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A few more words on the Zu Essence: As I have slowed down considerably reviewing over the past few months, I've had more time to do real listening - the kind where you sit down and actually listen to the music, not flaws in the gear. Speaking of sitting down, I made a recent change in my room that netted a big improvement to have me enjoy my Essence speakers more than before. I changed my chair. You are probably wondering now what in the world that would have to do with enjoying a given pair of speakers more - or less...

Ear height is the answer! My old chair positioned my ears roughly below the main driver and right above the ribbon tweeter. One of my few criticisms of the Essence was that the upper midrange lacked a little resolution and energy. My new chair raised me by about 5 inches and on first listen I was really surprised just how much more intense the upper midrange had become. It filled out quite a bit and although not to the standard of the very best yet, it made a major leap in quality. So I settled on adding an extra pillow to gain yet another inch and get my ears aligned exactly with the center of the widebander. Voilà! The Zu is no Rethm and its upper midrange still does not possess that immensely alive feeling but the improvement is more than substantial - greater resolution, far more presence. As an added bonus it seems that imaging, soundstaging and ambient retrieval all have gained as well, albeit to a lesser extent.


So Essence owners of the world, unite and raise those chairs. Have somebody stand next to you and check where your ears are relative to the phase plug of the widebander. If you're not even, find a way to raise your sitting position. You will be rewarded. I certainly was.
Zu Audio website

A few more words on the ASI HeartSong racks: When I reviewed the ASI HeartSong racks, I like Srajan before me noticed a very beneficial effect on tonal richness and harmonic body but compared to other racks there wasn’t much by way of improving transient definition or ambiance retrieval. Those are factors often associated with racks that fight vibrations—what Srajan called 'subtractive' designs—unlike the HeartSong which plays on sympathetic resonances as a tuning approach for additive effects.

I have since added the Sound Quest Isolpads under the electronics sitting on the racks and have come to think that this combination is superbly successful. It retains the prior richness yet transients and soundstaging improved substantially. I assume other isolation devices might get you to the same place or beyond but the Isolpads at $25 per component factor high on investment return. In other setups the Isolpads alone can sound almost too sharp. I know of cases where people have chosen to use them only under the source but not other components because they did not enjoy additive benefits. In combination with the HeartSong and its natural richness and harmonic density, the Isolpads provide just the right level of detail enhancement and transient highlighting I desire. Highly recommended together!

For today, we thus end up with three very different ways of enhancing your system and musical enjoyment - one quite expensive cable that in the right context will bring a heightened level of realism without sacrificing ease of listening; one cheap set of Isolpads that will complement the ASI HeartSong racks superbly without breaking the bank; and one completely free tweak (assuming pillows will do and you won't have to buy a new chair) to hear your Zu Essence speakers at their best.

Here’s the kicker. The level of impact of these items was directly inverse to price. It does not imply that spending more will never pay off. But it does mean that like Srajan before me, I am coming to the conclusion that spending more has to be done wisely; and that there is much more fun to be had trying to improve your sound for less over scaling that never-ending ladder to the pie in the sky of high-end audio.


Having said that, stay tuned as I put my newly acquired philosophy to the acid test over the next 3 months, reviewing in turns the Gryphon Diablo integrated as one of the most exclusive pieces of equipment in the world; and a TEAC all-in-one receiver offering more functions and capabilities than any other piece of equipment I know yet which sells for a mere $799. I already know how the Diablo will diabolically tempt me to lust after superior electronics—it has for years—but the real question at least for me shall be, will this encounter renew my faith that high dollars can indeed translate into very high performance? Time will tell. Check back in a few months...
SoundQuest website