Cornwall IV vs. Volti Rival, Razz; Razz v. 1, 2, 3 -- what changed?

I am a big proponent of separating home theater and two channel music. If not, compromises will be made. However, in your situation, having two channel and home theater in the same room but using different speakers doesn't make sense. I understand your electronics are different for each pair of speakers, but what would the Fortes do for movies that the most excellent sounding Volti speakers won't do? Having a home theater speaker sitting directly next to a two channel speaker is lost on me. I just don't get it.

When you are listening loud to two channel (2 speakers) and other speakers are sharing the room, do this little test. When cranking the new Volti speakers, remove the grill of the Forte, and gently place the tip of your index finger on the woofer cone...you will find it will vibrate to the spl within the room. The Fortes are actually making a sound, and so are the other unused speakers. You are hearing all of the speakers, although only 1 pair are actually playing through an amp. This is a major detriment to two channel when combined with home theater. IMO & IME. Enjoy! My best, MrD.

I am not the best one to tell you how to integrate these two systems. I don’t have any big screens, processors, or multi channel amps in my room. Blasphemy in my world.

Silverfoxvtx1800, you can take pictures of the speakers and put on your system page. Relatively easy to do.

Always great to hear speaker dreams come true! Cable upgrades next lol.

Enjoy!

@silverfoxvtx1800 Great to have these impressions. Obviously, you're still in the honeymoon phases, but so interesting to learn. To think you almost didn't keep these!

Be interested to revisit this thread now and again, especially if you keep posting. 

Silverfox,

Home theater bypass is very easy. You can send the left and right pre-outs from your receiver/processor to any analogue input on your two channel pre-amp. Just set the volume knob at a consistent place when using it for movies. If you preamp has a HT bypass use that setting as it will set a utility gain on the preamp.

the other option is to just wire in a switch like the one linked below. You can of course buy higher end switches.

https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Balanced-Converter-Audio-Selector/dp/B07D7P7366

@silverfoxvtx1800 

If you need help with your Virtual System, just send an email to support@audiogon.com 

@silverfoxvtx1800

Most new audio components need a break-in period.

I also gave Greg a hard time when he raised his prices on the Rival which I was targeting even though I knew that Covid related supply problems caused increasing cost for many high-end audio manufacturers. Shortly after, I found and purchased a used mint Rival in my favorite wood veneer and I apologized to Greg.

I stupidly sold my pair of Volti Razz speakers a couple of years ago. I had them set up in a smallish room and felt they were too much speaker for that space. Why I didn’t set them up in a larger space in my home, I don’t know. I have a pair of Wilson Sasha series one driven by a pair of McIntosh MC-501 mono-block amplifiers. If I could sell them for a decent price, I would look into a pair of the new Lucera. Is anyone interested in a pair of Wilson Sasha's in great condition near the NY metro area? Local sale only, I will not ship them

I am considering the Lucera. It's high praise that @hdbc3036 would sell Sashas to get a pair.

😂😂😂 @silverfoxvtx1800 i am so glad you are digging them! I played hooky from work today, had the house to myself and cranked mine all day long. Fats Domino, Steely Dan, Tool, Jimmy Hendrix… every time I do, I just fall head over heels all over again.

Just purchased Memoirs Of A Geisha Original Soundtrack LP.  Big fan of John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman (saw both live at the symphony).  @silverfoxvtx1800 -thanks.

I will need to check those out my friends. Count me a fan of Williams, just have yet to buy.. I’m open to any suggestions you guys have. Last night I was listening to Thundercat Drunk and Sketches of Spain in mono. ( to me the mono sounds better, hard to put into words why) My Volti with my Cary SLI80 sounded sublime.

@silverfoxvtx1800 I did not listen to the SE version of the Rival. I have heard the type II and loved it. Everything the Razz does just bigger and fuller. Plus the low end extension was deep and effortless. I hope to get a pair of Rival's one day, or even (gasp) the new Vittora.. If I had the dough right now I'd probably get a pair of Type 1 with a cool veneer combo to make the chamfer really pop visually. 

Though my more realistic goal is still trading up to a new pair of Lucera's. 

What’s up with the horribly uneven frequency response of Volti Razz as measured in the Stereophile review. I am not criticizing, rather asking a honest question.

Hi @silverfoxvtx1800 not looking and just helping a few friends on their journey. I'm using speakers I designed and built for myself about five years ago.Last and final set. I've had enough fun past four decades on these projects. Following along with friends and members is still interesting. Enjoy checking out new designs that manufacturers, DIY'ers, and various designers still come up with. I may sell off my whole system and downsize in a few years though.  Who knows what then. ;)  

@silverfoxvtx1800 I choose not to list and advertise my system for my own reasons, a theft years ago in a prior home. Cameras and dogs now, and no workers in the house any more. I keep it all heavy too. Worked at the same factory as Nelson and his wife btw, many decades ago. Amps are QS tube Mono 120s with upgrades and older Pass Forte’ Class-A solid state with updates and upgrades. Custom and upgrades are my thing, whenever possible. Enjoy yours.

Good morning all and happy belated Fourth of July! Hope everyone survived with fingers and dignity intact… @silverfoxvtx1800 makes me happy to hear the pairing of the First Watt and the Razz hits all your happy buttons! To me one of the superpowers of the Razz is that they sound sublime without needing heroic power amplification. I have an old pair of TDL speakers with a sensitivity in the lower 80’s (ironically the same as their birth year) that only sound good when they were paired with a long sold Threshold amp. 
Visiting the Volti/Border Patrol/ Triode Lab room this early spring, I was completely mesmerized by what only a handful of watts can do.

I think the newest Klipsch speakers (Forte, Cornwall, Klipschorn) are far better than  their past versions.  Haven’t heard the latest LaScala.  

A bit late to this thread but timely based on the speakers I picked up on Friday! 

I will post in the next few days a follow up to a thread earlier in the year when I was seeking "coaching" on high efficiency speakers for my system.  After listening to a few different speakers and doing way to much research I went with the Volti Razz.  Since I am in the South, I elected to drive to Volit world headquarters in Baxter, TN and get the full customer "experience".  I will write more in my follow up on all this but after listening to MY speakers in Greg's listening room and having a few days now to listen at home I am confident that I made the right choice.  I will share the whole journey including pre-purchase communication, workshop time with Greg socializing, listening to music and first hand experience with seeing a Razz being built.  Stay tuned..... 

P.S. to my post above - not to sound like a fan boy but I do want to mention for those curious and looking at a Razz that Greg has a beautiful pair in mahogany ready to ship - nicely discounted due to a very slight suppressed "ding" along one front corner of one of the speakers.  Had I seen these in person prior to purchasing mine, I would have definitely pulled the trigger.  Also note that I am not related by business or blood to to Greg but I have shared a few beverages with him :) 

@plinko I think the newest Klipsch speakers (Forte, Cornwall, Klipschorn) are far better than their past versions.

Good to know. If you don’t mind the ask - have you actually compared the different versions first hand? A buddy of mine has owned the 2s, 3s, 4s in the Hersey indicating he likes the more recent 4s are notably better than his prior versions after a more complete redesign. Keeping an eye out for a few friends looking again.

While I’ve read similar posts on the Forte and Cornwalls in the latest versions, I keep an eye out for posts by members who’ve owned and compared version over long periods of time and with different amplifiers types to get a better sense of things.

Also keeping an eye out for posts where lower powered (tube or ss) amplifiers [under 10wpc or in the 10w to 20w range] are used on the later 4 version speakers with notable success. Apparently sound great when matched up with good amps.

@silverfoxvtx1800 what is it about the Volti Audio speakers that you enjoy more [when compared with the same amplifier], Is it the bass, midrange, top-end, or maybe how its being presented differently in a more desirable way? Or, perhaps how the music sounds more natural, etc. Yes, I'm stretching and digging a little here, ... are there any descriptive words and explanations top of mind for you to describe what makes it "way better" for you and your ears?