Zu Dirty Weekend vs. Omega Super 3 XRS

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by 5-String, Jun 28, 2020.

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  1. dchang81

    dchang81 Forum Resident

    the whole you have to spend more to get an improvement is a complete farce. could just be a matter of changing tastes, or a different design suits your ears, it doesn't have to be the more expensive speaker or amp or whatever. the audiomarket seems to thrive on convincing everyone mo money mo better
     
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  2. struttincool

    struttincool Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    60 day return policy mentioned in 6th post of thread.
     
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  3. johnt23

    johnt23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon
    100% true.
    I cannot think of another hobby where quality is less commensurate with money spent.




     
  4. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    That is pretty generous if they pay all shipping both ways and there is no restocking fee.
     
  5. sambamaster

    sambamaster Forum Resident

    I have to chime in again. I've owned two different ZU models over the last ten years and have never had any problems playing electrified music...Beatles, Hendrix, Cream, Dead Combo, Kate Bush, Muddy Waters, etc etc. No electronica, but that's not my thang. Yes, they are incredible in the mids, but bass is strong and clean, highs likewise. I did update my Omens to the newer tweeter and caps in 2013. Around this time I started running 45s in my Fi X producing a grand 2 watts. Never a complaint. At this moment, running an EL84 amp with 12 watts...stunning sound to my ears.

    Regarding price comparisons...remember, the Omen DW is essentially the same as the Omen Mk II, minus a few frills. Those start at $2250, double the price of the DWs...so to say it's a sideways move from another $1200 speaker is incorrect. And their return pledge makes the purchase risk-free, more so in some ways than buying a speaker, perhaps auditioned in-store, but untried in the home environment. ZU has very, very few returns!

    Having been in the position as a reviewer for 10 years, I've heard a lot of speakers, including lots of single driver models...IN HOME...and I've put my most recent money into ZUs. They are certainly on a very short list of speakers I'd want to own, and, yes, I miss my DeVores....
     
  6. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I had another member over who wanted to hear them before buying. He brought a lot of his own music with him, familiar to him.

    He agreed completely that the combination of Zu DW2 with a SET amp was great with small scale acoustic music.

    Once you got into larger orchestral pieces, the loss of steam was apparent. Then we played some rock, and he was saying it sounded OK, but then I played that same music for him on my other system, with a 250 W SS amp and Wharfedale towers - and then he knew what rock should sound like. Both systems are set up side by side, so it's easy to do an A/B comparison.

    Many people here said the same thing - oh, I've played anything and everything, all kinds of dynamic music through Zus and flea watt amps, and everything sounds fine.

    This is what I have to say to that: not until you compare it side by side to something that sounds WAY better doing it.

    To prove my point, I invite anyone who wants to hear it to my house - I will play the two systems for you, and YOU tell me what sounds better to you.
     
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  7. Whoopycat

    Whoopycat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines
    I ran Omen DW's for about a year and a half and played all kinds of music on them. They did about 95% of what I want a speaker to do, and if I had any sense I would've got off the merry go round with them. I played them with all kinds of amps, SET, push pull, vintage solid state, class D, they all sounded good. As a buddy of mine put it, they were up for anything. There's a reason the Dirty Weekend sale usually sells out out in a couple hours.

    When it comes to the prospective Zu buyer, they give you 60 days and they are great about returns, so every opinion on this forum can safely be ignored, including mine.
     
  8. 5-String

    5-String μηδὲν ἄγαν Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sunshine State
    I 've been reading all these comments about Zu and despite the different points of view it seems like they are great speakers no matter what.
    Not much has been said about Omega though.
    I guess there must not be very popular among forum members.
     
  9. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    Have to commend you on this post. So many refuse to admit their systems have strengths and weaknesses.
     
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  10. Melvin

    Melvin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    I love my Super 3i's and tone is indeed a strength of these monitors. I think it's safe to assume the 3 XRS would have a very similar sound quality. Wonderful with acoustic Jazz and vocal. A sub brings them to a different level. No experience with Zu, unfortunately.
     
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  11. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    I think Omega is just a smaller operation, it's only one guy (IIUC). Zu has really taken off over the past couple of years. I lusted after some Omega speakers a few years back to use with my 300B SET amps (which Zu would also work with as well, of course). ALMOST pulled the trigger on some (with dual drivers front and back ... discontinued, can't recall the name) but couldn't spend money in the end so that lust waned after a while. I think I'll be zagging to a SS amp though soon (Parasound A21) to drive my Monitor Audio Silver 8s (which were in a separate surround system, now will be integrated). I think my tube/efficient speakers days are over for a while anyway.
     
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  12. TeflonScoundrel

    TeflonScoundrel Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I haven’t heard any Omega speakers so I can’t comment about them, but I do have a pair of Omen DW II’s with the clarity cap upgrade. I use them with either a Linn Selekt DSM or a Marantz 2245 and find them very enjoyable with all kinds of music including rock, electronic, jazz & blues. I can’t say I agree that they only sound good with acoustic music, as I have not found that to be the case.
     
  13. struttincool

    struttincool Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    @5-String
    I just looked at your equipment profile. You have five pairs of killer speakers and about 9 upper end phono cartridges. What in the world do you need with another pair of speakers? Is it a sickness?
     
  14. 5-String

    5-String μηδὲν ἄγαν Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sunshine State
    Gosh I want to believe that I am not sick (yet) although the jury is still out on this...:biglaugh:
    You are right, I probably have too many speakers but you see none of these are SET friendly and I am into low powered single ended amps lately. I need high efficiency speakers to match to my Cary 300SEI.
    I don't want to spent more than $1000 on these that's why I am looking at the Dirty Weekend sale on July 1.
    If it works out I will probably sell my Apogee Divas and Centaur Major as I don't listen to them much anymore.
     
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  15. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    How does the ZU sound when you hook up and run the 250 watts amp on them?
     
  16. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Hmm - take every speaker brand you know. Please list the brands where their cheapest speaker sounds better than their most expensive speaker. I can think of none. Therefore, spending more in fact isn't a farce and in fact you get what you pay for.
     
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  17. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    That's not what I bought them for - I bought them to be paired with a SET amp, and to play Jazz. They do that beautifully. To me, it's a specialized job. For all other types of music - I have that Parasound/Wharfedale combination.
     
  18. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Yes, but it doesn't necessarily work across brands. There is not always a guaranty that a $3000 speaker from one brand will sound at least as good as a $1500 speaker from another brand you're trying to upgrade from. After spending twice more, you may feel you had downgraded after you hear them in your room.

    I've heard plenty of uber-expensive speakers at NY Audio Shows whose sound I didn't care for at all, and would have preferred my modest setup any time. In fact - there were only a few speakers I did like enough to remember. So money doesn't always equal good sound.
     
  19. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    If you're sick - I'm sick too, and I like it! Carry on!
     
    5-String likes this.
  20. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    I am so tempted to pull the trigger on the Zu DW. I need something to pair with my Fisher X-100 (EL84, approx. 14wpc) and my Spendors aren't ideal.

    I'm concerned about the scattered reports of them being "bright," which isn't my thing.
     
  21. sambamaster

    sambamaster Forum Resident

    I've owned two pairs of Zu starting with the original Omens in 2010, now Druid Vs which I happen to be powering as I type this with an EL84 (Yaqin) and the sound is wonderful. I can crank it WAY up if I need to, but right now Charles Mingus and Hampton Hawes sound great at a reasonable volume...this '50s recording sounds real in my living room.
    Regarding bright? I've never thought so, but I've always used tubes, usually SETs...my 300B is in the hospital now having its caps changed. But it is all a matter of taste, but lots of folks are running nasty sounding SS amps and I'd wager the brightness complaints come from inferior electronics. And if you think they are bright in your room, tilt 'em back a tad to alter the direction of the tweeters' output a bit. And if you really don't like them, you have 60 days to send them back, on Zu's dime...bet your local dealer, if you have one, won't let you have a pair of speakers on trial at home for 60 days!
     
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  22. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I know that. The issue is whether the speaker is incapable of reproducing the material the wharfedales are capable of reproducing. So is it the amp that can't do rock or is the speaker that can't do rock?

    I have 7 watts and play Noisia, AC/DC, Motley Crue, Nightwish, Guns and Roses. So before we start blaming amps for not having dynamic oomph we must look at the speakers as well.

    I would rathet have one good set of speakers than 2 so so speakers trying to cover all bases.
     
  23. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I never said anything about the Zu being pushed by anything other than a tube amp. Every time I share my experience, I always include the tube amp info with it. The OP here, @5-String, was making a similar inquiry - how would the Zu sound paired with a 300B amp? And I answered it to the point.

    I don't care how they sound with SS amps, and don't care to experiment with it, just so I could have an opinion about it. I have an opinion on how they sound doing their intended job (as far as my needs are concerned) - that's enough for me, and that's what I share. I make no generalizations.
     
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  24. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Thanks, I appreciate your comments!

    I am seated maybe 8 or 10' (2.5 or 3m) from my speakers in a 15' x 12' (4.5 x 3.5 m) room. The speakers are along the long wall, and the speakers are about 3' (1m) from the back wall. Would the Zu DW be appropriate for my space?
     
  25. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Well Audio shows range from the truly appaling to the mediocre. So I wouldn't base anything on an audio show. If something sounds good that's amazing...but too many very good systems have terrible results at a show. I have had several best sound at show 1 be a bottom 5 room at the next show. Even my own speakers have sounded rubbish at show and dealer demos!

    And that is before talking all the various expectation bias people walk into the room with or hostile intent.

    So I agree it doesn't work across brands but rarely do people agree. For instance audiophile 1 may like a $1500 speaker from Magnepan more than a boxed speaker at $3,000 but that doesnt apply to everyone. English speaking Audio Forums aren't the only voices out there.

    So while a certain group of vocal forumers may litter forums with that view that doesn't mean it's necessarily the standard view across wider platforms.

    So a Maggie 1.7 at $2000 I view as a pretty good deal. Anove average. But overall I'm not a big fan. The 20.1 was around $15,000 and I directly compared them with a boxed speaker for $6,500. The latter easily sounded better. IMO. So to me the less expensive speaker os far better. However, someone who likes the house sound of Magnepan will feel the 20.1 was a massive improvement on the Magnepab platform and will not view it as overpriced or underperforming the way I view them. The fact that they have been selling for what 50+ years is kind of the teller.

    That's why I stay within the company line. Yes I may like a speaker at $2k over another brand at $4k. But when I listen to each brand's 2k and 4k speaker chances are in both cases I will like their 4k model over their 2k model.

    Cross comparing house sounds IMO is more subjective taste. Realizing that within brand the more expensive speaker sounds better is more objective.

    The 20.1 is better than a 1.7. I am not a big fan of either but the former sounds better. Not a big fan of B&W but the 802 sounds better than a 704.

    Hope that made sense. Kinda tired.
     
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