Hi folks,
Just found a pair of Heybrook HB2"R" into a thrift store at $10 a pair, in mint condition. Just couldn't resist.
I plugged them on my little Gainclone/Meridian 506 and whew! they sure can sing. I just don't know much about them. Anyone has experience with them?
Just found this link Black - Sign Of Quality Or Mood?
where they mention that the Heybrook HB2R was selling for $995 a pair ! can this be true?
I'm amazed at the quality of construction, and the sound. At first, I thought these little drivers looked.. flimsy.. but I was wrong. They are "lively" and really love my Gainclone. An easy load I think.
Yep, I still love my Tannoys, but gee, these little speakers do a great job. Can't believe how they fill the room with music that just flows easily.
Last week I found a pair of Goodmans Maxim at $10 as well.. lucky me. Those seem not so easy to get the music singing. Probably takes the right amp, the right room etc..
Any info about the Heybrooks, in general, and in particular, is welcomed. Do they still exist? and if so, are they like Castles and Tannoys, "made in China"?
Sylvain
P.S. going loud and easy with rythmic latino guitar music. Gee.. can't believe it's them playing..
Just found a pair of Heybrook HB2"R" into a thrift store at $10 a pair, in mint condition. Just couldn't resist.
I plugged them on my little Gainclone/Meridian 506 and whew! they sure can sing. I just don't know much about them. Anyone has experience with them?
Just found this link Black - Sign Of Quality Or Mood?
where they mention that the Heybrook HB2R was selling for $995 a pair ! can this be true?
I'm amazed at the quality of construction, and the sound. At first, I thought these little drivers looked.. flimsy.. but I was wrong. They are "lively" and really love my Gainclone. An easy load I think.
Yep, I still love my Tannoys, but gee, these little speakers do a great job. Can't believe how they fill the room with music that just flows easily.
Last week I found a pair of Goodmans Maxim at $10 as well.. lucky me. Those seem not so easy to get the music singing. Probably takes the right amp, the right room etc..
Any info about the Heybrooks, in general, and in particular, is welcomed. Do they still exist? and if so, are they like Castles and Tannoys, "made in China"?
Sylvain
P.S. going loud and easy with rythmic latino guitar music. Gee.. can't believe it's them playing..
Why ask questions? Who is in a better position than you to investigate these two speakers? 
Draw up the crossover schematics, describe the drive units, what they are made of, and dimensions and post a photo or two.
Then folks might suggest what to do with them. Both are promising material to work with. The Maxim was quite a famous little monitor in its day. 2nd order filter and cone tweeter IIRC. Heybrook tended to use first order filters.
Stuff like this helps:
Draw up the crossover schematics, describe the drive units, what they are made of, and dimensions and post a photo or two.
Then folks might suggest what to do with them. Both are promising material to work with. The Maxim was quite a famous little monitor in its day. 2nd order filter and cone tweeter IIRC. Heybrook tended to use first order filters.
Stuff like this helps:
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An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Hi,
About the HB2R, they are a bit program dependant. Sounding great on acoustic instruments and voices, and a bit brassy on el cheapo mix recordings. I'll have a look at the xover and try to draw a diagram here. Do you suggest any mods?
Mines look like the pic Streten did put here, except that they are finished in Teak and it makes them look great.
$900 Au dollars might not be that much after all, but for $10 I can't see what sounds better than this.
For the Maxims, I saw a pair selling for $775u.s. last week. I guess I'll take the time to listen to them over a long period, and in a small room. My workshop is big and not suited for tiny speakers like these.
About the HB2R, they are a bit program dependant. Sounding great on acoustic instruments and voices, and a bit brassy on el cheapo mix recordings. I'll have a look at the xover and try to draw a diagram here. Do you suggest any mods?
Mines look like the pic Streten did put here, except that they are finished in Teak and it makes them look great.
$900 Au dollars might not be that much after all, but for $10 I can't see what sounds better than this.
For the Maxims, I saw a pair selling for $775u.s. last week. I guess I'll take the time to listen to them over a long period, and in a small room. My workshop is big and not suited for tiny speakers like these.
First Order filters always sound rough with complex program material. Though good ferrofluid tweeters can be quite forgiving, they really drive the (1kHz or so) Fs tweeter resonance into non-linearity. They also allow a lot of harsh cone breakup through from the bass around 3-5kHz.
I am mixing up a lively reflex Sony 8" paper bass with a Morel CAT 298 soft dome this weekend as a bit of fun. Phase is not the last word, but everything else is OK. I may install a switch to take out the 0.2mH tweeter coil just for fun. Gives me the choice of first or second order tweeter!
I am mixing up a lively reflex Sony 8" paper bass with a Morel CAT 298 soft dome this weekend as a bit of fun. Phase is not the last word, but everything else is OK. I may install a switch to take out the 0.2mH tweeter coil just for fun. Gives me the choice of first or second order tweeter!
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Hi, I ran these in my main Linn/naim system on Lin Kan stands for about 15 years. I've just given them away to a friend's son who is just getting in to vinyl and hi FI.
They are superb when used right. They originally come with time alignment bases (blocks) that screw in to the captive nuts that should be in the base. (I still have mine in matching black ash in my hi FI spares cupboard )
They were designed to go high up if the blocke were not used. However I found on tall stands and with slightly longer spikes on the front of the top plate giving a slight tilt they were fine. The need some rear wall reinforcement and work well about 3-4" away from a solid wall without anything inbetween them.
The only downside was the silly foam grills and stick on hooks that hold them on. I never used the grills and recently found what I think we're the remains of the grills in powder form in the bottom of a bag in said hi FI spares cupboard!
Really, these are great speaker...... enjoy
They are superb when used right. They originally come with time alignment bases (blocks) that screw in to the captive nuts that should be in the base. (I still have mine in matching black ash in my hi FI spares cupboard
)They were designed to go high up if the blocke were not used. However I found on tall stands and with slightly longer spikes on the front of the top plate giving a slight tilt they were fine. The need some rear wall reinforcement and work well about 3-4" away from a solid wall without anything inbetween them.
The only downside was the silly foam grills and stick on hooks that hold them on. I never used the grills and recently found what I think we're the remains of the grills in powder form in the bottom of a bag in said hi FI spares cupboard!
Really, these are great speaker...... enjoy
just learning to live with the HB2R
Hi there,
Taking the Heybrooks closer to the wall (like the manufacturer suggests) sure brought more bass, but it's a bit heavy and slow now. Since a cap (I think) in my home made Gainclone amp (filtration) died, I replaced it by a Kenwood KA-5002, and now the treble is more artificial.. Can't wait to try my (made it too) 300B amp just for fun.
I'll try to post those pics of the xover soon.
Hi there,
Taking the Heybrooks closer to the wall (like the manufacturer suggests) sure brought more bass, but it's a bit heavy and slow now. Since a cap (I think) in my home made Gainclone amp (filtration) died, I replaced it by a Kenwood KA-5002, and now the treble is more artificial.. Can't wait to try my (made it too) 300B amp just for fun.
I'll try to post those pics of the xover soon.
Hi Sylver, I've no idea what the HB2rs will be like with a valve amp, I only ever used them with solid state. What stands are you using? The bass will benefit from light rigid open metal frame type stands with spikes. Back in the day, magazines used to recommend putting a bunch of drinking straws in the ports to attenuate the bass.
The bass is surprising for a smallish box don't you think
I'de love to see some pictures
The bass is surprising for a smallish box don't you think
I'de love to see some pictures
I didn't try yet the valve amp, but even though the Gainclone is very sweet, yet detailed but never harsh, I still find the Heybrook.. well, quite lively, lots of punch and bass, but not the last word in terms of treble detail and delicacy..
Here's a pic. Didn't have the time to remove all the remains of the late foam grill..
Hoping I can succeed in including the pic.
Here's a pic. Didn't have the time to remove all the remains of the late foam grill..
Hoping I can succeed in including the pic.
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Boogie with 2A3 ;-)
So far, the Gainclone has proved a good match for the HB2R, lots of rythm. What I didn't expect was to try my 2A3 Loftin-White and realise it is a nice match too. Even better in fact. No, you won't get very SPL from this match, but I'd say that even at moderately high levels, this combo works like magic. I thought the Heybrooks were "very" inefficient. Quite an easy load it seems.
Suzan Vega sounds very natural, rythm is dynamic, lows are ok, no big lag, and imaging is quite on the target.. and the tweeters ceased to annoy me. Details are there though. I'm not saying it's "the" match, just that it makes a really easy to listen to combo. Foot tapping and put a smile on my face. I could live with this set for a while.
So far, the Gainclone has proved a good match for the HB2R, lots of rythm. What I didn't expect was to try my 2A3 Loftin-White and realise it is a nice match too. Even better in fact. No, you won't get very SPL from this match, but I'd say that even at moderately high levels, this combo works like magic. I thought the Heybrooks were "very" inefficient. Quite an easy load it seems.
Suzan Vega sounds very natural, rythm is dynamic, lows are ok, no big lag, and imaging is quite on the target.. and the tweeters ceased to annoy me. Details are there though. I'm not saying it's "the" match, just that it makes a really easy to listen to combo. Foot tapping and put a smile on my face. I could live with this set for a while.
tweeter capacitor..
Any suggestion?
I'm not a fan of Solen, as a rule. I admit I only tried them in a tube amp, and it sounded.. cold and sterile. But sure, there's something to improve about the treble.
Any suggestion?
I'm not a fan of Solen, as a rule. I admit I only tried them in a tube amp, and it sounded.. cold and sterile. But sure, there's something to improve about the treble.
tweeter capacitor..
Hi there,
Thanks for the reference. I'll give them a try.
Even now, I am listening to "The Barr Brothers" and "Gillian Welch" and both recordings, I admit, do exhibit some harshness, or do sound a bit hard.. even trough my 2A3 amp, wich is very very sweet.. The Tannoy do handle these recordings with Brio, transparent enough to let know that the recording is on the hard side, but still very enjoyable. The Klipsh (KG4) do sound muffled by comparison.
I'll do a search about these caps. Thanks!
Hi there,
Thanks for the reference. I'll give them a try.
Even now, I am listening to "The Barr Brothers" and "Gillian Welch" and both recordings, I admit, do exhibit some harshness, or do sound a bit hard.. even trough my 2A3 amp, wich is very very sweet.. The Tannoy do handle these recordings with Brio, transparent enough to let know that the recording is on the hard side, but still very enjoyable. The Klipsh (KG4) do sound muffled by comparison.
I'll do a search about these caps. Thanks!
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