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Usher Audio BE-718 or Kef LS50

Hi Everybody,

For some reason, I’ve become enamored with the Usher BE-718 Tiny Dancers, even though I’ve never heard them. I own Kef LS50s. I drive the LS50s with a pair of modified ASL DT200 Hurricanes fed by a PS Audio PWD II going through a Dodd battery powered tube preamp. The first question I usually get is “shouldn’t that rig be driving a better pair of speakers?”. Well, maybe. The reason I have LS50s is because I had to downsize my audio room 4 years ago and the Thiel 3.6s wouldn’t work in an 11 x 16 x 10 room. I also had to learn room acoustics and treat the new tiny room. I tried a pair of Golden Ear Triton 2s but I couldn’t tame them. I probably pulled the plug a little early on those but that’s another story. I replaced the GE T2s with the LS50s. Say what you want but the LS50s are a nice speaker for the money and they are dialed in. However, I find myself still wanting…go figure. What I’m trying to do now is find another small speaker that is incrementally better than the LS50 that won’t break the bank. In other words, I’m not financially ready to go buy a pair of Joseph Audio Pulsar’s or even a pair of Aerial Acoustics 5Ts and call it a day.

Enter the Usher BE-718s. I’ve heard good things about these speakers and you can get a used pair for about the price of a new pair of LS50s. I’m looking for some wisdom here. Can anybody tell me about the 718s? Has anybody heard both? And yes, I know that the 718 cost ~ $2600.00 new which is $1100.00 more that the LS50 new, which means that it is supposed to be a better speaker but I also know it doesn’t always work out that way. I’m trying to get some info before I buy an older speaker named Dancer that ends up having two left feet at Christmas! 
utrak

Showing 1 response by audiothesis

audiothesis
168 posts
 
I’m not sure what was going on with the other setups but the Be-718 are formidable speakers that are well worth their praise. Some rear-ported Usher speakers can sound bloated if not properly placed as that 7" woofer can put out quite a bit of air, but these are front-ported so that might not be the issue.

I’d advise against getting a pair with the Be tweeters, or at the least, planning to upgrade to the Diamonds. There is a world of difference between these two tweeters that really elevates the speaker itself. Like rbstehno mentioned above, the Diamond tweeter is a truly world class tweeter that has great extension without the fatigue. The 718 is a discontinued model due to the Mini X being released a few years ago.

For what its worth, I’d never take the LS50 over the Mini X or Be-718 with Diamond tweeters. I’ve heard them on a few occasions. The LS50W makes it a closer race, but I’d still take the Ushers (with Diamonds) unless DSP was required due to major room/placement issues.

I’ve owned or had in house the following Usher speakers: CP-6311, CP-6381, Mini X, Mini Dancer Two, CP-777, and Be-10.
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