Round 4: Usher Audio S-520 vs. RBH Sound TK-5C
Round 4 Price Category: $400
Clint DeBoer: We began this listening session by handily bottoming out the Usher speakers on the first track ("Chant"). We dropped the volume and it still bottomed out. We dropped it again… and again. Due to the size of the room and lack of crossovers or subwoofer (these bookshelves were all configured as "Large" speakers) we were asking a lot - but the Ushers did indeed bottom out the easiest among all tested models (and on both tracks). Unless you plan on using them full-range this will likely not be a real issue for anyone using them in a complete system. Once we restarted at the proper threshold, the Ushers exhibited a nice wide soundstage with very natural-sounding vocals. "Cousin Dupree" was particularly "locked on target" with well-placed instrumentation and a lead vocal that was perfectly centered. They were quite pleasing to listen to. The RBH Sound TK-5C speakers had a very smooth top end with an abundance of detail. The vocals and reverb present in the "Chant" track came through in a way that they hadn't in any of the other speakers so far. Piano was particularly well-detailed as was the underlying percussion that laced its way through the track. If I thought the Usher speakers had a wide soundstage, the RBH's redefined the term. Instruments spread out further and the top end blossomed upwards and out to reveal a lot more of what was contained within the music. Even though the Ushers were very pleasing to listen to, the TK-5C speakers took this round in my opinion.
Gene DellaSala: The Usher S-520’s were a prime example of a small bookshelf speaker vented too low for its own good. Like the AV123 x-ls’, they simply couldn’t handle the bass. In comparison, the RBH TK-5CT has a similar sized woofer and vented enclosure, but the woofer had much better excursion ability. Not once did we hear the RBH woofers bottom in our tests. That being said, I think both of these speakers were quite good. The Usher’s sounded a tad more natural and detailed in the top end, while the RBH’s had a bigger soundstage, and more anchored vocals. I could hear a hint of coloration in the RBH’s due to cabinet resonance, but it didn’t take away from the experience that these were a lot of speaker for the money. I’d have to pick the RBH’s over the Ushers because of their ability to play louder stress free. Properly bass managed, the Usher’s would certainly serve music duties just as well and perhaps a tad better for instrumental music. It was clear in my mind that moving up to the $400 price point got us into a different realm of fidelity from what we were listening to before.
Tom Andry: Those poor little Usher's took a beating in this comparison. A speaker so small shouldn't be asked to play full range in a room that size. The upside? Anyone in the room that didn't know what a woofer bottoming out sounded like, surely did by the end of the test. Once we lowered the volume enough that the Usher's weren't trying to explode, we could get on with the test. Once again, I found the Usher's to have a phenomenal top end with a ton of extension for the price. The bass was weak (or sounded like *clack*) but detailed. The separation of the speakers was great and the imaging was way above par. The midrange of the TK's was much more pronounced and the sound was fuller overall. The soundstage was extremely large and there was considerably more bass. Both presented fairly lifelike vocals though I thought the Usher's were a bit better. Picking a winner in this one would be a tough one. In a small room with a sub, the Usher's are great choice though the extended soundstage and fuller sound of the TK's may be more to your liking. If you're interested in big accurate sound, go with the TK's. If you want pinpoint imaging and accuracy (see, you're getting accuracy with both), then go with the Ushers. Regardless, the step up in quality from the $200 speakers was like night and day. HUGE.
J. Walker Clarke: The Usher's, while looking really sharp, had trouble in this test with the woofer bottoming out. We were in a large room and we hit them hard, but out of all of the speakers tested, they ended up being the most susceptible. As far as their overall performance, they delivered nice, airy highs full of detail. The RBH's produced a very well balanced sound that delivered excellent imaging and very clear midrange. They displayed a wider soundstage than the Ushers, and had better mids and lows. The Usher produced a more natural vocal to my ears, as well as better highs. For critical listening at reasonable levels in a small room, I liked the Ushers. For the overall experience, the RBH's won my vote.
