Tekton Lore Round Two: Face off with ZU Audio Dirty Weekend MKII.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- Welcome back for Round 2 with ZU & Tekton. Couple weeks ago I pitted ZU Omen MK I against the base Tekton Lore's and crowned the Lore's absolute top modern budget speaker available today. Will the Dirty Weekends avenge their older brethren?
Stainless Door Stoppers for Damping - amzn.to/2PyrMaK
In other news, my new website is up and sorta running...work in progress, but you have another level of access to me and what I am up to. 2channellistening.com/
Songs for this comparison:
Bozzio, Levin, Stevens - Track; Duende
music.amazon.com/albums/B000T...
Rachel Claudio - Track; Turbulent
music.amazon.com/albums/B07WF...
Anette Askvik - Track; Liberty
music.amazon.com/albums/B004Q...
Patricia Barber - Nardis
music.amazon.com/albums/B07KP...
Lindi Ortega - Waiting 'Round to Die
music.amazon.com/albums/B06X3...
Bucketheads & Friends - Running from the light
music.amazon.com/albums/B000Q...
The System:
Red Dragon M1000 mono blocks
Classe CP-700 preamp
Denon DVD3930CI (CD, DVD, SACD Player)
Marantz ND-8006 (Streaming, USB DAC)
MIT Matrix 18 Speaker Cables
Audioquest Columbia and Audience Interconnects
Audience Power Cables
Thank You to intro music provided by
Bensound.com
"Rumble" composed by Ben Tissot - เพลง
I really like your reviews and approach of describing in this case Zu Dirty weekend different generations. Keep up the good work and reviews it’s just a matter of time before your channel takes off!!!
Hi Nick, thank you so much for the kind comment. Fingers crossed!!! I'll keep at it because I cannot stop buying and trying different components, lol :-)
Thank you for the thoughtful review. I went through Lore in my journey as well, and am considering ordering a set of the Omen DW when they come up this month because I have a room and an amp begging for such a speaker. I was encouraged by your comments because the Tektons, while great at their price point, left me wanting something different/more. I remain a fan of Tekton, generally. Their OB Sigma speakers started me down the path of open baffles, which has changed my expectations of speakers completely (yeah I may have a "problem" now :-). I hope to see your future (please?) review of the Magnepan LRS, another super budget/audiophile speaker!
Thank you for the kind post Jon. Everything you said resonates, especially getting bit by the bug. I have had a couple LRS requests, I will certainly add them to my list for the new place. Cheers.
Thanks for the great detail and analysis on the MKI vs MKII - really a lot going on
I was fortunate enough to be able to pull this off, I myself had no idea of the small incremental differences by pictures alone. It was uncanny how different the two speakers performance and the wide gap with those little improvements.
Wow. Great detailed description. Nice job.
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent review! Thank you!
Thank you Robert, much appreciated.
I really enjoy your reviews. Good job!
I have been torn between deciding on which one of those two speakers to purchase. Both of them would go well with my SET tube amps. I have been thinking about the Zu audio speakers for many years now, but was recently lured by the Tekton Lore speakers. I think I’m gonna go with the Zu Dirty Weekend!
No loss either way, both work amazingly well with low power tube amps. Especially those female vocalists. Good luck with your hunt and thanks for watching.
Hell yeah man! I am soooooo glad you got the new revised version. I’ve owned my Dirty Weekends for over 3 years now, nothing comes close. I’ve owned the M-Lore and Pendragon, the MKII Dirty Weekend is by far my favorite floor standing speaker. I am on my third pair right now! I like them so much that I ordered a pair and paid quite a bit more for an automotive Ferrari Red gloss finish with the Jupiter cap upgrade. Should be here in about two weeks. I also bought a new amp specifically for these ZU’s. A Hegel H190. After hearing them with a Hegel Rost, I was simply blown away! The Dirty Weekends love an amplifier with a high damping factor and the Rost has a +2000, the H190 has +4000! Hegel and ZU’s are a match made in heaven!
Interesting combination, Hegel and ZU. As high as the sensitivity is on these, they actually do respond very well to extra power. I've noticed this with all the different models I've owned. You will have to send me a photo when you get the Ferrari Red pair in, that would be something else to see! Thank you for the contribution Jeff, and affirmation of the DW performance. I had the Jupiter caps in my Omen Def II's, miss those speakers! Hegel is on my list now, thanks.
@@2ChannelListening I’ve been on quite the audio journey since my first pair of Dirty Weekends three years ago and a ton of different amplifiers to go with them. Anything from TPA-chip amps to 1.5 watt per channel 45 SET tube amps to solid state 250 watt per channel amps. It wasn’t until input real power to them with higher damping factors that they really showed me what they are capable of. That damping factor really controls that 10” driver in a way lower powered amps just didn’t come close to doing. I’ve even had conversations with Sean and Gerrit at ZU and they feel the same way. Sean loves high power. And for sure, I’ll send you some pictures. I’d love to talk with you a little more. I’m actually doing a few videos myself. Although nothing near the quality of what some of the guys, like yourself, are doing. Thank you for your videos. They take a lot of effort and time. Anyway, my ZU experience has been quite joy. Started with the base Dirty Weekends, upgraded to a pair of Electric Blue with the clarity cap, and now on to the third pair with the Jupiter cap. I am also contemplating a pair of Soul Supremes. I really want to compare those to the Dirty Weekends. We will see.
Jeff - You mind giving a little comparo between your DW's, M-Lores, and Pens? Am considering the Pens, but Zu's aren't out of the running.
Great review. You're making it harder to decide!
Lol, right! Both are awesome for the money, even more so on the used market.
Thanks. As an mk2 owner this puts me at ease.
Thanks for watching
Great review, I'm on the Zu wait list for their next batch. I just have gotten my three rooms together.
TV room NAD M10 and GR Research and Hsu Subwoofer.
Living Room Parasound A23 amp and P3 preamp with Bluesound Node and GR Research speakers.
Office Bluesound Vault, SMLS 18 and Dayton Audio B652 speakers.
With NAD and Bluesound the whole-house audio is seamless. The office setup was in the garage but I was never out there.
Nice choices WW. How do you like that M10?
@@2ChannelListening That album art / speaker meters is the icing on the cake. For a class D amp it sounds more AB like in mid range. Imagining and Soundstage is better than old class D i have heard. My only issue the power. On my main system Parasound A23 I don't know the max volume. But when watching TV in 2.1 sometimes I max out power without ability to go higher. I love having both systems playing together. Both rooms are 24x7, kitchen den and TV living room and dining room. So I and go from kitchen to dining room and AB test.
I've had a pair for about 2 or 3 months now. Uncanny speakers. My favorite thing about them is how NOT finicky they are, particularly in regard to listening position - they sound great all over the room. And, I think you described them well.... aggressive right up to the a hair's width away from "too much". They walked the edge. It's exciting but *never* over the top. Uncanny loudspeakers.
Thanks for sharing!
Hey! A Tekton Lore with a Zu beauty ring. What a great idea. It looks good. I wonder if painting it the same color gray as the paper cone would subdue the look a bit.
Well, it was worth throwing the idea out there for everyone. You can also order it in anodized black from ZU. At least we know they fit - you do have to use the longer ZU wood screws though.
Will Zu sell you these rings and screws??? Would love a set on my Lores
Oh man... you got the maple sangria finish... I really wanted that color but lucked into a pre-owned pair in rustic hickory (which is beautiful in it's own right) with the clarity caps that Zu had just gotten back as part of a trade up. They knocked off a bit for a TINY blemish and the deal was too good to pass up. I was looking forward to your impressions, especially since you had heard the Mk1 and I'm really surprised that the difference is that significant... pleased but surprised.
I've come to really like my DWs but it's taken about a year to find a setup I really like. I'd read a lot of people saying they weren't picky about room placement but I've found the opposite to be true. I tried them in a bunch of different places around my room and found that the bass response and soundstage varied wildly depending on position. About a month ago I was feeling underwhelmed again and decided to slide them back towards the corners a few feet and not toe them in... viola, they opened right up and filled up my listening space. I finally heard what I'd been expecting. Prior to that I was thinking about trying a sub to beef up their presentation but now I don't think that's necessary at all.
Thanks for the detailed review, it's nice to hear different points of view on something I've spent a lot of time with at this point. I'm curious how their speaker and interconnects sound... they aren't super crazy expensive when you compare them to other high-end cables.
The Hickory would be my second choice. I have to add a note to the top to reaffirm that difference! Thank you for returning for another video David.
Interesting result I didn't expect. Now get your hands on the Tekton Lore Reference Beryllium 👌
I really want to try the 10 Perfect Set or the Electron SE models. I think I've used up my Lore cards...
@@2ChannelListening I'll let ya know how they are. My next 2 speakers are the Hsu CCB-8 and the Lore Be Reference
@@Audfile whoo boy, stepping up to those $600 tweeters! There was a full size pair listed in Cali with the Beryllium tweeters for $1,500 (white cabs). You going new?
@@2ChannelListening well yeah, unless something pops up. The Hsus are impossible to find used.
This was my first hit on your channel. You can really boil down your thoughts, keep this in a shorter format and it will be easier to get through. Just my thoughts. I will sub and see what develops. Best wishes and keep on it.
Noted! Thank you for the Sub Jon. Practice, practice, practice :-)
@@2ChannelListening Best to you. We need another good reviewer in this muddled "audiophile" world. Honesty and perspective give us the ammo to invest more carefully.
First and foremost, my aim is to find the good stuff on the used market and bare all...the audio components that is...
Thank you sir.
New tweeter and modified woofer with new finger ports - are big changes. Did the sand cast resistors in the Mk1 have ferrous leads?
Hi Neil, honestly, I could not tell the wire type on the sandcast resistor, if its tin or nickel. With the new DW, its clipped in with nice bare copper on the Clarity Cap. Yet even the plug to the tweeter is steel, so, what is one to do? Thanks for watching.
Those Dirty Weekends are sexy loudspeakers! Just the name alone implies the aggressive nature of them!! can not wait to own some!! great review man!!
Thank you Don!
They ARE fabulous! I got mine in the March batch. I actually got the first order in, two minutes after they went on sale. :-)
Contrary to popular belief, they really AREN'T brash, forward, and shouty. Not at all, in my opinion. I run them with a Bryston 4B SST², or a custom-built Nelson Pass amp (with EIGHT whole watts!), and they are well-defined, but smooth-ish. Much more relaxed in the treble than my Triangle BR03s. They also play cleaner and louder than I can stand, using only the 8-watt Pass amp. You're gonna love them, but one item of note: please get the Jupiter Copper Paper Foil capacitor. It's $220, but it gives it a much more refined and delicate and detailed high end, especially over the stock cap.
p.s. Just as John Darko said, these speakers utterly disappear. He says they are "the full Houdini", and he's RIGHT. There isn't even the tiniest hint of sound coming from the speakers. Just toe them in, with the RIGHT one aimed at your LEFT shoulder, and vice versa. And get them as wide apart as you possibly can, given the dimensions of your listening room. But yeah...they VANISH. The image is NAILED DOWN in between the towers, and arranged spatially between the individual performers. Take 5 gets downright spooky. I listen mostly at low-ish volume (I've got a wife and young children), but these beautiful beasts can break the windows out of the house when you want to. And they sound great doing so.
But yeah...get the best caps. If not the Jupiter caps, then get the Clarity Cap upgrade. Totally worth it. Especially considering that this is a speaker that can be reasonably be expected to last 50 to 60 years, so what's an extra $200-ish in the grand scheme of things? The caps upgrade just totally changes the class/type of speaker. From hell-raising speaker than also can do beautiful...to beautiful speakers that can also punish the eardrums of the neighbors at the end of the street when you want to.
p.p.s. Use a sub with them. Being without one isn't a deal-breaker, but it takes them to the next level.
I just bought me a set today and hook them up. And oh my god what a difference!
What might you consider to dampen the cabinets? Would you consider bracing the inside of the cabinets. With each of these speakers, I have to wonder if benefits could be gained. I often think about these considerations when looking at the lengths manufactures go to for neutral.
One trick that helped me with a couple of speakers with thin walls was to add layers of Dynamat. Yes, its kinda nasty stuff, but once its aired out, you will not smell it and it tightened up the mids, less smearing. You can always try more polyfill, but you have to manage the impact on your bass with an open cabinet.
I've got the Mk2 with two different upgrades... They rock and I haven't been able to faze 'em no matter the volume or music. I love 'em!
You probably couldn’t perturb the ZU, your eardrums might have something to transmit otherwise! Lol. Enjoy em
What were the upgrades you did
@@stevied2187 Hi Steve, I added the OEM rubber feet and Clarity caps. The feet were a really nice addition, unfortunately everyone asks me about the caps and what was the difference - I cannot say I heard any difference, I didn't have time to burn 400 hours on them...and so it goes.
Have I missed any comment you have offered on the value of bi-amp'ed speakers? I continue to enjoy the advantages of mono blocks (parasound JC1) driving bass and integrated (parasound) for mids and highs on my KEF 104.2. Also - any plans to review Harbeth speakers?
No sir, I have not spent much time on the bi-amping side of listening. Have I tried it, only a couple of times. I see the value where there is a bigger difference in speaker design and fully isolated chambers, like you said, 104/2, 107's and certain stacker speakers. The only time I would ever see myself doing it is when I run full class D to bass units and valve amp for mid's and high's.
If I could locate a killer deal on second hand Super hl5's, yes indeed.
Update: I have the new ZU footers on - posted at Instagram. Sits down real nice. Looks good. I figured I would listen to them like this for a few days, get acquainted with how it has modified the bass region a tad. Then I will install the Clarity Caps later in the week. Thanks everyone.
Just got a shipping notification for my Dirty Weekends from Zu. Ordered them based off of this video. They are shipping the Clarity caps as an upgrade kit later as they are out of stock right now. How do you like the DWs with the Clarity caps compared to stock?
@@DHGroove Congrats on your acquisition! The DW's are great with or without the Clarity Cap. Honestly I am past the time envelope for stating the Clarity Cap is this or that verses the Pulse cap. I love them for what they do so effortlessly. Let the Buckethead run loose! You must play Rodrigo Y Gabriela on the ZU...you will be instantly sold on your decision. Cheers man, let me know how you like them after a couple weeks of run in!
One more quick question: I know you liked the bass response in the DW mk.II, but was it as deep as I hear the Lores can go?
I like to play rock and pop at a pretty good volume clip, and would love to have great, deep bass response. Thanks for the great page!
Hi John, the best I could get in my room was roughly around 32hz with DW, but it was tuneful and clearly defined. No, it was not as deep as the Lore, but just ever so slightly more defined if you forced a confession from me...
Ferrous Wheel.....Good one!
Thanks
I have the Mk2 with Jupiter Cap upgrades. Geez Louise.. the highs are beautiful
Thank you Dsonyay, glad you found a speaker you love.
Thanks for this video, I am buying rotel kas500 amplifier to pair it with Zu DW 6 that has full range 12 oms speakers .. is that going to work or can that harm the amp or speaker? Thank you again
Ugh! I was convinced that I’d get the Lore’s when I was ready, but now am thinking about these DW mk.II’s!
I with I could hear both!!
Here's the truth John, you win with either speaker. Both sound amazing at the sub $2000 level, both have upgrade paths, the ZU is more spouse friendly visually and does have better fit and finish - so those are brownie points in my book.
I'm stuck just like you now
That was interesting , amazing how ZU was able to up the game in the exact same outside package . Have you used any low watt class A amps to review the Lores or zu's .? I have Lores and am considering building a pair of Pass ACA's to drive them as dual mono but am hoping to hear reviews on the setup before I make that jump . Or any other low watt class A transistor amp review would be great . Thanks !
Greetings Art. Currently the lowest watt amp I am using is my Unison Research Unico P - hybrid integrated. Tube pre and mosfet amp section, 50 watts. Wonderful integrated amp. I've been relying on it more than my more expensive separates. I've been looking for a deal on a Sugden A21se, it is a 30 watt class A integrated. I've owned a couple First Watt's in the past, they require more careful component matching and are not the most flexible for what I do here. I occasionally get some 84-85 db sensitive speakers and need more juice.
Srajan Ebaen @ 6moons has owned nearly every iteration of First Watt gear with several ZU speakers - worth reading his take 6moons.com/audioreview/
Nice follow up. Love the color on the Zu too. What do you think made the most impact to the change in sound? I think it was the combination of better tweeter and the wider bass ports at the bottom opened up the sound, but I'm just guessing.
Hi KG, thank you.
I do believe the revised bass ports helped, and I think they finely tuned the 10" Eminence driver. The tweeter wouldn't effect the mid-range and there is so much more mid-band presence compared to the MK I. All in all, its a great, complete package at the $1,500 and under price range.
Oh I haven't heard Rodrigo Y Gabriela in awhile! Good idea!
Enjoy!
How does the Lore compare off axis? I had Su superfly’s and they lost all their magic outside the sweetspot, so much so my wife found them unlistenable for general listing in our open plan space.
Hi Simon, for my personal listening preference, the sweet spot for both speakers to me was around 10-15 degrees off axis. I have the ZU's set at 10. I'm only 8 feet from the speakers. Further back, mind you in larger rooms I had, other ZU's and my Seas Pendragon worked further off axis, nearly 30 degrees.
On a different note; when watching movies with them in this configuration neither my wife or I have any issues listening outside the sweet spot. Your mileage may vary.
hopefully you can get ahold of the clarity caps and Jupiter caps to try with them
I have the footers and Clarity Caps on order! Thank you Kamicide.
the footers do look nice. do you remeber who made the bottom plates for your omen def. i have been looking to get some
They were OEM from ZU. That way they integrate with the bottom loading ports.
Though you had a dirty weekend comparing those speakers... my bad, what a name for sono geeks.
:-0
When he knocks on that cabinet at 8:43? You have got to be able to hear that when it's playing!
Greetings Scott. Why do you think that the cabinet material is any different from all the thousands of cabinets at this price point? Are the thicknesses and bracing of a $200 acoustic guitar all that different from a $20,000 guitar? There is a tuned structure for tone and wood type, certainly. To answer your question directly, no, I do not hear a cabinet ring. I may hear frequency bumps from the drivers, but that is a different issue that most speakers face. Thank you for watching.
great review. Thanks for the detail. Where do you find all your used gear? Ebay or is there a site that specializes in audio gear?
Hifi Shark - aggregates the item you are looking for and from which site it is listed from. Thank you
Love that you used Buckethead to test speakers🤘
There needs to be better variety when evaluating a speakers strengths. Thank you Truman.
@@2ChannelListening Here is one of my audition set lists: open.spotify.com/playlist/42dxu86oiT1NPARCXkSxu9
Thank you Truman, I am just now seeing this.
Appreciate all your feedback; getting ready to pull the trigger. Out of these two plus the Uruz what allows you to listen to them the longest and what can you play louder without harshness to the least.
Hello Rahz; that one is easy, the Uruz allow me to really crank it up past 85 db for a period of time. I assume you are also asking genre? All three are system dependent as well as recording dependent. Even with my tube amp, some rock is still too hot after 85 db. All three speakers sound best with tube amps, especially my Unison Research.
I know this will sound odd to some, but it makes sense if one steps back and looks at the whole of what our hearing limits are - A very good recording in ANY genre is perfectly fine at 90 db with the Uruz, doesn't matter if its Jazz, Classical or Heavy Metal. My latest sound demo proves this with Yo-Yo Ma and Ronnie James Dio. The Sony's are too thin and I could handle listening to my green Performance No.1 for a very extended period of time at 85db. All of it track quality dependent. When I did the sound demo for the ZU and Uruz, it was the same. The DW's could get a little hot up top. The Uruz are better balanced in my system, with my large room and current gear. One not great amp changes that...but that's for a future review!
@@2ChannelListening thanks for the detailed comment always appreciate the help. I just got me a Rotel A12 amp tho not tubes it’s something I hope can work with these speakers and still sound good.
To bad you can't hear them. Yes, I've heard it before, TH-cam compression but still wish we could hear them. On a side note, how are both at lower volumes??
Well I did provide a sound demo of the ZU vs Uruz, using a stereo recording mic. Captures the essence for sure.
How about comparing the DW to the Teckton Uruz models, the next step up from the Lore?
If I can get my hands on a pair at a reasonable price, I absolutely would review the Uruz. Thank you.
Hi, Great information. Where do you find used Zu's and Tekton's?
www.hifishark.com/search?q=ZU+audio
Did the Dirty Weekend speakers you reviewed have the two upgrades that ZU offers on their page: the ClarityCap MR and the Jupiter Copper capacitors?
Neither. I ordered the Clarity caps a couple days ago.
Wow-I wonder if they’d even go “further” with one or both upgrades!
Are you able to buy those trim rings anywhere? So I can buy some and put on my Pendragon and my Mini Lore Monitors.
Unfortunately no, they are specially machined for ZU Audio. When supply wasn't a PITA, you could buy them direct for $90 a pair. However, I've reached out to Garrit twice and they are not selling to the public at this time.
What are those silver pucks on your speakers? Just discovered your channel and subbed right away. Except for the DIY a man after my own heart.
Oh man, thank you Ronnie! These stainless puck are $13 weighted door stoppers. Basically a poor mans vibration control device at a tenth the cost. Bought on Amazon Prime. Truthfully, I stole the idea from Mr. John Darko. Thank you for the Sub Ronnie.
@@2ChannelListening Diving weights also might work well.
would you mind doing a video how and why you use the door stoppers ? very unique :)
Worth exploring, I will give this some thought. Thanks Brain.
@@2ChannelListening Cool! my name is Michael :) i’m from Sweden. My youtube name is very old...
@@brainache555 nice to meet you Michael! Thank you for following my channel.
Hey bud,
I just wanted to let you know that I ordered a pair of the Dirty Weekends in maple sangria. I didn't get any upgrades but I figure that I'm still getting a beautiful sounding speaker as is. I hope that it pairs well with my musical fidelity amp. I figured that it would be a good speaker for me since I am trying to get as close to how a live performance should sound.
Congrats Leo. The MF amp should be a great pairing. I'm excited for you.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing them! I had my wife pick the color that way nothing can be said. We went with the maple sangria. Right now I'm using a pair of 28 year old Klipsch towers, so I really hope to hear a big improvement. I'm going for the sound of a drum kit in my living room and having it sound like B.B. King is in the room. Yeah, that's what I'm looking for. With them being 12 ohm, would it create an issue with the Musical Fidelity amp?
@@LeoRousseau you will love how drums sound with the ZU's. You will love how electric guitars sound with ZU's. Heck, about the only instrument that doesn't sound good on ZU's is an accordion. Wise man, letting the wife pick the color.
Iam still have a hard time choosing, first for me I wanted to put my money on the Lore's until now that the Zu's took the crown, just wondering what if you made a comparison whit the Lore's upgraded beryllium tweeter
I have 200watts of solid state
Please do not take this as directed at you...with the Lores, Uruz, Omen II or Dirty Weekends, big watts are unnecessary as I have provided anecdotal "subjective" evidence in my reviews. I had the best success, best sound one both sets of speakers using my 12 watt class A tube amp and my 25 watt hybrid SS integrated from Unison Research. I had a pair of Emotiva 250 watt mono blocks as well as Red Dragon 500 watt mono blocks, neither sounded better as compared to the low watt products.
I have not heard a pair of Beryllium equipped Lores and can give no input as to the impact it would have on upper end detail. I would remind folks that the Lores are crossed over much much lower than ZU products. ZU's push the limits of the the Eminence 10.3" driver well into 10K territory. Lores are crossed over closer to 3.5K (Uruz is 5K for the ribbon tweeter). These are very efficient speakers with snappy response, making them such a great bang for the buck product. At least before ZU decided to substantially raise the barrier to entry...
Thank you for coming back.
@@2ChannelListening can i conclude with that statement big watts are more suited for low efficient speakers
@@anjovandijk9797 it is not a hard and fast rule, just a guideline. Room size and intended playback levels play a vital role in choosing how much power you need. I just wanted to let you know you can comfortably play either ZU or Tekton with small watt amps if you so choose. I had a pair of Acoustic Research LS9i's that punished my 80 watt tube amp, it wasn't until I hooked them up to a big Mark Levinson where they sounded proper and content.
Do you know if ZU Omen Dirty Weekend MK II have the upgraded Clarity Caps???
They do not, I have them in hand though, ready to install. Just put the new rubber feet on last night.
@@2ChannelListening PLEASE do a comparison between the clarity caps and the stock caps!! Maybe do 1 speaker and compare, it would make for another great video.
Lots of detail on the Dirty weekends vs the MK I's. Thats all well and good, but would have loved to hear more about what the DW does better than the lore, thats sort of what the title promises.
That's fair; both are so close or similar in what they do because of the Eminence 10" driver, I really have to be critical with leaning on what I preferred more with one versus the other, and not so much this one is out and out better. Having said that, the more time with the DW, then back to the Lore, I appreciated what came off as a little more energy projected out into the room with the ZU. I don't want to say ease, yet it did a little more with less volume. When trying to match in room SPL listening, I found I was getting more information with few db on the ZU as compared to the Lore. Getting to 85 db peaks was less necessary for the same level of enjoyment, if that makes any sense.
Now that the ZU DW also has new found bass, I like that it integrated with my room a little better, and I mean were talking a small difference, the Lore is fantastic and can go a little lower, but those front ports can also front load the room and get a little directional, not so with the ZU's bottom port load scheme.
Lastly, and again, by such a slim margin, I was hearing just a bit more detail retrieval from my stand by music list. I have what I call a Sia test, the more legible her vocals are, then I know I am getting an improvement in my stereo system. I could hear the backup singers more clearly along with her vocals while limited blending or washout - just a slight edge over the Lore.
It was by slim margins, add to the fact that I find the build quality and fit n finish of the ZU heads and shoulders above the Lore - it was still a slim win. I hope this helps.
@@2ChannelListening nice thats the stuff (observations) that people are looking for.
@Marten Dekker Both...they redesigned the base plate, enlarging the finger ports and changed the epoxy material on the bottom plate. That translates into the "new found bass" I was hearing with the DW. Much cleaner and clearer, as well as lower. Hope that helps. Thanks for Damping correction...maybe I was...err, never mind.
Nice Ferrous Wheel!
Thanks
Tekton Troubadour very interesting design
Indeed they are.
What is the brand name of those metal weights? I still have a couple of decades old VPI bricks. Thanks!
Hi Jaime, here is the link for the door stopper;
www.amazon.com/Sumnacon-Stopper-Durability-Stainless-Anti-Skid/dp/B07BGYK245/ref=psdc_1069196_t3_B07RL1RLVN
@@2ChannelListening - what, a door stopper being used in our hobby as a tweak? Who found this contraption as an anti vibration damper? Very creative - I'm getting a few.
Thanks and cheers! Subscribed! 👍
I’m subscriber #1000 (:
Oh my! That's awesome, thank you D.A.C., hey that name works for your next product!
EXCITING! I ordered the same Mkii in the same finish fully upgraded (ticked all the upgrade boxes). Can't wait to get them!
Congratulations! Once you get them in your system with a few dozen hours on them, let me know what you think.
Report in, please!
@@stephenmayo9573 I would LOVE to... I haven't received a shipping notice yet. I'm sure they are quite behind schedule.
@@stephenmayo9573 LOL...okay, I literally just plugged the ZU's back in with the Peachtree I am reviewing. I have to wait until I can put the Unison Research amp back in for a fair baseline. Plus I only have like 5 hours on these caps. Thanks for checking in.
@@megustachuletas3956 based on others reporting in, yes, very behind. Special options and supply are really lagging for the specialty builders.
Do you think the Zu would pair well with a Willsenton R8 amp? Thx.
ZU speakers love tube integrated amps, anything with at least 10 watts works very well.
My buddy has several tube amps, I now own his Zu Omen Dirty Weekends, he is eyeing their Union 6 right now... Love these speakers, so much so, I went and bought a pair of new DW6 Supremes... Paired with a vintage Sansui 4000 receiver. Airy tube like midrange, incredible impactful bass and a detailed sweet top end... For the money these Zu's are hard to beat.
@@michaelwright1602 thanks. I appreciate the insight.
I'm always willing to listen to a revision or a new model from a company I haven't liked in the past so I'd give the new ZU's a listen but the first edition was so bad I'm skeptical the new version could be that much better. But, should I have the chance I'll give them a second chance.
I can understand and respect that. My first Tekton pair was disappointing and I can also say the Gen I Omen's are pretty underwhelming compared the the Lore and Dirty Weekend. I am more amazed at what micro adjustments, as a whole can render with the same basic design. Thank you Dave.
Did your Lore’s have the factory ‘upgrade package’ ?
Just the basic Lore's. I have yet to see any Uruz come up on the used market...
Man, I like your 'Fe'rris wheel T shirt. LOL. March 25th is the next sale date, I see.
Glad someone thought the shirt was funny...
Okay, you got me on 3.25?
@@2ChannelListening That's the next Zu run.
They are on fire right now. Good for them, I love seeing the boutique guys getting the love.
Hi could u make a 1000 system with the tekton lore?
Absolutely, if you can find a used pair of Tekton Lores for $750 or less, you can add a used NAD D3020 or new OSD Nero Stream HD and you would be set up with a rockin, flexible system.
@@2ChannelListening ou thanks
Hey did you ever sell your Teckton Lore's. I'm interested... Plus let me know
Hello Mr. Chan, yep, those boys flew the coup in less than 24 hours from listing.
@@wavefchan6766 There is a pair of DW in Hickory available on US Audio Mart right now, but they sell in hours...I think he has Jupiter caps and wants $1000. Smoking deal
What are those silver pucks on top of the red speakers?
Weighted door stops. 1.5 lbs, and only $10 when I bought them. I use them mostly for tube gear and vibration control.
Where do you sell the gear when you are done with them?
Hi Stephen, depends on what it is and the cost of shipping. Regular audio components I list on Audiogon. Speakers I generally list locally on Craigslist because of the shipping issues. Now that I have a website, I will start listing those items on the blog. Thank you.
14:37 yeah, these speakers aren't for me. I was considering them but the majority of my music collection is raw metal, especially black metal. Those Zu's might rip my ears off. Very informative video!
Certainly have to know what you are getting into. I have some Tekton Uruz coming in a few weeks...I hope! Might be the perfect balance, will find out.
Ordered and still waiting for my pair..👀
Tekton's or the ZU's. I just received word from Tekton, they are now 12 weeks backlogged and forget about buying grills. They are not spending the money trying to source the wood for them. Which is strange, since I thought they were CNC machined MDF...material they use everyday. Good luck, my Uruz have been worth the wait!
@@2ChannelListening ZU's DW ..waiting on wood .. 😐
Hey 2 Channel Listening fans; when one tries to cut these videos into shorter segments, things get missed, even with notes. So, here are two other points I forgot to mention.
1. When I turned to my wife for the mentioned conversation, she said to me that she too could easily hear the difference between the MK I and these DW, walking around, off axis, they sounded bigger to her, and with additional clarity. So there is that...
2. I ordered the MR Clarity caps and the ZU rubber footers. Once in place, and running, I will give a comment if the additional $190 with shipping is worth it. As an aside, I asked what the Black Anodized upgrade would cost (woofer rings and tweeter lenses), Gerrit quoted me $320, plus shipping. I passed on that option.
3. Because some people are insanely sensitive = zero sense of humor - I know ZU didn't put a cancerous product i.e. the fiber insulation originally found in older generation speakers. That is unless you live in California with prop 65 :-) (no reviewers were harmed during the shooting of this video).
Is Garrett someone who works at Zu? I might like a black anodized ring for my Lore..
Yes, Gerrit has been at ZU for several years now - very responsive and helpful. Responds to inquiries and orders. Just FYI...the regular rings are $100 plus shipping. I did look into that for the Lore's already.
The clarity caps and the footers are totally worth it. The footers in my listening space are night and day difference easily sounded 15 %better on wood floors with high ceilings. As it expected the the caps are less significant very noticeable, more like and 8.25% improvement in sound.
Thank you for contributing Mike, those are big numbers. Can't wait to get mine installed. Cheers!
Yea Garrett is great, he and Sean helped me with initial placement.
I didn't even realize there was a black anodized option for the hardware... I like the silver but the black could be really nice with certain finishes.
Warning: This may be a dumb question. One thing I have been wondering about are the value of the tweeters in full range speakers like the Zus. I believe the tweeters in the Dirty Weekends and some of their other speakers start at 12k Hz, yet few instruments go that high. The more expensive models add Radian tweeters for significant price upgrades. Why spend so much money on a tweeter that covers a small minority of what you hear?
Good evening Bryan; I freely admit I am not qualified or well read enough on the effects of sound waves to physiology and or psychoacoustics. Yes, the ZU's in particular do crossover at 12hz, yet for most, that still leaves an important 4khz worth of our frequency perception on the table. Is it clean energy, sharp, harsh, smooth or choppy? Does the treble extension carryon and can you better hear the leading edges (or bleeding edges)? So much of it is design execution and driver quality.
We can in effect perceive this variability, finding it pleasant or not. I've heard some lovely old Altec Lansing speakers with and without Fostex super tweeters (I do not remember what my friend had them set to crossover at). While I could not perceive any particular extension to the specific instruments, I did notice the extra in room energy level, it was more pleasant than not - were they worth the price? I guess it all depends on the value added for the individual.
I can make a better attempt to address the Radian question. With the base Omen Def MkII, they come with the standard tweeter and lens with only a 1" throat diameter. The Radian is a 3" diaphragm compression driver, operating with a 2" throat. For my personal experience, the additional surface area and projection was a big difference and well worth the upgrade for me. I am not joking when I say my ZU's sounded closer to an electro stat with how much bigger they sounded, my sweet spot was much wider and taller after the upgrade.
Someone with better technical knowledge will have to fill in the gaps I have left. Thank you for asking - I hope we get some good contributions...
@@2ChannelListening That's great, thanks!
@@2ChannelListening I haven't used Eminence compression drivers in any of my project prototypes, but going off the response plots that I'm seeing in X-Sim it appears that the differences you are hearing between the APT 50, ASD 1001, and the larger Radian is not only audible, but scientifically quantifiable. The output of most conventional compression drivers starts dropping off from about 5 KHz on upwards, and the ASD 1001 is no exception with a significant loss of 6-7db in output by the 12KHz mark. The response ASD 1001 is not exactly "flat" with large "camel humps" in the mid band, and the response of the APT 50 is little more than a somewhat rounded hill with a steep drop off at both ends of the spectrum. All things being equal that's why you're hearing such a drastic difference between the Mark I and Mark II versions. (plus the APT 50 is phenolic based which is usually much softer sounding than titanium) What's interesting in this case is how Zu appears to be using this "flaw" in driver response to their advantage when combining the tweeter to their wide range 10" unit. Given that the ASD 1001's greatest output is from 2.5 KHz- 5.0 KHz, if a driver/crossover combination has a first order turnover of 12 KHz, the output at 6 KHz would be reduced by 6 db, with another 6 db of reduction at the the 3 KHz mark. 12 db in filter drop off may sound like a lot at first, but when the dropping output of the filter is counteracted by the rising output of the compression driver through the mid band, what you get is a very gentle acoustic roll off, with quite a bit of energy still being produced down into the upper mid range. To test this out I loaded a single 1.1uf cap onto a quickly simulated ASD 1001 profile, and it showed the output to only be down about 5-6 db at 4KHz which would still be very audible. What is very critical in this type of arrangement is getting the phase alignment of both drivers right, or it all goes to hell where the two bands over lap, and you end up with serious axial lobing and/or poor off axis response. (This I've learned the hard way in my own projects) If you're not hearing that with these models it looks like Zu got that part right. (Visually the acoustic centers are pretty much in line). In regards to why Zu is using the large Radian driver in their premium models even though it's "just a tweeter", it does actually make sense. If Zu is also using a first order filter on the large format Radian driver, it's definitely going to have a lot more "shutzpah" in the lower and upper mid range, and should change the tonal character from being softer (and slower) sounding with the little (and cheap) drivers, to very crisp and lighting fast with the high powered 3" aluminum diaphram. (or beryllium if they offer that option)
The reason that I found this video so interesting is I'm currently working on a budget 12" co-axial prototype using an Eminence Beta 12CX/PRV 290 or Celestion 1748, and use the Tekton Lore as a comparative bench mark for driver/crossover voicing. I've often wondered how the The Zu and the Lore compare, and no one before you seems to have done that comparison. I like the concept of what you're doing on this channel and have now subscribed.
@@gregmiller3630 Hello Greg. I have to say, you have provided thee most comprehensive contribution to my comments section yet. Furthermore, I would also have to say, I need to borrow you from now on...you stated in frequency response talk, exactly what I would want to convey if I could provide similar testing methods. You captured the other side of the equation beautifully. Many folks blame their not liking the sound of ZU on the tweeter, when they do not realize the wide band Eminence is doing 75% of the heavy lifting.
In your test on the ASD 1001, there is no resistor in the DW, just the 1.1uf cap as you replicated. In comparison the MK I. was polite sounding after going back to it from the DW. As I have moved the ZU's around, I "think" I mentioned for my slightly more intimate space, I prefer them off axis about 10 degrees. Past 20 and they are not as dynamic, compared to being able to listen to the Omen Def's with Radian at near 45 degrees off axis, 9ft apart and 12ft from listening spot (two former addresses ago).
Well, thank you so much for your test contribution. I'm glad it helped give you a different avenue to work on your project. I appreciate you subscribing and feedback. Hope to see more of your input. Cheers!
@@2ChannelListening What I'm liking about your channel is besides saying "I like this speaker's mid range better", you actually look into why a speaker performs the way it does, which is much more informative for us the viewer. My foray into building Eminence based DIY speakers started about a year and a half ago after hearing the Tekton Lore and Emerald Physics CS 2.3, both of which were eye openers as to what could be done with lower cost commercial style components. I still have a lot to learn, but am starting to figure out how various crossover circuits and alignment tweaks can change the voicing of a speaker, and what a particular cabinet tuning/response plot actually sounds like in the real world. Adding to your review in regards to what you're hearing in the bass department, when I clone the Lore driver and cabinet setup, I see a smooth bump at 50-60 Hz with a slight dip above that, which should in theory provide a nice punchy sound without being boomy. If I reduce the cabinet volume to that of the Zu Omen, the bass response has a very gentle roll off starting above 60 Hz indicating softer sounding bass, but my modeler can't calculate of the effect of the "Griewe" device, so that could throw everything out the wondow. As for the Griewe device itself, what the hell is inside that thing? Is it just a block of tapered foam with slots in the bottom, or is there some other structure inside it? I've always been curious as to what that thing is and how it actually works, but have never been able to find any factual documentation to explain the theory.
Now that the Lore's have been dethroned by the Zu's, rather than selling them off, you may want to try fiddling with them a bit. The Eminence Beta 10CX/ASD1001/PXB2-2K5CX kit or the Volt-10 kit from DIY Sound Group could be great candidates as they're relatively cheap, drop right into the cabinets, and the results could interesting to say the least.
For your next round put the Dirty Weekends up against the Maggie LRS just be sure to have a high current amp at the ready for a proper compare.
Are 1100 watts into 4 Ohms good enough??? :-)
@@2ChannelListening watts are not as meaningful. Needs to be stable to 2 ohms and damping factor > 500. Class D is not great with Maggie’s either.
Ok...time for a comparison on the new Zu Dirty Weekend Six vs the Mark II
Agreed
For 1599 starting price point now I think it's still one of the best values out there, from other reviews it's also a better sounding speaker with tighter and lower base.
@@bigtoeknee11 I am very interested in getting my hands on the new DW MK6. I can certainly say O'l Sean and Eric have the mass produced competition whipped. ZU goes the extra mile for the aesthetics.
I have the Omens, circa 2017, and a new pair of DW6 Supremes... No contest, the DW6 Supremes excel across the board. I believe much of it is the new cabinet design, not so much the electronics. A larger and more refined soundstage, the top end has incredible detail that is sweet to the ears. Yes, it could be the Jupiter cap, but I think it is that in combination with the new Union cabinet design. I cannot see one cap and some wiring giving me this much improvement. And the bass, is ticked up quite a few notches, no speaker fiddling, just set and forget. It goes deep, not muddy, but what I would expect the artist would hopefully want to hear in the recording. The midrange is much improved, more clarity, more dynamics... I would give the Omens a 6 and the DW6 a 9. It was worth the upgrade.
A “ferrous” wheel t-shirt! Lol!
Totally underrated T-shirt mind you :-)
Yessss I've always wanted that shirt since I first saw it
Ferrous wheel! Man, I was counting the gondolas to see if there were 9; then it could have been 9 iron..
@@jokur2630 missed opportunity!
I've had my DWs for a little over a year now and I absolutely love them. I was hesitant on getting the ClarityCaps because I was so satisfied with their sound as-is but based on all the positive feedback on the ClarityCaps, I just ordered a set. This weekend I'll install one at a time and do an A/B test with a mono recording 🎶
Hi Ryan, that's a great idea, please update us with your findings. Thank you for the contribution.
@@2ChannelListening So, I got the ClarityCaps and just started to do the install on my DW MKII. I removed the first tweeter and discovered that it's an APT-50 not an ASD-1001 as it should be. Also, they gave me Mundorf silver oil caps instead of the standard Erse Pulse-X. Odd. What are your thoughts on the Mundorf vs. the ClarityCaps? I just contacted ZU to see if they'll swap the tweeters.
@@gggooogggttt I hope they take care of those tweeters for you, that's a weird oversight, its almost like you got someone else canceled units. The only product I had the upgraded Mundorf Silver Oil caps in was a tube preamp and they were great. I have no frame of reference for them in speakers, when I upgraded my Omen Def's, I went with Jupiter copper and oil. Sorry, I cannot help you with your question.
Did you get to install it yet? Love to hear your opinion on the difference
@@RahzAlGhul Hi Rahz, I did install them last week, however, I've had my hands full with the Sierra 2's and only have about 4-5 hours on the ZU's. I hate to sound dismissive, but the DW were already really great as configured, I am not getting any "notable" improvement. Just more of what already like. Thanks for checking in.
do those weights make any difference?
I'm on a third floor apartment, noisy, uneven laminate flooring. They help to a point. Cheap too, $13
I love my Dirty Weekends, but I'm having trouble understanding how the Druids can add 8 grand to the price. Haven't heard them, but I just like the Druid design because it's taller (and full of stars I assume). I'm thinking about building stands for the DW so they are more at my ear height. I don't really like the idea of having them tilted back and the fact that you can't adjust the spikes in place is annoying. The bass extension is my favorite part. I never want speakers that roll off any higher than these now. Turning my sub off does not wreck the sound of the the Zus, which is something that never applied to any of my former speakers. The sub just gives you more level. I do have to sit in the sweet spot with them, though. Off-axis sound is quite different. It's a no-dancing speaker.
i was looking at dw but got a deal on a pair of omen dedefinition mk2. a friend of mine is getting dw so ill try tell you difference between them atleast when i hear them
Hi Nathan, thank you for the contribution. Err, yeah, when it comes to the big jump for special fiberglass fill, honeycomb dampening and meaty aluminum billet base plates - its very hard to stomach the jump. I still think the fully loaded Omen Def with Radian is the right balance. Right around 15-20 degrees off axis is my sweet spot. No subs...I'm stubborn. LOL. Enjoy.
The age of the Mark 1's and the possible humidity exposure over time could be the difference, also.
Humidity is not really an issue in Idaho, pretty dry year round. I've had too many much older speakers that performed very well for age to be an excuse for the Mark I. I would instead give credit to team Casey for the many meaningful small improvements to the DW MKII that really kicked performance up several notches. My Essence were much older than the MKI's and I loved them, terrific speaker for its time. Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@2ChannelListening Good analogy and presentation of your speaker comparisons.
Thank you
Well one year later Zu Audio had quite the price hike. Your Zu Omen (Now MkII) are $2350-up, depending on options, over 100% jump. The Dirty Weekend is missing in action.
Tekton Lore has increased in price too $1080-1280 but nowhere close to the Zu price increase
I'll be very candid - I've unsubscribed to all things ZU as a result of their mega price increase. I understand they need to do what's best to stay in business and adapt to the rollercoaster market, but they also pulled a Ford move - got rid of good products people will buy to get into a brand. There probably will not be any more ZU's in my future.
@@2ChannelListening I was on the Zu waiting list, the Dirty Weekend was replaced by a higher Omen. I wanted to try these but maybe a used Tekton is something that I can start with.
@@WheeledandWellArmed really disappointing, I know. Now you fork out $2,400 for what was a killer $1050 speaker. You can still find nice used Lores out there for under $800 - still an amazing amount of performance for the money (my opinion).
@@2ChannelListening I have never seen such a price jump, I guess there might be a cost difference in the Dirty Weekend and the Omen?
@@WheeledandWellArmed The Omen II does have a number of small differentiating features, some superficial, the main being the internal wiring and speak-on balanced connection.
So I cannot confirm there is an all out "Beef" between Zu & Tekton, but theres without a doubt a bit of controversy. All clean friendly competition im sure, no bad blood.
Based on Sean's blog, he has known Eric since the early 1980's. I am not aware of any beef. To my knowledge they are friends and respect each other professionally.
@@2ChannelListening If you ask Eric directly, he will deny any similarity at all between the 2 and claim its a completely different product. Now also consider the next batch of Omens are going for only $500 a pair! So not only are they upgraded to BEAT the lore, they are cheaper. What does that tell you brotha?
@@AllboroLCD Greetings Allboro, I hate to burst your bubble, that $500 is a deposit on the next batch of builds, to secure your name on the list. If you read through that entire post, it states you can secure them for $500, but you still have to select the options you want and then it will give you a total in the cart. Trust me, I would have loaded up on them at $500 a pair, one Hickory, one Electric Blue...etc. :-)
@@2ChannelListening bubble is burst! Damn, and I was considering saving up for a set : / thnks for the clarification though, I do like your attention to detail in ur vids!
@@AllboroLCD Thank you Allboro, much appreciate sir.
What have you done with the Lore that Zu ring is not standard on the Lore
Showing some possibilities.
@@2ChannelListening nice try, but not for me
If it kills that much, you can take your used Tektons to a body shop and they will put whatever automotive finish you want on your boxes. Cost like 3-4 hundred bucks. Boom you've got Zu's but better.
Welcome back Audfile. Uh, with the revisions, I fully prefer the DW MKII to my Tekton Lore's. Slapping $300 of automotive paint on the Lore's will not undo my perspective, kind sir. That tips the price/value ratio even further into ZU value camp for me.
@@2ChannelListening i just actually watched the video (sometimes I jump the gun). Posted a different thought above ^ . And hey, you make the DW sound good! But I'm confused, I thought the Dirty Weekend was the sort of budget Zu, here all you peasants, a speaker for you. Come get them while you can! This version is pretty refined huh?
@@Audfile not sure how to unpackage your comment, are you being cheeky or serious? What is the Tekton Lore, if not a budget speaker? The Omen DW is by all comparisons its fraternal twin. I never said the sound was refined, I said ZU had made seven revisions and tweaks. Neither speaker would I ever characterize as refined. Just for the record :-)
Ferrous wheel. 💀
;-)
I have an older zu omen mk1 in storage. I'm going to change the caps to mundorf and upgrade the eminence tweeter. Unfortunately it's not economical to upgrade the woofer to their new woofer.
That's about the limit I would take the omens. Omens were good value back in the day. Now zu is over priced unfortunately.
Yes, I would agree with you on both accounts. ZU's latest MASSIVE price increase has lost my interest in future ownership of other models. They have to do what they have to do...and so it goes.
@@2ChannelListening I have a theory. As wages go up and inflation kicks in. When and if there is unemployment or less quality jobs, speaker kits will be a tad more popular for some 85th percentile speakers. Similar to the 50s and 60s.
@@a88888888a that's a good theory. One I probably would subscribe to in a different era. Unless there are robots to put the speaker kits together for these younger generations, I don't see them getting interested in using their hands. Not to be prickly, but if there isn't gamification behind it, I do not see a resurging popularity for that kind of DIY. I would be happy to be proved entirely wrong. I see the popularity of CSS Criton speaker kits and Dayton still looks healthy, but I don't know what the true numbers are of adoption.
great review! have you sold the dirty weekends yet?
My DW's are not for sale thus far. I sold the Tektons and the Omens. Holding on to these beauties a while longer.
need clarity caps
They are on order! Thank you.
By the way. Huge Buckethead fan and he sounds great on the ZU’s. Same goes for Primus. But there is a drum solo by Mario Duplantier from Gojira, literally called drum solo that will blow you away on the ZU’s. Check it out.
I love good recommendations, thank you Jeff.
@@2ChannelListening in fact, I don’t know if you saw the video I posted awhile back. It’s demoing the Dirty Weekends with that song.
Question: Why does there have to be a Spouse acceptance factor. I am not burdened with this.
The phrase exists for those who know, if it does not apply to you, terrific, enjoy your two channel however you come about it. Cheers.
@@2ChannelListening I Know. It was meant to be a broader philosophical question. Can we find a place where one spouse will not dictate ultimatums to the other.
@@ivansbacon ultimatums are only effective if given power. Compromise is not a one way street. Seems simple, but folks sell themselves short.
I served mine, got tired of trying to satisfy/please her, I had no place to be alone and think or enjoy myself. She would not let me listen to my stereo, and would give me no peace, even out in the garage... Since leaving her, I have darn near quit drinking, have a very nice stereo system, and can play the music I like, when I like. I hope she can accept that... Oh, the new Zu DW6 Supremes, and the Omen DW's help too. Finally able to enjoy the music, instead of getting it. ;-)
Full of information oh, yes! Full of s*** not so far!🤭😉🤗😇
Ha ha, thank you Big Jay!
I'll take the lores off your hands lol
And for a price, they can be yours Eric! Thanks for watching.
@@2ChannelListening and what is that price, my 2 channel friend? 🎶
@@JosephTongret Hi Joseph, please use my email link if you are serious. I do not want to post these conversations live. Thank you sir.
Danny Richie, GR Research, worst speakers he measured xD
Two varieties of speakers that I've heard for years at audio shows and never cared for. To me this is a choice between bad and worse. But you do you and I'll do me.
Sounds like a fantastic and wise plan, thank you PW.
Tektons, the Emperors Clothes of speakers.
Hello Phil and welcome;
So, do you have much experience with Tekton? Which model did you work with to leave such a comment?
@@2ChannelListening I owned the Double Impacts which are bigger than the Lores and was totally disappointed.
Believe me when I say I understand. My first pair of Tektons was a customized set of Pendragons, the full works and when I started breaking them in, I was so underwhelmed, I took a bath on resale to get rid of them. However, like the ZU Dirty Weekend and Lore's, speakers implementing the Kentucky (now Chinese) made Eminence 10.3" wide band driver is a different story. If you get a chance to listen to a pair, you must. Different story, different dynamics at this price point. Thanks for listening!
@@2ChannelListening After the DI's I bought some Klipsch Forte Fours and they were nice but not great for jazz or classical so on an experienced friends advice I bought so twenty year old Proac Response Threes that blew the two previous ones away. I wouldn't go near Tektons ever again for any reason especially after the way they treated me. Terrible to deal with.
Dude, I am in favor of attracting more of the fairer sex to our passion but this is bit over the top.
What exactly about this review would have you think so?
Oh hey brother, you should invest in some good microphones because can barely hear you but your intro. Music blows you out and then your voice sounds like you’re in a back room. It would be a much better video if we could actually hear you instead oh my God Brother, please microphones 🎤
Couple episodes later, mission accomplished. Thanks
8:42, shows it needs more bracing
Riggghhtt....
Tekton vs ZU, the battle for the entry-level king of mediocracy!
Fair enough
@@2ChannelListening I don't mean to come off as an elitist a-hole but if you're trying to put together a true high-end system that's highly resolving these speakers aren't going to get you there. On the other hand, if you're trying to put together a good mid-fi or entry-level high-fi system you're probably better off buying ELAC speakers. They'll perform as well as the entry-level ZU or Tekton speakers and for a lot less money.
@@arthurott4561 "Probably?" That absolutely means you have not heard the Tekton's and especially the Uruz. I'd take the Tekton Uruz over any skinny tower, hands down. Those budget narrow towers cannot replicate the punch nor open sound of a paper 10" driver. Is it elite hifi, hell no and all the better for it. Thanks for clarifying your statement. No axe to grind on my part, just sharing my personal journey.
@@2ChannelListening OK, I'll take your word that the Uruz model sounds better than a skinny tower but I'd be surprised that the ELAC wouldn't win over some people if you compared similarly prices ($1200) ELAC models to the Uruz. I've heard some of the ZU speakers and read quite a few reviews of the Tektons. I never had any real urge to hear them because they can't perform at the level I'm looking to explore. I'm not a 1 percenter that can throw mega dollars at a system but I've been involved in the hobby since the early 80s and I've steadily upgraded over the years and built a damn good system. I generally buy from the used market as you can get more bang for your buck. I can buy components that are a few years old that would have been out of my price range at their original "new from a dealer" price.
@@arthurott4561The friend I bought the Zu Omen Dirty Weekends from, the Zu's were his go to every day speaker... In his treated basement, which looked like a high end HiFi shop, he had an original pair of Tyler Acoustics, $12.000 back in the day, Tyler delivered them himself... The Zu's sounded much better to my ear, and my buddy begrudgingly agreed. I had to pry the Zu's out of his house... He is getting a pair of the Zu Union 6's when he ditches the Tylers.
I've viewed both of your recent TH-cams on the comparison. You've done a great disservice to your audience AND ... Zu audio! By NOT reviewing and comparing the latest version ... DW MKII's ..
which have been in production for the last 3 years instead of the MkI's, with the Tektons.
It's irresponsible ... damages Zu's ability to sell the DW MKII'S and ... the end user as well who may actually act on your faulty information and not get what their after.
If you're going to continue as "an expert" you need to do your homework on these products from these largely small business owners who devote their lives to developing and then producing these specialty products they work their hearts out on and love but ... barely scratch out an existence in most cases.The boutique market just isn't large enough to get rich on.
Dear Don, you clearly did not watch both video's start to finish. Instead of attacking me with pointless hyperbole, why don't you state a fact that I missed? What did I leave out, what did I not mention? Second, you miss the entire point of my channel - I do not buy the newest gear, I buy quality used audio components and see if they are still worth the money at depreciated values - how do they hold up, are they a better bargain on the used market etc. Then I compare them to my favorite used bargain product. How is that a disservice? I'll happily respond to a factual challenge.
@@2ChannelListening Why would you review a product that's no longer available to be purchased by the general public ... at least without telling viewers up front? If you DO decide to review an older version, It's your obligation to let viewers know up front that there is a newer version now in production and for the last 2 or 3 years. Maybe I missed that in your first presentation but I don't think so.
I did not disagree with your evaluation of th he DW's MkI which is your opinion and you are entitled to it ... only that you omitted the most important information ... you were sloppy!
@@donvito8652 I will concede one point to you Don, I did not mention that there are additional upgradable options for the current Tekton Lore. However, in Part I, I did in fact, discuss the upgrade path for ZU speakers and glossed over what one can get, including my upgrade path experience with Omen Def's - so I think I did give the reviewers appropriate data and the age of the speakers I was reviewing, including the latest comparison chart, directly from the ZU website (Part II) - did you miss that bit? Thank you Don.
Another talking head. BLAH BLAH BLAH.
If speaking for myself, about my own journey makes me a talking head, so be it. Thank you .