Zellaton Plural Evo - My Review

[microstrip]

(...) But this isn’t a thread to debate analog vs digital.

Surely. But I really hope that the current and future Plural Evos listeners listen mostly to music recorded after the late 80's ...

 

[SeagoatLeo]

Surely. But I really hope that the current and future Plural Evos listeners listen mostly to music recorded after the late 80's ...

Microstrip, that's an interesting comment. I listen to acoustic and electrical pre-tape recordings, 1950s mono LPs, 1960s to 1980s LPs, Japanese Jazz re pressed LPs, DtoD LPs and 45 rpm audiophile LPs from the 1980s to present. Also, RtoR tape from the 1950s and 1960s, CDs of all dates from all analog source and newly recorded digital sources. The VS speakers sound great on all of my source material. I know that my dealer has since dispatched his Plural Evos for VS Ultra 7s, so he apparently didn't find them as good (but did not have my problems with them with his REI amps).

 

[SeagoatLeo]

As a reminder, no AI copied content will be tolerated at the WBF.

Should a member be allowed to make a post which is AI generated or AI mixed without disclosing such use of AI as part of the post?

The tube on the right, it’s so big. hey, don't worry. OK? It is an imagined image created by AI.

www.whatsbestforum.com

I'm sorry to have offended someone posting an AI comparison. I won't post any again.

A.I. appears quite accurate for describing the sound characteristics of the Von Scwheikert speakers as I've heard seven models post 2010 and AI definitely describes their sound in at least a dozen systems (my best friend, mine and numerous shows).

 

[AudioLibertarian]

In all honesty I did not quite get the clear picture of differences between those 2 speakers sets as per the AI review you ve posted. And I can speak and understand few languages in different lingo groups, plus have been known to communicate rather well vocally with few cats and dogs in different areas around the globe, as well as with a wild bear, on one occasion. However to me this AI review just seemed a "smoothed over " machine "logic" word salad of audiophile terminology. Mikey Fremer & other good reviewers have nothing to fear.. just YET.

I ve listened to both Zellatons and the VON 7s and in my opinion their differences are way off as compared to the Ai's "opinion".

 

[Steve williams]

I'm sorry to have offended someone posting an AI comparison. I won't post any again.

A.I. appears quite accurate for describing the sound characteristics of the Von Scwheikert speakers as I've heard seven models post 2010 and AI definitely describes their sound in at least a dozen systems (my best friend, mine and numerous shows).

Leo
i don’t think you get it. Plus you keep trying to make your point. ad nauseum. Microstrip rebutted your AI argument perfectly IMHO . Plus there are others here such as that posted above by Audio Libertarian that beg to differ. Really man. It’s all about choices. Let it go as you’re beating a dead horse

 

[SeagoatLeo]

In all honesty I did not quite get the clear picture of differences between those 2 speakers sets as per the AI review you ve posted. And I can speak and understand few languages in different lingo groups, plus have been known to communicate rather well vocally with few cats and dogs in different areas around the globe, as well as with a wild bear, on one occasion. However to me this AI review just seemed a "smoothed over " machine "logic" word salad of audiophile terminology. Mikey Fremer & other good reviewers have nothing to fear.. just YET.

I ve listened to both Zellatons and the VON 7s and in my opinion their differences are way off as compared to the Ai's "opinion".

What did you like and/or dislike about the VS Ultra 7s? That is probably my ultimate speaker or a used Ultra 9. I should also inquire as what music genres you listen to. Thanks

 

[Steve williams]

Hi Leo

What I really like about my more than 5 decades in this hobby is the wonderful people I have met in that time. I feel compelled to bring up the back story to your posts but because you insist on continuing to promote Von Schweikert Audio in a Zellaton thread ad nauseum, as Paul Harvey used to say “and now you know the rest of the story”

In my search for new speakers I started with an empty palette. I spent years looking. In fact VSA was in my top 3. I know Damon Von Schweikert and Leif Swanson who was the former designer for VSA. I have travelled many times to their factory and heard their wonderful speakers. I love them. I consider Damon a good friend. His rooms at shows are always in. my top 5. They knew my only prerequisite was that I was not changing my electronics Both of them as well as many personal friends I have here on WBF said the same. To wit, my amps would never drive their speakers. I commended him on his honesty. We remain wonderful friends to this day

Frankly I had heard of Zellaton but had never heard the speaker. A year ago my very good friend who happens to be your dealer ( gleeds at Hear This) sent me a photo of the current speaker he was representing at the time here on the west coast…..to wit Zellaton. When Gary heard that I was searching for a new speaker he really couldn’t stop gushing about the set of Plural Evos he had in his home driven by Trafomatic He even offered to bring them over and set them up at my house. I can quote him when he told me these speakers were the next best thing to sliced bread. I remember that vividly . That photo I posted here a few days ago I wasn't ready to make a snap decision and those speakers ended up in your house for an audition

Fast forward a few weeks later …. I took Gary for an afternoon drive to Riverside and introduced him to Damon and an instant bond and friendship developed between the two such that Gary has now become part of the VSA family and now obviously represents VSA. You had posted here yesterday that your dealer ( gleeds) must not have liked Zellaton and dumped them and bought Ultra 7. I believe that stretched the truth. This was a great business opportunity for Gary. I’m sure ( in fact I’d bet money) he still feels the way he did when he was so gushy to me about the Plural Evos. Would not one agree it was for this reason he bought Ultra 7's I look at this way Leo. It was your VSA dealer who introduced me to Zellaton and put a bee in my bonnet. It was me who introduced him to Damon so I suppose I could say that had it not for me you would not be a VSA owner. The Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon.


So once again Leo it’s all good but the truth needed to be told and it makes me wonder to what purpose you serve in this thread when you continue to inflict VSA into this Zellaton thread. Think of it this way. How would Damon and Gary feel if I began posting in the VSA dedicated forum and incessantly espouse how great a speaker Zellaton is. It is something I would just never do. I have too much respect for them Yet you continue to beat this dead horse which knowing the whole story makes me wonder what your motive is

I’ll say again. We all have choices. There is no right or wrong answer Some like chocolate and some like vanilla. I chose Zellaton. You chose VSA It’s all good. I respect your decision and commend you on a fine choice. But really dude this is truly getting annoying. Sort of like a fly on the a$$hole of a horse. It just doesn’t want to go away. Have some respect for people’s decisions. It’s only a common courtesy.

 

[MylesBAstor]

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

Congrats on the addition to the system!

There’s one thing in particular that stands out about the Plural Evos with extended listening: you’re experiencing more of your music collection than ever before. I found with some other speakers you end up listening to the same 100 sonic blockbusters all the time. That wears thin quickly. At the same time, playtime of those less than spectacularly recorded albums dropped precipitously.

Not so with the Plural Evos. My musical boundaries increased dramatically and not because the speaker was making everything sound pretty. No, one could still hear the same issues but they weren’t burning a hole through my eardrums. Yet the better the recording, the better the speakers sound. The better the electronics, the front-end, etc., the better the Plural Evos sound. In short, the speakers have a very high ceiling of performance. Just like Paul Stubblebine commented on RR recordings. The better the system, the better Keith’s recordings sound. And most importantly for me, my 15 ips tapes have never sounded better and come to life!

 

[Steve williams]

and finally just to complete the story I thought that I would share a few photos for you Leo
Here is a photo of the Zellaton Statement released in 2014

https://www.zellaton.de/en/assets/media/reviews/review_preview.PNG

and here is a photo of the VSA Ultra 11 released several years after the Statement Do you see any resemblance in the two? BTW, the speaker which I lusted after was the Ultra 11. IIRC I was one of the first to hear it having been invited to VSA factory by Damon and Leif. In fact there is a photo of me and Albert Von Schweikert here somewhere on WBF standing beside the Ultra 11 which was a beautiful black color

Von Schweikert Ultra 11 speakers: over 2m high and weighing 408kg

They might be super expensive (and expansive) but you get a lot of speaker for your money. Here’s quick run-down of the front and back of the speakers What you can see on the front are four-203mm honeycomb sandwich triple-layer ceramic bass units, two-152mm dual layer ceramic coned midrange...

theaudiophileman.com

I believe enough now has been said Leo

 

[SeagoatLeo]

Hi Leo

What I really like about my more than 5 decades in this hobby is the wonderful people I have met in that time. I feel compelled to bring up the back story to your posts but because you insist on continuing to promote Von Schweikert Audio in a Zellaton thread ad nauseum, as Paul Harvey used to say “and now you know the rest of the story”

In my search for new speakers I started with an empty palette. I spent years looking. In fact VSA was in my top 3. I know Damon Von Schweikert and Leif Swanson who was the former designer for VSA. I have travelled many time to their factory and heard their wonderful speakers. I love them. I consider Damon a good friend. His rooms at shows are always in. my top 5. They knew my only prerequisite was that I was not changing my electronics Both of them as well as many personal friends have here on WBF said the same. To wit, my amps would never drive their speakers. I commended him on his honesty. We remain wonderful friends to this day

Frankly I had heard of Zellaton but had never heard the speaker. A year ago my very good friend who happens to be your dealer ( gleeds at Hear This) sent me a photo of the current speaker he was representing at the time here on the west coast…..to wit Zellaton. When Gary heard that I was searching for a new speaker he really couldn’t stop gushing about the set of Plural Evos he had in his home driven by Trafomatic He even offered to bring them over and set them up at my house. I can quote him when he told me these speakers were the next best thing to sliced bread. I remember that vividly . That photo I posted here a few days ago I wasn't ready to make a snap decision and those speakers ended up in your house for an audition

Fast forward a few weeks later …. I took Gary for an afternoon drive to Riverside and introduced him to Damon and an instant bond and friendship developed between the two such that Gary has now become part of the VSA family and now obviously represents VSA. You had posted here yesterday that your dealer ( gleeds) must not have liked Zellaton and dumped them and bought Ultra 7. I believe that stretched the truth. This was a great business opportunity for Gary. I’m sure ( in fact I’d bet money) he still feels the way he did when he was so gushy to me about the Plural Evos. Would not one agree it was for this reason he bought Ultra 7's I look at this way Leo. It was your VSA dealer who introduced me to Zellaton and put a bee in my bonnet. It was me who introduced him to Damon so I suppose I could say that had it not for me you would not be a VSA owner. The Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon.


So once again Leo it’s all good but the truth needed to be told and it makes me wonder to what purpose you serve in this thread when you continue to inflict VSA into this Zellaton thread. Think of it this way. How would Damon and Gary feel if I began posting in the VSA dedicated forum and incessantly espouse how great a speaker Zellaton is. It is something I would just never do. I have too much respect for them Yet you continue to beat this dead horse which knowing the whole story makes me wonder what your motive is

I’ll say again. We all have choices. There is no right or wrong answer Some like chocolate and some like vanilla. I chose Zellaton. You chose VSA It’s all good. I respect your decision and commend you on a fine choice. But really dude this is truly getting annoying. Sort of like a fly on the a$$hole of a horse. It just doesn’t want to go away. Have some respect for people’s decisions. It’s on a common courtesy.

Hi Leo

What I really like about my more than 5 decades in this hobby is the wonderful people I have met in that time. I feel compelled to bring up the back story to your posts but because you insist on continuing to promote Von Schweikert Audio in a Zellaton thread ad nauseum, as Paul Harvey used to say “and now you know the rest of the story”

In my search for new speakers I started with an empty palette. I spent years looking. In fact VSA was in my top 3. I know Damon Von Schweikert and Leif Swanson who was the former designer for VSA. I have travelled many times to their factory and heard their wonderful speakers. I love them. I consider Damon a good friend. His rooms at shows are always in. my top 5. They knew my only prerequisite was that I was not changing my electronics Both of them as well as many personal friends I have here on WBF said the same. To wit, my amps would never drive their speakers. I commended him on his honesty. We remain wonderful friends to this day

Frankly I had heard of Zellaton but had never heard the speaker. A year ago my very good friend who happens to be your dealer ( gleeds at Hear This) sent me a photo of the current speaker he was representing at the time here on the west coast…..to wit Zellaton. When Gary heard that I was searching for a new speaker he really couldn’t stop gushing about the set of Plural Evos he had in his home driven by Trafomatic He even offered to bring them over and set them up at my house. I can quote him when he told me these speakers were the next best thing to sliced bread. I remember that vividly . That photo I posted here a few days ago I wasn't ready to make a snap decision and those speakers ended up in your house for an audition

Fast forward a few weeks later …. I took Gary for an afternoon drive to Riverside and introduced him to Damon and an instant bond and friendship developed between the two such that Gary has now become part of the VSA family and now obviously represents VSA. You had posted here yesterday that your dealer ( gleeds) must not have liked Zellaton and dumped them and bought Ultra 7. I believe that stretched the truth. This was a great business opportunity for Gary. I’m sure ( in fact I’d bet money) he still feels the way he did when he was so gushy to me about the Plural Evos. Would not one agree it was for this reason he bought Ultra 7's I look at this way Leo. It was your VSA dealer who introduced me to Zellaton and put a bee in my bonnet. It was me who introduced him to Damon so I suppose I could say that had it not for me you would not be a VSA owner. The Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon.


So once again Leo it’s all good but the truth needed to be told and it makes me wonder to what purpose you serve in this thread when you continue to inflict VSA into this Zellaton thread. Think of it this way. How would Damon and Gary feel if I began posting in the VSA dedicated forum and incessantly espouse how great a speaker Zellaton is. It is something I would just never do. I have too much respect for them Yet you continue to beat this dead horse which knowing the whole story makes me wonder what your motive is

I’ll say again. We all have choices. There is no right or wrong answer Some like chocolate and some like vanilla. I chose Zellaton. You chose VSA It’s all good. I respect your decision and commend you on a fine choice. But really dude this is truly getting annoying. Sort of like a fly on the a$$hole of a horse. It just doesn’t want to go away. Have some respect for people’s decisions. It’s only a common courtesy.

Okay, so I'll stop annoying everyone. Since you said you heard VS speakers and the Ultra 7, I requested your opinion. You are mostly correct in your history. Except that I have been asking Damon since 2019 for a remodeled VS VR9 SE Mk2 and he kept remodeling/renovating them for existing owners. I insisted that gleeds really pay attention to them. You're correct, he is now inextricably linked to VS so you received the benefit of his replacing the Zellaton with a $180-190,000 Ultra 7 working for the company. So, you can't state that it only because of gleeds that I became a VS owner. My best friend has a VS speaker since Albert sold him his show VR35 to him in 2012. Gleeds thought the Zellaton's would be perfect for me after he heard them in Munich because of their ability to reproduce acoustical music, voices and instruments with so much accuracy.

I do not have your experience with owning high end audio equipment. Through gleeds, I now own and use a variety of his companies equipment and his suggested
complementary equipment.

P.S. The only time my wife ever showed emotion at an audio show was when she heard the Ultra 11 with my LP and CD in the $1 million LA Show in 2017(?). I could not afford anything like it but I knew getting a VS speaker would satisfy her.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

What did you like and/or dislike about the VS Ultra 7s? That is probably my ultimate speaker or a used Ultra 9. I should also inquire as what music genres you listen to. Thanks

For my musical tastes please look up my ABOUT profile in the bottom section. As for my impressions about the VS7 , here is not a proper venue, this thread is about the Zellatons. I ll gladly share my opinions with you via Direct Messaging , or in the new thread with such subject, should you wish to create one.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

and finally just to complete the story I thought that I would share a few photos for you Leo
Here is a photo of the Zellaton Statement released in 2014

https://www.zellaton.de/en/assets/media/reviews/review_preview.PNG

and here is a photo of the VSA Ultra 11 released several years after the Statement Do you see any resemblance in the two? BTW, the speaker which I lusted after was the Ultra 11. IIRC I was one of the first to hear it having been invited to VSA factory by Damon and Leif. In fact there is a photo of me and Albert Von Schweikert here somewhere on WBF standing beside the Ultra 11 which was a beautiful black color

Von Schweikert Ultra 11 speakers: over 2m high and weighing 408kg

They might be super expensive (and expansive) but you get a lot of speaker for your money. Here’s quick run-down of the front and back of the speakers What you can see on the front are four-203mm honeycomb sandwich triple-layer ceramic bass units, two-152mm dual layer ceramic coned midrange...

theaudiophileman.com

View attachment 146542


View attachment 146543

I believe enough now has been said Leo

And I thought I was the only one who had noticed the striking similarities in design of those two speakers!

 

[Holli82]

And I thought I was the only one who had noticed the striking similarities in design of those two speakers!

They both are good! No right or wrong here. I like Porsche. You like Ferrari. He/she likes Lamborghini. No bad choice.

I'm excited for Steve and his new speakers. Hoping to get a chance to hear them once he gets them.

 

[morricab]

Okay, so I'll stop annoying everyone. Since you said you heard VS speakers and the Ultra 7, I requested your opinion. You are mostly correct in your history. Except that I have been asking Damon since 2019 for a remodeled VS VR9 SE Mk2 and he kept remodeling/renovating them for existing owners. I insisted that gleeds really pay attention to them. You're correct, he is now inextricably linked to VS so you received the benefit of his replacing the Zellaton with a $180-190,000 Ultra 7 working for the company. So, you can't state that it only because of gleeds that I became a VS owner. My best friend has a VS speaker since Albert sold him his show VR35 to him in 2012. Gleeds thought the Zellaton's would be perfect for me after he heard them in Munich because of their ability to reproduce acoustical music, voices and instruments with so much accuracy.

I do not have your experience with owning high end audio equipment. Through gleeds, I now own and use a variety of his companies equipment and his suggested
complementary equipment.

P.S. The only time my wife ever showed emotion at an audio show was when she heard the Ultra 11 with my LP and CD in the $1 million LA Show in 2017(?). I could not afford anything like it but I knew getting a VS speaker would satisfy her.

The only time my wife got emotional listening to hifi was listening to a pair of 1933 Western Electric theater speakers with Silbatone electronics. The music was Russian opera the setting was Munich high end show. About as far away from Von Schweikert anything as you can get.

 

[SeagoatLeo]

For my musical tastes please look up my ABOUT profile in the bottom section. As for my impressions about the VS7 , here is not a proper venue, this thread is about the Zellatons. I ll gladly share my opinions with you via Direct Messaging , or in the new thread with such subject, should you wish to create one.

The only time my wife got emotional listening to hifi was listening to a pair of 1933 Western Electric theater speakers with Silbatone electronics. The music was Russian opera the setting was Munich high end show. About as far away from Von Schweikert anything as you can get.

You are correct, I cannot reproduce music to sound like that in my system. I don't have the technical expertise or time for the equipment. The negative is their size and requirement to have a similar large room for them to perform their best. I've seen about a dozen Youtubes of various combinations of the WE theater speakers and Silbartone electronics. More exciting than my acquittances' former system with Avant Garde Trios/3 pair basshorns and 2 rel subs. Those did not sound coherent. The WE/Silbatones sound like live performances! Callas Don Carlo and Fisher-Dieskau Tannhauser opera on YouTube selections as well as rock.

 

[morricab]

You are correct, I cannot reproduce music to sound like that in my system. I don't have the technical expertise or time for the equipment. The negative is their size and requirement to have a similar large room for them to perform their best. I've seen about a dozen Youtubes of various combinations of the WE theater speakers and Silbartone electronics. More exciting than my acquittances' former system with Avant Garde Trios/3 pair basshorns and 2 rel subs. Those did not sound coherent. The WE/Silbatones sound like live performances! Callas Don Carlo and Fisher-Dieskau Tannhauser opera on YouTube selections as well as rock.

What's interesting is that you can hear that there are colorations, however, what those old systems do right...namely huge effortless dynamics without even sounding like that...until you hear another system that can't do it, just blows you away.

 

[microstrip]

When I read "the only time X got emotional ..." I immediately think that the for me the objective of an high-end system is systematically achieving enjoyment and involvement in music with the recordings I listen mostly. Single experiences are anecdotal and interesting, but IMO of little weight. Many times they are due simply to a fortunate interaction between a particular recording and equipment.

High end performance should also be analysed statistically - with what frequency did you get these great results? The performance of high end systems should be persistent, not random.

 

[SeagoatLeo]

When I read "the only time X got emotional ..." I immediately think that the for me the objective of an high-end system is systematically achieving enjoyment and involvement in music with the recordings I listen mostly. Single experiences are anecdotal and interesting, but IMO of little weight. Many times they are due simply to a fortunate interaction between a particular recording and equipment.

High end performance should also be analysed statistically - with what frequency did you get these great results? The performance of high end systems should be persistent, not random.

With my inferior audio system to others on WBF, I often get "goosebumps" and "excited" listening to recordings. With some recordings, I get emotional every time I hear them just as I do hearing some live performances and singing in some as well. It is more the music than the sonic /aural experience. That my sound system gets me closer to the music than in the past is why it is worth more than a less sophisticated system.