Anybody have Experience with Alta Audio Alyssa Speaker

@tjraubacher I haven’t had the Alyssa but I did own the older Alta Lelantos floorstanders for a few years. One thing I learned with Alta speakers is that they need both power and current to truly wake up. If you can match them with the right amp, boy, do Alta speakers sound great for the money.

@soix provided decent alternatives, but I would still pick the Alyssa over those recommendations. The Alyssa will have a much bigger sound and reach lower, and its high frequency performance will surely surpass that of the Usher. 

That said, a great competitor to the Alyssa that is likely more expensive is the Joseph Audio Pulsar. I’d take that over any of the ones mentioned. 

@grislybutter That's a cool site, thanks for sharing!

@tjraubacher The Hegel is a great integrated amp and should be a fine match with the Alyssa. Clean sound (as the Alyssa is a bit on the warm side), and lots of power and current, as well as a high damping factor to control the Alyssa. I haven't heard the two together but from what I know about both units, I'd anticipate it to be a fine match.

@soix It's just my personal opinion, but based from experience. I recently sold a pair of Usher DMD floorstanders and had some time to intimately gauge their performance while they were in possession. The Usher DMD range, both from when I've seen them at shows, and when I've heard them in my room, were a bit darker in the lower treble and boosted on mid treble. They are very good speakers for the money, but I could never live with them because they drove me wanting more and irritated my ears slightly.

@soix Thanks for sharing the link! I’ll check it out when I get back in town in a few days. I actually have an Usher demo cd laying around. I’ll have to check if it’s the same one. If it is, I’ll be happy to give it to you if you want it. 

Don’t get me wrong, the Ushers are a very involving and soulful speaker, and they do make a great impression. I’ve been very impressed with them myself. I have a high respect for them, but having heard so many others, I know they are not the most transparent. There’s still a strong place for them where they fit well. 

@audiojan and @soix - this is what I meant by careful matching with the amp. I found it took a lot of power and current to get the speaker tightened up and for the tweeter to wake up, but with the right amp, it really does come alive. Pulsars are the best bet of the ones mentioned, though!

@tjraubacher A pair of Pulsar 2 Graphene just popped up on USAM. I have no affiliation, it just reminded me of this thread. Price is a bit higher than your budget but worth looking into. Looking at past listing, I’ve seen dealers sell this for less, so there may be some room for negotiation.