Druid Credenza™

Like the complete line of Zu Druid series loudspeakers, Druid Credenza are a high efficiency design that also present a very friendly 12 Ohm load to the amplifier. Because of these two features, users are able to explore a whole new world of amplifier possibilities. Also of benefit to those on a budget that would prefer to roll their hard earned money into the defining component—the loudspeakers—instead of obsolete within ten years electronics, inexpensive solid-state receivers will sound much better than expected on any of the Druid series speakers. This lets you get the right loudspeakers in your room, while letting you easily upgrade electronics when you’re ready. And for the same basic reasons of efficiency and friendly load, users of low powered amplifiers will have no problem mating with and driving Druid series loudspeakers to very respectable levels. And last but not least, since all the Druid loudspeakers are given high power capacity, those who really want to light up the house just need to match a solid 30 Watt or better.

The Druid Credenza Mk2 builds on the original platform. Improvements in the musical quality of the Mk2 includes their ability to recreate recorded or engineered acoustic space. Reasons for the improvements in resolution are listed below. In addition, we also found a few ways to improve overall resolution and lower noise. Getting back to musical terms you can expect better articulation, and improved depth of space and texture, better contrast of tone and color, and a better sense of presence. We are confident you will be completely taken with the Druid Credenza and want you to try it for yourself, in your own home, and that’s why we offer a full 60-day, 100% money back guarantee.

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Original vs Druid Credenza Mk2 changes and features

Super-tweeter changes
• Complete re-manufacture of tweeter driver with the removal of all shims, gaskets and screws.
• Ferro-fluid is removed from voicecoil gap.
• Polyurethane bonding and the removal of all voids and shims on tweeter top-plate waveguide / voicecoil frame.
• Complete bonding of composite phenolic dome diaphragm suspension to driver top-plate.
• Repositioned / enhanced voicecoil / gap alignment.
• Dynamic alignment process of voicecoil and gap to ensure correct tone and shove (pre PU adhesive set).
• Reflow voicecoil lead-in pots with high quality lead-free silver bearing solder (RoHS).
• 0.5% or better matching for quality of tone and efficiency.
• 160 hours minimum factory burn-in post network termination.

Super-tweeter high pass network changes
• Simple two component (Cs + Rs) network.
• Kimber Kap 1.0 uF now featured in place of the Solen based network.
• New top performing Mills resistor with revised values.
• Reduction of termination joints by two-thirds.
• Direct connection of capacitor, resistor, FastOn, via cold-forged and sealed termination.
• FastOn terminals are now terminated using the solderless Amp crimping process.
• Dramatic reduction of solder joints. In fact, the voicecoil lead-in pots are all that remain.
• 0.1% matching.

Full-range driver changes
• Improvement in cone and cone binders.
• Improved assembly tolerance.
• 0.5% or better matched pairs.
• 160 hours minimum factory burn-in, as we’ve been doing, but this time we kit and batch them to burn-in with the matched super-tweeter assembly. Also using some new music James selected for good, well rounded, musical appreciation.

Changes are the direct result of lessons learned with the research and engineering of our Zu / Denon phono pickup, like removing all possible voids and removing or controlling resonance on plates, we’ve created a dramatically improved tweeter. All the above listed tweeter changes reduce resonance by more than 30dB comparatively and spread the Q by an octave; together changes also yield very tight batch tolerances—80% of the batch measuring within 2%.

There are not a lot of changes to the full-range drivers, the majority of the improvements can be attributed to refined processes, batching, testing, matching, and QC to ensure identical sound between channels. These changes were not possible when we were doing small runs. Now that we are batching 100 units at a time, or greater, we are able to hit these pretty fantastic tolerances. We have also improved the binders used in the paper cone and now have about as consistent a product as can be had.

Druid Credenza Mk2 loudspeakers also feature CNC machined from billet Alcoa 6061 super-tweeter lenses. Alcoa 6061 billet aluminum driver reinforcing 1/4” deep trim rings. Machined from billet aluminum binding post plates, machined serial numbers, machined driver motor components and input lugs. Other features include our Zu B3 silver alloy internal cabling, cold forged terminations for the highest possible conductance and fidelity between interconnecting terminals; CNC machined cabinets featuring an MDF core and composite shell; and the highest quality finish and finish tolerance in the business. One look, or listen to a pair of Druid Credenza Mk2 loudspeakers will convince you that they are without question a world-class product made with the highest possible care—learning that they can be yours for a very approachable price is flat out bitchin.

Manufactured by us in Ogden, Utah—USA. Like everything we do.

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Druid Credenza History

2006, original Druid Credenza launched after several years of design and prototyping.

2008, Druid Credenza Mk2 launched. Changes are detailed above.

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Druid Credenza Mk2 gap height

Gap height refers to the space between the flooring and the bottom side of the Zu Druid Credenza loudspeaker. Placing it on a hard surface desktop, as is, with the urethane feet in place on the bottom side, will result in the thinnest recommended gap hight. The thinnest setting is a good place to start, especially if you are connecting the Druid Credenzas to a single ended triode vacuum tube amplifier. Those connecting the loudspeakers to other types of amplifiers are encouraged to experiment with wider gap heights. Included with the Druid Credenza Mk2 loudspeakers are a set (or two) of footers, to be used as spacers between the hard surface tabletop and the urethane feet.

Increasing the gap height using the large spacer feet, and depending on amplifier, usually results in increased bass weight in kick drum and wood timbre, but it may also results in less output in deep bass. Though Druid Credenza is not intended to dig deep into the bottom registers, some will prefer the thin—no spacer but the urethane feet—gap height. Again, this is amplifier, room, and music specific; with some amplifiers this thinnest gap height results in deeper and more articulate deep bass. Each amp will respond differently because the gap height influences the impedance the amplifier feels. Good, because you can now better match amp and speaker, damn, because there’s one more thing you can fiddle with.