ZU Omen DEF Mk1 speakers review/ What is the Zu sound?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ธ.ค. 2019
- #audiophile system #stereo system review #stereo speakers review
I teamed up with Yannick trying to explain what we heard with the Zu Omen speakers. Unconventional speaker design and the Zu speakers have a special sound. If you love the Zu sound, you will love these speakers. Now keep in mind, although we emphasize the midrange, it is not the same kind of mid-range focus speakers like Harbeth.
Yannick's reviews are over the top he communicates the sounds into plain English words AMAZINGLY
I've been very curious about these speakers because I like big drivers. Thanks for the review, you guys provided a lot of good insight.
Great video as always. Always learning watching your videos so very thankful.
I found the video helped me understand better why an audio friend loves his Zu speakers and I do not and why he struggles with my speakers whilst most people love them. I always find your videos thoughtful, so keep up the good work.
I've had a pair of omen def for at least 8 years now. There are definitely some obvious character quirks but they are just so intimate and personal in the way that they deliver the music. Speaker placement is essential with the omen def. I've lived in many places and it always takes me longer to get them sounding right than it does for friends of mine with different speakers. Slightly closer to the wall than usual and slightly leaning back helps to flatten that A curve. It's worth the work though. Valve amplification also sweetens up that dryness you were talking about.
I will never never never part with my Zu's and they have travelled with me all across Australia.
Thankyou for the wonderful review guys.
Congrats! You found a speaker you love. I find it sound so much better with tubes.
Subwoofers should no longer be considered the devil of the audiophile world.
This video proves it. And I think that even with very high-end speakers, subwoofers, big ones, will always add a sense of the room where the recording was made.
This is why as you mentioned they are a must for classical music.
Yeah, that is so 80s how people think about subs! Either that most people never get a chance to listen to good subwoofers.
Yeap, contrary to popular belief - subwoofers are important for classical and jazz too!
I agree. I was a hold out for years. I added one to my Floor stand speakers and crossed it at 60hz. Unreal sound. I love it. You just have to find what sub works with your speakers to blend it.
@@bugpack6 Yes it elevates the experience with a good sub.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thomas - did you ever review/test the subs from Dr. Hsu?
I think your English and way of expressing yourself is very good. Don't be concerned about it.
Another great video Thomas, thank you.
Glad to see you guys speak well of the little yamaha. I have the wxc50 and I think it's fantastic, especially when considering the price. Never auditioned the wxa, but I have listened to the Yamaha MCR-N670D with Kef and Scanspeak speakers and blew me away, especially for the price
This is a very good and detailed review of the Zu. I did demo a pair and what is said here is so correct. I found them dry (but nice) and have a very live feel. My only concern was it may get fatiguing. Guess a pair of subs would have helped.
Thomas you are a well respected man
Thank you for your hard work
Great video. Thomas' english is good and easy to understand. I like his Yannick's explanations a lot too.
Thank you Thomas for all of your reviews, excellent work.
I've owned my Zu Omen Def's for 6 months now, they replaced the Vandersteen IIse's I have used for many years. I have a Moon 250i as a pre-amp and an Odyssey Khartago Extreme for power.
I chose the Zu's based solely on research and jumped when I found a used pair locally.
For me, the Def's were/are a revelation, I just love them. I am tempted to add a sub just to see how that is but really it already is very easy to be a bad neighbor without adding more bass to the mix. I mainly listen to rock, metal and blues and these Zu's deliver everything I need.
I have a pb-4000 sub with my zu omens.... Sounds awesome.... I have my internal crossover set at 60hz in my marantz amplifier... I've tried several different settings and this seems to be the best for my room!!
@@tymarq07 pb-4000 geezus, does that shake your room?
@@davidbeiler6364 if the room is built on wood joists not a concrete slab I would bet that it does. I know mine does and I love it.
Yannick did a GREAT job interpreting the Zu’s in audiophile jargon, that actually made “real-world” sense.
Great review guys.
It's good to hear from 2 reviewers for a change. I too am sensitive to high treble.
Do try the denafrips ares II dac. Gd reviews fm what I've read.
Yannick is great... so nice of you to share his views with us...
Thanks, I have to invite him for some future videos. We actually filmed a whole segment where we went into detail on the Musical Paradise but I had to edit it out cause it was like 27 min the original video. It is so easy to keep talking as we had so much to say.
I have the zu omen mark 1, been wanting to try some for a few years now, and wow, im hooked, had alotta nice speakers but these are good looking and sound great also, i will say they were a little too lively in the top end for my room, not quite bright, just due to my room they were a little overwhelming for thay particular room, their very detailed, just needed to be a shade warmer, i replaced the stock ersa caps and used jantzen film caps and smoothed it out perfect for the room, vocals and sax were much smoother after that, their definitely keepers for quite awhile. Im surprised, but i believe i prefer them even over the fortes ive had in the past and many other nice speakers, i cant find anything i dislike about them at all, well done sean casey.
Hmmm, well.....Great job guys! This was an excellent review. I loved the attention to the technical aspects of the frequency curve response and the listening reception. For me, these are definitely speakers that I would enjoy. On my own builds, my design philosophy has been to make the mid-range the prime factor and build the speaker outward from there regarding frequency response. Not to necessarily reduce sparkling highs or deep bass, but to generate significant midbass punch (60hz to 150hz), prominent inflection from 400hz to 1500hz, slightly rolled off from 2Khz to 4Khz, and slightly spiked from 5Khz to 8Khz. If you want to pick up more low end, either external sub like you did with the Zu or incorporate long throw woofer with generous cabinet volume and dynamic porting. What happens when you have seemingly endless midbass through midhigh with a slight presence of low bass and high frequency, (i.e. without distortion), is you just want to keep cranking the volume to live concert levels and feel the punch in your chest with every drum strike and bass guitar pluck. Great for rock, classical and techno. You can always find decent subwoofers to add low end to just about any speaker. That's the easy part. It's rare to find speakers with quality mid-range of exceptional clarity and free of distortion that can belt out huge sound stage without the over focused beaming of horns. When you switch from mid mud to mid clear, as with these Zu, suddenly, you are hearing things on the same old tracks that you never heard before. I use the sound track from Patriot Games to test torture a lot of speakers and in this, you can develop a strong appreciation for the "A" curve. Great work guys!
Taz, this is really well thought out and thanks for sharing your thoughts. I wished you were with us when we made the review so I can emphasize more the strength of these speakers.
@@ThomasAndStereo One day when I get enough time and can work out the logistics, would like very much to hang out and work on some reviews. One of the very enjoyable things about this recent review was the contrast between who likes what type of sound.
Outstanding review!
Really enjoyed your guest's perspective and descriptive style.
Totally agree about the RELs. Without them, Adjusting the volume to get that satisfying weight only gets you a shouty sound.
Just one caveat (sorry):
to really look and sound professional: Get a decent standing microphone ;-)
Thanks Thomas!
Thanks, yeah if I do make more interviews, I will purchase one but for now, these kind of video probably will be rare.
Very informative review! Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
I’ve wanted to try zu speakers for a while, their new stuff seems to have improved even more, would be interesting for you to get some higher end current models in the Thomas and stereo house! 😊
I own the new DW6 Supremes... And the Omen DW's... Yes, they have gotten much better. The DW6 Supremes will not go anywhere, and will be handed down. I already have a waiting list of folks waiting for me to kick the bucket. ;-)
Wow, very interesting speakers. Thanks for bringing them out for a review. It will be really interesting to follow the comments to see how everyone reacts. Personally, it's just how things are in small apartments because most Zu speakers are too big for my place (especially after marriage) but, they are certainly worth the effort to understand for yourself.
Yup. they are definitely special and I highly encourage everyone to try it. some will love it while others will...
I will pair my Zu with Schitt......as I've always wanted a ShiTzu
Great review. Your mate was great too!
Great review. I have the Omen Def MKII with the Radian tweeter and they can be magic with the right amp and placement. I did noticed they took a long time to get them right. Tiny changes in placement changed the sound. I am running them with Primaluna separates with Mullard NOS /KT 150’s and it meshes very well. Still considering a Rel sub, but I am nervous I will lose some of that beautiful midrange. Thanks again for the review.
Nah you will not lose the midrange, wait for my REL sub review!
Looking forward to it.
Thomas your command of English is excellent! You speak better than most of my co-workers lol.
Ok I'm getting old.
"None of those speakers did as well when it came to "The Immigrant Song from Thor Ragnarok..."
Never imagined it being associated first as a part of a movie soundtrack rather than "The Immigrant Song" from LED ZEPPLIN !
Thomas Marx haha! Yet you are not in the wrong you state an older reference and the author!
Thank you Thomas. I agree that Zu speakers are absolutely Rock n' roll speakers and that is where they really shine. I find myself switching to my Zu DW2s when the music is rocking (specially the old time Rock n' Roll). I have thought of adding a REL to my system but for now I get a bit more bass with tone control (Hope the audio gods won't strike me down). I've seen those blue Zu DW speakers in your other videos and been wondering if the owner before you added Clarity Capacitor upgrade from Zu. Looks like there's a cut out in each cabinet right below the tweeters that have been re-glued back on.
Thanks for the tip on Musical Paradise DAC. It'll probably be my next purchase.
Looking forward to your next stellar video. Regards.
Thanks. The blue Zu, the previous owner cut out the tweeter to change it to a ribbon tweeter. Because it did not fit, he had to cut the front wider. When I got it, I changed it back to the original tweeter as I wanted to hear how the real Zu sounds
🤗👍 I ENJOYED THIS REVIEW WITH YANNIK AGAIN AND HOW MUCH MORE YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THE PAST 2 years ?🤔😁😍😍😍
That digital glare seems to come from every inexpensive sigma-delta DAC. I bought a Schiit Modi Multibit and could finally relax while listening to digital since the glare is gone. It sacrifices resolution for coherence and precise yet relaxed rhythm. I'm saving up for their new Bifrost 2 which is now multibit and has a DAC input receiver equal to the Yggdrasil. It also measures much better than the Modi Multibit, almost on a par with top-flight sigma-delta DAC's.
Thomas, hopefully you can get your hands and ears...on Q acoustics Concept 500. very curious about those speakers! keep up your great reviews! thanks!
great review. thks
I use schitt loki and a tube amp with my Zu speakers and they sound sensational
I have the Zu Audio Dirty Weekend MkII with the ClarityCap capacitor for smoother highs, driven by a Cambridge Audio CXA60 integrated amp and I love the sound. It makes the music come alive. The speakers are very efficient. They are 12 Ohms, so some will say it might cause issues with amps only rated to 8 Ohm and below. Mine works without issues. Zu also sells resistors which bring it down to around 9 Ohms. I bought them but I have not tried them. I have read that they can mess up the sound and can make the amp to work harder for no good reason. I believe they have enough bass, based on the room, placement and taste. I run them with a SVS SB1000 to fill in some low end gaps. Keep in mind that they need to have room to breath as there are vent holes on the bottom, so raise them off the floor and tilt up slightly the front side to point to you. They could have improved the cabinet a bit more, as there is some resonance but not bad. One point to mention is that the Zu DW MkII scale amazingly well if you use good amplification. They like tube amps, even at 20W per channel should be loud enough. Some people will argue on the lack of a crossover, but you know what? If it sounds good, it sounds good!
Yup, thanks for the comment.
I’ve had my Zu DW’s for about six months after owning Paradigm Studio 20 v3’s for several years. The most dramatic characteristic of the Zu’s for me is how much they reveal the quality of the recording. I have some albums that I love that I tend not to listen to anymore because of that which is a bummer. The upside is that great recordings shine. One of the first albums I listened to was Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats. It sounded so different on the Zu’s that I got up multiple times to make sure I hadn’t messed up something when I connected them to my amp!
Glad you are enjoying so others can see Zu speakers are different but in a good way.
Bought that with my first paycheck. Played through three copies. Only use cd's now
Robert P wow Hot Rats is great intrigued!
Dear Thomas, your awareness about your message is your biggest quality, in my opinion. I think your review is not mean at all. It points at the specialties of Zu‘s sound signature. Now I am interested in this A-shape and I hope I can listen to them soon!
Thanks, I was worried and you are right, many people out there would welcome that.
@Club Soda Yup, that is what is most important and it is your sound. Enjoy it and recommend to others.
Just turn down the bass and treble (tone controls) on your amp and turn up the volume a bit with your existing speakers, if you want to experiment with this. Zu is largely trash like Bose with the marketing hype. Zu has zero engineering aptitude on top of that. I wouldn't pay more than 400 dollars a pair for this trash let alone 4500 a pair.
I love Thomas's logic that there some special people with impared hearing that could like speakers with severly distorted sound signature. Thus such speakers not only have a right to exist but even should be praised and celebrated.
Great review! I’d be really interested in how the ZU bookshelf speakers would sound with the RELs vs the full size speakers.
Yeah, I am curious too.
The person who sold me the Zu loved it and had it for many years. I know in the video I mentioned about the "A" curve and it might not sound appealing to many. However, in real life, "A" curve is fantastic to many people. So I urge those who were originally interested in Zu to check them out. This is a special sounding speaker and this for me is usually what I look for in a speaker. I want to fall in love with a speaker and speakers that 'sound good' is not enough.
In the video, I overemphasize bass cause I am used to high-end systems $30k+ MSRP and all of them are very strong when it comes to bass. So I am used to that but in real life, many might find my taste with bass a bit overwhelming.
This is what the person who sold me the Zu and after watching my video told me "I am not a huge HT guy so deep bass is not all important to me. Tight accurate bass is and I found in my setup they did everything right for me. I had them on bel cantos ,xindak , Bryston, and Cambridge audio flagship series and they always performed well. "
Finally an important part I left out. Sometimes while browsing the net and listening to them for background music, there are times, the presence of the vocal is so 'real' that I have to stop everything because I was surprised. I don't remember other speakers able to do that. Finally, perhaps these speakers are designed to be close to a wall. With wall support, bass might be way stronger and everything we talked about in this video might be off in that case.
From watching your other reviews, I couldn't imagine you liking Zu speakers. Really, high efficiency small speakers (even their largest in the range is smallish in the world of high efficiency) have a particular sound thats not for everyone. Even Heresy have a split crowd. Its not the type of speakers where switching to different high watt amps would yield a meatier result. The thinness is always there but trying it with low power SS like FirstWatt to flea watt SETs squeezes a more agreeable 'fatter' tone. IMO.
There are 2 reasons. One is that I have listened to so many speakers now that I have developped a broad range of taste. I can appreciate a lot more speakers but it does not mean I will choose it as my end game speaker. Next, having a lot of experience now with setup and also having a lot of gear at my disposal, it is always fun to tune the system to sound 'good'. For these Zu, I called up my friend to bring over his $11k USD integrated amp so I can test it. Although what I had at my place, I was able to make the Zu sound good already, I always strive to push it to the limit.
Another great review. For basis of comparison how do these compare with the tekton double impacts ?
@@ThomasAndStereo No hurry to find "end-game" speakers, and although the love-hate relationships are similar we can actually have more than one pair of wives ..... I mean speakers. a little variety in speakers is not a sin, right?
Completely different sound. Tekton sounds more like the traditional flat or slight v curve.
Hi Thomas. I have Zu Audio Union with Claritycap upgrade and HSU Research sub. I have used the Zu with Peachtree Audio Idecco, Almarro A205A Mk2, Yamaha CA-2000 ( 30 watt class A), Naim Nait 2 Olive, NVA AP70 (60 watt dual mono integrated) and finally Rogue Audio Sphinx V1 (100w Class D hybrid amp).
Zu is such a good speakers where I tend to agree with most of your points. Zu & Rogue audio amp is such a wonderful combination. Zu will give you good imaging & coherent sounding. It is fast , dynamic with a good bass. But for me sub will bring it to a different level. I do agree with you people will either love or hate Zu . Zu definitely not for everyone.
Thanks, one thing I never tried is a class A amp with it. I wonder how different will it perform compare to my tube amps. They are lovely speakers and yeah, I need my subs with it.
Great video, really informative and mind expanding. These cool looking speakers have a sound that flies in the face of other manufacturers. Think of how the Kinks got the sound for “You Really Got Me”. They took a razor blade to the speaker cone. Overloaded tube amps also. That’s the essence of R&R. Imagine a processor where you could dial in the amount of that sound you liked for a given album. Is that something that would give a similar result?Definitely not a single wire with gain which I always thought was the goal.
Damian Zaninovich They use off the shelf components, how is this different from the other manufacturers? Haven't heard them yet but they don't look radical in any way and no new technology seems apparent. Thanks to Thomas for the review we have some insight as to the sound. The star of the review may be the MP dac that is very affordable.
I have the Zu Omen Def MKII with Clarity caps and the Radian tweeters. I don’t hear the bass rolled off, actually it is very powerful matched to a Modwright KWA100 SE. The highs are slightly rolled off, but I like that. Any more and it would be on the bright side. They are a bit shouty when new. It takes a loooong break-in for them to stabilize. I love them.
From your review, I experimented with no toe in and it was amazing. The sound stage did widen without losing center focus. Thanks!
Nice, talking about that, I have to try it with the Willsenton R8 integrated amp and see how is the matching.
Thomas & Stereo - I also listen to the Omen Defs with a vintage Audio Research VT100. It has eight 6550 power tubes compared to the Willsentons four. It’s an excellent match. The AR amp produces a deeper bass tone. The Modwright does exhibit more refinement and bass control. The OD Mk II and KWA100 SE match will take control of the room, and lift it. It is an amazing exhibition of energy. I like them both.
Hey Thomas I really enjoyed this video! I found it very informative, and honest. I really like the "buddy style " video format that you used for this review. I really enjoyed listening to Yannick's insight on these speakers. Please thank him for his valuable input. As always, you did an excellent job reviewing these products. I hope you guys team up again in the future.
Thanks and I am sure we will one day make another video together. Glad you enjoyed it.
Anyway I could con you into doing a review of the Omen DEF’s that have an accompanying pair of Kef Kube 12’s. Powered by a Denon PMA A110. Thinking this could be my hifi/party/DJ practice within price reason dream setup. The Denon should give enough output with the speakers high sensitivity. Not looking for insane bass output below 35hz, or insane bass for that matter, just a well rounded low end(cue inappropriate jokes) that doesn’t leave any musicality holes in the 28hz-50hz range and the Kube price is nice as I’m channeling a majority of the funds to the towers, amp, quality wiring, new dedicated circuitry, and sound deadening/room improvements. Anywho you do great work and keep it up! (:
great video as usual Thomas. however, for some reason there's a high level of sibilance with Yannicks voice.
The overall description sounds exactly like what I heard from the Tekton Enzo XL's.
I have been so curious about Zu speakers, they look bad to the bone ! Thank you both for the talk about 😆
Way no one that review this speakers said nothing about the mid range, its sound like is very problematic speaker to get good sound from,I don't know what is going on with other speaker's reviews, got confused with this review, thank you for that
It is because no other reviewers talk about these speakers like this that I took the time to involve a lot of people to figure it out. None of the reviews I read give me an idea of what the ZU sound is all about. After I did my videos, other Zu owners confirmed what I said reflects their experiences.
@@ThomasAndStereo I appreciate all your dedication, Not many reviewers share the same Passion for Audio HI-FI as we do , But hey we are all different. I may have to break the IOTAVX into 2 Videos A how 2 video and an actual Video review , I will say the SA3 makes for an Awesome BUDGET-FI-BANDIT PRE-AMP 😆 Espically on monster Vintage amps that have a warmness to them the SA3 calms down the warmness and adds a bit of mid and top end clarity on a budget !
Thanks for a very detailed review of this speaker. You leave us with good expectations of what it would sound like.
I know "equalizer" is usually a bad word for audiophiles, but I wonder if this speaker would benefit from a good equalizer in the system?
Thanks Dennis. Well you don't want to use an equalizer because if you bought the Zu speakers, it means the sound curve is exactly what you are looking for. My suggestion at the end is just for those who bought it and don't like it.
@@ThomasAndStereo Yeah, I get your point. A person should always know the sound that they are looking for and choose gear from that point if they can.
Great review, Thomas. My first contact with the brand was listenning to the Omen MKII with diferent music genre and i wasn't impress. Ok, they're not top of the line but i was expecting much more from a 3000$ speakers. They sounded harsh and with that A curve that you talk about, "extreme" mids and the rest is there but hidden or not present at all. Even though i'm curious to listen to the higher models. By the way, do you know this new brand from ex-workers of Tannoy: Fyne Audio? Heard great things about the 500 series.
This is spot on. I have the Omen MkII speakers and I don't like them. They are not present at all. They are not as efficient as they say they are. They just plain sound...meh. So disappointing. Thomas is really stretching to say something nice about them. He went to extremes to try everything and get a decent sound from them. It's just silly that a $2500+ speaker should need that.
I never heard Fyne Audio but will keep on my radar. Thanks! I do have to say, Zu sounds good with tubes but I understand it is not for everyone.
Yes it's a hyper-niche speaker that deliberately removes information while focussing on other information for the different people who prefer this. It doesn't apply for most people looking for full range sound therefore, we mentionned it.
Nice review. I picked up a pair of Omen DW in the last sale and I'm enjoying them. Thomas, where did you crossover the RELs with the DW? Just curious.
I don't remember as we keep dialing it up slowly. Probably around 60 hz even.
@@ThomasAndStereo we raised it to 70-80 area.
Im curius of what REL you have in your setup :)? Love and respekt your work , cant wait for your next upload :)
Those are T7i and will be reviewing it soon.
@@ThomasAndStereo Super . Tanks :)
It's a shame Canada does not have a Boenicke distributor. I would love to know what you thought of the range.
I wonder if anyone in Canada has a pair of Boenicke and would let you have a listen?
Great review thomas! I currently have the zu dw’s powered by an onkyo a9070 int amp but i think im not getting good sound. What tube amp do you recommend? Was thinking of the freya+ paired with the rag for dac and phono stage too. What do you think? Thanks!
What will you use for poweramp? I think with Zu, the poweramp is super important. I am not a big fan of using tubes for poweramps but strangely Zu works well with tubes as poweramp.
Thomas & Stereo hey thomas! I dont have a power amp. What do you recommend? Should i get the freya+ paired with the ragnaroc or get a tube amp for the zu’s?
Hey Thomas thank you for the excellent review. Do you think that the zu is imaging better than klipsch rp 8000? And is the zu faster than klipsch rp8000?
I can't wait for the rp 8000 review :))
Yes, the Zu images better and is faster. However, the Klipsch excel in other things such as it can dig deeper with bass.
Did you try then with the tube integrated? The warmth of tubes may help the A curve too. Also the high sensitivity would suit lower wattage. Very interesting content Thomas.
Yup, we spent 90% of the time driving it with a $11k integrated amp as I wanted to make sure I am giving it the best sound possible. Thanks.
Great video! I noticed you have a Modwright LS100. I have the Modwright SWL 9.0 SE with a Bel Canto 500S amp. I'm considering the Zu Dirty Weekends and from what I've read online, this should be a good marriage (?). Any thoughts would be welcome. Thanks again!
It worked ok but I prefer using full tubes with the Zu. Although I have the Bel Canto 1000s, I prefered using the Moon w5.3 with the Zu. It will still work ok with the Bel.
Thomas what the integrated behind on the bench?Hey forgot to wish you a happy Canada Thanksgiving last month!!!
That is an Allnic integrated amp.
Thomas I’ve come to admire you and appreciate your reviews and knowledge of tubes. Thomas I own a BOYUURANGE A50 MKIII 300B Hi-Fi amp. I was thinking above upgrading the 300b to the Royal Princess is this a good idea or could I damage my amp by upgrading to this tube and if so what tube would you recommend to improve the bass and richness of the sound
I would say if you want to improve bass, you will get 1000x more return getting a musical subwoofer than spend money on the 300B royal princess.
Thanks for your guidance I’ll procure a sub soon, thanks
I have the Zu Omen Def MkII powered by a Modwright KWA 100se. I do not want for a subwoofer. The pairing is very powerful and takes full control of my listening room.
Nice, glad you are enjoying it.
I tried 3 pairs of Omens, one with Druid drivers, and I didn't like any. But to be fair, my media room is carpeted, & the bottom ports probably needed a hard surface to reflect out better. I did try placing them on wood plinths on top of the carpet, but they weren't any better. I think if they were 4-6" taller with front or rear ports they would be better. I do like Zu interconnects & speaker cables quite a bit.
Agree with your assessment of the Omens, mine is the same. I went and bought the DW6 Supremes with the new cabinet design, and they are so much better in regards to placement and or having to screw around with adjustments and plinths. I have my Omens pulling bedroom duty, low volume listening with either pair is simply incredible.
Agree with below that a high sensitivity shootout between Tekton,Zu,and Klipsch would be fun at say $4-6.5 level.Zu Soul Supreme ($4500) or Druid V ($6500),Tekton Double Impact SE or Moab (both $4500) and Klipsch Forte ($4K or better Cornwall ($6K).All would be high sens an run nicely off 10-30 tube.As far as subs go even if you have large driver bass adding a REL or SVS in $1K level would add to any of these even if you could run them without a sub.That would be a nice shootout
Would the ZU OMENS sit well with the Willsenton R8 Amp??
I have a pair of the Zu DWs that I've been listening to for about 6 months and I agree with your overall assessment. Once I paired my DWs with a subwoofer, they really "filled out". I am a relative novice and the DWs are the best speakers I've owned, so take my lack of experience into consideration. However, I'm super happy with the sound they deliver, build quality is tremendous, and Zu is a great company. I plan on taking advantage of their trade in policy where I can apply "100%" of my purchase price to another set of Zu speakers; new or "used". That's right, you can trade up to a pair of their "pre-loved" speakers and apply the 100% trade-in value of your speakers. (Providing you make the purchase within 1 year of your original purchase). I think that's pretty amazing and shows the company really stands by their product. I'm just waiting for the right "pre-loved" speakers to show up or I'll end up going the the full version of the Omens or the Soul. Great video Thomas...."as usual".
Quick question Thomas (or any one else); I was thinking about getting the PS Audio Sprout 100 to go along with my Zu speakers, but you've got me thinking about that Yamaha WXA-50. I'd love to know which you would choose. I found a opened box Yamaha WXA-50 for just over $400 and think I'm going to pick it up, but I wanted to see if you thought holding out for the slightly more expensive PS Audio Sprout 100 would be a better purchase.
Cheers! 👽🖖"Na-nu"
Thanks Frank. I did not AB test the sprout 100 against the WXA-50. I would say this, based on what I heard with the WXA-50 (like 30 min) and at $400, just go get the WXA-50. My friend Yannick compared with other integrated amps like NAD and so forth, for him, the difference was so big that it was not even a competition. Having said that, I did not AB test so I can't say in my case but for the short time I heard it, easily no problem, $400 is no brainer as long as you have efficient speakers. Having said that, what do you have now? Maybe it is a lateral move than an upgrade though.
@@ThomasAndStereo Before I read your response I went ahead and "pulled the trigger". I'm currently using the NAD C316BEE, so power-wise this was kind of a lateral move. Fortunately that's about where the comparisons end. I just got it yesterday and am very pleased so far. The only minor issue I'm having is with the streaming. The wifi streaming from Tidal seems to "hiccup" briefly every now and then, plus the Yamaha software doesn't natively support Amazon HD Music (yet). I found a work around by plugging a Chromecast Audio "puck" into the optical input of the MXA-50. Works well and takes advantage of one of the limited inputs on the amp. All that said, the streaming functionality seems pretty good.
You know how you were asking about how vinyl sounds through this amp? 👍👍
Two GIANT thumbs up. I have the Schiit Sol with a Nagoaka MP-200 running into the MXA-50 and I'm really noticing a big difference in overall sound quality. The low-minds are much richer and more lush, and there seems to be more "depth".
When I think of "sound stage" (correctly or incorrectly) I think of separation and width along the X-axis. This amp seems to enhance the sound along the Z-axis as well... "if that makes sense."
Anyway, I have a lot more listening and exploring of its functionality, but first impressions are quite positive. Thank you for helping me deal with the money that was burning a hole in my pocket. 😉
Take care Thomas and thanks again for all of the fantastic contributions you've made to the VC. Cheers!
@@vcp93 Thanks Frank and what you said about soundstage is true. That is why we were baffled by how well this little inexpensive unit can do such an amazing job. Not to try to get you to spend more money, with the tube dac, it will add richness to the sound. I am REALLY happy it is working out for you.
@@ThomasAndStereo I was eyeballing that DAC today. I think there is a new item at position #1 on my "Stuff I Don't Need But Will Probably Buy Anyway" list. 😉👍
FYI: My Sol TT is running into a Mani phono stage (I left that part out of my last comment).
I think Yamaha has put out a really solid product for us budget conscious Audiophile-wannabes. Cheers!
@@vcp93 Yeah, I was thinking to get one for a bit longterm test actually. Congrats again. Don't buy the DAC! You don't need it :)
It's great to find the sound of Zu is well explained by two experts. Save my trip to go to the store for audition. :)
Ah, you should still check them out if you can.
The "A" curve sound is exactly what I am looking for. Thank you for your precise description.
Actually the "A" curve is quite
beneficial to create a 3D sound stage. I look at the "A" from up side down. The tip of the "A" represent the singer staying upfront while both sides represent the width and the depth reaching out the far back wall. Isn't this sounds wonderful?
Audio Drill I am pretty sure the "a" curve is referring to the lack of a flat freq. response. In other words the lows and highs are recessed, or reduced. I suspect this is not to everyone's liking. The "a" curve does not refer to the polar pattern or dispersion of the speaker, so it would not contribute to the sound stage.
@@kirarittberg5088 Thanks for your reminder. You are right, I did use the polar pattern to picture the sound stage of the Zu. Don't you think it is more convincing when the midrange push a little forward? I was particularly disturbing when the instruments are in the way of the singer.
After the Omen Bookshelf, Omen and Soul Superfly I had to give up my quest to really like Zu speakers. I really love the aesthetics though and they did a great job with Bill Evans.
That is because you forgot to get Two REL T7i into your setup! lol. I like the look too, so unique.
@@ThomasAndStereo I've only got a single S/3 SHO at the moment. Can't find a second one in a matching white finish. Have you tried Spatial Audio? They're an interesting take on the eminence driver implementation but not as pretty.
No, I never heard of Spatial. You have a S/3 SHO!...ok, let me go hide in a corner now :)
Imho adding a decent sub or 2 is even better, makes my old and cheap equipment sound almost great.
Hi Thomas. Have you tried any Rogue Audio Sphinx with Zu Speakers?
No i have not.
I have the Zu Soul Supreme which I love. I added there sub about a year ago and now I think you would have to spend a ton of money to get better sound.
Actually you can spend a ton of money and still not get better sound if the Zu sound is your sound. It's special.
Hi Thomas,
I have a question unrelated to Zu speakers: if I understood correctly you've used the Yamaha WXA-50 as one of the amplifiers for this review. Please tell me how did you hook up two Rel subs to one WXA-50? It wasn't really clear if you did it or not, but if you did, I would like to know how, if it's no bother...
Thanks
Vlada
With the WXA, you have AUX out, you can connect to the REL subs that way. The other way is use high level input with the REL.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks Thomas 👌👍👍👍
Hey Thomas, how do the two models compare? Do the DEFs have a lot more punch?
I need to AB test and I did not. If I have to go purely by memory, it is more than just more punch, soundstage feels bigger, more depth and tonal balance is better. However, to really be sure, I need to AB test them.
I forgot to mention my speakers are Zu Dirty Weekend 2019 version
I have the 2017 models, LOVE THEM!
I kind of really want to try the Zu Soul (99db/w damn!) with a Schiit Aegir (20w/ch). :D
Thomas...we invite you to tell us to swap tubes and if something is not your taste too. You did that well with the MP-301. Tell us your unvarnished thoughts. 🤔
Hi Thomas...can you explain why the sub placement made a difference? As I understand it a good subs frequency range is omni directional so I cant work out why placing it inside rather than outside the speakers makes a difference. New to this level of sound reproduction so wondering if I should move my sub. Thanks
I posted on my community page with a short description as to why. Check it out. look for the one on REL.
@@ThomasAndStereo thanks...sorry i hadnt seen that post. Very interesting as thats not my experience but clearly worked with your set up.....great finding free ways to improve your sound.
Ok I’m convinced. Just pulled the trigger and bought a pair of Zu’s. Now I wait for a month or so till they are delivered.
Oh boy! I hope you like the voicing! It does have a unique sound.
Were you also looking at the Tekton Lore? I just found out about the Zu Omen DW.
@@randalllawkin Yep I went back and forth on which to buy. I almost bought the Tekton’s because I didn’t want to wait for the Zu DW (there only sold 2X a year and sold out usually the same day they are available). The Tekton’s are a little cheaper. I ended up going with the Zu DW because the finish seems nicer. I ended up ordering it with the upgraded capacitors.
Thomas what is your favorite 2 channel stereo home theater set up?
None. I need 5.1 at least for HT
I love my Zu Essence with upgraded driver, forget the science, it is just fun to listen to.
100% agree, thanks for sharing and help encourage others to give Zu a try.
Fantastic review, as always. I ordered some Dirty Weekends from Zu, and hearing your listening impressions it does confirm my belief that these Speakers are what I'm looking for. My current setup hinges around a pair of Fostex BK-20's, which means I prefer a bright, forward sound - the Zu should sound similar, but hopefully better.
How did you like them? compared to traditional speakers?
@@Ed-sh8jt I've had them for three days now, and spent a lot of time listening to them. I don't agree with the review on these speakers needing a subwoofer - they don't. Once I built ceramic stands and lifted them about 4 inches of the floor, and made 100% sure that the fingerports on the bottom had exactly a 5mm gap to work with, they've had plenty of tight, accurate bass. Zu Audio needs to include a big, fat flyer with their speakers explaining exactly how the fingerports work, and how to best set them up. When I first set them up I was actually extremely annoyed because I thought that they sounded 'thin', just like Thomas described in this review. Once I set them up properly though, it was a night-and-day difference, the bass 'filled out' the sound, and really made these speakers shine. Comparing these to my KEF Q750's or my Fostex, they are 'different' speakers altogether. They have an 'emphasized' midrange, that somehow manages to sound good without sounding bright or shrill - this is something my Fostex speakers can not do. The Omen don't resolve as much detail as the KEF's, but what is there just sounds better, even if it sounds 'colored'. The sound is lively and engaging, if not 100% accurate in terms of fidelity vs. the actual recording. I've been in HiFi for 35+ years, and as far as I'm concerned these are my 'endgame' speakers, if anything I might upgrade to the Omen Def Mk II, which have two 10" woofers. I did get these with the 'clarity cap' upgrade, and would recommend that for anyone getting these speakers,. All in all, these speakers are a perfect match for my liking, and I can't make a better compliment. I have plenty of speakers that do other things better in terms of resolution and detail, but as an 'all-rounder' I don't think the Omen can be beat in this pricerange - for those of us who prefer a sound that emphasizes the midrange that is.
@@decoryder Thanks for the feedback I had about given up after I read the original review from Thomas. will wait until there next sale in April and decide then. I like the cabinet work and the size is about the point my wife won't t start to freak on.
I don't jam that loud anymore but wanted
good clear sound at moderate levels with good base tones. Again thanks for the you time explanations all definitely upgrade the caps. Ed
@@Ed-sh8jt Also consider the Enzo XL's from Tekton Audio. They have two 10" woofers - also Eminence Woofers, like Zu Audio - and they're about the same dimensions as the Omen. Unlike the Omens though, the Enzo's are supposed to produce plenty of accurate sub 45 HZ bass. They're on sale right now for 1500.00 USD. I haven't heard them, but from all accounts they're extremely good. Myself, I don't like anything but a lean and tight bass, which is why I went for the Omens.
These are so efficient that they would work with a Lepai LP-2020A. Could you do a demo with this setup?
wow 20w class D amp!
I got the Zu speakers. I wonder which subwoofer you guys used? Also, What was the crossover?
I used REL subs at the time.
Would love to hear a review on Impact monitors from Tekton
Yes, exactly what I was thinking too! How would Zu compare with the Tektons?
Apples & oranges guys. Tekton impact & double impact r bass monsters!
They are completely different sound. If you ask me to compared to Omega speakers, now we can talk.
Thomas & Stereo you have heard the Impact Monitors? I’ve read that is the real star out of the floorstander Impact and monitor.
I’m am talking about the Impact monitors guys.
Thomas, I was with you and Yanick until he started the Focal bashing, lol. Just kidding. Nice review. Interested in what size Rel subs you were using. Rels are wireless correct? Looks like an 8" woofer? Curious minds want to know.
Research REL T7 they should be wired in a hi power set up to work best. He did a review on them recently.
@@scottyo64 Thank you for the update...
Rel are wired. It has an 8 inch and 10 inch passive. ah, Yannick was blown away with my Kantas. He heard them after we filmed the video.
@@ThomasAndStereo Hi Thomas, thank you for the reply and Happy Holidays to you and the family. Yes Yannick has redeemed himself with his Kanta reversal, lol. I want to get two subs to use with my Kanta's. I can imagine how the Rels sound probably quite good but I think I will go bigger with two 15" subs.
What do the tweeters roll off at? I'm surprising you say they are quite low roll-off. Have you tried the subwoofers tight against the side walls and behind the speakers
Well, roll off is not really true as those are super tweeters. I would say the mids are so pronounce that everything relatively speaking feels that way.
@@ThomasAndStereo right ok do you know what crossover frequency is for the super tweeter, do they have a crossover for any of the main drivers?
I think a plasma tweet would work well with this speakers can go down to 5 kilohertz up to 50 kilohertz 110 decibels perfectly accurate, you buy them separately in their on box, can stick it on the top but with those speakers stick it on the side be better and disable the tweeter in it. They sound like they're piezo tweeters
What happened with that Polk Twitter what were you doing with it? did you achieve what you wanted.
That clip didn't show any gasket on the tweeter and mid-range unit he said there was a gasket for the woofer but it already taken it out ! but I don't think there was one for the mid-range tweeter combination enclosure, and if there is probably only a thin type foam next to useless. Cut it out of a bitumen floor tile 12 inch floor tile the best thing
From what I read, there is no crossover. On the tweeter binding post, I noticed there is a capacitor on it. Apparently the super tweeter deals with frequency 10khz and up.
Polk? Will be months before I get to it. If you look on polk website, it shows a cross section. Maybe check it there? Thanks.
@@ThomasAndStereo well the capacity would be the crossover.
yeah I might have a look on the website cheers
😍😍😍
I think I recognize this Yannick from Angry Photographer comment sections.
Cheers
What if you place the zu right on top of the Rel like if you had the i5x
Interesting.
Many love the A curve. Isn't that what BOSE is founded on? :) I'm more of a V curve guy or really \ curve guy. This is just the lower or left part of the V :) A bit elevated bass but flat mids and highs.
I think in real life, that is true. It is really a question of taste.
I’m also a v curve guy.
What is the model Yamaha?
@@dougg1075 Yamaha WXA50
A lot of Bose products follow a V curve.
I'm thinking I would probably like the sound from Zu speakers. Hopefully I will come across some and give them an audition. But I don't think I would ever buy them. They are just too ugly. For the love of Buddha, give me the option of a speaker grill for these things. Good review gentlemen. Thanks!
using hd58x/topping dac/jds labs amp on my dell laptop it wasnt horrible dialogue....but can be better :)
hello Thomas when you when you listen to you speakers How far apart they are from each other and from the listening position thank you
about 6 to 7 feet apart and I sit 8 ft away
@@ThomasAndStereo thank you for the replay
Thomas, just got a new Job....he's a ZuKeeper
Shout out to Audio Science Review!
Tubes just don't measure well usually. So yea, that would be a personal preference thing I suppose. I'm always looking for accurate and transparent gear that will let my headphones or speakers sound the way they were designed to.
As I mentioned in my video, I don't really care about measurements because at the end of the day, it is how it sounds to me at my home. However, maybe having good measurements is a way to filter gears that are worth my time to check. There are so many gear out there that choosing what to test can be overwhelming.
It's definitely overwhelming at times. But take your time - no need to rush.
For me Zu Audio means high efficiency and dynamic... but not the most refined sound. In fact the brightness and listening fatigue seems to dominate after a period of listening to Zu Audio speakers.
My thoughts exactly when I listened to the Zu Audio Dirty Weekend 6. I haven't heard the Omen Def Supreme and am hoping they're more smooth and less fatiguing.
My dreamspeaker. Dreams can Come true!
After all Thomas you have 2 pairs i can buy one of them eventually.😂
Its Elac b5 with dynamic precision 40 kg amp for now. Not a bad combo.
If I want more revealing I think Kef floorstanders is more costeffective since they are available for next to nothing used:See q9 floorstanders
Yup, monitor audio too are very revealing.
The question to ask here is do you want speakers that reveal bad sounding records or not:)?
Such a big speaker and don't enough bass to cover the mid areas? The are definitely not for everyone, but it seems like most of this speakers owners really like them, that was interesting video, i like bad reviews, keep going going a good job, we all know (i hope) what sound is matter of taste
Well, it is relative for the bass. Bass is there but Mid is 'more'. It is not a bad review because I really like the speakers. I just want everyone to have a good idea of what they are signing up for.
If only I had room, I'd have Zus, Klipsch and Magnepans in my listening space.
So what do you have in your listening space? You can have just one pair of ZU’s and be happy.
@@jeffadams9699 A pair of Klipsch Heresys. My room is 9 by 15 feet.
I've had my Zu soul Supremes 4 years? now-? currently with a sub, would like two. As for the review, you basically get it right, if you read the Zu promo literature they say their sound is built around the range of the human voice, midtone, and this is what a paper cone full range driver excels at, you get a lot of tactile information, presence (ok you can call them forward but that I don't think is accurate) but you can't have everything from a single driver. That's when things get complicated, two, three way, etc, crossovers, all of this to Zu's thinking is what destroys "tone". Some people will like it and others won't, like anything. That said, they like good amplification, they like tubes, they like SET's, they like First Watt low power solid state. So you have to experiment. Currently I have a Freya pre with a bel canto (ClassD!!) amp, and I have lived with a J2, SIT-3, all good. The bel canto really surprised me being class D. Also I have an Almarro 5w tube integrated that sounds pretty good. You can do low watts if you listening is avg level. I have them more in a near field arrangement and about 18" off the wall. I've played with the air gap on the base and it does affect the sound, and if they are "dry" to you possibly increase the gap or more likely change the amplification. I notice you didn't say much about vinyl, I think that these speakers really shine with analogue. For me, digital is very linear, and to agree with your idea that these have a subtle A curve, I think that the combo there is emphasizing the worst of digital. Analogue to me is more of a V curve, or at least not as open in the mids as digital. The Zu's compliment that.
Thanks for clarifying. I have other speakers(Omega RS8) with same design and noticed the similarity. I actually do have a freya and bel canto 1000s monoblocs, I should give it a try.
@@ThomasAndStereo can you comment on Zu vs Omega sound? Currently struggling with this decision.
Is there much difference between the Omen Def and the DWs?
Bass for one thing and I remember scale too.
Yep, bass and scale, better clarity too, just an overall better speaker. I own the Omen and the DW6 Supremes. I believe it is the new cabinet design with the DW6 vs the Omens.
Bigger Klipsches next speaker review?
Nah, not even broken in yet those speakers! I spent like 2 hours with it only!