Decision between Zu Definition OR VS DB99

Phil, Cobra, Desmond or Freddy... Are the Druids with the two speaker sub better than the Hales T-5's? Yes I believe the Hales have a crossover.

Phil makes some good points. I'll simply say from a consumer's perspective...from my perspective...I'd rather have an opportunity to hear the Zu loudspeakers set up in an ideal environment, either at a dealer's showroom, or at the home of a gracious owner, so all the less than ideal circumstances can be eliminated from the equation. I'd prefer this over the possibility of having to re-box the speakers and pay for the round trip shipping for the provilege of a demo. This is a marketing issue that provides a barrier, IMO.

The cost of round trip shipping is nothing compared to a dealer markup. I'm only about 300 miles from Zu headquarters so one way shipping on my Druids was $40. If you call Zu they'll give you a firm shipping quote to your zip code.
You know, as I think about it, round trip shipping is usually cheaper than sales tax on something this expensive.
And what better place to evaluate them than in the space where they will reside?

"Uncle!"

No doubt, home trial to decide whether to keep a $9,000+ purchase consisting of two 120 lbs. columns is a marketing inhibitor to Zu finding its maximum audience. But if they go through a dealer channel, say goodbye to the $9,000 entry price, and the $2,800 tag on Druids too. If the burden of boxing speakers you decide not to keep is daunting, then perhaps a quick flight or drive to Zu HQ can get your confidence in the ballpark. Also, a little diplomatic asking might get you into the home of one of a Zu owner.

Very few people will return the speakers if they put in the time. The bigger issue is that putting something so revealing and present into an existing system can have unexpected consequences to how you perceive the quality of the rest of your gear. Especially power amps. With a Zu speaker in place, the power amp becomes the critical driver of fidelity, assuming you have at least merely competent sources.

Phil