HSL Model 9?

[MrBill_KC]

Fellow AKer OrionKC (Rick) was by tonight and really liked my HSL 9s. I've searched the net and have never found any information on HSL speakers.

In the 2 years I've had them, I never figured out how to get the grills off. Curiosity got the best of Rick and he got the grills off. These floorstanders, although of unknown origin, are well built. The woofer is 15" - tweeter 3.5"? - midrange 4". The midrange has a cone on the voice coil like a coax speaker.

I've attached some pics. For scale the first pic has an AR 4X and a Bozak B-301 Tempo sitting on it.

Anyone know anything about HSL or recognize the drivers? I don't tinker with equipment that works as I'm too busy enjoying the sound. So no, I haven't pulled the drivers to check for codes.

Any info would be appreciated,
Mr Bill in KC

 

[orionkc]

Not much on Google. Harms Sound Labs out of Fort Collins, Colorado? :scratch2: The link says they have been in biz since 1975. Looks promising. They even have a phone....Pull the drivers....Inquiring minds want to know !! http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_dsjzf3

 

[stickman]

Well its a Phillips / Norelco midrange (as used in some Rectilinear models) and the tweeter is the ubiquitous CTS phenolic ring tweeter from the early to late 1970's. This speaker company was obviously just buying good quality off the shelf parts and the sound potential would depend on cabinet and crossover design. Those Phillips mids were an extended range driver and could be crossed over quite low, a good thing with a large woofer that would tend to roll off at a relatively low frequency. With a well designed crossover those speakers should sound pretty darn good.

Now the holes where it looks like additional mids and tweets once resided is another matter entirely...

 

[MrBill_KC]

I knew Rick would be Googling these speakers when he got home. They really do sound good at any volume.

To my untrained mind, they have some Bozak type characteristics. The cabs are sealed, but I think they're infinite baffle as opposed to acoustic suspension. The woofer has a crimped ring as opposed to a flexible surround. Rudy Bozak believed in the infinite baffle and never designed an acoustic suspension speaker.

Another Bozak trait is the extra cutouts on the baffle board. You could initially buy a lower priced system, then add drivers and modify the crossover later. And the cabinets are quality built like Bozaks; solid with good wood.

Sound wise, these are not Bozaks. But I think whoever made them shared a lot of Rudy Bozak's ideas as to how to build a speaker. Definitely not a cheap house brand speaker.

Mr Bill KC

 

[guscjr]

Another HSL model

:scratch2:If all goes well, I'm going to pick up a pair of this brand in the next couple of days. These have glass tops - and yes, I was hoping it was a typing error - and they were JBL's with the cat's eyes tweeters. Still for the $10 price, I've just got to check them out. Will post a follow up later.

 

[Silverface]

Did you ever get a look at them?

 

[dc270]

I'm still waiting Gus!

:scratch2:If all goes well, I'm going to pick up a pair of this brand in the next couple of days. These have glass tops - and yes, I was hoping it was a typing error - and they were JBL's with the cat's eyes tweeters. Still for the $10 price, I've just got to check them out. Will post a follow up later.

I found my pair on CL a few days back way out in Grandbury for $10/pair as well. They looked like JBL L65's sure enough- smoked glass tops, nice walnut cabs, 3 way. I got them home and finally got the glued on grill off, grrrrr- and it was a 12" foamed rotted Alnico woofer three way with a 2" paper cone tweeter and a 4" sealed back mid, 3 element xover with no inductor/ IE cheap!. These were model 20's.
The nice walnut cabs and glass tops well worth the price of the $10 admission fee- the rest is odd ball 1970 junk! So now I have the makings of some nice cabs that could rival L65's. stay tuned for another build up!
DC

 

[orionkc]

I found my pair on CL a few days back way out in Grandbury for $10/pair as well. They looked like JBL L65's sure enough- smoked glass tops, nice walnut cabs, 3 way. I got them home and finally got the glued on grill off, grrrrr- and it was a 12" foamed rotted Alnico woofer three way with a 2" paper cone tweeter and a 4" sealed back mid, 3 element xover with no inductor/ IE cheap!. These were model 20's.
The nice walnut cabs and glass tops well worth the price of the $10 admission fee- the rest is odd ball 1970 junk! So now I have the makings of some nice cabs that could rival L65's. stay tuned for another build up!
DC

I'm resurrecting this thread as I picked up a pair of these today and am totally impressed with the sound of these speakers. Mine were professionally refoamed and I would suggest that you refoam and give them a listen. Give em' a chance They might surprise you.....If not all you will be out is a pair of surrounds and a little time. I haven't taken the grill cloths off mine and don't plan to unless there is a problem as they are glued on. I am going to try and contact the owner of the Company (They are still in business.) and see if I can pick his brain about their design philosophy. Since you have seen these with the grill cloths off, are they an infinite baffle design? The guy I got these from purchased them new in 1977 from a Hi End Audio Shop locally. They are still in business so I will get in touch with them and see if I can get some more info. I had Mr. Bill come over for a listen to verify that I wasn't going deaf and he was impressed with them too. Oh, I almost forgot. Here is a copy of the text that came from the ad on CL from the seller...I can't tell you the price as it is against the rules. (This is a pair of vintage floorstanding speakers. They were purchased at Independence Audio (a medium to high end store at the time) in 1977. HSL is the brand, I am not familiar with it but they were considered pretty good at the time, perhaps comparable with JBLs. The bass speakers in both were professionally replaced a couple of years ago and they sound great. They also look great with walnut cabinets and glass tops. I have kept lamps on them and often people have been looking around the room and asking where my speakers are as these look like fine furniture. Measurements: 24 inches tall, 17 inches wide, 12 inches deep.)

 

[dc270]

Orionkc- good to know you liked the sound they offered. Yes they are acoustic suspention types. The grill is REALLY attatched well- glued, stappled etc. As I found the driver compliment was not impressive to me. I did not try to listen to them as they needed refoam and one mid has a finger hole in it so it was replace,emt time anyway.
They so look quite elegant I have to admit. Here is a link to the ones I rebuilt;

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=75479&page=15

Yours look very good- hope you continue to enjoy them!
DC

 

[orionkc]

Orionkc- good to know you liked the sound they offered. Yes they are acoustic suspention types. The grill is REALLY attatched well- glued, stappled etc. As I found the driver compliment was not impressive to me. I did not try to listen to them as they needed refoam and one mid has a finger hole in it so it was replace,emt time anyway.
They so look quite elegant I have to admit. Here is a link to the ones I rebuilt;

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=75479&page=15

Yours look very good- hope you continue to enjoy them!
DC

Wow!! I may have to reconsider and start looking for some new drivers for these as I am always looking for any impovement or upgrades...Nice Job..I'll bet yours sound fantastic.:thmbsp:

 

[dc270]

I was surprised to know the HSL company was still in business!!! Surely they don't make speakers any longer, cabinets YES, speakers well not so much!

Yes I totally rebuilt mine and they do sound very good. The front and rear baffles need improvement as there were barely 1/2" thick. Put a nice xover and driver upgrade in them and they actually look pretty good and can sound a lot better than stock. The cab is big enough for a lot of 10" and most all 8" drivers. This is my love to take a "tired design" and update them, truly a "franken-speaker" maker I am.
DC

 

[MrBill_KC]

Rick (orionkc) visited with the folks who built these speakers this afternoon. I'm sure he'll post shortly.

Turns out they assembled the speakers in the basement of their home. Cabinets were made at two local cabinet makers known for quality work; one is still located about 2 blocks from where I work.

Orionkc got a few poor copier copies of their old brochures and price lists. My model 9s appear to be infinite baffles and his 5s are acoustic suspension.

What we like about our HSL speakers is the full, even response they have. There doesn't seem to be any humps in the mid range, rolled off highs or boomy bass.

The model 5s don't have that "New England" acoustic suspension sound if that makes any sense. The bass is not punchy (?) and the highs are not rolled off. They also seem to be pretty efficient for an acoustic suspension design.

My HSL Model 9s aren't my everyday players. When I want loud, natural sound, they're my go-to system powered by a 50 watt/channel Sansui AU-317. With a 15" woofer in that big box, nails start backing out of the sheetrock at quarter power.

So the mystery of the HSL speakers is slowly being solved. They were a "house brand" of Independence Audio and assembled in Independence, MO. A local guy happened to get it right and built some systems that sound very good to me. The audio store I worked for in Houston made their own house brand speakers and I never cared for those (General Audio Corp.). Strange thing is that the HSL brochure shows a company address in St. Louis.

Mr. Bill in KC

 

[kfa888]

The audio store I worked for in Houston made their own house brand speakers and I never cared for those (General Audio Corp.).

GAC speakers

 

[MrBill_KC]

kfa888, GAC speakers were made in the back of Sound N Imports main store. MDF or similar pressed board with vinyl covering. "Quality like this never cost so little!" "Precision-engineered Pioneer speaker components". (I'm reading my brochure as I type this.)

There were two lines: the Monitors and the Centurys. Monitors were warmer with "Big" bass and the Centurys were supposedly natural sounding. All speakers were 3 way designs with a tuned port.

I won a set of Century 450s in a sales contest. Still have them in the living room. 12" woofer, 5" mid and 3" phenolic tweeter. List was $149.95 each. Of course we had a lot of room to negotiate on any GAC speaker. Personally, I sold more Wharfedale E 70s than GAC speakers. That drove the owners crazy.

Mr. Bill in KC

 

[Indepaudio]

I'm resurrecting this thread as I picked up a pair of these today and am totally impressed with the sound of these speakers. Mine were professionally refoamed and I would suggest that you refoam and give them a listen. Give em' a chance They might surprise you.....If not all you will be out is a pair of surrounds and a little time. I haven't taken the grill cloths off mine and don't plan to unless there is a problem as they are glued on. I am going to try and contact the owner of the Company (They are still in business.) and see if I can pick his brain about their design philosophy. Since you have seen these with the grill cloths off, are they an infinite baffle design? The guy I got these from purchased them new in 1977 from a Hi End Audio Shop locally. They are still in business so I will get in touch with them and see if I can get some more info. I had Mr. Bill come over for a listen to verify that I wasn't going deaf and he was impressed with them too. Oh, I almost forgot. Here is a copy of the text that came from the ad on CL from the seller...I can't tell you the price as it is against the rules. (This is a pair of vintage floorstanding speakers. They were purchased at Independence Audio (a medium to high end store at the time) in 1977. HSL is the brand, I am not familiar with it but they were considered pretty good at the time, perhaps comparable with JBLs. The bass speakers in both were professionally replaced a couple of years ago and they sound great. They also look great with walnut cabinets and glass tops. I have kept lamps on them and often people have been looking around the room and asking where my speakers are as these look like fine furniture. Measurements: 24 inches tall, 17 inches wide, 12 inches deep.)

 

[Indepaudio]

Hey Orion KC. Do you still have those HSL's by chance?

Thanks!

Scott

 

[Indepaudio]

I'm resurrecting this thread as I picked up a pair of these today and am totally impressed with the sound of these speakers. Mine were professionally refoamed and I would suggest that you refoam and give them a listen. Give em' a chance They might surprise you.....If not all you will be out is a pair of surrounds and a little time. I haven't taken the grill cloths off mine and don't plan to unless there is a problem as they are glued on. I am going to try and contact the owner of the Company (They are still in business.) and see if I can pick his brain about their design philosophy. Since you have seen these with the grill cloths off, are they an infinite baffle design? The guy I got these from purchased them new in 1977 from a Hi End Audio Shop locally. They are still in business so I will get in touch with them and see if I can get some more info. I had Mr. Bill come over for a listen to verify that I wasn't going deaf and he was impressed with them too. Oh, I almost forgot. Here is a copy of the text that came from the ad on CL from the seller...I can't tell you the price as it is against the rules. (This is a pair of vintage floorstanding speakers. They were purchased at Independence Audio (a medium to high end store at the time) in 1977. HSL is the brand, I am not familiar with it but they were considered pretty good at the time, perhaps comparable with JBLs. The bass speakers in both were professionally replaced a couple of years ago and they sound great. They also look great with walnut cabinets and glass tops. I have kept lamps on them and often people have been looking around the room and asking where my speakers are as these look like fine furniture. Measurements: 24 inches tall, 17 inches wide, 12 inches deep.)

 

[Indepaudio]

HSL......... "Huffman Sound Labs"

 

[cashflagg]

This makes FAR more sense. I always figured these couldn't be Harms Sound Labs seeing as they are based in Colorado. My father bought a pair of HSL-9's when he was a teenager here in Kansas City...I'm assuming from you folks (Independence Audio, I'm assuming?). He got them after the blew up a couple pair of Altecs, strangely enough. I've been searching for a pair of HSL-9's for awhile now ever since my father foolishly let them go. I have this desire to recreate the system he had when he was younger...I managed to save everything else before he rid of it...and the HSL's are the last thing I need.

 

[Indepaudio]

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