Sean Casey (Zu Audio) @ RMAF 2018

Late afternoon, RMAF 2018 setup day. I sat down with Zu Audio founder Sean Casey to talk about what sets his loudspeakers apart from the pack and how playback compares to live music.
Full disclosure: Sean Casey and his family are personal friends. Readers are encouraged to filter this post accordingly.
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[@extracla55ic]

Sean’s energy is contagious. Thank you for sharing this interview!

[@NateMacT]

Like the rest of us, I know of his work. Never seriously considered trying out his work before but after seeing this I'd take the chance based purely on his character.

[@christopherward5065]

Sean Casey's passion is the real deal. He has a very see singular take on what music is for. I like the idea that he draws on the idea of zeitgeist and collective memory as primary cues for the power of a listening experience.

[@johnpischedda6951]

When a guy loves what he does , you can't go wrong! Dirty weekend what's not to love ? Unfortunately not so easy to source down under .

[@bigdallyc]

Sean reminds me of a friend I used to go to raves with. He was crazy, into science, loud music, and was kind of full of shit, but you can forgive that because he was really fun to hang out with.

[@ralex3697]

Big Dally C Sean is not full of shit, he is mega talented. Great product

[@notabubba8976]

I love his speakers, but mostly importantly, I like him and his passion for speaker design. Lifetime customer here.

[@TheMHohSoma]

Sean Casey is one of the coolest guys in audiophile space. it's just sad i can't try the speakers in Germany before buying them. :(

[@JM-zs5hp]

I have two sets of their speakers, the Soul Supremes and the Omen Mk II. I also have a good friend with the new Druid Mk VI. I can honestly say that they are all AMAZING speakers. I had a listening session at my friends home with the new Druids and they are hands down the best speakers I have ever heard. It is mind bending how you can get such a warm, full range, and dynamic sound from such a petite looking speaker. The bass is incredibly musical and goes lower than I ever imagined. You really can't go wrong with any of their speakers.

[@kevtn8]

@@JM-zs5hp Thanks for sharing this. Really fascinating but I totally believe it. I also own their Soul Supreme and its the most engaging and addicting speaker that I've ever owned paired with my Thomas Mayer SET amp and preamp. My final dream speakers may be their Supreme mk2 with most of the upgrades from the new Druid. I told Sean to take his time so I can save up.

[@nunocruzer]

@@JM-zs5hp how would you describe the sonic differences between the Omen and the Supreme ? I have heard the Omen Def mkII but these are too large for my room, and I keep on wondering how the supreme would sound like. I loved the bass on the Omen Def. Thank you in advance!

[@jeffsloane8628]

Sean Casey reminds me of Professor Richard Feynman... Nerdy and Cool. Would definitely like to have beer with this guy!

[@georgeaerts3913]

Sean's a kick-ass guy and a welcome breath of fresh air.

[@Odin412z]

Zu Audio = great people, great products, great sound

[@1967incPhotography]

My Zu Omen Dirty Weekends arrived last week. These are NOT speakers. They are magical wooden boxes that emit beautiful sounds. LOVE THEM!!!

[@ralex3697]

Brian Copeland I would consider a pair over many big box brands He exudes passion

[@oliverbutcher2563]

He makes me want to buy his speakers! Definitely has the right attitude.

[@MehranJ]

Best time right now since they have a sale on their entry level speakers while they last. So long as you got $999 for the pair. Which is $600 off . www.zuaudio.com/sale/omen-dw-18c

[@PlaybackMansion]

This is the good kind of insane

[@Tazmanian_Ninja]

😅😂🤣 Thanks for the laugh 😂

[@ralex3697]

Love the T Shirt

[@TheMirolab]

You can tell Casey's brain runs about 3 times faster than his lips.... He's smart, creative, and got a lot going on!

[@ralex3697]

Miro Svetinsky Absolutely, I’m sure his IQ would surprise many He is rather brilliant in an Einstein sort of way. I would like to own a pair of ZU’s

[@melissamybubbles6139]

Sean's a cool guy. I'm glad I met him.

[@edincleve1955]

Always enjoy anything Sean has to say. I'm curious as to why he had a walker at the "Young Guns" seminar.

[@DarkoAudio]

He suffered a motorbike/cross/something fall.

[@astralboy]

using AI to do DSP correction to recreate the soundstage + tone seems exciting

[@3lueant347]

Good energy! Makes me want to check out ZU! Excellent.

[@ralex3697]

Eric Artist Agree, good vibes

[@craigblackwood2165]

Has anyone recorded an instrument in an anechoic chamber to see if there is more detailed captured without the room coloring the sound?

[@tomhirschel8524]

Great video! Very apt. Never heard his loudspeakers, but I agree with him 100%. Efficiency in a loudspeaker is what makes "SOUND" sound more "realistic". Favourite loudspeakers are JBL 4367 (Own them) and Stenheim Reference (active bass)Crazy expensive. Both those loudspeakers are more efficient than the "norm" and have "paper drivers"

[@lynnpoole7830]

The Acoustat 1+1 nailed the monolith look. Not to take away from zu audio in the least.n They are great speakers.

[@stephencosta6814]

This guy is for Real true to his company loves what he does takes pride in it and it's not afraid to take chances I love to speakers probably not the most refined in the world but certainly fun get up and dance Factor

[@motorradmike]

Really interesting guy. Sadly, I have never heard one of his speakers.

[@ralex3697]

Michael Schroeder I have but being in Canada I’d imagine the shipping cost would be insane because they are quite large.

[@therealchickentender]

How could you NOT want to buy a speaker made by this guy?

[@Audfile]

so Mr. Darko, if you even respond to old videos, question. Is it worth getting some Dirty Weekends in a few months when RMAF comes around? (I assume that's when they become available) or are they good but not great and I should save more money? I want to begin to piece together a secondary system with something like a Prima Luna pre-amp and PrimaLuna tube amps for an analogue system.

[@DarkoAudio]

They're a great choice. Especially if you dig tone and dynamics. 👍

[@_Chev_Chelios]

Sound is moving air, ie mechanical energy isn’t it? Doesn’t the cone have to move to move the air to actually make a sound? I’m not sure I get what he is saying about a moving cone being a bad thing.

[@kevtn8]

I'm no expert but I believe the more a cone moves, the greater chance of distortion. I believe this has to do with the driver's Xmax . You ideally want the voice coil to always be in the magnetic gap and so a driver that moves too much will tend to go outside of this magnetic gap which can lead to nonlinearity and thus distortion.

[@FOH3663]

Klippel identifies Loudspeaker Non-linearities (not including any other areas, ie., cabinet, crossover, sound propagation etc.). Focusing on the driver distortion causes; -stiffness vs displacement -force factor vs. displacement -inductance vs. displacement -inductance vs. current In other words, problems begin.if current flows and the driver moves! -Suspension stiffness isn't linear over it's range of motion. -The strength of the magnet's force controlling the voice coil move varies according to the position of the voice coil. -The alternating current flow through the voice coil creates an inductance that varies depending on the coil's position relative to the magnet. -Drive current variations applied to the voice coil don't interact in a linear way within the magnetic circuit. Result; inductance that varys with current. So way oversimplified ... in Zu's case, a large diameter cone (lowers displacement) constructed from lightweight paper (raises efficiency). Choices are made, sacrifices are given.

[@alekseipolozhentsev3274]

Cool guy, good luck to him.

[@Audfile]

Ok ok, ive heard this guy's spiel a few times, and it sure sounds good. But if his low power transfer, high efficiency, paper cone, hey its not a rectangle, its a sexy *obelisk* thing is so good, how come these types of speakers are not what the big boys are making. Dynaudio, complete opposite, Wilson, Kef, Focal, etc, etc, etc, etc, list is endless. And its not like they couldnt or that they havent looked at it. They have physicists too. Why arent enthusiasts clamoring for them instead of the new Ls50, Elacs, etc?

[@oliverbeard7912]

I must admit that i've never heard any Zu audio loudspeakers and Sean is clearly very enthusiastic,but from what i've read they are marmite speakers(ie love them, or hate them).The various brands will have different belief systems as to what they feel are the most important parameters for '' good sound''.Certainly,i am in the camp of reducing the fingerprint of the electrical crossover's influence on the reproduced sound,which i think is something that Zu hold dear to their hearts.High sensitivity speakers are certainly good for creating good levels of loudness with relatively little amplifier power,but with some of the brutish power amps around aren't as necessary as they once were in the days of valves and horns.However,there are still many who feel that horns and other high sensitivity designs offer something that the lower sensitivity designs don't.I think that there are a lot of grey areas with speaker design,and as Sean says there are no absolutes.If you prioritise one area of performance it is often at the expense of others,and inevitable compromises ensue.Clearly manufacturers think,or believe and prioritise differently,which is all fine.It makes for greater variation for all the differing tastes out there.

[@JM-zs5hp]

Have you ever tried to sit in front of any of the, "big boys" speakers for more than a half hour? They are harsh. Listening fatigue is real and all of those brands bring it to the table in a big way. Those companies are not stupid. They create products for people who have more money than hearing, i.e. old rich guys who just want to show off their $100,00 + rigs. My wife walked out of all of those rooms shaking her head at how bad and unrealistic they sound. The human ear is what speakers should be made for, not just how they test on a computer. "Enthusiasts" aren't really enthusiasts for the most part. They watch youtube channels who cater to the big names so that they can get a house full of free shit. They read magazines who cater to the big names who sell the most advertising in their rags. Also, Zu sells direct. They do so, so that customers can get the most bang for their buck and not give 40+ points to a stereo shop that cares nothing about the customer's best interest and are just trying to get their commission. Zu customers are customers for life because their speakers sound real, have an amazing sound stage, and you can sit in front of them all day and not experience fatigue.

[@Audfile]

@@JM-zs5hp so I've spent the last week looking over this stuff and I've come around. I actually want a pair of Zus now, but to just try them, they are super expensive. I'll wait for the next "Dirty Weekend" sale. If they're any good, swap them in later for some higher model. But watched more vids with Casey and I get it now.

[@JM-zs5hp]

That's awesome, you won't be disappointed. I think they have the last small run of Dirty weekends for sale right now. I believe it will be the last run before Christmas. I'd give Gerrit a call at Zu asap because they cap their runs. I personally have a set of the Omen MkII which is the beefed up version of the dirty weekend and I love them. I also have a set of Soul Supremes. A good friend has their new Druid Mk VI and I can honestly say they are the best speakers I have ever sat in front of and I have been in front of most things available in the U.S.

[@Audfile]

@@JM-zs5hp ok, i kinda want to add a tube preamped system with zus next year if i get this promotion

[@anthonymaerin4052]

Are zu drivers the continuation of. Bernard. Salaberts driver studY OF THE MECHANICS OF DRIVERS I.E PAPER CONES

[@crazyspeakerpro9584]

I met him before no joke

[@ralex3697]

Crazy speaker pro 95 John Darko does not waste his time interviewing idiots, Sean is the real deal

[@johngordon1175]

Wood and paper is essentially the same! What is called music nowadays is not music as it was in days of yore!

[@ralex3697]

This is what eccentric looks like, but I’d say he probably has a genius level IQ.

[@andychrist338]

I have never heard a set and I want to. I know "high-end" shops always shit on this guy's product which makes me want to hear them more. Especially when they don't shit on Schiit and I am sorry, Schiit is unnervingly terrible gear.

[@fascinatedbyeverything]

"unnervingly terrible gear" I'm genuinely curious, what made you conclude that? I've thought of buying some of their stuff.

[@stephencaronna3265]

I’ve had a bunch of their gear and love it.

[@HumanAction1]

This guy is either a cocaine fiend, a hyper excited guy, or a combination of both. Either way he's a madman.

[@ralex3697]

HumanAction1 He is a very smart man, none of the above. I’m sure his I Q would test very high and most likely he drove his parents crazy when he was a child Would love to meet him and talk shop, interesting guy no doubt Furthermore, I’d love to own a set of his loudspeakers

[@chronometa]

He is an example of someone who needs to hire a marketing person lol.

[@ralex3697]

Fun guy no emotion Disagree, he is a breath of fresh air. I’m sure his IQ would scare many

[@DamionG1987]

I have a pair of Zu's. Don't like them. I don't understand why they sound so bad. He's changed the tone of the music coming out of them for some reason. Biggest waste of money I've made.

[@JukeboxAlley]

Really? one been curious to get some, how is the bass response and are they as bright as they say they are?

[@ralex3697]

damion goodrich They are probably better suited for rocking out than acoustic or jazz