed, the Rythmik E15 and the SVS SB-13 for both movies and (music) sound quality? Thanks.


The SB-13 is an over-achiever, no question there, but with a 13.5" driver it is at a bit of a disadvantage to the others with their 15" drivers. It can hang with the two of them for the most part, so if you don't push things to the limit it certainly is a good choice. The E15 is still my favorite among the three, but the ULS-15 is a real close second. Think 1a and 1b instead of 1 and 2. The best part is none of them is a bad choice; no matter which you went with you'd end up being happy. It's just which fits best for a particular situation.


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## willis7469

Jman! As usual I thoroughly enjoyed your review. I have a question however, about when you reference things like absurd levels, or painful levels(sorry for the paraphrase) etc. The reason I ask is, everyone has a different threshold. More than that though, for example in my system MV-20 is my baseline. This is quite loud but not to where I worry about hurting my subs. I'll adjust accordingly depending on mood, company etc. I understand due to speaker sensitivity differences and room size differences it might not be a lateral comparison, but I wonder if it would be worth noting relative volume levels for comparison. Or even what the values are on your spl meter during such passages. Btw, I enjoyed your inclusion of Dave Grohls attributes. As a drummer who plays guitar and sings, that was nice to see. I also love AIC's dirt. I have a promo copy of "Jar of flies" that has little plastic flies in the spine. 


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## afterlife2

Dang You Jman this creates an disadvantage...Well you know. Great review I need and want one and a new house.


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## theJman

willis7469 said:


> Jman! As usual I thoroughly enjoyed your review. I have a question however, about when you reference things like absurd levels, or painful levels(sorry for the paraphrase) etc. The reason I ask is, everyone has a different threshold. More than that though, for example in my system MV-20 is my baseline. This is quite loud but not to where I worry about hurting my subs. I'll adjust accordingly depending on mood, company etc. I understand due to speaker sensitivity differences and room size differences it might not be a lateral comparison, but I wonder if it would be worth noting relative volume levels for comparison. Or even what the values are on your spl meter during such passages.


It's a good point, what exactly constitutes 'painful'? What's the difference between my threshold or someone else's? It's all subjective really. To a large extent, most of a review is; loud for me could be mild for someone else, or it might be considered extreme. I don't know of anyone else who publishes SPL readings though, so I'm not sure I will either. I can definitely see where you're heading with that though, because something similar has occurred to me over the years. How does one quantify such things?




willis7469 said:


> Btw, I enjoyed your inclusion of Dave Grohls attributes. As a drummer who plays guitar and sings, that was nice to see. I also love AIC's dirt. I have a promo copy of "Jar of flies" that has little plastic flies in the spine.


Personally, I don't believe Dave gets his due. For the type of music I listen to - and, it seems, you do as well - this man has been at the top of the heap for over 2 decades. Toss in the fact he can play about half a dozen instruments and sing? Yea, that certainly gets my attention.


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## theJman

afterlife2 said:


> Dang You Jman this creates an disadvantage...Well you know. Great review I need and want one and a new house.


Joe, the _last_ thing you need is another subwoofer!


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## afterlife2

theJman said:


> Joe, the _last_ thing you need is another subwoofer!


Lotto Aspiration. My friend.


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## luisv

Talley said:


> As a HSU VTF-15H MK2 owner I will say this.  My sub is stupid big for a 15". Had this been out I would of likely bought it instead. 18" cube is excellent for a 15" driver.
> 
> all three subwoofers are identical (VTF-15H MK2, ULS-15 MK2, VTF-3 MK5 HP) It's nice to see enclosure options. Completely sealed small size. Ported midsize and large size (mine).
> 
> I love mine I really do. I want to try PSA out but my sub leaves nothing to desire. I just want to add a second to take advantage of the XMC stereo subwoofer capability and have better room response across my couch listening space.
> 
> Good review btw.


Are you considering another VTF-15H MK2 or adding the ULS-15 MK2. I've been thinking about adding another sub, but been holding back due to the size of VTF-15H cabinet. I was contemplating selling my sub and going with 2 sealed DIY 18's.


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## luisv

And thanks for the great review Jim... :T


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## Talley

luisv said:


> Are you considering another VTF-15H MK2 or adding the ULS-15 MK2. I've been thinking about adding another sub, but been holding back due to the size of VTF-15H cabinet. I was contemplating selling my sub and going with 2 sealed DIY 18's.


Adding another VTF-15H MK2.

Made space for it by centering my rack and relocating some things already. Now I have an empty hole waiting for some dual sub goodness.


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## willis7469

Tis the season Talley!
:devil: do it...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Talley

willis7469 said:


> Tis the season Talley!
> :devil: do it...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I will.... in due time. Gotta pay off 2015  I started everthing in my room Dec 18th 2014 with the showcase and Jan 1st bought the Reciever and much of Jan was buying more equipment. 

Was a very expensive 2015. Give me till spring break or so


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## luisv

Talley said:


> Adding another VTF-15H MK2.
> 
> Made space for it by centering my rack and relocating some things already. Now I have an empty hole waiting for some dual sub goodness.



Gotcha and now I see where it will ultimately sit... curious why the sub is covered with cloth? Reflections from the projector?


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## Talley

luisv said:


> Gotcha and now I see where it will ultimately sit... curious why the sub is covered with cloth? Reflections from the projector?


Nice satin black paint and the fact I have 4 kids... don't want it to mark up easy but also you can see light from the projector. One of my final plans is to have some curtains that I can enclose around the room to block most the light. 

I also need to make some fabric for the speakers as I don't like seeing the reflection of the screen in them either.


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## luisv

Sure, understandable. Thanks again...


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## willis7469

Haha! I was just ribbin ya. Your space has come a long way this year. In a crazy way, it looks great and I'm sure it sounds even better. Not accounting for taste! :neener: LOL 
Merry Christmas Talley. 


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## willis7469

Jman, I agree. Quantifying such things would be difficult. Especially when the benchmark is on a sliding scale. Maybe even a simple "spoiler alert" or "do with the information what you will, but I recorded 115db during the opening explosion on the hurt locker ". (A movie I also love) Or something to scale an anecdotal impression with. I've read thousands of reviews over the years, and I think it's truly an art form to convey anecdotal information in a meaningful and simultaneously interesting way. I just prefer a point of reference sometimes. Now I'm droning, sorry. Watching the Vikings KILL Chicago. 
You do great work and you're a wealth of knowledge who never holds back with advice or opinion. 


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## Savjac

willis7469 said:


> Now I'm droning, sorry. Watching the Vikings KILL Chicago.
> You do great work and you're a wealth of knowledge who never holds back with advice or opinion.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Now you have gone and thrown down the war glove. Chicago let the Vikings win, you know it.


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## willis7469

Rofl! You know Jack, I really don't have a valid argument. I think you're right!


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## Talley

I still can't get over the value of this sub.

Is this not the cheapest 15" solution available on the commercial market?


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## theJman

Talley said:


> I still can't get over the value of this sub.
> 
> Is this not the cheapest 15" solution available on the commercial market?


Cheapest, meaning inexpensive? No, there are a number of options for less money. But it's definitely one of the best values, for sure.


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## Talley

theJman said:


> Cheapest, meaning inexpensive? No, there are a number of options for less money. But it's definitely one of the best values, for sure.


hmm... as it turns out you can find some cheap subwoofers. huh... oh well.


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## spiroh

Jim, how does this subwoofer compare to the vtf3 mk5? I understand it is the same sub but one is sealed and the other is ported. Which would sound best with music? Thanks


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## theJman

spiroh said:


> Jim, how does this subwoofer compare to the vtf3 mk5? I understand it is the same sub but one is sealed and the other is ported. Which would sound best with music? Thanks


The ULS and VTF are not identical; the amp uses the same base module, but the driver is only similar and the DSP programming is quite different between the two. The end result is two subwoofers that are close in comparison, but somewhat dissimilar in execution.

There's no indication of the type of music you listen to - nor the room size - but assuming it's not something like hip-hop or dubstep... the advantage probably goes to the ULS, but maybe not by as much as you might think. The VTF is pretty nimble in its own right and can handle music very well, so regardless of which you choose I don't imagine you would be disappointed.


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## Talley

theJman said:


> The ULS and VTF are not identical; the amp uses the same base module, but the driver is only similar and the DSP programming is quite different between the two. The end result is two subwoofers that are close in comparison, but somewhat dissimilar in execution.
> 
> There's no indication of the type of music you listen to - nor the room size - but assuming it's not something like hip-hop or dubstep... the advantage probably goes to the ULS, but maybe not by as much as you might think. The VTF is pretty nimble in its own right and can handle music very well, so regardless of which you choose I don't imagine you would be disappointed.


Agreed.

The ULS would make the better music sub due to its higher output in the 30-70 range

Mine is no slouch though


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## spiroh

So I ended up purchasing the ULS-15 mk2 to put in my office. I do listen to pretty much everything with a huge emphasis on electronic music. The office is only 8 x 12 x 8 in size so I think the output should be enough for me. I think the near future I will consider a ported 15" variety sub for the family room which is 14 x 21 x 8 but the kitchen is open to it so I suspect getting pressurizing might be an issue. Thank you


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## bob_m

Jim, lookin at the pic you posted, does the cabinet have any internal bracing? I believe the PSA review you did recently also showed no internal bracing. Is that normal with the smaller cabinets? -Bob


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## theJman

bob_m said:


> Jim, lookin at the pic you posted, does the cabinet have any internal bracing? I believe the PSA review you did recently also showed no internal bracing. Is that normal with the smaller cabinets? -Bob


It's fairly common to eschew bracing if the cabinet panels are relatively thick. The small enclosure size means the panels don't resonate to the degree larger ones would, so frequently manufacturers will forgo bracing because it's not really needed.


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## theJman

spiroh said:


> So I ended up purchasing the ULS-15 mk2 to put in my office. I do listen to pretty much everything with a huge emphasis on electronic music. The office is only 8 x 12 x 8 in size so I think the output should be enough for me. I think the near future I will consider a ported 15" variety sub for the family room which is 14 x 21 x 8 but the kitchen is open to it so I suspect getting pressurizing might be an issue. Thank you


Does this mean you haven't received yours yet? If so, be sure you come back and post your thoughts after you've had the opportunity to get everything all tuned.


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## spiroh

I ordered it yesterday and should receive it on Wed. I will definitely post my thoughts.


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## ceetee

theJman said:


> The SB-13 is an over-achiever, no question there, but with a 13.5" driver it is at a bit of a disadvantage to the others with their 15" drivers. It can hang with the two of them for the most part, so if you don't push things to the limit it certainly is a good choice. The E15 is still my favorite among the three, but the ULS-15 is a real close second. Think 1a and 1b instead of 1 and 2. The best part is none of them is a bad choice; no matter which you went with you'd end up being happy. It's just which fits best for a particular situation.


while i have been reading the threads on this site for a long while, i do not post much. i just wanted to thank you Jim for all of your help. i am the proud owner of a dual pair of svs sb200 subs and must admit it is the best subwoofer that i have ever had! with that said, i will be upgrading to a dual pair of either the e15 or the uls-15. while i love svs subs and also realize that the sb13 ultra is a class-b reference sub, i felt that both the e15 and uls-15 were a little more 'musical' (tighter and quicker). due to cost the uls-15 is the front runner, but i had the e15 rated highest as well feeling that it would integrate a little better with the magnepan .7's. thanks again and please keep doing what you do!


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## theJman

ceetee said:


> while i have been reading the threads on this site for a long while, i do not post much. i just wanted to thank you Jim for all of your help. i am the proud owner of a dual pair of svs sb200 subs and must admit it is the best subwoofer that i have ever had! with that said, i will be upgrading to a dual pair of either the e15 or the uls-15. while i love svs subs and also realize that the sb13 ultra is a class-b reference sub, i felt that both the e15 and uls-15 were a little more 'musical' (tighter and quicker). due to cost the uls-15 is the front runner, but i had the e15 rated highest as well feeling that it would integrate a little better with the magnepan .7's. thanks again and please keep doing what you do!


You're quite welcome. I'm glad my reviews and/or opinion have proven helpful to you.


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## ceetee

spiroh said:


> I ordered it yesterday and should receive it on Wed. I will definitely post my thoughts.


really eager to hear your comments on the ULS-15 since i might be purchasing a pair.... thanks!


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## spiroh

ceetee said:


> really eager to hear your comments on the ULS-15 since i might be purchasing a pair.... thanks!


Hi ceetee, Here are my honest thoughts. I purchased the ULS-15 and had an opportunity to also purchase a JL Audio Fathom F113 version 1. The ULS-15 sounded very good but it did not have the output or the sound quality of the fathom. Obviously there's a huge cost in price difference so I know the comparisons are a little unfair. It got pretty loud for a sealed 15 but I ended up also purchasing the VTF15 mk2 3 weeks later, the ported version of this speaker. I have to say that I preferred the VTF15 over the ULS15. The output was better and I also liked the sound quality a little more. The VTF15 had about the same output as the fathom and maybe a tiny difference in sound quality. Put it this way if you didn't compare both of them side to side I highly doubt you would notice a difference. Having that extra output over the ULS15 to me was pretty important though. I am a bass head so I need output. I think both are great subs but I feel the VTF15 is the way i would go if space wasn't an issue and you were looking for that extra sound pressure levels.


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## ceetee

spiroh said:


> Hi ceetee, Here are my honest thoughts. I purchased the ULS-15 and had an opportunity to also purchase a JL Audio Fathom F113 version 1. The ULS-15 sounded very good but it did not have the output or the sound quality of the fathom. Obviously there's a huge cost in price difference so I know the comparisons are a little unfair. It got pretty loud for a sealed 15 but I ended up also purchasing the VTF15 mk2 3 weeks later, the ported version of this speaker. I have to say that I preferred the VTF15 over the ULS15. The output was better and I also liked the sound quality a little more. The VTF15 had about the same output as the fathom and maybe a tiny difference in sound quality. Put it this way if you didn't compare both of them side to side I highly doubt you would notice a difference. Having that extra output over the ULS15 to me was pretty important though. I am a bass head so I need output. I think both are great subs but I feel the VTF15 is the way i would go if space wasn't an issue and you were looking for that extra sound pressure levels.


thanks for the quick and honest response! sounds like you're more into movies than music, but i do prefer music myself. i was always the biggest fan of ported subs until i got my first sealed sub (SVS SB-2000 pr.). it made me realize the 'bloat' i thought that i was hearing was only a 'thickness' in the sound quality enhanced by the high output (not to say that all ported sound that way). so i was wondering if the sound was a little thicker from the VTF15 than the ULS15. also, do you hear any difference in the articulation and tightness between the two. by the way, the other sub i'm giving consideration (as well as my first choice) is the E15 from rythmik audio.. your thoughts are truly appreciated!


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## spiroh

Actually all of my testing was done with mostly music. Truth is i felt like I lost nothing going from the ULS to the VTF only gained due to output. Sound quality wise I don't think there were huge differences between the two. Being that you are looking to do two of them you should be happy. I never listened to the Rhytmik but if I ever need to go a different direction I will seriously consider them. I don't think I have ever read anything bad about them only positive in regards to output and sound quality. In hindsight, I wish I did try out the Rhythmik offerings and compared them to HSU and JL Audio.


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## ceetee

i did hear the E15 vs. the SVS SB-13 Ultra (class B reference) and gave a edge to the E15 as did the J-Man. Would love to hear it up against the JL Audio F113... considering the price difference, that would be an interesting listening session!


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## AGumbs

Great info! 

Thanks for the review :smile:


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## fackamato

I have this sub and love it. However, subs like the https://www.parts-express.com/dayto...00dsp-amplifier-and-cabinet-package--300-7200 , a sealed 18" 1200W RMS amp with a DSP in only a slightly larger package is really tempting.

Does anyone have a comparison between the 2?


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