Heybrook HB1

[Hook]

Worth a punt at $200? Owner says they are in great shape, and he’s recapped and replaced the surrounds. Original grill covers are missing, so owner made his own. Consecutive serial numbers, and includes the original two-pack box.

Would be paired with a Sansui Eight receiver. Thanks!

 

[Tony L]

Sounds a bit steep to me, I’d pay that all day long for HB2s, but the 1s were only ever budget speakers (a nice design let down by a slightly too basic tweeter IMO).

I’d have thought $200 would get something rather nice in your neck of the woods, e.g. fairly substantial ARs, Alisons, Advents etc, and that’s just the ‘A’s!

 

[Arkless Electronics]

They weren't that much new over here! They were a good budget speaker though with decent dynamics and life to them but could be a touch bright.

 

[Hook]

Thanks Tony and Jez, will take a pass on them.

Have tried to buy classic ARs (3, 3A and 4) a few times, but have always been outbid. The price of nice-looking survivors with original drivers from the 1960s has gone through the roof! There is one pair of AR3s for sale locally, with replacement woofers (described as "period correct" ARs) for $1150. A lovely pair of all-original AR3s on eBay is optimistically listed for $3500!

There always seems to be a good selection of Advent, Infinity, Klipsch, Cerwin Vega, JBL and others in my local Craig's List. Many look beat up, and of the ones that don't, so far I have yet to read a glowing review. Am trying to stay as far under $500 for this purchase as possible.

Was hoping the Heybrooks were, at least here in the US, an "undiscovered gem", but alas...

 

[snowman_al]

I rather liked them. Nice with some valve amps too. But maybe too rich at $200...

 

[Martyn Miles]

Thanks Tony and Jez, will take a pass on them.

Have tried to buy classic ARs (3, 3A and 4) a few times, but have always been outbid. The price of nice-looking survivors with original drivers from the 1960s has gone through the roof! There is one pair of AR3s for sale locally, with replacement woofers (described as "period correct" ARs) for $1150. A lovely pair of all-original AR3s on eBay is optimistically listed for $3500!

There always seems to be a good selection of Advent, Infinity, Klipsch, Cerwin Vega, JBL and others in my local Craig's List. Many look beat up, and of the ones that don't, so far I have yet to read a glowing review. Am trying to stay as far under $500 for this purchase as possible.

Was hoping the Heybrooks were, at least here in the US, an "undiscovered gem", but alas...

If you want Classic ARs, a pair of AR7s will give you the AR ‘sound.’
OK, the bigger models have deeper bass and sweeter mids, but the ‘7s are ‘Real AR Speakers.’
I lusted after AR6s in my early Twenties, but could never afford them.
I had some AR7s a while ago and they were superb.
I don’t think any of the later AR speakers came up to the early ones.
Edgar Villchur was a genius...

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Worth a punt at $200? Owner says they are in great shape, and he’s recapped and replaced the surrounds. Original grill covers are missing, so owner made his own. Consecutive serial numbers, and includes the original two-pack box.

Would be paired with a Sansui Eight receiver. Thanks!

I guess if they are in good condition and a good job has been made of refoaming them etc then although a bit steep they may be worth a punt...

In spite of the price list above I recall them being £119 originally so I guess that like most things the price went up...
I do recall them being about the best budget speaker at the time and that it took maybe £250 to get anything much better...
With the cost of getting them across the pond plus the USA distributors margin etc I wouldn't be surprised if they were more like $300 new in the States.

 

[Hook]

If you want Classic ARs, a pair of AR7s will give you the AR ‘sound.’
OK, the bigger models have deeper bass and sweeter mids, but the ‘7s are ‘Real AR Speakers.’
I lusted after AR6s in my early Twenties, but could never afford them.
I had some AR7s a while ago and they were superb.
I don’t think any of the later AR speakers came up to the early ones.
Edgar Villchur was a genius...

Thanks Martyn. Back in the early 80s, I had a pair of AR2-ax's. Been a long time, but I remember them fondly. I recall a warm sound, but still very clear and detailed. Of the classic models, I see a fair number of AR 2's, 3's and 4's for sale over here, but almost never a 6 or 7! I wonder if they sold in lower volumes?

 

[Craig B]

With the cost of getting them across the pond plus the USA distributors margin etc I wouldn't be surprised if they were more like $300 new in the States.

I recall HB1 being just under $C 400. retail when last sold over here. Add in the HBS1 stands and the tax inclusive price got to over $C 600.

Should sound very good on the end of a Sansui Eight, if not placed too far out into the room. A bit of back wall boundary reinforcement is a good thing with these.

 

[JimmyB]

The tweeter in the MkII version was apparently better, not sure how, never heard a pair. The MkI's were quite 'bright' in that the tweeter could be piercing, but that improved with better amp and source, and may be what I was listening to as well. $200 is probably too high for MkI but they are nice speakers and the closed box design is hard to give up once you've heard it.
If you can find a pair of Montior Audio R852MD's at that price then that's a better speaker and also a bit better looking (the green writing on Mk1 HB1's may not be in keeping with your interior design).
I'm too afraid to unbox my MkI HB1's in case the surrounds are totally gone.....

 

[Craig B]

I don't recall the tweeter having changed from the original Vifa 1" dome. I do recall the front baffles getting the same vinyl wrap as the sides, and the printing changing to gold from white/green.

Perhaps the crossover got tweaked a bit along the way?

 

[herb]

I'm still using the HBS1 stands with my Harbeth C7s. They were flat packed and the sound transformed as you tightened the bolts with Monitor Audio R852MDs and the C7s. Great stands

 

[JimmyB]

I don't recall the tweeter having changed from the original Vifa 1" dome. I do recall the front baffles getting the same vinyl wrap as the sides, and the printing changing to gold from white/green.

Perhaps the crossover got tweaked a bit along the way?

Maybe I'm getting versions wrong? MkII to Mk3 but I do seem to remember a change in tweeters for the last version and addition of biwiring....

 

[Craig B]

You may well be correct, they certainly seemed to be on the market long enough to have overlapped with the bi-wire craze.

 

[pure sound]

The tweeter did change in the Mk3 from a Vifa D25TG to the D26TF and the crossover adjusted accordingly. I do have the crossover schematics for all 3 versions & still supply a good number of the bass mid drivers which are now made at Vifa's old facility & on Vifa's tooling but by Scanspeak.

 

[JimmyB]

I just spotted at the bottom of that price list: 'HB1 Improved Crossover - £49 (fitting included)' AND their option for an 'Active option'.

Anybody got any experience of these? Would love to know what the suggested route to active for these was?

 

[Craig B]

I don't recall ever hearing or reading of anyone's experiences of going active with HB1. Heybrook never offered an active crossover of their own. I suspect they may have had the A & R Cambridge A60/SA60 active system in mind, as the active cards for the SA60 were tailored for Arcam One, Tangent XLR2 and ARC 050; all similarly sized 2-ways.

This interest would likely have been from before Heybrook released their own sleekly styled C2/P2 amplification system, the latter of which was rather impressive for a first time outing.

 

[Hazelberry]

The tweeter did change in the Mk3 from a Vifa D25TG to the D26TF and the crossover adjusted accordingly. I do have the crossover schematics for all 3 versions & still supply a good number of the bass mid drivers which are now made at Vifa's old facility & on Vifa's tooling but by Scanspeak.

The D25TG was discontinued,right? Do you know how the D26TF with the adjusted xover compares to the original setup?

 

[Aurelius]

Let me see if I can add some practical ideas about the HB-1 on this platform

 

[Hazelberry]

I'm too afraid to unbox my MkI HB1's in case the surrounds are totally gone.....

I’ve had a pair of Mk 3s boxed up for years and have just the same fear as you! I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that you can get new Vifa drivers with rubber surrounds, though. Not sure if it’s worth the cost.

My HB1s were replaced by the last incarnation of HB3, a very much better speaker.