Some Like It Dirty? Zu Audio Superfly

[@Sonofholhorse]

I auditioned a set of Dirty Weekend MkII when they were available, and while I couldn't get them to do what I wanted (ended up keeping a pair of Buchardt S300 mkII that I had in at the same time instead) I have to shout out Zack and the team at Zu; they worked day after day with me during my audition period trying positioning, treatment, gear synergies, every solution we could think of to get them to sing the way I wanted them to. When it came time to return them, they were completely amicable and made it painless from start to finish. Say what you want about their design philosophies, but as a company and in customer service, they are top-tier. Danny and the team at GR Research are no slouches either...

[@dannyrichie9743]

Oh yeah, those are great guys over there.

[@intrinsicfreedom]

I had a similar experience. They run a great customer service, and I was pained to have to send them back. They are also VERY attractive speakers.

[@abboberg]

But they weren't willing/able to fix the inherent design flaws for you. It takes a guy of Danny's level to do that.

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

​@@dannyrichie9743IRONY!

[@jamesdoranto9013]

@@abboberg ok lmao.

[@martinkasemsan9099]

I've learned so much about loudspeaker engineering from watching your videos! They really help put review comments and measurements into context.

[@neilfisher7999]

I've owned the Zu DW MK II for a few years. It's one of the most musical and natural sounding speakers to me. I'm 60. I've been around music for decades. Many speakers that measure well don't sound good to me. I go with what my ears tell me. I can't listen to measurements. If that's what you like, good for you. This is why there are hundreds of companies making speakers. There's no one size fits all for everyone. Choose a speaker that you like based on what your ears tell you, not because somebody else tells you it's good or measures good.

[@vcp93]

I agree. I've had DWs and now own the Omen mk2 speakers. I will agree about several points Danny made. The horizontal off axis is very noticeable, even without measuring tools. I use them in a small room for NFL so they are about 7 ft away and pointed (as Danny says) at ear level and right at my head. I like these speakers, but might consider this kit. I'm not adverse to change or mods.

[@neilfisher7999]

​@vcp93 Yes, everyone's tastes are different. If you can modify something to customize to your taste, more power to you. I used to sell audio back in the late 80s. Never been much of a specs and measurements guy. Sometimes specs and measurements can cover up for deficiencies that aren't being measured. But our ears are the best measurement tools for what we like best.

[@Ian-wh8ut]

Agreed. I own Dw 2s and sometimes it is frustrating. but I knew full well that they dont measure well going in. and I really dont care. as i dont listen in a nice little space searching for the last little thing.I do like to rock. not very audiophile of me i am sure but damm I cant imagine not having these things!To each their own for sure.

[@neilfisher7999]

​@Ian-wh8ut There's an awful lot of speaker companies who've been around for a long time that people like, and they don't necessarily have great "measurements." The greatest measurement tool on the planet is your own 2 ears. No scope, machine, or computer can replace your ears. Here's another analogy. Imagine going to a concert and the musicians passed out the sheet music to the audience. Not a note was played. They just asked everyone to read the music together and Imagine how it sounded. Perfect music. Right? No distortion, no worries about frequency response, or off axis listening. But what did you hear? Nothing. Listen to the music instead of analyzing it. You'll get more enjoyment that way.

[@michaelwright1602]

@@Ian-wh8ut Same here, simply a fun speaker, I have the DW6 Supremes and a pair of Omen Dirty Weekends. Both are a blast to listen to. I trust Danny and his findings, and may even purchase one of the kits, but not something I have on my top 100 things to do this year list.

[@astrofog4638]

This reminds me of a time I was eating lunch at my favorite restaurant. They didn't serve real maple syrup with their pancakes. So I bought some and let some of the staff taste it (who had never had real maple syrup). They preferred the fake syrup over the real stuff! They were happy/content with a much less 'tasteful' experience (but one that give them that sugar zing) then the rich palette of flavor real maple syrup gives. I was shocked. Another memory: Long ago i was shopping for a piano...a grand piano. We're talking car money here....I ended up with a 1926 Steinway..it had what was described to me as a 'woody mid-range'. The 2 octaves around middle C just anchored the sound (I really don't know how to describe it) with a 'living' voice. And the overtones on the piano were gorgeous - the bass overtones would sweep up the harp from left to right sending shivers down my spine. The pianos I auditioned from Asia (including a very famous brand that makes speakers you've all heard of) made me want to cover my ears due to their amped up / 'tin can' treble. Up until I played that Steinway I had no idea how far the gap between 'good enough' and excellence could be. Yet some folks just like that bright sound...

[@joshuaolander201]

I'll take Mrs Butterworth's over real maple any day

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

A speaker is not a musical instrument. Flat response and low distortion is the goal!

[@Celado]

@@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw para você... não se esqueça que seu gosto não é o gosto de todos e tá tudo certo.

[@bwiz6514]

Danny will get no coconut cake from Zu Audio this holiday.

[@Fedgery007]

This speaker is so hyped up. It’s so crazy to see what the construction quality actually is. People are being hoodwinked.

[@dougmallory2600]

have never seen mr D rolling his eyes as much

[@markwilding3828]

People love these speakers, they have a legion of fans and even some experienced people in the industry seem to genuinely admire them... what do you think it is that they hearing that has them so enamoured? My theory would be that, despite all their faults, their lack of parts delivers a sound that is refreshing compared to most other speakers we get to hear with signals that are forced through a meat grinder of cheap crossover parts.

[@DYNABLASTERTUNERS]

It's a full range driver, that's the only magic of that box, and poorly executed

[@johngnipper8768]

lol I agree ☝️

[@anxiousappliance]

@@DYNABLASTERTUNERS apart from the "it sounds really good" part.

[@ChrisJohnson-c3s]

Being an audiophile for 50 years sometimes I just look at a speaker and I say boy that's never going to work and this brand was one of them and the other one is tecton with the 20 tweeters

[@dennisbohner6876]

I purchased a set of LCR Tecton and it was as natural as my bird calls. They guarantee satisfaction so I returned them (No finger prints allowed! and you pay the freight.) and was informed by them that they measured perfectly. So it must be me.

[@MichelLinschoten]

Tekton are not all tweeters perhaps spend less assuming and actually reading what it is

[@dennisbohner6876]

@@MichelLinschoten I BOUGHT them. Please don't lecture me on what I prefer. I researched the crap out of them and didn't like them in MY home.

[@seanb3303]

@@MichelLinschotenthe Tekton Lore is very similar to this speaker…Lore has a better tweeter but it’s an empty box and doesn’t have baffle step correction so a rising response defines it.

[@intrinsicfreedom]

Tekton has a huge lineup... During the period where I bought/auditioned the Zu DW, II, I also bought a pair of Tekton speakers, inclusive of the array you hint about. Frankly, they are absolutely amazing, not a hint of harshness, and a deeply revealing midrange. The concept that gave rise to the tweeter "array" you claim is never going to work is the fact that tweeters move with very low moving mass, which stands in contrast to the much heavier driver complement found in most MIDRANGE configurations. The lightness of the midrange in the "array" allows for effortless expression of all of the signal/frequency range covered by the midrange. It's an absolutely delightful presentation, which is why you see the Tekton Moab receiving so many awards and accolades. For the money they are seemingly unbeatable. I had though the Zu could be another giant killer, but I was mistaken, although I do think in a much more heavily dampened space that the Zu would open up.

[@intrinsicfreedom]

I waited for Danny's comment, "this is going to to take your head off" because that was my experience when I auditioned a pair of Zu DW for sixty days. I so much wanted this speaker to work. I made endless changes to positioning and I felt like I was injuring my ears and head in the process of listening to what is the hardest, harshest set of speakers I've had in my home. In the end, I thought my room was the problem. So glad to see there is a rational explanation, tied to the Zu DW design.

[@Harrisongrey19]

Your room probably is the issue, so find a set of speakers that sound good in your room, I own the union 6 from zu and they are great in my listening space.

[@betod63]

never sound "hardest, harshest" my pair. Even the opposite: super silky and pleasant (and detailed) high frequencies. My problem was that I could never solve a suction of a certain sector of the low/high (or mid/low) frequencies. They even had tremendous bass extension, but not tight.

[@chrisrocca]

My union 6 needed hundreds of hours to break in, I don’t think one can make a judgment about Zu speakers without taking break-in into consideration. Also, Danny like all KZbin hifi folks is selling a product and managing an image. Many of his criticisms of these speakers apply to every speaker on the market. This video leaves me with the impression that he came into this review with an agenda - maybe just the way he presents his findings…

[@Harrisongrey19]

@@chrisrocca yea you nailed it, I needed around 100 hours to break my union 6 in, but I also have a Luxman 509x integrated powering them.

[@Justwantahover]

There are no crossover components on that 10" driver. Normally they have an inductor on the woofer to soften the harsh sound. And that is what Danny did.

[@imqqmi]

Wow, a masterclass in speaker design in just 38 minutes! Thanks Danny, really enjoyed this one!

[@gregsunderland6394]

Almost everything he pointed out was covered in Vance Dickason's Loudspeaker Design Cookbook over 3 decades ago. I'm surprised some of this stuff is still done.

[@manitoublack]

@@gregsunderland6394 but you have to read the textbook to not fall into the traps.

[@michaelbooth6007]

I noticed that the upgrade knocked the efficiency down slightly but still at around 92db which would make the upgraded speaker a very good candidate for low powered amps. The impedance levels look very suitable too - very easy load to drive. In my view a great upgrade!

[@dannyrichie9743]

Well, yes and no. The output level below 200 to 300Hz is the same as it was. I just brought the level of everything above it down to match it.

[@pml394]

Well done Danny as usual and Maybe ZU should pinpoint their customers to Men over 60 with a natural rolloff in the high FreQ - thats me im 63 and I cant hear anything above 10 K. Im following a well known audiofil on KZbin whos has come to love ZU speakers and horn loaded Klipsch and he isnt young either . Every speaker should have an "age compensating" filter 🙂

[@WhiteBubblySoup]

I own the previous gen DW and this explains a lot and is consistent with my experience

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

You are a smart perceptive fellow!

[@sloboat55]

I can tell you the No-rez and Sonicaps worked wonders on my Pedest'ale Tower speakers i bought from Danny three years ago. Great vid as always.

[@akr01364]

The friend of mine that has the Klipsch Cornwalls I mentioned before also purchased a second hand set of Zus. I don't know the model. But, they look very similar to this speaker. He seems to think playing his music hot is the same as having it live (he has a pair of Crown amps for that reason). Knowing this and having read a few articles about them I sat down expecting Cerwin Vega's high priced cousin to start shouting at me through a paper towel tube: I wasn't disappointed. Even on 80's Whitesnake the effect was screaming and I had to keep adjusting my head to understand what was being played. These stock are a garage band. Sure, you could spend the $2,300 on a pair of these and then buy your kit. However, your pal over at Tyler Acoustics offers the U2 bookshelf. 90db at 35hz for $2,400 and great parts out of the box. They look great in my front room.

[@richardpeterson5838]

I'm actually really surprised about this one. I've built Danny's XLS's, and X-statik which Iove, but listened to a buddy's pair of Zu speakers, which sounded amazing. Very interesting! great work as always!

[@dougdavis8986]

That's because it's your ears that matter, not measurements. Danny just wants subscribers like all youtubers.

[@nabildanial00]

@@dougdavis8986 of course measurements matter. danny clearly showed that how bad the dispersion of the DW is, how can anyone achieve any semblence of a soundstage with that, its nigh impossible. also some people just have tin canned ears, idk how anyone cant hear those sharp treble and not hear the speaker screams at you.

[@dougdavis8986]

@@nabildanial00 have you listened to the Zu?

[@nabildanial00]

@@dougdavis8986 nope and i dont need to. im a hobbyist speaker designer and i've dabbled in enough speaker designs to know how bad those would sound like.

[@dougdavis8986]

@@nabildanial00 lol

[@alessandrobaravelli6036]

For me they work spectacularly. I have two vidars singing into them in a large room and I could't be happier. Needs a subwoofer for last octave. I use a big REL

[@dannyrichie9743]

No, if you heard them after the upgrade you'd be a lot happier.

[@daveapex493]

What is most disheartening about this information is not how this speaker sounded, but how many trusted audio equipment reviewers gave this speaker very high praise. This now puts into question all of the other products they have reviewed over the years. With a 'no-negative' review policy; how bad does something have be, before these reviewers will just be honest with us viewers and tell us "I just could not review this piece and had to send it back", instead of asking us to please like and subscribe? Sorry, but this truly exposes a major let down for this hobby.

[@ChicagoRob2]

A large percentage of audio reviewers are shills. Never buy a speaker, without hearing it in your home.,

[@Staybrown11]

Zu Audio and every other Hifi company have 30-60 day in home trial. Try it. If you don’t like return it. Simple. Reviewers like it. You might not. It’s not a big deal it just Hifi

[@realitykicksin8755]

The Stereophile review measurements on the Zu Audio Essence look pretty similar. Lots of resonance. Enough for me to decline. Yeah the review text slimes it up ... but the graphs speak for themselves

[@jdlech]

Have you noticed that a lot of reviewers take no measurements whatsoever? I've said it before and I'll say it again. I've seen equipment that measures good but sounded bad. But I've *NEVER* had anything measure bad that sounded good.

[@Staybrown11]

@@jdlech many people say that about Klipsch, and other companies but many many people love what those speakers sound like. Many vintage speakers out there that don’t measure well but folks love them. Most people don’t have a well treated well room, and have speakers pushed up against the wall and expect their speakers to sound amazing…

[@j-rod6420]

Back in the day, did you ever see someone's eq settings that just seemed nuts ? There's speakers out there designed for those people.

[@christianolssontravels]

without the science you just shoot in the dark. What I can tell is that I don´t like cabs with their own resonance. It's uncontrolled and the music gets distorted. I think Danny does a great job debunking myths and speakers at the same time. There's always gonna be people complaining on that for whatever reason. I learn a TON on this channel. Which I use improving on my stuff. Thanks!

[@Roudaki677]

I’ve tried and wanted to like Zu, listened multiple times at friends as well as shows, never heard a model that captured my attention (and I’m choosing my words carefully)

[@TheNaka9]

Super interesting! I am glad that I didn’t purchased a pair of DW6 a year ago at a spanish dealer. I am very very treble sensitive and this sounds like the absolutely wrong speaker for me. Glad that I followed my instinct. Thanks Danny.

[@jahn-pierrezietsman2293]

Thank you so much for explaining a waterfall plot. Its the first time I actually could understand what it meant. I could never understand it. Even my wife understood it. We had such a laugh because she doesn't really care about audio, just as long as it can play loud and clear she's happy!

[@The-Spotlight-Kid]

It ideally should look like a wide even height hill that gently rolls forwards towards the viewer & evenly down to the ground with no protrusions or extrnding section looking different from another section along it's smooth width. It's a guess but that's what I instantly thought when I first saw these 3 dimensional representations while only used to 2 dimensional graphs of sonic traits. But, many folk like a lift in the low end, some like bright sparkle in the hi mids & treble, speakers near perfectly even across their whole frequency response may bore some people, if we heard a speaker with a perfect spectral 3'd graph, would we like it? without room gain? I dunno but would love to hear such a perfectly flat speaker as I've no idea how they would sound. It's a fascinating subject to me at least. Maybe in the future, some hi' tech' will allow someone to draw the perfect spectral graph & some multi-msterial 3'D printer will make them, & many might say "I preferred my old imperfect speakers, we wouldn't be around if it happened. P.S. my love of music alone drives my interest, I don't buy L.P.s (yes, still rare s/h not re-done in the age of the Crossley Suitcase systems sold in the same shops as L.P.s) to listen to my system or I'd probably only need less than 10 or albums for that purpose. Hearing Lightning Hopkins on a good system really moves me, he's dead by now but my latest discovery.

[@vrtulnicek13]

thanks a lot Danny for this explanation. I had Zu's (essence) and it was like love and hate relationships..they had some "magic" with some type of the music.. which I understand now was mainly bcause of the reconances issues you describe here..but I never heard with anoth other speakers such excitement..but had all issues you nicely and kindly describe to us. many thanks for that..very educational :) thubms up!

[@michaellong9039]

All speakers are designed to a specific taste in sound. I assume that the dynamic swing, wow factor is what the buyers love about Zu Audio, and they don't care about accuracy or refinement.

[@rb89509]

I'm 63 with severe tinnitus and even I could here the treble coming out of that compression tweeter Zu put in that box.

[@ChicagoRob2]

God forbid if sound engineers mixed/mastered on these.

[@BostonMike68]

I don't know about that, if you do it right you can still have dynamics and wow factor. That thing is rattling.

[@neilfisher7999]

I like the way mine sound. It is a natural, musical sound. If you like a different sound, then listen to whatever that is. I like many genres of music, but there's a couple of genres I don't like. So I don't listen to those genres. It doesn't mean those genres I personally don't like are bad. Other people may like them. To each their own. Lots of people have listened to my Zu's and complimented the sound. I never pass out a spec sheet to my listeners. You can't listen to specs.

[@trauma50disaster1]

@@neilfisher7999 I got a buddy who said check out my new tv, do you think anything was going to come out of my mouth other than, oh, that's nice.

[@lsaideOK]

Now I feel even better about returning them after the 60-day trial! 🙂 I did everything I could including getting footers and tilting them to keep my house from shaking and get a little clarity to the sound stage. Now they do have a big bass response under the 200 HZ limit of your testing. Perhaps too much as I thought overall the sound was a bit muddy and lacked resolution. Now my hearing falls off well before that 18K bump so I did not find them bright at all. Which is explained by the fall off in your graph in the upper mid lower treble region.

[@seanb3303]

You can put a granite tooling block on the top panel…springs for footers…and clamp the side panels…should quiet things down

[@RennieAsh]

Dirty speakers require dirty solutions lol

[@peterracer1]

I enjoyed the video, he is an engineer who likes to fix issues, and he knows what’s going on. Compression drivers usually can be harsh, this tweeter might have been better with a folded horn 15 inch JBL! Zu could have spent more time, trying out different tweeters and at least filter out some issues…….Putting in no-rez in the cabinet also helped….

[@pimpin94553]

I love watching Danny's videos. So informative.

[@DruvisR]

This video was educational and entertaining. Thank you!

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

Good work Danny!

[@richardardern171]

I really appreciated all the info on best practice speaker design that you included in this video.

[@michaelwright1602]

I own a pair of the DW6 Supremes and love them. And I kind of figured when I saw this video it was not going to bode well for the Zu's... Thanks Danny! I will probaly get this kit.

[@dannyrichie9743]

Yeah, but with the upgrade they really transformed.

[@bayard1332]

In my speaker building travels I have experienced many wildly cool results... that are the results of bad acoustics, bad whatevers (the list of bad things is long) and I now very much have 2 categories of cool sounding results, results from everything being right and results from bad things that sound cool... These speakers are loved by many, which confirms my working thesis that some bad acoustics make cool results, but correct acoustics are always better... Thanks for this video, definitely explains my response to hearing these at eh capitol audio festival a few years back.

[@Keoma73]

I have the Zu Soul Superfly Mk1a. Paired with a vintage Sansui Aux 666 from 1970 it's a match made in heaven. I leave the Loudness button alsays on and I get get exactly the sound I was looking for: a rich,full bodied sound with lots of slam and dynamics. The Sansui gives a lot of weight to the music and has great tube - like transparence. Absolutely no high frequency sharpness!. I also heard a Soul Supreme paired with a vintage Marantz Receiver from the Seventies and I was amazed too. I once tried my Soul Superfly with a modern Hybrid Amp ( Mosfet with tube)...The music was much more thin sounding, I missed the fullness to the sound,the weight to the music......so Amp - harmony with Zus is immensly important.

[@anomalouswoof2554]

Having trouble understanding how the center to center distance relates to wavelength. A 6000 Hz sine wave has a wavelength of close to 50000 meters (50km). A distance of 1m between centers, which is Way More than you're talking about, is only 1/50000 of a wave at 6kHz. Am I missing something here?

[@haraldgmeiner4507]

Your wavelength calculation is off. 340 m/s , 6000 Hz --> 340 [m/s] / 6000 [1/s] = lambda [m]

[@anomalouswoof2554]

@haraldgmeiner4507 LOL, I used the formula for RF, not audio. I forgot the speed sound waves travel in air is Much Much Slower that the speed of radio waves.

[@turbo2288]

My Soul Superfly Mk1B doesn't has any treble rise at all, actually slightly roll off, mid-range is to die for !! measurement doesn't mean anything!

[@mikecees2230]

Steve the Audiophiliac seems to love Zu speakers and had me considering giving them a try. Then I read another comment that stated that they sounded like cheap car speakers and are basically for hipsters that want cool looking gear. I decided to hold off and in case I have a feeling my girlfriend wouldn't have been too fond of the ''in your face'' design especially if their sound was also ''in your face''

[@fluim0102]

Hey Danny, Amazing work! Love learning through your videos. Question: Do you also first listen? Curious how much of these issues you would be able to clearly pinpoint and hear through listening alone, before measuring them.

[@dannyrichie9743]

These issues are easy to hear.

[@drumhed]

This is one of the most polarizing products on the market. I knew Danny would hate it, but I was surprised how much I love my DW Mk2's, having watched this video before buying. For certain types of music, they sound absolutely tits. But this is not the only speaker I own and love that Danny didn't speak favorably of.

[@jasontimothywells9895]

Danny , you rock sir , you are all about the truth and never candy coating issues like most . I am starting to wonder if you're a sagittarius born under the chinese sign of the 🐓 i am and have had to manuver my whole life with those around me always choosing to cut corners , or just flat out mislead others through there own lack of knowledge. You always take your time to do things right . Your a rare gem in these times . You are appreciated by a lot .

[@manitoublack]

How does a compression driver like that even make it to market? Let alone beat other options when doing testing to determine the best tweeter for a speaker???

[@BobIGomez]

Having heard very favorable thoughts about ZU, I ordered the DW6, the week before your review. I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with the competition, even though after 4 months I do find the ZU somewhat quirky, sound wise in my small listening room. I am using them mainly as monitors for my Moog Synthesizer & I do find them more detailed than other speakers I have experienced. They are especially inconsistent when playing CD's. Some sound wonderful while others are drenched in reverb with overly accentuated dynamics. I wonder if the AudioLab 6000 was a good fit along with the matching CD transport. Perhaps I will make some modifications in the future. Thanks for the review.

[@PlaybackMansion]

If you watch Zu Audio's "Set Up Tips" video you'll see that these speakers are designed to use boundary reinforcement like classic Klipsch models. I'm not affliated with Zu. I have the DW MkII so maybe the tweeters are different from the Superfly. I dont find them bright at all. That could also be because if they are set up close to walls like Sean Casey intended- the bass matches the tweeter output

[@dannyrichie9743]

Sure backing them up against a wall will pick them up in the bottom end, but at the expense of imaging, and sound stage depth, etc. Also, backing them up against a wall doesn't fix the cabinet resonating issues or any other problems.

[@PlaybackMansion]

@@dannyrichie9743 Just like there is no single golf club that does everything, no speaker design specializes in everything. Personally, if I find myself listening to a speaker often and not wanting to turn it off, it's a winner. You have your own criteria and those criteria are valid for you not everyone. I believe the focus of this design is to make an attractive, sensitive speaker that sounds good anywhere in the room. A person can enjoy the perfect coherence of a full range driver operating up to 12k without missing the low and high end of the range. It's a clever, elegant design with different objectives from GR Research designs

[@dannyrichie9743]

@@PlaybackMansion I am used to listening to speakers that can do everything. For me these really don't check any boxes. They aren't a speaker that you can listen to anywhere in the room. They have a very narrow area that has anything close to a reasonable response. They are missing the lower end ranges, and the cabinet buzzing colors everything. I also noticed that a LOT of other people posting here have agreed with my assessment and quite a few of them either own the speakers or returned them.

[@PlaybackMansion]

@@dannyrichie9743 In most cases flat response comes at the cost of efficiency. Output transistors have a linear range that they perform best in. It's visually satisfying to see a fr chart that's flat or a B&K curve but that's usually at the cost of amplifier performance

[@dannyrichie9743]

@@PlaybackMansion Have you seen our 94.5db sensitivity NX-Treme model?

[@jhschmidMD4]

This video should be classified as PSA (Public Service Announcement) for audiophiles. Reviewers just love recommending these speakers for some reason, but as Danny shows, there are major issues with them. Danny is saving the audiophile world, one speaker at a time!

[@Harrisongrey19]

He’s only promoting his brand so people buy from him, why is it that he has kits for every speaker he test hmmmm… not that hard to figure out bud

[@nabildanial00]

@@Harrisongrey19 if you dont see any issues with the DW like danny has shown us, idk what to tell you.

[@DYNABLASTERTUNERS]

@@Harrisongrey19 Your IQ must be minus eternal

[@Harrisongrey19]

@@nabildanial00 he has shown up what he has measured and heard, luckily other people don’t have his hearing

[@dannyrichie9743]

@@Harrisongrey19 I guess if my hearing was so bad that cabinet resonances, uneven responses, phase issues, off axis beaming, driver break up, or lack of step loss compensation didn't bother me then I would be lucky too?

[@drg6793]

Is that an older model? According to the Zu website and other reviewers, the tweeter crosses at 12khz. Certainly doesn’t match Danny’s findings. BTW- I built a pair of XLS Encore towers that I love - so, no hate here, just curious if Zu has addressed some of the concerns mentioned.

[@hermanknief]

The Zu uses a high pass filter, but I believe it's a first order and has a 6dB/octave slope, so it does reach down a bit below 12k. IIRC, Sean's commented that ~90% of the sound you hear comes from the 10 inch driver.

[@LeonFleisherFan]

What people should do is buy audio gear based on their personal taste, use and love, and stick to it, and enjoy their favorite music. What they should NOT do is buy based purely on objective data (measurements) or the subjective opinion of others (reviewers, critics). Not to mention, what they should NOT do is second-guess their preferences reading or watching negative reviews of their favorite product, and pick a fight. If you're happy, more power to you!

[@318ishonk]

A good example showing you can't EQ every issue out of a speaker. Only thing is now the "Dirty" was taken out of the speaker. Not sure Zu Audio fans would like this new sound. ( there are people who love mid-frequency centric tonality)

[@1997inspire]

Another f*****g miraculous transformation wrought by a true speaker guru !!

[@dabbidaa1547]

For a fair price non the less!

[@1997inspire]

@@dabbidaa1547 Personally, I would sell those speakers and put the money towards purchasing one of Danny's kits.But the Zu's were in a desperate state so their resue earned high commendation.

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

​Danny has really come up with something here! I'd like to see him produce and sell his improved version of the DW's, thereby cutting into Zu's sales!

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

The guys at Zu must be clowns to make and sell a speaker as bad sounding as the DW!

[@robanderson6173]

Good to see problems that shows what to expect with some speakers.

[@markgaches1961]

Awesome Job you are the man.

[@danashay]

Brutal. And beautiful. Don't ever change Danny. 😎

[@betod63]

I had a dirty weekend pair and I never, ever found the tweeter to be annoying. On the contrary, they were soft and pleasant to the ear. The problem I found, because in the previous version, the low frequency output was regulated with the distance of the cabinet from the floor and I was never able to solve a suck in the mid/low frequencies (or the upper part of the low frequencies). In any case, uses a capacitor for integration with the tweeter /10" woofer/fullrange. Looking at the graph after the modification, the extension of high frequencies is reduced and also those of low frequencies, but the latter are not seen when the roll off begins. What is the new frequency extension?

[@lexbarton3196]

We auditioned a set of Omen Def supremes. They definitely was not a $6000.00 set of speakers. Very difficult to get lined up and if you moved around in your listening chair any at all then sound stage went to hell. Cranked them up and the cabinets vibrated better than the wife’s little pocket rocket. Returned them. They need to go back to the drawing board

[@DavidB-on9fr]

I was seriously considering buying the Zu Audio DWX after listening to glowing reviews of them. I am glad I waited and watched Danny's video on this speaker. The DWX is the little brother to the DW 6. I guess I will start looking at other speakers. I really miss the days back in the 90's where you could go down to your local audio specialty store and audition speakers and bring your CD's to play in their listening rooms. Another speaker on my list is the Clayton Shaw's Open Baffle Caladan Loudspeaker. That one is a little out of my price range but maybe Danny will have a review on that one.

[@dannyrichie9743]

I have heard Clayton's Caladan. It sounds really nice.

[@DavidB-on9fr]

@@dannyrichie9743 Thank you, that is good to know.

[@RussGoerend-xz1we]

Seems strange that experienced reviewers and audiophiles really like the sound of this and other Zu's. I do not own Zu's and have never heard them. What i do know is that danny seems to be all about "FLAT" with everything. Again being longtime audiophile I understand that that is an engineering goal based on theory. BUT I also know that some of my favorite speakers were definitely not flat and that Danny would rail against for that reason. Like Acoustats, Magnepans, etc. No way Flat but very enjoyable to listen too. I have watched alot of dannys work and very impressed with him as an audio engineer, quite impressive. What I would really like to see him add to his reviews would be a separate listener review. Not from him but others. Maybe even a before and after. That would go along way to verify that the changes he makes are subjectively improved or did he make a technical improvement but now you have a speaker that is lifeless and boring. Please do not take this as a dig on Danny. What he is teaching for free is invaluable.

[@hermanknief]

Perhaps a noob question, but with spectral decay at various frequencies, doesn't this also say something about the damping factor of the amp as well? If the cone is resonating, will that not result in movement in the voice coil and generate current back to the amp, that it needs to control?

[@davidfuller581]

So Danny, I've got a question. In this video you show you have the capability to shoot nearfield below 200hz - why not include that regularly? Doing a nearfield stitch might let you reduce the smoothing from 1/3 to say 1/6 octave - 1/3 octave smoothing hides audible things in the "noise" of the smoothing.

[@gdwlaw5549]

Montpellier FC t-shirt coming your way…😊

[@SavageListener]

I have the older Zu Omen DW and Wharfedale Linton and sometimes the Zu's treble can get uncontrollably piercing like when listening to a live concert with occasional feedback. But in general I like it's treble clarity if the tracks are well recorded. The Lintons stay comfortable and well controlled with overall warmth.

[@raidendigital1003]

If anyone has a stock pair of these, a cheap thing you can try is putting a towel or anti-slip padding on the top, and a big heavy brick on top of that. It will brute force the structural integrity and reduce resonance noises associated with the lack of bracing. It worked great for the Deco Home speakers I reviewed in the abandoned house.

[@dagreatstoney.5869]

A question, could Danny recommend speakers that are commercialy available at say , Under 500 Under 1000 Under 2000. It would be great 👍

[@word2RG]

no, he could not

[@dannyrichie9743]

Have a look at our X-Series models.

[@daleboylen6427]

Never understood the fascination with ZU speakers. NO crossover on the woofer is crazy. Cone breakup big time.

[@BostonMike68]

People think no crossover is the best crossover because they heard it before from people who don't know anything

[@cbzo6]

I have the DW Omem MK2 with the clarity caps. I think they sound good. I might upgrade my amp but not the speakers. Vinyl doesn't measure good but sounds great. 😉

[@dannyrichie9743]

No problem. Just let me know when you are ready to move beyond just good.

[@sugardove6075]

Love my pair with superfly upgrade.

[@Harrisongrey19]

Yep my union 6 are a great pair of speakers.

[@hammalammadingdong6244]

Me too, but now I want to play with them and see if I can improve their performance, or if these mods suck the fun out.

[@michaelwright1602]

DW6 Supremes here, and a pair of the Omen DW's, both sound fantastic to my ear, and others in the house. A fun speaker, both really bring the music to life. And I was able to audition before purchasing, the only reason I bought them. I find they work best on vintage and tube gear, or a class A amp.

[@hammalammadingdong6244]

@@michaelwright1602 yes, I am using a Sugden Class A and overall pretty happy with the result. Tried a class D just out of curiosity and the pairing was definitely not for me.

[@waltergist8923]

@@michaelwright1602 Although I often power them with a pair of Schitt Aegirs running as monoblocks fo mostly class A an sane listening levels, I've also enjoyed them very much with either the 4-5 watt Elekit class A amp I built or the Elekit 34 or so watt push-pull amp I have. Mostly running KT88s or EL34s. These speakers are easy to power.

[@bruceandt]

Was thinking of purchasing the DWX speakers. I watched this entire video. I’m curious if this review is related to this particular speaker. Or perhaps the design in general with all of Zu’s speaker offerings. I just sent a request to ZU regarding the DWX Is a high sensitivity speaker and cabinet a hard animal to tame? It would seem that ZU has offered a speaker to appeal to the average high sensitivity crowd. After viewing this video and on a general sense of cabinet bracing, measurements taken in sonic balance through the bandwidth? I guess I’m out. I’ll bet it is a fun speaker. I’ll keep searching through the offerings of Totem, Buchardt, Gershman, Tekton would seem to live in the same world as ZU. Thanks for your thoughts.

[@dannyrichie9743]

I am not a reviewer. This design is consistent with all of their offerings. If you are looking for a well designed high sensitivity speaker then have a look at our Brute and Bully models.

[@wrongIQ]

Another great explanatory video! Thank you so much! So if I understood you correctly to avoid beaming with the 8" (20 cm) driver it shouldn't go higher than approximately 1700 Hz?

[@dannyrichie9743]

That is correct.

[@gregc7314]

I always wanted to like Zu speakers but I can't get over their objective performance.

[@walterpen371]

First of all what really makes great or excellent sound quality from speakers. We start with ELECTRICAL ENERGY that takes ELECTRONICAL INFORMATION , and converts it to MECHANICAL ENERGY ( THE SPEAKER WAVEFORMS). The PLUS is the MANIPULATION OR ALTERING OF AIR MOLECULES as it reaches the LISTENERS EARDRUMS. This will result in each listener's choice of sound quality preferences. EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS A DIFFERENT HEARING RANGE, MUSICAL TASTES, AND SOUND QUALITY PREFERENCES. All of this results in speakers being rated highly or they lack quality. I'm just an old guy who hasn't had a HEARING TEST and I know that I have a hearing loss. Danny keep up the great work.

[@trauma50disaster1]

S T O P C A P I T A L I Z I N G F O R F K S S A K E

[@Aaron-im5ww]

Try them, play music for a month or three. Dance. Listen to it all. Trust your ears. Buy stuff you love. Ignore the haters. But also ignore the fanboys. People like Danny enjoy measuring music. I enjoy music. We are not the same.

[@dannyrichie9743]

Actually I love the music as well and I spend a lot of time in the listening room. However, my enjoyment goes up as quality goes up.

[@Bluesharp1896]

Music is what’s in the recording. The playback system should accurately reflect the source. It’s a scientific apparatus, subject to rational analysis and measurement. I am not saying subjectivity plays no role, but awful performance like this should be seen for what it is.

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

​@@Bluesharp1896I agree! Yet people love bad sounding speakers like the Klipschorn's.

[@anthonymiriello5029]

Danny have you ever measured any Tekton speakers ? Curious if so, what you think about the use of tweeter array for the midrange?

[@ilaion11]

I can answer that, it's a bad idea that is not singular to Tekton, Perlisten does it too, and the problem is not so much the array itself as is the tweeter's response and Fs value of around 600 Hz. I would never cross a tweeter lower than two octaves above Fs in a second order, so that would be 2400 Hz for drives that are meant to be used as tweeters, that is tweeter territory. No matter how many of these tweeters you put at work it won't lower the distortion below the Fs, thus, a dedicated midrange or full range like the Scan Speak Discovery 10F/8414G10, would wipe the floor with any array of tweeters. One could argue that at 1200 Hz 4th order these would do as midranges, but in my opinion, tweeters like that would work well as tweeters and no further divisions should be made into upper frequency with another driver. They argue that you increase resolution if you play the upper heights from 6000Hz and that may be true, but still, drivers like this Scan Speak and Tang Bands W4s have way more punch into lower heights and way more excursion, so you can cross them at 3500Hz or more without a problem and let the tweeter to work well without clustering big excursions at it and limit it's resolution at top octaves at high volume.

[@anthonymiriello5029]

@ilaion11 Thanks for the explanation. I have always been curious as to their design and if would work as described. The promise of the faster speed due to the less moving mass sounds great though.

[@ilaion11]

@@anthonymiriello5029 that is not true either. Midranges like the ones I mentioned earlier are as fast or faster than the best tweeters. Membrane mass is not a factor for speed, or not the only one. Motor size and power cancels that, as well as lower inductance and good aerodynamics. You can't have the same speed in an 8" driver as you can in a 3 or 4" driver, that is because of aerodynamics (mass of moved air) and higher inductance (the result of larger voice coil), but you can have higher speed in a 2 to 5 inch driver than in a dome tweeter and measurements prove that, and this happens because dome tweeters have limitations too. They need a chamber behind the dome, one that don't reflect sounds back, and this is constraining the membrane from moving as fast as ribbon tweeters for example, but they're a great pair for the best midranges for sure, and they sound very good to me, I would never use ribbon tweeters, I do not need sounds into the ultrasounds, I'm not a bat! How I would use more tweeter drivers in a system would be for decreasing distortion. With every driver added you double the sound pressure and thus you need less excursion to drive them at the same level as a single driver. Though, you add complexity, phase alignment becomes a problem between them, and honestly, I would rather carve a good waveguide, tweeters don't sound good naked and waveguides increase the sound pressure, even by 6db! Although an increase of 3 dB represents a doubling of the sound pressure, an increase of about 10 dB is required before the sound subjectively appears to be twice as loud, so you need 4 tweeters to increase the sound pressure with 10 db, aka twice the perceived sound pressure. You're welcome!

[@00penguin]

When I got my dirty weekend V2s from Zu I could not understand what all the hype was about. They sounded grainy sometimes and pleasant a few minutes later. After they broke in I started to realize they were fun speakers. We each have our own wants and desires when it comes to audio. Some love certain speakers and some hate that same speaker. I really enjoyed Danny's video and hope that some of the upgrades will translate to my dirty weekend V2s. Thanks Danny

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

You'd probably like the fun of listening to a Klipschorn a foot away at 100db!

[@richg1331]

Love hearing Danny preach 🙌

[@phenomtyree]

Awesome presentation, very informative.

[@rnomarcuzee8217]

Hey GR (Danny) I have a pair of DWs I purchased 4 years ago? I called you and wound up purchasing the crossover kit, no res, etc and built your cables. Great Results! Question: we did not replace the tweeter , so can I just now buy this tweeter and swap out? Or will the crossover need to be modified?

[@dannyrichie9743]

Swapping out the tweeter means everything has to change.

[@robertgreene2684]

How about a reference for narrow band resonances makes for fatigue?

[@seankasabuske1986]

Do you have a kit for the Zu DWX bookshelf speaker? If not, any plans on making one available?

[@dannyrichie9743]

It looks like the same woofer, so the one that we just did might work just fine.

[@marksauer7604]

Along with installing your kit, would adding a 1/2" tall aluminum standoff to the tweeter help with any deflection issues?

[@dannyrichie9743]

No, that would add more diffraction.

[@joenovak6393]

Here is a good one..."Every time I listened to [DW-6] I was just digging the sound, they stopped me from being a critical reviewer, I just wanted to listen for musical pleasure… I’m just digging the sound.” - Steve Guttenberg". I purchased Omen DW MkII and after 200hrs I put them in the box and stored them. Will be ordering the Kit, Thanks Danny.

[@rmzidann]

I am not surprised! I am glad I never bought these speakers.

[@lightfusegetaway]

Lusted after these speakers for a few years but never pulled the trigger, then saw Danny's other Zu video. Glad I did. May go with Emotiva if I ever upgrade from my 1970 ARs.

[@DustinDonohue]

Well, I have not heard the superfly, but I did own the Omen Dirty Weekend mk2 speakers and personally I thought they were great and a great deal. Everyone I had hear them liked them too, but I will admit they broke up at high levels of volume.

[@jgalicic]

At what volume levels were these speakers tested ? I'd also be interested in how they sounded after your mods ? Were these the older or newer DW6 design with the bass port on the bottom rear of the speaker cabinet ? I own a pair of the newer DW6 and they sound great. I don't play them very loud though. Between 70 - 80 DB usually. Carpeted room with irregular walls and ceiling angles. My listening room is in my bonus room above my garage.

[@dallastuttle3851]

I have a pair too and find them to be very fun. They’re also more forgiving of bad recordings than the more “hifi” stuff out there. I have Kefs too. Very different. But Zus are fun and very dynamic and punchy. Plus they look fantastic. His talk about them being super directional doesn’t ring true to me. I think my kefs are more directional than my Zus. Idk man. I’ve watched a lot of this dude’s videos and I’m not even convinced that he listens to music. I think he likes math and engineering a lot more than he likes grooving to some tunes. But that’s just the vibe I’m getting.

[@martymcfly3837]

I ordered a pair instantly

[@yttean98]

The Zu's sound is inherent to the type of speakers their customer base likes and enjoys, most likely due to their inherent deficiencies, e.g. cabinet resonance, etc. The speakers sound appeal to them at the first hearing of them at studio, hifi show etc, after extensive listening they may find they cannot live with some of these deficiencies, hence modifications maybe necessary. Other owners may think they are the best speakers they have heard for the price bracket. So, I believe Voicing the speakers is particularly important and it varies from person to person. So, Danny. you should say something about the voicing of your speakers and those of your competitors and your voicing philosophy. Voicing I mean mainly the freq. response, many speakers' owners reported really flat response does NOT sound good.

[@anthonyjackson7097]

Accurate speakers with flat responses usually don't sound good to many people. Because....they have been listening to speakers for years with a frequency response like Zu's. Unfortunately, they use badly designed speakers as reference. So, naturally when they hear high quality and fine engineered designs. It doesn't sound like the "Bull Horns" they have come to know and love.

[@johnminassian4887]

Great analysis Danny! I have to agree with other commenters who are now questioning the subjective reviewers who gave this speaker a positive review. What are they hearing?

[@pimianimavdo1523]

Cool video. I just wished you went all the way and showed us the final result with the modified brace + No Rez + extra dowels... that would be even more compelling than just hearing some talk about what it can do and remove to add sonic clarity & performance in fidelity... Having said this, Kudos on taming the off (and on) axis responses. not perfect, but not messy as it originally was. nice. :)

[@robertgreene2684]

Why should the resonances become greater when the level is raised? Is this really true? Was this measured?

[@dannyrichie9743]

The harder the speaker plays the more it excites and resonances the cabinet.

[@TheNathanMChannel]

I’ve got a pair and enjoy them but you have to stay in the sweet spot. Standing up really wrecks the frequency balance. My room is very damped so I don’t find anything bright in here. Preferred them with a Crown PA amp over a Decware Se840 UFO 2. But I can’t listen loud so it doesn’t really matter anyway. I also don’t like how short they are, needs a riser to sit on to put the drivers more at ear level perhaps.

[@dannyrichie9743]

Try the upgrade. It will transform them to a whole new level.

[@StuartKarlson-qn8pj]

No Christmas card from Zu this year! Lmao

[@MRB1910]

Is there ever an instance when you would not want your tweeter and mid as close together as possible? Generally anyway.

[@dannyrichie9743]

No.

[@ferrellbennett3622]

I have a set of Bose 301 mark3 with a manufacturer date of 5/20. I'm the original owner. Have you ever worked on these before? And could you recommend any upgrades?

[@dennisbohner6876]

Danny, do you want to play with an Ohm 1000. I did not like it as a center channel and have replaced it. I do like omni-directional sound in my small room but dialog clarity wasn't cutting it. Substituted a SVS ultra CC and I was amazed, which doesn't happen much, by the changes. I'm no longer using subtitles to clarify things.

[@trauma50disaster1]

I read some about omni directional and was intrigued for awhile but I found lots of documentation that they are not good for center chanel or dialog clarity. That's not what they do well in from what I understand.

[@dennisbohner6876]

@@trauma50disaster1 My experience leads me to that conclusion.

[@davidhester9897]

Danny is the speaker doctor guru for sure. On some of my vintage ESS speakers I use some 3 inch round foam insulation on the Heil tweeters to smooth the diffraction on the edge of that tweeter and man, you wouldn't believe how much better they sound, very noticable. I think what it's doing besides helping the diffraction issue is it's blocking some of that rear wave cancellation that's coming around. Also it may be bringing some of the midrange out from that tweeter as it's crossed I believe at around 800hz. I cut a notch in the round foam insulation so it makes a smooth transition coming off the flat part of the tweeter and it circles around that 90 degree edge and smooths the response.

[@impuls60]

Many of the Zu's customers like the dynamic capability which gives the wow factor, and after these mods thats still there! Very nice.

[@TheDutchSandwich]

I have a pair of Zu Druid 5s and love them. They are a blast to listen to at lower volumes as well.

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

Then you'd like a Klpschorn a foot away at 100db!

[@lawrencesommaesq.9944]

All the other reviews are super positive. Everyone who actually own them seem to love them. This seems like an intentional over the top hit piece.

[@dannyrichie9743]

This is not a review. They were sent in for an upgrade.

[@MODAC]

I picked up a pair of used Unions a couple of years ago. So fatiguing and unpleasant. I sold them off and made a little profit.

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

Every so-called audiophile that claims their "golden ears" are the arbiter of speaker quality needs to see this video!

[@krjohnson29]

"Remove [Tweeter] to Groove!" 🤣

[@IliyaOsnovikov]

Could that HF peak be reduced by using a high-Q notch filter?

[@dannyrichie9743]

Some, maybe, but using it would require a lot of parts for correcting its response, and it would not play as low or have the sound quality of our dome tweeter.

[@IliyaOsnovikov]

@@dannyrichie9743 No doubt that you''ve got way better results than could be achieved with the original tweeter. But I guess many owners could be spooked by the different tweeter appearance. Disclamer: I don't have any Zu Audio speakers.

[@dannyrichie9743]

@@IliyaOsnovikov Oh, I don't think anyone performance minded will be spooked by a tweeter change.

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

Great work from my favorite ballerther, Dan The Man With The Marketing Plan! Although I love a big box, ladies, I need to be Frank: I don't like rez. In fact you could say I love NoRez