Zu Soul Superfly

OK, I think I mis-read you and was concerned about input impedance.

Nelson Pass was goodly enough to post step by step instructions for the conversion on diyaudio as he does with all the Firstwatt deigns.

Step by step:

1) You match up a pair of SemiSouth R100's or equivalent and
drop them in for Q1 and Q2

2) You eliminate the Zener diodes

3) Raise the input cap values to 10 uF

4) Replace R1 through R4 with 22 ohms

5) Replace R5-R8 with 47K ohms

6) Set the bias pot to +14V on the Drains

All Greek to me, but I sourced the R100s from a group buy on diyaudio and have a competent friend willing to do the update.

Off topic--or back on topic, rather. These Soul Superflys have been the single most meaningful upgrade to my system. I'm listening many hours daily virtually every day. I'm really confused as to why Zu speakers have been so controversial over the years. Based on what I read on forums, I really expected them to have a weird sound but they sound very right to me, making real music.

The other owners really need to chime in! I feel like I'm all alone here.

Mrs. Gopher needs to post those pictures and we need to hunt down and stalk all the other owners.

Mike

Gopher,
"I'm really confused as to why Zu speakers have been so controversial over the years."

Because they were :

A- New to the Game

B- Mixed with many early 21st century Chinese copy gear, and or companies plagued with tech issues and name smearing early in the internet game. Most "Audiophiles" never saw a web page until early 2000's... Stereophile magazine, and too good to be true were the run of the mill advertising of the time.

C- And possibly the most controversial they heavily marketed direct, and with single driver wide band, no crossover voodoo. Which is like Tubes or vinyl to the mass marketed even upper scale boutique customers.

D- Entering a highly saturated audio market virtually at the peak of internet sales, Forums, and the revival of Vinyl... Who knows!

Mahughes,

I'll try and get a few more snapped this weekend for you.

Undertow,

Interesting thoughts. Hopefully they'll be able to move past it once the Soul gets more exposure. It will be easier to hear it sound its best w/o the plinth gap and placement sensitivity (from what I've read, never heard druids).

Everyone else,

I think I've completely flip flopped on my preference of my F1 to my restored/slightly upgraded Dynaco ST-70. The Firstwatt, though more detailed, with better top to bottom extension and resolution just sounds a bit my mechanical than the Dynaco.

I half wish I hadn't bought the JFETs to update my F1 to an F1J, as I'm actually quite content with the Dynaco, but I may as well finish the project I suppose... I suspect Zu speakers just prefer tubes though.

Gopher,
"I'm really confused as to why Zu speakers have been so controversial over the years."

Because:

A- They do not have "hi-fi" top end. Hi-Fi sound has extreme resolution/exaggerated HF. This make "hi-fi" crowd not like them.

B- Measure badly, and Zu not post its own measurements. This make "engineering hi-fi" crowd not like them.

C- Setup poorly, so sounded bad (recess HF plus upperbass/MF suckout plus freakish midbass). And played with inappropriate flea-watt amplification. this make normal people not like them (although I think most speaker setup badly does not seem to hurt them all)

D- they are different.

I think D is biggest reason, C is smallest.