Antari has long been regarded as the Rolls-Royce of fog machines. The Chinese manufacturer, which specializes exclusively in atmospheric effects, is credited with elevating foggers above mere commodities by adding advanced features such as DMX control and electronic thermostats, along with some eye-catching outside-the-black-box styling.

So when Antari recently introduced a “new generation” of its popular Z-Series foggers, this was major news. Called the Z-Series II, the new machines are being distributed in North America exclusively by Elation Professional. There are five models available – the Z-800II, Z-1000II, Z-1020, Z-1200II and Z-1500II.

Wondering what Antari could possibly do to upstage the original Zs, we just had to take a look at the Z-SeriesII. Actually, we didn’t have to look too closely -- the sleek, edgy lines of their redesigned cases jumped right out at us. They’re more striking and stylish-looking than ever.

But this isn’t just a facelift for a new model year. The Z-Series II foggers are also loaded with performance enhancements, like “better mileage.” They’re equipped with an all-new spiral-shaped stainless-steel heater that transfers energy more efficiently, resulting in about a 20% electricity savings. In addressing today’s concerns about rising energy costs, Antari’s designers are, as always, right on the pulse of the market.

They’ve also addressed some other user concerns based on surveys conducted by their R&D staff, like making the machines easier to operate. The Z-1000II now comes with onboard DMX (as do the three model numbers above it). These four upper-end models have also been given an electronic low-fluid detector, which automatically shuts down the power when the fog juice starts running low, protecting the machine from damage.

Even the smallest model Z-800II has been seriously upgraded. Ideal for mobile DJs and smaller venues, the compact 6 lb. Z-800II warms up much faster than its predecessor. We plugged it in and, amazingly, after just a minute and a half it was spewing out clean, odorless, steady fog (vs. 4 minutes’ warm-up time for the original Z-800). FYI, Antari is known for the high quality of its fog, thanks to its advanced ECO thermal control system. The system’s electronic thermostat can detect even very slight temperature drops and will automatically re-heat the machine, which results in a thinner, consistent stream of smoke, as opposed to “black bursts.”

Perhaps the biggest innovation in the series is the Z-1020, a totally new flat horizontal unit that’s designed for specialized applications. As unusual as it looks on the outside, the Z-1020 has something all-new inside too – its 1000-watt heater features cutting-edge mirror pipe technology. This design allows the Z-1020 to be positioned different ways: on the ground to spurt fog upward, mounted sideways on walls, or carried upright like a regular fog machine. With this versatility, we were able to produce a variety of unique effects -- from shooting volcanos upward, to creating well-blended atmospheric fog from the wall-mount position. The versatile Z-1020 is great for shows, productions, theme parks, haunted houses, weirdly configured venues, and special applications that can’t use a traditional fog machine.

Speaking of versatility, Antari is providing many remote control options for the Z-SeriesII. The Z-800II, Z-1000II and Z-1020 come with a wired On/Off remote, but an optional timer remote (Z-40) and wireless remote (Z-50) are also available (sold separately). The Z-1200II includes a full-function timer/volume remote, and you can purchase a wireless controller (Z-9) for it too. The Z-1500II comes with a really terrific wired remote that lets you customize fog duration, interval and volume, and it will even store these parameters in memory so that the machine can be powered down without losing your settings. An optional wireless remote that has all these functions is also offered for the Z-1500II.

One final word about the Z-Series II – these aren’t the cheapest foggers you’ll find. But with suggested retails starting at $199.95, they’re awfully affordable and when you think of all the premium features that come standard with each model, it’s like getting a Rolls-Royce for, if not a Kia, a Chevy price.