Druid is a high efficiency, high output, direct radiating floor standing loudspeaker designed for high fidelity home audio and theater use. It is a crossoverless, full-range driver loudspeaker, complimented by a high output super-tweeter, matched to a cabinet utilizing the ZuRG technology.
There are many definable aspects of what makes for good playback fidelity but none more important than dynamic realism. In order for music and other sonic events to sound real through recording and playback, the electronics, recording medium, environment and loudspeaker must be capable of recreating the natural dynamic range and contrast of the event. Druid loudspeakers will give you dynamic realism, something only a handful of loudspeakers can, and of those, only the Druid recreates timing, tone, texture and natural stereophonic recreation with the same level of believability.
Read more...The Druid Mk4 / 08 builds on the mark-four platform, significantly raising its ability to recreate recorded or engineered acoustic space; yeah, all the previous generations that have came before did a good job at imaging, but the mark-four ‘08 takes it to a whole new level. In addition, we also found a few ways to improve overall resolution, bass extension, and lower noise. In musical terms; better articulation, and improved depth of space and texture, more instrument color comes through, as does presence; when dialed in the sound they give is about as good as it gets. We are confident in our products and offer a full 60- day money back guarantee. What other speaker company gives you that promise? Try a pair in your home, with your gear, and know what all the buzz is about.
The original Druid loudspeaker was launched in 2001 and has since received world-wide critical acclaim, as well making boatloads of users very happy. Druid has received great press from audio magazine from all over the world; Hong Kong, UK, USA, Germany, Hungry, New Zealand, China, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Brazil, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Norway.... Of note are a few of the following awards:
• Audiotechnique loudspeaker of the Decade
• 6moons.com Lunar Eclipse Award!
• Positive Feedback Online Writers’ Choice Award
• HiFi Would Five Stars
• Audiophiliac / c|net Loudspeaker of the Year
Because of the high efficiency of the Druid, and the very friendly 12 Ohm load it presents to the amplifier, users are able to explore a whole new world of amplifier possibilities—from the 1 Watt to huge, and cheap to hand built exotica. Inexpensive solid-state receivers will sound much better than expected on a pair of Druids thanks to the easy 12 Ohm load; low powered amplifiers will have no problem mating with and driving the Druids to very respectable levels with the Druid’s high efficiency transduction of power; and since Druid also has high power capacity, those who really want to kick out the jams have all the big amps shouting to be matched up.
Druid Mk4 vs Druid Mk4/08 changes and features
Super-tweeter changes• Complete remanufacture 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 Mk4/08 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 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.
Druid History
2000, Sean, Adam and Marty incorporate Zu—funding and final design for the Druid begins.
2001, original Druid launched, essentially the same look and platform as the current Druid Mk4 / 08. Product featured billet aluminum everything including base. Debuts the original Zu260FR driver with accordion surround, complimented by a 3/4” French made Audax high output dome tweeter. Speakon 8-pole connector facilitating B3 interface for loudspeaker cable input along with Cardas Patented Binding Post for traditional spade inputs. Originally priced at $3600 / pair.
2002, Druid Mk2 was launched with revised super-tweeter filter and improved cabinet construction.
2003, Audax informs us that they can no longer produce the tweeter we are using as they are closing their French production of hi-fi drivers. We scramble to finish the driver lens and network we had been working on and launch the Druid Mk3 with time-aligned, machined from billet lens, phase-plug, composite dome, super awesome super-tweeter. Zu260FR/G2 was also introduced, featured a double-roll surround, and revised motor for improved bass response. B3 interface is dropped as a feature. Billet aluminum base was replaced by a wood core base.
2004, Druid Mk4 is launched with slightly improved cabinet, improved cabinet construction, improved cabinet precision from CNC milling. Improved harness assembly with the reduction of joints and solder. Revised super-tweeter network. Addition of iridescent and matte finishes. Matte finish is a true matte, but is rough like sandstone.
2008, Druid Mk4/08 is launched. Changes are detailed above.
Foundation for Druid
1982 - 1995, Sean studies and builds horns, works in the local pro, car and hi-fi markets. Tries about every pro and hi-fi driver made with all types of enclosures and alignments. Starts messing with original designs, meets many like-minded audio freaks like Eric Alexander, Ray Kimber, Adam Decaria, Randy Sandman, Marty Petersen. After a bit longer than a decade—starting in high efficiency horn designs, then trying everything hi-fi and low efficiency—Sean finally comes around that high efficiency is prime. 1996, Sean and Adam begin working together while at Kimber Kable. Hired away in 1999 to help launch Talon Audio.
Druid Mk4 gap height
Gap height refers to the space between the flooring and the bottom side of the Zu Druid Mk4 loudspeaker. Setting the gap height on this specific model is essential in getting proper performance, most noticed in the bass region of the music. Improper gap height destroys the advantage gained in the ZuRG loudspeaker technology. Too little or too much gap height and the ZuRG will not function. Minimum / maximum measures for gap height are:
Min. 5/64” (2 mm)
Max. 5/8” (16 mm)
Average sweet spot is 3/8” (10 mm) one standard sized CD jewel case. Increasing the gap height, depending on amplifier, usually results in increased bass weight in kick drum and wood timbre, but it nearly always results in less output in deep bass. More gap height usually increases bass noise as well, causing the timbre to be a bit thick or wooly sounding. Less then 3/8” (10 mm) will increase bass articulation / attack, increases bottom octave amplitude, but does reduce overall bass amplitude a bit. Typically, I find my gap height to be just about 3/16” (5 mm), which is the size of those skinny half-hight CD jewel cases, perfect for a quick and easy gauge. I would say 95% of Druid Mk4 users are going to find their system sounds best somewhere between one CD jewel case gap height and half CD jewel case gap height. But again, each amp will respond differently as the gap height influences the load impedance. Sweet! Because you can now better match amp and speaker, and room. Damn, because there’s one more thing you can fiddle with. But here is a super great time saving idea regarding adjusting your Druid’s gap height....
Insiders info on how to make adjusting gap height simple.
We, like you, have music to listen to, and really hate fiddling with the Druid’s gap height—getting down on your knees, looking up at the bubble level, checking to make sure all four spikes are solid... it gets old fast. So, once you get your speakers where you like ‘em—making sure the left and right channels are spaced the same distance from the listeners center line, that they have the same toe-in, that they are both level, and that the spikes are equally weighted, with no cabinet wobble—set the gap height to roughly 3/8”, the thickness of one standard CD jewel case. Likely they will sound great, but still, you should mess around with the gap height, with some amps it makes a huge difference. The easy, and best way to do this is shimming the gap with standard letter sized paper. The paper will be placed on the floor, centered under the Druid, center between all four spikes, don’t lift the speaker up, you don’t want your spikes on the paper, you want them firmly coupled to the floor. Best place to start is with a stack of paper that will take up roughly half the gap space, listen and go from there. You might want to take some sheets out, increasing the gap height a bit, or add a few reducing the gap height, experiment. Do the gap height shimming with just your left channel connected (or right), it reduces the work to half. After you get the left side sounding the way you want, mirror the changes on the right channel. You might find the difference to be huge, we usually do. It’s easy and free, mess with it, there’s nothing to loose.
RoHS compliant
Limited 5-year warranty
Made by Zu Audio in Ogden, Utah—USA
