The 30 year old speaker manufacturer has teamed with legendary speaker designer Joe D'Appolito to create speakers that are gorgeous to look at and offer one of the most lifelike and transparent presentations on the market. The speakers compete with products costing 2 and 3 times their price.
Dr Joseph D'Appolito, the man responsible for the " D'Appolito configuration" which is the MTM geometry. This configuration is now used by so many manufacturers throughout Europe and North America. All the crossovers are designed and tested in his lab in Boulder, Colorado.
Whislt the Concept series possess an uncanny ability to catch people's breath with their stunning good looks, ultimately its their thrilling realism of sound reproduction that wins over music lovers .
Design Highlights:
Carbon-paper woofer cone
Silk fabric soft dome tweeter: Ceramic type on some models
Innovatice magnet flux design with corrective copper elements on all drivers , resulting in significantly reduced third and second harmonic distortions.
Cast aluminium driver frame
Phase coherent crossover designed by world renown master of speaker design, built with components of the highest quality and thoroughly tested with digital-based measuring equipment.
Massive, sonically dead front baffle which places drivers in a time coherent physical arrangement
Multi-chamber reinforced cabinet with solid wood side panels handcrafted to the highest furniture grade
The Usher Concept series loudspeakers represent a radical departure from traditional ODM Solutions. Conceived in quest of definitive musical realism and an original styling, each concept speaker is at once a precision instrument and a work of art. Yet despite the superior quality so readily visible and audible from the concept range, the cost remains well controlled through our careful sourcing of quality materials and efficient production methods hence the obvious pricing policy adopted.
The History of USHER AUDIO TECHNOLOGY
1972 USHER AUDIO TECHNOLOGY started an enterprise in Tai-Chung by using the name of Ruey-Fong. The responsible person of company, Mr. Tsai Lien-Shui who for the most part repaired the import HI-END stereo & Speaker During the time of beginning.
1973 He started to design and study the assembling parts of amplifier and finished product of speakers.
1974 USHER AUDIO TECHNOLOGY to be the first one to purchase the precision instruments of sound testing because it places importance on data of sound testing. (For example: B&K, HP etc…) Then, we use these instruments to be our foundation for researching and developing the stereo.
1974 USHER AUDIO TECHNOLOGY established two first brands in Taiwan, “MARSHAL” and “MS.”. 1979 To give an official name “USHER”.
1979 To announce the first “class A” pre and power amplifiers in Taiwan. It made a great hit in Taiwan at that time.
1981 To established Taipei retail sales store in the popularest market “Jung-Hua market”.
1982 Started the retail and sell stores on each major point in Taiwan.
2000 To enlarge the factory room to a large one and move to the Industry Section in Tai-Chung.
2001 USHER AUDIO TECHNOLOGY began to attend the CES Show in U.S. Trying to advance the market of inte
Usher Audio of Taiwanis the perfect example of what high-end audio could and should be. While the US prices are somewhat higher than local prices here in Taiwan, this equipment is a bargain! From pure class A power amplifiers to world class loudspeakers, the Usher products are first rate. I don't think any magazine reviewer could say what he or she really feels about these products for fear of offending the manufacturers of more expensive products.
High-end audio enthusiast tend to have vivid imaginations and beliefs about what can effect or improve sound quality. While the 50 foot of romex in the wall is not important "the last 6 foot of the amplifier power cable makes all the difference", is just as one example of this. Single components costing well into five figures, placing small strange looking cone devices on top of the speakers, and various other so called, "tweaks" all seem to sell but generally do little or nothing to sound quality. Using ultra-expensive cables with "low capacitance" connected to speakers with internal passive cross-overs containing real capacitance etc with variations that are astronomical compared to any speaker wire reactance even given 1% devices. If you are going to believe ultra expensive speaker cables make a real difference, at least only connect them to all active speaker systems! Then at least the over priced cable connects the amplifier directly to the speaker voice coil. Any speaker cable costing much more than $1/ ft connected to any speaker with a passive cross-over is just plain silly. It's over killing a minor factor while leaving a major factor seriously flawed. It's like being in a boat with two leaks. One leak is a gaping gash that will sink your boat in minutes and the other is a tiny pin hole that will never sink the boat. By buying the ultra expensive cables you are spending major resources trying to fix the pin hole while leaving the gaping gash that's sinking your boat un touched.
So, what's the point? You don't have to spend a lot on silly tweaks or ultra expensive hardware or especially cables. The key to good sound quality is to have quality design based on sound scientific design principals as opposed to the vivid imagination of the high-end audio world. This does not have to be expensive as Usher has now proven to me time and time again each time I listen to their products. At the Usher store here in Taichung, they also use expensive cables etc but my guess is that they do this primarily to appease the audiophile community. I suspect they are aware their equipment would sound equally well no matter what cables they use.
Usher is only beginning to penetrate the US market and I suspect that many people may refuse to believe true high-end audio could come from a place like Taiwan. I had no idea until I accidentally stumbled upon it. We were walking around this electronics shopping area and I noticed the Sonus Faber look in many of the speakers at this store we passed but assumed they probably were not anything special. They noticed me looking however and convinced me to come listen and I was sold! When they started telling me the prices I couldn't believe it! Even now, knowing the US price I'm still amazed. I can get good prices usually wholesale or lower on a lot of equipment in the US but even with those discounts I can't match the quality for the money of the Usher products here in Taiwan. I've seen speakers in retail stores in the US that cost twice as much as a similar size Usher and sound like a toy by comparison to the Usher. It will be hard for many audiophiles to accept what their eyes and ears tell them about Usher. Coming from a world where good speakers must cost five figures many of these audiophiles brains will not accept the fact that a thee figure speaker can sound just as good or better. Their eyes will not accept the fact that the inexpensive Usher also has better build quality and looks much better than the significantly more expensive alternative.
As for my personal taste I still prefer the sound of open baffle speakers but as far as conventional design systems go, the Usher is the deal of the century. I currently own six Usher power amplifiers and the new P-307 pre-amplifier and I may end up buying some of their speakers despite the fact I could just build my own. There is no way I can match the cabinet build quality or the finish of the Usher. Not even close! As my house is already full of speakers I have no particular application for any of the Usher models but I'm really tempted by them just the same. One of my current projects under way utilizes all Usher drivers so I will soon have my own version but the new Compass 6 series really has me tempted to take a set home. I believe these are being marketed in the states so before you spend any money buying speakers this is something you should check into. Yes, the Usher is a conventional box speaker and it uses passive cross-overs, all things I look upon as flaws and yet I can't deny the result. There are advantages to these things like not needing external active cross-over EQ devices and multiple amplifiers. It's definitely an easier simpler approach and while I still believe the very best sound comes from active open baffle systems, Usher has convinced me that conventional designs still work.
I've gotten rid of my ATI amplifiers in favor of Usher. I still have my Proceed AVP processor for Home Theater which is now sitting in a rack with two Usher R-6.0 6-ch amplifiers. Eight of the 12 channels drive the Beethoven's, two drive the rear surround and the remaining two will some day drive side surrounds. I see no need for a center channel using the Beethoven mains. If I ever did install a center channel I would probably opt for a bi-amplified design and use the Usher R-0.8 to drive it.
I just can't say enough good things about Usher's products. I can only tell you audiophiles to put your imaginations aside and listen to your ears and believe your eyes and realize you can get better for less from this company right here in Taiwan. It's not that this is, "great sound for the money", this would be great sound at any price! Yes you can spend more, you can spend a lot more but you will be very hard pressed to find something else better no matter how much more you spend.
