Nostalgia strikes....

[Al ears]

It would appear Heybrook speakers are making a comeback with Mr. Comeau still in the driving seat.
I owned the original HB1's and later the HB3's and they were both excellent.
No sign of actual specifications of the new speakers but price including stands looks favourable.

PRE-ORDER: Heybrook HB1 Evolution (Pair) 'Signature Edition' with Stands

These signature edition units are hand-built to order with a target 90-day lead time. Delivery timescales will be confirmed in your order confirmation. Price includes HB1 Evolution speaker stands. The Heybrook HB1 Evolution is a modern reimagining of the iconic HB1 loudspeaker, designed to honor...

heybrook-hifi.com

 

[Ethics Gradient]

I know it's all about sound quality, but I can't get my head around the current retro trend. At least if they are reasonably-priced, that's bucking said trend!

EDIT: if they are British, why are they designed to 'honor...'? Tut tut...

 

[Al ears]

I know it's all about sound quality, but I can't get my head around the current retro trend. At least if they are reasonably-priced, that's bucking said trend!

EDIT: if they are British, why are they designed to 'honor...'? Tut tut...

Agreed, shoot the proof-reader.
They are certainly a tad more expensive than my original HB1's.....
However, if they sound as good.....
What galls me is the price some manufacturers charge for the stands.

 

[Cricketbat70]

EDIT: if they are British, why are they designed to 'honor...'? Tut tut...

American spelling of words used to wind my dad up something chronic🤣
Especially if it was in an English publication 🤭

 

[Al ears]

I find it odd that they offer a facility to pre-order and yet give absolutely no specifications not even size..... Very odd!

 

[davidf]

Nice to see them also doing the original stands, but £3250?! That's over 10 times what they originally cost! I appreciate it was three decades ago, but even so. I was expecting something around the £1500 mark. Stick these with a Naim Nait 50 and you've got a £6k amp/speaker combo that cost little over £500 back in the day.

Retro designed loudspeakers need to be competitive with current loudspeakers in their price range. If they're not, spending that sort of money purely on nostalgia is ridiculous. Some retro speakers just won't be competitive due to older driver layouts/design, which no amount of high quality components or drivers will be able to change.

Nice to see a sealed box design, but these need to sound pretty damn good for £3k.

 

[Al ears]

Nice to see them also doing the original stands, but £3250?! That's over 10 times what they originally cost! I appreciate it was three decades ago, but even so. I was expecting something around the £1500 mark. Stick these with a Naim Nait 50 and you've got a £6k amp/speaker combo that cost little over £500 back in the day.

Retro designed loudspeakers need to be competitive with current loudspeakers in their price range. If they're not, spending that sort of money purely on nostalgia is ridiculous. Some retro speakers just won't be competitive due to older driver layouts/design, which no amount of high quality components or drivers will be able to change.

Nice to see a sealed box design, but these need to sound pretty damn good for £3k.

Not too sure where £3250 came from.... Care to explain?
Are you adding the cost of the stands onto the cost of the complete package perchance?
Also we are assuming they are sealed box like the original ones but it doesn't actually state that as far as I can see.
The trend in costs seem similar to all the other new retro designs that have flooded the market lately.

 

[davidf]

Not too sure where £3250 came from.... Care to explain?
Are you adding the cost of the stands onto the cost of the complete package perchance?
Also we are assuming they are sealed box like the original ones but it doesn't actually state that as far as I can see.
The trend in costs seem similar to all the other new retro designs that have flooded the market lately.

Knowing Peter Comeau, I doubt he'd drastically changed the design like that - I do believe they're sealed like the originals. Changing to a ported design would be like having a Class D Musical Fidelity A1, and would likely require a re-engineering of the cabinet size-wise.

Yes - £2750 for speakers and £500 for the stands. Just noticed the £2750 is including the stands. I wouldn't say the stands are £500's worth compared to what you can get for that (maybe £350/400?), but even giving benefit of the doubt, £2250 is still a bit high. I'd say £1500 would be ideal, maybe £1750 at a push. But as I say, if Peter's done an exceptional job and they can keep up with other £3k speakers, fair enough.
Just noticed that's a 'buy direct' price too...

 

[Clarkey_71]

Oh yes!

My first set of speakers were the HB1s. This would've been around 1987.
I powered them with an Arcam Alpha integrated amp.
Front end was a Linn Axis with K9 cartridge.

My late dad passed on his system to me and my audiophile life began.

I sold the HB1s to a mate when I upgraded to Epos ES14s, which are also making a comeback (of sorts!)!

Happy memories stirred by this thread.

 

[davidf]

I had HB100s. Full setup actually, along with the TT2 turntable and C2/P2 pre/power amps.

 

[Fandango Andy]

I know it's all about sound quality, but I can't get my head around the current retro trend. At least if they are reasonably-priced, that's bucking said trend!

EDIT: if they are British, why are they designed to 'honor...'? Tut tut...

Does it say what colors they come in 😉

 

[podknocker]

Another retro design premium for what I suspect will be an average sounding speaker. £499 is insane for stands. You could get a few bits of steel welded and painted black for less than half the price of these. This makes me think the speakers are also far too expensive. It's so high for a wooden box, some drive units and a crossover. People have been exposed to these prices for years and have normalised it. Spending a fortune on speakers probably worth a quarter of the retail price is now expected and what the hell does 'signature edition' even mean? More nonsense. I would never buy them, even at a quarter of the price. There are so many new materials and designs more than capable of beating an old design like these Heybrooks.

 

[Al ears]

Another retro design premium for what I suspect will be an average sounding speaker. £499 is insane for stands. You could get a few bits of steel welded and painted black for less than half the price of these. This makes me think the speakers are also far too expensive. It's so high for a wooden box, some drive units and a crossover. People have been exposed to these prices for years and have normalised it. Spending a fortune on speakers probably worth a quarter of the retail price is now expected and what the hell does 'signature edition' even mean? More nonsense. I would never buy them, even at a quarter of the price. There are so many new materials and designs more than capable of beating an old design like these Heybrooks.

Signature edition means they are signed usually....
See:- "Each of the first 200 pairs will be personally signed by Peter Comeau"
However, for the money they want they had better be excellent and hold their own with others in that price bracket or they will simply not sell.

 

[Dom]

I reckon the Hi Fi business is a slow one hence the sky high prices. If everyone were to renew there amplifier's DAC's and speakers every year it would lower the prices, but because we do not upgrade for 5, 10, or even 30 years, they need a good return to stay profitable?

 

[podknocker]

Signature edition means they are signed usually....
See:- "Each of the first 200 pairs will be personally signed by Peter Comeau"
However, for the money they want they had better be excellent and hold their own with others in that price bracket or they will simply not sell.

Ugh! Paying a fortune to get head of design's autograph. Dreadful.

 

[Gray]

Ugh! Paying a fortune to get head of design's autograph. Dreadful.

I settled for non handwritten - discounted to the same price as the CD600 OSE.
At £300 I didn't feel exploited.


But the price of some of these 'reimagined' speakers 😱
I remember when it was all just fields around here £1,000 seemed a real lot of money for any speaker....now it's often regarded as a bargain.

 

[DougK1]

I settled for non handwritten - discounted to the same price as the CD600 OSE.
At £300 I didn't feel exploited.
View attachment 7591

But the price of some of these 'reimagined' speakers 😱
I remember when it was all just fields around here £1,000 seemed a real lot of money for any speaker....now it's often regarded as a bargain.

I'd better not mention my laser written signature pieces, complete with faux ruby motif

 

[Gray]

I'd better not mention my laser written signature pieces, complete with faux ruby motif

You can always sell on to Pod.

 

[davidf]

But the price of some of these 'reimagined' speakers 😱
I remember when it was all just fields around here £1,000 seemed a real lot of money for any speaker....now it's often regarded as a bargain.

Early 90s when I was at Radford HiFi, we had about 10 pairs of loudspeakers under £150 - JPW, Mordaunt Short, Creek, Heybrook, KEF etc - it was probably the most popular price point back then, facilitating the choice. Speakers like these are now £500-1,000. Although, after hearing an upcoming £400 pair, it's surprising how things have moved on.

 

[Fandango Andy]

I settled for non handwritten - discounted to the same price as the CD600 OSE.
At £300 I didn't feel exploited.
View attachment 7591

But the price of some of these 'reimagined' speakers 😱
I remember when it was all just fields around here £1,000 seemed a real lot of money for any speaker....now it's often regarded as a bargain.

There are too many variables to make sense of the economics of many products. If you are selling to a reasonable size market, if the demand goes up, in theory the price goes up. In practice you may be able to produce more cost effectively in higher numbers therefore offering you product at a lower price and increasing market share.

But if the demand drops and your product becomes more specialist the price may go up. This has happened with hand made English shoes. In the late 90s a decent pair of shoes cost £85 to £125. Adjusted for inflation this would be about £160 to £235. However as the demand has dropped and they have become specialist they actually cost £300 to £600.

HiFi is in a strange place. It is becoming more specialist, but it is also becoming cheaper to produce. Estlished manufacturers are competing against cheaper Chinese products, and having to decide if they want to be mass market or budget. Some are trying to be both.

As for retro designs. We are always looking at the past. The Romans, looked to ancient Greece. The Victorians looked to the Romans. In the 80s we looked to the 50s. The 90s to the 60s. The 00s to the 70s. There is always a nostalgia for a time that didn't exist.

To bring things back to track, all that really matters is if you like how something looks in your room, how it makes your music sound, and if you can afford it. We are in a great era for music, not because what is produced now is good, but because we have access to so much of what has been produced in the past.