ZU OMEN speakers 12ohms??

The ZU speakers seem to work better with amplifiers that have a slightly higher output impedance, and the newer models seem like they are more accurate/less forgiving of brightness and sluggish behavior from the amp. So yes, some amps will be revealed in this fashion quite quickly.

So while the speaker does not mind having power at its disposal, it had better be clean power. Its a common experience that smaller amplifiers sound better and in this case the biggest amp you might ever want to put on this speaker might only make 40-50 watts at the most. A lot of bigger amps may not be up to the task.

I have to agree with Atmasphere's comment about accuracy, but with a slight reservation. I'm three weeks into my home trial of a pair of Essences. They possess the same 10" wide bander, but unlike the Omen, they use a ribbon tweeter. I've been experimenting with a variety of tube amps and taps. I'm currently using a push-pull EL84 amp that produces 22 wpc.

Since the speakers are still breaking in their character changes gradually. However, at this point one thing is very clear. They are capable of revealing all sorts of details. So far their presentation is one of rock solid images with a deep sound stage and plenty of air. Voice is reproduced in a fleshy, three dimensional manner. Piano, whether from a CD or LP, is stunning in tone, decay and resonance.

If anything seems out of whack at this stage it's the bass. While the Essence can produce solid bass (try Lyle Lovett's "She's already Made Up Her Mind"), it doesn't seem to blend seamlessly with the rest of the frequency spectrum. To my ears that makes the midrange stand out a bit too much and emphasizes the perception of "accuracy." At this point this may be a break in issue. I've got less than 100 hours on them. The wide bander uses a pleated surround which takes a notoriously long time time break in.

As part of a special promotion, I was given a 90 day home trial, so I'm in no hurry to rush to any judgement. I'm encouraged by what I'm hearing.

Thanks Jamich , can you please keep us up to date on this I appreciated it.

How would the Omen Defs sound with a mid range receiver like an Integra or Marantz? Is the power clean enough for these? I am encouraged by the reviews relative to the pricing. Could these be used with two Omen bookshelves, the Omen Center and a sub as a 5.1 system? I'm looking to utilize this system for both music and home theater in a fairly large room.

I'm sure they'd sound better with better amplification, but should still be nice with your receiver. I haven't heard the Omen Defs, just the Soul Superflys and it is hard to make them sound 'bad' with amplification.

As far as creating a 5.1 system with the rest of the Omen speakers, I can only say of cours! That largely seems to be the point of the other speakers in the line--I think thats evident by the fact that they're actually offering bundle pricing on the Omen Defs and Bookshelves

I'd hold off on the sub and see if its needed in the setup. The Omen Defs are supposed to have a great bottom end and I suspect you may have a difficult time integrating subs to the speakers.