Are Usher BE-718s "dark"?
brion -- Thu, 07/24/2008 - 22:31
I would certainly say that the non BE 718s are a bit. I rarely see anyone except Neil Gader even bother to point out that a component is a bit "darkish sounding." excluding His H(i)Pness, who routinely still does. It can be a bit frustrating to try to determine if something one might want to buy, but may not be able to audition is worth auditioning.
For my money, I want to know if a component hues strongly towards yin or yang, or slightly enough that the back wall does not disappear into the dark.
The older Usher 718s do seem to slightly disappear into the dark, but I don't know about the new ones. Too Bad they never released that kit they said they might for loyal owners of the original Ushers to upgrade their speakers to the newer level, like Dave Wilson does.
I heard the non-Be version of the 718 (in a manufacturer's listening room used to evaluate new designs) and didn't think they sounded "dark."
The Be-718 is very smooth, and lacking edge and hardness. This quality is sometimes perceived as a lack of treble energy.
I appeciate your taking the time to clear up something I had wondered about. That was very nice of you.
Brion,
You pose an interesting question. I've heard the Usher beryllium oxide tweeter in three different Usher speakers: the Be-718, the CP-8571 MkII, and the Be-20. Based on that experience, my conclusion is that Usher's BeO tweeter is quite neutral, and is largely free from edge, glare, or the tendency to overshoot on fast-rising transients.
That said, however, I would agree that the Ushers (Be-718 included) tend to sound less bright than some other top-tier speakers. But I regard that as a plus--a quality that faithfully reproduces the natural high frequency sweetness one typically hears from real instruments.
My suspicion, however, is that high-enders have--in the quest for higher and higher levels of detail and definition--been conditioned to accept a "bright is right" mentality, even though my ears tell me excess brightness really isn't right (at least not relative to the sound of live instruments).
An interest experiment to try: If you've already heard Usher's speakers that combine the BeO tweeter with pulp/composite mid-bass drivers (e.g., the Be-718 or CP-8571 MkII), then try listening to one of the models that incorporates the matching BeO midrange driver (e.g., the Be-10 or Be-10). In my experience, the models that feature the BeO tweeter/midrange combo seem "faster" and capable of resolving even finer details, yet without any increase in excess brightness. Try it and see what you think.
Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision
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