Recommend Speakers For Yamamoto

Rocky,

I think we've all missed an important question - have you ever listened to a true high-efficiency system(>97dB)? And have you ever heard the Yamamoto or any other sub-2 watt amplifer?

If not, please be sure to find some system owners in your area and check out their setups before ordering either the Yamamoto or Zu's. Be sure to bring a wide selection of your own favorite listening material.

I like both those components(Zu & Yam), but the jump from regular low efficency to low power/high-eff is a big one that takes some getting used to, careful planning, and lots of fine tuning. I'm not trying to talk you out of your choices, just trying to help you minimize frustration and missed expectations.

High efficiency systems general tend to be far more resolving and ruthless on source material and system components/synergy than higher-power setups with multi-way drivers. At least, that has been my experience over the last 5 years.

The first real shock is that many recordings that you love will seem absolutely unlistenable because of the newly revealed poor recording quality or previous cd/LP abuse. It takes a while to learn to accept or ignore these faults and enjoy the recordings again. This is more common with rock & popular recordings than jazz, classical, etc., yet they still have their own share of bad material.

Good SET amps & high-eff speakers give rpeceding components nowhere to hide. It's like looking at your system with an electron microscope. So, you really have to take car in selecting the preamp and cd/turntable the precede them. Components that seemed dead quiet before will be shwon to actually have annoying loud hum/buzzing. Interconnect choices will have a big differnce on sound.

And then there's your home's power supply. I never knew that I had 60/120Hz hum in my AC line until I made the jump to SET's and high-eff. Now, it drives me crazy.

I had to ground all the outlets in my room. Then, reground my electrical panel to my copper water line. This reduced things significantly, but not enough. I now use a series of isolation transformers and filters.

I'm not saying you a going to have these problems, just don't be surprised if they pop up. High efficency systems are a process instead of a purchase. But, the rewards are stunning when you get close to done. There really is no way to go back once you've crossed over.

And with the Yam+Zu's, you are starting with two fantastic choices.

You should look into single driver speakers like those offerred by commonsenseaudio.com, or, omegaloudspeakers.com - Zu would work as well.

First of all thank you for all your inputs. I have learned a lot from reading all your comments. I have no experience with SET amp and I haven't hear the Zu and Yam comb yet. I don't know anyone has this setup in San Francisco Bay Area that I can audition. I don't know how the low power amp work and how is sound. This system I plan to setup is for my work office where stay overtime alot. The reason I like Yam is very cute and elegant and size is right for my office. I don't like to have big system there:)

As for my main system is all McIntosh MC2000, C2200, MDA1000, MCD201, SB3 and B&W802D. I am very happy with current setup.

So this is a big jump for me from high power amp to little tiny amp power :)

From all this great comments I hope to find someone with similiar setup I can audition before I start my investment.

Again thank you

Rocky

Rocky,

There are plenty of high efficiency owners in the Bay Area. I suggest you post a request to listen to someone's system in Audio Asylum's High Efficiency forum or SET forum. Just explain post that you are interested in making the jump to SET/high-eff and would appreciate listening to few different systems before making the jump. Say you are open to Single/fullrange & true compression horn speakers and any type of SET they've got.

Another great resource to finder help is the FullRange Driver Forum. Somewhere between those two forums, you will probably find 5-10 people willing to let you come over. I got priceless advice and experience from owners in around Los Angeles.

Please take your time and listen to as many varied systems as possible before purchasing any components or speakers. Just diving in blindly without any reference point or knowledge is a recipe for serious frustration and wasted money.

There is a huge difference in sound and character between 100+dB Edgarhorns, 100dB vintage JBL, Cain & Cain fullrange single drivers(FR's), The Horn Shoppe FR's, Omega, Zu's, and every other speaker made. Finding which are right for you is a long, long, term journey unless you get lucky by sheer chance.

The one good thing about Zu is that they have a 30 or 60 day trial money back guarantee. I don't know of any other speaker maker that does that. Just realize that Zu speakers, like all others, are hit & miss as to who will love them and who will not. I personally like them a lot even though I own a totally different type of fullrange driver system that I love.

I may have misunderstood. For some reason I was under the impression that you already had the Yamamoto. If you have not bought it yet, consider this as a better alternative for your office. http://redwineaudio.com/Signature_30.html
It will be excellent with ZU.