Who OWNS Zu Audio Speakers- Especially Definition

Definition Mk2s really need 10 ft away at least, as was the distance i was hearing them over the weekend to get the drivers to integrate properly.

i think the Mk2s are a pretty neat speaker---nice tone in the midrange and that is their charm. guitars and vocals are nice, although my girlfriend found them somewhat prominent. i think the top end rolls off a bit early to what i am used to, so not quite the air of a typical dynamic speaker. cymbals arent as accurate as i've heard on other speakers. bottom line is zu is definitely great in the FRD range---vocals and electric guitars in particular.

dynamics are superb, and with the built in subs---you get some big extension down low, simplifying setup in your room. the efficiency makes them great if amplifier flexibility is your thing.

as far as comparing them to the Magicos at 2x the price? i'm not sure they are quite in that league---but they are a great value in their price range.

hope this helps...

I have Mk4 Druids, not definitions. I listen to them about 7 feet away, but in a large space (vaulted ceilings, have to sit nearby to avoid reflection).

I think they are great. They've given up a lot of freq. responsiveness flatness for dynamics. Tone is also fantastic, although I don't know how you measure that. So they don't sound like "hi fi" speakers, but are engaging.

They also totally crank. I run them off a 15 W amp and can get them to do everything shy of concert level opera.

I'm finding I need stereo subs too btw.

If you are unable to listen at the suggested distance, you might consider the Presence or the Essence. If your room is small and you crave low bass, the Presence should couple to the room less. The Essence does not go as low.

Like the Definitions, the Presence has the built in bass amp but it can be biamped with your own amps and suitable external EQ/crossover box. You only need to run EQ/crossover to the woofer section since the Presence has no bass/midrange filter connected to the midrange driver. When using the built-in bass amp, that adds a roll-off and EQ boost to the woofer section. Using hardware/software such as XTZ, you can determine PEQ parameters. I use the dbX Driverack 260. It has a serial interface and you can program the box using the GUI from the listening position.

The Essence uses a ribbon tweeter and should have a bit more sparkle on top.

Toe-in and height leveing can effect the sound significantly. Jim Smith's book is very useful in getting the most out of speaker set-up.

BTW there is a 30-ohm version of the Definition that works great with smaller tube amps- its a bit more transparent, not for any other reason than tube amps like the higher impedance and so have less distortion, which translates to transparency. I have several customers who just rave about them!

i had an opportunity to hear the Zus this evening on different amplification---the Zu owner switched to a metal 845 and it was extremely different. the loss i previously heard at the high end was completely gone---detail was very good this time around. the midrange was still quite compelling and it seemed very coherant (which i admired the first time) i switched to my integrated amplifier (BAT), and the bass slam was awesome. great dynamics---though tone in the midrange wasn't quite as pure as on the SET amps. this speaker can change significantly based on amplification i can tell.

overall, a much better demo this time around and i'm probably going to order a pair and demo in my house this time around.

Keith