Zu Soul Superfly

Welcome to the club Troy! Definitely keep us posted. U won't be disappointed. Sold my Totems last week, they served me well & I enjoyed them for years, but these Superflys are definitely a step up. Looking for a tube amp to work with my idecco. Decware seems to be in my price range at the moment. I also have the mission cables on the way. To think that these can sound better with a few upgrades is hard to imagine... but I can't wait!

Holy crap. Have you guys read the 2010 Q4 entry in the company history part of their page?

Zu hires “venture capitalist” Kristian Pettengill as CEO, hired to develop Zu’s business and position it for outside capitalization. Unknown to Sean, Adam and the core of Zu, Kristian is moving Zu down a road where Kristian benefits but at the expense of Sean, Adam and Zu. Kristian Pettengill establishes terms with all suppliers, moving Zu from being cashed based to accrual. And having fiduciary and business responsibility Kristian unilaterally doubled the new accountants salary, tells her not to pay suppliers, and further instructs her not to bother Sean and Adam with these details. All core Zu people are distracted, kept very busy training and coordinating all the new hires and product production—included Sean and Adam. All core people are working insanely long days trying to keep up with fourth quarter sales, on top of everything else. Kristian focus on revenue and pays no attention to profit, running obscene discounts on products, damaging Zu value and leveraging short term cash flow. Kristian Pettengill falls short on all responsibilities and promises. Adam and Sean are noticing big problems with the running of the Zu 13-days of Christmas promo and ask for a complete review of position, he is laid off. Zu agreed that K.P. could go to the CES show in Las Vegas to follow through with his “meetings with likely investors.” Two days before the opening of CES in Las Vegas, Kristian Pettengill is gambling with new creative hire Chuck Williams, playing $2,000 hands at the blackjack table; Adam and Sean see unauthorized transfers in Zu’s bank account, learning later that Kristian has sweet talked his way back into the account. Sean and Adam realized they have a big problem, that Kristian has not positioned Zu for funding, likely has no potential investors, and has not built a credible business plan. Kristian Pettengill is fired the day before the start of the show. Ron, Simon, Chuck, Sean, Adam, experience the longest show of their lives, realizing that under Kristian Zu had gone from being in the black to being upside down several hundred thousand dollars.

THAT explains quite a bit of the bizarre sales strategy...

Thanks for the kind words guys.

Morganc, My source right now isn't ideal for the Superfly's (Cary/Dared tube pre and B&K 200.2 amp), but I've been planning a upgrade/change on these anyway in the near future. I know that the Superfly's sound best with all tubes, but frankly I've grown tired of messing with them. I want something with less maintenace, less noise and a remote control, and easier and safer for my family to operate when I'm at work. I spoke to Sean over the phone about this, telling him that I wasn't in love with the idea of going all tube again and he started recommending the Omen Def, with my current equipment, since it's designed to be more SS freindly. But after I told him I was going to be switching down the road anyway, and that I was targeting the Virtue Audio 901 Sensation w/tube buffer, he changed his tune. He told me that he has heard this exact combo at a show with Seth (designer of the Virtue amps) and he was amazed at how good it sounded. He said it bettered the Krell and Levinson reference equipment they had with them. Sean said they have some non-tube Virtue amps at the Zu shop that they mess around with and they sound a little colder and a little sterile without the tube. The added tube seems to make things come together and adds the sweetness that these speakers like. It seemed to be one of the few SS amps he would recommend for the Superfly's. He thought I would be very pleased with this combo.

I'll let you guys know...

"Holy crap. Have you guys read the 2010 Q4 entry in the company history part of their page?"

Hi Gopher, yes I have read this, and it takes some serious guts for a company to be so open about what has gone on.
For me it just makes me proud to own their products, it is a breath of fresh air to have such honesty in the industry.

James

Gopher, Whew, that's tough! While at first being surprised that they would lay it all out there like that, I realize that by the end of the page, I find myself only feeling sorry for them that it happened. So maybe it was the right way to explain things? And, the build-up of history also lets you put into perspective that - companies having growing pains. This isn't their first one, and probably won't be their last one, but they've proven before that it won't stop their dedication to continually put out new and innovative products because it's their passion. And whoever has talked to Sean on the phone would know it. He exudes it.