8/10/2023 0 Comments Usher std![]() ![]() Sources were my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable, Schiit Modi DAC and Yamaha DVD-S1700 universal player. I drove the Ushers with my familiar Parasound HCA-750 Power Amplifier which delivers an ample 75 watts per channel. This unpretentious effect is a nice foil to the otherwise luxurious appearance. The sloped front baffle is a great feature that in addition to optimizing the time alignment of the drivers helps the speakers seem less conspicuous and ‘in your face’ regardless of how far into the room they are positioned. The ebony veneer on my review pair was a deep brown with bold grain contrast and a downright opulent gloss coat. The design is fundamentally classic with premium touches throughout, such as elegantly chamfered edges on the front baffle and magnetic grille, embossed metal nameplates and extra stout binding posts. This is one speaker which begs to be prominently displayed. The industrial design of the SD-500 makes just as strong a first impression as the tweeter. I expect speakers in this segment to stand out, not just to be polite. A lot of performance and (for better or worse) personality can be built into a compact speaker for this price. With a retail price of $1950 to $2150 (depending on finish) the SD-500 occupies the premium end of the competitive mid-range standmount market. The ol’ knuckle rap test correctly foretold I would not notice cabinet resonance at any volume. Each speaker weighs a confidence inspiring 19 pounds. The cabinets are ported, with a horizontal slot port elegantly integrated into the bottom of the front baffle. Low frequency extension is claimed to be 45 Hz, which seemed fair after casual testing with a tone generator. Sensitivity is a standard 86 dB with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. The SD-500 is a compact 2-way monitor that pairs the aforementioned Diamond DMD tweeter with a 5-inch paper cone woofer. Katli carries some seriously high end electronics and speakers, yet Kat seemed stoked to talk to me about one of his entry level products. Owner Fred Kat was incredibly helpful in arranging a review. The complete Usher lineup is distributed in the US by Katli Audio of Southern California. The SD-500 is the newest, smallest and most affordable Usher speaker to utilize the flagship tweeter. The model shipped to me was in Makassar Ebony Gloss which adds a $200 premium over the standard finish pair (MSRP in a standard finish is $1950/pair). The premier Dancer series now features the Diamond DMD tweeter, a metal dome with an amorphous diamond coating on both sides. The first Usher speaker I encountered many years ago was the 718-Be “Tiny Dancer” which featured a beryllium tweeter. Usher also seems to specialize in exotic driver materials. ![]() ![]() The company is engineering oriented, manufacturing drivers, speakers and electronics in house. Founded in 1972, Usher has gradually built a substantial footprint in Taiwan, with a recently completed manufacturing facility and multiple retail stores. Taiwan-based Usher Audio has been active in the North American market for some time, although they have been out of the spotlight for a few years. Listening to the sound of an empty stadium, a sign of the times, and a neat first impression, but could the SD-500 impress with music as well? And who is Usher Audio anyway? The feeling of air and space was immediate. Still, accompanying Dungy’s comforting drawl I couldn’t help noticing a realistic ambient din from the sparsely populated stadium. Watching television is a great method of speaker break-in because, for me, it’s the furthest thing from critical listening fare. The first thing I heard through the Usher Audio SD-500 loudspeaker was the sound of Tony Dungy’s voice on Sunday Night Football. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |