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>>09-12-10: Tjnindc
The $1500 for the Omen is the European price (I'm almost sure).<<
No, that is not correct.
The introductory price is $999 until 11/10/10.
Then the price increases to $1500. |
Hopefully the price really is $1000USD. If so, I will just have to make room in the budget for a pair. :) |
Zanon, I'm pretty sure the tweeter is actually the same as the Soul. The pair I borrowed had the screen over the tweeter, which Sean said was something they were experimenting with.
In terms of cost-cutting, it looks like the cabinet itself is really basic, and the specs make no mention of a foam wedge, so I wouldn't expect to see one. Cabling is copper instead of silver.
I am mildly concerned about having the tweeter below the main driver on a 3 foot tall speaker, although that's easily solved by tiling the speaker. And since it's 12" deep, doing so shouldn't affect the speaker's stability.
I'm very interested to hear how the Omen compares to the Soul Superfly. Yes, I expect it to be inferior, but at $1500 it fits within my budget and is very tempting. |
I've talked to them a bit recently. They are having some issues displaying the prices based on location on their website so they are displaying European pricing. The $1500 for the Omen is the European price (I'm almost sure). The Omen is the $1000 US speaker that they sent an email about earlier in the week.
I know that they have been committed to making a speaker at that price point to start to get good sound/hifi out to more people. I think that the Omen is that speaker.
As a new (and very very happy) Soul Superfly owner, I think I have a new candidate for the 2nd system or for an upgrade to my home theater system. |
I'm confused by this pricing as well. Omen ends up being a dorm speaker for 6 weeks, after which the people it's aimed at will opt out, and the existing audience for Zu will opt for Soul or Superfly. They are moving quickly on reflating their business, which is good, but it looks like Zu isn't thinking everything through before pulling trigger.
Phil |
I own 08 Druids which I run with a method sub. Maybe this has been covered off but for those who have heard both Druid and Superfly is the fly a significant upgrade to the Druid sound. If so in what way. I must admit I like the lower profile of the Superfly and about my only beef with my druids is that they tend to shout down at you vs. stand mounts for example where drivers are located at ear height. I always find they sound better standing behind my couch than sitting.
I have been considering both Defintion 2's and Avantgarde Duos - I run a 300b set - but maybe all the speaker I need is superfly. |
If the omen isn't meant to undermine the standard Soul and retail for both are 1500 and 1800 respectively. Then who would ever buy the omen? |
I'm sure I won't be the first to note this, but now there's the Zu Omen at $1,500. Interesting. |
Up on Zu. It is "Omen".
Same FRD it looks like. 98 db/w/1m. looks like wide dispersion driver in horn supertweeter -- very strange. no idea how griewe loading is implemented
$1500.
no idea what pricing for superfly is -- don't think it can be $1800. |
It looks like the Zu Omen is $1500. This is according to their website as of today. Interesting....looks like a Druid/Superfly hybrid. :) If I can get them for $1000, I am in Zu land. |
Should have pulled up their website before I replied.
http://www.zuaudio.com/loudspeakers/omen.html |
Well, I'm excited to see what they end up releasing. I'm guessing probably a bookshelf speaker, given the price. I wonder if they'll be showing it at RMAF. |
Thanks for the insight, Phil. I always thought it kind of silly ( as you might have been able to tell from my posts ) that Zu would think it wise to raise the price on these like that. |
Superfly price is as it was. Zu has a code problem on the web site that they, for whatever reason, haven't been able to fix.
The new speaker should be startling for the $1000 entry price, but it doesn't undermine Soul or Soul Superfly. They'll continue to be worth their price differential over the new entry model. Sean and Adam have a long-standing objective to deliver a truly Zu-worthy affordable dorm speaker. It looks like they've hit enough breakthroughs in their supply chain to make it happen without giving up the Zu FRD. We get details next week.
Phil |
i bought soul superfly. wanted a second system in the spare room. maybe i should have waited for sub-$1000 zu speaker, would have been more sensible choice - financially. |
I got the email too. Non-plodded as I have my order in for Superfly but... could it just be a slightly more organised version of the Superfly release for the.... Soul. The baths add up - originally pitched @ £1,800 and now with $800 off. Same differential as Superfly.
Or... |
Maybe that $1,000 speaker comes packaged with the Superfly for $3,500 total? |
Got email from Zu. $1000 speaker coming. Is that all they said? Because you've piqued the curiosity of my rather limited budget. |
I would definitely throw the Miniwatt amp into the affordable and very very enjoyable amp camp for the Superflys. I'm sure the Leben will be a step up, but I could easily live with this combo for a while. Very musical, engaging.
It's probably a great match for the new speakers. Perfect price point. |
Got email from Zu. $1000 speaker coming. |
I pulled my Miniwatt out of my second system, butchered a pair of banana terminated speaker cables and fired mine up tonight. I was over waiting for the new amp.
Adequate speaker cable, the 2.5 watt miniwatt, and very little attention to setup besides a gut placement and.... I'm blown away. I think that they have put a very very nice speaker on the market. Even with some squishy mids, a bit less power than I would like (and that the speakers probably need), I'm pretty stunned. Maybe the most engaging first listen I've ever had with a speaker. I'm excited for rounding out what I actually intend to drive them with.
I had an early failed run with the Druids driven, almost wholly, by problems with my room and mismatched amplification. This is a totally different experience. I'll keep folks posted. Right now working my way through some of my favorite albums, The XX right now. |
Gopher: Yes, it is exactly this path you describe that I have no interest in getting on. I learn nothing about sound this way.
Anyway, I have all solid state+DAC integrated and peachtree nova to test with druid -- i say goodbye to class-d forever! (except in subwoofer)
Also, I finally get dual sub -- both ported unfortunately but it is what my budget will allow.
Most interestingly, I make some radical changes to room. I still have lots of setup, testing, tuning etc. but I am already surprised at how much better tile under Druid makes the bass compared to even my wood planks. So much so in fact that I may try two inches of brick. |
Zanon,
Absolutely nothing at the moment. I was previously having a little difficulty with the emotional communicative-ness of my analog setup but since moving to a system made of Wywire through out I have finally put that behind me and also gained a level of refinement and performance I didn't know I was missing.
That said I have two amps (SS and Tube) and two preamp outputs and would love the ability to simply swap the speaker cables while retaining similar virtues. After experiencing what I have now cable wise, nothing I've owned before will cut it, but I do wonder about synergy for the second system with the speakers own manufacture--especially at the bargain basement 'customer appreciation week' prices. |
Gopher
What problems do you hear in your system that you think new cables will fix and why? |
Start burning them in with whatever crap old receiver you have around the house. They take a bit to start sounding good so you may as well take advantage of the downtime.
I just noticed that Zu came out with a new line of cables which appear to be their new 'top of the line' at a pretty darn low cost. I'm curious about their speaker cables for the sole reason I read of so many people preferring libtec to anything else with Zu speakers, but I'm using an all Wywire system right now and don't think I want to even experiment with breaking my complete chain.
Still, its cheap though...
P.S. I also just noticed Sam Telling also backed out on the stereophile review due to the delay. |
Mine have arrived but, in a strange twist, are sitting idle in my room waiting for an amp. Funny that. Should have some reports starting next weekend.
My gut on the price increase: I think that they are still trying to find their sweetspot in the market. I think that the buzz around the Superfly has been overwhelming and that they are building speakers as fast as they can. I would imagine that the increase in price is, in large part, designed to help them build a company that can manufacture more product when they announce a new line rather than having to stagger production cycles like they are now. My sense is that they are staying direct (in the states, at least) but want to build capacity.
I can't wait to hear these beauties. |
Based on the 35% increase in price I suspect it's a move back to dealer network. Agree such inconsistencies may impact the reputation of the company. I hope my pre-order pair which I am still waiting for isn't affected by the changes. |
Had the same shenanigans this time last year with Zu Essence on the change over from Dealer Network to Direct Sales, that was one hell of a frustrating 3 months from placing my order with my dealer in the UK, no one knew what was happening at all levels, exacerbated with little or no communication being forthcoming from all levels.
Anyone had similar experiences?
It seems to be a common trait, direct sales - dealer network - direct sales - price increases out of no-where, makes one think twice about dealing with a company with such inconsistencies.
Although Zu speakers are spectacular in my opinion. |
This is now basically 2X the intro price. Who knows what the price will be by the time they decide to send out review samples? |
Srajen,
Apologies if wires have gotten crossed. No offence intended.
I was talking to a couple of friends about this last night and I think zu are going to need to act quickly to put this to bed.
One friend noted that they were behaving exactly like a company with excellence in production but perhaps not marketing vacillating between direct sealing dealerships. Next step will be to outsource it.
The reply I had from Gerrit at Zu didn't really enlighten me on why the price rise but, to me, it looks like either the inclusion of first class shipping as you've stated, or, a dealer cut.
Either way, some clarity is urgently required.
I should also add my voice to Fred in saying that I love the reviews. They have been highly influential. I'm still unclear though as to what 6mooons lose b the delay. It's Zu that lose rep rather than 6moons surely and an update to the preview, rather than outright pulling, would surely have been enough for most of us.
Mike |
I know. My point was, an increase from $2600 to $3500 or 35% up isn't insignificant and a further sign that I was approached prematurely. The current direct-sales model does not explain why foreign pricing outside the US would be another $1000 more, does it? It's an entirely different positioning and value proposition.
After I published the Presence review in which Zu announced a return to dealer distribution, the company shortly afterwards reverted to direct sales again and the Presence was quickly discontinued. Given that experience and the current delay and price changes of the Soul, I'm merely reinforced in my decision to sit this one out. |
The Zu website has always had different pricing for US and non-US readers. Non-US pricing has always been a lot higher. It seems as if there was a glitch; and US readers (for a while) saw $4543. It is now $3500. |
Using common sense, my prior exposure and current ownership of the Essence, I would predict a return to the Zu house sound,i.e. less concessions to a modern 'commercial' sound as the ribbon tweeter in the Essence was supposed to do. To match the ribbon, the widebander's sensitivity had to be padded down. With the Soul, I think it's back up. The Griewe loading of the Essence (that foam cartridge) really works and apparently the Soul's turned/twisted design and new 'breathing holes' are an advancement on that.
My assumption is thus an upgraded Druid Mk IV with more bass power and an improved widebander in a stumpier box for what until recently was a better price. Today the site when accessed from Switzerland shows $4.543 which isn't exactly the $2.600 it was when I was first solicited. Not sure what happened there and whether this is the price *delivered* (i.e. including shipping) to the EU - which would be first-class expedited shipping plus unless the base price too has increased.
Zu will hopefully make a public statement on this price increase (American readers apparently see $3.500). |
Thanks for clearing that up! Its a shame you won't be reviewing this one as I love your reviews and your site.
I usually find myself auditioning gear based on your endorsement--I wanted to see if my early adopter/unbiased findings mirrored yours this time around with the tables turned.
Keep writing great reviews!
Fred |
Actually, the reason I cancelled the review is that the preview which went live when Zu first solicited the review was live for far too many months. By the time an actual review pair was finally supposed to ship in October plus the time it would take to write the review, it would have been an 8-9 months delay.
I thus deleted the preview. The function of our previews is not to hang in endless limbo after all. Because I've personally reviewed a great number of Zu speakers already, I decided to sit this one out. With the demand this model generated, Zu needs to first take care of its paying customers. Mahughes is quite mistaken thinking that we expect preferential treatment and cancel reviews if we don't get it. That's rubbish.
We do expect to be kept in the loop when we make space in our tight schedules for any review solicitation and for whatever reason review samples don't manifest in the agreed upon time frame. In this case, Zu simply initiated things prematurely.
It's no big deal. Eventually review samples will become available and there's quite a list of assigned writers listed on the Zu website already. |
Does binned mean it was pushed to the back burner or that it was nixed all together? It sounds like the latter.
That is too bad if its been nixed. It seems demand is truly overwhelming production and that there is a queue of paying customers waiting for a pair. Tough choice for Zu--furthering their commercial interest or satisfying their customers. I respect their choice.
That said, I really like Srajans' reviews and have bought a number of pieces over the years based on his endorsements as I feel I have similar sonic priorities to his. His Druid review was what made me consider Zu in the first place.
I guess we will see where the chips fall on this one. Thanks for the info.
Also, where the heck are all the owners? Didn't the very first run include more than thirty pairs (early adopter run)? |
The 6 moons review has been binned. He's taken his bat home because he couldn't get a review pair soon enough. No one else seems to have done the same so there may be something else to it. I emailed to query and got a response which hasn't been published on the site but there was a hint of arrogance IMHO in the suggestion, however accurate, that he had a role in breaking Zu worldwide. It inferred, perhaps unintentionally, that there ought to have been different treatment. Zu however appear to rightly be prioritising customer orders which appear to have considerably exceeded even their best hopes so I for one am quite comfortable with that.
However, I've still not got my pair... |
Yikes! Glad I early adopted. They're worth every penny at that price, but I don't have that many pennies for the hobby at the moment...
Whats going on with Srajan's review? It's been hanging at 'more in due time' for months. |
There are also no prices listed for any other speakers, just "call for pricing." |
F*** me that is one hell of a shipping cost $1743.00 for shipping, have they got a first class seat on a plane to the purchaser? |
Says $3495 when I looked. Cosmic carbon is in short supply and the next space shuttle doesn't launch till November. When they get more cosmic carbon the price will go down. |
We've just been debating that in the UK. Could be that Zu is building in a shipping cost but last time this happened it was a move from direct sales to shops so it's intriguing to say the least. Email to Zu UK rep and Utah is on its way!
Worth mentioning that there are new images up there too albeit that one looks badly shopped.
Mike |
Any ideas why pricing has changed to $4,543? See, http://www.zuaudio.com/loudspeakers.html |
Dave,
I'm familiar with the Harbeths. The Quad II Classic monoblocks *may* meet your dynamic needs if you are satisfied with what you get from the 300B amp, but understand that the Harbeths' 6 ohms impedance isn't optimal for the Quad IIs, which put out maximum power 8 - 16 ohms. Power output erodes quickly below 8 ohms, markedly below 4 ohms.
The Quad Two-Forty removes risk of being unsatisfied dynamically while delivering the essential Quad valve sound. The 12 ohms Druids and 16 ohms Superfly are virtually perfect matches for the Quad II. Plus the Harbeths' passive crossover will introduce additional drag on your perception of dynamic life compared to crossoverless Zu (which is a bit different from calculated dynamic range at a given speaker efficiency/amp power).
Phil |
>>Is anyone here affiliated with the manufacturer in any way?<<
CW,
You must mean to ask about there being over 300 responses to the original poster in this thread, correct?
I think everyone here is either a Zu customer or someone interested in learning about Superfly from people who have heard it, or its close relatives. If being a Zu customer makes any of us "affiliated," then yes. If being a customer just means that alone, then no. I haven't seen anyone from the company post in this thread.
Soul Superfly is an interesting and capable speaker at a price lots of people can handle. It just generates interest, and this has proven to be an inquisitive group.
Phil |
Cwlondon,
I'm with Gopher. I assume you meant posts rather than threads.
I can't imagine that anyone here is affiliated with Zu. The reality is that this is a high efficiency; high impedance speaker that appears to solve a lot of issues for a lot of people interested in high efficiency; full range; A small size floorstandes.
Moreover there is a backlog on orders through word of mouth and reviews have been delayed as a consequence. Thus they would have little to gain right now by pushing stuff online
Mike |
08-29-10: Cwlondon
Is anyone here affiliated with the manufacturer in any way?
Hi Cwlondon,
I am affiliated with the manufacturer by buying firstly Zu Druids and then Zu Essence speakers. Over here in England we are waiting to take a listen to our favorite music through the Soul Superfly's when they eventually land here.
Get a listen to your favorite music through any of the Zu speakers (on the end of a well selected system) and you might understand why there is over 300 posts on this speaker(s).
Best regards
James |
300 threads? I'm aware of maybe five on the internet, and I search... frequently. |
I am just wondering how in < 4 months, there are over 300 threads on the wackily named "Zu Soul Superfly"?
Is anyone here affiliated with the manufacturer in any way?
Thank you, |
