Zu Audio Blog

Made Here Made Well

2011-11-25T08:08:00.001-07:00

Zu makes it into Made Here Made Well's 10 Holiday Gift Ideas Made in the USA

...Americans spend an average of $831 on gifts during the holidays, according to American Express. If we only directed an additional $3.33 towards American made products, Moody’s estimates we’d be able to create 10,000 new jobs in this country. It sounds simple enough but even I know that finding gifts for the person who has everything is a challenge in itself, let alone a gift that’s made in America. Which is why I’m proud to present the best of all worlds: Gifts that are made here, made well and made to potentially inject some much-needed life into the American economy with every purchase.

And coming in at #4 on their list is Zu Audio

For the Audiophile: We don’t make electronics here anymore, but we do manufacture some amazing high-end speakers. If the audiophile on your list has been truly nice this year, a pair of Zu Audio speakers would do the trick. Go to their website and picture a pair of Omen Bookshelf speakers sitting in a den somewhere in your house. HiFi looks and sounds as awesome as it ever did – supplied from Ogden, Utah across America to your eardrums. The first letter in audio is Z.

Also on their list: Martin Guitars, Ebbets Field Flannels, Red Wing Shoes, Bowery Lane Bicycles, Channel Craft's Toys, Milwaukee's corded power tools, Cut Brooklyn's Chef Knives, Faribault Woolen Mill Company, and The Original Slinky.

Zu / Devialet / Penna @ Budapest

2011-11-07T08:54:00.070-07:00

Ferenc demos the Zu + Devialet rig in Budapest

Yes, that's a pair of Omen Def being fed by a Devialet D—Premier integrate wireless do-it-all.

The two Devialet D—Premiers you see in the photo were being showing using a wifi interface, a prerelease demonstration.

A big thanks to Penna and Ferenc for once again doing a standout presentation in Budapest.

Peter Denko demonstrates Zu Omen Definition and monobloc Devialet D—Premier with wifi interface

Check out Penna's show photos here:

http://pennamedia.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/nagy-siker-volt-a-penna-bemutatoja-a-hetvegi-hazimozi-es-hifi-kiallitason

Ferenc and I have worked together for many years, since 1996, and I'm here to tell you there are few in this world as versed in all the audio arts of Ferenc Koscso, so it came as no surprise to see that Ferenc and Penna Media not only embraced Devialet but are exploring every aspect of this exciting new companies tech. Here's what he had to say on the show, sound and system configuration:

Sean, to be honest I really like this combination, and very difficult to imagine anything can be better for my taste :) Your taste can be different :)

Yes, it is somehow very suprising how well the Omen Definition working with the Devialet. I think it is your most compatible speaker yet, it works very well, with anything I have tried with it be it very cheap (Dayens Ampino, Parasound zAmp) or very expensive like Ear-Yoshino dual 100W tube monoblocks, but at least for me it sounds extremely honest and enjoyable with the Devialet even with bad recordings. It is really difficult to imagine that the Definition Mk IV could be much better, but I am sure it could be. :)

The wifi via Devialet is an App which grabs the audio as data and send it to the wifi receiver card in the Devialet as data. But it is not yet public. It works extremely well, we had a chance to test our own 192k master recordings through USB2 to AES to the Devialet and a 44k downconverted version of the same 192k version through wifi, and everybody preferred the wifi by a large margin. Even the two engineers who did the actual recording.

Everybody was really satisfied with the Omen Def sound in this dual mono config.

Devialet info on the wifi here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsn1ZZP7IFE

Anyway here is a link of the performance of Mr Sebestyen, our favorite violin player, with whom we made our first cd: http://youtu.be/XcKDZv-KZcA?hd=1

One of our friend has made panorama photo on the hifi show, just a minute after the show opened. http://miklos.ranky.hu/d-1-h5/d-1-h5-out.html

Musings on Sound

2011-10-02T15:26:00.001-06:00

Good sound is art. You get good sound through using all of your tools—experience, research, musical sensibilities, gifts, knacks, tests, measures... the most important of all your brain and your ears, listening with your primal and your conscience. Once you have a formula for your art and design you can mass produce it, using science to make it repeatable, to ensure consistency, to ensure quality.

But as to engineering good sound.... Every single great book on the science of sound: Helmholtz, Rayleigh, Jeans, Olson, Kinsler... "the ear is the final arbiter of tone" and who am I to argue with the Greats, and those that do generally do nothing but reveal their ignorance. Science is the passion of the material, theory through moments of insight or accident, chased with its process and expressed through math. Art is the passion of sensation, realized through doing, the seat of your pants, and expressed in, and received through, a kind of humanized transcendence. The value ascribed by mankind to sound and music is, and has always been, subjective. And I for one hope it aways will be.

The nudge for the above? Steve Guttenberg's latest CNET post "Can sound quality be measured?". I love Steve's think about it writing style, and I enjoyed the article, and his reader's comments.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20113895-47/can-sound-quality-be-measured/?tag=cnetRiver

One of the greatest album covers ever used to express the relationship of the music and science, PInk Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon—even if just one of the layers—and the music is pretty amazing too... in my case life altering. But that's another story.

Soul Superfly in Time Warp #1 finish

2011-08-02T13:11:00.000-06:00

Lots of candy, lots of metal-flake, lots of airbrush, time, skill, and a retro brain. Art and paint by Adam of Time Warp Custom Paint, Ogden Utah.

Soul Superfly Review | Hi-Fi Reader

2011-05-19T11:06:00.010-06:00

The Hi-Fi Reader #14

Zu’s Soul Superfly Loudspeaker

May 2011 By Thad Aerts

The Soul Superfly is a success for Zu in every regard. At $3,000, they are an incredibly revealing speaker that ultimately may be hindrance. The folks who are going to jump all over the Superfly’s because of their low price will probably sell them short because they won’t necessarily have the level of refinement in their amps that Soul’s offer. Given that observation, I’ll reiterate, unless you have the funds to explore all the exotic, boutique-y tube amps out there, go with a solid vintage tube amp with 16ohm taps to pair with the Soul’s. The Zu website has a list of amps they also recommend and got favorable results from when designing the Soul’s. This would be worth exploring as well. They even have a receiver or two on the list. WTF?!?!?! The Superfly’s won’t be for everyone – and that is true of all loudspeakers. However, they could play all types of music that I threw at them and did so with ease and at high SPL’s. No matter your musical preference, the Soul’s will satisfy. So, assuming you have an amp that compliments the Soul, the Zu Soul Superfly comes highly, highly recommended. It is a true high-end speaker at a fraction of the price typically attached to this level of performance. Get after it.

Jerry Powell's Dominance

2011-04-18T20:17:00.000-06:00

Just returned from Jerry Powell's were the first pair of Dominance were installed and setup. A very tricked out pair of custom finish Dominance loudspeakers, had to take a few shots, left the halogen lighting cast, keeps it very inviting, dramatic. Sound? Yeah, I need a pair of these in the worst way.

Omen Def press on Audiophilereview.com

2011-04-04T14:03:00.000-06:00

"Zu Audio recently released their new Omen line up of speakers and I was fortunate enough to get a pair of the largest floorstanders in the line, the Omen Defs, for review and was very impressed. The Omen Def's high efficiency and full range, virtually crossover-less design, made for a compelling and infectious sound that kept me listening for hours on end, especially when mated to my single ended triode rig. For $3,100 a pair the Omen Def is hard to beat at twice, maybe even three times, the price if I'm honest." —Andrew Robinson

Zu Omen Def Speaker Review, PFO gets it!

2011-04-04T10:27:00.000-06:00

Sonic Satori—Zu Audio Omen Defs Put the Fun Back into HiFi
by Michael Mercer

"I'm merely saying that hifi should ultimately be about enjoying ourselves and whether or not your system makes you smile when you crank it up. There has been plenty of grinning going on in our media room since we installed the Zu Audio Omen Defs. If a loudspeaker can help bring some joy into your listening experience, I think it's something you need to consider. Everything else is easier to grasp (the specs, etc.) but the happiness we derive from our audio systems, well, some things need to be experienced in order to be fully understood. I've been having a blast experiencing these loudspeakers, and I'm sure many pairs will find good homes. They deserve it. The world could use a little fun, loud and clear."

Complete PFO Review

Zu / SL-1200 Turntable

2011-03-31T18:03:00.001-06:00

Zu has been doing an underground SL-1200 rework since 2007. We're not sure if info should be out there on our site but there are those wanting info....

THE DECK

Technics SL-1200, incorporating a massive Zu engineered and precision machined from billet 6061 armboard that is mounted directly into the composite core of the SL-1200— constraining the top plinth. Armboard is machined and engineered for any Rega tonearm (accepts all, including the three point mounts).

Stock tonearm assembly is removed and replaced with Zu / SL-1200 Armboard / Rega
Deck core is machined and taped to accept new armboard.
Top plinth is reworked and encased in composite damping.
Encapsulated top plinth is primed, painted, hand cut and polished. (Option)
1.5” (3.8cm) thick billet aluminum armboard installed (machined to accept all Rega arms).
New armboard sandwiches top aluminum/composite plinth with composite core.
Platter is damped with clear ester based epoxy of medium durometer. Customer can spec color preference, though it is the bottom side that has the art...
Upon request, pitch control is removed from circuit and deck.
Upon request, popup light assembly is removed from deck.
Ringly-jingly bits and pieces are removed or secured in plinth.
Platter / top-half of motor is balanced.
Transformer is removed from deck (with KAB PS-1200GX outboard power supply option).
Zu umbilical cabled.

Mount a Zu / DL-103 pickup on this setup and you are good to go, playback sanctification without any fuss or headache.

COMPLETE DECK PRICES

Zu / SL-1200 rework, you supply the table /// $1500

Zu / SL-1200 complete deck without arm, without paint /// $2000

Zu / SL-1200 complete deck with RB-1000 arm and Zu rewire /// $4500

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Custom paint on top plinth, hand cut and polished (PPG Vibrance) /// $400 (Only with Zu / SL-1200 purchase)
KAB PS-1200GX installed with SX-1200 /// $299
Zu / SL-1200 Armboard / Rega /// $299

Zu & Spacial @ The Registry

2011-03-25T08:25:00.000-06:00

Zu Audio & Spacial Audio got together with The Registry. This event, a strong throttle theme, in Park City.

Join Zu in an Online Auction to Support a Local School

2010-11-05T15:58:00.001-06:00

Zu is offering our loyal customers and friends an opportunity to bid on a pair of some of our highest-end speakers at a discounted price while making a contribution to the community in Zu’s hometown of Ogden, Utah. On Thursday, we kicked off an auction on eBay for a pair of our Definition speakers in black.

The Definition is a direct radiating, controlled dispersion, infinite baffle floor-standing loudspeaker with four internally powered, 10" low frequency drivers with simple user bypass ability—allowing the internal bass amp and all filter networks to be electrically removed, affording unhampered use of digital or analog processing and external amplification for the four subwoofers on the back.

100 percent of the proceeds will be used to create a scholarship at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, one of the few schools in the region that provides resources for children with learning and developmental disabilities. The speakers list for over $12,000 to start, but you have the opportunity to own them for much less while making a life-long impact on the life of a young child.

Visit our eBay auction now to place your bid and learn more about Our Lady of Lourdes. Thank you for your support.

Zu Featured at Slovakian Hi-Fi Show

2010-10-28T08:02:00.000-06:00

We've been very lucky to have our products featured at hi-fi shows all over the world, and most recently, Inter Audio showed some of our products during the Slovakian Hi-Fi Show. We'd like to thank Inter Audio for showing our products and would like to share with you a few photos from the show. Enjoy!

And the Winner of our RMAF Giveaway Is...

2010-10-25T15:08:00.001-06:00

Remember these beauties from RMAF?

After receiving more than 400 entries, we've selected a winner. But it wouldn't be very interesting if we just told you, so we have a special treat for you over on our Facebook page. Check it out to see the video of us drawing the winner and if you don't like us already, make sure you do. There's a lot of cool stuff over there.

Sean's Baby: a Friendly Debate About Sean's Bike

2010-10-20T12:09:00.000-06:00

Kristian: Here's a photo of Sean's bike. Although it's not normally in our engineering room, it was raining outside and he didn't want his baby to get wet. He treats this beast better than most people treat their pets. He's ridden this bike from Utah past the Arctic Circle and back in under a week, so his compassion for the bike is understandable. A true road warrior.

Sean: My rebuttal to KP. The real reason this Buell is parked in the middle of R&D—and it has nothing to do with getting the sucker wet, just look at it, bikes (most) are for thrashing, the harder you push 'em they bigger fun—the rally light burned out on start up on my way out the door late last night (no spare bulb) and a dark front-end is a loud invitation to get pulled over, and as evasion is deeply ingrained from childhood, and wanting to avoid the hassle of unpaid parking tickets, and registration, and... I thought I better call Stef for a lift home. Not wanting to have it lifted is the reason its sitting here in R&D. "His baby" more like my mule.

After a year of Milestones, Zu Gets Ready for RMAF

2010-10-13T14:45:00.001-06:00

By Sean Casey

2010 has been a huge year for Zu. Spring, we unveiled the Soul, a loudspeaker so sexy and high-performing it makes it hard for our customers to justify spending money on anything else. And in just a few more weeks we begin shipping Omen, a speaker that’s high in quality but at a price that makes it accessible to a wide range of music fans. We’re expanding our online presence to give our customers more ways to talk to us and go behind the scenes at Zu, so you can now stay in touch with us through our increasingly active Twitter and Facebook pages. In the future, we’re going to feature our customization options more prominently on the Zu website by launching a “Custom Shop” section that will highlight the finishes available. A “Science” section will dive into the what makes our speakers perform as well as they do, and the accessories you can use to get the most out of your purchases.

We have a lot to be proud of, and it's just the beginning, you can look forward to more innovative products, resources and dispatches from Zu HQ through the end of 2010 and beyond. As we reflect on what Zu's accomplished this year and look forward to what’s next, we see this weekend’s Rocky Mountain Audiofest in Denver, Colorado as a “coming out party” for Zu. It’s an opportunity for some of our biggest fans to get reacquainted with us, while we build new relationships with audiophiles looking for high-quality, custom, American-made hi-fi.

If you’re planning to come out to Denver for this year’s show, keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages for information on exclusive discounts for RMAF attendees. We’ll also have samples on hand so you can audition our equipment will hold a drawing for a pair of super-sexy Candy Green Soul Superfly speakers. If you aren’t already drooling over what’s at stake, here’s a sneak preview of the speakers being prepped for the show.

Continue to check back here and on our Twitter and Facebook pages to stay up to date on future promotions, Zu news and more good things to come.

6moons Features Essence Speaker and Zu power cords in Blue Moon Amp Showdown

2010-10-07T12:28:00.000-06:00

By Sean Casey

When Frederic Beudot compared four Blue Moon award-winning amplifiers for 6moons, he used our Mother and Bok cords and a set of Essence speakers for each audition. Frederic gave the speakers a special shout out, saying, “It does take a very special speaker to be able to operate with amplifiers from 2 to 250 watts.” He also acknowledged our speakers’ “legendary tonal density”. While you can't see it know we are grinning from ear to ear.

So what was the verdict? While people usually rely on reviews for absolute winners, there weren’t any in this showdown. Ultimately, the “best” amp of this group depends on your taste, equipment and the type of music you listen to, and Beudot believes that in their respective categories and price ranges each one of the amps reviewed is among the best. But the lack of a clear front-runner doesn’t make this review any less interesting to read, check it out at 6moons.

Why - and how - we built the Omen

2010-10-04T12:45:00.001-06:00

By Sean Casey

The Omen is about making good music accessible. We wanted to build a speaker that made the quality of sound Zu is famous for but manufactured and sold in such volume that would make ownership (and real high fidelity rockin' house parties) possible for nearly anybody with a job. This has been a motivating goal ever since we founded Zu back in 2000.

Adam and I grew up just like most normal kids, having to save every dollar for that new skateboard, snowboard or second-hand dirt bike, while saving enough money for that new album that you just had to have—and in that transition from kid to adult, a good car and a good stereo were high priorities. But somewhere in the '90s good sounding stereos got high jacked by overpriced, under-performing "hi-fi" and complicated home theater nightmares. Omen is the realization of a dream, to put real high fidelity back in the homes of the majority, into the hands of people like us that have to split their play money between their lifestyle inside and their lifestyle outside.

When you look at Omen you can see a huge amount of value: Zu's legendary 10" full-range driver complete with machined from 1/4" billet aluminum trim ring, composite super-tweeter also featuring a machined from billet lens, real maple veneer finished on all sides, and cutting-edge Zu technology in the guts of the cabinet. Getting all this performance and sex appeal into the Omen requires a huge effort in process engineering, a kick ass crew that has no tolerance for errors and really leveraging economies of scale. Boiled down, Omen owns the thousand-dollar-per-pair market in build quality, great looks, and set you back on your heels performance.

Zu/DL-103 Phono Cartridge Back In Stock

2010-09-22T20:25:00.001-06:00

Zu/DL-103 phono cartridges are back in production and shipping!

Zu Omen, best speaker under $1k

2010-09-22T20:18:00.000-06:00

Zu Audio Omen ($999) "Zu is one of my all time favorite American speaker manufacturers, but they've never made a speaker as affordable as the Omen, which will be released November 1 for $1,500. The speaker is finished in real maple veneer and manufactured in Ogden, Utah. Zu speakers are extremely dynamic, lively performers, and they produce razor-sharp imaging. Right, $1,500 is priced over my self-imposed limit for this top-10 list, but for just this week (ending September 17) the company is taking preintroduction orders for the Omen for just $999.99, saving you $500! Zu is selling the Omen with a 90-day money-back guarantee."

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20016275-47.html#ixzz10JaksFKW

Zu Soul "Best In" Gizmodo!

2010-09-17T07:45:00.000-06:00

Zu Soul in Gizmodo! "Zu Audio is an iconoclastic builder of speakers and cables located in Utah. Their focus is highly efficient, extremely dynamic speakers that only need a few watts to rock the house. The new $1800 Soul combines a 10" paper cone full-range driver with a tweeter for the extreme highs; the Soul's 101 dB sensitivity means that even low-powered tube amps can drive it.
Speakers have more personality than other audio components, and it's wise to take time in making your choice: hours, not minutes. Think of it as a romance, not speed-dating. Enjoy the trip!"

Zu Mission Cable Collection

2010-09-03T19:30:00.000-06:00

Zu Mission Cable Collection | Now shipping

Please head on over to ZuAudio.com for the main details. Mission is going to redefine what is possible for value based high-end hi-fi.

Here's an email exchange we had just today from Todd Coleman, a fairly new Zu customer I talked into Mission a month or so ago.www.zuaudio.com

"...I was playing with ICs earlier this week. I’ve been using the Mission ICs throughout most of my system. The only spot I don’t use them is between pre and amps, since they are monos. I use a set of Audience au24e that I’ve owned for awhile – good bang for the buck cable in its own right.

Anyway, like any self respecting audio nut job, I have a smattering of ICs in a big plastic tub—a veritable rats nest really. I tried a few other cables between my CDP and pre, wondering what the difference compared to the mission might be. A few that come to mind are the Jena pathfinder, another audience set, cardas golden reference, and a couple others. To my ears the mission was clearly the best.

You are onto something with this cable. What’s the secret? I’m not really expecting you to divulge secrets, but I would love a general description of what makes this cable so good. Is it copper or silver? Must be absolutely tiny gauge. Solid core or stranded?

Have other people been as impressed as me? How are you going to sell your more expensive cables once these hit the streets?" —Todd Coleman

"That's great news, thanks for the feedback. We just went live with Mission on the site, and if it's not a problem I would love to use this quote, no email link of course; if not that's fine to, really.

And, if you would like to give it a go, we now have a process in place that allows us to make the long leadouts required for monoblock applications. Just let me know the total length needed and the distance between the monos. Can get it together and ship out just a few days later.

The main reason for the high performance of Mission is the electrodynamics model. It uses a combination of technologies, ours, as well as pioneering work done by Gore for high speed, wide bandwidth two channel military applications. The combined technologies ensure that the two channels are identical, something that discrete runs cannot do. The two channels are invisible to each other, yet share the same dielectric space, which is to say they pass through the same physical space. This has several benefits: RF noise in managed at the root, left / right channels are always mirrored, left / right channels have half the per channel parallel capacitance for the same conductance and inductance. This makes for a cable that provides better stereo performance, better resolution of all details, and can be ran for long runs and in noisy RF environments.

And not stopping there, we also made the insulation material identical on all circuits, no color difference, which really does influence tone. And on insulation, it's US made virgin white Teflon--also a good thing. Conductor on Mission RCA and XLR is a somewhat large gauge (for line-level standards) mostly copper silver alloy, in a perfect lay low strand count. External shield, to ensure no RF infiltration to signal, is a high magnitude braided copper with tin platting, nothing to exotic there but it works.

And yes, the reports from early users and beta is awesome, and they are all saying the same thing. I don't think there is another cable that can do what Mission does for stereophonic and holistic resolution.

Thanks for taking the time Todd, hope it's a go on the quote. —Sean Casey

"Yes, use my comments in any way you wish! Thanks for the explanation. I’ll shoot you an e-mail with measurements so we can replace the audience." —TC

Thanks for quote permission. Excited to see how the system behaves all Missioned up." —SC

"I am excited to see to. The difference was not subtle. I think you are onto something revolutionary. And I don't make those statements lightly. I am jaded. After I put the missions back in I had to switch back a couple times to make sure what I was hearing.

My mono amps staddle my 3 wide rack. Would recommend moving the side by side to reduce the separate length, or does it matter?..." —TC

Zu Soul Reviewers List

2010-05-18T09:22:00.000-06:00

Zu Soul Superfly edition is off and running, with demand overwhelming production, at least for the time being. Nevertheless we know the vast majority of music and gear junkies, ourselves included, are interested to know what the review professional's think of it. So here's the list of reviewers that have contacted us and qualify for review samples:

Steve Guttenberg (cnet | Tone | Audiophilliac | Stereophile)
Thad (Hi-Fi Reader)
Art Dudely (Stereophile)
Srajan (6moons.com)
Sam Tellig (Stereophile)
Hi-Fi World
Jeff Day (Positive Feedback)

(In order of interest expressed)

Each will be loaned a new pair of production Soul Superfly speakers. We expect to be up to speed with customer orders by mid June and with that we can then ship out the half dozen reviewer pairs.

Zu Soul

2010-05-10T16:56:00.000-06:00

Soul

There will be two versions: standard and Superfly. Standard is $1,800 / pair. Superfly is $2,600 / pair.

Details are coming to ZuAudio.com shortly.... Excited? Yeah. It's awesome.

Zu Soul is a high-efficiency and high-output loudspeaker, able to deliver emotionally compelling playback of all musical expressions, from modest or perfectionist sources and amps. It’s just over 3’ tall and takes up just one square foot of floor space. Soul’s performance surpasses our legendary Druid in all respects, for about half the price. Zu Soul satisfies the need for kick-ass performance within a riveting but compact architectural form. Combined with best-value factory-direct prices that even a non-audiophile can swing, Soul moves all music lovers closer to real fidelity, and leaves cash enough for records and living. Soul is designed and manufactured in Ogden, Utah USA, and is complete with our 60-day satisfaction guarantee. Call us toll-free at 800-516-8925 or visit ZuAudio.com for sales and info.

Superfly edition is complete with Zu B3™ silver and silver alloy internal cabling; Cardas® binding posts; Mundorf® Silver/Oil caps; QuietCoat® composite internal core damping; Alexit® external damping surface, in Zu Cosmic Carbon finish $2,600 per matched stereo pair.

Zu at SuperFly 2010

2010-02-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

03/11-14/2010 POWDER MOUNTAIN, Utah
SuperFly Open 2010
The 3rd Annual SuperFly Open sponsored by Best Kiteboarding will be held March 11 – 14, 2010 at Powder Mountain Resort. Powder Mountain. Three years ago, it was the first mountain resort in the US to offer identify an exclusive snowkiting area and to offer a snowkite only pass. This past year, Best Kiteboarding established the Best Snowkite Center at Powder Mountain and offers lessons and demos at the resort.

Zu will be providing sound for the on-snow demos as well as comp. DJ Dallas will be layin down the vibe and playin' MC on some hot new ZuSL-1200 Mk3 decks. Afterparty / lounge each night at the Red Moose Lodge, complete with a fully modern Zu music rig done up in a throughback retro-modern '50 style hi-fi living space, so bring your LP's, CDs, music files, goodtimes vibe and dress to impress.
Last year’s event attracted over 50 of the best snowkiters in the world with competitors travelling from as far away as Norway. After the success of the 2008 and 2009 Superfly Open, it is expected that this year’s competition will grow substantially. Competitions during the festival include freestyle, big mountain race, kitecross and big air. For those who want to try their hand at the colorful adventure introductory kite clinics will be offered each day.
If you have any interest at all (your breathing aren't you, and still healthy enough for sexual activitiess...) then check out www.superflyopen.com where you can book your trip! See you on the mountain.

Zu—on the cover of STEREOPHILE!

2009-09-15T19:54:00.001-06:00

Stereophile October 2009 (Stereophile Vol.32 No.10) And right there on the cover is our redhot new Essence loudspeaker. Add to that Art Dudley's excellent review of the same. And to top it off Essence was placed in Stereophile's B-list (The A-list party is next year), lining up with the likes of DeVore Gibbon Nine, BC Acoustics A3, Vandersteen Quatro, Varity Rienzi....

Damn, the cover! How cool is that.

“The Zu Essence is not a hair-shirt product, in which regard alone it has surpassed at least half the high-efficiency loudspeakers in the domestic marketplace. Inasmuch as it’s among the more affordable choices—exponentially, in some cases—it has surpassed many of the rest. The Essence is something of a milestone. With its very good bass extension, superb musicality, lack of egregious timbral colorations, and impressive spatial performance, the Zu Essence qualifies as the first loudspeaker I’ve heard that combines genuinely high efficiency with a level of audiophile performance for which no excuse needs to be made... I’m really impressed with the Essence—and, yes, I could happily live with it myself: It’s that good.” —Art Dudley Stereophile October 2009 (Stereophile Vol.32 No.10)

Zu Returns to Direct Sales

2009-09-01T06:41:00.001-06:00

Zu Returns to Direct Sales. New, Lower Prices Effective Now.
OGDEN, Utah—August 31, 2009—Effective September 1st, Zu Audio once again sells our acclaimed loudspeakers, cables and accessories directly to our U.S. customers, via ZuAudio.com or telephone. After nine months serving our market through authorized dealers in the U.S., you’ve collectively spoken loud and clear: Zu customers want to buy from Zu. We also believe the radically changed economy of the past 12 months has reset music lovers’ perception of value. So we’re using the more efficient economics of direct sales to give you more for less: Our new critically acclaimed Essence loudspeaker, formerly starting at $5,000 per pair now starts at $3,495 per pair -- its new everyday price!

When we read the market in mid-2008, responding to a rush of new dealer inquiries and having just introduced Presence, Druid Mk 4/08 and Definition Mk 2, we believed that retail distribution would help us deliver Zu sound to more music lovers more efficiently, expanding our customer population more quickly than we could do on our own. We gave it an honest shake but three market realities emerged as obstacles to success. First, while we selected from among the very finest audio retailers, there simply aren’t enough outstanding high-fidelity audio salons to put Zu speakers within easy access for music lovers throughout this huge country of ours. Second, retail distribution required us to raise prices above traditional Zu value to provide for necessary retailer profit on Zu sales. And third, our existing customers vocally and relentlessly let us know each and every day, week and month that they prefer to buy from Zu directly. Our authorized dealers could not entice you to shop with them instead. Add to that the dramatic shift in global economic outlook after September 2008 has spurred a long-term change in music lovers’ perception of value in gear, and the complete picture adds up to a return to direct sales in the United States -- at lower prices and greater convenience.

Our new Essence loudspeaker, which marries the simplicity and tonal realism of our prior Druid Mk 4/08 model with deeper bass, extended treble and some of the sonic scale of our Definition Mk 2, now starts at just $3,495 per pair— less than Druid a year ago! It’s even easier to place well in any room, retaining the same 12” x 12” footprint as Druid and Definition but is more forgiving of room acoustics and the placement constraints of real living spaces. Beautiful base price standard satin colors and real wood veneers can be upgraded to gloss finishes and custom colors at additional cost. We will further expand our line to deliver new performance benchmarks in speakers and cables, at more accessible price points for their sound. But for most music lovers seeking accessible yet impeccable high-fidelity, Essence today is the right loudspeaker, at the right price, at the right time.

Find out more about Essence at www.ZuAudio.com/loudspeakers/essence. Call 1-800-516-8925 or visit www.ZuAudio.com to learn more or to order. As always, every Zu customer has 60 days return privileges. And welcome back to Zu!
Sean Casey & Adam Decaria

Founders, Zu Audio
Zu Audio is a manufacturer of high-quality audiophile loudspeakers, cables and other audio accessories for music lovers, located in Ogden, Utah. If you are interested in learning more about Zu Audio’s products and passions visit us at www.ZuAudio.com.

Zu Audio—A Revolution In American Hi-Fi

We’re Only Here for the Music” our tag for the last year embodies a powerful aspect of Zu’s soul, but only when things are getting done, moving forward, getting better.
“A Revolution in American Hi-Fi” was our tag when we were direct, aggressive, it’s what is required, it’s what must happen for compelling playback to again be enjoyed in the living rooms of vast numbers across the country.

Yes, the economy as a whole is in the toilet, and it doesn’t look to come roaring back soon. But that’s not the root of the problem within hi-fi. Try this on: conservatively, half the U.S. population enjoys and consumes music, and yet far less than 1% enjoy high-fidelity playback. By contrast, less than 1% of the U.S. population ride dirtbikes, yet it’s a driving force in the culture, and it represents a large and healthy industry, completely dwarfing hi-fi today. This was not always the case. Hi-fi was number two on the list of “must haves” for all heading off to college. Okay, maybe number three but likely one of those three can’t be mentioned here. A sweet car was likely top, but that always seemed a bit out of reach for most of us -- but not our music, and not good sound in the dorm.

In Hi-Fi today, a basic, somewhat realistic sounding system is at least the price of a hot new, right-off-the-showroom-floor, ready-to race motocross bike, with all new gear; or track-capable street bike; or a sweet American, German, or Italian made work-of-mechanical-art. Or a decent waterski/wakeboard boat, a room full of climbing and backpacking gear, or all the snowboard or ski gear you can fit in your hatchback. Plus season passes to Snowbasin, and Whistler, and a week long heli trip to Alaska! The problem is that hi-fi is no longer relevant when you compare it to other “competing” interests and products. Things in Hi-Fi today are pretty rickety; when state-of-the-art seems totally ridiculous compared to the products of these other industries.

Hi-Fi needs to generate products, and information, that allow people to experience a profound level of fidelity for the same price as competing interests. And for the everyday American we’re talking, hunting, fishing, cars, bikes, motorcycles, ski trips... not million+ dollar yachts and private jets.
Zu’s mission is to put sincere high-fidelity music reproduction back in the homes, dorm rooms and apartments of music lovers. Out of the man-caves and into living rooms for all to enjoy. We take seriously our brand proposition, “A Revolution in American Hi-Fi” meant to return the stereo to being among the most important furnishings in a home. To serve this mission, we must deliver convincing music fidelity, compelling visual appeal for the objects we create, and solid competitive value with other industries. The economics of dealer distribution undermined our ability to do both while meeting these expectations of value and affordability. Returning to direct sales allows us to reduce prices while becoming more profitable, and to develop and field a greater range of beautiful products more quickly.

SOME HISTORY & PERSPECTIVE
More on this will be laid down, but here's a teaser. In the heyday of hi-fi, an average working person could see his or her way to assembling a system comprised of the very best gear. They might have to do it piecemeal -- start with a best preamp, for instance, while everything else is just serviceable. Circa 1975 for example, anyone motivated had one of the two best preamps in their reach: Audio Research SP3a1 for $795 or Mark Levinson JC2 for about $1200. While either were real money 34 years ago, a middle class person could afford such a purchase if they were interested. A Linn Sondek was $295.00 and an SME 3009 tonearm was about $180.00. A Denon DL103 listed at $250.00. An Audio Research D76A power amp was $1200.00. A pair of Dahlquist DQ10s were $795/pair.

That system was attainable, for some all at once, and for many more, brick-by-brick, and it put you in the top tier of hi-fi. Frankly, it would still sound good today. Accessible "bests" in hi-fi vanished during the first Reagan administration, and hi-fi lost its heart ever since. As soon as most people could not imagine owning the best, they lost interest in settling for mediocre and the proliferation of competing hobbies more easily elbowed hi-fi aside. Early CD didn't help. "Perfect Sound Forever" made everything sound the same -- pinched, harsh and one-dimensional.
Our message is simple: Zu is the basis for making the best in hi-fi attainable again, and your love of music is the reason to be interested. It's easier to build a smokin' system around Zu speakers than any other cornerstone component, and average people can afford to.
It's good to be back.

Zu @ Apple | Los Angeles earlier this month.

2009-08-08T18:15:00.012-06:00

Zu hosted a music event at the flagship Apple Store | The Grove last

The get-together focused on computer based audio, how to it sounding good, how to work within iTunes, how to get your analog collection in to your music library, and most importantly how to get it from our Mac and into our living space. This was not an iPod or headphone thing, it was about uncorking your sound, filling your room, making it life-sized, making the party at your place.

Likely we'll be back again in October, adding venues along the way, and expanding the Q&A and listing, and including an after partly meet and greet.

Apple Store | The Grove
The Grove 189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Zu in full production of its highly anticipated loudspeaker—Essence

2009-07-27T08:08:00.003-06:00

OGDEN, Utah—July 27, 2009—Debuting at CES 2009 but in limited production until now. Zu’s Essence builds on the companies legacy loudspeaker the Druid; crossoverless, full-ranger driver platform, incorporating Zu’s forth generation ten-inch full-range driver and complimented by a new Zu/TB high power NiB, transformer coupled ribbon tweeter which takes care of the fidelity in the top octave and beyond. Also new to the Essence is a complete implementation of Zu’s original and ground-breaking Zu/Griewe acoustic loading technology.

“To say we are excited and happy with our Essence loudspeaker is a huge understatement. Technically its solid and very well rounded; visually it’s timeless and luxuriously elegant with the highest level of fit, form and finish; sonically... throw whatever you like at it, Essence will play it back without hesitation, without disconnect, without reservation, complete with real emotion and all the harmonic nuances.”

Zu Essence is the culmination of the companies 10 years of creation and manufacturing and embodies the companies design philosophy of high efficiency, large dynamic range, wide bandwidth and tight top to bottom timing (technically known as group delay). Essence, with a suggested retail price of $5,000 for a matched pair, also reflects the companies desire to give the user the most possible performance, with high value, in a form that will look comfortable in any living room. And now as Zu is offering its products through select dealers and distributors throughout the world you can hear them at your local music hotspot.

Zu launched its debut loudspeaker Druid in 2001 with a direct from the manufacture price of $3,600 (US) per pair. Steadily this loudspeaker grew in sales and acclaim, primarily in Asia and Europe. Since its release Zu has manufactured and sold just under a thousand pair of this high efficiency, critically acclaimed cult classic.

Zu Druid Award And Recognition Highlights

• Audiotechnique—Loudspeaker of the Decade (China/Hong Kong)
• 6moons.com—Lunar Eclipse Award (New Mexico/Switzerland, English)
• Positive Feedback Online—Writers’ Choice Award (Los Angles, English)
• HiFi Would—Five Stars (United Kingdom, English)
• Audiophiliac / c|net Loudspeaker of the Year (New York, English)

Zu Audio is a manufacture of high quality audiophile loudspeakers, cables and other audio accessories located in Ogden, Utah.
If you are interested in learning more about Zu Audio’s passions, products, retailers, or investment opportunities call us at 1-801-627-1040 or visit us at www.ZuAudio.com.

Zu Audio
We are only here for the music!

Munich show day 2

2009-05-23T00:30:00.003-06:00

Day 2 was open to the public and they showed up in droves. Rooms and hallways were pretty much full the entire time.

We did some tuning to the set up and improved the imaging quite a bit. We're getting really good sound and a lot of over the top comments, one specifically from a musician who brought in his own music and commented that it was the first time he's ever heard his instruments sound like they do when he plays. That sentiment has been repeated a lot of times over the last couple of days and I would say that is what really has set us apart at the show. Pretty much every other room you go in you hear hifi, when you come into our room you hear music. The Essence is also far less polarizing so the positives have been overwhelming if not unanimous.
The Munich show seems extremely friendly and accommodating for both the exhibitors and the attendees.

Munich show day 1

2009-05-21T11:20:00.005-06:00

The Munich show got underway today. Opening day is for press and industry professionals only but traffic was significantly better than CES and RMAF combined. The rooms are not anything great but acceptable and the management staff for the show have everything dialed. It's a nice change from the bull crap at the Venetian.

Our BeNeLux distributor getting the cabling sorted out before the show starts.

The Essence were playing with some new Luxman electronics and sounding quite nice. The placement needs a little more work but we're already getting the best sound at the show. If you prefer glow sticks to sparklers on the fourth of july you might feel differently but if that's the case there's a whole lot of "safe" speakers out there to make your rock-n-roll sound just like your jazz.

A switch over to the new Luxman SQ integrated amp proved to be a nice match indeed.

Trip to Switzerland and the Ebaen home

2009-05-19T15:43:00.005-06:00

Before the Munich show I wanted to pay Srajan with 6moons a visit and see how he was liking his Essence.Srajan's room should be the poster child for believable stereo imaging. It's great in all the other areas too but you can't believe how much depth and realism you get with his setup. If you want to hear how well the Essence can image then buy a ticket to Switzerland... nah just buy a pair yourself and then take a trip to Switzerland to do something else.

The Essence hooked up to some really inexpensive little integrated amplifier out of Serbia. The Essence sounded amazing, not just okay, on the SET Yamamoto, Modwright 150W amp, and this less than 300 Euro little amp from Serbia. What other loudspeaker offers that?

Srajan recommended a great B&B to stay at near his home in Chardonne. I've never enjoyed not having a tv in my room more.

Pat Dinizio (Smithereens) At Phlip's

2009-03-21T08:19:00.002-06:00

Pat DiNizio, founder of the Smithereens lights up Zu customer Philip's living room.

Hungarians 'get' Zu

2009-02-27T07:32:00.002-07:00

Please contact Ferenc (ferenc.koscso@penna-media.hu) He's your guy for all things Hi-Fi & Pro in Hungry!

Essence with Grill

2009-02-25T17:31:00.002-07:00

Here's a photo of the Essence with its new grill. Lots of open area, lots of protection, and still shows all the good bits underneath. (just how I like my lingerie-except maybe the protection part)

Biketown Sound Works

2009-02-11T09:35:00.003-07:00

Handout distributed at the 2009 International Motorcycle Show in Cleveland.

Who Fans, Get Lifehouse Chronicles

2009-01-24T19:10:00.008-07:00

(Sean's Post)

It was just after the whole "Y2K! the computers will crash and the world will end" crazyness, Zu was just getting off the ground and my close friend Jim Doxey sends me Pete's Lifehouse Chronicles. I listened straight through, most of the night, transported and enlightened—and those difficult to approach Who songs have never been casually played since.

And here we are again "the global economy is busted, the world is going to end." So before the Pound, Dollar, and Euro fade away, (...hope I die before I get old) buy and experience this recording.

I was born in 1970, and thanks to the influence of my buddy's older brother, I had the good fortune of growing up with some great '70s rock. I got tuned in just post Dylan, Beetles and Doors, but just in time to relate to bands like Zeppelin, The Who, BOC, Sabbath, Sex Pistols, Yes, Rush.... Yeah, I was prepubescent, but I could feel what they were layin' down—new sounds, expressions and themes. Brilliant music and the foundation of my audio reason for being.

Sometime in the '90s Pete from The Who was being interviewed, for classic rock radio. I was dumbstruck when he said "kids in the UK these days don't even know our music, or even know who The Who was." I simply couldn't believe it.

CES 2009, I'm the stand-in DJ when Ron needed to step out. I had a copy of Pete Townshend's Lifehouse Elements album, the single CD abridgment of the 6 CD Lifehouse Chronicles. Out of a dozen-plus people I played the orchestral variation of Baba O'Riley for, only one had heard of this epic fulfillment of Tommy, and nearly all these guys were in high school or college when Pete, Keith, Roger, and John, were everywhere. Dumbstruck deja vu. So here I am, taking a bit of personal responsibility to save our planet—consider owning and cueing up this album/play/vision. Yeah, I think Pete's a genius, a visionary (never mind his personal vices). Here are some links for more info, the last is where you buy the thing.

http://stupidd.blogspot.com/2008/07/pete-townshend-lifehouse-chronicles-320.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_(The_Who_song)

http://www.eelpie.com/product.php?shop=home&product=42

CES 2009 - Zu's Impression

2009-01-22T10:27:00.008-07:00

(Taken from an email from Sean to Srajan at 6moons.com)

CES 2009. A good show for us, people were digging the sound, even vets like Jim Smith, Wes Phillips, John Atkinson, and Bob at BAAS liked the sound we were making, and given that the whole rig's cost when those mentioned was about 10k USD, we were pretty excited. Even the hard to please like Peter (Dave and Carol's kid) dug the sound, spinning up Thursday, Mogwai, Silver Jews and other bands that are impossible for trad hifi rigs to play with sincerity.

Our focus was the launch of our new loudspeaker, Essence. As always we had not given proper attention to show prep so we loaded up Adams truck with a bunch of electronics, music, asked Dallas for some last minute display ideas and some basic media and headed off for Las Vegas.

We ran a verity of gear during the show, changing it up each day. CES show gear list:
ModWright Sony CD player
ModWright preamp
Melody i2A3 intigrated
Angelis Labor preamp
Manley Mahi Mahi amps, generally running with minimum feedback and in triod.
RedWine 70.2 amps
PeachTree Audio Novus as an integrated + server.
Angelis Labor amps

Setup: Ron, Adam, Sean
DJ / Demo: Ron Williams
Cabling: Zu
Rack: Hotel magazine end table
Power Conditioning: none
Room Treatment: none
Accessories: none
Staging Fixtures: Manfrotto
Lighting & Images: Dallas

We were happy with the quality of traffic, and to hear that most visitors thought our direction to dealers is a bold and positive move. We received a lot of input on dealer program, point of sale needs, marketing... all the stuff we generally need to improve on. Essence and dealer program will hit the ground the middle of February.

Good to see and meet so many people that share the common passion for music and the passion and physics behind it. My highlights included getting to know John DeVore, who had a room right next to us. He and I did our share of "hall monitoring" and got to talk music and NY. Also had a good talk with Chris Sommovigo, been a long time and it was good to talk family as well as business. And then hanin' with Misha, the big crazy Russian, loved his Ety in-ear mods! And running into Frank Denson and the Dynavector guys, haven't really talked with Frank for well over a decade. (For a "young guy" I'm starting to feel old, talking in decades now, true of Misha, Chris, Frank...time flies they say.) Yeah, for sure, the best part of the show is talking to people and getting to know them. Really dug hungin' with Ferenc Koscso from Penna Media Hungry, man, this guys has his hands and feet in everything sound and music, ENG, Broadcast, Live, Mastering, Playback, DJ...
it was super cool talking sound with him, and again, good to catchup with someone that I haven't seen for well over a decade! And don't worry Ferenc, Zu will stay true to its roots and "Druid" sense. Was super happy to meet the guys from Angilis Labor, a great bunch; and can you believe it, Lucas got to hang with Julian Cope--just kickin back at Julian's place shootin' the breeze. Really enjoyed them all and learning about their products and business. A big thanks to Kent, Joe and the rest of the Pass Labs guys too. And the list goes on but I gotta stop somewhere. In the end, despite the state of economies and the crazies in government, people in hi-fi are pretty excited and living--it's a good time to be alive.

Big thanks to Tom W of Bike Town Harley-Davidson

CES 2009 "Zu Essence in BAAS Top 5"

2009-01-16T08:24:00.003-07:00

Bob of the Bay Area Audiophile Society put's the Zu room in his top five list for this years CES. Follow the link for more info.

CES 2009 Soundstage Post

2009-01-16T08:20:00.002-07:00

CES 2009 Stereophile Post

2009-01-16T07:53:00.003-07:00

Follow the link, nice comments from John Atkinson; Ron and Sean had a nice chat with him and Wes about ELP and Little Feet.

CES 2009 Postitive Feedback Show Report

2009-01-16T07:45:00.003-07:00

Follow the link / good photos, good comments. Thanks to the P-F Online crew: Dave, Carol, Peter, Brian and CJ, for stopping in.

Essence Preview On 6moons...

2008-12-17T13:00:00.001-07:00

Does that mean a full blown review of the new speaker is imminent?

Zu Essence

2008-12-09T17:02:00.003-07:00

Zu Essence

Venetian debut, CES 2009. Yeah, this is a special product, and only $5k for the pair. Available in American Walnut or Zu Smooth Matte black. Custom colors available for custom order.

Available for audition at select Zu dealers February.

Zu Finland / Audioshop

2008-12-09T16:53:00.002-07:00

www.audioshop.fi

Changes & Cityscapes

2008-11-26T14:44:00.002-07:00

Press Rlease / Zu Matures And Embraces Traditional Sales & Distribution

2008-11-06T08:09:00.004-07:00

Zu Audio is now ready to compete for global market share and brand credibility. CES 2009 (January 8) debuts Zu’s new sales platform and commitment to traditional sales and distribution; and closes the door on all of it’s direct to consumer sales efforts. Zu has been moving in this direction for several years and now has the resources, production technology, know-how, and capacity to realize the transition.

For nine years Zu has streamlined production, invested heavily in technology and systems, and has continually improved product performance and build quality.

Additional details to follow....

Zu Audio Deffinition Mk1.9

2008-10-09T23:58:00.030-06:00

Here is your chance to own one of the best speakers money can buy at an amazing sales price. The Defintion rivals speakers that cost many times MORE. With a chance to buy this special Definition Mk 1.9 at a savings of $5000, how can you pass it up?

We re-manufactured Definition Mk 1.5 trade in speakers to a level just shy of the vaunted Definition Mk 2.0 floor standing loudspeakers.

Zu strips down "trade in" Definition Mk 1.5 speaker s to the original MDF core ( The Definition Mk 2.0 uses a new "super-ply" cabinet material with bracing refinements that produce distinctly superior acoustics over the previous Mk1.5 MDF cabinet.). Drivers are re-manufactured, meticulously hand matched for Tonality, output and impedance. New MK 2.0 crossover components are matched to 0.5% between speaker component pairs as well as engineered specifications. There are MANY MORE upgrades applied to these special Definition Mk 1.9 speakers that can be viewed here at ZuAudio.com.

Zu has refined the manufacturing processes for all of it's loudspeakers. Every single capacitor, resistor, and inductor has been tested and grouped by value. Batching hundreds of these components at a time allows Zu to produce matched speaker components of 0.5% or better. Any crossover component outside of our stringent QC window is rejected.
The aforementioned QC process is also performed on the individual woofers, full range drivers, and tweeters. Tonality, output and impedance are the criteria for driver matching.

What does all of this exacting selectivity do for Zu Audio speakers?

By having such accurately matched pairs of drivers and speaker components, we achieve stunning focus, phase coherence, sound stage placement, and tonal accuracy unmatched by other speakers. The load presented to the amplifier by the Definition Mk 1.9 loudspeakers is near perfect between left and right channels thanks to this select component matching.

Hearing is believing though, so as always, we are offering these speakers with our industry leading 60 day's satisfaction money back guarantee. Warranty for these special Definition Mk 1.9 speakers is 2 years.

We only have a small group of these special Definition Mk 1.9 speakers available. So act fast to invest in one of the best deals Zu Audio has ever offered, you wont be disappointed.

New Zu/DL-103R Cartidges are now Available

2008-10-05T14:10:00.010-06:00

Zu has just completed it's first full production run of the Zu modified Denon DL-103R phono cartridge, the Zu/DL-103R. To celebrate this we are offering the Grade 1, 1.0% model $200 OFF the regular price, now for only $599. Act quick though when their gone their gone, no rain checks.

These new Zu/DL-103R cartridges include the latest process revisions from the Zu/DL-103 production line. As you may know the Zu/DL-103 has been getting rave reviews from the press and the blog community. We can barely keep them in stock and we continue to ramp up our production to meet orders.

The Zu/DL-103R is available in 4 grades of tolerance.
Standard ≤ 4.0% | Grade 1 ≤ 1.0% | Grade 2 ≤ 0.5% | Grade 2 Prime (2') ≤ 0.1

You can only get tolerance choices in these cartridges from Zu Audio. Normally you roll the dice on tolerance measurements which are at least ≤ 4% on the DL-103R and ≤ 3.0% for standard DL-103 from Denon.

Through the re-manufacturing process of 100's of these cartridges we able to identify and grade the best of the batch. Denon’s factory tolerance between channels for both output Voltage and internal coil impedance for the DL-103R cartridge is ≤ 4% as tested by us.

In re-manufacturing this great cartridge we measure it at several points in the production process. During the final QC testing we grade the tight tolerance units measuring 1.0% or better. Again, this tolerance is referenced between the two channels' internal resistance and output Voltage.

Our tolerance spec is not an average of measures, but accounts for the lowest of any measurement, thus giving a true tolerance perspective. All tolerance measures are referenced to the Zu serial numbers, graded and indicated on the label. As per inventory we are offering these very high tolerance pickups at a great price.

If you have a vinyl rig and need a new cart or great bang for you buck investment, then this is the time to act. Just remember the higher tolerance cartridges are in short supply. Each step up the ladder of tolerance grade will have fewer numbers than the grade below. Some production runs of the Zu/DL-103 have only produced a single Grade 2 Prime - 0.1 unit. This has proven to be the case for the Zu/DL-103R carts as well. In light of this you can have a truly rare and amazing Zu/DL-103R Grade 1 - 1.0% phono cartridge $200 off the regular price during this sale

Armature is made in Japan. Body and re-manufacture by Zu in Ogden, Utah, USA.

What to take on a 7,000 motorcycle mile trip?

2008-09-09T22:29:00.008-06:00

Going to Lake Louise day one, then nearly White Horse YT day two. Day three somewhere around Fairbanks or so. Day four Dead Horse, the top of the Haul Road. Swim, Northern Lights, back home.

credit card
passport
drivers license
insurance card
registration
bear spray, 8 Oz.
shotgun (Adam)
10x slug ammo (Adam)
6x ibuprofen 800mg

note pad
pen, pencil, and permanent marker
3x pair earplugs

7.5 gallon extra fuel cell
duct tape (first aid, clothing fixes...)
shield cleaning cloth / camp towel
tire repair kit, plug type
(fix-a-flat, Adam)
tire pressure gauge
jumpers (Jake)
multi tool
3/8” socket wrench (Jake)
3/8” to 1/2” drive adaptor (Jake)
24mm 1/2” drive socket (Jake)
OEM toolkit for SV
9/16” 3/8” drive socket
Torx 40 3/8” drive socket
Torx 27 wrench
5/32” Allen wrench
1/8” Allen wrench
5mm Allen wrench
7/8” axel tool
7/8” axel wrench
3/4” wrench
5/8” wrench
razor blade
valve stem remover
electrical tape (1/4 role)
wire nuts
50’ parachute cord

1x drive belt
2x rear wheel bearing
1x spark plug
1x spare H4 bulb
1x blinker bulb
2x 10 Amp fuse
1x 20 Amp fuse
1x 15 Amp fuse
1x 30 Amp fuse
1/2” hose clamp
miscellanies hardware
quart of oil
funnel (for the scotch:)

iPod + Etty and Sure in-ear phones
2x iPod power adaptor
2x iPod power cable

tent, two-man Sierra Designs 3-season
25ºF down bag
Thermarest pad
headlamp, extra batteries
lighter
camp soap
cookware, stove, 16 Oz. butane
compass

leather riding suit
riding boots
riding gloves
waterproof extreme weather mitts
roots / weather hand guards
Hot Grips
heated top with arms, tailored, (3.3 Ohm / 50 Watt) made from U.S. military arctic liner
heated bottoms, tailored, (4.5 Ohm / 35 Watt) made from U.S. military arctic liner
Widder system 1 heated vest (back up)
3x base layer top and bottoms
3x underwear
3x socks
1x camp shirt
1x camp pant
1x down booties
1x knit hat

Canon Eos D1 Mk3
Canon EF 85mm 1.2L
Canon EF 24 - 70mm 2.8L
Canon EF Fisheye 15mm
remote timer
ball head and tripod
lens cleaner
lens cloth

Ogden 5:50 am, Maverick, 8 gallons > Blackfoot 153 miles, 2 hours, 8:00 am 85 mph
Salmon, ID 350 miles, 11:00 am 70 mph,
Flathead Lake / Polson, MT 208 miles 65 mph, 2:00 pm, FUEL/pee/food.
Eureka, MT 118 miles 65 mph 4:30 pm
Radium Hot Springs, BC 149 miles 65 mph, 2.5 hours, Enter Kootenay National Park on 93, 7:40 pm
Jasper, BC 223 miles 60 mph , 4 hours.

Day one, need to make it into the Kootenay!

Time for the 7,000 Mile epic motorcycle adventure again!

2008-09-09T06:12:00.013-06:00

OK, you have 7 days to do anything you want. What do you do?
A) Go to the beach and relax?
B) Go fishing?
C) Go camping?
D) Attempt to ride your motorcycle 7000 miles in 7 days.... from Ogden, Utah to Prudhoe Bay Alaska?

No, not many people would have picked (D).

Yea that's 7 Iron Butt rides (Iron Butt=1,000 miles in one day on a motorcycle) in as many days. Sight seeing at 80mph for days on end, many miles from any provisions. You are basically on you own if anything breaks so you better have a spare... everything.

Well, this is Adam and Seans second attempt at this epic endurance motorcycle ride from Ogden, Utah to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Jake is ridding with them this year for his first attempt and I am still in Ogden with a broken wrist that precluded me from this years attempt. You guessed it, crashed a motorcycle and broke my wrist. This would have been my first Alaska attempt too.

Two years ago they nearly accomplished their goal only to come up a couple of hundred miles short of Prudhoe Bay. Extreem rear tire wear "down to the cords" turned them back to Fairbanks, for fresh Rubber and back home.

This year they left Sept. 4th 6am from Ogden. We haven't heard from them since. We expect word any day along with pictures and stories.

Stay posted for the details. ~Randy Sandman

Just for comparison, two other ONE WAY rides are listed below. Aprox. 3500 Miles or 5570 KM.

Steve Guttenberg reviews Druid upgrade kit.

2008-07-16T19:20:00.002-06:00

You can't make your Nikon D200 DSLR into a D300. If you want the new one, you must buy it.

Even Steve Jobs can't transform last year's iMac into the latest, greatest iMac. And you can't add HDMI switching to your 4-year-old Sony receiver. But...that's exactly the sort of upgradeability that some high-end companies offer. Take Zu Audio. The company offers an upgrade kit that'll transform any Druid speaker built from 2001 forward into the current Druid Mk 4/08 model for $600 ($800 upfront, with a $200 refund with return of original drivers). Since a pair of new Druid MkIV/08 go for $3,400, the $600 fee seems very reasonable to me. Complete new Zu speakers are sold factory direct with a 60-day money-back guarantee. They are manufactured by Zu Audio in Ogden, Utah.

Last year, I raved about the Druid MK IV speakers and dubbed them Speaker of the Year. So I was eager to install the kit and see for myself if the smart folks at Zu could actually improve this great speaker.

The upgrade kit includes a pair of new woofers and tweeters and all of the necessary tools to get the job done. Examining the quality of the parts and build integrity of the Zu's designs from the inside of the speaker only increased my respect for the design.

New woofers and tweeters, Zu even produced a how-to DVD that shows the installation in real time. Druid owners who'd rather not roll up their sleeves can ship their speakers back to Zu and have the pros handle the job--for free--but the owner pays for shipping. I needed around 50 minutes to complete the upgrades, and I was taking my time. I wanted to get the job done right. The first time.

Read more at http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-9991523-47.html?tag=mncol;title

Druid Mk4 08 Kit Comparo

2008-07-09T12:15:00.006-06:00

With reprint permission from Mark Lucas

"The Druid upgrade kit shows all the thorough completeness that we’ve come to expect from Zu!! Well organized shipping, carefully thought out to separate and protect the drivers. Right down to the slits in the material to hold the wires and keep them off the components. A video guide to watch before you start is included, along with the necessary screwdriver. The main message from the video, along with a lot of small but useful tips, is a method to protect the front of the cabinet from damage while changing the drivers. The wiring lead lengths are appropriately short enough that the driver can’t get very far from the cabinet. If a second person is available, to cradle the driver while working to separate the wires and driver and then to reinstall the replacement, that helps a lot.

We replaced the drivers in about 15 minutes using two people. The original drivers have the crossover attached to the back of the HF driver. So it comes right out along with the driver removal. The new crossover is a single capacitor and is made up as part of the leads between the drivers. The drivers externally do not appear to have a difference, so looks do not change.

The leads are made up the same way, before and after the change over. The wire coming up through the cabinet attaches to the back of the 10.5 driver. A second wire is clipped onto the same point and goes down to the HF driver. These clip on tight enough that a pair of needle-nose pliers and extra hands to firmly hold the driver while wiggling them off is very useful! The screwdriver did get a good grip on the mounting screws and felt very secure. We didn’t have a single case of slipping and scarring the screw head, adjacent driver or cabinet. Unmounting the drivers consists of removing the trim ring around the big driver, bumping loose the driver from the cabinet. Unhooking the two pair of wires and removing. Then pulling the 4 screws on the HF horn and lifting it out. Unscrew the driver and applying the new.

After standing them up, we set them aside and listened first to the unmodified driver set of Druid’s. We took a few songs getting used to the usual very fine sound quality of the Druid, in this case driven by a single ended, parallel fed, 300B with about 8 watts. After getting acclimated, we switched to the modified version pair of speakers. As seen here….

While setting to one side myself, and not having any stereo sound stage information, I noticed in the first few notes that the sound was a smoother, cleaner sound. Within another 30 seconds you can confirm your first impression. Then I moved to centered, to get the full picture and the first thing I noticed was the information seemed a lot deeper and cleaner. Then you start trying to focus in on HF and lower, trying to localize where the differences are. But it’s not just a cleaner sound from the super tweeters or just from the crossover region into the highs…its cleaner and smoother sounding top to bottom! Song after song, the depth and newly refined character came through!

Later in the evening, we stood together side by side both pairs of speakers for a short time, to make quick change of the Zu Libtec speaker wiring for faster back and forth comparison.

Changing over, just seconded the initial impressions of new found smoothness, stage depth and separation of instruments. If you hear either version separately, it’d be hard to pick apart the sound and identify the differences. But back to back, it’s clear that the change out complements all the original ideas of the design. Easy to drive, but higher power capable, dynamic and nimble sound. Fun music without digging out every bit of harshness that some recordings tip up on some systems. The focus is on the music and not on the system but certainly capable of revealing the difference in upstream components and wiring changes.

At about a 20% of original speaker price, some could be perfectly happy staying with the purchased system. The original is good enough to be very satisfying. But with this comparison, 4 out of 4 Druid owners were pretty impressed with the change over and likely will spring for the upgrade. Even spouses could hear the change and enjoy the music enough to stretch the evening later than it should have been!

Thanks to everybody. Especially Ron for arranging and Jeff and Ivy for hosting and putting up with us!

Mark Lucas
Chief Engineer - Knoxville
Journal Broadcast Group
WWST/WMYU/WKHT/WQBB

More Druid 08 kit feedback

2008-06-23T12:10:00.001-06:00

Gents,

Received my Zu driver upgrade kit the other day [Druid Mk4 / 08 Kit], and performed the surgery on Saturday afternoon. Here's the report:

1. The [instructional] video is great, very clear instructions by example, glad you guys did that. Way more helpful than a printed manual.

2. I completed my first speaker upgrade in about 15 minutes. Second one took about 20 minutes because my FastOns weren't so "FastOff" on the full range driver. Absolutely simple, easy, and fun!

3. Audio test - immediate and fantastic improvements all around the frequency band. The highs are definitely sweeter and clearer. Vocals are off the rails. And perhaps most noticeable is the texture of the strings instruments. Especially on some rare U2 acoustic jam sessions I have. The low end is outstanding and fuller.

At dinner last night I was espousing the virtues of one great company in Utah called Zu to all my unsuspecting friends that need to get on the Zu Audio train. I'll make converts out of them all!

I loved doing the upgrade, gave me an added sense of ownership of these babies. I've been ready to upgrade to Presence since I first heard they were coming out last year. But there is something awesome about these Druids and their minimalist design. I love the super tight subwoofer-less lower end, and the coherence. There is no speaker tighter in the low end than Druid. I don't think I will ever be able to part with the Druids, might just have to buy Presence as a second pair!

Anyway, keep up the awesome work. Zu remains the coolest company on my list...and that's from a guy whom works for Google-- a pretty cool company as well. :)

Ok, well I'm off to my turtable experts here in the Bay Area to get my Linn LP12 turntable out of storage since moving, tuned up, and fitted with the Zu DL-103 which I received along with my Druid kit. Rock and roll!!

Cheers,

-- R.J.

Druid 08 upgrade kit customer feedback

2008-06-23T11:28:00.000-06:00

Sean,

I thought I would give you some feedback concerning the driver upgrade.

Installation

Instructional video and procedure conceptually very straight forward. The Fast On terminals were bit of a pain to take off as well as reconnecting new interface. It took quite a bit of time to "walk" the terminals off the connection point. This is a good thing for a solid contact, but you made it look soooooooooooo easy:) The same issue with slipping the new connections back on. I was concerned they were on properly to ensure a good connection.

Sonics
Initially I was used to my well broken in previous drivers, especially in the lower register department. However, right off the bat, I noticed a still cleaner presentation, where another layer of "film" was taken away. It almost reminds me when I put the Mother on the CD player. In addition, as you pointed out, the 3-D aspect vastly improved. A huge spatial difference in some music where the lower registers are the back drop or "wall" while the instruments are markedly forward. An example would be lower end synthesizer creating a steady backdrop through the performance while the other instruments dance up front and to the left and right. Instruments are well defined to give a sense of movement when the musician "rocks." There is a benny Goodman CD which has a track where Benny starts to really swing the clarinet. This perception seems to be reinforced. The last time I had that vision is when I was listening to electrostats! There are some recordings with the old drivers that definitely went beyond stage left and right. Now these same recordings give that as well as having to turn my head almost 90 degrees. The holography aspect is what seems to stand out right now. At some points, I'm given a perception of wearing a really good set of headphones. I still need more hours at higher dB to regain the bass I had. Normally I would have the Mini-method set at 9 o'clock or less. I've had to increase the knob closer to 10 o'clock. [yep, this will come around with a bit more time. - Zu] With the tubes and the new upgrades, the listening experience is becoming transcendental!

Thanks again!

Neil Williams

Druid Mk4 / 08 Upgrade Kit

2008-05-14T10:47:00.002-06:00

Zu Druid Mk4 / 08 Upgrade Kit
Benefits & Changes

Super-tweeter changes:

Complete remanufacture of driver with the removal of all shims, gaskets and screws.
Ferro-fluid is removed from 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 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 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:

Slight 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.

Why all the changes? Blame the Zu / DL-103. Applying lessons learned with the 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 plate resonance by more than 30dB and spread the Q by an octave; together changes also yield very tight batch tolerances—80% of the batch measuring within 2%.

Not a lot of changes to the full range drivers, just a whole lot of care, 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.

Bottom line, better resolution everywhere, sweeter highs, much better stereophonic recreation, better depth, better timing, more natural / convincing out of the chair listening... yeah, this the best $600 bucks you will spend on playback! Provided you all ready have a pair of pre 2008 Zu Druid loudspeakers.

Zu Druid Mk4 / 08 Upgrade Kit Detail

Kit will upgrade one pair of any version Druid to Mk4 / 08 status.
All Druid loudspeakers sold before January 2008 are candidates for this upgrade.

Kit includes:

One pair Zu260FRD/G2 2008 0.5% matched 10.3” drivers.
One pair Zu/APT30/G3 2008 0.5% matched super-tweeter drivers.
One pair Zu Druid Mk4 / 08 0.1% matched super-tweeter high-pass network. (factory assembled and terminated to super-tweeter driver)
One, #1 square drive bit (wire detent).
Two, square drive screws incase of loss or screw-head scaring.
One role of masking tape.
One instructional DVD.
One Druid Mk4 / 08 Guidebook with notice of Mk4 / 08 purchase.

Tools needed by person doing work:

One, interchangeable bit screwdriver. Basic type, wire detent, the kind most of us have kicking around the house.
One, 7/16” end wrench or basic adjustable wrench.

Job difficultly:

Easy. Only basic hand tool experience needed. Requires both hands. If you do not have any experience working on loudspeakers we recommend asking a buddy to help you, you might find a third hand helpful.

Time to complete work: (provided you watch the instructional video...)

2 hours or so for the less than handy or complete novice.
1 hour or less for those having some experience with this kind of work.

Price of the Druid Mk4 / 08 upgrade kit

$600 plus shipping ($800 upfront, with a $200 refund with return of original drivers, old drivers must be packaged using the same container to ensure old drivers make it back in good recyclable condition.)

Shipping weight is 25 pounds (11.4 kg) and measures 12-1/2” cubed (32 cm3)

Warranty & Service:

One year extension to original date of purchase 5-year warranty.
Free service and tech support info@zuaudio.com or 800-516-8925.
Free factory installation if you prefer, or if you run into a jam....

Zu / DL-103 "One of the Best Buys Ever"

2008-04-30T10:33:00.002-06:00

Tone Audio, check it out. A 43 Meg download PDF, worth it! Zu phono pickup review on page 14.
" One of the Best Buys, Ever"

"I'm more than happy to award the folks at Zu one of ur Exceptional Value Awards for 2008 with their DL-103. Honestly, this could be one of the best values in high-end audio. Whether you are new to the analog world, or stepping up from a lower priced cartridge, the Zu DL-103 should be able to keep you very happy for a long time!"

Jeff Dorgay, Tone Audio No. 15 / 2008
www.TonePublications.com

Zu Druid Commercial

2008-04-21T09:53:00.002-06:00

More art than commercial, in a very good way.

Zu / Dan Weldon "Simply About The Music" Commercial

2008-04-21T09:43:00.004-06:00

If you haven't, check it out.

Dan Weldon, Live Solo Vid

2008-04-21T09:37:00.002-06:00

Stereophile / Zu DL-103

2008-04-15T10:44:00.005-06:00

Check it out. Sterephile has loaded Art Dudley's review of the Zu / DL-103 at Sterephile.com

Review kinda reminds you of the old Corey Greenberg days doesn't it.

Sonic Flare / Zu Presence

2008-04-15T09:09:00.002-06:00

Danny Kaey (Positive Feedback Online / Sonic Flare) has lived with the Original Definition, Definition Pro, Definition Mk2 and now is comparing the Presence....

Zu/DL-103 ToneAudio blog

2008-04-09T12:20:00.002-06:00

Love that photo Jeff!

Zu/DL-103 FairAudio | 6moons Translation

2008-04-09T07:18:00.002-06:00

We dig the review! Posting the link yesterday without even an indication from FairAudio made me a bit nervous.... Awesome they dug it, and super cool of 6moons to translate from German to English!

Zu / DL-103R

2008-04-08T10:18:00.003-06:00

Zu's having 100 Denon DL-103R phono pickup motors built so we can do to them what we have done to the standard 103. They will begin shipping mid to late June and the price is $599. The motor on the R is very different from the standard, in some playback rigs the 103R is going to be better, in others the standard. We have sent our Zu / DL-103 as well as a prototype Zu / DL-103R to Tone Audio (www.tonepublications.com) for review. Other reviews to follow.

Not trying to undercut Denon, but I did just notice the metal body Denon DL-103sa, which features the 103R motor, cantilever and stylus, but minus the potting of the motor and drilled and tapped mount like the Zu. It's also $799. Might have to raise the price to match, we don't want to piss Denon off....

A hard hitting comparison review would be sweet! A toe to toe to toe against all three in three wildly different rigs.

FairAudio.com in Germany does the Zu / DL-103

2008-04-08T09:52:00.005-06:00

The German review site FairAudio.com reviews the Zu/DL-103. Not sure how they liked it, but based on the photos... my bet is they dug it. Check it out, and maybe we can get someone to translate it for us English only speakers.

http://www.fairaudio.de/test/phono/quartal-2-2008/test-zu-audio-dl-103-tonabnehmer-pick-up-phono-1.html

Mohamed + Apple + Zu + SL1200

2008-03-27T12:29:00.002-06:00

Check that new Mac out, aluminum body engraved with the Techniques SL-1200 table and Zu logo.

Right on Mohamed!

Harper at the Wine Cellar, Ogden

2008-03-19T15:54:00.003-06:00

Yeah, it was a great show. Happy they rolled through.

Getting pumped with the Presence!

2008-02-29T16:41:00.002-07:00

This is a killer set up one of our new Presence owners sent us a photo of. I'm drooling and dreaming of the routes I could send with a set up like that at home. Unfortunately the reality of carrying around an extra 20 lbs on my ass snaps me right back into reality. This is the year though I swear! -Adam

Dallas of the Monkeys

2008-02-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Srajan of 6moons.com on Presence

2008-02-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it was a huge delay, but finally we got a pair of our new Presence loudspeakers to Srajan. We think he'll dig 'em, and soon you and I will both know how they stack up. I'm betting Srajan will post an update every few days as he runs them in. Check it.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/zu12/presence.html

Presence arrive in Cyprus

Zu Definition Mk II in Manchester, UK

2008-02-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Musicology put together a spectacular sounding rig for the Manchester show in the UK. The Definition Mk II's, Druids, and the Zu DL-103 cartridge were all a hit.

We'll trade Zu t-shirts for jammy dodgers and galaxy bars all day long if anyones interested!

The Druids in High Fashion

2008-01-30T06:41:00.001-07:00

Zu's Hungary distributor Penna Poor sponsored a fashion show and displayed the Druids with style.

American loudspeakers and American motorcycles

2007-12-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Can you spot the Druid EFX above?

bu bu bu bass!

www.hdbiketown.com

Ohio's largest Harley Davidson dealer is one killer place to shop for a bike and listen to music. Zu installed two custom subs with two 18s in each and five pair of Druid EFX to make Harley-Davidson Biketown the best sounding motorcycle dealership on the planet. Harleys are famous for their loud v-twin growl so it's only fitting to feature a Zu sound system that can play over the top of even open pipes! Don't believe us?- go ask Tom Wronkovich for a demo and while you're there take home an American bike-Harley or Buell.

Druid - Loudspeaker Of The Year!

2007-12-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Steve Guttenberg named the Druid loudspeaker of the year on his blog today. Yeah, loudspeaker of the year! You know that is super cool; and those of you who haven't read Steve's blog, well you need to get over there and check it out. Reads more like a magazine than a blog.

http://blogs.cnet.com/audiophiliac

Art Dudley (Stereophile) does the Zu/DL-103

2007-12-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Check out the review summary of Art Dudley's review in the December issue of Stereophile!

Druid Credenza Feedback

2007-12-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Music has always been a large part of my life, and being recently disabled with much pain, it has become even more important to me, and the room I spend most of my time in, is not, (being diplomatic) an acoustically great room. 14x24, cathedral ceiling, and the only place to mount anything, is 6 ft off the floor, and the sloping ceiling prevents speakers from going over 36" in height. The only speaker to have "survived" this room was the V2, but a monitor speaker, that high in a large room, had a lot to carry. I saw your ad about the Druid's and did some research. I was already interested conceptually in speakers like the Lowther, but "rolling my own" wasn't a possibility, and most designs, wouldn't work so high off the floor.
To say the results from internet reviews were confusing is an understatement, but having a astrophysics background (long... ago), the comments from your company and from reviewers like 6 Moons, convinced me that this was a innovative, well designed speaker.

I called and talked to Sean Casey, describing the room and asking if the new Credenza's would work. Obviously the bass would suffer from the height, that would be true of any speaker that would fit, but my concern was the overall balance, particularly the critical midrange. He assured me that the speaker would have no problems at all and suggested that with the components I was using (a 9W 300B SET amp and passive preamp), that I consider trying his speaker cables in place of my AQ bi-wire Slates. It was refreshing that there was no pressure at all, not to buy the cables or even the speakers. He even suggested a cable below his top, however, I felt that his top cable (the libtec) would give the speaker the best opportunity to shine. Plus, with a 60 days, no questions Trial period, how could you lose? Remember the last time you had 60 days to try high end audio equipment in your home, totally risk free? I don't either.

When they came in, the shock on opening the box silenced me and my wife. After using the supplied cloth to polish off the wax protecting the paint (when was the last time you did that?), the fit and finish was impeccable. Beyond any speaker I'd even seen. (My wife said she has seen few new cars look so good). The libtec's were also a surprise, being relatively slim with very flexible ends, and significant departure from so many of todays massive and stiff cables. (Oh, did I forget to mention the copper polish and cloth to make sure the contacts were perfect when you hooked them up - very nice touch)

But after all, this wasn't a car and the real importance was the sound. I was going to be listening to these for many hours every day. A call to my wife and up they went, 6 ft on top of a heavy cabinet, slightly toed in towards my position, 12-14 ft away. The Libtec's needed 100hrs or so to break in, but supposedly the Credenza's were pretty much already broken in at the factory, something I appreciated. Off the server, we called up our favorite classical pieces with Artur Rubinstein, several different female vocal numbers, some Fats Waller and a little Xmas for the season and settled back to see how "bad" they would be.

Well to all those that think these speakers don't work, maybe you should try them again.
Yes, the bass was moderate, but at that height, not a surprise. What was a surprise was the life in the music. With my wife owning a piano, she and I know what one sounds like, and these speakers made it sound like the piano was right there, in the room. But not in your face, not exaggerated, just there. Transient detail was superb as was the background micro-dynamics. Despite the thunder from Artur's one hand, for the first time in this room, you could clearly hear the rapid counterpoint from his other hand, something most other speakers left as pleasant, but unresolved. Vocals were smooth, even without burn-in, and for once, I didn't feel the need to turn down the highs. They were not as extended or resolved as the maggie's, but they were in proper proportion to the rest of the system.
My wife, who is not easily impressed at all with speakers, noted how with the same music playing on the maggie's in another room, as you walked from that room into mine, the music stayed the same. Not that the credenza's sounded like the maggie's, size and placement alone would prevent that, but tonally, the voice singing, or the announcer talking, sounded the same in both rooms, quite a feat considering the optimal placement of the maggie's and the wildly sub-optimal placement of the Credenza's.
The keywords for these speakers were balanced, musical, tonally correct and realistically resolved. I'd already owned high resolution speakers (very highly reviewed and recommended), but their hyper-resolution didn't let you into the music, you couldn't just lean back, and flow with it. The Credenza's did that in spades. These speakers, as small as they are, brought true life back into the recordings. And the Libtec's, well, the AQ's are already history and now in their 200th hr, their sound is everything Sean said it would be, perfectly complementing the balance of the speakers.

When finances permit, I will probably replace some of the intervening cables with Zu equivalents, and add a Mini-Method. Not because the Credenza's are overly bass-shy, but to help them fully bring to life some of the more forceful symphonic pieces. Even the maggie's need help with some of them and I have a feeling the the overall combination will be a spectacular pairing.

Needless to say, there isn't a chance that these speakers or cables are going back after the 60 days are over. Thank you Zu for letting me get back the enjoyment of music I thought I'd have to give up.

Regards, Bruce Prager

Deepsky in SLC

2007-12-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Deepsky (Jason Blum) hit Salt Lake City last night, with a special performance from Vaniamin's Eye. Also: DJ DMX from Denver, Claudia from the UK, Blank & Jones from Germany, Exceed from Texas... it was a big show.

Zu met up with Jason about a year ago, back when Zu had a bit more time to play in the dance scene. It was easy to see Jason's passion for music, and realize that he creates rhythm and sound at the most fundamental level--like a soul man with an appreciation for sounds expressed in early goth. When he offered his time and studio for some Zu beta testing we jumped at it. Yeah, it's a good matchup people.

Check it out: www.deepsky.net

DARK MATTE

2007-11-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hey people, introducing "dark"

This new finish we are offering is totally matte, and as close to black as true non-reflective surface get. But unlike our old black matte and black satin, this stuff feels nice and smmoooth. You know where I'm goin'.

And besides the super cool optical quality that is matte, this stuff also has a positive acoustic benefit, and not just to the resonance of the cabinet, this stuff actually has a pretty decent absorption coefficient considering its a finish--likely to help the sound of your room more than a set of four dorky little pillows (corner traps) set in the feature of your ceiling. (Nothing says hifi geek like a good set of fluffy pillows nailed to your wall does it.)

Thanks to German designer Christian Schaeffler and the Uk's Simon Mantanly for the introduction to Nextel Suede finishes and the push to develop a process for the paint system. More color options to follow in this exciting new finish option. Now part of our standard catalog of colors.

Zu phono pickup storms Japan

2007-11-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Made in Japan, remade in USA, sent back to Japan-Zu's phono pickup getting some traction....

Thanks Audio Union and Pacific Audio. Your stateside brothers are diggin' it!

http//:www.pacificaudio.jp

Zu in Keiv

2007-11-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Besides hot chics, Ukraine is also full of passionate music freaks like Oleksndr of DreamAudio, the latest Zu Audio shop. Thanks Oleksndr. We are looking forward to blending a bit of Zu crazy with spicy Ukraine passion.

Derek Whittington shouts out from the UK

2007-11-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

"You guys are in the demolition business!! The Definitions demolish just about every speaker that I have ever heard (that does not bear the name Zu)!!

For me you have achieved a first in so much as your active sub's WORK and the time alignment of those 4 devastating rear drivers is as perfect as I have ever heard. Once you adjust to the seamless 'one driver', no crossover sound of those 10.3 inch front units, there is NO going back. Now I know why live acoustic guitars have sounded so much better than recordings. I have been listening for years to the wrong speakers, until now that is!

As I write this I am enjoying "Skin it back" from my all time favorite band Little Feat's seminal LP "Feats Don't Fail Me Now". Kenny Gradney's bass lines have never been so articulate. Richie Hayward's devastating drumming has never been more dynamic and Lowell's slide............. Once again your Flagship speakers have re-defined my levels of musical expectation and show me even more clearly that, as good as CD can be, vinyl is better. Now I really know why I bought my Well Tempered Reference.

Now for a 15 inch per second studio 1/2 track master tape!!!!!
naf@btclick.com

Tamas from Hungary...

2007-11-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

"Hello my friends!

I just got my Zu Tone speakers two weaks ago and have to tell you, this is the sound I'd been always looking for. It's a lovely little bastard, no "hi-fi" bullshit, just pure music. Congratulations to you guys, keep up the fantastic work, the audio world really needs you.

SO LET THERE BE ROCK! :)

now I'm listening to this: http://www.emusic.com/album/Two-Bands-And-A-Legend-Two-Bands-And-A-Legend-Feat-Cato-Salsa-Experien-MP3-Download/11048648.html

It pumps like crazy, the Tones love it."

Tamas from Hungary
csodo.tamas@chello.hu

Zu in Budapest

2007-11-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ferenc and his team at Penna-Poor LTD in Hungary bring the house down with a pair of Druid and a little 2 Watt Yamamoto amp. These guys really know how to do a show, complete with great art, girls, music... man, if Zu could only put on a hi-fi show like Penna-Poor. Hungary gets it!

Ferenc, givin'em music and a pitch.

"It was quite a big thing and required a huge effort, everybody was surprised, we got architects, musicians, media celebrities, artists, all sorts of creative people there. My son, David-- 16 years old and it was his 5th exhibition since 2002. He dealt with the SD-HD broadcast Snell and Wilcox HD upconverter setup, the native HD plasma displays and he built the 3 Macs wifi network for music playing at three different locations at the same time with Leopard on one machine. To be honest, the Druid gave us the idea, to get some kind of exotic furnitures around the hifi, and it was the first time when the décor was a bit more important than the sound itself. At the end it was real fun." --Ferenc Koscso, Penna-Poor Ltd.

http://www.penna-media.hu/poor/hifi/mainpage.html

http://www.deluxe.hu/cikk/20071105/a_hazimozi_es_hi-fi_show_termeiben_high-end_termekeket_is_lattunk/

David Kosco bringin' a bit of DJ to the mix.

Zu DL-103 phono pickup

2007-11-02T07:45:00.000-06:00

Sean running a batch. Get 'em while you can....

Pink Lightnin

2007-10-31T08:16:00.000-06:00

Pink Lightnin... I dig what they are doing, destined for for a national act. Members include HH Rev. Bad Brad Wheeler on Harmonica and Lap Steel, Eli Morrison on Guitar, and Jawsh Belka on Drums.

Wheeler; a Blues & Roots man with over 18 years of experience, and averaging over 250 gigs a year has either recorded, giged with and or supported numerous legendary Roots & Blues acts such as Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, Bill Kirchen, James "Super Chikan" Johnson, "Shorty" Layfette Gilbert, T Model Ford, Kenny Brown, and numerous others, so many that this blog really doesn't have the space to contain 'em all.....

Morrison; prolific composer, producer, arranger and Musician extraordinaire has been involved in the DIY/Garage/Punk/Rock & Noise scene over the last 20 years with over 75 in print titles/albums. Morrison who usually is in roughly 10 bands at any given moment has been involved with or is currently working with such bands and artists as the legendary Ms. Pearl Harbour, Ether, the Vile Blue Shades, the Wolfes, the Red Bennies, the Purrbats, and now Pink Lightnin', just to name a few........

Belka has been involved in the Music scene so long that he can actually make the claim to have bummed cigarettes to Kurt Cobain. Performing for well over the last 20 years now, Belka has been performed in numerous and influential Wasatch front Rock and Roll/Garage/& Punk bands including Red No. 5, the Morlocks, the Debonaires, the Invisible Rays, and Things to Smash.., his drumming style is mean, lean, and definitely fuzzy.

Pink Lightnin is a down and dirty / raw / low-fi / high energy / rockabilly / blues / mid-late 70s punk sounds and pissoff attitude and bare-bones give it to you sounds. Check 'em out at myspace.com/pinklightnin

Definition Mk2 Review / PFO

2007-10-08T07:59:00.000-06:00

Check out the new Positive Feedback Online review by Danny Kaey! Yeah, he pretty much likes 'em...
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue33/zu_definitons.htm

Dan Weldon + Brad Wheeler @ RMAF Denver

2007-10-04T18:01:00.001-06:00

6moons.com Bok vs Mother | Gede vs Varial

2007-10-03T20:40:00.000-06:00

Check it out! http://6moons.com/audioreviews/zu13/cables.html

Def 2 / Thanks Dave

2007-10-03T19:53:00.000-06:00

One of our fantastic and seeker-man customers David Maletz ripped a pair of original Definition Pros up a few years back and tweaked the hell right out of 'em. Full-on refab (Dave, I still need to charge you for all that engineering time…..) For sure, Dave has to be a custom man through and through, with a good sense of mechanicals and electronics, he worked his original Defs into custom perfection. A few months back he got his order in for the Definition Mk2, he was totally worried that the Def-2 wasn’t going to stomp on his Dave Signature model Defintion Pro… He had to check on my confidence a few times a week, he really loved his originals, plus there were little bits of Dave in 'em. Well, we finally got his Definition Mk2 shipped out and in his hands a week or so ago, and with his permission, here’s how they stacked, Def2 against the totally built and reworked Definition Pro Dave Maletz edition.

“My new Definition versus My old’… Feedback”

Man the Box has basically disappeared all together, and found total bass integration!

But some things just can't be put into words and that’s the audio game anyway, you have to just experience it.

I knew the new Mundorfs would be great due to having them in my old pair on the super tweeters along with some of the other mod’s I played with... But you did get them just that higher percentage better no doubt with the new values on the caps and eliminating the resistor’s all together.

However the truth lies in the cabinet, you guys did a serious re-engineer on these! Its fine, keep your secrets... But damn I never heard or felt the control and impact this cabinet has to offer for the in-room listening experience. I know the internals of this cabinet are a different world now.

You can easily tell the quality put into these, the parts are all better, something is even different about the FRD drivers... They seem slightly beefier, and the finish materials are nicer on these...

I am getting scary realism out of these suckers... These hold together like no speaker I have experienced. I pushed them pretty hard too! The room will fall apart well before these floor standers.

In comparison to the originals, these are Far less clumsy sound, and physical feel, these excel at "Presence" no pun intended toward your new model.

The new split octave tuning…

Whatever you did here don't consider this a side note at all! This might be the true key that was missing all along to be honest.

Any "One Note" Bass now has more impact in the punch, not just the Growl down low. But the growl down low is totally running its course like it should still.

The ATTACK of this speaker also improved.

Well of course here we have no worry about crossovers so the cabinet is our crossover, and I have to give a standing ovation to the results, you totally blew me away with the type of tone, and control via the new tuning you got out of these now.

THE NEW GUTS

-Better impact

-Better transfer capability filling a room with a huge, and distinct soundstage, floor feeling vibration now feels like it’s a real part of the system as one.

-And they are DEAD silent cabinets with all this going on!! Somebody went above cabinet 101 thinking on this project really making the old MDF shells bow down.

-Super low distortion, far less or even Zero reflection or slight beaming sound that came from the original cabinets.

-It still keeps that full deep impact, yet is still so clean, and has kept perfectly nimble sound and speed. You guys pulled off something very, very IMPRESSIVE with this. Now this is what eight 10" subs should feel like!! I think your description on the new cabinet work is never going to convey how much better they really are.

THE FRD’s

Although you did not from what I understand make any mechanical or electrical changes to these drivers from the originals, now I believe you found a perfect home for such an FRD driver with this new cabinet structure. They truly behave and perform as smooth as glass and sweet as butter.

Quick example of some different music response:

You guys have this band Kyuss in your user guide line up, interesting because these guys are pretty heavy very grungy, I swear you used some of these albums to help voice these speakers to make sure they perform under super distorted stress and deep bass.

Now with these kinds of albums I can pretty much tell every vocal perfectly smooth and separate with the new Mk 2's! I own the vinyl versions, and so I was pretty shocked to see them recommended!

This music style, and the vocals specifically still retains that darkly mixed, and crunchy value, with an added type of inner resolution and sweetness, the sound is not as lost as it was in the original speakers. And yeah they can crank it up for some real fun!

As for more standard Vocals and really good recordings, just more of the same for the Mk 2's so not super shocking in this respect vs. the originals which were already excellent, but the midrange blended far better with zipping guitars etc…

I could go down a list of bands and music, lots of Jazz and rock, but the Mk 2's are the ones to go with for the more confusing mixes especially VOCALLY challenged rock type music as mentioned above, or very complex dynamic and punishing passages. These still retained warmth, a little color with excitement, but also kept all the air and sound space, maybe even more of it. Good move on the new Silver/Oil capacitors I knew these would really open up that throaty slightly compressed sound that the old' Solen capacitors produced. These sound like BIG speakers, however don’t get too forward sounding at all, just 3D and smoother as the volume goes up, not just in your face.

You have injected a very delicate balance of Hi end audio sound with the natural raw music lover’s sound still intact, and you guys are right that is extremely rare to hear in some products like this.

A friend of mine was over and we were in awe of the actual detailed sound, attack, and speed vs. how they still stayed very full and warm sounding.

If you do come out with a Mk III driver I guess I will have to dig into the bank account and give them a shot now right, but I refuse to ship them back so I guess I will need to do the swap myself on site. :) I honestly don't see what can be advanced at this point, but I am sure you will come up with something. I think the cabinets have been built and designed to the limits of this design already.

Conclusions,
They act much more like a Tuned instrument, reminds me of how a Gibson guitar has that feel, sound, and quality… This character shows in both the Sonics, and physical build over the originals.

These seem FAR less picky and a LOT more fun to tune in which really takes very little to make them do their job. Very clean and versatile package having the option of the internal amps or by user choice some pro external gear.

Due to I am familiar with the originals, the actual subtle physical changes will not be noticed by anybody unless they owned the actual originals, however they much finer materials used in the new ones, thicker back plate, Glossed Grill frame for the rear drivers, and even you used a little different grill cloth, on top of the new wood hybrid cabinet and tuning chambers which we don’t get to see.

But it’s all about the sound so who cares.

Oh and the whole thing worked AWESOME plug and play, I was shocked that my setup basically blended perfect off the bat.... A few albums told me some tiny adjustments needed, but nothing big, and was able to get a giant soundstage with no issues. So far I found the 50 hz Low pass set for the back drivers are pretty accurate in capturing everything we can hear and feel. Of course the front drivers don’t need anything now, and have no crossovers accept the caps on the tweeters.

I only did this early report because after an hour everything was stable and burned in already, no where near the burn in time the last new ones took trust me, so that 160 hours or whatever you guys are putting on them now really works out :-)

I bet we get a little more out of them in another 100 hours, but not worried about it, they are stellar right now.

Thanks"

Presence Core Destruction

2007-10-03T19:30:00.000-06:00

Jason Campbell on a pile of destruction and sweat. Finding the right core material for Presence didn't come easy.

Cash Ad / Yeah we ran it. Hi-Fi Reader

2007-09-07T12:48:00.001-06:00

Zu DL-103 MC Phono Pickup (Reformed, Transfigured & Naked!)

2007-06-05T08:44:00.000-06:00

Check it out folks, Zu does the Denon DL-103 like only Zu can.

More photos coming. Two reviewers have it in their hot little hands: Danny Kaey and Art Dudley.

Price: $399 (Direct Worldwide)

Based on the legendary Denon DL-103—nuded, with machined body, dual compound epoxy potted motor assembly and body, increased weight and machined directly into body EIA standard two hole mounting.

So what’s it sound like?

The original DL-103 is a classic, easy to set up and it really soaks the music from those stereo grooves. It’s easy on the ears, has “super cart” status in the meat of the music range, with real stereophonic magicness. While the original has life, compared to modern pickups it aint all that resolving in the bass; lacks detail as a whole, and is loosygoosy particularly in shimmer and treble tone, has this hazy-lazy pot-puffin thing going on (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the popular hifi sound with source gear and speakers trying to rip your head off with high frequency distortion).

The Zu DL-103 cleans it all up, expanding all the good traits, adds incisiveness and full bandwidth dynamic slam and delicacy—all without making it sound like a soulless modern cartridge. Zu DL-103 is all about bottom to top sexy wet analog realism. Yeah, it has resolution, attack, soundscape magic, and real tone.

Bandwidth: 15 Hz — 45 kHz
Output: 0.3 mV
Impedance: 40 Ω (± 2 Ω)
Compliance: 5 x 10 -6 cm/dyne
Weight: 14 grams (includes mounting screws)
Stylus Pressure: 2.7 grams @ 70˚F for wide dynamic range media
Recommended Resistive Load: 80 — 150 Ohms
Recommended Resistive Load:
Stylus: diamond, crystal aligned, conical cut (more on this later-like why this is better than "Deeper in the groove" skinny ass needles
Warranty: 5-year limited, does not cover busted cantilevers...

HE2007 / Leve Comments

2007-05-18T15:43:00.000-06:00

Leve' Write Up:

I first noticed the Zu Druids in a Six Moons review two years ago. I was impressed by the Druids distinctive look and fine paint job, however I quickly dismissed it without ever having heard it, because it’s a full range driver and it’s different. My first experience with full range drivers was my 84 Toyota, I certainly wouldn’t call it hifi. Later I upgraded to a 20 year old Jaguar, that one actually had a four inch driver with whizzer cone. It sounded better, but still did not approach hifi quality by any stretch of the imagination. My 24 inch television was another example, and the tube is in the wrong place. I had never heard a full range driver that was built with the intension of being the finest of its technology.

After having gone through several rooms at the 2007 Home Entertainment show I came to the Zu room-- it was surprisingly full. Sean co-founder of Zu was welcoming people at the door and Ron was sitting on the floor running the demo. They had a pair of Druids driven by a push pull 2A3 Integrated amp made by Melody. (I later found out Sean drove the Druids all the way from Utah to New York for the show.) I wasn’t expecting much from this exhibit. I expected to be there for less then one track. Just so I could confirm all my preconceived notions about full rang drivers. From the first note I could tell that my preconceived notions where going to fly out the window. The bass was there, not only was it there but it had an impact that startled me. The Zu room was located down a long hall with no exhibitors across the hall, so they could play it at a realistic volume and Ron wasn’t afraid to ask people what level they wanted to hear it at. I also expected mushy bass but that’s not what I got the base was impactfull and tight. I never thought you could do this with only 10 watts of power. The mids were well articulated, and why not, this is what full range drivers are known for. The highs where well extended with the help of the super tweeter that picks up after 12 kHz. The 2A3 let all the depth and image through and allowed the Druids produced a real presents. Ron allowed people to play their own material, many exhibitors do not have this kind of faith in there own equipment, only playing their own music, you know, the type of stuff that sounds good on everything.

Well as I said I wasn’t expecting to stay for more then half a track. I came to the show late and had a lot of exhibits to see. But I ended up staying for another four tracks. This was a full room, there was only sitting room on the floor, which actually sounded as good as sitting level and since Ron was also sitting on the floor it somehow made it seem more socially OK. The Zu guys did classical, jazz, and even lots of rock. The Druids handled everything with flying colors. I was getting comfortable and enjoying the music.

But this isn’t what I came here for. I came here to hear as many systems in as short a time as possible and thumb my nose at 50% of them and complain that the other 50% are out of my budget. With this system I couldn’t do any of those things, the speakers were only about 3 grand and the amp was about the same. I had to tear myself away with the promise that I would find something even better, after all I still had three more whole floors to visit. But through all the exhibits, and I certainly heard many a more expensive system, my mind kept on coming back to the Zu room. As predicted I missed one half of the last floor because I ran out of time and exhibitors where closing up. I don’t know why but I decided to go back to the Zu room just to see if anybody was still there, perhaps in the hope I might get to listen to one more track. It paid off, Ron was still there, his uneaten banana on the floor three hours later next to him where he had left it. Sean and Ron where both inside now. Apparently I wasn’t the only one that had this idea because there where still many people inside including Les Turoczi from 6moons.com. We spun more cd’s, for 2.5 hours after the show was over in fact. At one point Sean crawled behind the equipment and started braking down some of the equipment. Apparently the audience wasn’t ready to go home just yet so Sean broke down only the equipment that wasn’t being used, carefully pulling all the tubes out of his backup amps with a small white cloth.

Sean also twice manage to unplug something being used by accident after all we had the lights turned down in the room, to show off the tubes. The first time he unplugged the amp and plugged it back in. Next he unplugged the CD player. This time he said “this time I know it wasn’t me” jokingly. They really are the nicest bunch of guys you could ever hope to meet. But all good things must come to an end. As we where all leaving the room I got to talking to Sean and Ron about their design philosophy. They invited me to have dinner with them where we talked more about Zu’s future plans and Sean was even curios about my work in physics at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Having dinner with Sean, Ron and Ron’s wife, and Jayme from Blue Sky, reminded me of my weekends in my youth when I would hang out with friends who where jazz musicians. They played at borders books once a month for almost no money. The ritual was the same each time they played. I would come and listen then when the crowds clear off I would help them pack up their equipment, which I got real good at. On several occasions when I had a bass swung over my shoulder, for transport, people would mistake me for a member of the band and complement me on how well I played. Then we would go out to a greasy spoon type diner to round out a great night. Now my friends now longer perform together. But my trip to the Home Entertainment expo brought back those memories. It was more then I ever could have hoped for!

Leve

Levente B. Hajdu

HE2007

2007-05-18T15:22:00.000-06:00

Sean’s show report:

A great show, even after missing the ship date and having to drive the gear out from Utah; it's only 2100 miles, one way.

Zu had a great time in NY; really fun people, got to talk with some great music freaks, put names and faces together--might have even sold a few things. Only problem was that I didn't get around much, Ron was stuck in the room playing DJ and trying to make a few sales, and I was outside playing hall monitor with Koby. First show we actually had a line to check our stuff out.

Comments from EnjoyTheMusic.com:

"Zu is one that sort of does it all, and more importantly from what I heard at the show does thing right too. Got to hear their Druid Mk IV speakers, which are their next to top end unit. These were connected to the rest of their system using, of course, Zu cables. Unfortunately, they hadn't named them yet so can't tell you what they were. In total, Zu's system was another one of my absolute favorites from the show both for the price and the sound." —Brett Rudolph

Comments from 6moons.com

One of the most interesting pieces of info I walked away with was from Sean Casey at Zu. They've been working on a modification for the Denon 103 cartridge. Yes, you heard that right - a mod for the Denon 103. I ran into Sean in the Hall and must have stopped dead in my room-sniffing tracks when he told me. I did manage a quick peek into the Zu room which featured a home theater setup but I grabbed some 2-channel time with the Druids and very much liked what I heard. Sean is another no-BS kinda guy and if I were a match-making type, I'd see some sort of Zu/Rogue setup somewhere down the road. All's I know is I'd want to be at that party [Zu's Adam Decaria runs a Rogue Zeus in his personal system - Ed.]. —Michael Lavorgna

Jerry and Linda Powell host the New Jersey Audio Society

2007-04-24T13:33:00.000-06:00

Some of the Audio Society members getting a good listen to Jerry's Definition Pros. His setup sounds even better than it looks.

Definition Pros in high gloss custom paint.

Jerry's rear channels are a pair of Druids in the same cutom color as his Definitions and his theater/multi channel setup is awesome.

Linda put together quite a spread and while there was a whole lot of talking I don't think anyone left hungry.

American Cancer Society - Relay for Life

2007-04-21T12:44:00.000-06:00

Zu Audio was a proud sponsor of The American Cancer Society's "Relay for life" that took place last weekend at The University of Utah.
Zu provided sound for 18 straight hours as bands and DJs played music to encourage the fundraising participants.
We really enjoyed our time there and were happy to be part of such a worthwhile event.

Adam visits Japan

2007-04-04T16:02:00.000-06:00

Cherry blossom's, good weather, good music, plenty of hospitality, and of course great food made for an enjoyable visit to Japan.

A visit to the MigMig studio where Zu cables are being used to bring even more fidelity to Sato Mitsugu's already highly regarded recordings. Thank you to Sato, and Kenji Kasuga for giving Zu the chance to develop and prove our products in the MigMig studio.

While at the MigMig studio Mitsuru Araya treated us to a live sampling of his guitar skills, which most of the Japanese audiophiles seem to be very familiar with.

A group photo after my interview with Mr. Yuichiro Fuse and Mr. Hiroyuki Kuwana (not pictured) from Sound Designer.
From left to right- the talented Mitsuru Araya; the beautiful Yoko Akahira; my very capable translator, Yoko's boyfriend (sorry audiophiles- like you had a chance anyway) and partner in their talent agency SWELL- Tatsuhiko Akahira , Pacific Audio's Hiroshi Nemoto (proof that surfing can lead to greater intelligence); smiling because he knows he's just getting started producing ground breaking recordings- Studio MigMig's Sato Mitsugu; bald guy of little interest; and Mr. Yuichiro Fuse who you can learn more about by visiting his website. link

A visit to the Yamaha Music School with Hiroshi Nemoto from Pacific Audio and Sato Mitsugu from MigMig where Sato and Mitsuru Araya both studied.

Sato at the helm.

My interview at the Yamaha Music School with Mr. Hiroya Murai.

In the home of Hiroya Murai after some great music played through his well regarded Hifi system.

Mitsuru Araya on his mini guitar playing another technical tune.

Group photo after an invterview with Mr. Masanori Hayashi and Mr. Katsunori Isayama (not pictured) of Phile web, Audio Accessory, and Analog. Phile Web

Sato, Adam, and Hiroshi posing with the Maserati Blue Nettuno Druid on display at Audio Union.

The Druids placed and ready for listening in the Chiyoda-ku Audio Union.

Deepsky Photos

2007-03-13T11:49:00.000-06:00

preparations for Deepsky

2007-03-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

...just got back from setting up the system for tomorrow night. Had to do quite a bit of room treatment, but it's sounding good.

...just after unpacking the truck...

No this is not Deepsky, though Adam is just as bald.
...Adam Decaria checks the gear. Dustin from Exile Events hangs lights.

Check back later for photos from the Event.

Deepsky

2007-03-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Zu Audio will be providing sound for Deepsky this Saturday (March 10, 2007) in Salt Lake City.

The 1996 release of Stargazer catapulted Deepsky to worldwide recognition and launched a career that has since encompassed over 300 live and DJ performances, 16 original releases including the critically acclaimed full-length album In Silico, and over 30 remixes for world-class artists including Madonna, Seal, David Bowie, Paul Oakenfold, and The Crystal Method. Infusing these pop icons with the Deepsky style brought a new group of listeners into the Deepsky fold, with both Madonna remixes enjoying number one slots on the Billboard Dance Charts, and a nod of recognition from Remix Magazine as they named Deepsky Breakthrough Remixer of the Year for 2003.

Deepsky's live show is sensory stimulation at its highest level, a rare intersection of inspiration, perspiration, technology, and emotion, you don't want to miss this event.