I can't comment on HSU, but I think many take that route because of a cost aspect. I wanted all my speakers to have the same look, so I stayed with axiom. The reviews were enough for me to make a decision.
I had an ep350 for 1 year, an ep500 for 1.5 years, and I just upgraded to the ep600. Keep in mind, my room is 900 Sq Ft. The build quality and performance is great.
Just a note on Emotiva, there are no problems with the LPA-1 amp, the problems have been with the LMC-1 PrePro. I can assure you the build quality in the LPA-1 through MPS-1 is top grade components. And yes, they are built like a tank.
