My first memory of Estelon is of 2012. When I walked into a room at Munich High End I entered… a concert hall. It was a I first time I heard speakers that reproduce classical music without “shrinking” the size of the room. The term “scene” is quite slippery because we cannot talk about fair scene in a studio in which each instrument is recorded separately or about multi microphone recordings of symphonic music. Yet the purpose of audio reproduction is to create an illusion of a live performance. In orchestral music the most difficult aspect for reproducing is the breadth and depth of the room and the location of the musicians. Then, back in 2012, the Estelon XAs, for the first time, created the illusion that I was in a huge hall and I remembered them. However, I do not slave brands and hate generalizations.
This year the Estonians presented the latest model Estelon Extreme (170 000 €) with the new Serie 7 Solution electronics, cabling was Kubala-Sosna.
Estelon Extreme has two 10″ bass drivers, one 10″ mid-bass, a 7″ ceramic midrange and 1.5″ tweeter. It consists of two modules – one for the bass section and another for medium and high frequencies, which is also movable vertically allowing optimization of the loudspeaker for the room and listening position.
When listening to Estelon Extreme I realized something. When you listen to hi-fi equipment, consciously or not, you give something of yourself. You adjust your hearing and your consciousness to the sound signature of the system, which can take some seconds. It’s the time for adapting to the characteristics of the stage, the characteristic of coloration etc. Listening to Estelon, Solution and Kubala-Sosna system I felt that, for the first time, I don’t have to adapt. The music starts and you’re there. The scene extends to tens of meters forward and sideways, musical instruments are real, sound energy is released. I felt ease. For the first and last time at this show I had goosebumps while listening to classical music, I was just relaxed passive listener, not a seeker of pros and cons. Absolute realism. I heard Symphony Orchestra in a concert hall, I was not listening to an audio system. I think this is the ultimate goal of the whole hobby – to bring music into the room.
With a variety of studio recordings – jazz and pop music, including Kraftwerk, the system sounded wonderful, but the world has a lot of audio components that will cope with Kraftwerk and jazz trio. The ability to re-create an orchestra in a room is High End, this is the crowning achievement. I think the Estonians of Estelon, supported by Solution, reached the summit in sound reproduction.
MYHIFI
Translation from the original text