Zu and Peachtree: A Felicitous Pairing

Ah, Zu Audio, ever the chameleon, albeit with a distinctive color. At the California Audio Show last August, Zu paired their loudspeakers with gray-tinged tube electronics that toned down their sometimes metallic leading edge; at RMAF, with Peachtree Audio’s Grand Integrated ($4500), whose design let the true nature of Zu’s Druid Mk.V loudspeakers ($5200/pair), Submission sub ($3995/each), and Zu Event cabling, emerge in the best possible light. With the system easily filling the large room, Animal Collective sounded suitably raucous—Zu is take no prisoners when it comes to rock—and Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” emerged with all its electric guitar brightness and vocal warmth. Equally winning was a 24/192 rip from vinyl of a Shelby Lynne track (recorded with an Ayre QA-9 USB A/D converter and Lyra cartridge), with the midrange especially fine. And, of course, the bass was always solid. A winning combo if ever there was one.

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