Forums https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1590347091 Message started by Wavendon on 05/24/20 at 20:04:51

Title: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by Wavendon on 05/24/20 at 20:04:51 I would love to hear your opinions of the Zu dirty weekends verse the Betsy baffles. I mostly listen to jazz and acoustic in a room over my garage that is approximately 14x30. I use a Peachtree Decco and stream through a Chromecast hockey puck into the built-in DAC. thank you in advance Andy 8-)

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by Donnie on 05/24/20 at 22:41:08 I just want to spend a dirty weekend with Betsy. The word on the street is that it is worth the extra money.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by Lonely Raven on 05/26/20 at 23:33:37 I've had both speakers, and I personally didn't care for the Zu that much. I love their design ideas, the simplicity, and I really loved the electric blue stain with aluminum accents...but to me they sounded pretty bla. I get why they have a reputation for being "party speakers"...meaning, something to project a playlist loudly while you're having a lot of friends over for beer pong and playing pool. Now, I've never owned their higher end speakers, but even at Axpona and RMAF I felt their speakers were...OK. The Betsy on the other hand have always been musical and involving. They might not play as loud or deep as the Zu, but everything they do is enjoyable. They punch above their weight class for sure.   Another I've owned and really enjoyed in the sub-$1000 price range was the Omega speakers. I had some of their older Alnico Monitors and really enjoyed them. I sold them expecting to get a newer pair of his speakers but funds needed to be diverted to house projects and I never got around to another pair. So yeah, if you can find some used Omega, they are worth a try. And of course, the Decware MG-944 speakers that are unfortunately no longer made are great if you can find a pair used.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by Wavendon on 05/26/20 at 23:54:23 The Omega Super 3i Monitor Speakers are in my price range. Is this a speaker I should consider?

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by seikosha on 05/27/20 at 14:22:36 I’m an equipment hoarder and have all 3 speakers.  Here’s a quick rundown of the highs and lows of each. ZU Dirty Weekend.  I like em.  They seem to do nothing bad, they didn’t have any glaring deficiencies to me and yes, they really can rock out if you like your music loud.  Interestingly enough I found them pretty good with both tubes and solid state.  You must pay attention to how much off the floor they are.  They are super picky about that floor to port distance.  So much so that what works for one amp may not work for another.  Get it wrong and they can sound weird.  Fun speakers and I could live with them. Caintuck Betsy.  Boy when you can get these set up right and in a good room, AND with the right kind of music, they can sing and throw a beautifully deep and layered soundstage.  You really need the right kind of room with these and even then, at their best, there still is a sometimes too noticeable suck out in the lower midrange upper bass.  The highs beam with these.  I can’t listen to them without a slight tilt upwards towards my ears.  I raise them up with 2x4’s so the baffle remains solid to the floor. Omega 3’s.  Omegas are my favorite speakers.  They are my main go to speakers and what I listen to in my primary listening room.  Currently I have the 3’s, the 8’s and Alnicos.  Don’t ask me what’s the best because their isn’t a best model.  Each model has strengths and weaknesses. The 3’s are very fast efficient speakers.  Across their frequency range, they seem to me to have the flattest most even response compared to the 8’s and Alnicos.  Seriously, these speakers sound like electrostatics.  They image beautifully and just LOVE tube amps.  You can run them with SS but for me, the difference is such that I say why bother.  The bass is a little more even down to about 65hz than with the Betsys but the Betsys seem to go lower after that.  The weakness is that the highs can get a bit wispy for lack of a better word.  If you are looking at the 3i’s, I’d suggest getting some small lower to the ground Angled stands rather than a typical bookshelf type stand.  It’ll help flesh out the lower midrange and bass. Really at the end of the day, your tolerance for bass, or really lack of bass is going to be the biggest factor.  If you do do like bass and listening louder, you might only like the Zus.  Otherwise, all are nice speakers when set up properly with good equipment. Good luck.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by Wavendon on 05/27/20 at 15:24:17 just so I am clear...you are speaking about the Omega Super 3's floor standing speakers?

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by seikosha on 05/27/20 at 15:45:31 No I was referencing the 3i Monitor,but the 3xrs floorstanders are very similar to the 3i with A touch more bass and warmth.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by ArtMan on 05/28/20 at 00:58:57 I would highly recommend the CainTuck Lii 15 speakers from the maker of the Betsy's. I've owned the Zu Dirty Weekend speakers and the Lii 15 is a major upgrade over the Zu's. The Zu bass sounds smeared compared to the Lii 15's, which is both quick and articulate.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by lobo on 05/28/20 at 04:39:22 The Lii15 are the real deal .!!!

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by AlanS on 07/04/20 at 16:17:09 Has anyone compared the Omega 3i with the Lii15? I loved my Omega Super 3i but they could not quite fill my room. They are amazing in the right room. I did have a pair of "home made" Betsy's but at the time I was using SS amp and preamp and the sound was good but not fantastic. I have ordered a new pair of Lii15 and was wondering if anyone had heard both the Omega's and the Lii15. Thanks Alan

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by HockessinKid on 07/04/20 at 16:35:33 Not 3i's but I have Lii 15's and Omega XRS SAHO's with 6.5" alnico drivers.  These speakers have a very similar tonal quality. The Lii 15's sound a bit faster to my ears, are very engaging, with a very "you are there" presence. Incredible soundstage width and voicing. These speakers are very dynamic. The SAHO's have a deeper soundstage. Vocals sound a bit more recessed, like a mid-hall listening position. A very satisfying soulful sound, particularly on vocals, strings, and and acoustic music. They go a bit deeper in frequency response than the Lii 15's. Both speakers can be played at very high listening levels without breaking up, but I generally listen at lower levels ~80dB or so.  I imagine with the smaller drivers the 3i's sound faster than the SAHO's and give up some bass response to the Lii 15's.  If you listen to a lot of orchestral or heavy rock music with deeper bass, the Lii 15's should have the edge. Keep in mind the Lii 15's (or any open baffle speaker) need to be pulled out from the rear walls about 3' to sound best.  If you speaker positions are limited, a box speaker like the 3i's would likely be a better choice. HK

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by AlanS on 07/04/20 at 19:10:34 Thanks HK, that is a great reply and gives me some idea of what the Lii15 will sound like Vs the Omega's. One of the cool advantages for the open baffle design is that when not in use I can easily move them out of the way but when it is time to listen, I can just literally grab the handle and place them as needed! Right now I am listening to a pair of Coherent model 8's that Frank built for me and they are very good, but not quite the sonic signature that I am looking for. Thanks Alan

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by whoopycat on 07/04/20 at 20:34:57 I have a pair of Coherent model 10's and I have owned DW's (and still own other Zus).  Love them both.  The Coherents have better detail and clarity than the Zus, more open and transparent.  The DW's dig deeper in the bass, better dynamics, tighter bass, and better focus/tone density.  Despite having lower sensitivity by a couple db, I think the Coherents play better with low power tube amps than the DW's, which IMO shine more with 10+ watts, not that you can't enjoy them with a fleawatt amp, just that my preference with them was more power.  That said, I use a 3 watt amp with my Zu Defheads in my bedroom system, but that's a smaller room. I also have a pair of F15's on order from Randy.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by AlanS on 07/05/20 at 00:04:21 Thanks Whoopycat, always interested to hear from another Coherent owner. I do like my 8's but I want a more emotional connection to the music. I have not heard the DW's but they do see to have a really following amongst users.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by whoopycat on 07/05/20 at 19:45:37 Oh, and I will add that DW's with a ZROCK2 strapped into the system is an absolute party.

Title: Re: Betsy's or Zu dirty weekend's Post by AlanS on 07/07/20 at 04:54:19 From what I have read about the DW's and the ZRock, I can imagine that it would be fantastic! Because I listen mostly to vocal jazz and classical music, I think the Lii15 will be a great fit for me, powered by the Triode Lab 2A3 Classic SET they might just be what I am looking for. My Coherent are amazing but just not quite the connection to the music and emo that I want in my room.

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