"What have I done?"
That was my first thought after realizing I'd actually need two pickup trucks to retrieve the new-to-me Usher CP-8872 speakers
Why? At nearly 5 feet tall, 3 feet deep and 200 pounds each, their tapered, sculpted design meant they needed to be transported on their sides, not their backs, thus the need for two trucks.
The previous owner enjoyed these for 12 years and it turned out he bought them directly from the designer, Joe D'Appolito (of MTM topology notoriety). To say that intrigues me is an understatement and I will definitely be digging deeper into their history.
So based on their pedigree, provenance, positive (but limited) reviews and visual aesthetic, I knew right away that I needed to give these rare beasts a shot in my system.
I'm glad I did.
While moving them was a pain, setting them up, refining placement and dialing them in has been a pure joy. I still need to attach the substantial bases and want to continue to tinker with sources and interconnects, but early listening sessions with Qobuz through my Node 2, Musical Fidelity pre and Denon POA-S10 monos have left me grinning, nodding and thinking "I'm GLAD I did this."
They're highly musical and very coherent with great resolution. @jblnut lent his ears to help with positioning and the shakedown listening sessions where we threw everything under the sun at the them and they performed exceedingly well. I'm sure Craig will be along shortly to share his observations (and perhaps recount the job-dropping experience of listening to Alice in Chains' "Rooster" from their Unplugged session on these things.)
As to not sound like a total fan-boy, if I had to find any fault with them in their current configuration, it feels like there may be the slightest over-emphasis on the upper-mids, but that is REALLY nitpicking.
Lastly, because part of this hobby also revolves around the visual aspect, it doesn't hurt that these are visually stunning. The furniture grade cabinet work is top notch and certainly easy on the eyes.
There is precious little info on these speakers available. This line is the precursor to the current Usher Dancers. My understanding is that they were a special order, with their close relative, the Usher CP-8871 being the more readily available model. With that being the case, I'll post the partial specs I could find here for those that are curious and any potential future owners who may be researching this speaker.
CP-8872
4-way floor standing speaker
Tweeter: 1 inch
Midrange: 2 inch
Mid woofer: 7 inch
Woofers: 8 inches
Crossover Frequencies: 150, 1300, 3500 Hz
Sensitivity: 88 dB/W/m
Impedance: 4 Ohm
Freq. range: 25Hz - 28kHz (-3dB)
Maximum power: 200 Watt
Weight: 93 kg
Dimensions (h*w*d): 152*32*96 cm
Finishes: beech, walnut (photo)
MSRP: €10,998 (pair
Cheers,
Daren
That was my first thought after realizing I'd actually need two pickup trucks to retrieve the new-to-me Usher CP-8872 speakers
Why? At nearly 5 feet tall, 3 feet deep and 200 pounds each, their tapered, sculpted design meant they needed to be transported on their sides, not their backs, thus the need for two trucks.
The previous owner enjoyed these for 12 years and it turned out he bought them directly from the designer, Joe D'Appolito (of MTM topology notoriety). To say that intrigues me is an understatement and I will definitely be digging deeper into their history.
So based on their pedigree, provenance, positive (but limited) reviews and visual aesthetic, I knew right away that I needed to give these rare beasts a shot in my system.
I'm glad I did.
While moving them was a pain, setting them up, refining placement and dialing them in has been a pure joy. I still need to attach the substantial bases and want to continue to tinker with sources and interconnects, but early listening sessions with Qobuz through my Node 2, Musical Fidelity pre and Denon POA-S10 monos have left me grinning, nodding and thinking "I'm GLAD I did this."
They're highly musical and very coherent with great resolution. @jblnut lent his ears to help with positioning and the shakedown listening sessions where we threw everything under the sun at the them and they performed exceedingly well. I'm sure Craig will be along shortly to share his observations (and perhaps recount the job-dropping experience of listening to Alice in Chains' "Rooster" from their Unplugged session on these things.)
As to not sound like a total fan-boy, if I had to find any fault with them in their current configuration, it feels like there may be the slightest over-emphasis on the upper-mids, but that is REALLY nitpicking.
Lastly, because part of this hobby also revolves around the visual aspect, it doesn't hurt that these are visually stunning. The furniture grade cabinet work is top notch and certainly easy on the eyes.
There is precious little info on these speakers available. This line is the precursor to the current Usher Dancers. My understanding is that they were a special order, with their close relative, the Usher CP-8871 being the more readily available model. With that being the case, I'll post the partial specs I could find here for those that are curious and any potential future owners who may be researching this speaker.
CP-8872
4-way floor standing speaker
Tweeter: 1 inch
Midrange: 2 inch
Mid woofer: 7 inch
Woofers: 8 inches
Crossover Frequencies: 150, 1300, 3500 Hz
Sensitivity: 88 dB/W/m
Impedance: 4 Ohm
Freq. range: 25Hz - 28kHz (-3dB)
Maximum power: 200 Watt
Weight: 93 kg
Dimensions (h*w*d): 152*32*96 cm
Finishes: beech, walnut (photo)
MSRP: €10,998 (pair
Cheers,
Daren
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