The End Of A 35 Year Journey ---Zellaton -The Reference Ultra Final Frontier

[sbo6]

I appreciate your feedback but even Emile this morning said he doesn’t need them and not necessary. If Zellaton felt they were necessary I bet they would be making them.

of course everyone should do as they choose but I’ve discovered that MOST ZELLATON owners are purists for that coherent ZELLATON quality with no additions.

Thanks Steve for sharing. An interesting data point, that speaker manufacture's owners don't employ subs, even though their models don't have recognizably large woofers' surface area (reference has 3: 9" drivers in a 3 - way design) compared to, say the Magico M6 with 3: 10.5" woofers (at ~$90K less) and with 2x the woofer driver surface area.

Also, specific to Zellaton and their logic whereby subs being required would be a product if they felt necessary, I'm not sure I agree as many high - end speaker companies don't make subs, yet I don't recall them outright not recommending them. Or conversely, most do make subs, recognizing room mode challenges and the overall benefits of subs like Wilson, Magico, Stenheim, Karma, Goebel Divin, Sonus faber, Paradigm, Kef, Wilson Benesch, etc. It would be interesting to hear the Zellaton designers' recommendations and not just from owners.

In any case, I hope you enjoy your new speakers!

 

[Porsche]

fm acoustic is superb gear

 

[infinitely baffled]

To answer your question. This video is pretty darn convincing

Very nice. Soothing.
We'd call that sub genre 'Goa trance'

If you fancied something similair, but darker and more propulsive, try 'Oto' by Fluke.
Probably the best engineered album I've ever owned. Be sure to get the cd, as in this instance, the digital version is superior to the vinyl edition.


Congratulations on your choice of speakers. Will follow your journey with interest.
May i ask, does the version you've chosen have the quasi open baffle arrangement at the rear?

 

[Audio_Karma]

Thanks Steve for sharing. An interesting data point, that speaker manufacture's owners don't employ subs, even though their models don't have recognizably large woofers' surface area (reference has 3: 9" drivers in a 3 - way design) compared to, say the Magico M6 with 3: 10.5" woofers (at ~$90K less) and with 2x the woofer driver surface area.

Also, specific to Zellaton and their logic whereby subs being required would be a product if they felt necessary, I'm not sure I agree as many high - end speaker companies don't make subs, yet I don't recall them outright not recommending them. Or conversely, most do make subs, recognizing room mode challenges and the overall benefits of subs like Wilson, Magico, Stenheim, Karma, Goebel Divin, Sonus faber, Paradigm, Kef, Wilson Benesch, etc. It would be interesting to hear the Zellaton designers' recommendations and not just from owners.

In any case, I hope you enjoy your new speakers!

 

[Al M.]

Boy, are we still having the sub discussion? I thought Steve had made it clear that he was not interested and other Zellaton owners don't find the need for subs either.

I myself have subs and think they should be added to any speaker *), but even I get bored by the derailing of this thread.
_______________

*) my personal opinion; yet it also depends on the room if that is even feasible

 

[Audioarts]

I’ve really enjoyed partnering ZELLATON with FM Acoustics. In addition to my Statement/FM system above, here’s one of my favorites for a client in East Hampton, Long Island. ZELLATON Reference with top tier FM including the formidable 1811 mk2 amplifier, 266, 223, custom digital front end that I commissioned from Rolf Gemain/Symphonic Line, and for analog - Thales Compact\Statement/Fuuga. Schnerzinger throughout. Very fast and visceral but with incredible delicacy, nuance and color. The midrange here is simply phenomenal - imho

 

[Al M.]

I’ve really enjoyed partnering ZELLATON with FM Acoustics. In addition to my Statement/FM system above, here’s one of my favorites for a client in East Hampton, Long Island. ZELLATON Reference with top tier FM including the formidable 1811 mk2 amplifier, 266, 223, custom digital front end that I commissioned from Rolf Gemain/Symphonic Line, and for analog - Thales Compact\Statement/Fuuga. Schnerzinger throughout. Very fast and visceral but with incredible delicacy, nuance and color. The midrange here is simply phenomenal - imho

Looks nice, gorgeous building and open view, but tons of glass and what seems to be uncovered stone floor. I would be surprised if this environment was not acoustically challenged.

 

[christoph]

Looks nice, gorgeous building and open view, but tons of glass and what seems to be uncovered stone floor. I would be surprised if this environment was not acoustically challenged.

Those are renderings

 

[Al M.]

Those are renderings

You're right, there are no cables.

 

[LL21]

You're right, there are no cables.

Actually, there are cables underneath each speaker. It could be they have simply put them down under the speaker into a conduit under the floor. (That is what we did...so cables are not visible...though unfortunately, the TA Opus network box still is.)

 

[Audioarts]

Lyod, you are correct. We worked with an architect and designer for elegant wire management under the floors. Custom lengths used throughout. Here you can see excess wires in the bottom rear of the left Reference. Curtains and rugs throughout room.

 

[LL21]

Lyod, you are correct. We worked with an architect and designer for elegant wire management under the floors. Custom lengths used throughout. Here you can see excess wires in the bottom rear of the left Reference. Curtains and rugs throughout room.

Thanks...thought so. We did same, and with that kind of home and view, we are not surprised to see it placed all 'neatly out of the way'. Particularly seeing the small coils under each speaker in the original photo was kind of the start of the giveaway.

You do beautiful work!

 

[Audioarts]

Thanks...thought so. We did same, and with that kind of home and view, we are not surprised to see it placed all 'neatly out of the way'. Particularly seeing the small coils under each speaker in the original photo was kind of the start of the giveaway.

You do beautiful work!

Thank you!

 

[sbo6]

Boy, are we still having the sub discussion? I thought Steve had made it clear that he was not interested and other Zellaton owners don't find the need for subs either.

I myself have subs and think they should be added to any speaker *), but even I get bored by the derailing of this thread.
_______________

*) my personal opinion; yet it also depends on the room if that is even feasible

Sorry, some of us don't sit with bated breath waiting / following the next comment(s) that might remotely stray off center topic, you know, the way it does in an in - person conversation. It's all good, moving on.

 

[Steve williams]

Sorry, some of us don't sit with bated breath waiting / following the next comment(s) that might remotely stray off center topic, you know, the way it does in an in - person conversation. It's all good, moving on.

FWIW, I love WBF. I started it almost 15 years ago. There was a time when I would start threads at a staccato pace. Sadly I am not able to do this any more as I am too involved now with the administrative issues of WBF which seems to have taken over my life. I started this thread as a finality to my audio journey. It's one I never thought I would be making after a 35 year owner of so many models of Wilson Speakers. I really thought what I have now would sail off into the sunset with me. It was my desire to chronicle the end of one journey and the birth of another. This final aspect to my odyssey does not involve subs. It involves new speakers and the much anticipated joy from which I will derive. Is it too much to ask of those who continue to mention subs to just humor this old guy and appreciate the fact that it's not going to happen. I respect other opinions but why keep bringing it up when all I want to do is to enlighten others as to everything new that is going to happen with the addition of the Zellaton Reference Ultra to my system. Zellaton is not as well known in this country as USA made speakers but it has a track record of one family making these wonderful speakers for almost 100 years from the ground up. With fewer Zellaton owners here on this side of the pond than owners of USA made speakers it is to me a hidden gem that needs to be sought out it is my hope to share with this community what I learn and what I hear from these wonderful speakers. Thanks again in advance and for humoring me as I go forward. I am hoping that my learning experience will become a learning experience for this community as I chronicle my findings. That has always been my goal. Perhaps this thread might stimulate others to make a similar purchase and to explore them with the use of subs. What I have heard and read does not provoke that desire within me. I hope you all understand.

 

[Porsche]

a properly designed tower shouldn't need a dedicated sub IMO, maybe if you wanna hear 15 cycles with some classical music but a full range tower shouldn't need one

 

[Al M.]

Sorry, some of us don't sit with bated breath waiting / following the next comment(s) that might remotely stray off center topic, you know, the way it does in an in - person conversation. It's all good, moving on.

I am usually the one who fights back against those "policemen" who complain that a thread has gone off topic -- it's the internet, dude, and threads naturally go in all kinds of directions, so what. Just let it flow, I'd say.

But this curious insistence by several people on keeping the subwoofer theme alive against explicit wishes was different.

 

[microstrip]

a properly designed tower shouldn't need a dedicated sub IMO, maybe if you wanna hear 15 cycles with some classical music but a full range tower shouldn't need one

Sorry to interrupt the thread, but some rooms may need subs due to bass cancellation, no matter the size of the speaker. It is common knowledge. Steve has a well treated room, created by an acoustician who took special care of bass during its conception - I remember reading about it in his thread. I am almost sure he does not need them.

 

[Opabin]

Steve, what have you heard about the running in period your new speakers may need? With their unique drivers, I wondered if it might take longer than usual.

 

[Audioarts]

Steve, what have you heard about the running in period your new speakers may need? With their unique drivers, I wondered if it might take longer than usual.

Great question. Like all speakers, Zellaton benefits from break in and I usually recommend roughly 50 hours. The unique lightweight cone drivers really come to life quite quickly.