Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › I've given in to the dark side- Hello Zu!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

I've given in to the dark side- Hello Zu!

post #1 of 16
4/14/10 at 11:55pm
Thread Starter 
After 4 years of drooling, I finally pulled the trigger:

Sorry head-fi! I promise I'll keep listening to my headphones!
Reply

Head-Fi's Best Sellers

post #2 of 16
4/15/10 at 1:21am
I'd love to hear what you think of them. What are you using to drive them?
Reply
post #3 of 16
4/16/10 at 1:33am
Thread Starter 
Marantz SR8002 at first, but I really want a tube amp for these. I will be ordering a MiniWatt N3 to pair up with my Opus DAC- I think that should be a solid source for not much $$$.
Reply
post #4 of 16
4/16/10 at 1:59pm
Maybe Prima Luna tube amps from Upscale Audio - Rare Tubes, Highest Fidelity
Reply
post #5 of 16
4/16/10 at 4:46pm
Traitor!

No, those sure looks like nice speakers. To each their own - so enjoy!
Reply
post #6 of 16
4/18/10 at 3:19pm
I got a pair of the Zu Essence for Christmas. Driving them with a pair of Quicksilver Mini Mono amps. Still using my integrated amp for pre.

Vinyl - tube amp - speakers - pretty dang good.

Grats on your Druids.
Reply
post #7 of 16
4/18/10 at 6:03pm
These look great, I googled some reviews and they seem to be fantastic speakers congratulations!
Reply
post #8 of 16
4/18/10 at 6:57pm
Nice purchase, Zu speakers are great, my buddy has the Essence and is powering them with a Peachtree Nova, sounds amazing!
Reply
post #9 of 16
4/18/10 at 9:40pm
dgbiker1 when I read you had gone to the dark side I was expecting ...
LL
Reply
post #10 of 16
4/19/10 at 3:12am
You know after four years, I think you've earned the right to do whatever the fudge you want.
Reply
post #11 of 16
4/24/10 at 10:39pm
Thread Starter 

I'll start off with the two downsides I've experienced, just to get them out of the way. First- kick drums don't have much impact, which I was kind of hoping for in the move to speakers w/ 10.5" drivers. The speakers don't lack bass, they just don't hit very hard. It should be an easy fix with a subwoofer set to x-over at 40Hz to add a little punch without coloring the sound. Second- they are very detailed speakers, but they don't pick up every last detail like my K701s do. In some ways, this is a good thing as I can finally listen to the White Stripes without cringing!

Then I realized that focusing on those characteristics is to miss the point of these speakers. After a critical listening session, I had Slackstring's "She's On A Mission" in the background- that's when it clicked. The Zu's are more musical than anything else I've heard. Quick, dynamic, amazing soundstage and instrument separation, and a very solid sound.

Overall, I absolutely love these things. Like a kid on the day after his birthday, I've been waking up early to "play", listening before work and rushing home to get back to the tunes. I know the critics are quick to point to the "poor" frequency response of these speakers- quite frankly, I don't care. These things put a smile on my face like nothing else I've heard
Reply
post #12 of 16
4/25/10 at 1:12am
Woah - the speakers and the carpet match amazingly! A very refreshing shade of green.
Reply
post #13 of 16
4/25/10 at 11:03pm
Those pics are beautiful, I envy you.

I like the subdued green; desaturated enough to blend into the background so as not to be distracting visually and yet they add a lot to the room. Enjoy them in good health!
Reply
post #14 of 16
4/27/10 at 11:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dgbiker1 View Post

I'll start off with the two downsides I've experienced, just to get them out of the way. First- kick drums don't have much impact, which I was kind of hoping for in the move to speakers w/ 10.5" drivers. The speakers don't lack bass, they just don't hit very hard. It should be an easy fix with a subwoofer set to x-over at 40Hz to add a little punch without coloring the sound. Second- they are very detailed speakers, but they don't pick up every last detail like my K701s do. In some ways, this is a good thing as I can finally listen to the White Stripes without cringing!
...
Then I realized that focusing on those characteristics is to miss the point of these speakers. After a critical listening session, I had Slackstring's "She's On A Mission" in the background- that's when it clicked. The Zu's are more musical than anything else I've heard. Quick, dynamic, amazing soundstage and instrument separation, and a very solid sound.
...
Overall, I absolutely love these things. Like a kid on the day after his birthday, I've been waking up early to "play", listening before work and rushing home to get back to the tunes. I know the critics are quick to point to the "poor" frequency response of these speakers- quite frankly, I don't care. These things put a smile on my face like nothing else I've heard
...
Hi dgbiker1,
Those are some beautiful speakers and quite a unique design. I agree that's it unusual to match speaker color to carpet, but the match is great.
I am wondering if your perceived lack of bass impact has to do with the downward firing port and being on carpet.

Have you tried placing the speakers on a solid floor or maybe a piece of MDF or other similar solid surface to see if the bass impact/response is improved?

Not sure how sensitive those speakers are to room placement/corner/wall distance but you may want to play with that a bit as well. As much as your room will allow. Just my 2 cents, hope it helps some.

Looking forward to hearing more about these speakers.

Steve
Reply
post #15 of 16
4/27/10 at 11:43am
Speakers? I'm envious of that huge patio/balcony!
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Head-Fi's Best Sellers

Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › I've given in to the dark side- Hello Zu!