Druid Center is a high efficiency, high output, direct radiating center channel loudspeaker designed for high fidelity home audio and home theater use, to compliment the voice and sound of Druid, Presence, or Definition main loudspeakers. It is a crossoverless, full-range single driver design, complimented by two high output super-tweeters.
The Druid Center Mk4/08 is unlike all other center channel loudspeakers on the market. Not just because it’s ours, but because it puts emphasis on real performance and not on what’s the right size, right shape, or right look. This is very apparent to anyone with rudimentary acoustics understanding—a single full-range driver right in the middle of the cabinet where it belongs, flanked by two super-tweeters, one on either side to assist in proper horizontal coverage and upper treble detail. The current trend of tweeter in the middle flanked by two mid/woofer drivers is totally screwed up. This combination always produces such wild comb distortion in the horizontal plane that no seat will hear the same tone. Yes, the center seat might sound okay, but scoot your butt around and listen.... All loudspeaker companies today making a center channel are saying that the center channel speaker should match the mains in how it sounds (helps keep you in the brand you know). Yet how many companies use the same main driver in their center as they do for the mains? Sure, a POC brand center is likely going to more closely match the sound of a POC brand main speaker, but unless the driver compliment is the same, and the fundamental design and layout of the drivers supports a nice and wide horizontal distortion-free spread of sound, center channel and left / right are not going to sound similar. Frankly, in such systems the listeners would be better served to remove the center channel and set their front loudspeaker playback settings to stereo. Likely, most that read this own a home theater and have such a mismatch; take a minute and give it a try, set your processor to 4.1 or stereo and listen, slide to the left, center, right, see if we’re just blowin’ smoke.
Also, we made the cabinet large enough to support our 10” full-range driver. Yes, we have gotten a lot of pressure to make it smaller but that wouldn’t be true to our idea of good sound, and something smaller is never going to match the sound of Druids on your mains. You either use the Druid Center because it works better than anything else and embrace it or you do something feeble, in which case we really do recommend running your system in stereo or 4.1 mode and forget the center all together. Really, a well done left right mains (stereo front end), will recreate seamless imaging and solid center image in most all home theater living / viewing arrangements.
The Druid Center Mk4/08 gets all the same driver and guts changes as the floor standing Druid Mk4/08. And just like the Druid and all our products, we are confident enough to offer a full 60-day money-back guarantee. They might not be your thing, but with a less than 1% return rate, it’s a safe bet they are. What other speaker company gives you “try ‘em in your home, with your own gear, for two months, and know for yourself if Zu is for you” terms. It’s easy, and we make it easy if you need to send ‘em back too. We are here to make cool stuff and lifelong customers.
All the Zu Druid series loudspeakers, including the Druid EFX, are a high efficiency design that also present a very friendly 12 Ohm load to the amplifier. Because of these two features, users are able to explore a whole new world of amplifier possibilities. Users of low powered amplifiers including vacuum tube single ended triod designs will have no problem mating with and driving Druid series loudspeakers to very respectable levels. And since all the Druid loudspeakers are given high power capacity, those who really want to light up the house just need to match a solid 30 Watt or better.
And one more point on the Druid virtues, one that cannot be overlooked by the majority of people and families enjoying music and movies in their home... those of us on a tight budget who would prefer to roll their hard earned money into the defining component, the loudspeakers, instead of obsolete within ten years electronics, can rest easy knowing that inexpensive solid-state receivers inherently sound better on the easy 12 Ohm load. Combine the fidelity improvement of easy loading of the receiver with the power and glory of Druids and honestly, the sound will totally amaze you. This lets you get the right loudspeakers in your room, get a real boost in enjoyment, and let you easily upgrade electronics when you’re ready.Druid Center Mk4 vs Druid Center Mk4/08 changes and features
Super-tweeter changes• Complete remanufacture of tweeter driver with the removal of all shims, gaskets and screws.
• Ferro-fluid is removed from voicecoil gap.
• Polyurethane bonding and the removal of all voids and shims on tweeter top-plate waveguide / voicecoil frame.
• Complete bonding of composite phenolic dome diaphragm suspension to driver top-plate.
• Repositioned / enhanced voicecoil / gap alignment.
• Dynamic alignment process of voicecoil and gap to ensure correct tone and shove (pre PU adhesive set).
• Reflow voicecoil lead-in pots with high quality lead-free silver bearing solder (RoHS).
• 0.5% or better matching for quality of tone and efficiency.
• 160 hours minimum factory burn-in post network termination.
Super-tweeter high pass network changes
• Simple two component (Cs + Rs) network.
• Kimber Kap 1.0 uF now featured in place of the Solen based network.
• New top performing Mills resistor with revised values.
• Reduction of termination joints by two-thirds.
• Direct connection of capacitor, resistor, FastOn, via cold-forged and sealed termination.
• FastOn terminals are now terminated using the solderless Amp crimping process.
• Dramatic reduction of solder joints. In fact, the voicecoil lead-in pots are all that remain.
• 0.1% matching.
Full-range driver changes
• Improvement in cone and cone binders.
• Improved assembly tolerance.
• 0.5% or better matched pairs.
• 160 hours minimum factory burn-in, as we’ve been doing, but this time we kit and batch them to burn-in with the matched super-tweeter assembly. Also using some new music James selected for good, well rounded, musical appreciation.
Changes are the direct result of lessons learned with the research and engineering of our Zu / Denon phono pickup, like removing all possible voids and removing or controlling resonance on plates, we’ve created a dramatically improved tweeter. All the above listed tweeter changes reduce resonance by more than 30dB comparatively and spread the Q by an octave; together changes also yield very tight batch tolerances—80% of the batch measuring within 2%.
There are not a lot of changes to the full-range drivers, the majority of the improvements can be attributed to refined processes, batching, testing, matching, and QC to ensure identical sound between channels. These changes were not possible when we were doing small runs. Now that we are batching 100 units at a time, or greater, we are able to hit these pretty fantastic tolerances. We have also improved the binders used in the paper cone and now have about as consistent a product as can be had.
Druid Center Mk4/08 loudspeakers also feature CNC machined from billet Alcoa 6061 super-tweeter lenses. Alcoa 6061 billet aluminum driver reinforcing 1/4” deep trim rings. Machined from billet aluminum binding post plates, machined serial numbers, machined driver motor components and input lugs. Other features include our Zu B3 silver alloy internal cabling, cold forged terminations for the highest possible conductance and fidelity between interconnecting terminals; CNC machined cabinets featuring an MDF core and composite shell; and the highest quality finish and finish tolerance in the business. One look, or listen to a pair of Druid loudspeakers will convince you that they are without question a world-class product made with the highest possible care—learning that they can be yours for a very approachable price is flat out bitchin.
Manufactured by us in Ogden, Utah—USA. Like everything we do.
Druid Center History
2003, Druid Center was introduced and to maintain consistency with the Druid version nomenclature, it was given a Mk2 version mark. Main concern at the time was its lack of shielding (you ain’t shielding this motor). Adoption of flat panel technology and projection has eliminated this concern.
2003, Audax informs us that they can no longer produce the tweeter we are using as they are closing their French production of drivers. We scramble to finish the driver lens and network we had been working on and launch the Druid Center Mk3 with time-aligned, machined from billet lens, phase-plug, composite dome, super awesome super-tweeter. Zu260FR/G2 was also introduced, featured a double-roll surround, and revised motor for improved bass response. B3 interface is dropped as a feature.
2004, Druid Mk4 and Druid Center Mk4 are launched with slightly improved cabinets, improved cabinet construction, improved cabinet precision from CNC milling. Improved harness assembly with the reduction of joints and solder. Revised super-tweeter network. Addition of iridescent and matte finishes. Matte finish is a true matte, but is rough like sandstone.
2008, July, Druid Center Mk4 / 08 is launched. Changes are detailed above.
