CTH-8550 mark2 and Zellaton

Geert1962

Well-Known Member
Apr 18, 2014
41
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315
The Netherlands
A few months ago I bought the Zellaton Stage speakers. I wonder if the CTH=8550 mk 2 will be a great match.
At this moment I own a Spectral pre and power amp. Advice for a better amp is welcome.
 
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TechnicalPie

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Aug 24, 2019
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A few months ago I bought the Zellaton Stage speakers. I wonder if the CTH=8550 mk 2 will be a great match.
At this moment I own a Spectral pre and power amp. Advice for a better amp is welcome.
Please tell us about the sound of these speakers?
 

Hyperion

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
441
231
950
Stockholm/Sweden
A few months ago I bought the Zellaton Stage speakers. I wonder if the CTH=8550 mk 2 will be a great match.
At this moment I own a Spectral pre and power amp. Advice for a better amp is welcome.

Congratulations to one of the very best speakers available today.

Zellaton needs and deserves amplification of the highest quality offering sufficient power. The CTH-8550 is a nice integrated for sure, but I would suggest something more powerful with proper extension and drive. CH Precision and Ypsilon are both wonderful options where we've got great results here in Stockholm partnered with Zellaton Stage. Boulder is another alternative if you're looking for a highly neutral and powerful foundation.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
 

nirodha

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2010
678
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Congratulations to one of the very best speakers available today.

Zellaton needs and deserves amplification of the highest quality offering sufficient power. The CTH-8550 is a nice integrated for sure, but I would suggest something more powerful with proper extension and drive. CH Precision and Ypsilon are both wonderful options where we've got great results here in Stockholm partnered with Zellaton Stage. Boulder is another alternative if you're looking for a highly neutral and powerful foundation.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
Maybe even thé Best loudspeaker manufacturer in the world. The speakers would really blossom when fed by the best tube amps one could afford.
 
Last edited:

Geert1962

Well-Known Member
Apr 18, 2014
41
15
315
The Netherlands
Congratulations to one of the very best speakers available today.

Zellaton needs and deserves amplification of the highest quality offering sufficient power. The CTH-8550 is a nice integrated for sure, but I would suggest something more powerful with proper extension and drive. CH Precision and Ypsilon are both wonderful options where we've got great results here in Stockholm partnered with Zellaton Stage. Boulder is another alternative if you're looking for a highly neutral and powerful foundation.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
Thank you. The Stage is indeed one of the very best speakers. Recently I bought the Thrax Dionysos preamp and Heros poweramps. The match perfect. Live music in my house.
 
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Hyperion

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
441
231
950
Stockholm/Sweden
Thank you. The Stage is indeed one of the very best speakers. Recently I bought the Thrax Dionysos preamp and Heros poweramps. The match perfect. Live music in my house.

Good for you - congratulations! Thrax makes wonderful electronics.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
 
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Mikeeo

VIP/Donor
Oct 21, 2015
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Congratulations to one of the very best speakers available today.

Zellaton needs and deserves amplification of the highest quality offering sufficient power. The CTH-8550 is a nice integrated for sure, but I would suggest something more powerful with proper extension and drive. CH Precision and Ypsilon are both wonderful options where we've got great results here in Stockholm partnered with Zellaton Stage. Boulder is another alternative if you're looking for a highly neutral and powerful foundation.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
Marcus,

"I would suggest something more powerful" I do believe CTH-8550 is the most powerful of them all so unless you had the Dartzeel at hand with the others suggested this comes out as an odd comment. I am well aware that you sell both CH and Ypsilon but still, did you listen to the Dartzeel?

Mike
 

Hyperion

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
441
231
950
Stockholm/Sweden
Marcus,

"I would suggest something more powerful" I do believe CTH-8550 is the most powerful of them all so unless you had the Dartzeel at hand with the others suggested this comes out as an odd comment. I am well aware that you sell both CH and Ypsilon but still, did you listen to the Dartzeel?

Mike

You're right of course if comparing the integrated amplifiers offered from the brands mentioned. The Zellaton Stage is a €80-90.000 speaker though that deserves a pre- and power combination generally.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
 
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Mikeeo

VIP/Donor
Oct 21, 2015
26
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233
Pan European
You're right of course if comparing the integrated amplifiers offered from the brands mentioned. The Zellaton Stage is a €80-90.000 speaker though that deserves a pre- and power combination generally.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
Marcus,

…deserves of course best amplification but pre and power amplifier is not necessary the solution, just saying best amplification what ever unit or mix of units it may be…

Mike
 

Hyperion

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
441
231
950
Stockholm/Sweden
Marcus,

…deserves of course best amplification but pre and power amplifier is not necessary the solution, just saying best amplification what ever unit or mix of units it may be…

Mike

It doesn't have to be a pre- and power combination of course. I'm more often than not in favor of integrated solutions, especially these days where many manufacturers focus more and more on this segment developing very high-end solutions (CH Precision, Audionet, Boulder, Vitus etc.).

But then again, at this very elevated level of speakers, a pre- and power combination seems reasonable - especially as these speakers are relatively power hungry.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
 

Geert1962

Well-Known Member
Apr 18, 2014
41
15
315
The Netherlands
Marcus,

…deserves of course best amplification but pre and power amplifier is not necessary the solution, just saying best amplification what ever unit or mix of units it may be…

Mike
I listened to several integrated amps and to pre and power apmlifiers in combination with my Zellaton. For me and my ears in the first place the best is the Thrax pre and power amp. Maybe for you is an integrated the best.
 

jtinn

Industry Expert
Apr 20, 2010
503
70
483
You're right of course if comparing the integrated amplifiers offered from the brands mentioned. The Zellaton Stage is a €80-90.000 speaker though that deserves a pre- and power combination generally.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
At some point you need to stop and admit you were out of line. First it is not powerful enough and then it is an integrated and the speakers deserve better.

You must mean it needs to be something YOU sell. Cmon.
 

Geert1962

Well-Known Member
Apr 18, 2014
41
15
315
The Netherlands
At some point you need to stop and admit you were out of line. First it is not powerful enough and then it is an integrated and the speakers deserve better.

You must mean it needs to be something YOU sell. Cmon.
I don't understand your reaction. Perfect-sense is a company based in Sweden; I live in The Netherlands and buy my amps and more here not in Sweden. Have you ever heard th Zellatons? There are a lot of great amps that make the Xellaton sing like a nightingale. e.g. darTZeel, Soulution, CH Precision and als Thrax. Thrax is for met the best choice. Yes Marcus is a Thrax seller in Sweden and gave me advice like I asked for. Your advice I've missed. Perhaps DarTZeel? Or Pass? Also great stuff but not for me.
 

jtinn

Industry Expert
Apr 20, 2010
503
70
483
I don't understand your reaction. Perfect-sense is a company based in Sweden; I live in The Netherlands and buy my amps and more here not in Sweden. Have you ever heard th Zellatons? There are a lot of great amps that make the Xellaton sing like a nightingale. e.g. darTZeel, Soulution, CH Precision and als Thrax. Thrax is for met the best choice. Yes Marcus is a Thrax seller in Sweden and gave me advice like I asked for. Your advice I've missed. Perhaps DarTZeel? Or Pass? Also great stuff but not for me.
What is so hard to understand about my response to him? Whether he is in your country or not has little to do with my response. He said:

"Zellaton needs and deserves amplification of the highest quality offering sufficient power. The CTH-8550 is a nice integrated for sure, but I would suggest something more powerful with proper extension and drive."

Above he suggests that darTZeel is not of the "highest quality" and doesn't have the "proper extension and drive". Do you think if darTZeel was a brand he sold that he would say that?

He then goes on to push his own products:

"CH Precision and Ypsilon are both wonderful options where we've got great results here in Stockholm partnered with Zellaton Stage. Boulder is another alternative if you're looking for a highly neutral and powerful foundation."

His response was unprofessional and promoted / shilled his products.

You have missed my advice because I had not offered any. Had you asked me directly, I would have told you darTZeel is by far the most natural and realistic sound I have ever hear. While it may not be the answer for every speaker or every listener, I feel it is a singular voice in a very crowded world of electronics and I would build a system around darTZeel and not around a speaker.

In answer to your other question, yes, I have heard the Zellatons numerous times unfortunately not with darTZeel :)
 
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gestalt

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Aug 3, 2019
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gestalt.audio
If helpful, I've had the darTZeel CTH-8550 Mk2 on a set of Zellaton Legacy loudspeakers in my studio and the pairing was lovely. Plenty of power. Lamm is quite nice on the Legacy, too. Unfortunately I haven't heard darT on the Stage.

Industry disclosure: I'm a dealer, although not for Zellaton.
 

Geert1962

Well-Known Member
Apr 18, 2014
41
15
315
The Netherlands
What is so hard to understand about my response to him? Whether he is in your country or not has little to do with my response. He said:

"Zellaton needs and deserves amplification of the highest quality offering sufficient power. The CTH-8550 is a nice integrated for sure, but I would suggest something more powerful with proper extension and drive."

Above he suggests that darTZeel is not of the "highest quality" and doesn't have the "proper extension and drive". Do you think if darTZeel was a brand he sold that he would say that?

He then goes on to push his own products:

"CH Precision and Ypsilon are both wonderful options where we've got great results here in Stockholm partnered with Zellaton Stage. Boulder is another alternative if you're looking for a highly neutral and powerful foundation."

His response was unprofessional and promoted / shilled his products.

You have missed my advice because I had not offered any. Had you asked me directly, I would have told you darTZeel is by far the most natural and realistic sound I have ever hear. While it may not be the answer for every speaker or every listener, I feel it is a singular voice in a very crowded world of electronics and I would build a system around darTZeel and not around a speaker.

In answer to your other question, yes, I have heard the Zellatons numerous times unfortunately not with darTZeel :)
I know that darTZeel makes great amplifiers. Unfortunately there is no distributor in The Netherlands. Thrax amplfiers are an excellent match for the Stage.
 

Big Dog RJ

Well-Known Member
Feb 2, 2012
1,242
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Melbourne
G'day maties, greetings from down unda.

Dartzeel and Zellaton will be one formidable combination! I had a Dartzeel on loan for a while, since my CJ monoblocks had to go for both a service and upgrade. The Dartzeel drove my CLX's with a mighty fine level of control and finesse, and it was a wonderful experience.

However, my passion is always with tubes and stats, so as a personal preference I just love tubes. BTW, our new owner and chief tech of CJ based in VA, uses Zellaton speakers as a reference in their sound room as well as in production / voicing the tube amplifiers. The CJ ART300's won amplifiers of the year, I certainly imagine the sound with Zellaton speakers, simply marvellous!

BTW, did you get this combination, and how has the overall performance been? What were the main points of improvement you've come across? Always great to hear these systems and learn from new experiences.

Enjoy those fine tunes!
Cheers, RJ
 

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