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COOLEST ROOM

Most rooms at hi-fi shows rely on a tired paradigm: dim, dramatic lighting; ferns; a pair of speakers along one wall; and a guy at the side of the room playing tunes from a computer or CD player. Judging from the unmatched enthusiasm of the showgoers hanging out in the Zu Audio room, I suggest there may be a better way.

In this room, Zu's Sean Casey had the system set up at an angle, facing a curved row of chairs. Casey stood behind the system, using headphones to cue up tunes from two Technics SL-1200 turntables modified by Zu to fit Rega RB-700 tonearms bearing Zu's own ZuDL-103 cartridges. Casey captivated his audience by pulling from a huge stash of his favorite records, all played through Zu's Soul Superfly speakers driven by an Audion tube amp. I coulda listened all day - and probably shoulda.