Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Smitty, where do you live in SC?
Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekends
- Thread starter AlphaEcho35
- Start date
Smitty, where do you live in SC?
My Sx980 that is driving them is 80 watt per channel. Looking at the meaters i usually peak them around 4-10 watts, depending on the music I am listening to.
I also just paird them with a sub, which I am loving. I don't like too much bass, just wanted to prop up the bottom. For subs I like not knowing they are on, unless you suddenly switch them off.
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Yes, my DW's are connected to my Devialet Expert Pro CI, which is pushing 130W. Its the best combo I have ever owned, and I'm very happy with both. That said, I just got a great deal on a Manley Labs Stingray iTube which is a tube amp with 40W in Ultralinear mode, and I'm very anxious to compare and contrast the Dev and the Stingray.... Class A/D vs classic EL84 tube amp
Hello Dirty Weekend-ers,
Zu fan here, happy to see a robust discussion about Omen DW's. I've had mine about a year, and I've had two pairs of Zus in my home at any given time for about 3.5 years.
It's cool to see some different finishes in this thread... black hickory, cherry, the new electric blue... love it! My Omen DW's are a gorgeous highly figured hickory that Zu did a run of last year, with black ano driver rings/lenses. Looks wise, my favorite speakers ever.
Regarding Clarity Cap upgrade, two words: do it. Better upper mids, more open, less grainy treble.
Regarding APPJ mini2013 massdrop amp, two words: buy it! LOL, I've used this amp for about 3 years with my Zu DefHeads in my bedroom. To my ears sounds sublime and has won or tied every shootout with every pricey amp I've dragged upstairs to go against it.
Anyway, back to the Omen DW... love them. They compare very favorably to Zu's upscale models, in fact they kicked my Superflys out of the house. Not as much resolution or attack or speed as the 16 ohm models, but the Omen DWs are less fussy about recordings and amps, and I find myself focusing less on my hifi when playing the Omens vs the Superflys.
Someday I will own a pair of Druids. Until then I'm happy to roll with the Dirty Weekends.
Zu fan here, happy to see a robust discussion about Omen DW's. I've had mine about a year, and I've had two pairs of Zus in my home at any given time for about 3.5 years.
It's cool to see some different finishes in this thread... black hickory, cherry, the new electric blue... love it! My Omen DW's are a gorgeous highly figured hickory that Zu did a run of last year, with black ano driver rings/lenses. Looks wise, my favorite speakers ever.
Regarding Clarity Cap upgrade, two words: do it. Better upper mids, more open, less grainy treble.
Regarding APPJ mini2013 massdrop amp, two words: buy it! LOL, I've used this amp for about 3 years with my Zu DefHeads in my bedroom. To my ears sounds sublime and has won or tied every shootout with every pricey amp I've dragged upstairs to go against it.
Anyway, back to the Omen DW... love them. They compare very favorably to Zu's upscale models, in fact they kicked my Superflys out of the house. Not as much resolution or attack or speed as the 16 ohm models, but the Omen DWs are less fussy about recordings and amps, and I find myself focusing less on my hifi when playing the Omens vs the Superflys.
Someday I will own a pair of Druids. Until then I'm happy to roll with the Dirty Weekends.
L-82
Super Member
Yes my Zu’s are powered by Mcintosh 2105 rates at 105 wpc
no worriesDrumsbanger
New Member
I ordered the Dirty Weekends. I am very anxious to receive them after reading so many glowing reviews. They will be run on a Decware Torri MK IV (25 watts/channel) tube amp. Some say that you either love them or hate them.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
The $99 price for the APPJ just ended but if enough people make a request it will return.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/appj-m...&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=impactradius
Usually I power my Omens with a SPEC RSA-717EX 50W class D amp from Japan. I love this amp, completely grain free and smooth.
It's the baby brother of the amp reviewed here:
https://positive-feedback.com/Issue78/spec_realsound.htm
So yes, I am using an amp that cost 3 times as much as the speakers.
HiFiJeff
Super Member
Well that is most certainly great news to hear. Pretty much the exact same thing Gerrit at ZU told me. Which makes me happy because Gerrit also informed me that my Electric Blue DW's with the clarity cap upgrade are packaged up and ready to be shipped. Didn't get the clarity cap upgrade on my first pair of DW's so I figured what the heck. Let's get another pair. Lol
HiFiJeff
Super Member
Yeah. Just wanted to do some comparisons and will most likely do the upgrade on my first pair.
And what's up with the ZROCK2? Elaborate. I love Decware. Had a Super Zen not too long ago.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
The ZROCK looks like an equalizer with a tube added. As much as I love his amps Steve comes up with some very questionable products which come and go. I had no problem integrating a sub with the Zu's.
Yes, it's a tube bass EQ device. You can use it to add low end bass extension, or change the EQ slope to a warmer sound, fully adjustable. Makes a huge difference with digital, it adds weight and body to the sound. IMO it sounds much better than either a loudness button or a sub. I auditioned a Zu Undertone once and I prefer both the sound and simplicity of the ZROCK ten times out of ten.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
With a good system I would avoid adding another device to the all important signal path. More often than not that extra device will impart it's own signature to the sound.
Well that's kind of the point, isn't it?
I don't buy that logic though. By that reasoning, we should ditch all outboard phono stages, separate preamps/amps, DACs, and subwoofers, because that's a lot of extra interconnects, digital cables, power cables, capacitors, subwoofer amps and power supplies affecting the signal. You don't listen to a signal, you listen to a system. The system is the sound.
To your point, if it's not needed, then that's great. I don't use the ZROCK with my vinyl setup, but it makes a nice difference on my digital setup. I have 3 amps I rotate in with the DW's, and the benefits of the ZROCK varies with each, so I have to adjust its settings accordingly, so obviously YMMV also. The ZROCK is definitely a "salt to taste" kind of product. That said, I will never go back to a subwoofer after using it.
And on my bedroom rig, I just go CD player -> APPJ amp -> Zu DefHeads. Simplicity!
Cheers!
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Well that's kind of the point, isn't it?
I don't buy that logic though. By that reasoning, we should ditch all outboard phono stages, separate preamps/amps, DACs, and subwoofers, because that's a lot of extra interconnects, digital cables, power cables, capacitors, subwoofer amps and power supplies affecting the signal. You don't listen to a signal, you listen to a system. The system is the sound.
To your point, if it's not needed, then that's great. I don't use the ZROCK with my vinyl setup, but it makes a nice difference on my digital setup. I have 3 amps I rotate in with the DW's, and the benefits of the ZROCK varies with each, so I have to adjust its settings accordingly, so obviously YMMV also. The ZROCK is definitely a "salt to taste" kind of product. That said, I will never go back to a subwoofer after using it.
And on my bedroom rig, I just go CD player -> APPJ amp -> Zu DefHeads. Simplicity!
Cheers!
The signal path is from the amp to the speakers.
The ZROCK goes between source and amp
bjlefebvre
Super Member
Will be curious to hear what you think of the combo. I'm running them on a Mini Torii. I'm very happy with the amp, but always wondering how the full-fledged Torii with its extra watts would sound.
HiFiJeff
Super Member
Well that's kind of the point, isn't it?
I don't buy that logic though. By that reasoning, we should ditch all outboard phono stages, separate preamps/amps, DACs, and subwoofers, because that's a lot of extra interconnects, digital cables, power cables, capacitors, subwoofer amps and power supplies affecting the signal. You don't listen to a signal, you listen to a system. The system is the sound.
To your point, if it's not needed, then that's great. I don't use the ZROCK with my vinyl setup, but it makes a nice difference on my digital setup. I have 3 amps I rotate in with the DW's, and the benefits of the ZROCK varies with each, so I have to adjust its settings accordingly, so obviously YMMV also. The ZROCK is definitely a "salt to taste" kind of product. That said, I will never go back to a subwoofer after using it.
And on my bedroom rig, I just go CD player -> APPJ amp -> Zu DefHeads. Simplicity!
Cheers!
Yeah. That's what I got out of it, the ZROCK is meant to alter the sound. Lol. With that being said, it has definitely made me a bit curious. Because I "used" to think the DW's had plenty of bass. That was until yesterday. I must have just gotten used to running my dual subs. Because I played around with turning them off and on. And I used music I knew very well. Without the subs, well it didn't have the impact, the depth or weight that listening with the subs provided. It wasn't even close. So I am sure that th ZBOX adds plenty of weight behind the DW's bass, but compared to two nicely integrated subs? I still want to give it a whirl and see what I think.
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