Text and photos by Juan C. Ayllon CHICAGO -- I already had their impressive subwoofer, so my interest was piqued with their curious looking satellite speakers when I heard them at AXPONA two years ago. I was impressed! Then, late this last summer and fall, I had a chance to audition a pair of the Hsu CCB-8 coaxial bookshelf speakers in my home. They weigh 22 lbs. and are 15” tall, 10 ½” wide and 12 ½” deep. Featuring a magnetically attached black circular grill, the coaxial speaker features a yellow, eight-inch cast frame woofer with a 2˝ edge wound copper clad aluminum voice coil, which is coupled to an acoustically inert polypropylene cone and a well damped cloth surround. The wide dynamic range capability of this woofer matches the tweeter perfectly. They can be purchased on holiday special in either satin black or rosewood at $659 or $859 a pair, respectively. According to their site, “the woofer pole piece and cone acts as the constant directivity horn for the tweeter mounted behind the woofer magnet. Additionally, the crossover design takes into account the acoustic center differences between the woofer and tweeter. No matter where you sit or stand, you are always equi-distant from the woofer and tweeter.” When I contact him, Dr. Poh Hsu asks that I seat the speakers on 36” high stands and, additionally, emails me the following instructions: We like the speakers and listener to form an equilateral triangle, and then aim the speakers at a 45 degree angle. That puts the listener 15 degrees off axis, with the axis crossing in front of the listener. This gives a very large sweet spot - even when you are off center, you still get a great stereo spread between the speakers. The image does not collapse toward the speaker nearest to you. Other than a pair of tall, heavy duty PA speaker stands from my mobile DJ’ing days, I don’t own a proper set speaker stands, so borrowing a pair from my friend, Ken, who gives the CCB-8 speakers a listen in his room when I drop by to pick up his stands. Sitting roughly 29 inches above the floor in Ken’s intimate listening room, they prender a rich, robust and detailed presentation playing files from Ken’s Mac Mini through his PS Audio DAC in collaboration with his VTL preamp and Odyssey Audio Khartago monoblock amps. When I get home, I place the CCB-8s atop his stands, which I set atop a pair of wine crates which raise them to about 38” inches elevation, more or less. Taking pains to position them correctly,I set the crossover in my Hsu Research ULS-15 Mk 2 subwoofer at roughly 80 Hz and fire them up. I am astonished at the clear, rich sound pouring into my family room. At low to medium volume levels, they sound fairly competitive with the $5,300 Usher Mini Dancer Two DMD full range speakers (which I was still reviewing at the time). They’re not quite as nuanced and detailed as the Ushers, but sound pretty amazing for that price point! Another friend, Rich, who runs the Chicago Audio Society, comes by to listen to them and, impressed, borrows them for several weeks to hear them at his home and, later, another friend’s home. Several weeks later, he makes the observation that they sounded different in each home, as well as at the hotel rooms at AXPONA, where he’d first heard them playing through a modest receiver that used cheap, zip line speaker cable. In my room, which uses a lot of acoustic treatments, the Hsus had more pleasant highs, whereas in his, which used little to none, the highs were edgier, while at AXPONA, they sounded more idyllic. Clearly, interactions with individual rooms and the equipment driving them can affect their tonal balance. Some time passes when my friend, Michael, decides he’d like to review them for his blog and, with Dr. Hsu’s blessings, it’s time to review them and get them ready for pickup. Specs: Frequency response 50Hz – 20kHz +/- 2 dB at 15 degrees off axis Sensitivity 94 dB / 1m / 2.83V in Half Space Recommended Amplifier Power 10-400 W RMS Per Channel Woofer 8 Inch Enclosure Type Vented ; 3⁄4” MDF Recommended Impedance setting 8 ohms Enclosure Dimensions 15” H x 10 1⁄2” W x 12” D Dimensions with Grill 15” H x 10 1⁄2” W x 121⁄2” D Weight 22 lbs Warranty 7-years The Listening Session: Bill Evans. “On Green Dolphin Street.” Some Other Time. Resonance Records. DSD128 download. NativeDSD. 16 April 2016. The timbre, decay and notes of Evans’ piano hang just right. Along with Eddy Gomez’s woody plucked upright acoustic bass and Jack DeJohnette’s wooden sticks keeping time on cymbals and snare, the CCB-8 images the performance in real space. I am impressed! Eva Cassidy. “Cheek to Cheek” and “Stormy Monday.” Eva Cassidy -- Live at Blues Alley. FLAC 44.1 kHz. Blx Street Records,, 1998. From the emcee’s intro, to the clapter, snapping fingers and her humming intro and breathy vocals, precision bass, ride cymbals -- the presentation is smooth, precise, smooth, and big sounding. The piano, the slamming drums, guitar comps are deliciously portrayed. Cassidy’s vocals are captured in their power, sass and nuance. The sense of air, the room and vocal effects in “Stormy Monday” is mesmerizing, as is Keith Grimes’ electric guitar solo. Whereas it doesn’t have the same visceral impact of my Usher Mini Dancer Two DMD speakers (which retail in excess of $5K), the CCB-8 offers a very compelling, well imaged presentation, playing way above its price point. John McLaughlin. “Discovery.” To the One. DSD64. Abstract Logix, 4 April 2010. The CCB-8s handle the heavy rockish jazz fusion slam of kick drums, toms, snare and cymbals mashing up with McLaughlin’s notes effusive, swirling electric, flat wailing guitar with great aplomb, capturing textures, details and depth. Gary Husband’s keys, Etienne Mbappe’s deep, meandering bassline and Mark Mondesir’s polyrhythmic drum kit shimmer and shine beautifically. Wooden drum sticks striking the ride cymbal glisten, shimmer and float through the air. McLaughlins orgasmic solos tantalize. It makes for an extremely satisfying listen. I pushed the volume up a smidgen above 83 dB and heard a little chuffing. When I emailed this observation to Dr. Hsu, he wrote back, “We highly recommend using them high pass filtered at 80 Hz with the ULS taking the load below 80 Hz.” To be fair, I did not engage a high pass filter, but was using them full range. Mackerras Prague CO. “Allegro Vivace - Sir Charles Mackerras.” Mozart: Symphonies No. 31, No. 33 & No. 34. DSD64. Telarc 1988.
The sense of space and ambiance of the cavernous hall, the strings, the woodwinds and horns; violins, cellos, drums, and percussion rise up in triumphant successions. Conveyed with balance and realism, the CCB-8s present a broad soundstage, enveloping the room with a velvety realism. Pace, notes decay, timbre -- it’s all there in spades. I am amazed how these diminutive speakers can do all that. In Conclusion Like the American Fairytale, The Little Engine that Could, the Hsu Research CCB-8 bookshelf speakers are overachievers. They are a great value for the money and, properly set up, they perform quite admirably. It is important to note that if you intend on playing them at higher volume, that you follow Dr. Hsu’s advice in playing them high pass filtered at 80 Hz with a subwoofer like the Hsu ULS-15 crossed over at 80 Hz. If your budget is modest or you are looking for an inexpensive second setup in your home,, this might be the speaker for you! Associated Equipment
3 Comments
Kenneth krieger
1/3/2019 03:13:57 pm
Nice review Juan they did sound decent at my house but the set up was not optimal so I'm sure they were much better set up at your house. All and all for the money very nice.
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James McCall
4/19/2020 03:12:08 am
I have a pair on order. Thanks for your review!
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4/19/2020 05:26:09 am
Hi James,
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