Emerald Physics C2 or Usher BE-718

Mrjstark,

Funny you should mention Omega Loudspeakers as that was the third speaker (Omega Revolutions using a single 8" Alnico driver in an Aperodic vent enclosure) in my now defunct three speaker rotation.

I wouldn't necessarily say the Omega was better or worse than the CS2's, but rather different. It was crystal clear in the mid-range (even more than the CS2's) and really let the music shine. It was also amp friendly and very flexible in terms of placement. While the Omega definitely didn't have the CS2's extension (in either direction), it was pretty good in the highs or lows. The CS2's had a more effortless sound and didn't sound like a typical box speaker.

I also want to state that both Clayton (Emerald Physics) and Louis (Omega Speakers) are great to deal with and about as honest and trustworthy as you can find.

George

George,
your experience with both speakers are far greater then my own.
I have just picked up a Super 8 Anlico monitors from Louis factory in Connecticut which are breaking in as we speak. (I do have some exp. with previous models tho). Louis also provide me with his previous Ferrite 8" drivers to play around. Those are also great but Alnico are substantially better drivers.
As far as CS2s are concern, my experience is limited to few auditions and show demo rooms.

BE-718 is not a bad speaker IMO.
Beside the price there is also the issue of proper placement and amplification for anyone considering these speakers.
It takes a little effort to make these monitors sing.

In side by side evaluation - I preferred the presentation of AAD 2001s over BE-718s.

Traded my AADs recently - to many speaker and not enough room.

Mariusz

Can anyone compare the CS2 to Salk HT3's? The Salk HT3 is the only other more expensive speaker i have heard.

I am a newbie and about to purchase my amp, speaker cables, etc. I figure that my speaker choice will affect these greatly, so i'd better make my decision on that first.

If i go with the Wyred4Sound multichannel amp, do i still need multiple interconnects and multiple speaker cables? Did someone say that only XLR interconnects can be used? How would that be so if they are speakers? Would they not just need speaker cables?

I am figuring roughly $1 to $1.5K additional layout for loss in buying and selling, multichannel amp and additional speaker cables, minus the need for a lot of room treatments. Is it correct that you don't really need room treatments with the CS2?

I am trying to compare this with spending the cash on say a Modwright Transporter as bigger bang for the buck improvement, but the speaker choice will affect amp choice, cables, etc, so i figure this must be done first.

Again i realize that they are completely different speakers, but wondering if they are worth the cost and effort to upgrade. Thanks!

Also has anyone modified their CS2 and DCX2496 mods? How much of an effect did this have? Perhaps i could look into the CS2's and later mod them in the future if the improvement was siginificant enough. thanks.

CS2s IMO are high maintenance speakers but rewarding if setup right.

To answer your setup question:
"you're going to need three pairs of balanced XLR connections: the first pair to connect to your preamplifier to the Behringer, the second and third pairs to go between the Behringer and four channels of amplification. "

As well as bi-wire speaker cables.

If you are tweaker at heart, these OB speakers will keep you occupied for a while. But, if you just want to sit down, relax and enjoy the music....... well you might be overwhelmed by the setup complexity, options and upgrade possibilities.

I hope this won't discourage you from purchasing these fine speakers.
If I had the time to play around with those and budget (it can become quite costly - depending on associated equipment), I would definitely put them on the top of my list.

But there are other options which you might find just as interesting but less intimidating and still enjoyable as well as musical.

And the last advice:
If you are not 100% sure what might work for your setup and ear.
Buy used.

Mariusz