Hsu Research CCB-8 Bookshelf Speaker Preview

Update 8/7/17: Read our Full Review of the HSU CCB-8 Bookshelf Speakers with listening tests and measurements!

The 2016 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, held in early October, proved to be an important show for Hsu Research. The company unveiled a new speaker and two new subwoofers. It has been eight years since Hsu released a new speaker, and as well-received as their HB-1 mk2 speaker has been, it was time for Hsu to up the ante. Hsu introduced the new CCB-8, a coaxial speaker. For those who don’t know, coaxial speakers are speakers where the individual drivers emit sound from the same point. The CCB-8 uses a sensitive aluminum dome tweeter mounted behind an 8” woofer. The tweeter is hidden by the woofer’s acoustically transparent dustcap. The CCB-8 uses a generously-sized ported cabinet. This, combined with the high-sensitivity tweeter and large woofer, makes for a nicely efficient speaker at 94 dB/2.83v half space, or 91 dB anechoic. This means you don't need a lot of power for them to play LOUDLY in your room compared to many conventional 2-way designs in this size and price class.

The first thing to notice about the CCB-8s is the striking yellow cone. Speaker designer and company owner Dr. Poh Ser Hsu commented that he was trying to recapture the aesthetic of one of his favorite full range drivers, the Corel Beta series from the 1970’s and 1980’s. For those who find the look a bit aggressive, there is a magnetically attached grille that covers the cone.

The letters in the name ‘CCB-8’ stand for ‘Constant directivity Coaxial Bookshelf’. The use of a coaxial driver design in the CCB-8 solves a host of problems that can occur in traditional loudspeaker designs. Among the problems this approach solves is the issue of lobing, where the sound waves of drivers that are mounted at different points on the speaker can conflict with each other thereby causing interference patterns. Lobing patterns usually manifest themselves as deep nulls which occur in off-axis responses. Coaxial speakers solve this by radiating the entire sound frequency spectrum from the same spatial point, so the sound waves generated by the different drivers are perfectly synchronized with each other and do not create interference patterns or lobing effects. This can make for a much more cohesive sound everywhere around the speaker, and consequently, everywhere in the room. 

Lobing can be severe in the plane where the drivers are aligned, so it can be quite prominent in the vertical axis of normal speakers since the drivers are lined up vertically. However, it can also be severe in the horizontal axis of traditional center speakers. For great sound in typical rooms, the vertical response of a speaker only needs a good response in a narrow window of angle outside of the direct axis due to normal room acoustics. So having a rocky off-axis vertical response is usually not a big deal but the speaker will need a uniform and smooth response on the horizontal axis.  This is why so many center speakers fall short which is especially troubling since the center speaker is responsible for dialogue in modern movie and television sound mixes. A nasty lobing pattern can diminish dialogue intelligibility on a center speaker’s direct axis and it can really have a big impact off-axis, and not even that far off-axis. The CCB-8 is intended to be used as a center speaker as well as left and right mains. The lobing problems of traditional center speakers should not be present in this design, and that would make these speakers a good choice for folks who have had problems understanding dialogue in typical center speakers.

The ‘constant directivity’ in the CCB-8 name means that the frequency response should be tightly controlled off-axis so that there is no serious dips or peaks outside of a controlled angle of the speaker’s sound. To meet a definition of constant directivity, the speaker should have a uniform off-axis response and not have a really wide dispersion. If this is accomplished and there are no other major errors in a constant directivity design, the speaker should have exceptional imaging. In order to achieve this, Hsu Research brought in the eminent speaker designer Don Keele to help design the pole piece and woofer shape. The pole piece and woofer act as a constant directivity horn for the tweeter, so this part of the speaker is critical for the success of the design.

When Can I Get Mine?

The CCB-8 will come in a satin black and Rosenut finish. Pricing will be $699 a pair for satin black and $849 for Rosenut with $60 for shipping. They can be purchased as singles as well; $369 for satin black and $449 for Rosenut, with $48 shipping. They are covered by a 7 year warranty and have a 30 day return window for a full refund. Availability is expected to be around late January. Given the pedigree of the CCB-8s and the positive reception they received at RMAF, we are looking forward to hearing them in person. With some luck, we may get a pair for a full review in the future, so stay tuned to Audioholics for more news about the Hsu Research CCB-8s. 

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.