Never mind the build quality, I would suggest that 2% of Steve's viewers check out a Technics SU-Z2 and another 2% check out a Sansui A 60, (from the Super-Compo line). These can be rebuilt to make a great amplifier for low volume listening, especially if using Realistic Optimus X-100 speakers.
This is what I was thinking, its crazy, you could buy 2 x rel 31's plus Omens or Soul6 and still have 5k left over and have a much bigger smile on your face
Steve, you really are the best too all of us. These are very admirable speakers and you always have something very engaging to listen about. I think Tekton is having some influence on Zu's new tweeting arrangement here. I bought the Dayton tube amp HTA200 that was more powerful then the one you reviewed and mine came with a not so impressive not always working remote but I have a remote....lol. This 100wpc tube amp from Dayton Audio is the most beautiful match to my classic Celestion SL6si bookshelves. They seemed to blossom far more then with solid state amps.....very impressed and I owe that too you for the review and then me ordering that amp. That's what I mean, you always have something for everyone.....and I really enjoy your presentation. I have been subscribed to your channel for possibly 6 years now....take care and again thanks for being here.
Excellent review! Based on your description, they seem to have a similar sound signature as the DW6. I returned them at the end of the 60-day trial for some of the reasons you outlined. Lack of transparency and high-end sparkle. I also thought that they did not play particularly well at low volumes as I continually wanted to play them louder. Great impact for sure. I guess not my audiophile cup of tea.
Had the exact opposite experience with the DW6. Mine sparkle. Mine are transparent. High. Low. Image. Any volume. What are you using for amplification?
Good video again Steve. Interesting construction of those Zu Def6 loudspeakers. Also really appreciate how you experience your music and explain that clearly to us. I recognize your point about big speakers. I don't dare go back to two small speakers either. Two monitor speakers with a sub could be an alternative, but as an audiophile, a large speaker is also the best for it's looks...;-).
Your passion comes through so well as always, Steve! Yes to the designer/creator interviews. And - love that you share a diverse range of music. Well done. Thanks!
If I saw that correctly, the low pass corner is adjustable down to 10hz! Even more interesting is the design choice ... I've never seen drivers, covering the same range, seperated that far apart. As I understand, ... sources seperated with a center-to-center greater than 1/2 wavelength apart will exhibit lobing. 565hz = 24" wavelength, ... as I'm eyeballing ~12" between the coax centers. Thus, unless equidistant from both sources, ... ~565hz on up would be subject to summation challenges, right? Bottom line, I know this to be true; Sean's Kung-fu is good. That said, I'm guessing its a non-issue. Much is made about disparate tweeters ... but even 90° out of phase still yields 3dB of positive summation. I'm wondering with Steve, in his room of modest depth, perhaps he simply wasn't far enough away for them to shine optimally, fair? Thoughts?
Live at the Sand's! I love that album. I was listening on my Omen DW's, circa 2017, and it sounds fantastic. And thanks to you Steve, I ordered a pair of the DW6 Supremes last night. I was debating over the Union 6 or the DW Supremes... After talking to Gerritt over at Zu, and watching and reading everything I could, the DW's won out over the Union 6's. I cannot wait to get them in the house. The guys at Zu are top notch, Gerritt could have easily upsold me, but he did not. Kudo's to Zu!
I owned the dirty weekend for about a year and liked them but didn’t love them. I would have kept them but with limited space I sold them. I now have the kef reference 1 metas, great speakers for me but I do understand the attraction of Zu speakers.
I love my Zu DW Mk5's. I would probably never be able to afford these, but based on how my DW,s sound if I could I would have them. I enjoy listening to music through speakers that make the music sound natural to me. I could care less how they measure. I've always listened to music, never measured it. Music always sounds better than it looks on paper.
Just get a nice small speaker for night sessions and you have all the bases covered! : ) I think that ZU has a "house sound" that they're proud of - and it's not to everyone's taste... The DEFs look like they can rock for sure - would love to see how they worked in my space : )
When you say DEFs I imagine you mean Definitive Technology....they sound good to me, but lately they haven't been getting the love or awards as they have in the past. And why not go to GR Research to hack them or any speaker even more.
Saludos Steve, como siempre geniales tus videos, muy apreciados y valorados tus comentarios y apreciaciones, sigue adelante, abrazos desde Bogotá, Colombia
I know a couple people who have Zu Speakers one guy has them paired with a vintage pioneer. They love them... Three 10 inch drivers and three tweeters in this size tower is impressive. Thanks for the review 👍✌️
I have found the EMI 62 speakers from the 1960s to be the most natural sounding seakers I have ever heard. In EMI ads transient response was emphacized and their oval woofer, 6x10 is made of aluminum and plastic: should have been low mass for quicker acceleration in response to an imput. The concentric cone tweeter is very smooth and crisp. Efficiency is high, I drive them with a ten watt per channel amplifier. I listen mostly to classical. I enjoy a symphony Orchestra with its variety of sounds.
My favorite speaker ever is the Mandingo 9000/S. With 35 tweeters and 5 subwoofers it’s a crazy ride. Unfortunately the tweeters don’t go above 1k but you’d never notice it because they tell you not to notice that in the manual.
Those built in subs rob you of the ability to optimize their placement in your listening space. I’m sure they’re very impressive regardless. My fav Sinatra album. Ever. Thanks, Steve.
Hey Steve, just thinking that two Coax speakers, spaced so far apart are going to have serious phase cancellation issues in the hi frequency range.I going to guess a hi cut filter in one driver .
Well ... 101dB SPL from two ... 'doubled' 16 ohm woofers (distortions are doubled), just an old, southern hospitality trick copied from the Texan Realistic Optimus T-200. Had three weeks of 'Burn-In' and was ready to go, tweeter between the ten inch drivers beams the sound waveform up to the ceiling, bouncing off it and the same from the floor if we're far enough back from the speaker to catch the reflected effect but was Steve's room big enough? Yes he went out and came back in. What do we really ... really think? Twin cone speakers are narrow dispersion and two with a tweeter help spread the sound. Steve's amp has a Damping Factor of 500 for the 101dB SPL and he didn't think it was audiophile but good enough.
I picked up a DW-MKII "last year" which are OK (use with SE Tube gear) as is cannot match the Focal Aria 726 (1 of 5pairs of speakers in my rotation) for Tube gear. These will be sold, and I would like an Open Baffle speaker to add into the mix.
I haven’t heard the speakers but the man has the best music taste in the biz . Man I gotta hear these. I think Zu really could look into CNC deigns the tone wood thing is only gonna get ‘em so far. The market is just too competitive. Also how do these work with turntables , probably really well but don’t forget to emphasize because the you tube algorithm can’t distinguish unless it’s mentioned.
Yes no speaker does everything, just like cars or anything. Most audiophile speakers suffer from high SPL compression issues, some of my best listening experiences are through club PA systems that I have designed and installed with my home system could never do😊.
4 decades ago I could buy 2 Mercedes for the price of the speakers ..........hahaha....world has changed . I am happy to build most of my gear myself ( worked for a High end dealer for years ) ........... Thanks for the review. and I orderd Sinatra ...
I’ve had SO many speakers over the years including Wilson B&W (many B&W ) … But I’m in love with my Spendor D9 … For me INCREDIBLE for the price….. cheers 🥂
I have auditioned 3 sets of ZU speakers. Very unimpressed for the money. Build quality is good but cabinets were a little thin.I have had a set of Sansui Kabuki speakers that sounded better.
That cabinet is a plain ugly box, like the ugly Tektons. As a manufacturer direct company (no dealer lopping off 50%),, this is about as greedy as the pricing gets for such an eyesore.
2 x 10 inch full range drivers and a tweeter to create a D'Appolito point source configuration and a 12 inch active sub in one box? Hate the colour. But the complete package tickles my eyes, and my brain says This looks great, I bet it sounds as good as it looks. Highish efficiency, easy load, and less than 60 kgs. each speaker. I like em. I like em a lot. Just that colour ugh...🙂
Sounds really enticing, but, isn’t the point of subwoofers to place them to optimize uniform bass where you are sitting, not where you optimize tonality, imaging and soundstage from the primary drivers in the cabinets? Seems like you just have to compromise.
Keep in mind there are TWO of them, one in each speaker, so eliminating some room nulls and nodes can happen. Old school speakers were big, all-in-one affairs with great dynamics and a huge scale. I'll never get rid of my vintage AR-9 in that regard. Now many play the game of getting bookies and adding a sub or two. That can be valid as well, as long as the bookies can offer the dynamics and scale needed to mimic the larger floor standers. Not all do. Choose well.
@@rosswarren436 Yeah but the vintage AR-9 is 87dB at 4 ohms and uh ... the Zu Definition 6 uses a transformer isolated sub-woofer to maintain 101 dB at 8 ohms. Now the AR-9 does have the doubled woofers but they're 12 inch and low sensitivity. 87dB SPL at 4-ohms is nearer 78dB SPL for an 8 ohm amplifier, so you know, AR-9? AR-9 are for 4-ohm amplifiers, McIntosh and such (American stuff). AR-9 were from Chicago-Kentucky areas and for you know, rich people whilst Zu are made in Utah and for people with 8-ohm amplifiers (they're using Japanese equipment).
@@rosswarren436 I have vintage Infinity RS-3b’s, in the same league as your AR-9’s, so I get what you are saying. In my listening room, they do an excellent job with low bass, but I can optimize them even more if I sacrificed airiness, soundstage depth, and imaging - not going to do that. I’ve heard lots of ultra high end systems with hundred thousand dollar tower speakers, and owners still use one or two subs. Those lows with frequencies of 15, 20, 30 and 40 ft lengths just seem to need subs distant from the mains. I’m quite happy with what I have, but still wonder why if one chooses to go with subs at all (even with main towers with multiple 8, 10, or 12” woofers) why have them in the same vertical array rather than positioned optimally.
@@36karpatoruski Yeah because very few subs are 101dB for 1 watt. You know? Just tell me one sub-woofer that does 101dB at one watt? You see Zu outwitted you both.
@@keplermission my Carver amp is for 4 ohm to 8 ohm speakers so it drives them much louder than I want to listen these days. But yeah, that scale is hard to live without once you've heard it. I have smaller bookies in the den and like them a lot, but when I really want to listen to music, the living room with those AR-9 is it. i get that high efficiency speakers can be great, especially with tube amps which can be very nice indeed.
As good as Stones Some Girls live is I think Brussels Affair and Get YerYaYas Out are Stones at their peak live.. with Mick Taylor’s stunning playing.. note that there’s a great 3 disc version of the latter.
So many great choices, but the point of this review is the definition 6 does things that other audioiphile don't do. As always, there's no best, just different.
As a current Zu owner i hate this....the bigger Zu speakers get in the range the triple the cost. For thr money I may as well buy 2 pair of Dirty Weekends to match what these larger speakers do
They are available in a wide wine variety of finishes, including custom. They are way too expensive for me to buy, but they are very cool, which is why I reviewed them!
Nothing special about those feet as they are simply industrial grade swivel leveling feet that can be bought off the shelf. But those speakers are gorgeous and I never want to hear them because I'd have a heck of a time trying to convince my wife to let me drain at least $25,000 out of our savings when I have perfectly good speakers. And by the way love that circuit board pattern shirt.
There's this myth, which you continously perpetuate, that high efficiency speakers should play really well at low listening levels. I see no technical correlation between speaker efficiency and the ability to come across nicely at low levels. I don't know what is it that makes different speakers play well or not so well at low levels but speaker sensitivity is not this. I suspect speaker dispersion characteristics may have something to do with that quality but that is just a gut feeling on my part.
Ultimately, I'd suggest it's likely spectral balance that's the arbiter of perceived performance at modest playback levels (coverage/dispersion being a component of balance).
I suspect that the reason why 'doubled speakers' don't sound good at low listening levels is because there's two big reactive voice coils in a magnetic force instead of just the usual one. The doubled idea is you know, not liked, it's low fidelity. I think that if we used a Disco amplifier engineered for doubled speakers with a crummy you know, horn tweeter or two, it'd sound okay at low volume. But Disco amplifiers are very expensive compared to Hi-Fi and Zu is using these Disco type drivers that don't flatter Hi-Fi equipment.
I think there is an intuitive correlation there. High sensitivity usually means greater dynamic range, as in the hability to play low volume level details more accurately or with less distortion. No saying this is something I know for a fact, but just that is does seem like a logical correlation.
What a shame. Why no powercon connector just to complete the pro input look. I’m a big speaker tragic and it’s good to see things happening away from the bookshelf norm I’m not not impressed and look forward to the future. Nice shirt as always.
It would have been nice to include some measurements. I'm not kind of a guy who only looks at charts, but there's a reason a three tweeter setup isn't a common approach.
Yeah, that concerns me massively. I DIY speakers, and this setup seems like a literal nightmare, especially so considering there is only a cap on the tweeter. Don't get me wrong, they probably sound great, but I'd certainly be very curious regarding phase alignment.🤔
Certainly not worth the stated $25K price. No grills, cheap binding posts, hex nuts for footer adjustments. ScanSpec drivers aren’t used, no mention of a crossover network. He mentions 4” drivers, that don’t exist. Having scale but no transparency is unacceptable for its price point🙈. Give the $20K VSA Endeavor 3 RE’s a good listen, you’ll be quite pleased.
It's a very Hefty price for a direct-to-consumer company. I promise you that there are $7,000 to $10,000 speakers out there that you can run with dual subwoofers that will perform just as nicely if not better.
Whenever I see a speaker that close to the ground I immediately think to myself "there's a speaker for someone who doesn't have children or possibly a wife"
The Wharfdale Elysian 4s or this? I just think Zhu speakers are not good-looking. They are interesting to I look at but the spouse acceptance factor is severely lacking.
People always forget about the cost of R&D, design and sourcing high end equipment. What gives me the right to ask for a BOM when I don't even know how to design a cross-over?😂
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac You should get the A3s. I have been listening to my Magico's for over 10 years... I'll contact you for "system of the day".
Maybe given your extensive knowledge and expertise they might make it happen if you ask…I would love your thoughts before I drop 25k… many reviews are so good… I trust your thoughts…
@@leonisbacher1772I'm not sure what you base that on. It depends on the customer I imagine. Plus, they have speakers at all different prices. So you might want to see what is different at each step. For example, the DW6 starts off at $1600 or so but has optional add-ons that bring it to the price of the next level speaker, the unions. But the unions include these add-ons at their base price. I did try out the DW6 and thought they were a great value. So well made. And made to order. Just not the sound signature for me.
@@KyleHarrison-jb8jh You know Wilson are for halls with a staircase and upper handrail in which they give 3D effects regardless of where the speakers are placed in the room. So Wilson are expensive but you know, the Presidential suite.
WRONG! The CE marking (an acronym for the French “Conformite Europeenne”) certifies that a product has met EU health, safety, and environmental requirements, which ensure consumer safety.
25k for a shitty measuring speaker. No way. Zu doesn't have the balls to send this to Erin from erin's audio corner because they know he has the big daddy of all measuring tools & they fear their bad measurements will come out.
What happens if the experience of listening to a pair of speakers is amazing, engaging and fun in all genres (I have a pair of very modest Zu that give me tons of joy) but you read that the measurements are bad? What would you do? Just curious.
![ARGENTINA vs. CHILE [3-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 7](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/De3AWmXzhuA/mqdefault.jpg)
Whether Zu's designs are for you, Sean always comes off as an honest man. Having owned a pair (dirty weekend) the build quality if very high.
Never mind the build quality, I would suggest that 2% of Steve's viewers check out a Technics SU-Z2 and another 2% check out a Sansui A 60, (from the Super-Compo line). These can be rebuilt to make a great amplifier for low volume listening, especially if using Realistic Optimus X-100 speakers.
ALFRED HAUSE
You are an amazing passionate articulate communicator….. keep it coming Steve 🤩
And THANK YOU 🙏
Love me some Zus.
Another Zu Omen Def Supremes owner here.
I added a pair of REL subs.
My ears are satisfied for a season.
This is what I was thinking, its crazy, you could buy 2 x rel 31's plus Omens or Soul6 and still have 5k left over and have a much bigger smile on your face
Steve, you really are the best too all of us. These are very admirable speakers and you always have something very engaging to listen about. I think Tekton is having some influence on Zu's new tweeting arrangement here. I bought the Dayton tube amp HTA200 that was more powerful then the one you reviewed and mine came with a not so impressive not always working remote but I have a remote....lol. This 100wpc tube amp from Dayton Audio is the most beautiful match to my classic Celestion SL6si bookshelves. They seemed to blossom far more then with solid state amps.....very impressed and I owe that too you for the review and then me ordering that amp.
That's what I mean, you always have something for everyone.....and I really enjoy your presentation. I have been subscribed to your channel for possibly 6 years now....take care and again thanks for being here.
Excellent review! Based on your description, they seem to have a similar sound signature as the DW6. I returned them at the end of the 60-day trial for some of the reasons you outlined. Lack of transparency and high-end sparkle. I also thought that they did not play particularly well at low volumes as I continually wanted to play them louder. Great impact for sure. I guess not my audiophile cup of tea.
Had the exact opposite experience with the DW6. Mine sparkle. Mine are transparent. High. Low. Image. Any volume. What are you using for amplification?
@@Zzz-lz9kb I listened to them with my solid state and another friend's tubes and had the same feeling with both. Things are subjective I suppose.
Good video again Steve. Interesting construction of those Zu Def6 loudspeakers. Also really appreciate how you experience your music and explain that clearly to us.
I recognize your point about big speakers. I don't dare go back to two small speakers either. Two monitor speakers with a sub could be an alternative, but as an audiophile, a large speaker is also the best for it's looks...;-).
Love my DW6. Couldn’t live without them.
Me likewise with my DWIIs
Your passion comes through so well as always, Steve! Yes to the designer/creator interviews. And - love that you share a diverse range of music. Well done. Thanks!
Thank you for watching!
Love the shirt. It reminds me of the original Tron designs
I have the ZU Omen Def Supreme and just love them. Great video! Thanks again Steve!
How are they? I have the soul mkii. I’m not sure how the non concentric would fare mid near field. I do like full scale symphony.
If I saw that correctly, the low pass corner is adjustable down to 10hz!
Even more interesting is the design choice ...
I've never seen drivers, covering the same range, seperated that far apart.
As I understand, ... sources seperated with a center-to-center greater than 1/2 wavelength apart will exhibit lobing.
565hz = 24" wavelength, ... as I'm eyeballing ~12" between the coax centers.
Thus, unless equidistant from both sources, ... ~565hz on up would be subject to summation challenges, right?
Bottom line, I know this to be true;
Sean's Kung-fu is good.
That said, I'm guessing its a non-issue.
Much is made about disparate tweeters ... but even 90° out of phase still yields 3dB of positive summation.
I'm wondering with Steve, in his room of modest depth, perhaps he simply wasn't far enough away for them to shine optimally, fair?
Thoughts?
Live at the Sand's! I love that album. I was listening on my Omen DW's, circa 2017, and it sounds fantastic. And thanks to you Steve, I ordered a pair of the DW6 Supremes last night. I was debating over the Union 6 or the DW Supremes... After talking to Gerritt over at Zu, and watching and reading everything I could, the DW's won out over the Union 6's. I cannot wait to get them in the house. The guys at Zu are top notch, Gerritt could have easily upsold me, but he did not. Kudo's to Zu!
I owned the dirty weekend for about a year and liked them but didn’t love them. I would have kept them but with limited space I sold them. I now have the kef reference 1 metas, great speakers for me but I do understand the attraction of Zu speakers.
I love my Zu DW Mk5's. I would probably never be able to afford these, but based on how my DW,s sound if I could I would have them. I enjoy listening to music through speakers that make the music sound natural to me. I could care less how they measure. I've always listened to music, never measured it. Music always sounds better than it looks on paper.
Just get a nice small speaker for night sessions and you have all the bases covered! : )
I think that ZU has a "house sound" that they're proud of - and it's not to everyone's taste...
The DEFs look like they can rock for sure - would love to see how they worked in my space : )
They wouldn't work in your space, beards you know mean small speakers. Auratone 5C for you.
When you say DEFs I imagine you mean Definitive Technology....they sound good to me, but lately they haven't been getting the love or awards as they have in the past. And why not go to GR Research to hack them or any speaker even more.
Love from Holland Steve!
Great shirt, Steve👍
Amazing speaker and love the shirt.
Love that shirt!
Steve fine video great shirt the speaker looks wonderful.
Saludos Steve, como siempre geniales tus videos, muy apreciados y valorados tus comentarios y apreciaciones, sigue adelante, abrazos desde Bogotá, Colombia
I know a couple people who have Zu Speakers one guy has them paired with a vintage pioneer. They love them... Three 10 inch drivers and three tweeters in this size tower is impressive. Thanks for the review 👍✌️
Live at the sands is absolutely astounding 🤣😭
Super life like almost as if he is in the room great production
Steve you know what they say about feeding the animals in the Zu...
Bigger is better. Most audiophile speakers are to small to produce an accurate image size natural dynamics or proper SPL.
I love my Dirty Weekends. If I win PowerBall tonight, I'll order a pair of Definition 6!
I have found the EMI 62 speakers from the 1960s to be the most natural sounding seakers I have ever heard. In EMI ads transient response was emphacized and their oval woofer, 6x10 is made of aluminum and plastic: should have been low mass for quicker acceleration in response to an imput. The concentric cone tweeter is very smooth and crisp. Efficiency is high, I drive them with a ten watt per channel amplifier.
I listen mostly to classical. I enjoy a symphony Orchestra with its variety of sounds.
Sean is great and very helpful guy , i love his speakers .
Awesome video as always but you have to tell me where you got that shirt!
I love my DW6's
101 sensitivity wow!
My favorite speaker ever is the Mandingo 9000/S. With 35 tweeters and 5 subwoofers it’s a crazy ride. Unfortunately the tweeters don’t go above 1k but you’d never notice it because they tell you not to notice that in the manual.
Damn Casey if I knew you were in NYC I would've invited you out and bought you a few pints
Thinking of ordering some ultra pimped out dw6’s
I'm a fan of a stand mount speakers that goes down to 30Hz within 3 Db. My JMR Offrande is here to stay.
Those built in subs rob you of the ability to optimize their placement in your listening space. I’m sure they’re very impressive regardless. My fav Sinatra album. Ever. Thanks, Steve.
I thought that's why the variable phase switch is included in the controls.
what a great digital shirt :D
Hey Steve, just thinking that two Coax speakers, spaced so far apart are going to have serious phase cancellation issues in the hi frequency range.I going to guess a hi cut filter in one driver .
Steve, I LOVE that shirt! 😀
Nice job but I wish you reviewed the Union 6 or Union Supreme 6 which are more obtainable for most.
Well ... 101dB SPL from two ... 'doubled' 16 ohm woofers (distortions are doubled), just an old, southern hospitality trick copied from the Texan Realistic Optimus T-200. Had three weeks of 'Burn-In' and was ready to go, tweeter between the ten inch drivers beams the sound waveform up to the ceiling, bouncing off it and the same from the floor if we're far enough back from the speaker to catch the reflected effect but was Steve's room big enough? Yes he went out and came back in. What do we really ... really think? Twin cone speakers are narrow dispersion and two with a tweeter help spread the sound. Steve's amp has a Damping Factor of 500 for the 101dB SPL and he didn't think it was audiophile but good enough.
I picked up a DW-MKII "last year" which are OK (use with SE Tube gear) as is cannot match the Focal Aria 726 (1 of 5pairs of speakers in my rotation) for Tube gear. These will be sold, and I would like an Open Baffle speaker to add into the mix.
I haven’t heard the speakers but the man has the best music taste in the biz . Man I gotta hear these. I think Zu really could look into CNC deigns the tone wood thing is only gonna get ‘em so far. The market is just too competitive. Also how do these work with turntables , probably really well but don’t forget to emphasize because the you tube algorithm can’t distinguish unless it’s mentioned.
Check which shows lZu will be appearing
Steve that is an awesome shirt you are wearing! is that a proprietary circuit? 😃
Like TVs there is no such thing as too big, if you get big enough you can feel the speaker control the air in the room, like at a concert
Steve great reviews. I think who buy this want sensetion, feeling and not only number or definition.
Steve, back in the day I would have taken Shawn to the st marks bar, best Jukebox ever
I've been missing your comparisons to other speakers in your reviews lately.
Sorry, didn't have speakers that made sense to compare.
I love ZU. Definitely. But I love them in full passive mode.
Steve: Did you hook them up to the Decware Zen and if so how did they sound?
I did, that was not a happening combination because it didn't come close to exploiting the definition 6 strengths
lol..... call 'em the Zu "Escapes" 🔈🔉🔊
Yes no speaker does everything, just like cars or anything. Most audiophile speakers suffer from high SPL compression issues, some of my best listening experiences are through club PA systems that I have designed and installed with my home system could never do😊.
4 decades ago I could buy 2 Mercedes for the price of the speakers ..........hahaha....world has changed . I am happy to build most of my gear myself ( worked for a High end dealer for years ) ...........
Thanks for the review. and I orderd Sinatra ...
Hey Steve where did you get the shirt!? Possible competition for the Crayola one there, it's brilliant!
I’ve had SO many speakers over the years including Wilson B&W (many B&W ) … But I’m in love with my Spendor D9 … For me INCREDIBLE for the price….. cheers 🥂
It’s good how Zu offer the burn in service.
For the money they better finish with a smile
All my heavy lifting is done with white gloves...
Great job steve i almost heard the speaker without hearing the speaker 😮
That's a high compliment, thank you!
I have auditioned 3 sets of ZU speakers. Very unimpressed for the money. Build quality is good but cabinets were a little thin.I have had a set of Sansui Kabuki speakers that sounded better.
You are the best Steve! 25,000 grand? Good luck
That's a funny remark, about a successful company that's over 20 years old. I think they know what sells.
Love Zu. Own their stuff. However $25k… the sum of the parts don’t add up. We’re not in the pandemic anymore.
So you listened to them and are comparing them to what?
I’m planning to be at Axpona again and the ‘24 show should have these so I can compare them better.
That cabinet is a plain ugly box, like the ugly Tektons. As a manufacturer direct company (no dealer lopping off 50%),, this is about as greedy as the pricing gets for such an eyesore.
2 x 10 inch full range drivers and a tweeter to create a D'Appolito point source configuration and a 12 inch active sub in one box? Hate the colour. But the complete package tickles my eyes, and my brain says This looks great, I bet it sounds as good as it looks. Highish efficiency, easy load, and less than 60 kgs. each speaker. I like em. I like em a lot. Just that colour ugh...🙂
how do these compare with Fyne Audio? F702+ range if looking at towers?
Sounds really enticing, but, isn’t the point of subwoofers to place them to optimize uniform bass where you are sitting, not where you optimize tonality, imaging and soundstage from the primary drivers in the cabinets? Seems like you just have to compromise.
Keep in mind there are TWO of them, one in each speaker, so eliminating some room nulls and nodes can happen. Old school speakers were big, all-in-one affairs with great dynamics and a huge scale. I'll never get rid of my vintage AR-9 in that regard. Now many play the game of getting bookies and adding a sub or two. That can be valid as well, as long as the bookies can offer the dynamics and scale needed to mimic the larger floor standers. Not all do. Choose well.
@@rosswarren436 Yeah but the vintage AR-9 is 87dB at 4 ohms and uh ... the Zu Definition 6 uses a transformer isolated sub-woofer to maintain 101 dB at 8 ohms. Now the AR-9 does have the doubled woofers but they're 12 inch and low sensitivity. 87dB SPL at 4-ohms is nearer 78dB SPL for an 8 ohm amplifier, so you know, AR-9? AR-9 are for 4-ohm amplifiers, McIntosh and such (American stuff). AR-9 were from Chicago-Kentucky areas and for you know, rich people whilst Zu are made in Utah and for people with 8-ohm amplifiers (they're using Japanese equipment).
@@rosswarren436 I have vintage Infinity RS-3b’s, in the same league as your AR-9’s, so I get what you are saying. In my listening room, they do an excellent job with low bass, but I can optimize them even more if I sacrificed airiness, soundstage depth, and imaging - not going to do that. I’ve heard lots of ultra high end systems with hundred thousand dollar tower speakers, and owners still use one or two subs. Those lows with frequencies of 15, 20, 30 and 40 ft lengths just seem to need subs distant from the mains. I’m quite happy with what I have, but still wonder why if one chooses to go with subs at all (even with main towers with multiple 8, 10, or 12” woofers) why have them in the same vertical array rather than positioned optimally.
@@36karpatoruski Yeah because very few subs are 101dB for 1 watt. You know? Just tell me one sub-woofer that does 101dB at one watt? You see Zu outwitted you both.
@@keplermission my Carver amp is for 4 ohm to 8 ohm speakers so it drives them much louder than I want to listen these days. But yeah, that scale is hard to live without once you've heard it. I have smaller bookies in the den and like them a lot, but when I really want to listen to music, the living room with those AR-9 is it.
i get that high efficiency speakers can be great, especially with tube amps which can be very nice indeed.
Not sure packing the whole kitchen into one box is such a good idea, but if it has to be, a build in record player to round up the top would be great.
As good as Stones Some Girls live is I think Brussels Affair and Get YerYaYas Out are Stones at their peak live.. with Mick Taylor’s stunning playing.. note that there’s a great 3 disc version of the latter.
If I had $25K to drop on a pair of speakers, and I'm not saying that I do. I would rather own a pair of Wilson Audio's speakers.
#justsayin
So many great choices, but the point of this review is the definition 6 does things that other audioiphile don't do. As always, there's no best, just different.
Old school box, that build in sub must kill clarity and spark
As a current Zu owner i hate this....the bigger Zu speakers get in the range the triple the cost. For thr money I may as well buy 2 pair of Dirty Weekends to match what these larger speakers do
Steve - is this the only finish they come in? Would you buy a pair?
They are available in a wide wine variety of finishes, including custom. They are way too expensive for me to buy, but they are very cool, which is why I reviewed them!
Thanks Steve! - I'm a PCB designer - Where on Earth can I get that shirt? (I need one quick!) - Thanks!
I have no idea where I got this, do a screen grab and search!
Nothing special about those feet as they are simply industrial grade swivel leveling feet that can be bought off the shelf. But those speakers are gorgeous and I never want to hear them because I'd have a heck of a time trying to convince my wife to let me drain at least $25,000 out of our savings when I have perfectly good speakers. And by the way love that circuit board pattern shirt.
Unfortunately my wife is aware to the penny on our accounts, she'd spot 25k pretty quick, not to mention the new shiny speakers!
@@pnichols6500
Yeah, my wife knows zilch about hifi but she'd spot the difference between those and my black Magnepan speakers in a heartbeat, lol.
from 25k...holy shit...
Wait, you mean there's rich people out there that buy stuff?
Zu Hernia 6.
Bigger to smaller is always a hard pill to swallow at first.
There's this myth, which you continously perpetuate, that high efficiency speakers should play really well at low listening levels. I see no technical correlation between speaker efficiency and the ability to come across nicely at low levels. I don't know what is it that makes different speakers play well or not so well at low levels but speaker sensitivity is not this. I suspect speaker dispersion characteristics may have something to do with that quality but that is just a gut feeling on my part.
Not sure why you call it a myth, I'm telling you what I experience. Some speakers excel at low level listening and some don't.
Ultimately, I'd suggest it's likely spectral balance that's the arbiter of perceived performance at modest playback levels (coverage/dispersion being a component of balance).
I suspect that the reason why 'doubled speakers' don't sound good at low listening levels is because there's two big reactive voice coils in a magnetic force instead of just the usual one. The doubled idea is you know, not liked, it's low fidelity. I think that if we used a Disco amplifier engineered for doubled speakers with a crummy you know, horn tweeter or two, it'd sound okay at low volume. But Disco amplifiers are very expensive compared to Hi-Fi and Zu is using these Disco type drivers that don't flatter Hi-Fi equipment.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Read my comment again. That this is due to their high sensitivity is what I call a myth.
I think there is an intuitive correlation there. High sensitivity usually means greater dynamic range, as in the hability to play low volume level details more accurately or with less distortion. No saying this is something I know for a fact, but just that is does seem like a logical correlation.
What a shame. Why no powercon connector just to complete the pro input look. I’m a big speaker tragic and it’s good to see things happening away from the bookshelf norm I’m not not impressed and look forward to the future. Nice shirt as always.
It would have been nice to include some measurements. I'm not kind of a guy who only looks at charts, but there's a reason a three tweeter setup isn't a common approach.
Yeah, that concerns me massively. I DIY speakers, and this setup seems like a literal nightmare, especially so considering there is only a cap on the tweeter. Don't get me wrong, they probably sound great, but I'd certainly be very curious regarding phase alignment.🤔
If you obsess over measurements, Zu are not the speakers you are looking for.
I never cottoned to Zu Audio speakers. Efficient and dynamic, yes but just too unrefined and cause listening fatigue.
Certainly not worth the stated $25K price. No grills, cheap binding posts, hex nuts for footer adjustments. ScanSpec drivers aren’t used, no mention of a crossover network. He mentions 4” drivers, that don’t exist. Having scale but no transparency is unacceptable for its price point🙈. Give the $20K VSA Endeavor 3 RE’s a good listen, you’ll be quite pleased.
It's a very Hefty price for a direct-to-consumer company. I promise you that there are $7,000 to $10,000 speakers out there that you can run with dual subwoofers that will perform just as nicely if not better.
That's what I like about Volti Audio. Much more clarity at minimal wattage
You can run the zus with dual subs lol
@@ColocasiaCorm silly comment
@@ryanschipp8513 well…. He’s right….
@@ryanschipp8513so just curious. What non direct to consumer speakers and subs do you suggest over the def6?
Whar about Paradigm 9H? Big, incredible sound... And not that far off pricing wise
What does he make one with ribbon tweeter? Should work very well, don't do one do they
Zu made speakers with ribbon years ago
Whenever I see a speaker that close to the ground I immediately think to myself "there's a speaker for someone who doesn't have children or possibly a wife"
NOTE TO SEAN- QUIT LIFTING AND MAN-HANDLING THOSE HEAVY SPEAKERS AFTER YOUR INJURY! YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT!
There is no substitute for cubic inches 😂
Indeed.
And in this case, Vd.
The Wharfdale Elysian 4s or this? I just think Zhu speakers are not good-looking. They are interesting to I look at but the spouse acceptance factor is severely lacking.
Well there you go! Sounds like you're going for the Wharfedale! Enjoy.
Next.
People always forget about the cost of R&D, design and sourcing high end equipment. What gives me the right to ask for a BOM when I don't even know how to design a cross-over?😂
That
$25k lol. Zu be trippin'.
Steve… is the Zu def.6 equal to Magico A5 … I hope you answer… I am about to get a pair of A5s….
A5 all the way.
Haven't heard that magico, or that many magicos.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac You should get the A3s. I have been listening to my Magico's for over 10 years... I'll contact you for "system of the day".
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thank you ….
Maybe given your extensive knowledge and expertise they might make it happen if you ask…I would love your thoughts before I drop 25k… many reviews are so good… I trust your thoughts…
Bet my R700s sound (close) or just as good for way less
..it is really not a big speaker if one guy can carry it by himself!
LOL 25000USD 😂
@@KyleHarrison-jb8jh lol i doubt they are worth it
@@leonisbacher1772I'm not sure what you base that on. It depends on the customer I imagine. Plus, they have speakers at all different prices. So you might want to see what is different at each step. For example, the DW6 starts off at $1600 or so but has optional add-ons that bring it to the price of the next level speaker, the unions. But the unions include these add-ons at their base price. I did try out the DW6 and thought they were a great value. So well made. And made to order. Just not the sound signature for me.
@@KyleHarrison-jb8jh You know Wilson are for halls with a staircase and upper handrail in which they give 3D effects regardless of where the speakers are placed in the room. So Wilson are expensive but you know, the Presidential suite.
Yeah at that price level. You were just showing off to other audio files.
“Trophy Asset”
Frist
Lol, in my face.
There is a CE on the back. That means chinese export. Sorry but components are chinese.
WRONG! The CE marking (an acronym for the French “Conformite Europeenne”) certifies that a product has met EU health, safety, and environmental requirements, which ensure consumer safety.
25k for a shitty measuring speaker. No way. Zu doesn't have the balls to send this to Erin from erin's audio corner because they know he has the big daddy of all measuring tools & they fear their bad measurements will come out.
What happens if the experience of listening to a pair of speakers is amazing, engaging and fun in all genres (I have a pair of very modest Zu that give me tons of joy) but you read that the measurements are bad? What would you do? Just curious.
These speakers are not made for people who obsess over measurements. Zu are "anti-audiophile" speakers, per their own description.
I wonder how these would compare to the Tekton MOAB ??
I have the Moab’s and the 2 speakers look like they could be comparable?????
I'm not surprised that the vivid kaya is better, it's designed by a proper speaker designer ! Lawrence dickie
Lost me at 25 grand
Ok, how about the $1,600 ZU DW6?
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac that's way more sane and realistic for 90% of people
Obviously $25k speakers are meant for the wealthy. What is your point? They shouldn't make speakers you can't afford? Lol