The End Of A 35 Year Journey ---Zellaton The Ultra Frontier
- Thread starter Steve Williams
- Start date
I really enjoyed reading the comments and while it’s tempting to delve into everything Zellaton, I’ll stick to a common theme of all those who admire Zellaton: the love for Quad ESL-57’s and my own journey to Zellaton.
I think there’s a pretty compelling reason why Mark Levinson chose the 57’s in stacked glory, as his go to speaker in the early days. And to see a current and thriving restoration culture for Quad, is further validation of their charms. For me personally, despite the (get its claws into my soul) midrange, they just left we wanting in terms of meat on the bones weight along with dynamic prowess. The closest I got to Nirvana was an original untouched set combined with Gradient custom subs, designed for the 57’s which served as an elegant base as well.
The evolution from Quad to Zellaton manifested through a few speakers which used the early Görlich drivers, namely PAWEL/Ensemble PA1, Expolinear, Terzian and Symphonic Line RG5. Like all of us I’ve acquired way too much audio ending up purging the gear which no longer excites me
But the one speaker that I kept is a very early PA1 example with unique excursion wide bridge foam (not rubber), Hiquphon tweeter and the famous Kef passive radiator. These replaced my Quad yearning with similar open window qualities, but with even greater speed, upper air registers and power (in most moderately sized rooms).
But the PA1 is now almost 40 years old, perhaps why I got so excited the first time I heard ZELLATON, which included not just the famous midrange, but a bass woofer and tweeter combined. The seamlessness, coherency and naturalness left me speechless, accounting for my continued passion after 14 years of being with the brand. Finally I’ve found my modern day Quad, albeit without any limitations.
Many don’t know that Manuel Podzsus, Zellaton partner today, is the grandson of Zellaton founder Emile Podzsus. I’ve always been in awe of how Manuel has successfully preserved his grandfather’s legacy.
I think there’s a pretty compelling reason why Mark Levinson chose the 57’s in stacked glory, as his go to speaker in the early days. And to see a current and thriving restoration culture for Quad, is further validation of their charms. For me personally, despite the (get its claws into my soul) midrange, they just left we wanting in terms of meat on the bones weight along with dynamic prowess. The closest I got to Nirvana was an original untouched set combined with Gradient custom subs, designed for the 57’s which served as an elegant base as well.
The evolution from Quad to Zellaton manifested through a few speakers which used the early Görlich drivers, namely PAWEL/Ensemble PA1, Expolinear, Terzian and Symphonic Line RG5. Like all of us I’ve acquired way too much audio ending up purging the gear which no longer excites me
But the one speaker that I kept is a very early PA1 example with unique excursion wide bridge foam (not rubber), Hiquphon tweeter and the famous Kef passive radiator. These replaced my Quad yearning with similar open window qualities, but with even greater speed, upper air registers and power (in most moderately sized rooms).
But the PA1 is now almost 40 years old, perhaps why I got so excited the first time I heard ZELLATON, which included not just the famous midrange, but a bass woofer and tweeter combined. The seamlessness, coherency and naturalness left me speechless, accounting for my continued passion after 14 years of being with the brand. Finally I’ve found my modern day Quad, albeit without any limitations.
Many don’t know that Manuel Podzsus, Zellaton partner today, is the grandson of Zellaton founder Emile Podzsus. I’ve always been in awe of how Manuel has successfully preserved his grandfather’s legacy.
Makes sense, thanks for the additional context. Love the couch vs a single chair in the sweet spot too!
Three or four years ago in Munich, I heard the Zellaton Reference Speakers powered by YS electronics. The problem is that all the equipment was unknown to me. I had no baseline to separate the sound of YS from Zellaton. Overall, the sound was mesmerizing, with a clear YS/Zellaton synergy.
After getting a grasp on the amazing transparency of the Zellaton speakers, I can tell you that they let the character of the upstream electronics shine through. It's easy to hear the subtle, and not so subtle, differences in any electronics that I've had in my system with the Zellatons. So, in retrospect I can only characterize the YS sound with very broad-brush strokes. They are extraordinarily musical, with a very refined natural sound, and clearly produce very realistic imaging. And you are right, they are very, very expensive. Gideon Schwartz is a fan of YS and can offer a much greater insight.
Thank you. That was my gut instinct on both reading about Zellaton and what the multiple recordings seemed to produce.
I did ask earlier on one of the Zellaton threads about whether they expect to make your Statement into an Ultra version as well. Do you know? I am sure you just have asked! Would love to hear the Statements some day.
Thank you for inquiring about the Statement Ultra. Production/orders have already begun on this new version and we hope to provide media soon.
As to auditioning the Statements, I don't know where you're located, however I would welcome you, and all What's Best members, to my listening room. Part of the fun and enjoyment of our hobby is sharing new and exciting discoveries. I'd be happy to personally share my Zellaton experience. If anyone has an interest, reach out to me. I am located on the East Coast in a suburb of Philadelphia.
Thank you! Most hospitable! Will definitely bear that in mind if ever in your corner of the world!
As Mike Malinowski stated in his recent post, the wait to take delivery of your speaker can be agonizingly long. In fact people have been asking me " what gives with a 4 month wait to get your speakers".
Well this is no ordinary speaker. Every part is hand crafted and those that aren't come from world class suppliers to Zellaton. Much to my amazement I discovered that "all the brightwork on the speaker is made by the people who make the shiny things on Rolls Royce cars." This is a speaker I'm discovering that is made from bottom up where no expense is spared. The paint job as well is a work of art. I have to admit that this is going to be a very long 4 month wait
This is a great read to show how very special these speakers are
hifiplus.com
Well this is no ordinary speaker. Every part is hand crafted and those that aren't come from world class suppliers to Zellaton. Much to my amazement I discovered that "all the brightwork on the speaker is made by the people who make the shiny things on Rolls Royce cars." This is a speaker I'm discovering that is made from bottom up where no expense is spared. The paint job as well is a work of art. I have to admit that this is going to be a very long 4 month wait
This is a great read to show how very special these speakers are
Meet Your Maker – Zellaton
There are very few family businesses in audio. Brands rarely pass down father to son; they either disappear, or get bought out by a larger interest.
hifiplus.com
Hi Lloyd. I found out the answer to your question and you're right......you don't want to know
Hi Lloyd. I found out the answer to your question and you're right......you don't want to know
!has to more like 600. The Statement is already 390K, and the Ref Ultra is 50% more than the Ref II.Me thinks ~ $250K
My nose and ears bleed when I say the amount. Also if I’m not mistaken the Statement price you quoted above is wrong and is much higher. So consider Statement Ultra. It’s in the ozone
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