Zu AudioDruid mkIVusedZu Audio Druid mkIV 08 w/ Nextel Black Upgrade -- NICE!For sale is a one owner, excellent condition Zu Audio Druid MKIV/08 pair with custom Nextel, matte black finish. Sale includes all original packing, boxes, manuals, driver covers, etc. These spe...1900.00

Zu Audio Druid mkIV 08 w/ Nextel Black Upgrade -- NICE!

Listing ID: lis66a18 Classified 
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Condition
9/10
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Ships fromHoltwood, PA, 17532
Ships toUnited States
Package dimensionsunspecified
Shipping carrierUPS
Shipping cost$100.00
Original accessoriesBox, Manual
AverageResearch Pricing

For sale is a one owner, excellent condition Zu Audio Druid MKIV/08 pair with custom Nextel, matte black finish. Sale includes all original packing, boxes, manuals, driver covers, etc.   


These speakers were purchased by me from Adam at Zu Audio directly (one of the co-founders). At Adam's suggestion, I opted for the Nextel smooth matte black finish, a $300 upgrade. This finish provides a stealth-like finish that Adam advised would help absorb sound reflections (versus shinier finishes that reflect sound more harshly).    


Now in its fifth generation (and selling at $5,400 with no options), the Druid has quickly become a legend in hi-fi circles, with very few of them coming up for sale. I lost my job about a week ago, and with recently born twins having just come home from the NICU, I need to part with a few of my toys. I hadn't planned to part with these any time soon, and was actually in talks with Zu about purchasing the latest driver upgrade, but such is life!   


Since being introduced in 2001, the Zu Audio Druid has garnered quite a following. This is the MK IV/08 version, which included several significant upgrades over previous generations (per Zu Audio):   

Mk4 / 08 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.

Mk4 / 08 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.

Mk4 / 08 full-range driver changes:


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

Druid Mk4 / 08 builds on the mark-four platform, significantly raising its ability to recreate recorded or engineered acoustic space; yeah, all the previous generations that have came before did a good job at imaging, but the mark-four ‘08 takes it to a whole new level or realism. In addition, we also found a few ways to improve overall resolution, bass extension, and lower noise. In musical terms; better articulation, and improved depth of space and texture, more instrument color, and presence, if on the recording, that is as good as it gets.

If you're reading this listing, you probably already know that the Zu Audio Druid has garnered more praise than just about any loudspeaker in recent memory, including the following (several of which were even before the MKIV/08 upgrade!):

 
 

  • Loudspeaker of the Decade (Audiotechnique)
  • Loudspeaker of the Year (c|net)
  • Top 10 Audiophile Speakers (c|net)
  • 5 Stars (Hi-Fi World)
  • Writer's Choice Award (Positive Feedback)
  • Lunar Eclipse Award (6moons.com)

Here are a few quotes from the audiophile press:    



“Very seldom do the first few seconds of listening to a new component leave me open mouthed. The aliveness and realism of the Druids are nothing short of amazing, and exceed any loudspeaker I have ever heard… The realism of the musical event these speakers can deliver is unmatched by anything I have ever heard…” (Chris Groppi, Secrets of Home Theater and High
Fidelity
)

 

“I can push the Druids to beyond-sane listening levels, while getting a realistic sense of the size of the recorded space. Dynamic compression is non-existent with the Druids. Other speakers may claim to offer the equivalent of a live event, but the Druids truly deliver, in spades.”
(Danny Kaey, Positive Feedback)

 

“I currently have a speaker in-house that weighs in at 5 drivers per side and about x 10 the sticker shock. It doesn't even come close to doing the magic which the Druids deliver so nonchalantly at subdued as well as thundering levels… In short, they're everything their marketing propaganda promised… the Druid on its own is a bona fide statement speaker of exceptional balance. If you have any ambitions of jumping off the ol' audiophile hamster mill, the Druid could be your ticket to sanity. I suspect that for many, it'll be the end of a long and often convoluted and expensive journey... (Srajan Ebaen, 6moons.com)

 

“This is one of the most enjoyable speakers I have had the chance to spend time with. No matter what kind of music I listened to, I was having a blast…” (Jeff Dorgay, Tone Audio)

These speakers are coming from a neat-freak, non-smoking home. All original packing and related materials are included. The speakers themselves have no aesthetic or functional issues (though the Nextel matte finish is a bit harder to keep lint-free than ultra-smooth finish--something to note for upkeep). I used to work for Altec Lansing, and have been in audio for quite awhile. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. 

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