Hsu's Mid-Bass Module

Early B.

Has anyone heard this bass module?:

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/mbm-12.html

Seems like an excellent idea. I bet it sounds great. I want one. Maybe someday soon I'll be able to buy it.

RuSsMaN

Sounds like a great way to get people to buy more gear they don't need.

wingnut4772

" What can we do to sell more speakers? We already got those suckers up to seven channels and two subs...Hmmmm. I know! A Mid-Bass Module!":eek:

dorokusai

It's a ridiculous idea and product.

VR3

I know a good midbass module...



EIGHT midbasses modules at that! No seperate boxes needed!

bsoko2

dorokusai wrote: »

It's a ridiculous idea and product.

I don't agree with you! I have my 3.3 Turbo, farfield in the far right corner of my living room and a Dayton 15 inch, nearfield behind the seating area. The bass is far superior then with a single sub. Farfield sub is set at 50 hz low, and nearfield sub is set at 50 hz high. Please keep a open mind and read the reviews about this type of sub placement on the HSU forum.:)

Bill

Early B.

I don't see why y'all are hating on the mid-bass module, not having heard it. Ya gotta admit -- Dr. Hsu knows a little bit more about subs than we do, and his subwoofers are exceptional for the price.

We break up the highest highs with supertweeters, so why not break up the lowest lows?

I would at least like to hear it.

Systems

Early B. wrote: »

I don't see why y'all are hating on the mid-bass module, not having heard it.

I think this approach has merit for use in rooms with lots of modes in the 50-80hz range.Having the sub in the nearfield will make these far less audible.

dorokusai

Early B. wrote: »

I don't see why y'all are hating on the mid-bass module, not having heard it. Ya gotta admit -- Dr. Hsu knows a little bit more about subs than we do, and his subwoofers are exceptional for the price.

We break up the highest highs with supertweeters, so why not break up the lowest lows?

I would at least like to hear it.

Supertweeters are a waste of time as well. I believe we're talking mid-bass re-inforcement, not the lowest of lows right? If your loudspeaker can't reproduce mid-bass correctly or accurately, find a speaker that does, don't add a band-aid. All it does it show that your original selection and setup, stinks.

Systems

dorokusai wrote: »

? If your loudspeaker can't reproduce mid-bass correctly or accurately, find a speaker that does, don't add a band-aid. All it does it show that your original selection and setup, stinks.

But it may well be benificial in systems where bass management has been used to route all the 80hz and below info of all 5 channels to the LFE channel.

RuSsMaN

I can see the merits for a sub-sat system, with micro satellite speakers - but then again, the merit of those systems for their potential users is the unobtrusiveness of it all in the decor. The speakers are small, and out of sight as much as possible. Adding additional 'midbass' boxes kind of defeats that purpose.

This product will sell to the die hard HSU user/fan, who already has their subs and system buttoned up and is looking to tweak further. I actually like this better than the fugly 'turbochargers' they are marketing for the HSU subs now.

Cheers,
Russ

wingnut4772

I can see the merit in it for the companies that make subs.:D

RuSsMaN

Ed Zachry.

Anyone want to lay wagers on who will follow suit, if anyone?

wingnut4772

Maybe we should have a speaker for each and every frequency. That way we can place each just so and......

Systems

Yep it will add to HSU's bottom line,and it certainly is not necessary in all rooms or systems.But there are some rooms and systems that MAY? benefit from this setup.There are some serious DIY guy's doing this as well.But only purchase one if you have return priviledges.

Systems

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Maybe we should have a speaker for each and every frequency. That way we can place each just so and......

The room has a MUCH greater effect on low frequency response than the mids and highs and subwoofer placement can be a tricky excercise to get it to sound right.Having multiple subs can be helpful in achieving smoother the low end response.

wingnut4772

GV#27 wrote: »

The room has a MUCH greater effect on low frequency response than the mids and highs and subwoofer placement can be a tricky excercise to get it to sound right.

I know. That was tongue in cheek. I think if any money is to be spent it's on room treatment not partial frequency speakers.

Systems

wingnut4772 wrote: »

I think if any money is to be spent it's on room treatment not partial frequency speakers.

Room treatments generally are ineffective below about 100hz or so unless you want to build very large bass traps.Parametric EQ or devices like Velodynes SMS1 can be help. Here is an interesting little read if you have some spare time. http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/multsubs.pdf

Early B.

wingnut4772 wrote: »

I think if any money is to be spent it's on room treatment not partial frequency speakers.

Room treatments are impractical for lots of people. Also, many people are very limited with subwoofer placement options. Both of these scenarios apply to me, and because of it, I know my sub doesn't sound as good as it can. I've even used Onix's R-DES system to smooth out the frequency response and it worked very well, but it didn't sound better, only different. I sold it.

I also know from experience that dual subs sound great in my room (one on each side of the sofa). So if two subs sound better than one in my room, why not split the frequencies? I'm guessing I'd hear more clarity in the lows as opposed to the "one note bass" I get now. Yeah, it's loud, tight, and clean, but it's still one note. My fronts dip down into the low 20's, but I don't get one-note bass from them, so I want the same benefit from a dedicated subwoofer(s) for HT.

I want to get an extra sub someday anyway, so why not try the bass module? At the very least, I'd like to read about people's experiences with it, so that's why I started this thread. And if I decide to buy it, I'd get a used one. I think $500 is too much money for a "tweak."

Of course, I'm open to other options, as well. Another smaller sub (not a mid-bass module) may sound just as good or better, I dunno. I thought the concept of a mid-bass module was weird, too, until I began to read about it on the Hsu Forum. Sure, it may be biased, but I'm hoping those folks are as honest about Hsu products as we are about Polk products (especially their subs).

wingnut4772

Well...I guess Hsu is gonna make some money. Who knows? I am open minded I mean- hello!? I am a girl who spends cash on HT gear!:eek: But this just feels a little gimmicky to me from an industry with a reputation for inventing need.

RuSsMaN

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Well...from an industry with a reputation for inventing need.

Nail, meet head.

MikeC78

The MBM is nothing new to the audio world, other companies have been doing this for years.

The MBM is more suited for HT subs that have a hard time hitting the higher notes, from what I hear it works wonders. I say spend the money and get a real sub that does both in one box.

Early B.

wingnut4772 wrote: »

But this just feels a little gimmicky to me from an industry with a reputation for inventing need.

I'm sure lots of people would say the same thing about your after market power cords, upgraded interconnects, power conditioners, etc. How is the MBM any different?

wingnut4772

Early B. wrote: »

I'm sure lots of people would say the same thing about your after market power cords, upgraded interconnects, power conditioners, etc. How is the MBM any different?

It's not.

jakelm

dorokusai wrote: »

Supertweeters are a waste of time as well. I believe we're talking mid-bass re-inforcement, not the lowest of lows right? If your loudspeaker can't reproduce mid-bass correctly or accurately, find a speaker that does, don't add a band-aid. All it does it show that your original selection and setup, stinks.

You said it bro. Absolutly correct.

One is better off spending money on better LF, RF mains that can reach and reproduce better midbass. More is not always better. Yes an additional sub can help nulls in a room, but you start stacking midbass drivers and I feel you will and up worse and muddier midbass than before.

MikeC78

The positive aspect of the MBM, and cheap fix is that it only costs $500.

MKZ

I would definitely give it a try. If it doesn't work for you send it back. You would lose shipping both way the most. Connect to LR pre-out instead of splitting with Y-splitter if it is still available. I have done with my PSW10 and SVS. I like that but I have not heard HSU. Everybody tastes different anyway. I believe you have a lot knowledge than most people Early B. I have learned somes from your other posts.

bsoko2

Early B. wrote: »

Room treatments are impractical for lots of people. Also, many people are very limited with subwoofer placement options. Both of these scenarios apply to me, and because of it, I know my sub doesn't sound as good as it can. I've even used Onix's R-DES system to smooth out the frequency response and it worked very well, but it didn't sound better, only different. I sold it.

I also know from experience that dual subs sound great in my room (one on each side of the sofa). So if two subs sound better than one in my room, why not split the frequencies? I'm guessing I'd hear more clarity in the lows as opposed to the "one note bass" I get now. Yeah, it's loud, tight, and clean, but it's still one note. My fronts dip down into the low 20's, but I don't get one-note bass from them, so I want the same benefit from a dedicated subwoofer(s) for HT.

I want to get an extra sub someday anyway, so why not try the bass module? At the very least, I'd like to read about people's experiences with it, so that's why I started this thread. And if I decide to buy it, I'd get a used one. I think $500 is too much money for a "tweak."

Of course, I'm open to other options, as well. Another smaller sub (not a mid-bass module) may sound just as good or better, I dunno. I thought the concept of a mid-bass module was weird, too, until I began to read about it on the Hsu Forum. Sure, it may be biased, but I'm hoping those folks are as honest about Hsu products as we are about Polk products (especially their subs).

This is exactly why Dr. Hsu has the MBM-12. This sub is 50 Hz up and was built for problem areas and can work with any sub. There is no such thing as a perfect subwoofer! Check out this thread and you will see that not all subs are created equal: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/subwoofer-tests/5747-dvdplaza-subwoofer-tests-round-4-5-6th-may-2007-test-summary.html

Bill

wingnut4772

I don't know. Maybe it's just me..and I certainly admit to having the whole audio disease thing but I think at some point you gotta draw the line and say 'you know what audio companies? Enough! and then go outside and enjoy the day.:)

jakelm

Maybe thats why I have 14 speakers in my HT.

mox

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

I know a good midbass module...



EIGHT midbasses modules at that! No seperate boxes needed!

wow. those are perty!
only one thing looks better in pairs