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Usher R1.5 should I buy?

Hello all, I thought this is one forum where I should ask and take the approval of all the experienced souls here before I pull the trigger today or next week satday. The Question is should I buy the Usher R1.5 , is it as good as the press says or the reviews here or around the web suggests.As for speakers I have a Mission MX5 for now with Denon PMA1500AE /DCD1500AE/TU1500AE as amp CD and tuner with Chord cables. This is the cheapest power amp I can afford at the moment , that too class A till some watts. If anyone has any encounter with this amp please advise me. I listen to only RocknRoll and very little Jazz ( read Norah Jones , Diana Krall) buy it's always Queen and Ledzep , Floyd GnR, CCR,GFR,Lamb of God Korn , Blue Man Group, etc etc. I'm a SACD enthusiast,s o no vinyl in the mix. Love warm rich lush and not forward sounding gear. Please advise if the Usher is good enough as a power amp.
128x128vvvinashhh
desalvo55's avatar
desalvo55
252 posts
 
So glad I found this thread. I have 2 Usher 1.5's and run (ran) them in mono to a pair of Usher Tower XL's. 

One of my amps became noisy (right channel) and was shipped back to USHER for a replacement. Still waiting....

What I had learned was that Usher was setting the bias higher as it was discussed somewhere that the sounded even better at higher bias, and they already sound amazing. What a great amp and a beast. In mono it's stupid good.

But I don't know how to set bias :( So I guess I'll "probe" around, find a pot, and adjust till my hand starts burning?
Thanks!
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
But I don’t know how to set bias :( So I guess I’ll "probe" around, find a pot, and adjust till my hand starts burning?
Say goodby to your amp!
Seriously, please get a tech to do it, as you need to put dmm meter probes on the emitter resistors, and that is a hairy place to be, as it’s very confined.

Cheers George
desalvo55's avatar
desalvo55
252 posts
 
Thanks George, I've got an electronic savvy buddy of mine who designs amps. He'll do it for me. Wish I had a roadmap to give him still.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
desalvo55
Thanks George, I’ve got an electronic savvy buddy of mine who designs amps. He’ll do it for me. Wish I had a roadmap to give him still.
I gave the circuit diagram to vvvinashhh above, on the condition he passes it on, email him and he’ll forward it to you.
Or send me your email,, and I'll send it, with the bias pot circled in red and the emitter resistors in red, which need to be monitored with a dmm when adjusting the bias pot
Cheers George
vvvinashhh's avatar
vvvinashhh OP
24 posts
 
My mail id is right there and I have the schematics as George mentioned. What pre are you using desalvo55? I'm using a Cary Audio SLP03 and the results are pretty darn good. I have got to know that the factory Bias of the R1.5 is 500mA. So keep that as a reference point. These amps are simply fantastic and can be easily repaired by anyone who is experienced enough. Usher is going through a restructuring hence the delay.
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