[Hantra]

I never wanted to like Ushers.  In fact, I went out of my way NOT to listen to them, not even knowing anything about them except that they were Chinese.  But after hearing the X-718 at Carl's house, I am SHOCKED how good they were!  

So I go to check out the site, and I find that they have 109 models of speakers, and many of them look the same.  It's impossible, from the literature they have on the site, to determine what model is what, which is best, or where to even start reading info on them.  

Is there a better site to read more about them, and somehow distinguish their model line-up?

Thanks,

B

[Carlman]

The x-718's ARE the best... duh...

I found the same issue... pretty good looking site but mostly show and not a lot of info.  Good luck.. I've only heard the ones I have... and haven't really wanted to hear a lot of the others.  I plan on getting Bill to do his super-mega-wonder mod to the ones I have as soon as I get a few extra bucks... right now I'm tapped from the big gear swapperoo.

-C

[lonewolfny42]

109 models is a lot of models. Might be that some are for different markets around the world. Too many models = confusion.

Usher Audio

Link....[/list:u]

[hometheaterdoc]

what do you want to know??

I've heard almost all the models that you can buy here in the USA.  There are a few models listed on the Usher site that you can't buy here in the US because the distributor isn't importing them, or Usher won't let them have them.

You've GOT to hear the new Dancer series that have the beryllium tweeters and new midrange drivers.  They are real winners.  The CP-6381 has also been completely reworked with new midrange drivers and crossovers.... sounding pretty sweet...

[brj]

Hi Shane!

The CP-6381 has also been completely reworked with new midrange drivers and crossovers.... sounding pretty sweet...

Reworked since when?  (I heard marvda1's 6381's several months ago and was impressed.)

Thanks!

[hometheaterdoc]

Hi Shane!

The CP-6381 has also been completely reworked with new midrange drivers and crossovers.... sounding pretty sweet...

Reworked since when?  (I heard marvda1's 6381's several months ago and was impressed.)

Thanks!

Since last week.... they showed up at the CES show with the new design (along with the new Dancer series 8871 and 8571 (which will be in my demo room in the near future)).  The redesign has been in the works for a bit of time, but not that long...  There are still a few sets of the old design (which was a GREAT sounding set as well!!) still available, but not very many.  You might want to contact your local dealer about getting a set while they are still available.

[brj]

Thanks for the speedy response!

Since last week.... they showed up at the CES show with the new design (along with the new Dancer series 8871 and 8571 (which will be in my demo room in the near future)).  The redesign has been in the works for a bit of time, but not that long...

Did the price remain the same?

There are still a few sets of the old design (which was a GREAT sounding set as well!!) still available, but not very many.  You might want to contact your local dealer about getting a set while they are still available.

Actually, I was told once that the U.S. distributor is in Dallas.  If so, I'm hoping that one or two models wander into one of our local jams!

I have to admit that I share Hantra's confusion at the sheer number of Usher options.  I really wonder just how much differentiation is possible among so many...

[hometheaterdoc]

Thanks for the speedy response!

Actually, I was told once that the U.S. distributor is in Dallas.  If so, I'm hoping that one or two models wander into one of our local jams!

I have to admit that I share Hantra's confusion at the sheer number of Usher options.  I really wonder just how much differentiation is possible among so many...

The US distributor is in Dallas.  I'm pretty sure the price is going to stay the same on the 6381s... it's impossible to tell at the CES show because Usher's MSRP pricing was off on every single model.  Different models sell for widely varying prices depending on where in the world you reside....

I didn't believe there could be any difference in the speakers based on a lot of models employing many of the same drivers..... then I heard the speakers in question .....  while they all share a somewhat similar "house sound" many models can sound VERY different than one another...

[byteme]

Is there any sort of primer for Usher speakers?...

Here I thought you were looking to paint a pair!

I've got the X-616 center which is a PERFECT match (well, as close as is available anywhere on the planet) for the Odyssey Lorelei's.  Wonderful integration and it'll take anything you can give it!

I'd be very interested to see a picture of the crossovers used to see how they compare to the shoebox sized monsters in the Lor's!

[brj]

Thanks, Shane!

[Captain Humble]

Hantra,
I've been rather quiet regarding my Usher 6381's primarily because a certain AC member and owner of 6381's was so excited about his that he threw the Usher name into threads that I and others deemed inappropriate. Those rogue posts made me uncomfortable about singing their praises for fear that other members would think that Usher was slipping us cool aid and therefore we were not to be trusted. So, I've stayed pretty quiet and just enjoyed the music.

Both you and Carlman have been in this hobby for a long time and have listened to a considerable amount of gear. I agree with both of you. Usher makes some great sounding speakers. I was very very happy with my last set of speakers and when the opportunity presented itself for me to hear the Ushers in my room side by side with my speakers I expected the session to validate my original purchase. Actually I wanted the Ushers to fall short because I didn't want to go through the hasssle and financial loss of selling my speakers. Suffice it to say that the difference was indeed significant enough to put my old speakers on the block.

byteme advised me to go for the X-616 center after mating it with his Loreleis.  I ran it with mine and I agree, it mates exceptionally well with the Loreleis.  Also fantastic with my 6381s.

I'm very familiar with the 6311's and the 6381's. A full review will follow soon but for now I'll go on record that my small circle of friends all agree that my 6381's are far and away the best sounding speakers they've ever heard in my room. Should the opportunity present itself, they are definetly worth a listen.

[Hantra]

Is there any sort of primer for Usher speakers?...

Here I thought you were looking to paint a pair!

       

Hilarious!

I don't really know what I want to know.  It's just that there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason behind the model designations, or numbering systems.  It's just mass confusion.  

Like when I go to a site like Wilson Audio, I can pretty much find my way around and tell which model is the flagship, which is entry level, and where the others stand in relation.  That is 180 degrees from what Usher offers.  

It's interesting b/c I am someone who never ever thought they'd change speakers for the next few years.  After hearing Carl's, it made me wonder, and made me want to get more info on them, but that seems to be very difficult, and any inkling I had of changing has been nullified by the confusion.  

If there are so many freaking models, and so many new ones coming out, one can probably just write off the whole concept of resale value.  Siltech is another example of a company that does the exact same thing.  They have clear model categories, but there is a new revision of a cable every three weeks, and new replacement models every 2 months.

[doug s.]

...I don't really know what I want to know. It's just that there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason behind the model designations, or numbering systems. It's just mass confusion.


Like when I go to a site like Wilson Audio, I can pretty much find my way around and tell which model is the flagship, which is entry level, and where the others stand in relation. That is 180 degrees from what Usher offers.

It's interesting b/c I am someone who never ever thought they'd change speakers for the next few years. After hearing Carl's, it made me wonder, and made me want to get more info on them, but that seems to be very difficult, and any inkling I had of changing has been nullified by the confusion.

If there are so many freaking models, and so many new ones coming out, one can probably just write off the whole concept of resale value. Siltech is another example of a company that does the exact same thing. They have clear model categories, but there is a new revision of a cable every three weeks, and new replacement models every 2 months...

i think this is a chinese thing.  ever check out meixing electronics (ming-da), radii audio, & antique sound labs stuff?  a bewildering plethora of gear.  seems to me these guys are taking a shotgun approach to the market.  i guess they will continue w/the items that make the biggest waves.  labor is cheap in china, & they can obviously afford to take this approach.  not sure it is the same as a cable company like siltech, which seems to me to want to suck you in, & then wring every last nickel outta ya, as ya adwance upwards thru their (over)pricing hierarchy...

anyways, back to usher, i own a pair of their bottom-feeder s520's, & these are outrageously good, considering their ridiculous retail pricing somewhere around $300/pair.  they will give something like the highly-regarded proac 1sc's a good run, imo...
http://www.usheraudio.com/speaker-s520.html

doug s.

[hometheaterdoc]

     

Hilarious!

I don't really know what I want to know.  It's just that there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason behind the model designations, or numbering systems.  It's just mass confusion.  

Like when I go to a site like Wilson Audio, I can pretty much find my way around and tell which model is the flagship, which is entry level, and where the others stand in relation.  That is 180 degrees from what Usher offers.  

It's interesting b/c I am someone who never ever th ...

The entry level speakers are the Usher series.  They use very stoutly built MDF cabinets with wood veneering.  These all range in price up to less than $1K.

The X-series is the next step up.  The X-708, X-718, and X-719 are priced within $50 of each other, with the X-708 being least expensive and X-719 the most expensive.  The X-929 is quite a bit more pricey and is an X-719 on steroids.  The X-616 center channel is designed to work with all the X series models and the "6 Series"

The "Six Series" is the brainchild developed for the USA market.  These are all Joe D'Apolito designs from the ground up.  They mate with the X-616 center channel for surround sound applications and there will be an on-wall dipole surround speaker and matching subwoofer coming soon.  Look for it in the coming months....  models in this line-up consist of the CP-6311 ($2100), CP-6371 ($2900), CP-6381($3400), and the new CP-6391 which was shown in final prototype stage at CES (~$4400 but not certain yet).

The Compass series consists of a number of models that are geared for two channel music listening only.  These models existed before the "6 Series was created.  The owner of Usher Audio is a die hard two channel guy and trying to get multi channel packages developed has been a struggle to say the least

The Dancer series is the flagship series for Usher for two channel listening.  They utilize very very expensive curved cabinetry that is absolutely gorgeous to see in person.  These models include the CP-777, CP-8571, CP-8871, and CP-8872.  This change to beryillium tweeters and new midrange drivers is the first change in ~5 years for this speaker.  Also included in this series is the AC-10 and AC-20, which are being changed to include the beryllium tweeter AND new beryllium midrange driver.

The most expensive model Usher makes is without question the D-2 horn speaker.  It is a MASSIVE speaker and is one heck of a unit for a very fair price compared to the competition.  It stickers at $19,999.99.

Admittedly Usher does have a tremendous amount of offerings at all price points.  They don't just cater to one particular market segment or price point.  I actually find that appealing.  If someone is strictly doing two channel audio, there are a great number of choices.  Multi channel audio is handled in the low end with several levels of the Usher series and the mid price range with the "6 Series".  High end two channel audio is handled with the Dancer series and D-2 horns.  I don't find Usher changes models any more or less than a lot of other manufacturers.  In fact, they have been pretty consistent with their models, and have been working to improve the existing designs while keeping prices the same.... or they have introduced a new model here or there at the behest of customers and dealers looking for a particular package (i.e. why I have been hounding them for months for an on wall surround speaker and matching subwoofer).....

[brj]

Choice is inherently a good thing, but it definitely helps if the differences are clearly delineated.  I think where you get questions is when you start to compare the top of one line to the bottom of another.  For example, is the sound quality of the soon-to-be-released 6391 really that different from the 8571?

[hometheaterdoc]

Choice is inherently a good thing, but it definitely helps if the differences are clearly delineated.  I think where you get questions is when you start to compare the top of one line to the bottom of another.  For example, is the sound quality of the soon-to-be-released 6391 really that different from the 8571?

Yes....  the 8571 sounds different than the 6391... the 8571 has the beryillium tweeter whereas the 6391 has the same silk dome tweeter as the other 6 series models... different bass drivers are used as well... with the 6391 using a new 10 inch driver and the 8571 using an 8 incher...
different cabinet construction, different bass tuning, different crossover...

I agree that the top of one line and the bottom of another line can cause confusion... but it's absolutely no different than all the other manufacturers like Paradigm, Phase Technology, B&W, etc who have ton of different models at various price points...  having said that, I will take the feedback to the folks at Usher and maybe we can get them to better categorize their website so that it is easier to differentiate price point and model level within the product line....

[brj]

Yes.... the 8571 sounds different than the 6391... the 8571 has the beryillium tweeter whereas the 6391 has the same silk dome tweeter as the other 6 series models...

That must be an update then, because the Usher website indicates a 1" soft dome tweeter for the 8571.

I agree that the top of one line and the bottom of another line can cause confusion... but it's absolutely no different than all the other manufacturers like Paradigm, Phase Technology, B&W, etc who have ton of different models at various price points...

Funny you should mention them!  I'm not familiar with Phase Technology, but I've given up trying to navigate Paradigm's website, and the number of B&W models seems to have exploded in the past couple of years.

having said that, I will take the feedback to the folks at Usher and maybe we can get them to better categorize their website so that it is easier to differentiate price point and model level within the product line....

That's appreciated, although I certainly didn't mean it to sound like a complaint.  I was mostly agreeing with Hantra that trying to extract differentiating information on the myriad speakers listed on Usher's website is not straightforward when you don't know what you are looking for.

(Then again, I freely admit that I'm an impatient websurfer!  if I can't find the information I want within a very short time, I simply leave.  I'll take clean, fast and informative over fancy displays of web technology every time.  This is something I constantly tell my friends that design websites.)

[hometheaterdoc]

That must be an update then, because the Usher website indicates a 1" soft dome tweeter for the 8571.

Yes, the very first unveiling of the new Dancer series models in North America happened here at CES.    The new 8571, 8871, and 8872 models have the new beryillium tweeter and a new treated paper type midrange driver.  The AC-10 and AC-20 will have both the beryillium tweeter and the brand new Be midrange driver....

The models changes are so new, they haven't yet updated their website with the changes....

I hate websites that aren't updated in a timely manner... which is why I have been sooooo ticked at not getting my own website updated in the same timely manner!!

Previously, the big difference between the old 6 series and Dancer series was a very different cabinet design, very different crossovers, and crossover parts, and different cabinet tuning... it all added up to a different sounding speaker...

[tubeytubeamp]

Hometheatredoc,

Change of topic. What new offerings will Phase Tech have this year. Are there any changes to the PC, Teatro, and Velocity series?

Thanks
Dennis

[hometheaterdoc]

Hometheatredoc,

Change of topic. What new offerings will Phase Tech have this year. Are there any changes to the PC, Teatro, and Velocity series?

Thanks
Dennis

There are no changes to the current models of Premier Collection pieces.  Later this year, there are plans to introduce a dipole/bipole wall mount surround again.  There are also tentative plans in probably 1.5+ years to replace the Premier Collection with a new flagship model of speakers that will have a different look than the current PC line.  The Velocity stuff will continue as is.

The big introductions from Phase Tech revolved around custom installation stuff:

1)They formally introduced their new A-Bus stuff for simple whole house audio.  It's very good stuff and not very expensive at all....

2) New LCR inwall type speaker that consists of two speakers that are a  1 1/2 channel sharing duties for the center... they can be mounted left and right, or all across the bottom of a plasma, etc..

3)  New curved plasma speakers that are very stylish and should ship Q2.

4) New complete multi channel audio package that is available in a couple trim levels.  It can come in a flat black basic package for folks that are building it into a cabinet behind fabric.  

It also comes with a VERY cool room correction piece that allows you to adjust an infinite amount of points in the room for ideal frequency response.  They were demoing it in a seperate room at the show... it worked very very well in the demo I saw....