Usher CP-8571 II - Long term opinions?

Audphile1

You said "For what the Ushers cost on the used market, I think a better speaker can be had"

What's on that better speaker lise (say under$5K). I assume you passed on the Virgos. What's on your short list?

Thx,
Kenreau

On my short list Dynaudio S5.4, Aerial Model 9.

But Kenreau, I encourage you to listen to the Ushers for yourself. Please do not take my or anyone else's opinion to heart. You need to audition the speakers. May be this will be the sound you are looking for and we just have different ideas.

Dynaudio makes fine speakers, I have owned some of their best and speakers that utilized their top end drivers. But after I was exposed to Scanspeak Revelator and Usher BE tweeters, I actually prefer Scanspeak and Usher for their ability to dish out more details, more leading edge info, more ambient, more micro dynamic, just more of everything that make live music more fun to listen to. For the same reason, I decided not to get Temptation.

As for Aerial, the only speaker I am familiar with is 20T and that's a wonderful speaker. However, the many times I heard 10T I was not impressed because the top end always has a hint of metal tweeter sound.

What I was trying to illustrate was that how a system sounds is a combination of every component in a system not just the speakers themselves. If a pair of speakers sound the same no matter what you throw in front of it (a portable CD player vs. $10k EMM lab) , I would be worry because most likely the speakers are taking something away from the upstream components. We had a recent experience with Conrad Johnson preamps. Our local audiophile group was trying to do a shootout with about 5 digital front ends, and everyone of them sounded almost the same to each other. When we replaced the preamp, the difference were much more obvious. To some that is a good thing, but not to others, including me.

And Audphile1 is also correct that preferences and perception also would play a part.

FrankC

...preferences and perception also would play a part.

Absolutely agreed. Silk vs metal tweeters, etc.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I'll add the Dynaudio and Aerials to the list. Plus, I just recalled the Joseph Audio line used to get some great press a while back.

The journey continues.