Zu Audio Omen - High Sensitivity, Massive, Full-Range Driver, Cheap, LOL

[atomicAdam]

I got this thread mixed up with the other one I've been discussing Zu in. Adam, did you ever hear Zu at the shows?

yep, i heard them in a couple rooms. fun, rocking, reminded me of a guitar amp kind of sound. im supposed to be getting some in for review... have to figure out whats up.

[Poultrygeist]

I had written a long reply ready to post and when I spilled a glass of merlot on the keyboard, it disappeared (?). I'll try and reconstruct inspite of some very sticky keys..

I started early this morning listening to "Christmas With Traveling Light" ( Pilafian, Vignola, and Pepowski ) with the MW at very low volume so as not to awake the other half. The Omens reproduced Sam's tuba as tight and full at low volume as I could ever hope for. Being an old bass clef guy ( trombonist ) this makes me rejoice. Same can be said for Buster Williams' bass vile on "Griot Liberte". No flab just plenty of lean meat-on-the bone with these puppies.

This evening I tried the shoe box Emo/Dayton amp at Ajani's request and was surprised at it's sound with the Omens. Being a sub amp it's not designed for critcal listening yet it sounded damn good with the Omens. Lacking the "to die for" top end sparkle of the MW, it gave some nice weight and heft with it's 75 watts and the Omens loved it. I saw mid 90dbs on the sound meter at half volume with no harshness. Would love to hear the Omens with some ball busting mono-blocks but ironically they seem to feast on whatever you feed them. They can just as easily thrive at a tapas bar as at a southern buffet. Can speakers have headroom?

The sales literature states that the Omens are "voiced for the human voice". I tried my only barbershop CD tonight and the Omens gave me six feet of depth behind the quartet. Ever heard 3D speakers? I think I just did. I was so impressed I'm thinking of joining SPEBSQSA :-)

At this point I would say that the sound density and staging is what sets the Omen apart. They have the fine mids that make the FRer's so endearing but with great dynamics thrown in.

It's hard to compare the Omens to conventional speakers as wide banders are uniquely different. After buying the little Tektons I sold my conventional Aerials which cost 6 times more as I knew the FR sound was what I had been searching for. Wished I hadn't wasted so much time and money along the way. I read in one national review that the original Druids competed soundwise with the Gallo Refs 3 and now the Omens are said to be an improvement over the Druids. Who knows? But I do know that the Omens will probably be the last factory built speakers I'll ever buy.

Mr Pea if you're thinking of getting the Zu's why not buy them with the understanding that you'll only be out $100 shipping if you return them within 60 days. I doubt they're getting many returns for the same reason they aren't showing up on audiogon.

[Geoffcin]

,

I read in one national review that the original Druids competed soundwise with the Gallo Refs 3 and now the Omens are said to be an improvement over the Druids. Who knows? But I do know that the Omens will probably be the last factory built speakers I'll ever buy.

Mr Pea if you're thinking of getting the Zu's why not buy them with the understanding that you'll only be out $100 shipping if you return them within 60 days. I doubt they're getting many returns for the same reason they aren't showing up on audiogon.

I've owned the Gallo Reference 3's. If the Druids sound as good as them then that is a good thing. I also like that they give you a 60 day return policy.

[Mr Peabody]

Adam, like a guitar amp? That's not very flattering

Poultrygeist, Zu is the top contender. It's the talk I read about "presence" that has me interested. The guys at Zu said they are having a sale coming up and I am waiting to see what comes up. I will need a Omen Def for impedance match. I really want a Soul Def when available, so I might wait to see what that's about. They rave about their imaging etc. but it's hard to imagine a 10" in a cabinet imaging well. Also, they are now offering shipping both ways if not satisfied, so they must really be confident. If their stats on the website are true they should be, very small amount of returns.

[atomicAdam]

Adam, like a guitar amp? That's not very flattering
.

Well, I don't mean it to insult. It just kind of had the same sound, the same full of life blarringness that guitars amps have.

I'll be honest, and it is only from my impressions at the show, in two different rooms, two different Zu speakers, unfamiliar music and source equipment, but I felt they lacked certain since of refinement that I would want, if I was going to spend 1.5k or more on speakers. And that is exactly why I want to get some in so that I can really spend some time with them to see if this impression stays or fades.

And maybe, if in case it does stay, it might be balanced out by some other positive about the speaker. Possibly it really is just fun to listen to. So... Does that clarify my statement?

[Poultrygeist]

On another forum they are already discussing Omen mods. The only mod I plan is experimenting with different bases. I don't like the ice pick spikes that came with the Omens ( told them so and they are looking at better options ). Those spikes will eventually bore holes through the thickest carpet. I will replace them with longer threaded rod extensions and raise them just a little higher adding an adjustable tilt on a fixed base. Haven't got the design in my head yet ( suggestions welcomed ).

Zu says you only need to be able to pass a cd case under the Omens but I think they need more height than that. Those finger ports on the bottom are the key to their zurg twist - motorcycle expansion chamber inspired design. If you've owned a dirt bike or rice rocket you understand the importance of a tuned exhaust system and the Zu techies are all bikers.

The Omen doesn't have much dampening material inside but that may not be a bad thing. I know of some great designs ( BLH's ) that use no dampening. Think I'll wait for the DIY guys to reach some consensus on potential mods.

My brother has Marshal and Fender guitar amp speakers which don't remind me much of the Omens. One guitar speaker however which has crossed over into high end DIY audio is the Tone Tubby which is said to excel in OB applications.

I believe the Zu marketing guys are targeting a youth market with the Omens, although I don't know any skaters who can shell out a grand. The Omens may be good rock speakers but Stevie Ray Vaughn is as far as I've ventured down that path and they did him justice and then some.

The nice thing about the Omens is they don't seem so amp dependent. They're ok with whatever you've got. I could see folks running them with cheap T-amps and being happy with the results. They partner well with TK2050 chip amps and miss the Shure power amp I returned to PE ( noisy rt channel ) for a replacement. Can't wait to get another as this was a great match even with a noisy channel and a fussy preamp to boot. I'm anxious to build a SDS/CDA kit like Feanor and drive the Omens with it. While they are certainly tube friendly they kicked butt with my garage sale 1970's Marantz 1150 solid state. Ajani the Emo/Dayton shoe box amp stepped up hugely with the Omens when I added a tube preamp. I could hang with that combo.

In trade for re-foaming a friend's AR3a's and EPI 100's I recently picked up a 1960's Rotel/Martel single ended tube receiver for $75 ( may be repeating myself ). This old Japanese tube receiver is pure liquid lushness with the Omens. Not so much detail but soooo buttery smooth with a fantastic tuner that drifts :-( Tomorrow the same audio junkie friend is bringing over a rebuilt Dynaco ST-70 and a copper top HK tube amp to try with the Omens. I'll let yall know how those sound.

[Mr Peabody]

Adam, I understood, and appreciate your honesty, it's just not a statement that pushes me in their direction.

[Poultrygeist]

Easy and effective $3.00 tweak for the Omens by replacing factory 3/8 inch spikes/floor feet with these beauties from Home Depot:

( 4 ) 3/8 x 3 inch hex bolts ( with partial threads ) for the front legs
( 4 ) 3/8 x 2 inch hex bolts ( with partial threads ) for the rear legs

Folks on another forum have been fretting over getting some back tilt and increased space between the finger ports on the bottom and the floor. With these 35 cent hex bolts I'm getting tighter bass and the driver and tweeter have a much improved disperstion angle. The hex bolts from HD have a nice shine and look far better than the factory ice pick spikes. I could have used full thread bolts but with these the threads don't show and they look like they were designed for the Omens.

The Omen's feet now rest on two cut down black industrial grade floor mats from Home Depot glued together. The mats are acoustically dead and offer no reflection.

These are such easy tweaks I hope they can remain under the Omen thread as few would see them in the DIY section.

[Poultrygeist]

B stock Omens on sale for $799 during Zu's Christmas sale.

[Mr Peabody]

I know the Zu are sort of unique I just wonder how they stack up against similar big name speakers in same price range as far as sound quality? I wonder if any one has ever compared them to established brands like Dynaudio, Focal, Monitor Audio, even Klipsch etc. The Essence received a pretty good review in Stereophile and 6moons. One of the guys at Zu seemed to feel the Essence was more refined and audiophile, suggested for a broad listening taste the Superfly would be a better option. Unfortunately, I need a typical impedance so for now the Omen Def is my only option unless I wanted to wait for a Soul Def which could be out of my range.

[Poultrygeist]

Mr Pea, the impedance issue is holding you back. If I were you I'd spring for the B-stock Omens and with the money saved you could buy a nice SET which would be a much better match with any of the Zu's than your powerful MV60s.

[Mr Peabody]

I've read a lot of comments on other forums where people have driven the Omens with digital or larger SS and they seemed to do fine. My concern is how refined are the Zu, how much detai,l if any, might be lost.

[frenchmon]

I read in one national review that the original Druids competed soundwise with the Gallo Refs 3 and now the Omens are said to be an improvement over the Druids. Who knows?

I've heard the Gallo Reference Strada and the Ref 3.5. IF the Zu speakers sounds like that, they have a very out standing product. MrP has heard the Gallo as well and he like it I believed.

[Poultrygeist]

The Omens, like most high quailty full range single drivers, when paired with a good SET will produce detail in spades.

[RGA]

This is quite an intriguing speaker on several fronts. One the tweeter is not so much a tweeter but a kind of super tweeter which according to what I read operates 12khz up and is time aligned.

The big thing is the easy impedance and high sensitivity 9ohm minimum impedance and 98db sensitive are both things that would make this a dead easy to drive speaker. 1.5 watts would be more than enough for the average room. This speaker unlike a lot of speakers in this price range would fully take advantage of the best sounding amplifiers (ie SE amplifiers) and that already lets a source first approach be realized.

From reading them I like their entire strategy of getting a HE speaker that isn't a typical horn at prices people can actually afford. And they look pretty cool as a side bonus.

[Ajani]

This is quite an intriguing speaker on several fronts. One the tweeter is not so much a tweeter but a kind of super tweeter which according to what I read operates 12khz up and is time aligned.

The big thing is the easy impedance and high sensitivity 9ohm minimum impedance and 98db sensitive are both things that would make this a dead easy to drive speaker. 1.5 watts would be more than enough for the average room. This speaker unlike a lot of speakers in this price range would fully take advantage of the best sounding amplifiers (ie SE amplifiers) and that already lets a source first approach be realized.

From reading them I like their entire strategy of getting a HE speaker that isn't a typical horn at prices people can actually afford. And they look pretty cool as a side bonus.

Yep, they are very intriguing speakers... Even the Omen Definition with the dual 10" inch drivers are both full range... no crossover for those drivers and merely protection for the supertweeter... Plus they are affordable and look good...

[Poultrygeist]

I'm thinking the Omen Defs are targeted for high end HT in very large rooms.

Two large wide banders in a single enclosure is almost unheard of. I'm getting huge sound from the standard Omens and any more would have me taking down walls. Two rooms away from my listening area sounds like standing outside a concert.

[Ajani]

I'm thinking the Omen Defs are targeted for high end HT in very large rooms.

Two large wide banders in a single enclosure is almost unheard of. I'm getting huge sound from the standard Omens and any more would have me taking down walls. Two rooms away from my listening area sounds like standing outside a concert.

According to Zu's comparison chart:

The Omens are for small to large rooms & the Omen Defs are for medium to huge rooms...

Oh and just in case anyone is interested, the yet to be released $40K flagship, the Dominance, is for Large to Stadiums

http://www.zuaudio.com/pdfs/ComparisonChartLsWEB.pdf

[Poultrygeist]

I've read everything on the Zu site several times over but when they rate the Zu's sound with receivers it seems they're using a shotgun appoach to marketing.

I'm just saying the Omens are a heck of a lot of speaker for any size room. Now if I ever added a ballroom on my house I might consider the Omen Defs.

[Mr Peabody]

Might as well not keep it a secret, I pulled the trigger on the Omen Def. My only choice if i wanted to try the Zu due to impedance matching. I got them in Sangria. They apparently build to order and are still filling Black Friday so not sure when I will get them. When I mentioned I wish I had them during the week I was off between Christmas and NY the girl led me to believe it may be possible but previously estimated mid January. The only way I will ever know them is to try them and I have nothing to lose. I'm pretty excited to hear them. Adam, at Zu seemed very confident in the product when I mentioned what i had and was familiar with, we shall see. My room isn't huge, maybe 14x22 or so but it opens in the back to another large room so hopefully they will be alright in my space. I did not need another amp so worked around the Xmas sale.

[Ajani]

Might as well not keep it a secret, I pulled the trigger on the Omen Def. My only choice if i wanted to try the Zu due to impedance matching. I got them in Sangria. They apparently build to order and are still filling Black Friday so not sure when I will get them. When I mentioned I wish I had them during the week I was off between Christmas and NY the girl led me to believe it may be possible but previously estimated mid January. The only way I will ever know them is to try them and I have nothing to lose. I'm pretty excited to hear them. Adam, at Zu seemed very confident in the product when I mentioned what i had and was familiar with, we shall see. My room isn't huge, maybe 14x22 or so but it opens in the back to another large room so hopefully they will be alright in my space. I did not need another amp so worked around the Xmas sale.

Good choice! Being in the US, allows you take advantage of the in-home trial with virtually no risk... I have to be sure I really want a product before I order, as the shipping cost + duties would result in an audition and return being very expensive...

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Omens! I figure between you and Poultrygeist I should have enough info to decide whether to take the chance on a pair...

[Mr Peabody]

Wish we could get you the info before deals all disappear.

[Ajani]

Wish we could get you the info before deals all disappear.

Well at least on the bright side, I'll get to see the new launches at CES in January before I commit to a purchase... But yeah, getting one of the Christmas deals would have been nice...

[Poultrygeist]

I'm still trying to borrow my friend's reburbed Dynaco ST-70. It has 16 ohm taps which I want to try with the Omens. I've heard ST-70's driving horns and their vise like grip almost made up for their lack of detail.

Here's an article on why full range HF speakers work so well with low powered SET amps.

http://www.decware.com/paper43.htm

[MntnMan62]

I have been trying to decide how to deal with having my front speakers blown by over zealous party guests and have been waffling between just replacing the fronts (Cambridge Soundworks ensemble) or replacing the entire speaker package. The holiday fever seems to be taking hold with me because I recently have read the posts about the Zu Omens. And then seeing their 13 days of Christmas specials really got my juices flowing. The 5 channel package was right up my alley however I figured I should really go all the way so I called Zu and asked about upgrading that package by replacing the Omens with Omen Def as the fronts. This system would be in my living room and would be driven, at least initially, by my existing Marantz SR7000. My interest here is two-pronged: 1) Set up a nice surround system for movies with the family and football and 2) set up a kick ass clean sounding system for music that will properly represent my collection of jazz, fusion, 60's and 70's rock and most importantly, Zappa. From what I have seen posted, this system would be a cost effective way to reach that result. Does anyone have any thoughts that would lead me not to pull the trigger on this? I have seen some great feedback to my other posts in the past and really appreciate everyone's perspective here.