Thanks for all the positive comments. Its amazing how a healthy dose of good music lifts the spirits. I love the consistent high quality of the posts in this forum. Perhaps the two are related...
beck wrote: ↑2019-02-23 09:51
I enjoy your setup very much as it is. I will be reading your posts! :-)
'ya know what? So am I, and that is a bit of a big deal. I've never had a system that I could just sit back and enjoy without my mind at some point wandering off to wonder what I could do to improve things. Yesterday I played through 10 albums before I realized I should probably eat something. I still haven't done any sort of setup, and I didn't feel a burning need. It's a revelation to have a system that at least on initial impression appears to put the music first, the gear a distant second. A novel concept.
Charlie1 wrote:
Those speakers look ideal for my 13W Nait.
Hey there's a thought. I haven't heard an early Nait but I've always wanted to give one a go. I shall keep an eye out for one. I bet Nait powered Omens would be a huge laugh.
ThomasOK wrote: ↑2019-02-23 20:37
Interesting system and video. Thanks for letting us see the setup. The Zus are an unusual speaker, the pair you have certainly have a very attractive wood grain.
Unusual they most certainly are! But the more I read about them the more intrigued I became and I found their unconventional approach compelling. I had to experience for myself if their unique approach actually works, especially from a tune dem perspective.
The finish is called "Rustic Hickory" and it's their standard, entry level finish. On the Dirty Weekends where everything is a-la-carte this is the only finish that doesn't cost extra. Happily it was also my favorite regardless of price, and in person they are really lovely. I did pay a bit extra to have the FRD trim ring and tweeter lens finished in matte black as I felt the standard brushed aluminium was a bit too bling.
ThomasOK wrote:
I haven't had a lot of experience with the Zu units. We took a pair in on trade but they used a different tweeter than the newer models. It was a bit shouty so I hope that isn't a general characteristic of theirs. But they are certainly being driven by a good sounding setup. Have fun grooving your system.
I'm more inclined to lay the blame for the shoutiness on the FRD, not the tweeter. The tweeter is high pass filtered at a very high 12kHz acoustic, 18kHz electrical crossover point. Even with a gentle 6dB/octive rolloff the tweeter is at least 12dB down by the time it reaches the upper midrange where shouty demons reside. I have read that excessive upper midrange energy was a characteristic that plagued early Zu designs, giving them that "cupped hands" coloration typical of full range dynamic drivers. Apparently Zu worked tirelessly to eliminate this coloration from their FRD and it has been reported that through a number of revisions they have largely succeeded.
Time will tell, but they're already starting to calm down and that harshness is now more like an incredibly vivid, raw, REAL representation of voice and instrument. Zu makes a big deal about their commitment to eschewing the polite, euphonic signature valued by so many audiophiles in favor of, for better or worse, an unabridged, unapologetic, and sometimes ruthless portrayal of the music. It's almost as if you can hear the speakers shrug their shoulders and say, "sorry...that's just what a harmon mute sounds like." And it's something I've felt has been missing from just about every system I've heard (which admittedly isn't that many).
beck wrote: ↑2019-02-24 00:36
Zu Audio Omen Mk. II Dirty Weekend
What a name for a speaker! :-)
The other day a friend remarked that he didn't understand why I wasn't using Linn speakers. Because then I couldn't say I have a couple Dirty Weekends. :-)
They are a bit of a conundrum in Zu's already confusing model lineup. Originally the Dirty Weekend was a creative way to repurpose older drivers that had been traded in for newer updated units. The returned drivers were refurbished, tested, and installed in new Omen enclosures, but without the whizz-bang machined rear name plate, ZuB3 connectors, fancy pants house made internal wire harness, and expensive Clarity Cap capacitor across the tweeter. So you got an Omen with new box and used drivers for less than half the cost of standard Omen. Dirty Weekends were only available when there was sufficient supply of drivers to make a production run worthwhile. Sometimes it happened once a year, sometimes 2 or 3 times a year. They almost always sold out in a day. Well, Zu hasn't released an upgraded driver in years, so the supply of trade in used parts has dried up. You'd think the Dirty Weekend would vanish, but no...it's still alive and well. Rather than used parts, they defy all rational reasoning and use the same brand new and current bits and cabinetry found in standard Omens. The only difference, as before, is the name plate, connectors (5 way binding posts in place of Neutrik Speakon based ZuB3 connector), internal wiring, and tweeter capacitor. Price remained unchanged.
The catch is their availability, which is almost nonexistent. They only release them for sale twice a year for one day at a time. The last time they opened the flood gates was November 23 (Black Friday...the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S.). DW production is also prioritized lower than other models that were sold at full price, so turnaround can take a while. I ordered mine at the end of the day so I knew I was at the back of the line and I wouldn't see them any time soon. It took 3 months. For the price, I'm not complaining!
tokenbrit wrote: ↑2019-02-24 04:02
Glad to hear you're still getting on well with the Hakai... :D
Yeah...about that. I haven't actually managed to get it working yet. In fact I haven't made any progress since you so graciously helped me get my NAS working. Other goings on have kept me from the project but hopefully I can make some headway in the coming days.