Zu def 4 are they the best speaker made?

I think I saw Zu speakers at an audio show only once. They kept me less than 30 seconds in the room. Don't remember the model or any details, just the brand.

Also, I remember reading this comment about some Zu speakers (yes, it was for a cheaper model):

**** Munich High-End 2016 ****
"Right: Zu loudspeaker from whizzer cone driver and compression driver fitted with waveguide. The speaker sounded plain awful. Close to worst sound on show." 
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/MUNICH-2016.htm

Nice ad, though. 

I don't know why there is always so much debate on speakers and electronics. Doesn't it stand to reason that in taking account of room acoustics, individuality in people's hearing with regard to even hearing all the frequency spectrum, and the wide range of electronics, electric cords, conditioners, wire connectors, etc. . . . not to mention the constant “improvements” that never quite get to the perfecting of sound reproduction . . . that there is a lot of spoof in advertising -- not to mention brainwashing with regard to all of this?

I grant you that there are improvements in equipment . . . but these breakthroughs, I feel, will ALWAYS be there, as it is the lifeblood of the industry. It is like medicine . . . always finding ways to mask symptoms and always coming up with medical breakthroughs -- but RARELY, if ever, a CURE.

Half the fun, I am convinced, is the man child comparing how much he paid for his equipment and then debating just how much better it is than his neighbor's setup . . . not to mention how everyone seems to have those “golden ears” that set them above everyone else in telling them what to buy, which is the newest BEST . . . that is, until it becomes last months old news. Hey, it is the proverbial carrot that is being dangled in front of a hungry man's face that keep the cash flow going and opens up a man's wallet to spend how many hundreds of thousands of dollars by the public -- knowing full well that this stuff is marked-up two-thirds over the value and the cost of making the product in the first place.

As I recall, we all just salivated just seeing the latest and greatest when going into the stereo stores . . . let alone everyone just mesmerized as the sales person told us what we are hearing -- and believed it.

It is a grand hobby -- always will be; however, doesn't commonsense dictate that somewhere along the line that “carrot” will be always hanging just slightly out of reach of music narvana?

I do believe that link provided above is for their new and improved Druid 6.

I have already had 2 different Zu speakers and all I can say is never again.

Kenny.

This thread is a good micro summary of the history of postings on Zu speakers, IMO.  Some people clearly love them, and some clearly hate them.  Perhaps less sit in the middle, although there seem to be some owners or previous owners in that camp too.  Quite polarized.

The shows don't always seem to do Zu a bunch of favors.  I suspect blindjim nailed some of the reasons very well in his explanation as to why.  Settling and power factors seem to be completely true with my Zu experience in my own home.  From my personal experience with amp matching at home, and reading show reviews over the years for Zu, I might question some of the amp choices that Sean has chosen for previous shows (several years back for sure).  Peachtree stuff probably won't blow your mind at a show.  Nelson Pass' SIT-2 is a great solid state amp--I own it--but in my opinion it doesn't produce mind-blowing results with my Zus.

I'm going to get my 4th pair of Zus next month in Druid 6's.  I own 2 of their more entry models in Unions and Cubes, and have been running their Soul Supremes in my main system for about 3 years.  The first 2 sets were good--I still own them and have them in various systems around the house.  I love the Soul Supremes, as they are clearly in a different league.  I have not owned or heard Def 4s, but I suspect given the shared drivers, I can imagine how they can sound in the right sized room (my room is quite small at 11x16ish) paired with the right amps and pre-amp.

I post only to note that it's my opinion that the absolute "best" SET amps and properly matched pre-amps are likely needed to really get the highest end Zu's to deliver on what the "Zu sound and design" is truly capable of delivering.  If you pair the lower models (Unions, Cubes, etc.) or OLDER models of Druids or even Definitions (I suspect) with these highest-end amp/pre combos, you might get good to really good sound, but it won't be great or phenomenal by many highest-end standards (some older Zu owners will disagree with me I'm sure).

IMO, only their latest offerings (from my readings and experience) are likely to match what their biggest fans will claim as to how good they are or can be.  The Unions and Cubes, for example, are clearly in a lower-level than their newer, higher-end speakers.  Like WAY different, so when people hate the Zu sound, I look for what models and eras they heard, and with what supporting components, or in what poorly set up show.  They can ABSOLUTELY be made to sound mediocre or even bad, so I don't doubt a single poster on his/her experience having heard some Zus somewhere sound bad.  I have too, in my own home.

Similarly, pair their newer, higher end speakers with only decent amps and pre-amps, and the combos may not blow anyone away either.  Especially by the really high standards many of us have from experience with other systems.

As the OP suggested, I do find that a REALLY great 845 SET amp pairs very, very well with Zu's higher-end stuff (read ~$5K speakers and up).  You can read elsewhere that others who really feel the cross-overless nature of Zu's highest-end speakers are most ideally matched with very expensive SET amps, in both 845 and 300b.  

So how many of us have heard Zu's best stuff with $20K SET amps and a $15K pre-amp of like quality to really hear what their capable of--I suspect not that many, and that may also be some of the reasons for the polarization...the Zu range of speakers over the years can and will produce an insanely wide range of sound quality depending on a number of factors. 

And for those of us who have heard those absolutel best combos, you may still NOT like the sound due to all the personal reasons that are reflected in these forums as so naturally subjective in the first place.