I have had the pleasure of reviewing many Zu Audio speakers over the years. While some of the Ogden, UT company’s high fidelity efforts dance in the mid-to-high end, there is perhaps no speaker more famous from the brand than the entry level “DW” models. A bare bones Zu Audio DW 6 will run you about $1,599 for a standard finish, and has some mid century modern sensibilities that will make it stand out in the crowd of cheap veneers and paint jobs that fill the sub $2k price points.
Words and Photos by Brian Hunter
While the external looks (I’ve been told) can be polarizing, the simplistic rectangle box and full range 10 inch paper driver with a whizzer cone appeal to this reviewer’s personal taste in a big way. In a world increasingly hell-bent on narrow speaker cabinets, the wider stance of the Zu DW 6 is a refreshing HiFi look, and may well serve as a possible conversation starter for some.
Inside the Zu Audio DW 6
The review sample we received included two upgrades, one of them being a walnut finish that costs and extra $500 and also the “superfly” upgrade package for another $500 – and bring the total retail cost for the pair up to $2,597, according to the company web site. Included on this upgrade are a “Superfly-grade [tighter tolerance than standard] full-range driver matching, Superfly-grade tweeter driver matching, Mission Mk.II internal cable harness upgrade, ClarityCap MR capacitor upgrade, extra 100 hours of factory burn-in, ZuB3 connection addition, machined aluminum connection and nameplate, machined and hand finished Zu logo.”
In addition to the full range driver, there is an Eminence ASD-1001 tweeter located below the paper cone combined with a 12k high pass filter. There is no crossover network assigned to the 10” driver, hence the “full-range” connotation. My review sample did include a plastic cover that fit over the main driver assembly, which can be extremely helpful keeping small, curious hands away from the fragile whizzer cone. The tweeter is fully surrounded in an aluminum-milled guide and covered with a matching metal screen. This setup has been relatively untouched over the years for Zu’s entry level gear and served them well for bonus points in uniqueness and in high efficiency, low wattage pairings. In an effort to explore our ongoing series on “sweeter sounds and lower listening levels” I was very excited to pair the Zu DW 6 with both the big wattage Naim Uniti Nova SE and 8 watts of 300b amplification we had in for review, in the form of the Woo Audio WA5 (2nd Gen).
Both the cabinetry and the hardware felt high-end for $2.6k, which is surprisingly not always the case for loudspeakers in this range. Many times “trickle down” efforts from big speaker audiophile companies will result in cost savings in the wood and metal department, in a conservation to preserve the “high end” sound. You do get a taste of both ends of the product feature set with the DW 6, which is a nice combination for your hard earned dollars. The “superfly” upgrade does include Zu’s ZuB3 speaker connection, and the company also sells matching custom cables for this plug on its website.
As followers of the podcast will already know, one of the first pair of speakers I ever purchased for high fidelity listening was the now discontinued Zu Audio Gen 1. I still that pair on hand, and for those interested, it managed to provide a very interesting contrast for comparison.
Zu Audio DW 6 Sound
The first immediate impression one gets is a slight shift in the treble response. There is a fair amount more detail and energy to the highs. This metaphorically chalks down a noticeable evolution in the acoustic design overall. The DW does hit the market at a higher starting point, but the new “6 platform” shows remarkable improvement over its origin model while still retaining some of those affable industrial design elements.
The new 6 series also marks a significant departure from the downward-facing slots of the Omen years for a new rear-firing bass port that makes for easier setup. There wasn’t too much to complain about before, but if you didn’t give the openings underneath the speaker enough wiggle room, some bass response could get stifled. This is no longer an issue with the DW 6 design, which plops down on the floor via adjustable bolts or carpet spikes with little to no setup time. Further comparisons also reveal a delightful punchup in detail retrieval from the Zu Audio DW 6 vs. the Omen Gen 1, and a better articulation from the low end. It might be time to finally part ways with the old gals.
There is a solid mid range and vocal presentation to the Zu’s (and the entire speaker line) that feels like a well -baked center to the brand’s tonal offering. With the Zu Audio DW6, it feels that attention has shifted just a bit more north, with even more retrieval and design to the upper mids and lower treble. Female vocals soar, and guitar tones feel close and intimate. Some Zu presentations have been slightly “beamy” over the years, as they feel directional to the sweet spot in some iterations. With the 6, there was a very wide presentation to the soundfield, and a more cohesive presentation from alternative sections of the listening space.
The really impressive characteristic of the speaker that surprised me the most was its intimacy. It felt exceptionally controlled and realistic while saying “this is where the illusion of a guitar is placed in your room.” There was a closeness to the instruments, while also delivering an undeniable width to the stage that was also impressive for the cost.
I will save the full rundown on the two amplifiers for the upcoming reviews, but in simplest terms, the 300b did deliver in strange and wonderful ways when paired with the “95 dB-SPL @ 2.8V, 39” [1.0m] from FRD face to mic [2π – 4π transition @ 200 Hz]” efficiency of the DW 6. Perhaps one of the most curious things was the apparent improved linearity in the bass from the Woo Audio WA5. While some speaker pairings with this amp resulted in a slightly bloated low end response, the Zu tamed it down to a reasonable position, perfectly in line with the rest of the spectrum.
The 150 watt (into 8) Naim Uniti Nova PE was certainly able to tighten up the situation below even more, but there was an extremely pleasant tonality and balance to the 800b that usually left me wanting even more tube-based distractions in my life. The 6 does not require a tube amplifier to sound its best. It behaves perfectly well with solid state options, but while some more high-end, high-demand speakers tend to push the limits of low wattage, the Zu plays nice with both sides of the hobby. And in that regard, displays a versatility that will definitely appeal to some audiophile groups.
Tonality was well positioned on the Zu Audio DW 6, but with the extension at the top end, our upstream QLN Prestige Three floorstander reference was able to eke out a little more natural delivery (for a much higher price tag). Where the Zu excelled at width, the QLN excelled at depth. Still, for the money the DW 6 remains one of the best deals in all of HiFi. It is a far more refined version than its predecessors, and for less than $2k still sets the bar in terms of value and fit and finish. It looks cool and sounds cool. Those looking to save a few dollars will easily get by with the black satin finish and standard loadout, but if you want something a little more eccentric, look to the wide (massive actually) range of woods and colors available on the Zu site – electric blue is a standout if you have the itch for that sort of thing.
Perhaps I have been leaning in too hard on the stellar production from Billie Eilish’s When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? lately for my listening references. I have been hearing tracks from this time period in her career run amok at HiFi audio shows more and more over the years, but it still appears to be a fine substitute for something a little more modern than Diana Krall. Don’t get me wrong, I still find Diana Krall tracks an excellent tool for listening to female vocals as a reference (heck, I’ve even seen her in concert) but the extremely close Neumann TLM 103 mic from Billie’s vocals in this period of her career also fits the bill quite nicely. With the Zu Audio DW 6 the effect on her voice was again, a sense of immediacy and very solid imaging. On several tracks the whisper-like effect felt close by, but not overly raspy. Are the 6 slightly finicky to get that perfect center image? Perhaps. Like anything worth doing well, taking some time to adjust, move and test positioning out will usually bear much sonic fruit. With the right toe in and distance things really seemed to lock in, and the previously mentioned “width” fired out like a sawed off shotgun.
Bass can be a very tricky thing, and of course the room matters so much when it comes to these types of evaluations. Even though the original Zu Omens port design sidestepped a little of the “too close to the wall” issue that plagues so many listening spaces, the slotted holes on the bottom did bring its own unique set of issues with them. The “new” slot on the back of the DW 6 runs almost the entire width of the speaker and is lined with a fuzzy, felt-like material. It didn’t feel exceedingly dependent on being placed far out into the room, but owners might consider close placement as part of their trial and error (see Audio Note interview with Peter Qvortrup).
The bigger surprise was ultimately the more linear response to a low wattage 300b amplifier than anything else on hand, which in turn felt perhaps the “most correct” out of the bunch when all was said and done. I do think that the new port is an improvement on the old design, if for nothing more than simplicity’s sake. The 10” driver doesn’t really struggle with bass, but if you like low end rumble then a separate sub can be used. I have heard this type of 4-speaker setup (one sub for each channel) at audio shows and it is a pleasing effect, however, I personally did not feel the need to add much to the bass on my tests. Bass drum effects were ample and bass guitar felt dutifully represented. Electronica and dance music fans may look to a sub for even more extension, but acoustic, classical and most rock bases are fully covered for most people’s needs.
Conclusions
The Zu Audio DW 6 is a delightful replacement for the Omen speaker of yore. It also remains one of the great entry level speakers available to enthusiasts that has both a sense of HiFi history and tasteful sonics. The high efficiency allows for tube lovers and Class A folk to join the party for relatively little out of pocket (at least in HiFi terms).
The fun thing about his type of setup is that it introduces a few of the more fun (and usually exclusive) subgenres to newcomers to the hobby. Full range 10 inch drivers are rare, almost as rare as the cabinet widths needed to house them. Highly efficient speakers are perhaps more common by comparison, but still allow for those who want to hear more shove or control in the low end to partake in the late night festivities of sweet tones at lower volumes. Or not. The DW 6 is perfectly capable of shaking the house as much as it is capable of moving your soul. Fun, accessible, HiFi.
DW6 = FunFi! Love mine with the Supreme package. These are speakers you will not easily part with.