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

[Zero000]

My thoughts exactly! You are not imagining things. The silver ones are from the Klassik line and use the original sandwich technology. The dark cones are a new, less expensive driver tech (in the Evo line at least) and the tweeter is not from the same materials as the mids in the Evo line but it is the same in the Klassik line. The new Ultras are also darker cones that the tweeter shares.

I'm pretty sure it was the Zellaton Stage maybe as far back as 2017. Definitely good

Back in Zellaton's home town today. Will check them out on Saturday.

 

[morricab]

I'm pretty sure it was the Zellaton Stage maybe as far back as 2017. Definitely good

Back in Zellaton's home town today. Will check them out on Saturday.

I heard the Statements as well.

 

[Zero000]

I heard the Statements as well.

Me too.

 

[Charles S]

Steve, absolute congrats on your purchase of your Zellaton's. I am glad and happy for you. As you know I am a Wilson afficionado through and through but I also can appreciate your criticisms of them. There is no perfect speaker and there will never be. I am also a tube afficionado. I am listening to " Yellow" Cosmo... as I type through my new streaming system. This Japanese jazz is great. I also found "Midnight Sugar".

All the Best

Charles

Charles Updated System: Wilson McIntosh Audioquest

Amps: McIntosh: MC3500MKII (2); MC1.25KW (2); MC2.1KW Anniversary
Preamp: C-12000 Anniversary
Sources: MCD12000 Anniversary; MVP881; MVP851; MR87; Marantz 510LV; Lenovo Yoga laptop
Speakers: Wilson Chronosonic XVX
Sub-Woofer: Wilson Thor’s Hammer; Wilson ActivXO Stereo Electronic Crossover
Cables Main System AQ: WEL Signature speaker cables; 24’ balanced IC; balanced 1-meter Dragon IC ; WEL Signature digital, Coffee digital coaxial cables; Diamond optical (2); Diamond USB; Dragon (5 HC, 3 source cords); Thunder & Monsoon power cords
Cables Subwoofer System AQ: Redwood speaker cable; Wolf balanced subwoofer IC; Wind balanced IC to ActivXO; Hurricane HC; Firebird HC; Firebird Source; Dragon HC, power cords
Power Conditioners: AQ Niagara 7000; Niagara 5000 (3); (4) dedicated 20-amp lines.
Streaming System: Hi Fi Rose 130RS Network Transport; Samsung internal SSD; Audioquest Wel Signature digital balanced 1-meter IC; Audioquest Diamond 1.5-meter USB cable; Audioquest Dragon 2-meter source power cord; HDMI cable 24’ for music videos
Isolation: Wilson Pedestals; Bassocontinuo McIntosh Ultra Feet; X-material plinth
Cabinet: Double Custom Woodwork & Design (CWD)
Acoustic Treatments: Room and Echo Tunes

 

[LL21]

I heard the Statements as well.

What did you think?

 

[morricab]

What did you think?

The Statements were great. Just heard the Stage Ultra at the show and honestly don’t think the new speakers sound as good as those with the Klassik drivers.

 

[LL21]

The Statements were great. Just heard the Stage Ultra at the show and honestly don’t think the new speakers sound as good as those with the Klassik drivers.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[Steve williams]

The Statements were great. Just heard the Stage Ultra at the show and honestly don’t think the new speakers sound as good as those with the Klassik drivers.

According to you I guess I made a mistake then Brad

 

[Alrainbow]

Steve congrats , do you have a picture of the model your buying or own ?

 

[morricab]

According to you I guess I made a mistake then Brad

Show conditions make it hard to say. If you like the Uktras better then it’s not a mistake.

 

[Alrainbow]

We come here to share and myself included at times push too hard to make others think I'm correct
Most posters are kind and both Ron and Steve
Are exceptions in that they never go back hard at alt views. I'm sure they shake there heads but remain kind.
Steves new adventure should be received well.
He does not make anything and far as I know don't sell either
It's I think pure enjoyment a rare concept for most.

So allow him to share and enjoy , tubes have an effect on users like vinyl compared to digital .
It's not trible while it can seem so.
to me box speakers I like at shows is a handful
his new pick always sounds good at shows
Since I can't Spell well I won't try to post names lol.

how much power that's needed is for each to know, not sure how anyone can know what someone else wants and why .
I use ear buds all kinds and have a set of apogee divas in my office.
Have two krell amps to play them and a stand alone 18k btu for cooling .
I have a few tube headphone amps I cant say there is no such thing as tube magic .
It's choices we make and Steve deserves his choice .
There are some smart people here and some who maybe smart but I think make choices that make no sense to me.
But I'm guessing even they have systems I would still find facets I like.
A big congrats Steve enjoy your change , think we should understand change means all new music again to hear .
It's why I love ear buds , headphones and of course speakers all sizes and type .

 

[Steve williams]

We come here to share and myself included at times push too hard to make others think I'm correct
Most posters are kind and both Ron and Steve
Are exceptions in that they never go back hard at alt views. I'm sure they shake there heads but remain kind.
Steves new adventure should be received well.
He does not make anything and far as I know don't sell either
It's I think pure enjoyment a rare concept for most.

So allow him to share and enjoy , tubes have an effect on users like vinyl compared to digital .
It's not trible while it can seem so.
to me box speakers I like at shows is a handful
his new pick always sounds good at shows
Since I can't Spell well I won't try to post names lol.

how much power that's needed is for each to know, not sure how anyone can know what someone else wants and why .
I use ear buds all kinds and have a set of apogee divas in my office.
Have two krell amps to play them and a stand alone 18k btu for cooling .
I have a few tube headphone amps I cant say there is no such thing as tube magic .
It's choices we make and Steve deserves his choice .
There are some smart people here and some who maybe smart but I think make choices that make no sense to me.
But I'm guessing even they have systems I would still find facets I like.
A big congrats Steve enjoy your change , think we should understand change means all new music again to hear .
It's why I love ear buds , headphones and of course speakers all sizes and type .

I sell nothing and Al I thank you for saying what I wanted. Im not here to chronicle others likes and dislikes. but rather to have a thread based on a new path for me.....one that has taken me 35 years to get to. Yes I have had members reach out and ask why I am married to my Lamm amps and how these speaker will sing so much better t=with a solid state amp. I say perhaps and I dont disagree but for my ears, my satisfaction I am a tube guy and I love the sound of the Lamm Signature trilogy in my system. (ML3, LL1, LP1). I appreciate that some members might like a the Classic series better but this is not why I am here in this thread. If members think otherwise please start another thread but suffice it to say the Zellaton ULTRA series is new and as best I understand it will replace the Klassik line. Bottom line is different strokes for different folks. I feel I did my due diligence adequately prior to my making such a huge decision and change to my audio system at this time of my life. It was a 35 year love affair with me and Wilson and I won't say anything disparaging. I had countless Wilson speakers in my system over those years but frankly when I heard the Zellaton my ears were lit up. I ordered the speakers mid January and did understand that they are hand made including all drivers and that apppealed top me. The wait has been painful, I do admit but all good things are worth waiting for and the word out of Munich to Gideon is confirming the speakers should ship towards the end of June. last week Gideon was kind enough to send a pair of Zellaton Plural Ecvo and I am somewhat gobsmacked as to how friggin good these little speakers are so I am once again happy to wait for delivery of mine. I would like to chronicle my new journey here in this thread swell as in my personal blog which has over a million views. I do this for the sake of helping other readers make educated decisions . So bottom line I ask people if you want to participate in thi thread as well as in my system blog, feel welcome but all I ask is to respect the title of both threads and to keep things on topic. This all started when LL21 inquired about the Statement and then the discussion drifted. I hope that helps and I say to all, lets go on this adventure together. Along the way I discovered these amazing Schnerzinger boxes which totally baffled my intelligence and in order to share my thoughts on those I started a separate thread. This keeps members thoughts on point where proper discussion can ensue. Thank you all for understanding

Here are the links to my personal blog and to the Schnerzinger thread

Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams

The History Most of you are aware by now that I moved back to Southern California in July last year after a 20 year hiatus in the SF Bay Area. It was there that I built my "dream" sound room. That room measured 18' W x 31' L x 9-12' H (sloped ceiling which was 9 feet high at the window and 12...

whatsbestforum.com

The Grid Protector, the EMI Protector and The Allocator By Schnerzinger-In My System and I’m Blown Away

Many years ago as I started my audiophile pursuits, I was basically a digital guy and only got into analogue (turntable and reel to reel) over the past 10 years. I remember vividly when something called a CD player hit the audio market and how one could pause, reverse, fast forward simply and...

whatsbestforum.com

 

[Kbh57]

You are going to have an impeccable system when the big speakers arrive-you already do-can't imagine the sonic joy that's in store. I know how good these PEs are and the Ultras will undoubtedly be a significant advance from an already high level. I hope I get to hear them sometime. It is abundantly clear that the Zellaton folks are true craftsmen and if they mark something as their "best" its going to be a stellar product in a league of its own. I have enjoyed following your thoughts on the Zellaton brand. Before I decided to buy the PEs I read all of the Zellaton posts on WBF, the best high fi forum for serious information. This was really valuable information, considering the knowledge and experience of the contributors, and certainly influenced my decision. I'm quite sure the Zellatons will sing with any competent amplification, tube or solid state, just a matter of personal preference. June is just around the corner. I appreciate you sharing this experience with us.

 

[Steve williams]

Kerry

I have been listening to these PE all day today and I’ve been playing all of my demo tracks. I’m sure the set up by Gideon is a huge factor as I’m simply astonished at every track I play because everything sounds truly remarkable. They sound like electrostatic speakers with a bottom end that comes out of no where. The air around strings is dramatic but what really grabs me is the speed and attack in the deep bass. I don’t think I’ve ever heard drums as good as this and piano that sounds like piano. Everything is so top to bottom linear. I’m not detecting any coloration And for those who say a solid state amp is better, i say perhaps, but here’s the caveat……. There is so much headroom now that i find I am actually turning my preamp down by two clicks on the gain control. Nothing is lacking and the sound with these is everything that Gideon promised. I love my electronics and the sound now at lower volumes proves a wild experience. These speakers have been settling in and today seems to be the best sonically since these loaners arrived. More to come……

 

[MylesBAstor]

No fatigue? It just takes time. Much like everything else, there's a burn-in period for that. <grin>

Steve is correct.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Kerry

I have been listening to these PE all day today and I’ve been playing all of my demo tracks. I’m sure the set up by Gideon is a huge factor as I’m simply astonished at every track I play because everything sounds truly remarkable. They sound like electrostatic speakers with a bottom end that comes out of no where. The air around strings is dramatic but what really grabs me is the speed and attack in the deep bass. I don’t think I’ve ever heard drums as good as this and piano that sounds like piano. Everything is so top to bottom linear. I’m not detecting any coloration And for those who say a solid state amp is better, i say perhaps, but here’s the caveat……. There is so much headroom now that i find I am actually turning my preamp down by two clicks on the gain control. Nothing is lacking and the sound with these is everything that Gideon promised. I love my electronics and the sound now at lower volumes proves a wild experience. These speakers have been settling in and today seems to be the best sonically since these loaners arrived. More to come……

I think one way to think of the ss vs tube debate is that the different circuits will bring out different qualities in the Plural Evos. SS here really brings out 1) the Zellaton’s estat-like speed and resolution; 2) settling time and scary transparency and 3) ability to control and plumb the depths of the bass. Clean the bass area up and the rest of the sonic spectrum locks into place.

One additional note. The Plural Evo’s bass is incredibly dynamic and there are a couple of reference discs (take for instance, the Mark Levinson/Dean Romanis recording Elvin Jones Music Machine). where the drums come out of no where and literally make me jump no matter how many times I’ve heard the LP. Especially with the Soulution 312 amplifier and Lyra Atlas SL Lambda or Gary Koh’s Hypersonic x4 in the SAT arm.

 

[Steve williams]

For drums and the speed and attack , Myles I have been using Take Five with Joe Morello. The first few minutes of the cut really shows off the speed and attack that the Zellaton possesses

 

[Steve williams]

and my all time go to for the deepest of deeps, Duende by Black Light Syndrome, starting around the 17 second mark to 31 second mark, with the bass guitar. I always use this final chord of the guitar to determine how resolving a speaker is, as that final chord takes a great speaker to resolve otherwise it sounds very tubby

Today was truly the first time that I have heard it this resolving.

I have to be honest Myles, that it was your review of these speakers that made me begin to think Zellaton in my quest for my final pair of speakers.Your review stirred my curiosity and you were dead on in your findings

A big thank you

 

[Steve williams]

I have to be honest Myles, that it was your review of these speakers that made me begin to think Zellaton in my quest for my final pair of speakers.Your review stirred my curiosity and you were dead on in your findings

for any who really want to read about the speaker I suggest you have a look at Myles review. Myles checked every box for me and truly stimulated my curiosity

ZELLATON Plural Evo Loudspeakers - Positive Feedback

ZELLATON Plural Evo Loudspeakers: Coming Full Circle

positive-feedback.com

 

[Kbh57]

I've been listening as well-just finished Patricia Barber, Cafe Blue (can't get more audiophile cliche than that). I've heard this music many times, but not like this. Nardis, in particular, is a nine minute exhibition of what these speakers can do. The speed, imaging, contrast of drums and cymbals creates an immersive quality to the music that is truly amazing. I've always loved that piece, but never heard it reproduced in such an enveloping fashion. On the other end of the spectrum, Hotel Uzbekistan (the Stimulators) showcases the power and energy these boxes can deliver. Its another of my favorite tracs that has never sounded so good. Another late night. Good stuff.