New Beryllium drivers by Usher at CES2005


In preparation for my upcoming visit to Vegas, I was browsing through the list of exhibitors on the www.cesweb.org to compile a list of new product highlights when I came across the accouncement from Usher that they will be introducing new Beryllium drivers (tweeter & mid-range). I thought this interesting, so wanted to share.
Usher Beryllium Driver 1
Usher Beryllium Driver 2
gaudio_eek
I own a pair of Usher X-719s and am very fimilar with the talk of how the drivers are a Scanspeak copy, but now a Be tweeter? Makes me think they are going after Focal now, especially since the CP-777 of the Dancer series appears to have polyglass drivers. Just my two cents.
what do you think of the X719s
i just got a pair myself
so far have not broken in yet but all in all positive experience
Has anyone seen or demoed the Usher Beryllium (be) speakers at CES? Just curious on your impressions and feedback. Thanks in advance.
The Be Tweeter was in the top of the line model in the Compass Series.
It sounded incredibly nice, silky and present without any harshness.
I attended CES and auditioned these speakers. Very impressive, particularly considering their price. After auditioning a number speaker systems that included Be-based transducers such as the JM Labs Utiopia series, the JBL K2 9800, the TAD Model 1 and now the Usher, I believe that beryllium is the real deal...a vast improvement over titanium and aluminum.
As long as they make their stuff in China it will continue to be cheap, and put better companies out of business. I was given one of their CDs at CES it was by far the worst mixed CD I have ever heard, but maybe it was made to make their speakers sound good?!?
Nrchy,

Was your comment about "cheap" meant as a synonym for excellent value? I don't think Usher intends to be a software company so your comment about the CD is fine since I have not heard the CD.

As far as the Usher speakers are concerned, they are excellent and an excellent value. Many on this web site discount Chinese manufacturing in much the same way we all, myself included, used to discount Japanese manufacturing and R&D. I'm not trying to get on a soap box but China is becoming THE International repository for precision manufacturing and their infrastructure is becoming the envy of many countries. A highly educated workforce with a very low cost per unit produced AND don't feel sorry for the electronics manufacturing workforce in China....they are THRILLED with the much higher than average wages and working conditions as compared to 20 years ago. I am pro-American manufacturing first and all things being equal, I will buy American even if it costs a bit more. I will also buy equipment sourced from democracies before I will from totalitarian states. With that disclaimer however, China will be a force and they will sell alot of gear here. It is just too good for the money. Its low cost may even attract some new entrants into this hobby.

The workmanship on their Dancer series is incredible and the sound EXTREMELY smooth with excellent detail, without being forward. This is their "old" model which will soon be replaced by the beryllium tweeter series. I do not own Ushers although I am currently demoing the aforementioned pair of 8571's. I have had B&W Nautilus series and currently own Wilson-Benesch. These are darn good speakers! Will I buy them? Depends on the WAF...they are big and pretty...but...

To merely discount Usher and MANY of the fine Chinese sourced products (many under American branding) as being "cheap" is to really miss the point. Shanling...Music Hall...there are many more products coming that will stand on their own as fine pieces.

If you are saying "cheap" to mean "value", then I agree with you.

Disclaimer: my system is Bat VK300XSE/Cary 306-200/Wilson Benesch Arc/REL Storm III

Regards to all.........
Chinese products are lower priced to some extent because the govt. refuses to allow their currency to float on the international market . The yen and european money , however , are making American products more attractive to the whole world except for China .
I wonder if Usher's Beryllium drivers will be available as replacement drivers for some of their current speakers such as the amazing CP-777, which I currently own.
Not that they need any help!
Seems unlikely that a totally different technology like Be drivers would just fit a carefully engineered speaker design - the crossover frequencies and electrical requirements might be quite different. Maybe with a special crossover kit, but just as a drop in replacement, it seems unlikely.
Since Usher sells their drivers, you should be able to obtain specs for the drivers in your current speakers as well as the Be drivers and compare their specs as far as freq. response, imedance and phase go to see if they seem to be a close match.
i own a pair of the new usher cp-777mk2 with beryllium tweeter.
i think i am most likely the first north american owner of one of these, the new beryllium tweeter is amazing in itself, smoot with extension to boot without ever becoming agressive in any way,a gem of a high frequency driver!
i do not know wich drivers usher used in the first version(woofers that is),the new version has dual 7" top of the line ETON woofers.(probably the only non-usher driver in a usher speaker)

imaging is great without topping some monitors i have owned before but once again this is nowhere a monitor sized speaker despite its standmount status! they are a little big for my listening room(11' by 18' by 8')and placement was long to find the right" spot" but well worth it trust me, the bass is just so extended with a nicely integrated midrange that just soars.
great on vocals thats for shure, violins , cellos, flutes,piano ...you name it! ...it sound very close to the real thing.
these come at a price tough,6800$u.s retail but if you are about to spend that kind of money on a speaker do not buy anything without auditioning these.
how much does a pair of mini utopias from jm lab go for?
if you get my drift you will understand!
...heat pipe, then they aren't Eton's 'top of the line' as you say. http://www.solen.ca/eto.htm

They sound like nice speakers though - I'm jealous! I like the DAppolito layout and the the Eton drivers are top notch (some would say and I would not disagree - the best bar none, except maybe for the Accutons.

Enjoy!
Ghasley, point well taken. In the US, we have 300 million people, of which 75 million are baby-boomers, i.e., old. China has over a billion, highly motivated people. I am a baby-boomer. Ask me about the diminished capabilities due to age. I won't lie to you.
why do people keep connect Usher with China? Usher is a Taiwan company and all of their Compass series are made in Taiwan, not China.