Zu or Harbeth


Hello Gentlemen,

I soon may be in the market for some new speakers. I currently have a pair of Vandersteen 3a's ( my "waterproof" digital camera got soaked, so I haven't updated my system photos for a while) and I really enjoy the sound. That said, I am sure there are better speakers out there.

The Harbeth 40.1 has been on the top of my list since the beginning, but lately I have been looking at the Zu Definitions and/or Presence. At this point in time I am only interested in speakers from these 2 companies for various reasons, esthetics being one of them.

I have read all the reviews for each of the speakers and would love to hear from anyone who owns/has owned these speakers.

My room is about 16'x25' with an a-frame ceiling with a 20'peak.
Also I have a Mcintosh MC 2500 beast of an amplifier, which I love, and have no plans on upgrading, not sure how this would mate with the Zu's.

I also plan on buying used.

Thank you in advance.
hanaleimike

Showing 2 responses by pdreher

I think you'd love the 40.1's... I sure do. I can't speak to the sound of the Zu's, as I have never heard them, however, while I like that they are very efficient, I am turned off by the way they look (I know many would say the same about the 1970's retro look of Harbeth). Your room size would be great for the 40.1's... and I think your decor would also blend well with the Harbeth's.
Samhar - I'd say the 40.1's excel in being very well balanced speakers, in that they are good at everything... and I would describe their sound as palpable, organic, rich (without sounding syrupy) and full bodied. Micro dynamics and decay are excellent. I find them to be very musical and they just "sound right" to my ears. Definitely a different sound that the Dynaudio Confidence series, of which I owned both the C2's & C4's. Think of the Dyn Confidence series as a high performance Porsche, whereas the Harbeth 40.1's are comparable to a Mercedes luxury touring sedan.

Oh... the inner detail is just right for me, without any listener fatigue.