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Did anyone hear the Zu room at CES/THE 2011?

I did. The first time I listened, they were playing the giant $45k (Dominance?) speakers, biamplified with a pair of Pass Labs XA30.5s. I thought they sounded excellent. Then I went back, and wasn't so impressed witht he sound. I saw that they had replaced the Pass with a 2.5 Watt SET amp (I think the internal sub was still powered by a Pass). To me, the life, energy, resolution, and naturalness just wasn't there. At least one other person there who had heard both said he preferred the tube amp, saying it "made him feel more connected to the music." I wanted to say, "No, the king is naked! You're just saying that because you think you're supposed to," but I didn't. I recognize that he may have heard something I didn't. Apparently, others thought the same as him, because they left the tube amp in for the rest of the show. So my question is, was I the only one who thought the Pass sounded better?
honest1
telescope_trade
555 posts
 
Hi Team212,

Every ones ears are different, but "uninvolving" would be the farthest from what I would describe Zu as. I have Omen Defs
and they are very involving! Rich, open, airy, super dynamic, and most of all musical. My guess is something was up with the synergy of the system, or set up, or a combo of things?? But, I have never heard the Dominance so cannot speak for them, but, my experience with Zu has been fantastic, and I have owned many speakers.
glory's avatar
glory
1,614 posts
 
212,

What speakers do you own?
team212
250 posts
 
Morning Glory,

Easy boys!-- don't want to upset the applecarts just he did ask for

opinions and I fully understand the speakers I mentioned will /could

mate superbly with other first rate ancillary equipment.

I'm simply stating my observations and my reasoning for not putting them on my prospective lists-and

decisions made with my own music Compilations.

Harbeth, ProAcs and SF Guarneri's at present.

Just sold Big Rockports ( my Shindo amp not quite powerful enough!) before that Avalons, Wilson, SoundLab,

B+W, Stacked Quads,Snell AIIIs,Dahlquist, Klipschorns,Dayton

Wrights, Chartwells/etc.

Good Listening,

Des
team212
250 posts
 
Hi Again,

Sorry Thought I should mention what I do consider a fine current well

priced speaker "out there"

Green Mountain Audio

Des
honest1 OP
586 posts
 
Just for perspective, what rooms did you like at CES/THE? My favorites were Hansen and Tidal.
I found the DeVore room interesting in that he was playing a new, unusual sounding speaker. When playing a certain type of music, I guess you'd call it ragtime maybe? Early 20th century style folk music, they sounded quite realistic, but with other types of music, didn't sound very good at all. I suspect they had colorations that worked well with that type of musical recording, but showed themselves as colorations on other types.
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