Usher Amp & Pre?

The Usher R-1.5 is a very nice amp that can drive tough loads fairly well but I would recommend using it with fairly efficient speakers to get the best out it. I used it to drive Thiel 3.6's and it was nice until things got a little too loud and then it slightly struggled but Thiels can be a bear. If I still had my old VMPS 626R's, I'd still be using that amp. Great build quality.

I'm demoing a 5.1 right now...comparing with Nuforce ref 8v2 class D's. Verdict still out but I wanted to try this amp with my Usher 6381's, plus I've never had a class a in my system. I will say build quality certainly is impressive. Best binding posts I've ever seen.

I'm also tempted to pair with a p307 pre to see if there's any special magic with an all Usher rig

Fishers9, have you made any headway on your end? Interested to hear about the others' experience, particularly with Usher speakers.

i use an usher r-1.5 amp with my usher 6381 and the preamp i am using is the belles 21a with auricap upgrade. nice combo. there is an outfit selling belles 21a preamps without the auricap upgrade ($2500) for a little over $2000. you could probaly offer $1700 and get one as this is what they were selling them for when they first started their ad.

Hi Mboldda1, did you ditch your Consonance cybers? Curious what tube amps people have tried successfully with the 6381's, as they are either a hard load or just voiced for SS amps (or both). I haven't yet demo'd any tube amps, mostly because of the above assertion by Usher, and that realistically powerful tube amps are pricey and I don't have the kind of cash to buy a "demo" (no dealers around here either).

I use a Shindo Aurieges L preamp, a very good pre in its own right so I don't have a desire to try other pre's besides the P307 WITH the r-1.5.

i still have the cybers and prefer them to the r-1.5. at 78 tube watts they have more than enough power for the 6381's. i even have a jolida 502b (60 watts) that will drive the ushers. the 6381's are a tube friendly speaker.

Interesting response. Most of what I've read is that our speakers are difficult to drive properly with tubes (with enough muscle). The impedance curve isn't too bad,I always thought it was due to its sensitivity and power rating.

There are other posts around here that concur with tubes vs SS for these Ushers, concluding that SS drives them better.

I am intrigued with at least trying a tube amp...perhaps something like a Rogue stereo amp where the power/price ratio is within reach.

Does anyone know how much power the R1.5 produces in class A?

it's rated all 150 as class a but it can't biased full out as there is not a lot of heat, some but not a lot. none of the reviews i've read questioned it being 100% class a.

I've read it is class A for the first 50w, class a/b after that. It also says "ideal" class a on front, which suggests something other then pure class a. I've found nothing definitive, but here is a link to an Usher retailer, with several links to reviews.