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"In terms of sheer oomph, there was little to choose between them. The JLA has only a 12" woofer (for a cone area of 113.1 square inches) but a whopping 3" excursion. Both subs were almost perfectly accurate, but there were differences. Think of the JLA as a Hummer H-1 Alpha and the Zu as a Dodge Viper. Each passed every torture test I could throw at it, but the Zu felt a bit more responsive to the trailing sounds of bass instruments in natural spaces, such as the bass drum in Orff’s Carmina burana [CD, Telarc 80056] The JLA felt a bit more authoritative in the explosions in Resistance: Fall of Man. In any case, the differences were subtle. Both could play loud enough to fill a club with block-rockin’ beats. In a few areas, the subs were very different. First, the JLA’s 2000W amp drew a whopping amount of current from the wall. It’s not alone in that -- most large-excursion cubes do the same. The Zu’s 120W amp was much more abstemious in its appetite for power. The drivers, too, are different. JLA, who made their name producing some of the best car subs made, already make their drive-units in house. Zu buys its drivers from Eminence, who make speakers for Marshall and Fender guitar amps, and Ampeg and Gallien-Krueger bass amps. The subs look very different: The JLA’s piano-black finish looks very rich, and its controls are on the front; the Zu looks retro, with controls on the back. Then there’s customer service. Every time I called Zu, I got someone on the phone who knew the answer to my question, who seemed to care that I was happy, and who clearly loved what he was doing. I didn’t have such luck at JLA. The Zu Method delighted me. It has more than just bombast. Its clarity, resolving power, and ability to "disappear" into the music make it a very rare creature: a subwoofer that honors music as much as movies. Very highly recommended." For the full review please see http://soundstageav.com/onhometheater/20071001.htm
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