The BE-10's ability to illuminate the deepest recesses of a recording's soundstage with a nearly holographic presence is evident on Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys live CD. I know this music well, but the BE-10 somehow brings out new subtleties. I can now hear the band's sound filling and reverberating around the old Fillmore East theater, and though I have played this music countless times over the years, the speakers are giving me goose bumps. The BE-10's character—and yes, every speaker has one—is of extraordinary resolution of detail, but at the same time, the sound is very relaxed and gentle. Nothing is forced, but somehow the BE-10 reveals secrets. The sound from deep bass to upper treble has a consistency of tone and character that is rare, even in high-end speakers. Big as it is, the BE-10 wasn't born to boogie; it feels a little uptight on dance music, and it wouldn't be my first choice for rock'n'roll.

The back panel of the BE-10 boasts fantastically sturdy and elaborate speaker-cable binding posts. (Click image to enlarge)

The BE-10's talents really come to the fore with classical music. Its sense of immense scale, swooning strings, and airy percussion will delight audiophiles, but it's my guess the sound is so compelling that even non-audiophiles will be seduced. As I said, it's simply too good to be ignored. The Usher BE-10 represents a rare convergence of sensuous form, no-compromise engineering, and transcendent sound quality. Bravo!

PRICE: BE-10, $14,400/pair

CONTACT: 214.638.3500, www.usheraudiousa.com

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