Compare: Salk Sound, Silverline, Tyler, Zu

Ton 1313: Even if they have chosen offer only paint, I hope they will soon put a few good photos of what a painted panel looks like.

Macrojack: I have read the 6moon review. Interestingly they are equlayy gung ho about a Gallo model which is priced similarly to Druids. The red of Zu's iis striking but not my thing. Most people who want to order a trial pair might like a few clear photos to help them choose between black and what Zu call "Tokyo Forest".

I'll wait to see what Zu does next. Like many revolutionary designs, theirs too may take a couple model cycles to stabilize.

In the meantime, moving away from Zu a little...Has anybody here actually compared Tylers and Salks side by side?

That would be quite interesting indeed if someone has...

I think finding someone who has heard both Tyler and Salk side by side is going to be difficult as Tyler is a very small brand and Salk even smaller still, not to mention they are both mail order direct brands.

I suppose there could be an owner that owns both brands (as they kind of appeal to the same kind of target clientele) but again, it is probably going to be hard to find them if they exist. Who knows though, *I* may want to buy the HT-1s for my bedroom system someday, so maybe I'll be the first. :-)

---Dave

On Zu finishes: My Druids are gloss red. They were bought used and had been updated by the factory to near MkIV status. Sean says they're "Mk 3.5" by virtue of having the current supertweeter with the prior gen FRD, and a slightly different expression of the Griewe model. Point is, they were painted early in Zu's life. They have a little orange peel and Zu's panel sanding precision wasn't quite what it is today. Nevertheless, they meet with enthusiastic approval from even finicky people who are accustomed to veneered speakers.

My Definitions were ordered new, in custom automotive finish. The blue speakers in one of the Six Moons photographs are mine. They are a Maserati color, Blue Nettuno, duplicated in DuPont Chroma. Even these speakers do not quite match what Zu is capable of today with their new paint booth, and they are all-but-glass in their surface finish. They are uniformly regarded as more gorgeous still than my Druids.

The factory offers their satin finishes as standard prices. They upcharge for standard gloss with has some orange peel similar to mass-market cars. A little further upcharge gets standard gloss with a little hand-cutting to reduce the orange peel. Then the top upcharge is for a fully cut finish like glass.

Honestly, the Zu design aesthetic is almost unimaginable in woodgrain. It would seem visually dissonant to me. A friend of mine just ordered black gloss, going into a home with mainstream wood finishes on furniture and fixtures. And they will look fully compatible. Given the phenolic jacket in the cabinet construction, paint is the logical finish and I believe most people will find it interesting and compatible to a wide range of decors, if they give it a chance.

Phil

and I bought the Druids. The Salks sounded very good, but lacked the jump factor of the Druids - really explosive dynamics on music like electric blues, and electronica. On classical I think there was less difference. Overall, for $1200 less, the Druids were a great bargain. The Salks had beautiful woodworking, but the sound of the Druids cliched the deal for me.

Dave: You are right, and I myself don't expect to commonly find people who have A/B'd thinly distributed brands like Tyler, Salk, and Zu. The scenario I had in mind was that someone owns one and tries out another, or maybe local audiophiles meet and arrange a comparison. Something like that. Your input is always appreciated.

And just as I was writing these words, Ait's post tells me of his Zu/Salk experience...

Phil: Thanks for the detailed feedback. You are one of the very few people in this forum who continue to inform people about Zu, but without the fanatical edge of some "Road to Damascus" converts---I have received chiding emails like "now that I have told you about Zu, why even bother with other names?", and telling me I am being "confrontational" if I remain curious about Tyler/Salk, or want Zu to offered wider cabinet options. So, your patient input is greatly appreciated.

Ait: Thank you for your post. From the prices mentioned I assume you compared Zu Druids with Salk HT-3. How and where did you make this comparison: in different places or was it side by side? If latter, did you own HT-3's before ordering Druids? Was there not much to choose between them on classical music (except price)? Did you try any music in which HT-3's greater bass extention would have mattered? In your past speaker hunts, have you ever heard Tylers as well? [You can see that having met someone who knows about more than one speaker, I am feeling greedy. :-)]

Advice to Zu: Please consider a model with one subwoofer. Most people cannot afford Definitions (4 subwoofers) but would like some bass extention rather than none. Can you sell Druids at 2400 and this new model at 2800? :)