Hi Ton1313.....what are your initial impressions? |
Hi Warren. They just debuted a few weeks ago at RMAF. The first shipments are probably just being received and I doubt anyone outside of Zu has spent more than a few hours listening. I too would love to hear the comparison. Maybe Glory can expound on the improvements that he has noted with the updated Drivers on the Def 2's? |
Any more impressions guys? Or comparisons to other Zu speakers? |
Hi Keith,
How did you like the Almarro 318? I just picked up an Almarro 205 mkii and it sounds pretty damn good for $650 on my Def mkiii's. I don't think it will displace my Art Audio PX-25 but it seems like a very good match with Zu so far. |
Hi Guys,
I don't mean to hijack this discussion (which I find both very informative, educational, and humorous at the same time), but does anyone actually have the mkiii's? I am considering the upgrade. My most recent Zu speaker was Omen Defs with upgraded Mundorf SIO Caps, internal silver wiring, and the HO Drivers (not the nano drivers).
Besides the obvious improvement in bass, what else can I expect different from the Omen Defs? I found the OD's to be spectacular with both SET and Solid State and they excelled with great recordings, especially with vocalists, jazz, and acoustics. However, rock, mediocre recordings, and anything over a moderate level was fatiguing to my sensitive ears (tinnitus).
What sort of change for good or bad would the Definition mkiii bring to the table? Would they be better with less than stellar recordings? Would they be better with rock? How about sound staging and imaging? As I said, I am very sensitive to high frequency etching due to tinnitus and the tweeter is the same in both speakers. I did find it a little harsh for me at moderate volumes with electric guitar, cymbals, etc.
As I had the Omen Defs with the same internals as the mkiii (same wiring and caps), the only difference is the Nano Driver and the Bass Modules. I would really love to hear all your thoughts on this as I want to make sure that I'm making the best decision or if I should just save up for a few years and get the mk iv?
Thanks alot guys. |
Thanks Phil,
Tell Sean Hi and thanks and I will discuss with him the cap changes on the mk III. Btw I am debating between the gloss black and the Ferrari red gloss. Any thoughts? |
So has anyone actually heard the mk iii's? Some of us can't afford the mk IV's and we would love to hear any and all impressions or thoughts on this topic!
And btw, I noticed a very dramatic break in for the Omen Defs that I had previously. It took a good 300-400 hours for break in and then I noticed a gradual improvement for a good 6 months. This may be due to the fact that I listen at low volumes but I've heard the same from many other Zu owners. |
Thanks so much Bufford. That is a good read on 6Moons and I do think that the Radian tweeter will be worth the wait for me. Zu is doing a very good job of investing in new technology and then quickly trickling down that technology into the lower end models for us on tighter budgets! I bet the new Druids will be a huge success. |
Hi Gopher,
Def mk Iii is an upgrade for all prior Definition models to get them as close to the mk iv status as possible in the prior enclosures. So no it is not a built from scratch speaker, but more of a recycling of prior Def models. And I think they are sold as they become available, I.e as a Def mk ii owner ships them back in exchange for a credit for the mk IV's. If I understand correctly, they add extra cabinet bracing, upgrade the Drivers and put new amps in the subs.
There maybe a few details that I am missing, but the biggest difference is that the prior enclosures do not work for the new upgraded tweeter and therefore the mk III uses the older tweeter which is the same as the prior definitions as well as the Superfly, Omen Defs, etc.. I do believe that the mk iv also has the new base that is not included in the mk III.
|
Hi Guys,
Just a quick update.....I hosted Sean on his trip to San Francisco last week the night before I left town on vacation (where I am now). I spontaneously called him last week after reading this thread and he told me that not only was he visiting SF but he would deliver a pair for me and that was an offer I could not refuse considering the in home trial and all of your feedback......So, Thursday Sean delivered and set up a new pair of Def mk iii's in a textured Matte Black finish (FYI gorgeous), so I not had about two hours of listening before my flight as Sean arrived very late at night.....
First impressions were......Stunning! They are a major upgrade over the Omen Defs I had which had the HO Drivers, the Mundorf Caps, and the Event wiring.......I thought that the Defs would be a 5% improvement or so over the Omen Defs but boy was I wrong......they are Killer! The new drivers make everything just better. If anyone is on the fence, you better order a pair of the mk iii's while you still can!
The major problem I had with the Omen Defs was the high frequencies which I thought was related to the tweeter. However with the same tweeter in the Def iii's, this problem is completely gone and everything sounds better. I think it must be that the improvement is from the new Nano Drivers.....detail, top end air, staging, imaging, etc. are all world class........I'm quite happy I came back to Zu and all of you waiting, Gopher included, are in for more than a few smiles! |
Hi Mark and Gopher,
Unfortunately the AN211 went home just before I received the Zu's so I cannot comment on the pairing. And yes I did receive the Art Audio PX-25 and that sounded amazing on my initial limited session....still will need a few weeks at home to change tubes and compare but Sean loves the amp and as soon as he walked into my place he spotted it from across the room and said it was one of his favorites.......I live in an apt so the 6 watts is more than enough for me for now........ |
Gopher: I have noticed continual burn In and improvement over the last month. Sean says they all receive 600 hours of burn in at the factory, but they do continue to get better and better over time. Enjoy! |
Thanks Gopher. I'll give that a try! |
Yes, the Frankensteins are sadly gone. They didn't match well with the Pendragons, but they would be an ideal match with the new Definitions' nano drivers. You are spot on and I've been on the lookout. The warmth of the 300b would be IMO ideal. Having said that, the PX-25 is very nice and paired with my current system, I have a very nice, musical presentation with a very wide and deep and holographic soundstage. A little more warmth is the vocal range and I would be very happy! |
Keith,
I have found two excellent amps with my Def III's: Art Audio PX-25 and my recent acquisition the Coincident Frankensteins. I find the warmth of the Franks to be a perfect complement to the Nano FRD's. The Franks give up a little of the bass of the PX-25, but not much. Of course, that is in my system which is very detail oriented with the Metrum Octave DAC, the Allnic L-3000 Pre, and the Def III's. |
Yes the Metrum is quite nice. I do have an AP-2 for the Metrum but I'm waiting for a replacement Metrum as the Coax went out on mine........
But yes, loving the Franks and it would be great to compare our two systems.....211's vs 300's! |
I am comparing at present a pair of EML Mesh 300's to the Psvane 300 mkii. Both are sounding excellent in my current system. I would love to hear a pair of the Japanese Yakatsuki's! Maybe a Christmas gift to self :)?
BTW any of you guys with the Franks: Have you rolled the 6EM7 or 5u4g tubes? |
Roscoe: No it's the black version..... And I've only played them for a few hours, so I don't have many impressions yet, other than they sound good so far:). To my eyes they do look smaller than the prior Shuguang Black Treasures that I had.....maybe I'll start a different thread for this discussion......sorry for the distraction guys...... |
I've noticed that slow break in with all Zu speakers....especially if they are played at low to moderate volumes? |
Hi CharlesDad,
I honestly think Zu plays loud and crazy music at the shows for marketing reasons and to show that they are different from the typical audiophile speaker company. I live in an old Victorian and I listen at 65-75 dB max and the speakers are really exceptional on vocals, and on acoustic instruments, and I think jazz also. Would love to hear how they compare to your Coincident speakers. |
I'm pretty sure the caps that Zu uses are quite small and therefore less expensive, even for the Dueland.....please keep us updated:) |
I'm interested in the Intertechnik Audyn Copper for the Zu's. I was already placing an order to put the Audyns in my amp and would love to know the size and number needed for the Zus. Anybody know?
Cheers and Happy Holidays to you all:) |
I think that the cap upgrades are a recent addition to the Zu lineup based on my conversation with Sean a few weeks ago. And just to throw out the details of the rest of my conversation with Sean, he said that the Audyn True Copper caps were very near the level of the Dueland and the cost is about 1/10th of the Dueland. I've heard that from several reliable sources so if any of you want to upgrade to 95% of the Dueland at $30 per cap, try out the German Audyn True Copper Caps. Btw there is no US distributor. You have to order directly from Germany. |
