BEST SPEAKER OF THE YEAR!

[@wynkoop2000]

I have the Elacs and completely agree. Love those speakers! Thanks for the great content!

[@chrislj2890]

I've had my DW6 Silver/Black Starlight speakers for a year and a half and estimate around 8,500 hours so far. I'm retired and if not playing LPs or CDs, I'm streaming. I play classical, jazz, rock, pop, country, etcetera and they all sound great whether through my solid state or tube amps. I couldn't be happier with Zu Audio and I think they are a great value, at least with my DW6 model. One commenter goes on about GR Research which I find humorous. There isn't a speaker known to man that couldn't be done better or improved by that guy, and of course he sells his own stuff. I could not care less about his expert opinions.

[@EvanCasteel-th2qs]

I completely agree with you on the DW6. Can’t say enough about the product, the company, and the people. Sean Casey was happy to consult personally with me to make sure I had the right amp and dac synergy and I went with the supreme in walnut. I’ve listened to speakers 4/5x the price in controlled, engineered spaces that couldn’t compete with these in my living room. Tremendous value.

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

Yes everything in your comment is consistent with the Zu DW6 AND with Zu Audio as a company and that is why I categorize them as a high end boutique hifi manufacturer. In my mind that is a high compliment and the type of brand I am proud to own.

[@scottbennett3119]

Very informative and enjoyable speaker review! Thank you. I am curious why you are placing the speakers very close to the wall? I am looking forward to seeing your upcoming reviews.

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

Speaker placement is for three reasons. First I have two listening rooms and in the 15'x30' dining room/kitchen speakers are placed 4' from the 6' high windows behind and they are 3.5' from the side walls. But in the living room, the speakers can only be pulled out 1.5' distance from the back of the speakers to the back wall (or else the speakers are in the way of how our living room flows and blocks people from being able to walk around.) Third, I am aware that many viewers may have physical restrictions in their listening space and are interested in how speakers in for review sound when up close to the back wall. Some speakers work up close and others do not sound good unless pulled away some distance from the back wall. So I try positioning speakers up close and report if that creates a problem. Thanks for commenting and also thanks for the compliment, it is appreciated!

[@Swizike]

Just found your channel, love the in depth discussion. One thing that would be helpful is adding those markers in the video to skip directly to different parts of the video, like which speaker you're talking about

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

I will try to add timestamps to future videos!

[@tkoch19606]

I am almost ready to pull the trigger on the Zu DW6. My hold up at this point is to find a power source, separates or integrated, that will make the Zu DW6 sound great without breaking the bank, which means for amp+preamp I am looking at probably trying to keep things at less than $1k. So, I am looking for suggestions from you and your listeners. Background: I have been listening to a pair of Energy Pro-22's (28Hz to 45kHz) for almost 40 years now. They are neutral and musical and have a great range, but I am looking for a bigger more immersive soundstage. I have used Sony ES, Integra, Denon, and now an NAD receiver over the years, with the NAD 7125 that I got as a hand-me-down actually yielding the most satisfying sound. I listen to a lot of jazz (favoring 1950s-1960s), Americana, and rock and normally listen at lower to moderate volumes and about 60% on my listening is vinyl. Thanks in advance for any feedback or suggestions.

[@thinkIndependent2024]

2:38 Burn is Important for almost every piece . 5:14 Are saying the Soundstage & Imaging is available in most listening spots? If you can I would LUV an answer on 10-12 feet spacing between performances, @ 12 feet people swear I have a center channel.

[@tonyladokguy8985]

My experience with the DW6 has been they need another 100 hours or MORE of break-in, on top of what they do at the factory. Only after I this did they go from being "oh shit, I've wasted my money" to the amazing speaker you describe. And I know there's the naysayers who claim break-in is a myth and you just get "used" to the sound over time. When I break in speakers, I put them in a room by themselves for 100 hours playing constantly, or they break in while I'm gone for a week. It's real. My wife, who is not an "audiophile" but loves music, is usually the first to notice the changes.

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing your experience with your DW6

[@robmata474]

I have ZU omen dirty weekend s the 1st gen slots on the bottom powering them with a Marantz 2245.i agree no sub needed The speakers can sound very sharp and unpleasant to listen to when paired with a lot of amps. With my Marantz receiver, they sound like that classic golden 30s and 40s vibe they will reveal every flaw in a vinyl record. They also play well at low volume even when turned down the music still has weight to it. The speakers don’t like to sit on carpet we put marble under them to get them on a hard surface and with positioning of the tweeters, you need a very low listening position.

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, I think the DW6 having the port now rear facing makes setup and the surface they sit on an improvement over the previous bottom port system. As to the height of the listening position I have used the the Zu leveling footers to angle mine up similar to how the Klipsch Heresy are angled up. And I 100% agree they are fantastic for low volume listening!

[@grupohuellas6541]

Excelente.

[@jonathanrutz6104]

Have you tried the Elacs with your Audiolab 6000a? If so, was it a good match? It seems the Audiolab works better with warmer speakers.

[@carloslong839]

I rock with your channel. Are you aware of Upscale Audios 1/2 price on Cabasse speakers? Picked up a pair today of the Antigua MC170 a 3 way concentric. At $398 I bet they sound better than those Elac DB63 that I also considered. Coming from Bro 3 and Kef q150's...these Cabasse are incredible. Does anyone have an opinion about this ranking?

[@winstonmcgill6667]

I have the superflys matched with the Black Ice f22 integrated absolutely love the sound

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

That's an awesome setup! I just released my Best Amplifier of the Year video today and it is the Black Ice Audio FX10H ...the F22's little brother. I am a big fan of both Zu and Black Ice Audio and they pair really well together in a signal path! Beautiful sound AND soundstage together!

[@winstonmcgill6667]

@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music absolutely and I appreciate that they give 30 to 45 days to return it if your not happy. Old guy audio just did an excellent review of the F22

[@al5152001]

What about Tannoy Speakers

[@OMBEWSSS]

Sir ur room need some treat. Hurt my ear using headphone cus of that echo so annoyed. But good video 😊

[@rambler3080]

95dB at 30hz eh. Probably down 20dB at 30hz unless ZU has figured out how to defeat the laws of physics. Have you actually seen what a speaker looks like that can do that? Anyway, maybe be a bit more critical of published specs and marketing. I’m glad you like them but they’re not even in the top 100 of best speakers.

[@einarbk885]

no speaker like a zu has worked in history and it will never work. their specs are nonsense (for example low-end from them are impossible with 95db eff) and without crossovers they have wild spl changes on-axis and loads of beaming off-axis at higher freq. there is a reason nobody builds speakers like this. online you can see the wild polarization in opinions, some people seem to love them and others hate them, nothing properly designed would come out that different.. GR research did some measurements that show all the issues.

[@robmata474]

I have a pair I paid 700 what can I buy for that cash that would sound better.?/

[@einarbk885]

@@robmata474 channel blocked me for some reason.

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

Thank you for your comment. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to listen to a lot of hifi gear, and as most do in that situation, I have listened to gear with excellent measurements that I have not found engaging and ultimately I felt was on the boring side. Conversely, I have heard hifi gear with measurements that don’t look promising but after listening I found them fun and very enjoyable and I had to admit I liked listening to! Since listening to music is about one of our 5 senses I think that the best comparison is to our experiences with the other senses, for instance our sense of taste with food. Food that I like you may not like. It still amazes me that one of my sons doesn’t like any seafood! I love seafood! But we are all different. And I think that makes life rich and beautiful. What each person likes and dislikes with food and listening to music is not math with an objectively right and wrong answer. What you and I like when it comes to sound reproduction by hifi gear when we listen to the music we love is 100% subjective. Creating music is an art form and IMO listening to music is more about the art of the sound then about the science of the sound. I have learned to trust my ears and how it sounds to me. My wife and I go to a lot of concerts every year, it is one of our favorite things to do. We see concerts in venues ranging from outdoor concerts to symphony hall to small kinda “low rent” venues to old vaudeville theater venues to college campus theater venues, and more. We see symphonies, acoustic jazz groups, fusion jazz groups, Latin jazz groups and Latin pop, singer songwriters, country music. Classic rock. This past year alone we saw guitar legend Steve Vai and we saw Sungazer who are a fusion of jazz, EDM and ProgRock and we saw Wynton Marsalis Quintet and we saw Darius Rucker and we saw the Swedish fusion jazz, R&B, EDM fusion group Dirty Loops and Colombian pop legend Andres Cepeda and we went to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by the symphony and some others. But I mention these to illustrate the wide diversity of music we listen to LIVE. My point is I listen to a lot of live music and I lean heavily on that and bring those listening experiences back home to my listening room when I evaluate hifi gear. The live experience is a constant reference point to what the instruments should sound like when they are reproduced at home by our hifi gear. Your path to your hifi happy place and my path to my hifi happy place may be different paths. That’s fine and I support that. I encourage you to pursue the path that makes sense to you and agrees with your listening preferences. IMO reaching your hifi happy place is what is important, not the path. I wish you success in reaching and enjoying your hifi happy place!

[@EvenHarmonics]

@@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music fantastic answer! To each his own.

[@carlitomelon4610]

@@einarbk885 Yep. Exactly. My previous comment got blocked

[@carlitomelon4610]

I unsubscribed from all reviewers who praised the DW shreakers after the GR review and measurements.

[@jonathanalexander2681]

I’m guessing you auditioned them in your home? What were your thoughts?

[@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music]

Thank you for your comment. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to listen to a lot of hifi gear, and as most do in that situation, I have listened to gear with excellent measurements that I have not found engaging and ultimately I felt was on the boring side. Conversely, I have heard hifi gear with measurements that don’t look promising but after listening I found them fun and very enjoyable and I had to admit I liked listening to! Since listening to music is about one of our 5 senses I think that the best comparison is to our experiences with the other senses, for instance our sense of taste with food. Food that I like you may not like. It still amazes me that one of my sons doesn’t like any seafood! I love seafood! But we are all different. And I think that makes life rich and beautiful. What each person likes and dislikes with food and listening to music is not math with an objectively right and wrong answer. What you and I like when it comes to sound reproduction by hifi gear when we listen to the music we love is 100% subjective. Creating music is an art form and IMO listening to music is more about the art of the sound then about the science of the sound. I have learned to trust my ears and how it sounds to me. My wife and I go to a lot of concerts every year, it is one of our favorite things to do. We see concerts in venues ranging from outdoor concerts to symphony hall to small kinda “low rent” venues to old vaudeville theater venues to college campus theater venues, and more. We see symphonies, acoustic jazz groups, fusion jazz groups, Latin jazz groups and Latin pop, singer songwriters, country music. Classic rock. This past year alone we saw guitar legend Steve Vai and we saw Sungazer who are a fusion of jazz, EDM and ProgRock and we saw Wynton Marsalis Quintet and we saw Darius Rucker and we saw the Swedish fusion jazz, R&B, EDM fusion group Dirty Loops and Colombian pop legend Andres Cepeda and we went to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by the symphony and some others. But I mention these to illustrate the wide diversity of music we listen to LIVE. My point is I listen to a lot of live music and I lean heavily on that and bring those listening experiences back home to my listening room when I evaluate hifi gear. The live experience is a constant reference point to what the instruments should sound like when they are reproduced at home by our hifi gear. Your path to your hifi happy place and my path to my hifi happy place may be different paths. That’s fine and I support that. I encourage you to pursue the path that makes sense to you and agrees with your listening preferences. IMO reaching your hifi happy place is what is important, not the path. I wish you success in reaching and enjoying your hifi happy place!

[@johnalexander4946]

GR Research is selling snake oil. His crossover actually reduces the sensitivity of the speakers. This is not an improvement for those using low watt tubes. His tweeter upgrade only improves response above audible frequencies. He provides no before and after audio evidence to demonstrate an improvement. In fact he doesn’t even perform listening tests in his own room. He derives everything from examining one speaker and looking at frequency response graphs. Absolutely no practical real work testing.

[@carlitomelon4610]

@@Hunter-Gray-LUV-Music That's great. Live unamplified music should be our reference point. If I wanted speakers that are musical instruments in their own right though, I'd play records through my bass guitar amps! Maybe the Zus approximate a live PA system. I'll pass.

[@Tendervittle]

You’re a bit dramatic. Have you heard these speakers for yourself? I’m guessing not.. helmet head over at GR research only thinks his speakers sound good.