Bob Carver meets Zu

by zufan on Ever Evolving

Description

My eternal chase for point source sound has taken me from Innersound to Vienna to B&W to Tyler to Sanders to Tannoy to Golden Ear to Zu to Tannoy to KEF (Ref 1) back to Zu to Sonist to PMC to Fyne back to KEF Blade 2. Just sold the Blade to recoup the cost. SVS Ultra Tower back in main room & yup I don't miss the Blade. New Zu DW6 are singing loud & proud in the main room whilst breaking in. Sound so good may stay there. Just added SVS-SB1000 Pro sub also.

Dug the new Carver Black Magic 25 so much I bought another to mono. Then discovered vertical biamping which is a game changer. Did the same thing with the Mini GaN 5. Astounding. Anyone else vertical 2 stereo amps? 

The NAD & SVS is in other room for cinema. 
Read more...

Room Details

Dimensions: 22’ × 21’  Large
Ceiling: 8’

Components Toggle details

    • SVS Ultra Tower
    The best bang for the buck in speakers you will ever find. Astounding. On par with Zu re price to value.
    • Zu Audio Dirty Weekend 6
    Superfly edition in 'cosmic carbon'
    • Bob Carver Black Magic 25
    Sound so moist I bought another to vertical bi-amp (then sold 1 to downsize).
    • SVS SB-1000 PRO
    Handles what the Zu don't, real moist.
    • Class D Audio Mini GaN 5
    5 lbs of pure miracle. Bought 1 then another a couple weeks later to vertical biamp in the summer.
    • Marantz TT-151
    Staring at it gives me a chubb.
    • NAD 588
    Their tasty TT; mostly built by pro-ject, simple & works great.
    • Sony HAP-Z1ES
    Old faithful. My longest tenured component by far. Replaced stock hdd w/ssd.
    • Parks Audio Puffin
    A phono pre from the future. Astoundingly fascinating. Shames all others regardless of price.
    • Quadraspire SVT Bamboo
    Nice rack. Earmuffs.
    • Richard Gray 400 Pro II
    Actually have 2: one for main rig, one for TV room.
    • Blue Jeans Cable Canare 4S11 Speaker Cable
    Competes with anything, including Fidelium at a fraction of cost.

Comments 18

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"Anyone else vertical 2 stereo amps? "

Yes!  When I finished adding the VTA mods to my second Dyna 70 amp, I set everything up in a vertical bi-amp configuration using two stereo amps....one channel of each amp for woofer, one for mids/tweeter.  Soundstage was spectacular!

At one point of the channels developed a problem, so I just want back to using them as single channel mono blocks as opposed to pulling the amp out of service to fix it. (one of these days I will, but in the meantime at least I'm not burning 8 Gold Lion KT66s at once!).  In the mean time, I introduced a solid state integrated amp to run the woofers (below 80hz), and use the Dyna/VTA tube ups up top on the midbass/tweeters.  Technically the addition of the SS amp is horizontal bi-amping, but monoblocks are inherently vertical, so I suppose it's really a hybrid bi-amp configuration.  It still sounds wonderful to me, and bass dynamics are better on the woofers from the SS integrated amp.   
-Scott


knotscott

Owner
Just sold the Kef Blade 2, to recoup their costs. They had a fun 1.5 years in residence here though. Back to my SVS Ultra Towers in main room, which are always smooth & listenable. Also, just ordered Zu DW6 for TV room and kicks in the main room from time to time. I am indeed a 'Zu fan.'

zufan

Zufan, I have two subs from SVS and I’m just blown away by them, especially the 3000 micro. They are an amazing company to deal with, excellent customer service. They are literally within 3 miles of my office. I am going to check out their towers for sure now. Thank you!

doyle3433

Owner
I bought the Chevs in 2020, would still own them if I hadn't moved to a larger house. I did bring them with. The new listening room is 20x21 & they're not meant for a room that size. Sold them via TMR. 

To anyone speaker shopping I say this: SVS Ultra Towers. Under $3k and will bowl you over with strong clean sound. I had my two local buddies over a few months back, both are Wilson owners (one with the monster XLF). Both couldn't believe their eyes when I wound it up. I'd still have them in main room but saw a demo pair of Blade 2 for half price this year and couldn't resist. SVS are now in the TV room. SVS has amazing service & offer free home trial.  

zufan

Awesome system! and you are right, Billie and George could be cousins or brothers. 
Question: as I read down the comments it seems you once had Tannoy Cheviot's? Those are in my top three for upgrades in 2023. Volti Razz, Klipsch Cornwalls and the Cheviot's. How did you like them? 

doyle3433

Owner
Ever evolving: this week a) Sanders Magtech sold & B) 2nd Bob Carver Black Magic 25 arrived to go mono. Last week the PrimaLuna Prologue  pre arrived. Ergo, building the glass forest.

zufan

Owner
New addition last week: Fidelium speaker cables. That old saw of wanting to stay up late every night listening to your records? That is literally happening to me continuously the last week. 

It's been so bad I've forgotten to feed or clean myself. 

zufan

Great looking speakers! I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing the Blades (I’m still in love with my 207’s), but being KEF, I’m sure they sound as beautiful as they look!

stulto

Owner
Out with the NAD C298 amp, in with the Sanders Magtech. The Blade2 were good on the NAD but the KEF thrive on big current. Felt they needed a bit more mustard. Which they now have, oh my laws.

zufan

Owner
Just picked up dealer demo Blade 2. Oh it's quite the scene man.

zufan

Owner
Swapped my DAC classic cherry amp to my buddy for his Transcendent T16 OTL amp. Oh it's quite the scene man.

zufan

Owner
@clwinbe do you have a tube amp to put on the Zu?

zufan

Really beautiful system. I live just a few miles from both Zu and RBH Sound. I traded into a pair of Zu cubes. They did so many things well, but sounded just awful with some recording. Have you enjoyed your pair?

clwinbe

Owner
Added the Luna pic for @b_limo    :)
Thanks all for comments!
Happy Festivus! 

zufan

Very cool setups!  Love ‘em both.  I see you’ve got a cat too.  They make the listening environment better in my opinion!  Your bitcoin reference hurts... they’re up to around $23k now for 1.  Could have been a millionaire had we jumped on that in the beginning.


Anywho, nice set-up for sure.  Happy Listening!

b_limo

Just eyed your ZUs and systems ..... awesome mister!!

musicbox78

Love both your systems very cool! And great looking room too!

jond

Great setup and a little jealous of all the space.  Love those Cheviots!

christopher_f

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