Zu Druid MK IVs vs. Essences

Whizzer Cone:

A small supplementary cone attached to the voice coil of a speaker for the purpose of producing and radiating high frequency content more effectively than the larger speaker cone. A whizzer cone is attached to the voice coil in the same place as the speaker cone; however, where whizzer cones are used it is necessary for there to be some additional flexibility in the joint between the speaker cone in the voice coil. This allows the speaker cone to become somewhat decoupled from the higher frequency motion of the voice coil so it doesn't dampen the voice coil from being able to move the whizzer cone at those higher rates. Whizzer cones have fallen out of popularity in the last couple of decades, mostly due to the added coloration of the signal produced by the necessary slop in the coupling between the speaker cone and voice coil.

Unless you guys have comments about Essence vs Druid, then why are you posting here? Have you heard either one? If so could you put your comments in a constructive way, vs just arguing the same point for every Zu thread that pops up? Please, give us all a break and allow those of us who want a discussion have it.

Hi,
Docks which particular Zu models have you listened to and with what amplifier? Did the audition take place in your system, dealer showroom or was it at a show? What did you think?
Thanks Much,

>>The floor excuse just doesn't cut it.<<

If you don't understand how Zu's proprietary acoustic impedance model works, and how their full range driver is affected by it, then your assessment of the "floor excuse" is invalid. This isn't a multi-way speaker with a cardboard tube port we're discussing, so it doesn't behave like one. Hear it properly installed and you'll also hear that the speaker doesn't sound like the graph. And certainly no speaker/room combination in normal domestic construction has flat response. The speaker and the room cannot be divorced from one another. Attempts to measure speaker response in a non-interactive room are irrelevant to what you'll hear if the test is conducted with the speaker in a position where one of its critical working elements is removed.

More important, no current production Zu speaker has so completely an unmitigated dependency on being placed on a floor to perform well, though to varying degrees some kind of resting surface is advised.

Phil

docks - your claims on the druid response are equivalent to removing the tube port in a 'conventional' speaker, measuring it, then mocking the speaker's response.

Zu complained to soundstage about those measurements BEFORE they were performed, or at least released. Soundstage responded that all their measurements were done according to the same protocols. Nearly a decade and several iterations later, the misleading graphs still haunt the speaker, and I'd argue the entire line.

I owned the Druids and enjoyed them quite a bit, then the Definition 1.5's, Pros, and now the 2's. I'm off the merry-go-round. I hope you can be so lucky some day.