[HiFi Buck]

Nope.
But... I have the Visaton B200 in my OB, (The B200 used to be in one of the omega-speakers, "A8" if I recall correctly). I also have the Tangband 1772, Jordan JX-92S, and the fostex 107e. And I've heard the Voxative, Fostex 206, Fostex 126 and a couple of other drivers..

They all got quite different sonic signature, but they also have one thing in common. They all fall flat when pushed with Hardrock/Metall/Hardcore or/and Large orchestra in Forte Fortissimo on semi high SPL.
No surprise there, since that is one of the shortcomings with the single driver concept.

You can't change the laws of physics. IM-distorsion will be a factor sooner rather than later.

Having said that, the best fullranger for allround music I personally have experience with is the Tangband 1772. All the others I own are... pretty bad allrounders, especially the little fostex:s.

I believe you are a bit wrong here. Although there is no official information, I found this in another tread:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=104895.80

I keep reading about the Tang Band stuff, it looks like that is all DIY speakers. Is that true? Or can I get it already assembled for me?

[FullRangeMan]

I have narrowed it down to three different speakers. Just need a little help in deciding. I have spoke to both Eric at Tekton and Sean at Zu, just waiting for a callback from Hoyt. Really close to making a decision but just want a little extra help from those of you who have heard these speakers. Thanks.

If you will use a small tube amp under 10W buy the Zu Soul SuperFly, as it is a hi sense 101dB and tube friendly 16 ohms impedance.
If your amp is a tube amp w/15W or more, buy the Omega 8XLS with a sweet sound from Alnico magnet.
Good luck

[HiFi Buck]

If you will use a small tube amp under 10W buy the Zu Soul SuperFly, as it is a hi sense 101dB and tube friendly 16 ohms impedance.
If your amp is a tube amp w/15W or more, buy the Omega 8XLS with a sweet sound from Alnico magnet.
Good luck

Knew I should have listed a budget.  My budget is $1500 or less. So the two you mentioned just won't work for me. Wish I could afford them because they look like great speakers.

[frank111]

 I enjoy my HB'1s immensely, with all types of music: classic rock, opera, jazz, classical. Also use for movies/dvd. Never had a problem with them at any volume level. My living room is about 14+ by 15+, with the speakers on the long wall, about 2 ft from each corner, and 6 inches from the wall.(that might seem to close to the wall but with that & close to the corners of the room the bass response is more than adequate). I run them thru a McIntosh MC2505 amp (conservatively rated @50watt) and have never pushed much more than a watt or 2 thru them- its too damn loud, though its clean! Overall appearance is furniture quality( they are in my living room). My best analogy is they are similar in sound to the 2way Klipsch Heresy but without the squeeking . hope that helps a bit. Give Louis a call, he's quite helpful.

[HiFi Buck]

I enjoy my HB'1s immensely, with all types of music: classic rock, opera, jazz, classical. Also use for movies/dvd. Never had a problem with them at any volume level. My living room is about 14+ by 15+, with the speakers on the long wall, about 2 ft from each corner, and 6 inches from the wall.(that might seem to close to the wall but with that & close to the corners of the room the bass response is more than adequate). I run them thru a McIntosh MC2505 amp (conservatively rated @50watt) and have never pushed much more than a watt or 2 thru them- its too damn loud, though its clean! Overall appearance is furniture quality( they are in my living room). My best analogy is they are similar in sound to the 2way Klipsch Heresy but without the squeeking . hope that helps a bit. Give Louis a call, he's quite helpful.

You are using the 1's? How are they with bass response? Do you also use a sub with them?

[shadowlight]

Knew I should have listed a budget.  My budget is $1500 or less. So the two you mentioned just won't work for me. Wish I could afford them because they look like great speakers.

Is used equipment option for you.  I have seen the Superfly listed for sale around 1400 or so couple of times now.

Here is used pair of Tekton Lore - http://audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Speakers-Floor-Standing/Tekton/Lore/Speakers/65962

[genjamon]

I owned Omega Compact Hemp speakers for about two years as my full time speakers. They were very punchy, and I did indeed rock with them often. They had high frequency extension and detail and all that. In the end, they didn't totally hold up with large scale music and I ultimately moved on. But they were great speakers for the money. I would like to have tried later iterations of the omega driver, as I've heard it greatly improved over the second generation ferrite I had.

I currently use Lores as my full time speakers. I find them to have the efficiency and dynamics of the omegas, but more bass depth than those compact helps could do. They also have great high frequencies and a glorious midrange with the right electronics. I would guess the Lores and current generation Omegas are in the same leagues generally, but I bet the Lore can beat out Omega in total output and fill a larger space. Just a guess. I'd really like to hear them side by side sometime.

[DaveC113]

So from your comment, none of the three would make for a great all purpose speaker?

It really depends on your personal preferences and tastes. I own the Omega XRS 5", I like them for rock but if your priorities include reproducing a loud rock concert or symphony, you might want to consider going a different direction in speakers altogether.

I rarely listen to classic rock or metal, and rarely listen to music over mid 90 dB or so and I have a small listening room, so for me single drivers offered the best compromise and a good value for the money.

[frank111]

You are using the 1's? How are they with bass response? Do you also use a sub with them?

             I dont use a sub. But at low volumes I just push in the loudness knob on my preamp. My bass knob is always set to flat. Of course speaker location is important.  I think they are the best in their price range, for a room under 17' by 17'. My taste is a bit more realistic as opposed to young guys who listen to thump thump thump.  i hope that helps you.

[JLM]

I keep reading about the Tang Band stuff, it looks like that is all DIY speakers. Is that true? Or can I get it already assembled for me?

I'm a fan boy of Bob, but here's one:

http://brinesacoustics.com/Pages/M18-T772/Main.html

[mytubes211]

Catch this if you can,very good deal.

Ritchie   

[mytubes211]

Sorry, here is link

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=108593.msg1119083#new

[Poultrygeist]

Of the three I ended up selling the Zu's.

[Russtafarian]

I own the now discontinued Zu Souls (Superfly cabinets with Omen drivers).  Putting a better cap on the tweeter improves them quite a bit.  Putting a high-end compression tweeter on them takes them to a phenomenal level of performance.  I removed the stock tweeter and sit Fostex T90A tweeters on top of the cabinet.  I've never been happier with a speaker system as I am with this one.

A few months back my friend Steve Lefkowic brought over the Tekton Lores that he reviewed http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue60/tekton.htm and subsequently bought.  We spent the afternoon alternating between my Zu/Fostex combo and his Tektons.  Both speakers sounded great.  The Lores are an exceptional value.  Here are the main differences I heard: 

In my room the Lores had a bit of a bass-reflex bump in the midbass which gave them more low end weight.  The Zu's rolled off more smoothly in the midbass.  Neither had any deep bass to speak of (below 45hz).  Without subs the Lores would be more satisfying while the Zu's would be easier to blend with one or more subs.

Both had excellent articulate midrange with the Zu's having a touch more presence.

It's in the highs that they were really different.  The Lores use a very good dome tweeter (Audax?) and they played very cleanly and articulately through the mid treble.  If you like the sound of good (not cheap) metal/ceramic dome tweeters you will like what the Lores do a lot.  That sound doesn't work with my beat-up ears so it would be a hard speaker for me to live with.  With the Fostex tweeters on the Zus I get an open, airy enchanting sound but I give up some mid treble articulation as compared to the Lores.

There you have it.  I hope this helps.

Russ

[HiFi Buck]

I own the now discontinued Zu Souls (Superfly cabinets with Omen drivers).  Putting a better cap on the tweeter improves them quite a bit.  Putting a high-end compression tweeter on them takes them to a phenomenal level of performance.  I removed the stock tweeter and sit Fostex T90A tweeters on top of the cabinet.  I've never been happier with a speaker system as I am with this one.

A few months back my friend Steve Lefkowic brought over the Tekton Lores that he reviewed http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue60/tekton.htm and subsequently bought.  We spent the afternoon alternating between my Zu/Fostex combo and his Tektons.  Both speakers sounded great.  The Lores are an exceptional value.  Here are the main differences I heard: 

In my room the Lores had a bit of a bass-reflex bump in the midbass which gave them more low end weight.  The Zu's rolled off more smoothly in the midbass.  Neither had any deep bass to speak of (below 45hz).  Without subs the Lores would be more satisfying while the Zu's would be easier to blend with one or more subs.

Both had excellent articulate midrange with the Zu's having a touch more presence.

It's in the highs that they were really different.  The Lores use a very good dome tweeter (Audax?) and they played very cleanly and articulately through the mid treble.  If you like the sound of good (not cheap) metal/ceramic dome tweeters you will like what the Lores do a lot.  That sound doesn't work with my beat-up ears so it would be a hard speaker for me to live with.  With the Fostex tweeters on the Zus I get an open, airy enchanting sound but I give up some mid treble articulation as compared to the Lores.

There you have it.  I hope this helps.

Russ

It does. Thanks. Seems like I keep going back to the Lore. Seems like a heck of a bargain and the sound I am looking for, although I do know that there are some very good things that Louis has planned for his Omega lineup with his new 4.5 inch driver designs. Might wait a second and see how that pans out. 

[Russtafarian]

One more comment on Zu.  I heard a pre-production model of Zu's new $1600 coax floorstander at Newport.  It was a bit tipped up in the the treble, but the phase coherency was pretty amazing, even better than the big Def 4's.  According to Sean (I talked to him at CAS last weekend) they are nearly finished voicing the speaker and are ready to go into production.  Between nano-damping the tweeter diaphragm and choosing the right cap, the highs are now supposed to be better integrated than what I heard at Newport.  I think this speaker has a ton of potential due to its ability to rock and maintain exceptional phase coherency.  It might be worth waiting a bit to get a pair for audition.

Russ

[HiFi Buck]

One more comment on Zu.  I heard a pre-production model of Zu's new $1600 coax floorstander at Newport.  It was a bit tipped up in the the treble, but the phase coherency was pretty amazing, even better than the big Def 4's.  According to Sean (I talked to him at CAS last weekend) they are nearly finished voicing the speaker and are ready to go into production.  Between nano-damping the tweeter diaphragm and choosing the right cap, the highs are now supposed to be better integrated than what I heard at Newport.  I think this speaker has a ton of potential due to its ability to rock and maintain exceptional phase coherency.  It might be worth waiting a bit to get a pair for audition.

Russ

I talked to Sean awhile back and he did say that ZU had a new speaker in line and that it might be perfect for what I was looking for, this might be the speaker he was talking about.

[ejfud]

Here's a picture of the new coax's from Zu.

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/newport2012/newport2012_zu.htm

[chrisby]

Of the three I ended up selling the Zu's.

First time I've seen your H frame subs from this angle,  is that pocket screws for assembly,  or just a photo artifact?

nice outriggers on the FH3s

[HiFi Buck]

Here's a picture of the new coax's from Zu.

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/newport2012/newport2012_zu.htm

That is a nice looking speaker.