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Zu def 4 are they the best speaker made?

I have been a Zu fan for a long time starting with the presence and moving to Definition 3 then to Definition 4.

In my opinion if you like Americana, Rock music
Blues or Bluegrass, then these speakers with the right electronics and room, I really feel like the room matters as much as components.

these speakers lack nothing in my opinion you have great soundstage as well as intimacy and realistic bass.

i have tried a lot of different amps and preamps
But for me as Cobra from this site.  suggested a good 845 amp is a match made in audio heaven!

I'm using a Jhango passive and my 845 is a Larry Moore Monaco with some upgraded parts

Lampizator Dac and transport thru a MacBook Pro with Tidal and it’s simply amazing!!

for vinyl I have a modded table from George Merrill of Memphis Tn, great guy by the way.

and my phono pre is Heed quasar , nothing crazy expensive and I would put it up against anything I have had the pleasure to listen to.

my point is Zu makes a fantastic speaker on top of amazing customer service. But with the right gear they can sound as good as it gets.

i know that’s a bold statement but these speakers are so immediate and life like without any limitations that I can hear but it’s just my opinion.

Check them out for yourself, you may feel the same way.

52tiger
hew's avatar
hew
159 posts
 
Big Zu fan myself and still own a modified Druid.

It’s funny how I just got into a big argument along the same lines with some panel speaker owners. This is not to say that other speakers don’t make great music but there is a realistic quality that Zu speakers get right that others just don’t. Not many prioritize this quality in their system. I think Cobra has address this much better than anyone else.
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
I have heard a few ZU speakers in my audio lifetime and I would say that to me  they are forward sounding and bright. Not for me.

Same here.  I've known Sean for a long time and think he's a brilliant designer and a wonderful guy.  I have just never warmed up to his speakers and I've heard them with numerous combinations of gear.  My Zu Audio/Denon cartridge is da bomb though.

Funny that one of the posters above mention panel speakers...yeah that's me, but I have owned a lot of others too.

IMHO, speakers are the one thing, (well, let's say mostly the one thing) that are more personal, (as far as sound quality goes) than any other component.  And are usually the hottest debated and stood up for...
contuzzi
413 posts
 
I heard Zu speakers at Axpona twice (two different years) and I couldn’t believe how bad they sounded. I visited the room multiple times on multiple days and each time it was a walk in walk out. The people I was with all agreed.


onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,136 posts
 
Hey, didn't some guy file some patents recently that made all other loudspeakers obsolete?  I thought everybody knew that.

Nothing wrong with liking your new loudspeakers and letting the world know about it.  What would it all be about if we didn't have enthusiasm?
larryi
3,716 posts
 
When someone says something is the best or among the best of anything, that statement only has meaning if there is context.  What else did the person hear and find wanting compared to that product?  There is no way for anyone to have seriously auditioned anything but a small fraction of what is available, but still, it would help to know what else was heard and why those do not measure up.  

I have heard the Zu Def 4 and they are, in many respects, very good speakers--very clear and dynamic sounding.  I like that kind of sound myself.  But, if someone thought that the transient attack was too hard and brittle sounding, I would understand that sentiment too. Not that many commercial speakers are as dynamic as the Zu, so I can understand if someone is swept away by hearing them.  But, it would be interesting to know how many other systems with that kind of dynamics and clarity the OP had heard, e.g., Classic Audio Reproduction field-coil speakers, a good vintage Western Electric horn system, modern horn system with ALE or Cogent or Goto drivers, Acapella speakers, Horning speakers?  This list can go on and on.
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