Maybe it's better not to know

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Well, that's some cash saved LOL.
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,620
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E. England
Talking about cash, with my Zus still doing so much right, even in comparison to a startlingly good system I've heard recently w no apparent major weaknesses, I still am minded to wring out further impvts.

Looking at specialist isolation under the Zus to replace stock spikes to max bass tightness and extension , supertweeters to max air and ambience, and specialist room treatments to go the extra mile on an already very pleasing acoustic.

Together with further attention to Zu subs crossover settings, I'm going deep on really discovering if the Zus have more to give.

Good news is that these don't break the bank, parallel investigation into horns can go on alongside together w getting funds together.

I'll certainly have the most forensically maxxed Zus out there.
 

KeithR

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May 7, 2010
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No, I'm convinced I've literally run out of rope w the Zus. I've eeked out more and more w each upgrade and mod to my system, the neutral room acoustics and clean power to them, and highly expressive choice of amps, means that I'm hearing the Zus for what they are, and as good as they can be. And that on some genres they totally nail it (prog, fusion, electronica, rock, electric jazz); and on some they come up lacking (classical, pure acoustic, some jazz). And this is purely down to the Zu driver lacking that last bit of transparency, and some terseness in the upper mids/lower treble where the full range drivers push on all the way to 12kHz. This is the main drawback of the single driver concept, and I'm more aware of it than ever.

Yes, there is no free lunch as we like to say over here.

I've mentioned this before, but my classical listening went from 5% to 30%+ after I moved from Zu to Devore.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Well Keith, you're the perfect man to help me.
You know Zu, know what they excel at and what comes up lacking.
And you've moved away so can be truly unbiased and unvarnished truthful in yr views.
Can I ask you to seek out the Druids VI wherever practical, and any future models using the new drivers/cabinets (likely Definitions V and purported flagship Experiences), and report back whether Zu have cracked thus opaque/gritty bottleneck, or whether full range drivers are by definition fatally hampered by having to stretch all the way to 12kHz (most mid drivers never having to go higher than 6-7kHz).
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Keith, if I do indeed move from Zu, it's unlikely to be to another box spkr.
I'll either stick w SETs and go horns, or maybe ditch tube power and dive into Apogees.
The equivalent of a full on audiofools mid life crisis LOL.
 

KeithR

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May 7, 2010
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Well Keith, you're the perfect man to help me.
You know Zu, know what they excel at and what comes up lacking.
And you've moved away so can be truly unbiased and unvarnished truthful in yr views.
Can I ask you to seek out the Druids VI wherever practical, and any future models using the new drivers/cabinets (likely Definitions V and purported flagship Experiences), and report back whether Zu have cracked thus opaque/gritty bottleneck, or whether full range drivers are by definition fatally hampered by having to stretch all the way to 12kHz (most mid drivers never having to go higher than 6-7kHz).

There is allegedly a semi-prototype Definition to be shown at RMAF. I think the Experience is on indefinite hold.

You talk a good game about horns, but don't seem to ever fully enjoy them so I'd just look elsewhere. Maybe Voxativ is a brand you'd like? I don't know.
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,467
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Switzerland
Talking about cash, with my Zus still doing so much right, even in comparison to a startlingly good system I've heard recently w no apparent major weaknesses, I still am minded to wring out further impvts.

Looking at specialist isolation under the Zus to replace stock spikes to max bass tightness and extension , supertweeters to max air and ambience, and specialist room treatments to go the extra mile on an already very pleasing acoustic.

Together with further attention to Zu subs crossover settings, I'm going deep on really discovering if the Zus have more to give.

Good news is that these don't break the bank, parallel investigation into horns can go on alongside together w getting funds together.

I'll certainly have the most forensically maxxed Zus out there.

Boenicke Audio Swing Base to go under your speakers.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Keith, it's not so much that I don't get on w them, it's that they have certain compromises I haven't quite reconciled.

And one well-regarded example is by far the most unpleasant audio experience I've had the misfortune of wasting a day of my life on.

However I've had 5 years of constant exposure and evolving respect for another pair.

I've heard another expensive pair sound nigh on totally fantastic in one setup and rank poor in another.

And a fascinating full range driver horn recently auditioned left me impressed but as many qs as answers.

On top of all that, the single most out of body experience I've had with audio was in 2014 with a reimagined ground breaking design that first existed pre war, a single horn in a vast conference type space that brought new meaning to cosmic enjoyment.
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,467
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Switzerland
Well Keith, you're the perfect man to help me.
You know Zu, know what they excel at and what comes up lacking.
And you've moved away so can be truly unbiased and unvarnished truthful in yr views.
Can I ask you to seek out the Druids VI wherever practical, and any future models using the new drivers/cabinets (likely Definitions V and purported flagship Experiences), and report back whether Zu have cracked thus opaque/gritty bottleneck, or whether full range drivers are by definition fatally hampered by having to stretch all the way to 12kHz (most mid drivers never having to go higher than 6-7kHz).

Come to Switzerland for a long weekend and hear Universums (assuming Christoph is cool with a visit), Odeons, Dynamikks, Apogees and maybe Boenicke Audio as well.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Brad, aren't you going to recommend Dartzeel, CH Precision, Soulution, etc etc as well LOL.

Hey, lots of reasons to visit Switzerland, your kind invite being one of them.

I'll seriously consider it, just need to swing work commitments. Let me keep in PM touch w you on that. I'll try to be as well behaved as Ked.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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I may have gone OT on my own thread, probably only I could do that LOL.

I guess I started the thread when I realised so many interesting bleeding edge comparisons would never be made, and was curious if many on the forum were frustrated if that was the case.

I mean in the car world there are no end of supercar comparisons, not so much in audio.

Maybe audio is even more subjective than driving, so these comparisons of SOTA tts for example are surplus to requirements.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Of course comparisons can be bad for yr mental health, I'm certainly still reeling from the most natural, analog like playback I've ever heard from digital, at a system I visited at the weekend.

It's given me so many data points to consider, it's hard to know where to start.
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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Brad, aren't you going to recommend Dartzeel, CH Precision, Soulution, etc etc as well LOL.

Hey, lots of reasons to visit Switzerland, your kind invite being one of them.

I'll seriously consider it, just need to swing work commitments. Let me keep in PM touch w you on that. I'll try to be as well behaved as Ked.

Naturally what I had in mind . A pair of Wilson Alexias to go with??
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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C'mon Brad, get real.
WAMM Chronosonic.

Re this SOTA spkr, it is indeed able to be compared to a SOTA horn, I believe there's an AS2000 owner running the WAMM and the Living Voice top dog.
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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C'mon Brad, get real.
WAMM Chronosonic.

Re this SOTA spkr, it is indeed able to be compared to a SOTA horn, I believe there's an AS2000 owner running the WAMM and the Living Voice top dog.

What does that demonstrate beyond the DAC that the guy apparently has a lot of money. So Wilson finally figured out time alignment and even more drivers...more of the same.

I have heard just about every Wilson worth hearing and I can say unequivocally they aren't even in the same galaxy as the big LVs...one is hifi and the other a music replicator. The Chronosonic is just more of the same from hifi most likely.
 

ddk

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May 18, 2013
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C'mon Brad, get real.
WAMM Chronosonic.

Re this SOTA spkr, it is indeed able to be compared to a SOTA horn, I believe there's an AS2000 owner running the WAMM and the Living Voice top dog.

The issue here is definition of SOTA, are we talking SOTA in terms of sound quality or tech and cabinetry?

david
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Well, Brad considers the Living Voice SOTA. Nice carpentry.
 

Believe High Fidelity

[Industry Expert]
Nov 19, 2015
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ibelieveinhifi.com
The Chronosonic is just more of the same from hifi most likely.

Billy and I talked at length about the Chronosonic and its performance. From our discussion it is definitely not "another" Wilson with time alignment and more drivers. I am supposed to hear them for myself very soon
 

ddk

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May 18, 2013
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Well, Brad considers the Living Voice SOTA. Nice carpentry.

Not sure if that's true, he just said that the LV & Wilsons are very different. Sure as horn guys we both would prefer the LV over the other but that's not defining SOTA.

david
 

PeterA

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Dec 6, 2011
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Not sure if that's true, he just said that the LV & Wilsons are very different. Sure as horn guys we both would prefer the LV over the other but that's not defining SOTA.

david

There may also be disagreement about which has the SOTA sound and cabinet quality. I can see a case made for each speaker regarding the latter. No idea about the former and then it would so depend on set up.
 

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