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

[Steve Williams]

What truly lured me in was not just the great persona of Gideon who knows what he's doing at a high level but that he has written two excellent books on audio (one of which is a best seller on Amazon) and a third one presently under development. This plus the fact that Library of Congress in Washington DC interviewed him on Hi Fi.This to me speaks volumes for his knowledge and expertise.......I don't know of any audio reviewers who have been interviewed by the Library of Congress

https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-plan/tools-and-resources/documents/Interview_Gideon-Schwartz.pdf

 

[KeithR]

No offense, but why would anyone want to hear speakers that aren’t broken in or in final position. Why not just wait a few weeks?

 

[Steve Williams]

No offense, but why would anyone want to hear speakers that aren’t broken in or in final position. Why not just wait a few weeks?

Keith, I agree with you 100%and Gideon and I discussed this but once again our goal was to play them all day Saturday for first listens on Sunday. Why we did this is again based on Gideon's 15 years of experience with Zellaton that the speaker breaks in very quickly. To that end I can say that when we listened to the Plural Evo cold out of the crate it sounded fantastic and over the next few days there was very little if any change. I suspect that this is related to the Zellaton in house built light weight drivers. So in principle I agree with you but the reality for my ears and confirmed by Gideon is that Zellaton settles very quickly.As for final position Gideon changed the position 3 times in setting the PE at my house but this was done based upon his experience and TBH where they are positioned now, I have had zero desire to change the position

 

[wil]

Was just reading through this blog trying to decide if I want to upgrade my plural evos to reference ultras and bam, a photo of my office appeared. Yes, it’s a bit odd for the pool table placement but there are listening chairs located behind the photo. And yes, music is audible, beautifully throughout the space. My home system is more traditional. I will try to attach a file.

Love this room, art, etc. I think a listening room should be part sacred space and part an expression of one’s idiosyncratic life.

 

[HeavyD]

A huge thank you to Steve and his wife for their unbridled hospitality as he hosted a total stranger (me) for a 3+ hour listing session yesterday allowing me to enjoy his meticulously thought out and setup system to experience the Zellaton Plural Evo loudspeakers. While separating out a single component in a unfamiliar system isn't really realistic to evaluate it fully, what I can tell you is that the exceptional overall sound I experienced would not have been possible if the Zellatons were holding it back in any way.

Funny side note and a nod to Steve's status as a seasoned audiophile. He cued up the first track The Sound of Silence by Johnny Cash and I said to myself I don't remember his voice on this track being panned hard right. Steve told me he always says a small prayer every time he fires up all the tubes in his system (DAC, Pre, Amps) and unfortunately the tube Gods were displeased today, the left channel was indeed out of commission. Unperturbed, Steve immediately grabbed his Fluke multimeter and got to work diagnosing a blown fuse and corresponding tubes in the left Lamm monoblock amplifier. Being a long time tube veteran he pulled out a quad set of matched tubes each pre-labeled for exact replacement and position in the amps from his extensive stash pile. We were back in business faster than an IndyCar pit stop and I got a free education on how it's done by a pro along the way as a bonus.

So what did I hear? Startling lifelike dynamics and expression of both micro and macro variety is what hit me first. I have yet to hear another dynamic driver speaker that does this better with lifelike being the key term which is why it was startling to me. Some other great speakers I had the opportunity to enjoy have also startled me with great dynamic capabilities but in retrospect and compared to the Zellatons reveals they were perhaps a bit over the top in some respects at least to me in the systems/environments I heard them.

Nor could I detect any sleight of hand with an emphasized mid-range or treble region to give impression of extra detail or clarity that were both present in abundance (the second system quality that hit me), they existed in equal measure from the top to bottom octaves. I hypothesis this was a major reason why I was also struck by the exceptional tonality of this system across the board for acoustical instruments and voices (the third thing that hit me.) The best way to describe this was the highs, mids, and lows all seem to speak the same language and with the same intensity, none overpowering the other.

Lastly these speakers disappear as a source and generate a large soundstage reminiscent of my prior Avalon Eidolon's vanishing act. Also, no head-in-a-vice stillness required from the listener to experience the full musical magic which I was again not expecting given the large 7" wide-band mid-range driver. Feel free to bop, conduct, or air-drum around as much as desired and not be evicted from the zone for doing so.

Reading other WTB posts expressing concern that Steve's Lamm tube amps would not be able to fully exploit the Zellatons due to their lower 32 WPC rating I came in expecting a potentially polite but accurate bottom octave. Steve cued up an unfamiliar track of which I forget the name (apparently Damon Von Schweikert uses this track to test bass capabilities) which contains propulsive, concussive and deep bass hits. I'm a native to California and when the unexpected bass initially hit my fist nano-second instinct was we were experiencing a minor earthquake as Steve's extremely well construction custom listening room actually shook a little. Yes I know how it feels and sometimes sounds when a minor tremor hits along with how a building responds and this was a reasonable facsimile.

My overall impressions was that the Zellaton Plural Evo is one of those rare gems that live up to their hype in the reviews and online commentary and for me actually exceeded them in multiple parameters in the context of Steve's system. A very enjoyable and memorable listening experience.

 

[Steve Williams]

As I explained to Brian yesterday for years as I power up and power down my system I say a little prayer as that is when tubes fail most often. Brian saw me do that yesterday and as I smiled I explained why I do this little ritual. We were 10 seconds into the first song when I heard a little pop and the song stopped playing . I thought I paused it on the tablet. I pushed play once again and the song played absent a left channel, My bets were the quad of 6n30P tubes on the ML3. As Brian said, my multimeter showed a blown fuse on the left channel and instinctively I got out a new quad set and replaced the old on the hunch that this was the failure. We were up and running in 10 minutes but it added to the fun of the day. It was a pleasure meeting Brian who drove all the way up from San Diego and it was a fun 3 hour listening session. Thank you Brian for your patience yesterday and thankfully it ended well

 

[Steve Williams]

The song Brian referred to was Queen Mary by Francine Thirteen which I first heard played by Damon Von Schweikert last year at THE Show

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Ah! In reference to the audition by HeavyD... that's what I'm referring to. All that was described on the smaller PE speakers is taken to another level with the Reference Ultra.

Also just to add 50cts worth (because I believe it's more than just 2c...)
The Lamm ML3 monoblocks are pure Class A. Even though it's moderately rated in power, Class A is something very very different to the norm, and these aren't ordinary tube amplifiers. Having ample current, with highly stable voltages and plenty of headroom, each monoblock dedicated to drive just one channel is an ideal config. It's marvellous! I've also heard those very ML3 amps driving difficult loads, such as Apogee's and Genesis, so no issues there whatsoever.

Similarly, my initial impressions when I first walked into my dealer mates place, and saw the gear... (single tube stereo power amp) driving his Reference Ultras, I thought maybe it's going to sound quite soft, should've brought my travel pillow! But then when the tooons played, hot damn! Were they finest tooons indeed! That RU system was driven by CJ's ART27A with a full ART line-up (preamp and phonostage). The ART27A is rated at only 35w/ch but it's all Class A! Again, completely different to the norm, and that performance was something else.

Clearly goes to show why Jeff Fischel of CJ uses Zellaton's exclusively as their in-house reference speaker system. There was another chap who also used CJ, the much more powerful ART300's (fitted with KT150's) driving the RU's but I didn't get a chance to audition those, neither have I ever heard Zellaton's Statements. That and the Genesis Tributes are on my departure list before I leave planet earth. So someday my prince will come... hooray!

It's quite a funny thing to begin with because I'd never ever heard of this make- Zellaton??? Sounds like an ingredient to a jelly mix or a cake bake, gelatine- Zellaton... I didn't think much of it at all, only when the good chappy said it's a new highend speaker, so forget about your cabinet designs, and have a listen, these are totally different. And they were hot damn beautiful! Phew! What an awe-inspiring experience that was. That was just last year in Aug... and here we are talking about the very same speakers, soon to be owned by Stevo!

Nice one mate, nice one. I do believe that these should be your endgame speakers unless you ventured towards the Statements but that's a whole paradigm shift... requires a massive room to perform optimally, so I was told.

**one of the only handful in dynamic driver types where you actually don't hear the cabinet!** Extremely rare and extremely outstanding. It's a phenomenal design, and also doesn't need to be assembled! That's a definite work of Art.

Lovely maties, to those who get an opportunity to audition in person, Stevo's personal system, the tunes will be fine! If not good enough then have another glass of red... generally I've noticed the tooons sound mighty fine after a few glasses.

That deserves a mighty WOOF!!!
Cheers, RJ

 

[JiminGa]

A huge thank you to Steve and his wife for their unbridled hospitality as he hosted a total stranger (me) for a 3+ hour listing session yesterday allowing me to enjoy his meticulously thought out and setup system to experience the Zellaton Plural Evo loudspeakers. While separating out a single component in a unfamiliar system isn't really realistic to evaluate it fully, what I can tell you is that the exceptional overall sound I experienced would not have been possible if the Zellatons were holding it back in any way.

Funny side note and a nod to Steve's status as a seasoned audiophile. He cued up the first track The Sound of Silence by Johnny Cash and I said to myself I don't remember his voice on this track being panned hard right. Steve told me he always says a small prayer every time he fires up all the tubes in his system (DAC, Pre, Amps) and unfortunately the tube Gods were displeased today, the left channel was indeed out of commission. Unperturbed, Steve immediately grabbed his Fluke multimeter and got to work diagnosing a blown fuse and corresponding tubes in the left Lamm monoblock amplifier. Being a long time tube veteran he pulled out a quad set of matched tubes each pre-labeled for exact replacement and position in the amps from his extensive stash pile. We were back in business faster than an IndyCar pit stop and I got a free education on how it's done by a pro along the way as a bonus.

So what did I hear? Startling lifelike dynamics and expression of both micro and macro variety is what hit me first. I have yet to hear another dynamic driver speaker that does this better with lifelike being the key term which is why it was startling to me. Some other great speakers I had the opportunity to enjoy have also startled me with great dynamic capabilities but in retrospect and compared to the Zellatons reveals they were perhaps a bit over the top in some respects at least to me in the systems/environments I heard them.

Nor could I detect any sleight of hand with an emphasized mid-range or treble region to give impression of extra detail or clarity that were both present in abundance (the second system quality that hit me), they existed in equal measure from the top to bottom octaves. I hypothesis this was a major reason why I was also struck by the exceptional tonality of this system across the board for acoustical instruments and voices (the third thing that hit me.) The best way to describe this was the highs, mids, and lows all seem to speak the same language and with the same intensity, none overpowering the other.

Lastly these speakers disappear as a source and generate a large soundstage reminiscent of my prior Avalon Eidolon's vanishing act. Also, no head-in-a-vice stillness required from the listener to experience the full musical magic which I was again not expecting given the large 7" wide-band mid-range driver. Feel free to bop, conduct, or air-drum around as much as desired and not be evicted from the zone for doing so.

Reading other WTB posts expressing concern that Steve's Lamm tube amps would not be able to fully exploit the Zellatons due to their lower 32 WPC rating I came in expecting a potentially polite but accurate bottom octave. Steve cued up an unfamiliar track of which I forget the name (apparently Damon Von Schweikert uses this track to test bass capabilities) which contains propulsive, concussive and deep bass hits. I'm a native to California and when the unexpected bass initially hit my fist nano-second instinct was we were experiencing a minor earthquake as Steve's extremely well construction custom listening room actually shook a little. Yes I know how it feels and sometimes sounds when a minor tremor hits along with how a building responds and this was a reasonable facsimile.

My overall impressions was that the Zellaton Plural Evo is one of those rare gems that live up to their hype in the reviews and online commentary and for me actually exceeded them in multiple parameters in the context of Steve's system. A very enjoyable and memorable listening experience.

Just one note. It’s “the Ghost of Johnny Cash” not Johnny Cash. Great audiophile recording.

 

[Steve Williams]

Best news of the day. Speakers have cleared customs and I receive them tomorrow. So once again for all who wanted to have a listen and pick Gideon's mind for this Sunday please contact me as the slots are filling up quickly

The is also still some time for those who want to hear the Plural EVO before it is returned on Friday.

 

[treitz3]

Glad to hear that, Steve. How awesome for you!

Tom

 

[Steve Williams]

And so it begins ………Gideon arrives tomorrow through Monday. Plural Evo comes down tomorrow Reference installed on Saturday I still have a few slots left on Sunday for one on one listening with Gideon Please PM me if interested

Each crate weighs over 400 pounds

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Ah! Ronny Coleman or Arnie Schwarzenegger would've lifted those with no sweat! Rare type of breed those bussel builders
Someone better start taking steroids... looking at those crates I can feel the chest nuts falling in the open snow...! Ain't lifting that, no thanks Charlie!

Exciting times for Stevo!
Now let's all push together now, a 1..2 .. & 3!
It's a boy!
Woof! RJ

 

[Steve Williams]

Ah! Ronny Coleman or Arnie Schwarzenegger would've lifted those with no sweat! Rare type of breed those bussel builders
Someone better start taking steroids... looking at those crates I can feel the chest nuts falling in the open snow...! Ain't lifting that, no thanks Charlie!

Exciting times for Stevo!
Now let's all push together now, a 1..2 .. & 3!
It's a boy!
Woof! RJ

total wight of both crates was 810 pounds. My 4 muscle men arrive tomorrow. to get them up my stairs

 

[SCAudiophile]

Congratulations Steve!!!

 

[Big Dog RJ]

total wight of both crates was 810 pounds. My 4 muscle men arrive tomorrow. to get them up my stairs

Oh damn... that's no "yeah buddy light weight!" Big Ronnie C would probably sweat a tad bit after all.
Yes, these kind of heavy rigs need to be handled by true professionals, who know what they're doing and have also handled such heavy rigs before. This is not your typical mum & pop help, then having to collect chest nuts fallen in the open snow, plus fix a few discs the spine...

Hauling upstairs...??? Why upstairs Stevo? I would've thought the main listening room should always be located ground floor. I guess you've got your reasons. I guess they'll take much away first from the crates allowing less weight as possible hauling upstairs. Still one of those "yeah buddy light weight" moments.

I do that shout out quite often too, "yeah buddy... light weight...!" And huff, I'm lifting only 20kg dumbbells press, haaa! Then wifey pops in the garage, says "stop being a buffalo and push it out!" OK wifey! that's all she wrote.

Nice one Stevo, enjoy to the fullest matey
WOOF! RJ

 

[Steve Williams]

I agree about the listening room but I had no choice when I built it. I could not build on but rather had to build in. The room however was designed by an acoustician and under the circumstances it performs very well. Next time you are on this side of the world you will need to come for a listen

 

[2ndLiner]

"The room however was designed by an acoustician and under the circumstances it performs very well."
From personal experience I can attest to that! @Steve Williams listening room is exquisite both sonically and aesthetically, not to mention the top flight components. Major vicarious joy for your latest "upgrade," Steve

 

[Steve Williams]

Thanks Michael. Next time youre visiting your relatives nearby. please come for another listen.

 

[2ndLiner]

Thanks Michael. Next time youre visiting your relatives nearby. please come for another listen.

Thank you, Steve, would love to!