Anyone listen to Zu Audio's Definition Mk3?

Guys,

It's not a popularity contest. A few people or even many liking a sound isn't persuasive to me. You have to convince me first you know what real instruments sound like in unamplified circumstances for me to assign any special credibility to your view of ASR. But I have no argument with someone liking a sound, even if it's "wrong." No harm in that. Just don't expect my view of it to change unless the ASR meaningfully improves their amplification so I hear a better result. Until then you can quote 3 or 3000 converts. It's irrelevant. If majorities reflected good judgment in hifi, there would be no Bose, B&W, Boulder, Wilson or Krell.

I don't think ASR makes bad amplification. I just can't listen to its truncated, desiccated tone. I don't doubt for a second that ASR sounds fine -- until you hear better, and until a listener thinks seriously about how music actually sounds. It's pretty good for SS, bested by just a few others in that topology. Build quality is *very* high. At its price and even lower, however, there are better alternatives for approaching the original sound. It really doesn't matter that we don't agree. You'll put the ASR in your rear view mirror sooner or later, too, just like every other amp you've championed in the past. It's OK! Enjoy it while you can. You're in the realm of the white hats with your speakers anyway.

Phil

We ASR owners have turned the light on for you so you don't trip over the amp and you write the same old stuff about it. Synergy etc...

Here is a cut from a review from A PF review

The unit has such an envious agglomeration of virtues, between the deafening silence, the purity of the signal, the grandly proportioned soundstage populated with large images, the abundant high grades across the audiophile scorecard, and all this conjoined with tube-like fleshy bodies and a deeply saturated, dark tonal balance, and satisfying timbral production… All of the telltale solid-state artifacts are gone. You'll never hear the adjective thin used to describe this gear.

And most of these characteristics are shared with my mbl Noble Line separates. This is what's so special about these two product lines. They commingle in one box the most desirable attributes of solid-state and tubes.

Yet, in spite of this overweighting of virtues, I often found myself on the outside, looking in. The Emitter had a coolness that somehow kept your emotions at a distance. It shared the reserve that I had noticed in the Basis Exclusive. Maybe that's because it's too clean and quiet—too neutral? It has what psychologists might describe as a flat affect. The musical line isn't quite the curvy waveform that it should be. This wasn't just me; this opinion came from a number of visitors.

And then

Hold on. Near the end of the audition, a Kubala-Sosna Emotion PC with a 20-amp plug walked in (MSRP $1225). No more speculating: I can tell you it certainly does make a difference. The K-S cord enriched body and color, and fortified the bottom. Bass notes that I wasn't sure I heard were solid, tight and coherent to boot.

Pursuing this further, I continued adding Kubala-Sosna Emotion wire. This was when I had replaced the Kharma Exquisite-Midi speakers with the CRM 3.2.2. With each additional length I noted increased involvement. My reservations regarding the unit's aloofness receded. Then, at the point when the entire rig was dressed in Kubala-Sosna, something unpredictable happened. The rig morphed and became startlingly lifelike, albeit as a scaled-down reduction. Dudes who came by and heard this simply uttered, "Yeah. That's got it." The "it" they're referring to is very difficult to put your finger on, but I'll tell you, it isn't as simple as more Speed! Resolution! Dynamics! (the Three Tenets of Audiophilia). As best as I can fathom, the major ingredients of the ephemeral recipe call for accurate and complete timbral reproduction and a very elusive quality of dynamic openness. The timbre kicked in with the Kubala-Sosna wires. When you go shopping for wires for the Emitter, you want to favor the emotive side. (The Argento brand can be added to this list. The little that I heard placed it in that camp. More to come on this one down the road a bit.) The dynamic openness was a byproduct of the dream-team amp / speaker interface between the Emitter and the CRM 3.2.2.

And
Then, with the CRM 3.2.2 speakers and all K-S wiring, the system took off and was capable of reliable transport to the land of "it," as in "Yeah. That's got it," where suspension of disbelief is possible. This was a storybook combination.

If you want to just throw it in your system and turn the power on then you maybe in for a bumpy ride. Take the wisdom from owners and enjoy a world class amp.

I will be honest--if it took $$$$ of K/S cables to make the ASR sound really exceptional, I have some issues with the entire premise.

I will be more than happy to try an ASR if someone can arrange a SoCal dealer drop one off in my home for a week (I have a call into the distributor). In fact, we could easily arrange a shoot out with Quads and Black Shadows for all to hear.

Glory,
Validation from a reviewer is at the end of the day just another person`s opinion. You can find 'rave' reviews on any number of amplifiers(including my Coincident, just anothrer point of view). If the ASR is the best you`ve owned thus far that`s wonderful for you(and agear). The simple fact is not everyone will find the ASR compelling or particularly special(this is true of 'any'component.The short comings phil mention are relevant flaws to him and those who share the same priorities.I don`t find it hard to except that other amps do certain things in a superior fashion.

Bottom line the amplifier is a home run for you,enjoy it.If won`t please everyone so why worry about convincing others who have different sonic values? Do you feel only those who hear as you do are right and everyone else is wrong?

Agear, why stoop to snide comments about phil`s room/system and ancillary equitment? His system 'may' equal or perhaps better your own,how would you possibly know?
Regards,

no SoCal ASR dealer guys, sorry.