The Official Usher Audio Owners Thread - Page 9

Originally Posted by vigga

I'm going to be adding some BE-718's as surrounds - anyone have any stand recommendations? I know of the Core stands - ticked that the colors don't match. Have looked at Sound Anchors and Skylan - was hoping for something a little lower profile than what they were offering. Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by Hyfi

Hello all.

I'm in the market to upgrade my center speaker but have a dilemma. My mains and rears are Dynaudio 82s and 42s. Unfortunately the 42Cs are no longer available and my budget does not allow for the $850 Excite center or other lines.

I came across the Usher 525 which has very similar specs as the 42c, looks really nice and with the angled front, may just match my setup.

Do you think that the Usher center would match well with the Danes?

Thanks,

Brian

Originally Posted by nathan_h

If it were me i'd definitely get a used 42c. Probably the cheapest and best matching option.

Originally Posted by mgrande101

Just bought a pair of the Dancer Mini-Twos. Amazing! Am thinking about adding a sub. Anyone have the Usher 210 or 212 sub? If so, what do you think?

Originally Posted by Griller

Hey y'all,

I'm new to the site, but you don't see a lot of Usher fans out there, so i thought I'd join and can add to the discussion. I actually live in Taiwan and Ushers are a HUGE bargain here, unlike pretty much everything else, so it's the go to speaker in country. I have Mini 2's, a BE-616 center, and a pair of BE-718's in the bedroom. I also have an Usher integrated amplifier, also a screaming bargain in Taiwan. I have heard most of the Usher line in a variety of setups and rooms.

Beryllium or Diamond?

I have seen a lot of discussion on whether or not to upgrade. I think most have probably already made this decision, but for those who have not, my speakers all have the Beryllium tweeter as opposed to the current diamond tweeter. I have extensive experience listening to both types. I go back and forth whether or not to change (vice 'upgrade'). The diamond tweeter has greater clarity and a more forward presence that brings it more in line with the plane of the speakers vice a couple of feet behind them with the BE, but I would not characterize it as aggressive. This is all good, but it does come at the expense of a hardness that, for me, takes the emotional impact away from the music. It has yet to be worth it to shell out for the change. (I don't know about the US but it's around $200 to swap out the tweeters here.) Not a lot of money, but the treble in the BE Mini 2's, while soft and sometimes a bit distant, is still quite extended. It really comes down to the recording more than the tweeter for me. I appreciate the more laid-back nature of the BE tweeter, it lets music flow more naturally. CAVEAT: I have never been a fan of metal dome tweeters. They are more often than not harsh, brittle, and too energetic--very fatiguing and burn my ears. I prefer soft or silk domes, and ribbons. I have spent a lot of time with B&W, and my favorites are the DM302's, small, cheap, underdamped boxes with soft dome tweeters that manage to convery the music remarkably well provided you don't drive them to hard. And my bedroom speakers for many years until the BE-718's arrived. I still have a deep fondness for them.

A little bit rambling, but I hope to have given those who are considering changing out your tweeters for a perceived "upgrade" that this is not necessarily the case. If you bought your speakers because you loved the way they sound, then don't screw it up and buy into the hype. Be happy you made a great choice and got a bargain as part of the deal. The Ushers are fantastic speakers. And take the money you saved and go spend it on records! I do. Every time I make the same decision! It's really helping my record collection!

Originally Posted by palpitatn

Very interesting post. I live in the US and actually found the opposite true for my ears when comparing the Be and DMD tweeters. I own the 718 Be's. 2 years ago I listened to the 718 DMDs and found them more forward and open/detailed BUT smoother and less bright/fatiguing than the Be's. Then I heard the MD1's and loved them so I bought a pair.

Originally Posted by mav52

Would also like some info on if the upgrade to the DMD tweeter would it be worth it.

Also, since the crossover in the BE-718 is a 2nd order whats the reason for the crossover upgrade by Richie , will it make a difference that one could hear.

I'm driving my Be-718's with a Vincent SP-331 amp and a Vincent SA-31 pre and my source is an Rega Apollo player.

Originally Posted by ser_renely

Why did they change tweeters?

I heard the upgrade costs $700, is that true?

Originally Posted by Griller

I have the Mini 2's and two subs. I have disabled the subs for all but HT duties. The Mini-2's are fantastic speakers that can reach down very low. If you are not getting enough kick out of them I would recommend spending your money not on a sub but on an amplifier. Usher Dancers are great in that you can bi-amp them if you want, a great option if you already have an amp. Monoblocks can be pricey, but I would definitely spend my money on an amp that doubles down before I would put it into a sub. This is only for music, disregard if you need HT options. Nothing beats a sub for movie scenes with action sequences and the LFE channel.

Don't just do something, sit there! (and enjoy the music!)

Aloha,

Griller

Originally Posted by Griller

$700?! Holy cow. Not worth it to my ears. And I wouldn't necessarily call it an upgrade, more a change. If I were you I'd definitely spend some time listening to a broken in pair of the new speakers before I made a decision. The new tweeter needs some time to even out. $700 would buy a awful lot of records. Or a nice DAC, a new cartridge.....

All designers want to improve their products. And the industry thrives on a certain amount of change, but not all changes are for the better. Take the Windows NT "upgrade" to Windows XP for instance -- if I had a gun.... Suppliers change, products stagnate, designers get anxious, components get hard to procure, lots of reasons.

Remember, It's all about the music! :-)

Originally Posted by mgrande101

I have the bigger Usher power amp and their P-307 pre amp. I love the setup but find that the bass, while precise, lacks a bit of punch and presence. Do you think I need the giant R -1.5 instead of what I have? I know that placement of a sub is always a bit tricky. Not sure which way to go.

Originally Posted by kkpaim


Hi, I'm in Bangkok, and am in the decision process between new 8571 with DMD tweeter and used BE-10 with old Berryllium tweeter. The price are quite the same. The dealer here has the option to change to the new DMD tweeter with the cost around $1,000. Please give the recommendation how to compare. BTW, is there anyway to order the DMD tweeter direct from Taiwan, cause I saw your quoted price is only $200. Thanks,

KK

Originally Posted by kkpaim


is there anyway to order the DMD tweeter direct from Taiwan, cause I saw your quoted price is only $200. Thanks,

KK

Originally Posted by Griller

KK,

Oh to have your problems! ;-) I have a friend who just swapped out the BE tweeter for the DMD tweeter on his 8571's. He did it because he ordered a center channel and they don't make the BE tweeter anymore and you really need the same voicing across the front so he did it. He doesn't really see a big difference between the two tweeters and now he has a lot more options for his HT.

The BE-616 center channel is a rocking speaker, BTW. :-)

I have not heard the BE-10's, so I'm not familiar with their sound. But all the Dancer speakers I've heard have the same 'house' sound, especially on top (the upper octaves). I would not put either of these monsters in a small room, so that's a consideration. The closest comparison I can make is between the Mini 2 and the 8571. The 8571 is clearly a more detailed speaker, and can produce extraordinarily deep and powerful bass. It has greater depth of imaging as far as placement of instruments. I consider the Mini 2 to have greater integration of the drivers, but as a two way that's no surprise. The downside is a decrease in clarity and a blurrier image.

The BE vs DMD tweeter really depends on the listener. I prefer the BE tweeter, but others prefer the DMD. The BE has a softer, more relaxed presentation but is still very extended. The DMD has greater clarity and a more forward presentation, but I wouldn't call it aggressive. I hear a hardness in the DMD tweeter that puts me off on making the change. Others love it or don't care. I will say the DMD needs to be broken in, brand new I hated it.

Can you listen to them? Hopefully the speakers are set up well. I would take some of my favorite music, and a variety of music. Listen to some of your favorite songs and key on some of the points above. The most noticeable difference will be between cymbals. You should hear the difference quite easily. The other is image depth and possibly breadth. Both the BE-10's and 8571's are top shelf speakers, so the differences could be minor. The other areas would be depth of bass and also the clarity and tunefulness of the bass. Differences in driver integration are easier to distinguish on solid-state electronics for me, but tubes are vastly more musical. Lastly, after you're done picking apart the sound, relax and ENJOY the music. Be still and let go, let the music wash over you. In the end, you really can't make a bad choice. Which speaker most connects with you emotionally?

I would LOVE to know what you hear and which speaker you chose and why. Please come back and share with the rest of us!

Aloha,

It's about the music!

Grilller

Originally Posted by Griller

I am driving my Mini2's with BAT VK-60 Monoblocks. 120 wpc. very strong. I haven't heard the little Usher amp, they only sell the 1.5 domestically. However, before I pulled the trigger on a new amp, I'd experiment with speaker placement. Can you describe your room? If you're willing to spend the money on the 1.5, you may want to consider other options. There is some fantastic used gear out there. However, if you have a good relationship with your dealer and you trust his ears, that has value. I have heard the 1.5 on the Mini2's. At one point I was listening to a piece of music and it sounded like Godzilla was walking outside. So if you have bass issues the 1.5 would definitely fill that need. But first I would experiment with speaker placement and then consider other amplifier brands based on your listening preferences before committing to the 1.5.

Originally Posted by mgrande101


Your profile says you're in Taiwan. Me too. Can you give me info about places that sell used gear here? Addresses?

I appreciate your thoughts on the amp - I'm a newbie. I have limited options for placement in my living room. The space is about 22' by 18' and the speakers pretty much have to be on one of the 22' walls. The room is open on one of the 22' ends into another room. Have been moving the minis around a bit but I'm still not happy with the fullness of the bass. But I see a real difference overall in the sound depending on placement.

Originally Posted by mgrande101


Your profile says you're in Taiwan. Me too. Can you give me info about places that sell used gear here? Addresses?

I appreciate your thoughts on the amp - I'm a newbie. I have limited options for placement in my living room. The space is about 22' by 18' and the speakers pretty much have to be on one of the 22' walls. The room is open on one of the 22' ends into another room. Have been moving the minis around a bit but I'm still not happy with the fullness of the bass. But I see a real difference overall in the sound depending on placement.