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Speaker Road Trip

So in my last post I was asking opinions on three very different types of speakers; the Volti Razz, Tannoys and Magnepans. As I live in the sticks there's not a lot of opportunity to hear many products; there's not a hi fi place within four hours and then the selection is very limited. 

Many of you told me I needed to hear these things beforehand if possible so I packed up wife, aging mom and our five month old lab pup and hit the road. I drove from the very tip of the mitt in Michigan to Nashville. I chose Nashville as there was a shop with Tannoy, one with Magnepan and the Volti's are made nearby. For some reason I thought they were made in Franklin, Tn which is half an hour south of Nashville. Turns out it was an hour and a half east so the one day I had planned turned into two.

I went to Volti and Greg Roberts was there as I had informed him of my wish. He gave me a tour of the facility where all the magic happens and I was very impressed. It's a one man operation and it's a very professional facility. We proceeded from the tour and a glimpse of his Rival speakers which are quite a bit larger than the Razz to his future living area which is separated by a covered walkway. This area stores most of his components and parts and where he and his wife live though as of now it's not quite finished. It also showcases the Volti Vittori's which are massive and beautiful.

We were ushered into an unfinished room where he had a rig set up along with the Razz. My wife and I were seated center and he proceeded to demonstrate. I was floored by the sound and the imaging these big horns have. Vocals were sublime and everything delivered satisfyingly. I heard a bit of the shouty that some speak of when they talk horns. I attribute this to the fact that the room was unfinished, concrete floors, unfinished drywall and very little as far as furniture and absorption. I only stream at home so I didn't bring anything as far as reference material but he had the ability to stream and played some things to demonstrate their capability but I only heard one thing that I was intimately familiar with as my wife was getting a little impatient as we were running out of time. We had decided to leave our pup at a local vets for day boarding as it was 94 out and with an hour and a half drive to get her before they closed time was limited.

The next morning I was met by the owner of a high end home theater/ 2 channel shop that carried Magnepans. He demonstrated the 3.7s driven by Bryston gear. I was impressed as I had never heard them before and they certainly sounded great but I don't know how to describe what it was about them. Something for me seemed to be missing, it may have been the fact that I couldn't pinpoint the source of what I'm hearing which was unfamiliar. Ultimately I decided they weren't for me, especially after he suggested I would have to think about adding monoblocks to my Parasound Halo integrated which would have driven up my cost considerably. I also had a fear my cats would think they'd make a dandy scratching post though they haven't done so with other towers.

He carried a couple of different lines however and one of these happened to be Dali. He had a pair of Opticon 5s hooked up and just for s^&ts and giggles I gave them a listen. They really impressed me enough to want to hear the Opticon 8 that he had marked down to make way for the new Opticon 8mks. He was kind enough to take these out of the boxes and hook them up. They did everything right for me to the point it created quite a dilemna for me as I was leaning towards the Volti's.

My concern with the Volti's ultimately is listener fatigue. It could have been the unfinished room, it could have been their size verses my room size. I need to talk more with him on this matter. I think overall they are a better speaker than the Dali's but this observation could be biased by my like for Greg and my wanting them to be THE ONES.

Go with your gut right? The Dali's really checked all my boxes. These are a demo pair that he's knocking $500 off current list plus shipping so about a $300 savings. He says he will let me return them less a $200 restocking fee if they don't work in my room or a store credit. I've found a used pair listed about a 3 hour drive from me that are 9/10 in his opinion that I can get for $1500 but there wouldn't be any return of course.

Advice?
dadork

Showing 2 responses by oldaudiophile

oldaudiophile
334 posts
 
Huh?  You "drove from the very tip of the mitt in Michigan to Nashville."? I admire the zeal and dedication but wouldn't Music Direct in Chicago have been less of a haul?. They probably wouldn't have everything you're interested in, unless they have some trade-in stuff, but they are a large operation, very highly regarded and have lots of high-end stuff. Judging from their website, looks like they have Dali.

You listened to Opticon 8mks right "out of the boxes"? In other words, not broken in at all?

You also seemed to have done your auditioning in different sounds rooms with different acoustics, different source gear and sometimes with speakers not exactly optimally placed in the room. Not exactly a good way to go about critical listening or auditioning gear. While it's virtually impossible to control all conditions for critical listening, the more you can replicate or come as close as possible to your home conditions, the better sense you'll have of how something might perform under your roof.  Room dimensions, seating position or the proverbial sweet spot, how your room is laid out, furniture, windows, rug, no rug, hardwood floor,  ceiling height, space behind the sweet spot, etc. are factors to take under consideration. While you'll never really know how speakers will perform until you get them home, have them hooked up to your gear and fully broken in, trying to control as many conditions as possible in auditions or critical listening sessions will help. Listening to things in a haphazard way is risky business, generally speaking. It's also a good idea to find out what the return policy is in case you end up being disappointed and want to return what you buy.

Best of luck!
oldaudiophile
334 posts
 
Dadork, I understand the angst all too well, having recently completed a many months quest to replace a beloved pair of Paradigm. However, my longest road trip was only 2 hours; nothing compared to what you and your family endured. God bless them for being so supportive!

Based upon what you've mentioned, thus far, I can't imagine you'd end up liking any electrostatic design, even the very expensive ones. Can't say I've ever heard the Razz but they certainly review very well by reviewers I trust and they are certainly beautiful speakers. Since you and your wife liked that horn loaded sound signature, have you done any serious seat-time with Klipsch? When I bought my Paradigm, many moons ago, I actually liked a pair of Klipsch (can't remember the model number) I A/B'd them with more, but they were considerably larger and required room placement criteria I couldn't accommodate. Back in 1972, I also liked a pair of Ohm Walsh F I listened to with a McIntosh beast of an amp and, then, a Phase Linear beast. However, I was a kid then with empty pockets. Haven't heard their new stuff but I'm guessing you and your wife might like that sound signature, as well. Those, too, require judicious room placement. Up for a road trip to Brooklyn?
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