Question about ZU speakers


Hi! I´m from Portugal.This is my first post here...
I´m considerind to take the risk and buying the Zu Definition MK1.5. But since there are no Zu delear here in Portugal I want to ear your opinion about them!
My interest on them started after read the review of Mr Ebaen from 6moons. I remember that he compared the Definition with the Avantgarde Duo that he owned...
I listen to the Acantgards (second hand opportunity) last month and I loved the sound. I didn´t bought them only for 2 reasons: the bottom end was not very tight and didn´t integrated very well with the rest of the bandwith and I think I would have space problem with them at my living room (4x7 meter).

So any of the owners here compared the Zu definition with the DUO's?
Do you think the Def Pro are fare better option than the Def MK1.5?
Anyone tested the Druids with 2 subwoofer againts the Definition's? What do you think it would be better?

I need also to buy 2 power amps to drive them. I notice that most Zu owners use yamamoto's and audiopax amps but this brand aren´t available here in Portugal. What you think about pairing them with Bel Canto M300 or Monarchy SM70pro(one Monarchy for each Zu)? My budget for the power amps is around 3000 usd and I´m open to other options...

My other options are B&W 802D and Pioneer S-1EX (with TAD drivers) both amplified with Bel Canto REF1000...Do you think they will beat the Zu's? Anyone eard the Pioner S-1EX?

The rest of my gear is Bel Canto PL-1A (universal player), Tag Mclaren AV32R DP (AV processor), speaker cable Audioquest Vulcano and IC are Acoustic Zen Matrix II.

This speakers/amps are for my AV/stereo system which i´m starting to built. But my primary goal is to have very good stereo reproduction!
Thank you for your help
Best regards
Miguel

PS: sorry if are any mistakes on the text
miguelcarvalho

Showing 1 response by undertow

you need to realize with Zu speakers they are prone to bad power hum, smearing etc... If not on very well tuned equipment and power supplies.. Atma-sphere uses Zu as a test on their equipment as they show everything up the chain, have incredible efficiency yet don't give the horn sound that can amplify other problems even further.. They are organic sounding paper drivers with extremley deep transparency, and simply way too fast for a bare walled hotel demo, At minimum I have found you can't be too close to walls, needing a couple feet to not get back a lot of echo or reflection from the wall re-enforcing already fast and high decible full range sound, they are not crossed over like a conventional design trying to create a curve they are the curve, and the Room causes all your problems even more amplified than a standard speaker... So keep that in mind, or Have a very large room so you can hear the speaker, not the room and re-create a boxy sound already difficult to defeat in any acoustic sound environment. Killing first point reflections just like any speaker helps a ton...

Beyond that they are a very 3 dimensional, yes most negatives I have seen on this speaker is they sound un-realistically Big in the soundstage.. I really don't understand why you want something compressed sounding in the center of the room, but if you want a speaker that breaths than this is for you.. Otherwise definatley look at the Standard audio speakers that are Well overdamped and compress at a certain point to keep things under control in the environment.

Also just a side not for Pro def users.. I found easily the back drivers Re-enforce much of the frequencies in the 250 to 800 hz range, that is a lot of extra re-enforcement to what the front drivers already are doing, this can add a lot of rock and roll midrange at high DB if you don't cut them off or filter a couple DB off them via the processor, not to mention you are firing these mid freq's right off the backwall which even adds more Delay and re-enforcement to it.