New Beryllium drivers by Usher at CES2005

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.........