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USHER LOUDSPEAKERS

post #1 of 15
3/14/04 at 2:22am
Thread Starter 
Anyone heard any of the Usher X-series speakers(708/718/719)?

These look like they would be great sounding speakers. They have all my personal favorite design features: 2 way/soft dome tweeter/ 6.5" midbass with a x-over low enough they dont beam/ decent efficiency for my low power amp/ time aligned baffle on the 708/718 and all have heavy well braced cabinets. I have been reading rave reviews about them but nothing very descriptive. There are so many good speakers these days its tough to choose.

I gave up on the JMLab chorus 725. I think they will sound to much like what I have and the cats will tear up the grills since they sit right on the floor. I miss the nice warm sound of a paper driver and a soft dome anyway. So I would welcome any other suggestions for a stand mounted speaker that has most or all of my listed preferances.
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post #2 of 15
3/14/04 at 10:25pm
Thread Starter 
Looks like no one has heard these, any other suggestions?
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post #3 of 15
3/16/04 at 11:03pm
I'm very fond of the Dynaudio line -- not sure what your price point is, but the Audience 52 is very nice at a little under $1000. I haven't heard the new Contour line, but the older 1.3 mkII was also a very, very nice sounding speaker. Only real problem is the Dyn drivers' low efficiency; low-powered amps need not apply! I've been impressed with the Sonus Faber bookshelf models I've heard as well; again, the efficiency might be something of an issue, but the Sonus Fabers are not as hard to drive as the Dynaudios.

You might also look into the recently-discontinued B&W CDM (NT) line. Although they have a metal dome tweet/kevlar woof design, I found them very easy to listen to; smooth, but still crisp and punchy and very similar to the Nautilus speakers in character (quite unlike the cheaper 600 series, which sound quite harsh to me). I also heard a small Vienna Acoustics monitor at a decent dealer which impressed me favorably as well.

I've never heard the Ushers, and was not impressed with the JM Lab speakers I've heard, including the Chorus and Cobalt lines. Usher speakers sure look pretty, though!
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post #4 of 15
3/16/04 at 11:57pm
"Warm sound of a paper driver and a soft dome [tweeter]" They don't get written up much as an audiophile speaker but the Cambridge Soundworks Newton series M80's are a three way speaker with a nice 8 inch woofer, plus a midrange, and a silk dome tweeter. I love them, and they are only 400 bucks. At CSW they say they'll put them up against monitors selling for 1000 bucks. I don't know if they were actually designed by Henry Kloss but they are definately in his "school."

8 ohm, rear ported, beautiful cherry veneer. Good for a sturdy stand.

they're at www.hifi.com
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post #5 of 15
3/17/04 at 12:47am
Thread Starter 
I like the dynaudio's but I only have a 25 watt amp. I had the CDM NT prior to the JMLabs and sold them. I hated their tweeter and they were much to bright and thin sounding. There was nothing the tantal 509's didnt do better. I also had paradigm active 20's and again overall the JMLabs were better to me. I like an older speaker you can still find called the PSB 500i. I had them and wished I never sold them. I dont know why I dont get another pair. The ushers remind me of a high quality 500i with a much better build quality and drivers. I guess I believe if I heard the 500i now I wouldnt be nearly as impressed. Still that speaker had a very rich and powerful sound and was never harsh. It wasnt the last word in refinement and resolution though. The JMLabs need a warm amp and source. If you give that to them their speed, dynamics and openess are stunning. I want what the 509's give me with just a touch more body and warmth. Thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate your responses.
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post #6 of 15
3/18/04 at 4:30am
these are chinese speakers right?

anyway.... i am very weary of chinese speakers and amps... have had really bad experiences. i don't want you to be discouraged though... just careful.

i just came back from china 1/2 a year ago. went to hong kong too. here's the thing:

chinese are all about appearances. i don't mean casework for amps or that sort of thing.......... more like making things look fancy or have lots of features. but if you really use the equipment, you'll see you get what you pay for.

just be careful. audition before you buy.
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post #7 of 15
3/18/04 at 9:24am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Orpheus I will keep this in mind.
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post #8 of 15
3/18/04 at 10:36pm
I owned the lowest line S520 speakers from this manufacturer, and they were descent for their price(equiv. USD$120)

Amplification is one thing to keep in mind about Usher speakers; they are harder to drive than they seems. A little modding of internal wiring and replacing of parts on the crossover network would really allow them to shine.

Usher sound is usually not on the warm side, and requires good amps to squeeze bass out of the speakers. They offer plenty of low frequency and would match well with equipments with a more refined sound

I would keep away from their integrated amps and tube amps however. Their preamp sections are not too well regarded. Usher power amps are not bad in comparison.

This is a Taiwanese audio company BTW.
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post #9 of 15
3/18/04 at 10:53pm
ever try saphire IIIs from ACI?

audioc.com

Ive owned these and they are wonderful. Many people comparing them to natilus 805s prefer the saphires.

Also perhaps a taler acoustics reference monitor (used).
These use a magnesium seas midrange driver with a scanspeak tweeter.

k.s.
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post #10 of 15
3/18/04 at 11:03pm
Quote:
This is a Taiwanese audio company BTW.
yes, that would make a big difference then to me. seriously.
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post #11 of 15
3/18/04 at 11:22pm
However, taiwan has higher costs than China, so the deal has less potential as well. In any case, these products should be judged on a case by case basis. Speakers should be heard before purchasing anyway.
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post #12 of 15
3/18/04 at 11:55pm
Hey, Kshaft, I own Sapphires too and they are truly wonderful speakers, unbelievable sound quality for the money spent imo. Many people have compared them side by side with speakers costing much more and ACI usually comes out on top. Although I have the Sapphires, the on-wall Emeralds, and the Essence center, I'm sorely tempted by the recent buzz I've been hearing regarding the Panoramas.

It should also be mentioned that Mike (the owner) at ACI is all class as far as trying to meet the customers needs.

So, SACD, if you're interested, do a search at hometheaterforum.com or AVS.com and you'll find a lot of excellent feedback. If you go to Audioreview.com, you can find a ton of exemplary reviews of the old Sapphire line. The new ones, the 25th Anniversary edition, are supposedly a significant improvement, so you can also take that into consideration.

Very, very sweet sounding speakers, but they do take a lot of break in to achieve their best sound.

One note: they are only sensitive at the 86 or 87 decibel range, so good power would help, although many report good results using regular receivers.
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post #13 of 15
3/18/04 at 11:57pm
One last thing, ACI speakers are fully assembled in the U.S., if that's a consideration. Even the side panels on the cabinets are hand crafted here.
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post #14 of 15
3/19/04 at 3:15am
Thread Starter 
I have always liked the sapphires. I checked on their website and I cant believe how much they changed them. The time tested sloped baffle is gone. They are still very nice looking. They have dropped the sensitivity to 86 db/1w/1m, unfortunately, which is not going to do the job with my 25 watt amp and 48' x 14' x 8' room.
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post #15 of 15
3/20/04 at 8:45pm
Have you checked out the Coincident Triumph Signatures. I've had these for a little over a year and I absolutely love them. These are truly musical speakers. They're capable of showing the characteristics of all upstream components. Any changes in the system are heard through these speakers. I'm powering them with a 7 watt SET amp and I have plenty of headroom. They're rate at 94db. Hear's a pic from last christmas.


Good luck.

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