Usher Dancer Compass CP-8872, Unbelievable 1-of-a-Kind Loudspeakers

Founded in 1972 in Taiwan, Usher Audio has evolved from a small enthusiast shop into a globally respected high-end manufacturer known for its meticulous in-house driver production. The company is celebrated for its technological innovation, such as its proprietary Diamond DMD tweeters, and its long-standing collaboration with renowned American engineer Dr. Joseph D'Appolito for speaker voicing and crossover design.

The Usher Dancer Compass CP-8872 is a massive four-way floor-standing loudspeaker designed to deliver a high-performance, full-range acoustic experience through a complex five-driver array. Standing over five feet tall and weighing about 205 pounds per cabinet, the CP-8872 utilizes a vertical driver alignment designed by renown expert Joseph D’Appolito for optimized phase coherence.

This speaker’s low-frequency foundation is built upon dual 8-inch woofers, which are supported by a 7-inch mid-woofer to bridge the transition into the critical midrange. This configuration allows the system to achieve a significant frequency response of 25 Hz to 28 kHz (-3dB), providing the "heavy deep bass" and "gravitas" characteristic of the larger Dancer series.

The speaker's mid-to-high frequency performance is defined by a 2-inch midrange driver and a 1-inch tweeter, with crossover points strategically placed at 150 Hz, 1,300 Hz, and 3,500 Hz. There were, at the time of their manufacture, a few iterations of the Dancer series where the high-end section differed in driver choice and material selection. This example utilize a coated 1-inch soft dome tweeter and Usher’s proprietary Diamond DMD (Dancer Magnesium Diamond) 2-inch dome midrange.  These drivers combine seamlessly to provide exceptional detail without harshness.

This arrangement results in a sensitivity of 88 dB and a nominal impedance of 4 Ohms, meaning that the CP-8872 is ideally suited for high-quality, high-current solid state amplification—often up to 200 Watts or more.  Our Plinius Hiato amplifier at 300 watts per channel, or our newest addition, the SPL S900 at 370 watts per channel, would be more than suitable to handle all of the nuance and control these speakers are poised to deliver.

All of this tech speak, and we haven’t even discussed the absolutely stunning cabinet design.  The CP-8872 features the signature sculpted, non-parallel cabinet design seen across the Usher Dancer line, which serves to minimize internal standing waves and cabinet diffraction. These enclosures are constructed from high-density HDF, exceeding 2.5 inches in thickness at the front baffle to provide a rigid, resonance-free mounting surface for the drivers. The deep, backwards-tilted baffle further assists in time alignment, ensuring that the wavefronts from the various drivers reach the listener simultaneously.

This combination of heavy-duty construction and precise driver integration allows the CP-8872 to project a "see-through" transparency and focused imaging that competes with significantly more expensive European and American high-end models.

We have already written a novel about these speakers.  We could write more.  They are, arguably, one of the best speakers we have ever collectively heard…Whether in our showroom, or elsewhere.  Music is lively, smooth, tangible.  We could unleash an alphabet soup of adjectives to describe just how wonderful these Ushers are, but the proof is in the listening.  We strongly encourage anyone out there considering new high-end brands like Stenheim, Magico, Sonus Faber, etc. to give these speakers some serious consideration.  If you can handle their sheer physical size, the rest is easy.

Available in Andover, MA.

$8,999/pair (plus applicable sales tax)

* Delivery options are available. Please inquire.