Might as well join the debate....
Here are my thoughts about a recent loan of the Zu Essence speakers....
I guess the first thing to say is that, for most of the last ten years I'd been sold on B&W speakers, owning several pairs. Indeed, I still have two pairs working each day on my 2nd and 3rd systems.
A couple of years ago I started getting into valve amplification and was soon on the look-out for some high sensitivity speakers. A pair of Druids showed up on EBay and, after a brief chat with someone who knew about such things, I was persuaded to buy them. I was, however, then in for several months of doubt and dissatisfaction and I almost let them go before getting help in correctly positioning/tuning them. My opinion turned around and I began to appreciate them for their realism and dynamism. Everyone who came by for a listen, thought the whole set-up far better than they'd ever heard before (with only one exception).
After quite a while, I got to hear the Druid upgrade and was excited by the effortless presentation. So musical and the 'darkness' of the original Druids lifted. Also the congestion of the originals was gone, with the whole presentation more open and relaxing (but NOT dull!).
Anyway, about this time the Essence was starting to get some attention, with the reviews I managed to get to see suggesting that these were way ahead of the Druids, leaving me with a conundrum - seek out the Essence or upgrade the Druids, with the possibility of moving to the Essence soon after? A tough decision and that's why I was delighted to get a hold of the Essence for a proper listen.
So, what do I think about the Essence?
Cosmetics/aesthetics....nothing special but not awful either. My first audio impressions were that the highs were amazing. I was hearing things for the first time. I ran a whole bunch of different artists/genres through the audition - the usual suspects...SRV, Pink Floyd, Springsteen but also, Peter Hammill, Tom Waits, Wagner, Vivaldi, Brand X, Fuck Buttons, Fairport, Blue Nile, early-Genesis, and a bunch of others - both on vinyl and CD, including some A-B media comparisons.
So, the highs were, at times astonishing but, for me, the lows just weren't working properly. Very low of course but I couldn't make out the notes as clearly as I could via the Druids. After a day or so, I moved them away from the walls - up to a couple of feet and there's no doubt, the bass tightened. Still, there was a certain 'wooliness' or 'dullness' about the bass, and furthermore, not natural-sounding. It's as if the bass performance had been deliberately tuned to be unnaturally low.
Then I began to notice that the mid-range was slightly recessed. Vocals that had been on an even plane, seemed to be sitting a couple of feet back and lacked bite and definition. Not exciting at all. This was, perhaps not surprisingly, worse when I re-positioned the speakers back towards the wall.
After a few days I came to the conclusion that the highs were brilliant and it would be nice to have my Druids get somewhere close to that clarity. The mid-range was somewhat dull and, the bass 'homogenised' i.e. undifferentiated and, artificial. I am left feeling that the highs/mids and the lows just aren't integrated in the way the Druids are. I'm sure that the tech data would tell a different story but, as an overall listening experience, for me the Druids are more satisfying and less fatiguing.
Would I buy the Essence in the future? I would need a larger listening space for sure. Mine is a good size but has a lowish ceiling (large roofspace). I'd love my Druids to reach the Essence highs but I'm simply not convinced that the Essence bass is ever going to keep me interested.
I'm a big fan of Zu and won't be getting rid of my Druids for a very long time, if ever. I'm now definitely in the market for the upgrade or to acquire a second pair with the upgrade already fitted. I fancy a different colour from black too.
Now, what do those Definitions sound like....?
