Zellaton Plural Evo

[Ron Resnick]

I had an unplanned, last minute and extremely enjoyable lunch with Myles yesterday.

After lunch Myles invited me to visit his new apartment, his new cats and his new system. It was great to see again Myles' wonderful wife, Heidi!

Since Tinka and I visited Myles and Heidi in early 2017, Myles switched from conrad-johnson electronics to Goldman electronics, and from Magico S series loudspeakers to the Zellaton Plural Evo.

I don't know the effect of cj versus Goldmund but the Zellaton Plural Evo seemed great. The sound was very analog, very organic and very natural sounding. I perceived emotionally a materially easier suspension of disbelief than the Magico-based system.

Instead of a merely excellent-sounding stereo (and Myles had his S series Magico speakers playing the best I've ever heard the S series sound) the system sounds like music. I could relax and enjoy the music, and not hear electronic artifice or any artificiality.

I think the mid-range driver covering from 1 kHz to 7 kHz must have something to do with the organic and continuous sound I heard. The texture and the resolution of low frequencies was incredible whenever I chose to focus on it. The speaker also seemed "quiet" -- similar in the way that I love from the Wilson Audio XVX.

The experience suggested to me that I did not hear the Zellaton Statement in Munich statement in a complementary system. (There I perceived and explained a sonic attribute I described as a "hyper-fast sound" which I decidedly did not care for.)

As I told Myles, I don't know if I personally would prefer the prior c-j electronics over the Goldmund electronics, but there was nothing solid-state sounding about the Goldmund electronics.

In Myles' and Heidi's new and much larger apartment, it was very fun to receive a tour of Myles' extremely extensive and carefully organized record collection!

Thanks to Myles and Heidi for a fantastic, relaxing and music-filled afternoon!

 

[joaovieira]

Ron I heard Zellaton in Munich 2017. It was best of show to me. It was the Stage model. Amazing

 

[bonzo75]

I don't think the zellaton in Munich sounded good at all, completely different from what it sounded at audio arts with all FM electronics

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

I don't know the effect of cj versus Goldmund but the Zellaton Plural Evo seemed great. The sound was very analog, very organic and very natural sounding.

What about the bass itself? Did you have a chance to test it or did you prefer to focus on different aspects? I heard some contradictory opinions about the bass of Zellaton and I'm really curious whether you have noticed anything outstanding.

 

[Ron Resnick]

What about the bass itself? Did you have a chance to test it or did you prefer to focus on different aspects? I heard some contradictory opinions about the bass of Zellaton and I'm really curious whether you have noticed anything outstanding.

I thought the resolution and texture of the low frequencies was outstanding. I try not to think too much in audiophile terms unless something jumps out to me as a negative or as a artificial sonic attribute.

 

[bonzo75]

What about the bass itself? Did you have a chance to test it or did you prefer to focus on different aspects? I heard some contradictory opinions about the bass of Zellaton and I'm really curious whether you have noticed anything outstanding.

The big zellaton aren't bass monsters, but they are great speakers. It would be interesting to know if the bass stays sufficient in the smaller models or gets too light

 

[Ron Resnick]

I thought the base was plenty sufficient, but I, personally, am happy to add subwoofers to almost everything.

 

[matakana]

Any pics Ron, Thankyou.

 

[PeterA]

Nice report Ron. Too bad Myles isn’t a member of this forum. My only question is why do you seem to attribute the great sound of the system to the speakers and not to the system as a whole or to other components in the system? You seem to single out the speakers and even name the whole thread after the speakers.

What music did you listen to? Vinyl, digital, or tape?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Any pics Ron, Thankyou.

No -- This was just a very casual, friendly, relaxing get together.

 

[ashandger]

Myles has several short videos of this system on YouTube.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Nice report Ron. Too bad Myles isn’t a member of this forum. My only question is why do you seem to attribute the great sound of the system to the speakers and not to the system as a whole or to other components in the system? You seem to single out the speakers and even name the whole thread after the speakers.

What music did you listen to? Vinyl, digital, or tape?

My reported impressions are only provisional as I was listening to unfamiliar music in an unfamiliar system. I think the sonic differences between the c-j electronics and the Goldmund electronics are responsible for a much smaller fraction of the difference in overall system sound than the change in speakers. Once one is comparing amps both of which can fully and properly drive the speakers in question, then, generally, I think the sonic differences between amplifiers are smaller than the sonic differences between the speakers. I think generally that different speakers are more responsible for larger differences in presentation and believability and emotional connection.

We listened only to vinyl and to tape, and to a lot of tape at that. The Jonathan Horwich International Phonograph master tape copies are amazing.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I had an unplanned, last minute and extremely enjoyable lunch with Myles yesterday.

After lunch Myles invited me to visit his new apartment, his new cats and his new system. It was great to see again Myles' wonderful wife, Heidi!

Hi Ron! Good to see you and glad you thought of dropping by to hear for the most part new system! Lunch was also great at our favorite local restaurant French restaurant Cafe D'Alsace.

And we were lucky that Tuesday was a perfect listening day- a low humidity and temp summer day in New York.

Since Tinka and I visited Myles and Heidi in early 2017, Myles switched from conrad-johnson electronics to Goldmund electronics, and from Magico S series loudspeakers to Zellaton Plural Evos.

I don't know the effect of cj versus Goldmund but the Zellaton Plural Evo sounded very special. The sound was very analog, very organic and very natural-sounding. I perceived emotionally a materially easier suspension of disbelief than I had with the Magico-based system.

Instead of a merely excellent-sounding stereo (and Myles had his S series Magico speakers playing the best I've ever heard the S series sound) the system sounds like music. I could relax and enjoy the music, and not hear electronic artifice or any artificiality.

The sound of our systems are always the end result of the sum total of everything in them. Or everything in front of the speaker especially with something as highly resolving, linear and transparent as the Zellaton Plural Evos. One of my greatest fears was losing the magical transparency I had with the Magico S5 Mk.2s when switching to the new Zellatons. Luckily that fear was unwarranted as the Plural Evos turned out even more transparent than my Magicos. There's no way you could have had that level of transparency you experienced--as good the tubes were--with my previous cj electronics. (see some of the differences in this review: Goldmund Mimesis 37S NextGen Analog Preamplifier and Telos 280 Stereo Analog Power Amplifier: Never Say NeverGoldmund Mimesis 37S NextGen - Positive Feedback (positive-feedback.com))

I know we got caught up in comparing the Fuuga Mk. 2 in the SAT LM-12 and Atlas SL Lambda in the VPI run into either the Doshi or Goldmund phonostages. But the truth is that none of this could have sounded like it did without the contribution of the VPI Vanquish DD turntable. This table is a great platform for tonearms. And tonearms--up to three too--are a breeze to set up on the Vanquish.

Of all the components, though, I'd offer up that the new Goldmund Telos 300 amplifiers and Transparent Audio Gen 6 cables made huge inroads into bridging that gap between good (say the first 80%) and the beginning of magical performance (the next 20%). The new Telos 300s with their wider bandwidth, enhanced power supply, great power and a few other changes made an appreciable contribution to the sound. Particularly in regards to the low end control, image dimensionality and effortlessness. That organic feel you heard. In fact, I think we tend to minimize the contribution of amplifiers to the over all sound of the system. In fact, the better the system and speaker (all things being equal), the bigger the difference between amplifiers (and I used to belong to at one time the amplifiers make minimal differences). The whole gestalt gives you that incredible low level resolution and quietness and musicality. The system as you heard allows for one to play a far wider range of music and albums. One is no longer confined as I was experiencing was being limited to playing my favorite 50, 100 or 200 albums. And not because the Zellatons are smoothing things out or lacking resolution making everything sound the same. You know. The longer you listen, the more you realize what's missing. As opposed to commenting after an hour of listening to hyperdetailing sound that you have Excedrin headache #251.

The same went for the equipment comparisons we performed. Fuuga Mk. 2/SAT vs Atlas SL Lambda cartridge into the Doshi phonostage. Atlas SL Lambda into Doshi vs into Goldmund PH3.8 Nextgen phonostage. Both were really excellent and each had a slightly different set of strengths. Each change and differences that entailed were pretty obvious yet they never shouted out listen to me, listen to me. No the equipment (as do the speakers) really disappeared into the background and let the music bloom.

Here's a list of the music we listened to for those who are interested:

15 ips Tape
Joe Policastro Vibes Quartet IPI
Barney Kessel The Poll Winners
Nat King Cole Welcome to The Club
George Benson Breezin’

LP
The Power Of The Orchestra, original SD
Bill Henderson Live at the Times, Classic Record 45 rpm
Dead Can Dance Into The Labyrinth, MOFI
Dean Martin Dream With Dean, AP 45 rpm
The Missouri Breaks, UA
Yello in the Movies, Oh Yeah, 12-inch 45 rpm
Ray Brown and Laurindo Almeida Moonlight Serenade, Jeton D2D
Jimi Hendrix Blues, Classic Records
Nina Simone Little Girl Blue, AP 45 rpm
Elvis 57, AP 45 rpm
Fleetwood Mac Self Titled, reissue
Peter Gabriel So, Classic Records
Charlie Byrd Crystal Clear D2D 45 rpm

And the system
-Zellaton Plural Evo speakers
-Goldmund Telos 300 stereo amplifier
-Goldmund Mimesis 37S Nextgen preamplifier
-Doshi EVO and Goldmund PH3.8 phonostages
-VPI Vanquish direct-drive turntable
-VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy gimbal arm/Lyra Atlas SL Lambda cartridge and SAT LM-12 arm/Fuuga Mk. 2 cartridge
-Technics RS1506 with Flux Magnetic heads (plus some JRF tape path mods), Doshi V3.0 tape stage (balanced)
-Assorted cables including Transparent XL Gen. 6/Audience Front Row Center ICs, Transparent phono balanced, Transparent Gen 6 speaker cables, Goldmund Lineal Power Cords
-Accessories including Stillpoint Aperture panels; Cathedral Sound panels; Furutech NCF Nano AC receptacles; Silver Circle Tchaik 6 PLC; Symposium ISIS and SRA Craz 3 racks; SRA OHIO Class 2.1+ platforms.

I think the mid-range driver covering from 1 kHz to 7 kHz must have something to do with the organic and continuous sound I heard. The texture and the resolution of low frequencies was incredible whenever I chose to focus on it. The speaker also seemed "quiet" -- similar in the way that I love from the Wilson Audio XVX.[

I'd proffer that perhaps electrostatic-like speed fits better than continuousness and the perception of melody and all it's intricacies. Plus essentially the same drivers being used from top to bottom counts too. What sets the Zellaton Plural Evos apart in my mind is their ability to "breath." The sound is neither too tightly or too loosely controlled. Or as the three little bears line went not too hot and not too cold.

The experience suggested to me that I did not hear the Zellaton Statement in Munich in a complementary system. (There I perceived and explained a sonic attribute I described as a "hyper-fast sound" which I decidedly did not care for.)

Of course the Plural Evos are a completely new Zellaton speaker and the first in the new EVO line. Shows are not always the best place to hear equipment and of course you might have hearing the Statement Mk.1 speakers back in 2017. Was it digital or analog sources?

As I told Myles, I don't know if I personally would prefer the prior c-j electronics over the Goldmund electronics, but there was nothing solid-state sounding about the Goldmund electronics.

In Myles' and Heidi's new, beautiful and much larger apartment, it was very fun to receive a tour of Myles' extremely extensive and carefully organized record collection!

Thanks to Myles and Heidi for a fantastic, relaxing and music-filled afternoon!

There's a real synergy between the Goldmund speed and the Zellatons. As they say pay your money and make your choice. and mine was for the newest Goldmund Telos 300 amps. As you said, the Goldmund equipment didn't sound solid-state. And it doesn't. Different than say another very un-hifish solid-state line like FM Acoustics but nonetheless always musical.

Well the records and tapes aren't quite totally organized yet--the result of the movers playing 52 pickup with some of the collection that was in the bedroom in our old place.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Myles has several short videos of this system on YouTube.

Yes but I don't think any of them though feature the new Goldmund Telos 300 amplifier (I might be wrong) or Transparent Audio Gen 6 cabling.

 

[MylesBAstor]

My reported impressions are only provisional as I was listening to unfamiliar music in an unfamiliar system. I think the sonic differences between the c-j electronics and the Goldmund electronics are responsible for a much smaller fraction of the difference in overall system sound than the change in speakers. Once one is comparing amps both of which can fully and properly drive the speakers in question, then, generally, I think the sonic differences between amplifiers are smaller than the sonic differences between the speakers. I think generally that different speakers are more responsible for larger differences in presentation and believability and emotional connection.

We listened only to vinyl and to tape, and to a lot of tape at that. The Jonathan Horwich International Phonograph master tape copies are amazing.

The one we heard was the new Joe Policastro Vibes Quartet tape. (direct copy) Maybe the best Jonathan has done to date. The vibes are so energetic!

 

[MylesBAstor]

What about the bass itself? Did you have a chance to test it or did you prefer to focus on different aspects? I heard some contradictory opinions about the bass of Zellaton and I'm really curious whether you have noticed anything outstanding.

You realize the Plural Evos are a totally new design from Zellaton?

There's way to much of the "I heard" going around.

As far as the bass goes. The music we listened to speaks for itself.

 

[joaovieira]

Myles, the Zellaton presented the Stage speaker in 2017. YS Japanese amps em pre were driving it.
amazing system.

 

[PeterA]

The sound of our systems are always the end result of the sum total of everything in them. Or everything in front of the speaker especially with something as highly resolving, linear and transparent as the Zellaton Plural Evos.

Well stated Myles. Nice to see you hear.

When I think of what is most responsible for the sound of my new system, I can not separate the source from the electronics or speakers. The source is what gathers the information. The speakers are efficient enough to allow me to hear the magic of the SET amplifiers and they lack the "horn coloration" that immediately draws one to the sound of the speakers. No, it is a total package, and I am hearing the contribution of each part, or perhaps I should say that I am struggling to hear the contribution of each part. I am hearing the music come through which is the sense I am getting from reading your impressions of your new system. Congratulations.

 

[Ron Resnick]

The one we heard was the new Joe Policastro Vibes Quartet tape. (direct copy) Maybe the best Jonathan has done to date. The vibes are so energetic!

I am ordering that tape!

 

[Ron Resnick]

Hi Ron! Good to see you and glad you thought of dropping by to hear for the most part new system! Lunch was also great at our favorite local restaurant French restaurant Cafe D'Alsace.

And we were lucky that Tuesday was a perfect listening day- a low humidity and temp summer day in New York.



The sound of our systems are always the end result of the sum total of everything in them. Or everything in front of the speaker especially with something as highly resolving, linear and transparent as the Zellaton Plural Evos. One of my greatest fears was losing the magical transparency I had with the Magico S5 Mk.2s when switching to the new Zellatons. Luckily that fear was unwarranted as the Plural Evos turned out even more transparent than my Magicos. There's no way you could have had that level of transparency you experienced--as good the tubes were--with my previous cj electronics. (see some of the differences in this review: Goldmund Mimesis 37S NextGen Analog Preamplifier and Telos 280 Stereo Analog Power Amplifier: Never Say NeverGoldmund Mimesis 37S NextGen - Positive Feedback (positive-feedback.com))

I know we got caught up in comparing the Fuuga Mk. 2 in the SAT LM-12 and Atlas SL Lambda in the VPI run into either the Doshi or Goldmund phonostages. But the truth is that none of this could have sounded like it did without the contribution of the VPI Vanquish DD turntable. This table is a great platform for tonearms. And tonearms--up to three too--are a breeze to set up on the Vanquish.

Of all the components, though, I'd offer up that the new Goldmund Telos 300 amplifiers and Transparent Audio Gen 6 cables made huge inroads into bridging that gap between good (say the first 80%) and the beginning of magical performance (the next 20%). The new Telos 300s with their wider bandwidth, enhanced power supply, great power and a few other changes made an appreciable contribution to the sound. Particularly in regards to the low end control, image dimensionality and effortlessness. That organic feel you heard. In fact, I think we tend to minimize the contribution of amplifiers to the over all sound of the system. In fact, the better the system and speaker (all things being equal), the bigger the difference between amplifiers (and I used to belong to at one time the amplifiers make minimal differences). The whole gestalt gives you that incredible low level resolution and quietness and musicality. The system as you heard allows for one to play a far wider range of music and albums. One is no longer confined as I was experiencing was being limited to playing my favorite 50, 100 or 200 albums. And not because the Zellatons are smoothing things out or lacking resolution making everything sound the same. You know. The longer you listen, the more you realize what's missing. As opposed to commenting after an hour of listening to hyperdetailing sound that you have Excedrin headache #251.

The same went for the equipment comparisons we performed. Fuuga Mk. 2/SAT vs Atlas SL Lambda cartridge into the Doshi phonostage. Atlas SL Lambda into Doshi vs into Goldmund PH3.8 Nextgen phonostage. Both were really excellent and each had a slightly different set of strengths. Each change and differences that entailed were pretty obvious yet they never shouted out listen to me, listen to me. No the equipment (as do the speakers) really disappeared into the background and let the music bloom.

Here's a list of the music we listened to for those who are interested:

15 ips Tape
Joe Policastro Vibes Quartet IPI
Barney Kessel The Poll Winners
Nat King Cole Welcome to The Club
George Benson Breezin’

LP
The Power Of The Orchestra, original SD
Bill Henderson Live at the Times, Classic Record 45 rpm
Dead Can Dance Into The Labyrinth, MOFI
Dean Martin Dream With Dean, AP 45 rpm
The Missouri Breaks, UA
Yello in the Movies, Oh Yeah, 12-inch 45 rpm
Ray Brown and Laurindo Almeida Moonlight Serenade, Jeton D2D
Jimi Hendrix Blues, Classic Records
Nina Simone Little Girl Blue, AP 45 rpm
Elvis 57, AP 45 rpm
Fleetwood Mac Self Titled, reissue
Peter Gabriel So, Classic Records
Charlie Byrd Crystal Clear D2D 45 rpm

And the system
-Zellaton Plural Evo speakers
-Goldmund Telos 300 stereo amplifier
-Goldmund Mimesis 37S Nextgen preamplifier
-Doshi EVO and Goldmund PH3.8 phonostages
-VPI Vanquish direct-drive turntable
-VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy gimbal arm/Lyra Atlas SL Lambda cartridge and SAT LM-12 arm/Fuuga Mk. 2 cartridge
-Technics RS1506 with Flux Magnetic heads (plus some JRF tape path mods), Doshi V3.0 tape stage (balanced)
-Assorted cables including Transparent XL Gen. 6/Audience Front Row Center ICs, Transparent phono balanced, Transparent Gen 6 speaker cables, Goldmund Lineal Power Cords
-Accessories including Stillpoint Aperture panels; Cathedral Sound panels; Furutech NCF Nano AC receptacles; Silver Circle Tchaik 6 PLC; Symposium ISIS and SRA Craz 3 racks; SRA OHIO Class 2.1+ platforms.




I'd proffer that perhaps electrostatic-like speed fits better than continuousness and the perception of melody and all it's intricacies. Plus essentially the same drivers being used from top to bottom counts too. What sets the Zellaton Plural Evos apart in my mind is their ability to "breath." The sound is neither too tightly or too loosely controlled. Or as the three little bears line went not too hot and not too cold.



Of course the Plural Evos are a completely new Zellaton speaker and the first in the new EVO line. Shows are not always the best place to hear equipment and of course you might have hearing the Statement Mk.1 speakers back in 2017. Was it digital or analog sources?



There's a real synergy between the Goldmund speed and the Zellatons. As they say pay your money and make your choice. and mine was for the newest Goldmund Telos 300 amps. As you said, the Goldmund equipment didn't sound solid-state. And it doesn't. Different than say another very un-hifish solid-state line like FM Acoustics but nonetheless always

Well the records and tapes aren't quite totally organized yet--the result of the movers playing 52 pickup with some of the collection that was in the bedroom in our old place.

Thank you so much, Myles, for posting here and for filling in all of the blanks I left in my preliminary and slapdash report.

Thank you for listing the music we listened to and all of your component details! I concur wholeheartedly with your impressions of transparency and the analysis of your system and the components responsible for the emotionally-involving sound you have achieved!

Tinka wanted to learn more about my early life and where I grew up. Tinka and I went to Scarsdale early this morning and we were hosted today by a life-long friend of mine who still lives in the house he grew up in in Scarsdale.

My dear friend gave us a tour of the street I grew up on and the elementary school I went to and Edgemont High School, as well as Hartsdale and Scarsdale Village generally.