Hello community...I have the Zellaton Plural Evo in my listening room. Here is my opinion on these magnificent speakers.
When in 2021 I managed to purchase a pair of used TIDAL Contriva G2, I was convinced they would be the definitive speakers for at least the next 10 years.
Last year, I upgraded the amplification, moving from the Gryphon Antileon Evo to the Octave MRE220SE monoblocks. I thought I had taken another step towards the path of near perfection... or so I thought.
At the beginning of November, my distributor (Ultimate Audio Lisboa) became an official dealer for Zellaton, and the Plural Evo was the first model to arrive.
I make regular visits to Ultimate Audio to chat with friends and check out some new arrivals. It was during one of these visits that I heard the Zellaton Plural Evo, amplified by Halcro.
I liked them a lot, but in the treated rooms of Ultimate Audio, it’s rare for systems to not sound good.
However, I was intrigued by some of the characteristics I heard. A transparent yet full-bodied midrange, a round but controlled bass, and a very natural treble.
My Tidal Contrivas have a very transparent midrange, but they lack a bit of body; the bass is very controlled but little dry, and the diamond tweeter offers a very transparent treble, although sometimes a bit aggressive on less-than-ideal recordings.
I couldn't resist asking for the Plural Evo to be brought to my home to listen more carefully and draw further conclusions.
I’m writing this after nearly 10 days of listening to my system now with the Zellaton speakers. I want to temper my enthusiasm, but it’s not easy given the excellence of the sound I’ve experienced these past days!
Tidal and Zellaton are both German brands, but the sound of each could not be more different.
What they share in common is the simply superb build quality and finish, along with the option to make a slight tweak to the bass response... but the similarities stop there.
The Contriva G2 uses Accuton drivers, whereas the Plural Evo uses "in-house" drivers; the Contriva G2 uses a diamond tweeter, and the Plural Evo uses a soft dome tweeter. The midrange driver of the Contriva works within a conventional frequency range, while the midrange driver of the Plural Evo operates across a wide frequency range, from 90 Hz to 7500 Hz.
I started by listening to the Plural Evo at low volumes to allow them to acclimatise to my system and the room, but I immediately realised that, unlike the Tidal speakers, the Plural Evo excel at low and medium volumes. This is a characteristic I greatly appreciate, as many of my listening sessions go late into the night.
But when I listened critically at normal listening volumes, I was simply astonished!
If I thought the Tidal speakers had a natural sound, after hearing the Zellaton, I realised I was completely wrong.
The naturalness of the Plural Evo's sound is simply impressive, and the performers materialise in my room with incredible ease.
The treble has an unusual level of naturalness and liquidity; the midrange is natural, holographic, with body; the bass is natural, rounded but controlled, just the way I like it.
The soundstage is holographic, wide and deep. The only thing that could be improved is the height, which could be a little higher. I’ll try to correct this small issue by adjusting the speaker feet.
Finally, it's the musicality that makes the Plural Evo special, as they are very transparent without being analytical, allowing me to listen for hours without any listening fatigue.
I know the Tidal speakers are excellent, and probably my Octave amplifiers are not the ideal match for them, as the difference in sound quality compared to the Zellaton is too evident.
In conclusion, It’s true that the Contrivas have been fantastic over the past few years and have provided me with hours and hours of listening pleasure, but the Zellaton speakers are simply in another league, at least with my Octave MRE220SE amplifiers.
This Plural Evo speakers are definitely not leaving my house.
Nuno Sousa
When in 2021 I managed to purchase a pair of used TIDAL Contriva G2, I was convinced they would be the definitive speakers for at least the next 10 years.
Last year, I upgraded the amplification, moving from the Gryphon Antileon Evo to the Octave MRE220SE monoblocks. I thought I had taken another step towards the path of near perfection... or so I thought.
At the beginning of November, my distributor (Ultimate Audio Lisboa) became an official dealer for Zellaton, and the Plural Evo was the first model to arrive.
I make regular visits to Ultimate Audio to chat with friends and check out some new arrivals. It was during one of these visits that I heard the Zellaton Plural Evo, amplified by Halcro.
I liked them a lot, but in the treated rooms of Ultimate Audio, it’s rare for systems to not sound good.
However, I was intrigued by some of the characteristics I heard. A transparent yet full-bodied midrange, a round but controlled bass, and a very natural treble.
My Tidal Contrivas have a very transparent midrange, but they lack a bit of body; the bass is very controlled but little dry, and the diamond tweeter offers a very transparent treble, although sometimes a bit aggressive on less-than-ideal recordings.
I couldn't resist asking for the Plural Evo to be brought to my home to listen more carefully and draw further conclusions.
I’m writing this after nearly 10 days of listening to my system now with the Zellaton speakers. I want to temper my enthusiasm, but it’s not easy given the excellence of the sound I’ve experienced these past days!
Tidal and Zellaton are both German brands, but the sound of each could not be more different.
What they share in common is the simply superb build quality and finish, along with the option to make a slight tweak to the bass response... but the similarities stop there.
The Contriva G2 uses Accuton drivers, whereas the Plural Evo uses "in-house" drivers; the Contriva G2 uses a diamond tweeter, and the Plural Evo uses a soft dome tweeter. The midrange driver of the Contriva works within a conventional frequency range, while the midrange driver of the Plural Evo operates across a wide frequency range, from 90 Hz to 7500 Hz.
I started by listening to the Plural Evo at low volumes to allow them to acclimatise to my system and the room, but I immediately realised that, unlike the Tidal speakers, the Plural Evo excel at low and medium volumes. This is a characteristic I greatly appreciate, as many of my listening sessions go late into the night.
But when I listened critically at normal listening volumes, I was simply astonished!
If I thought the Tidal speakers had a natural sound, after hearing the Zellaton, I realised I was completely wrong.
The naturalness of the Plural Evo's sound is simply impressive, and the performers materialise in my room with incredible ease.
The treble has an unusual level of naturalness and liquidity; the midrange is natural, holographic, with body; the bass is natural, rounded but controlled, just the way I like it.
The soundstage is holographic, wide and deep. The only thing that could be improved is the height, which could be a little higher. I’ll try to correct this small issue by adjusting the speaker feet.
Finally, it's the musicality that makes the Plural Evo special, as they are very transparent without being analytical, allowing me to listen for hours without any listening fatigue.
I know the Tidal speakers are excellent, and probably my Octave amplifiers are not the ideal match for them, as the difference in sound quality compared to the Zellaton is too evident.
In conclusion, It’s true that the Contrivas have been fantastic over the past few years and have provided me with hours and hours of listening pleasure, but the Zellaton speakers are simply in another league, at least with my Octave MRE220SE amplifiers.
This Plural Evo speakers are definitely not leaving my house.
Nuno Sousa
Last edited:
