Zu Druid vs Tannoy Prestige or Classic.. need your help

My dealer had DC10A on the floor for a while. They never jived with me. Way too much energy up top in treble, not enough energy down low, even with some 20 lbs of lead shot loaded into each cabinet. I’m not sure if there was just something peculiar about that particular unit.

I expected MUCH better bass performance with the modern cabinet and reflex port. The Yorkminster SE was reflex ported and had easily the BEST bass of its Prestige series (save maybe the Westminster, which I haven’t heard).

The Kensington definitely sounds different than the 10A despite the common driver; I like it WAY better.

Funny my dealer also had a Definition DC10T and that had the opposite problems of the 10A - way too warm / wooly, almost muddy sound. With Tannoy it’s probably wise to either stick with the classic models or get your ears on a model before buying. The Kensington and Canterbury models are stellar. I haven't heard the Turnberrys but they seem to be very well liked. 

Good on you, Mike. I've run Zus since 2008, first Defs 2, and then Defs 4 from 2013, upgrading Duelunds in high- and low-pass filters, and Lundahls to sub bass amps, in 2015, and most recently adding Arya Audio Revopods to replace stock spikes, and Townshend supertweeters.
I've really got to know the Zu sound for over a decade, have nailed down room acoustics, system gear and optimising, which has paid off in spades as my Zus keep revealing more and more.
What's fascinating about them is that they absolutely impress on tone density (esp lower mids), dynamic pop and shove, meaning they're so compelling across genres, but reveal their more delicate side, tonal shading, timbral accuracy, microdynamics, tonal differentiation from album to album, by careful attention to system, room, positioning etc, that they impress on the most demanding of music, classical and jazz, genres traditionally not associated w Zu.
For me, the journey getting them to be as impressive on the delicacy of music has been as much fun, and as rewarding, as the reason they're so compelling to make you buy them on day one.
I've heard some amazing ribbons and horns in the last 7 years. None of them are as fully compelling across the broadest range of music as the Zus are.

Mike,

Thanks for the update.  I've yet to her Soul Supreme's but I after hearing other Zu offerings the Soul Supreme seem like the sweet spot in their lineup for me.

I'm glad you are enjoying them!