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Zu Audio Druid Mk. IV speaker Zu is, above all, different. Yes, its all-American products are undeniably exotic, beautifully crafted, and gloriously proficient, but those attributes sum up the high-end's raison d'�tre. No, it is Zu's business and design philosophies that stray far from conventional paths. It is more than a little ironic that for the company's first few years in the predawn of the 21st century, Zu's customers were the adventurous audiophile cognoscenti in Hong Kong and China (where so many North American speakers are now manufactured). Zu's rave reviews eventually filtered back here and while exports remain strong, U.S. sales are catching up. ;%20function%20voidFunc()%20{%20}%20voidFunc();) You're not looking at an ordinary woofer and tweeter. That 10-inch cone is a full-range driver, and the tweeter is actually a supertweeter used only to cover frequencies above 12 kilohertz. (Click image to enlarge)Zu sells factory-direct in America, attracting a younger and, well, hipper clientele than traditional audiophiles. That probably has a lot to do with the visceral experience Zu speakers deliver. Then again, when you stop and consider that this company's owners and staffers range in age from early 20s to mid-30s, it is hardly a surprise they make the sort of speakers they do. My first encounter of the audiophile kind with Zu at a local audio show was so strong I could not stop thinking about the speakers and their amazing sound. I just had to get a pair of Zu Druid Mk4 speakers to review for Home Entertainment. It is a large speaker—50 inches tall, 11 wide—but because it is just 6.3 inches deep, it does not seem all that imposing. While Zu always pictures the Druid with its 10-inch driver naked to the world, an optional cloth grille is available for those buyers who prefer a more modest presentation. I love the speaker's monolithic clean lines and elegant proportions. Black Satin and Silver Frost gray are the standard paint finishes, and for a modest upcharge you can get your Zu speakers decked out in any conceivable shade of metalflake, iridescent, pearl, gloss, or satin paint finishes. Custom wood veneers are also available on an extra cost basis. Zu will ship paint and veneer samples to prospective customers to ensure satisfaction. The Druid's base/stand is normally made from medium-density fiberboard; machined aluminum and stainless-steel bases are extra-cost options. The company's artisanal approach is refreshingly accommodating—Zu is happy to work with installers and architects to provide custom-crafted center and on-wall surround speakers. In addition to the $2,800-per-pair Druid Mk4, Zu's regular line includes the $1,795-per-pair Tone bookshelf speakers, the $9,000-per-pair Definition floorstanders, and two subwoofers—the $2,500 Method and the $1,500 Mini Method. These prices are definitely at the low end for American and European high-end speakers, and I think they represent excellent values. Zu speakers are finished in Utah, and almost all of the parts are made in the U.S., including the Druid's 10-inch woofer and tweeter (Zu assembles and tests the drivers in-house). The speaker's internal silver alloy wiring is made by Zu, and instead of typical speaker wire binding posts, the Druid features a nifty copper clamping system to secure the speaker cables. While many speakers use a round port to augment their bass output, the Druid's cabinet uses a unique bass tuning system—the entire bottom of the cabinet is open. The design relies on the space between the bottom of the speaker and the floor to provide the deepest bass frequencies. ;%20function%20voidFunc()%20{%20}%20voidFunc();) Silver Frost and Black Satin are the stock colors for the Druid, but custom colors are available for $300 in the Frost Iridescent finish and $800 in a high-gloss finish. (Click image to enlarge)Zu's design methodology is more music-oriented and less measurement-oriented than most, which is not to say Zu's engineering is completely seat-of-the-pants, just that the end result produces a sound that is, well, different from what I am used to. The rhythmic pulse of jazz, reggae, and all sorts of dance music is communicated with an energy that is rarely equaled in speakers of the Druid's size and price class. And yet the speakers' poise on classical music reveals a wonderful sense of refinement. The Druid sounds like no other box speaker. Yes, all speakers play music and movies, but there tends to be a sameness to their sound—all share a hi-fi, speakerlike quality, but the Druid's sound is far more musical and life-sized. Maybe the sound departs from the straight and accurate? Probably, but the Druid has no trouble highlighting differences in recording quality. My audiophile recordings' naturalness is emphasized, and commercial pop music sounds more like the overprocessed junk it really is. Audiophile speakers tend to sound refined, very "polite," but not this one. The Druid makes a strong statement, very in-your-face, very rock and roll, and I love it. Voices emerge fully formed, more believably human: Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen's body and soul materialize in my living room. Stereo imaging is another strong point. On disc after disc the Druid displays an uncanny ability to disappear as a source of sound. Depth and spaciousness are truly excellent. The Cars' high-octane pop kicks the Druid into high gear, and man, oh man, the band's grooves on "Just What I Needed" and "Good Times Roll" still sound fresh after all these years. The Druid makes my Dynaudio Special Twenty-Five speakers, which are almost twice as expensive, seem rather small and less emotionally charged. The Dynaudio's frequency balance is definitely more accurate, but the sound lacks the Druid's magic. What can I say? The search for Truth and Beauty in speakers is fraught with dead-ends and U-turns, so I take my satisfactions where I can. The Druid isn't a perfect speaker by any stretch. On a small percentage of my CDs, the Druid's bass quality and quantity seem inconsistent—on one disc it is lusciously rich and still quite defined, but play the next CD and the bass can sound lumpy or reticent. But the Druid scores a direct hit on at least 95 percent of the CDs and LPs I play. So the Druid is something of an audiophile conundrum: It digs deeper into the music than any speaker I can think of. I don't want to send the Druids back. PRICE: Zu Druid Mk IV, $2,800 per pair
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