Zu Druid questions

Duke,
Please take note that people ate before they began tinkering with agriculture. I'm not sure my correction is any more pertinient than your analogy attempt but I felt like pointing out that discrepancy.
Now, as for science, I am well aware that scientific data and techniques were applied to the creation of the Zu designs. What I am mocking is the ongoing second guessing so many of you feel qualified to apply to other peoples designs. Jack is asking for fellow members to share any experience they have with two specific speakers. He is not seeking prognostication. I've reread his post and he has not asked for opinions of what the speaker SHOULD sound like based upon an educated guess. The whole laboratory/measurement debate is stupid but if you are one who values those numbers, hell, it's your money , do your thing. I'm sure a lot of people will jump to your defense at this point and Tvad will surely scold me. Nonetheless, I maintain that the lab talk should be witheld until requested. It muddies too many discussions and hijacks too many threads.

Listening before you buy is unnecessary advice with the Druids except when you buy used. New Druids are only available from the Zu factory and they automatically provide you with a 60 day return option. If you don't like them, you will only have spent round trip shipping. Call Zu for a precise shipping quote and you will know how much money you are risking.
In the case of used Druids, they appear to sell immediately for their asking price so I should think the financial risk there is even less than for new ones.
If you choose not to keep them, think of the expenditure as a 60 day rental fee or as the cost of research. In either case, U.S. buyers will find the gamble insignificant. Shipping is surprisingly cheap via FedEx ground.

What is the value of all this speculation about whether of not the Druid design should work? It clearly works for a lot of people. "Science Says" is a fun game for awhile for a certain sort of person but the proof is in the listening.
I have no expertise in speaker design but I have wondered if the unusually short excursion of the full range driver could explain anything about the success the Druid enjoys. The driver movement is not visible until you reach very high listening levels and then only slightly.
Also, why should the diameter of the driver be a limiting factor? The QUAD 57, to which I hear the Druid compared sometimes, has a much larger radiating surface. Does it also defy the calculations of our critics? Or does it also benefit from very short excursion? Is it transitional speed that benefits both in defying projections that should limit them?
Maybe it is possible that Zu started out with a design that should not be able to work and manipulated it in such a way that it works quite well. I don't know their secrets but I remember being told that they took old technology and found ways to improve upon it using modern tools and materials. Maybe they did that. Maybe not. Still, the speaker is a marvel and deserves investigation. If it turns out you don't like it, you will have had some fun experimenting and you will be able to provide us with an educated and informed opinion.

Sorry, guys. I didn't mean to attack anybody but time and again I have seen these simple requests turned into engineering dialogues which completely abandon the original poster. I suppose if he were to come on board and request clarification this might make sense. As it is, I believe he has been left high and dry.
For a few of you, the emphasis seems to be on what went into the speaker but you may be surprised to learn that most of us only care about what comes out of it.

F1audio made my point much better than I did.
If you like the speaker or vegetable or movie, it doesn't really matter what the gauges, meters, formulae or critics say.
All that counts is that you are enjoying yourself. The Absolute Sound paradigm has completely distracted us all away from our own judgement. It's like letting Hugh Hefner tell you who to marry.

Good suggestion,Tvad. I think I read somewhere (6moons?)that Zu has started to break-in all of their speakers prior to shipment. Best to confirm that with Sean or Adam rather than just believing me.
And by the way, everybody, what's wrong with buying your speakers because you think they're cute or they match your vest or the butcher has a pair? We audiophiles make this kind of selection a matter of life and death. And we battle over a hair's breadth of difference between two products both of which stand a mile above Bose.
I think our anal obsession may be a good part of what keeps non-audiophiles from enjoying the music. For me this is a passtime, not a sacrament.

Thanks for lending so much credibility, Steve. I've been flailing away in the wilderness fighting editorial suppression and uninformed naysayers for well over a year on the topic of Zu Druids. These speakers are so much bigger in performance than anyone would guess from looking at them. I moved up to the Definitions about a year ago but I still consider retreating to the Druid because they offer more bang for the buck than any other speaker I have noticed including my Defs.

It's really cool seeing the Druids standing over that sophisticated recording console. Quite a testimonial.

Jack = Try an Onix SP-3 on your Cornwalls. You can find one for between $500 and $600 on Audiogon. It's an integrated amp with two inputs. If you need more than that, use an inexpensive passive preamp as a switchbox. You will be very impressed with the results this gives you. If you decide not to keep it for any reason, sell it for what you paid.