Estelon Just Dropped Its New $269,000 Pair of Loudspeakers. Here’s Everything You Need to Know.
Estonia is the quiet country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe known for its idyllic forests and crystal-clear air. It’s also home to Estelon, a manufacturer of loudspeakers whose drop-dead-gorgeous looks and sound have mightily impressed the high-end audio community since Alfred Vassilkov, the company’s chief engineer, co-founded the brand in 2010.
Estelon offers a range of models with impeccable sonic credentials, and whose appearance is unique among loudspeakers. The collection comprises floor-standing and stand-mount designs, each distinguished by its elegant enclosure and an organic shape that recalls a piece of modern sculpture; think Constantin Brancusi or Marc Newson—with music.
More from Robb Report
Luxman's Sleek New Turntable Is Our Favorite of 2023 (So Far)
Naim's Pint-Sized Integrated Amp Delivers a Sonic Punch That's Well Above Its Weight
Estelon is notable for its breadth of products that span mid-level to bleeding-edge. The brand-new AURA is Estelon’s newest loudspeaker, and at $19,000 per pair, it’s a game-changer based on manufacturing technology that uses thermoformed composite to create a monolithic enclosure, instead of the costly marble-based composite enclosures of the atelier’s more ambitious models.
We heard these at T.H.E. Show in Coast Mesa, Calif., powered by the new Aurender AP20 Integrated Amplifier/DAC/Streamer ($22,000), and can say unhesitatingly that, for well under $50,000, it’d be tough to build a better sounding, more aesthetically pleasing system—one that sounds like it should cost twice as much.
At the other end of Estelon’s product portfolio, however, is its flagship loudspeaker, the new Extreme Mk II. Introduced to the North American market during the AXPONA Show in April of this year, the Extreme Mk II expresses Estelon’s state-of-the-art vision, weighing 551 pounds apiece and priced at $269,000 per pair. These speakers certainly aren’t lightweights—physically or sonically—and we look forward to sharing listening impressions when the opportunity to audition a set avails itself.
The Extreme is just that: a unique two-module design that flares at either end and narrows at the center, its curvaceous form tapering when viewed from the front, side, and rear. Sculpture, indeed. The two-module design allows precise raising or lowering of the upper module to fine-tune tweeter height for optimum performance, which is based on placement within the room and the seating height. Nine positions, adjustable by a dedicated remote control, vary each loudspeaker’s height from about 70 inches to 82 inches.
While appearing similar to the original Extreme, the Mk II incorporates new drivers and an upgraded crossover network that integrates new and improved inductors, capacitors, and resistors. The lower module of this four-way, bass-reflex design houses two 11-inch, custom-made Accuton aluminum woofers by Thiel & Partner that feature a convex honeycomb membrane—instead of conventional cones—and deliver bass response down to 25 Hz.
At the top of the upper module is an 11-inch mid-woofer, beneath which is a new seven-inch, ceramic-membrane Accuton driver. Under that is a new one-inch diamond-membrane Accuton tweeter that takes frequencies all the way up to 60 kHz. Proprietary connectors accept banana, spade, or bare-wire termination. A power rating of 500 watts, 91 dB sensitivity, and an impedance dipping to 2 ohms—at 95 Hz—will require a beefy, high-current amplifier to show off the best these speakers have to offer.
With a build quality and finish that expresses the essence of high-luxury audio, the Extreme Mk II is available in a variety of two-tone, ultra-premium high-gloss finishes: Midnight Opera, Bronze Royale, Lunar Eclipse, and Nordic Emerald.
Click here for more photos of the new Estelon Extreme Mk II loudspeakers.
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
