John
Got Soul? Utah’s Zu Audio has skipped generations 3, 4 and 5 to bring us the Soul 6 loudspeaker. According to their website’s promo copy, the new model is “natural, unhyped, uncolored, and confident as ****”. You fill in the blanks. More plainly, the Soul 6 is a squat 82cm high floorstander that fully acknowledges that a loudspeaker is a piece of audio furniture.
“We have also realized near Druid 6 level of driver-to-cabinet coupling and integration”, continues the promo blurb with the biggest gains reportedly made to the Soul 6’s bass response: -3dB (in room) at 45Hz. “A subwoofer may not be necessary depending on room, amp, program, and personal taste.”
Soul 6 features an all-new okoume wood cabinet whose internal structure has been overhauled to house the 10″ Eminence driver – not an off-the-shelf model but one built to Zu’s specifications – that runs full range before handing-off to a coaxially aligned high-pass-filtered super-tweeter.
What I dig about Zu Audio’s loudspeakers is that they offer a more modern take on high-efficiency designs — a more contemporary-looking alternative to Klipsch’s higher-end models (or horns) for anyone chasing that ‘live’ sound. The Soul 6 will greet amplifiers with a nominal 8 Ohm load to produce 99dB @ 1W/1m.
How much moulah? US$5995/pair. Pricing that’s factory-direct to side-step dealer/distributor mark-ups. Special finishes attract a premium but anyone buying a pair of Soul 6 in 2021 gets a 120-day home trial instead of the usual 60. Zu will also sort and pay for return shipping. Can you ask for more? No, you cannot.
Further information: Zu Audio
Photo credit: Ian Casey
