Estelon XB Mk II User manual

from Alfred & Partners
Designed
by Alfred Vassilkov
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Model XB Mk II Serial Number __________

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Your ESTELON loudspeakers have passed our quality
control:
– Technical test passed.
Engineer, Estelon
– Listening test passed.
Alfred Vassilkov
Head of Research and Development, Estelon

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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................4
1.1. ALFRED &PARTNERS OÜ...................................................................4
1.2. ESTELON XB MK II ................................................................................6
1.2.1. Cabinet Design..........................................................................7
1.2.2. Transducers.................................................................................8
1.2.3. Crossovers ....................................................................................9
1.2.4. Finish..............................................................................................10
2. SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................................................... 11
3. UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS........................................................ 12
4. SET-UP ...........................................................................................................16
4.1. INITIAL POSITIONING IN THE ROOM ..............................................16
4.2. INSTALLING THE BASES..................................................................... 17
4.3. WIRING .................................................................................................... 21
4.4. BREAK-IN PERIOD ............................................................................. 22
4.5. SET-UP RECOMMENDATIONS BY ALFRED VASSILKOV...... 22
5. TAKING CARE OF YOUR ESTELON SPEAKERS............. 23
6. ESTELON / ALFRED & PARTNERS OÜ – TECHNICAL
SERVICES..........................................................................................................24

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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Alfred & Partners OÜ
Alfred & Partners, the Tallinn-based design studio, think-tank,
and owner of Estelon, is not simply a business but a passionate
dedication to a single, heartfelt idea: the development and
manufacturing of instruments capable of unveiling the rich, emotional
tapestry of music in a personally involving and captivating way.
For more than 35 years Electro-acoustics Engineer and
company founder, Alfred Vassilkov, has been relentlessly designing
loudspeakers. His designs have been awarded numerous patents while
also achieving much success in Europe. In 2010 a decision was made:
to establish his own brand based on his extensive experience,
knowledge, and relentless passion.
Alfred Vassilkov, the Designer and Founder of Estelon

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Such dedication carries the implicit responsibility of a wholly
uncompromising approach to audio design. Pride of craftsmanship
shares equal footing with sonic innovation. Alfred Vassilkov’s visionary
achievements along with his tireless drive and quest for musical truth
created an innovative brand of loudspeakers whose products offer
unrivalled musicality and incomparable beauty: Estelon. More
importantly, Estelon offers a distinctive key that assists listeners in
unlocking the vast structure of emotion through music.
For the Estelon brand, the visionary development started in
2006 when Alfred started analyzing materials and technologies for
producing cabinets with streamlined shapes that could not only
reproduce the best sound but also assimilate into home interiors with
an elegant, sculptured look. Years of research and development led
him to a proprietary, crushed marble-based composite. The material,
having excellent stiffness and anti-resonant attributes, as well as
various technical advantages, allows the creation of molded cabinets
with a purposeful design that enhances the sound quality of the entire
audio system. Estelon’s unique E-lon© shape creates the ideal
conditions for sound reproduction. Its curved, smooth form eliminates
corner reflections. A sculpted narrowing of the area where high
frequency emanates helps achieve 0 degrees phase at the listening
position, while the cabinet’s larger radiuses create controlled directivity
of the propagating soundwaves. The cabinet then becomes wider and
deeper at its base for both stability and to allow effective low-frequency
reproduction.
Every loudspeaker produced must pass Alfred & Partners'
extreme level of quality control. Each pair of loudspeakers is completely
hand-built, painted, assembled, tuned, tested, and then listened to
individually. All Estelon products are meticulously handmade in
Estonia, to the company’s exacting standards.

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1.2. Estelon XB Mk II
Estelon XB Mk II: Impeccable audio reproduction, along with the
curved-sculptural styling that is tailored to excel in a smaller listening
environment. It remains true to the X-Series’ expansive soundscape
delivering a precise performance. The perfect speaker system for
experiencing thrilling sound throughout the whole frequency
spectrum.
Paramount among the physical design elements continues
to be the use of the E-lon© shape cabinet form. This form has been
developed and perfected over a five-year period. Its design and
construction allow it to easily couple with non-acoustically treated
listening areas (i.e. normal living spaces). Our respect for the legacy
Model XA and its design continues and remains a constant source of
inspiration. Premium quality components in separate chambers, state-
of-the-art carbon-fiber resonant control, and applied isolation
technology along with top-quality dampening materials, are all
contributing factors to an exhilarating audio experience.
Many years have passed since the genesis of the Estelon, and
much has been learned while embodying all achievements. The roots
and choices have evolved into the Estelon sound. With the XB Mk II, the
most beloved element of Estelon products has been reaffirmed again:
simplicity. Featuring “minimalistic” second-order crossovers and the
refined combination of the selected drivers and the acoustical
attributes of the enclosure, has allowed Estelon to achieve their
signature sound along with enhanced performance qualities.
The XB Mk II is a speaker designed for smaller listening rooms
[suggested room size 25-50 m²(270-540 square feet)] and provides
exceptionally wide imaging, deep sound stage, and thrilling life-like
dynamics. It is far more than speaker drivers in a cabinet. It is a genuine
musical instrument in its own right, and when carefully integrated into

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a system and listening space, it is capable of connecting the listener to
the music in a most profound and transcending way. Everything is
expressed naturally, balanced, and emotionally engaging. The XB Mk II
possesses an eminently musical temperament that is immediately
evident upon your first audition and every subsequent listening
experience.
The XB Mk II will surprise the listener with the extremely
defined and unexpectedly deep bass, clear and articulate mid-range,
and musically detailed and dynamic high frequencies. The XB Mk II is
capable of reproducing the finest nuances of music.
1.2.1. Cabinet Design
Chief among the physical design elements of the XB Mk II is
the use of the E-lon© cabinet form that has been developed and honed
over many years of research and testing in order to find the right
material that would allow the highest quality of cabinet and
construction for the loudspeaker’s acoustically engineered shape. The
cabinet is extremely rigid, highly dense, resonant-free, and with
exceptional internal dampening and acoustical control. This is the
result of time-honoured construction techniques, a special casting
process, the use of a proprietary marble-based composite along with
the extensive use of sub-structural stiffening spars that break up
resonance nodes and create an internal acoustic chamber of non-
parallel sidewalls that is all but immune to unwanted standing waves
that can cause a coloured sound. This is why the Estelon speakers
reproduce a very natural and balanced sound.
During the final hand-assembly process each speaker is
individually tuned to maintain uniformity from unit to unit. Unusual in
its defined form, the result of this cabinet construction allows it to be

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easily paired even in an acoustically untreated room, allowing the bass
to roll effortlessly into the listening space.
1.2.2. Transducers
The German-made Accuton drivers employed are the highest
expression of transducer design. The 220 mm (8.7 inches) ceramic
sandwich woofer has been designed by Accuton engineers. It has an
extremely stiff and lightweight membrane along with a very long linear
excursion. It can reproduce a truly deep, accurate, and effortless bass
that has also been described as “live bass”. This is a result of meticulous
engineering. The former guarantees very low energy storage and good
heat transfer.
The 158 mm (6.25 inches) mid-woofer has a ceramic
membrane providing a very clean impulse response with very low total
harmonic distortion (THD) and intermodulation distortion (IMD)
products. Through continuous improvements and developments, the
right amount of damping is used to maintain a linear frequency
response.
The 25 mm (1 inch) inverted dome alpha corundum tweeter is
also made by Accuton. Typical to high-quality hard domes, the impulse
response is outstanding. The distortion is kept very low, and the first
break-up modes are pushed out of the audible range.
Each drive unit is “broken-in” by running an audio signal
through them for several hours before selecting matching drivers for
each pair of speakers. When the drivers are in matching pairs, another
“break-in” with an audio signal is conducted. Finally, drivers are fitted
into the finished cabinet for individual tuning.

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1.2.3. Crossovers
The Estelon XB Mk II has a finely tuned crossover. It is second-
order, allowing it to be incredibly fast and with perfect phase transition.
The crossover point of the tweeter and mid-woofer is at 2.1kHz and
between the mid-woofer and woofer at 85Hz. The crossovers are
mounted in a special isolated chamber to reduce the microphonic
effect and vibration influence.
Countless hours of R&D and real-world listening test have
been conducted of each crossover design and its related parts, right
down to the physical placement of each part and its positioning within
the cabinet. The crossover components have been chosen from
among the absolute best available, and the synergy of the end result
has been a significant deciding factor. Every component is measured
to yield perfect pairs.
In order to achieve the highest degree of micro-detail fidelity,
the filter components are connected directly, via point-to-point
techniques, all hand-soldered with high-quality solder, and with the
shortest possible cable runs between drivers, crossover and binding
posts. All internal cabling is from the renowned cable manufacturer
Kubala-Sosna.
The crossover filters are in their own isolated chamber to
reduce the microphonic effects and vibration influence. The crossover
filter slopes between woofer and mid-woofer are third-order, and
second-order between mid-woofer and tweeter. Each crossover
construction process involves careful attention from our engineers and
designers, where every process is carefully thought out and each
component tested to make sure that the final result is perfect. After
passing technical measurement tests, the finished speaker is put
through extensive critical listening tests.

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1.2.4. Finish
Just as in the making of a great musical instrument, the finish
has also an influence on the outcome. Because of the highly
sophisticated cabinet shape, all the processes in the finishing stage are
hand-made with extreme care by highly experienced specialists using
the best technology and procedures. After casting the proprietary
marble-based composite, it is allowed to age. Then the preparation of
the surface of the cabinet commences by hand sanding and by sealing
layer upon layer through an elaborate and time-consuming procedure.
Finally, the multiple coats of the lacquer finish are applied along with
the final polishing to a mirror-like finish. The Estelon XB Mk II is offered
in a choice of liquid gloss, matte, or the optional premium finishes.

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2. SPECIFICATIONS
TYPE:
DRIVERS:
Woofer:
Mid-woofer:
Tweeter:
INTERNAL WIRING:
FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
POWER RATING:
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE:
SENSITIVITY:
MINIMAL AMPLIFIER POWER:
DIMENSIONS:
NET WEIGHT:
SHIPPING WEIGHT:
3-way passive speaker, bass
reflex
220 mm (8.7 inches) Accuton,
ceramic sandwich dome
158 mm (6.25 inches) Accuton,
ceramic membrane
25 mm (1 inch) Accuton,
ceramic inverted dome
Kubala-Sosna
22-30 000 Hz
150 Watts
6 ohms (min 3.5 ohms at 50 Hz)
87 dB / 2.83 V
30 Watts
Height: 1260 mm (49.5 inches)
Width: 420 mm (16.5 inches)
Depth: 590 mm (23 inches)
69 kg (150 lbs.) per piece
110 kg (240 lbs.) per piece

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3. UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS
The packaging is precisely thought-through so despite the
weight of 69 kg (150 lbs.) of each speaker, they can be quickly and safely
transported to their final position in the room. The transport cases
(industrial grade custom flight-cases) and the speakers themselves are
equipped with wheels to ease the transportation and setup. The
speaker wheels can be easily replaced by the designated special floor
spikes or flat bases once the ideal placement and positioning have
been determined.
Your Estelon loudspeakers come packaged individually in 2
separate flight cases. We recommend keeping these cases for possible
future transportation. Due to the substantial weight and slippery
surface of the loudspeakers, we suggest that
two able-bodied
individuals assist in the unpacking and positioning process
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Contents of the two flight cases:
• 2 loudspeakers
• 1 Accessories box:
o 2 sets of isolation feet (8 pieces)
o 2 sets of spikes with locking rings (8 pieces)
o 2 sets of floor plates (8 pieces)
o 1 user’s manual
o 2 pairs of gloves
o 1 polishing cloth
For unpacking, please follow the instructions described below
and as shown in the drawings.

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1. Unlock/open all four locks of the flight case cover while the
speaker/flight case is in a horizontal position. (drawing 1)
2. Carefully lift and remove the cover from the flight case. (drawing 2)
3. Remove the foam plate from the speaker's bottom as shown in
drawing 3.
4. Lift gently the flight case as shown in drawing 4 while the other
person supports the speaker from the other side.
5. Lift the flight case with the speaker to a vertical position as shown
in drawing 5.
1
2

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3
4

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5
6. When in an upright position, support the speaker while rolling it out
of the case slowly. Please use the provided gloves that are included
in the accessories box inside the flight case.
7. Now, with the speaker upright and out of the flight case, roll it to
the desired position in your room and then carefully remove the
cloth bag. We recommend keeping the speakers on wheels during
the initial set-up.

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4. SET-UP
4.1. Initial positioning in the room
Model XB Mk II – Suggested room size 25-50 m²(270-540 square feet)
When positioning the speakers in your room, it is advised to
allow enough ”free” space around the speakers to minimize sound
reflections from walls, furniture, etc. This will contribute to achieving
correct tonality, realistic imaging, focus, and dynamics. The
recommended minimum distance between the speaker and the front
wall is 0.8 m (2.6 ft) and 1.2 m (3.9 ft) from the side wall. The distance of
the tweeter to the front and side walls should not be the same.
Listening point: the distance between the floor and your ears
should be approx. 1 m (3 ft), while the distance between the listener and
the speakers should be similar to the distance between the two
speakers.
The positioning of the speakers in the room must be
symmetrical for achieving a balanced sound stage. This is particularly
important in a narrow space. The distance between the speakers
should be approx. 2.5 – 4 m (8.2 – 13.1 ft) depending on the size of the
room and its reverberation characteristics. The recommended
speaker’s direction is approx. 7°, off-axis, towards the listening position
(depending on the room acoustics).
Please contact your dealer for consultation on how to improve
your room acoustics.

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4.2. Installing the bases
The bases consist of four parts as shown in drawing 6. Before
replacing the transport wheels of the speakers with the bases, please
screw the spikes with the locking rings into the bottom of each
isolation foot (drawing 7).
6
7
Once you have assembled the bases and the final position of
the speakers has been located, it is time to replace the transport
wheels.

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Please
replace the wheels on one side of each loudspeaker at
a time
. One person should carefully tilt the speaker against
himself/herself and hold it in this position (drawing 9), while the other
person removes the two accessible wheels as shown in drawing 10.
Please
make sure the edge of the speaker's bottom does not touch the
floor
during this process.
9
10

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After the 2 wheels are removed, please
locate the isolation feet holes
on the base of the speaker, that are next to the holes of the wheels
(drawing 11).
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Then screw the isolation feet into the specific holes as shown in
drawing 12.
12

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In case of hard flooring, please place the
floor plates
onto the
floor before lowering the speaker on the side that the wheels were
replaced. The floor plates are for use only on hard flooring in order to
protect the floor from any damage from the spikes. For carpeted floors,
use the
spikes
in order to pierce through the carpet to the hard flooring
underneath.
Repeat the process for replacing the rest of the wheels on that
loudspeaker, and then repeat this process for the other loudspeaker
until both loudspeakers are standing on their spikes and/or the floor
plates (drawing 13). Please save the wheels in the event of future
transportation.
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In case of an uneven floor please follow the steps described
below, and as shown in the drawings, in order to achieve good stability
and a properly levelled loudspeaker. Please locate the spikes that do
not touch the floor/floor plates and then:
i)
Firmly hold the isolation foot to stay in place and unscrew the
locking ring.