Volti Voyage - New Razz


Note the Voyage is not a new model in Greg's speaker lineup :)  Warning - somewhat long post! 

Back in early January of this year I initiated a thread with the title "Speaker Pairing - First Watt F8 "  I was looking for new high efficiency speakers and many of you chimed in with some pretty good advice.  Little did I know my journey would include a trip last week to Baxter TN, a comprehensive walk through of his speaker assembly process, dinner with Greg and his wife across the road at a good Mexican restaurant, a couple hour evening session in Greg's listening room with MY new Razz speakers in his system and an overnight stay in his workshop!  An expresso the next morning in the shop and then Greg and I packed up my new Razz for the drive home.  Quite the experience complete with a 650 mile round trip drive that was worth every minute.  BTW I am a pretty neat individual and had no issue with spending a night sleeping in Greg's fastidious workshop. 

I wanted to do this follow up as I have seen a number of interesting threads on topics that are like a good book and get you most of the way through but alas, there is no ending!  I learned quite a bit of the journey here, from additional research, listening to a few different speakers and from Greg on the phone, through email and in person.  

A few factors entered into my final decision - a number of you suggested the Razz from the get go and I did a good deal of reading and digging to get a better understanding of the company and horn speakers.  Certainly hearing the Razz made an impression on me and got me most of the way there.  Then there was Greg who was not only a great asset in answering my questions but provided good system insight in a very patient manner.  He was quick to either answer my calls or emails and I never felt belittled or rushed with my sometimes naive questions. 

I will tell you this from the first hand observations of my visit and personal experience in what I call " learning/management by wandering around" - Greg is a true craftsman, audiophile and small business owner who truly cares about the product he is making and the customer experience.  Watching him crafting a Razz cabinet, the care and process he uses to apply the quality veneer, etc was a learning journey in itself.  He is extremely detailed and I marveled at the time and attention he took to apply the speaker cloth to the removable/magnetic covers- a very time consuming process.  I smiled as he showed me the straight line of sight on the wood frame and joy he took in making sure it was near perfect.  

It was also pretty dam fun to sit with Greg at night and listen a variety of music on my new speakers!  I had to chuckle when about half way through the session I looked over and there was Greg, martini in hand, eyes closed and rocking his head to the tunes of Jason Isbell :) 

So probably not the typical review of the final stages of a purchase.  I hope that I don't sound like a fan boy - I am not, but certainly have a big dose of respect for Greg and the product he crafts.  Also worth mentioning is that after a week at my home playing music throughout the day and into the evening, is that the Razz are  game changers in my system.  My wife has commented on how she can even hear a noticeable difference in the sound ( especially the mid-range )  and appreciates the way the Razz look - I went with a darker mahogany with a beautiful pattern and an upgraded weave grill!  

One last item - If you are on Instagram make sure to give Greg a follow.  He is posting quite regularly on steps in the speaker building process.  Enjoy your journey! 

norust

Great story, I've driven about that far for a pair of Verity speakers in the past. I know you are not talking about a new speaker, but as far as the Razz is concerned, do you know how many versions there have been? Are they marked in any way, or has the Razz gone unchanged since first launch?

 

 

I am not well versed in Razz history but to my understanding there have been at least two versions.  The first Razz speakers had the crossover adjustments inside the cabinet.  On the current version the resistors for the crossover adjustment are in a recessed area that is accessible on the back panel of the speaker.  I am not sure when the current version was debuted.  Shoot Greg an email and I know he will be happy to respond..... 

Nice to hear all that. I met Greg at the Capitol Audiofest a few years back, purchased his Rival speakers & couldn’t be happier!  I also really feel good about supporting small, more “ local” artisan craftsman whenever possible. There aren’t that many left anymore & it’s what makes a country or region unique & interesting. 
 

Curious, What amp are you driving them with? 

Glad you had a fun and rewarding experience. Curious though, how large is your room that you have these placed? Does the First Watt F8 provide all the power you want (and quality) you desire in these fairly efficient speakers? They sure seem to offer beautiful speakers at their price point, and their own blurb about the quality of cabinetry and drivers used compared to say the Klipsch Forte, would seem to indicate a definitely step up in quality compared to "mass produced" product. How would you describe their sound? Do you feel the need of a powered sub-woofer?

Thanks. There’s precious few American made (let alone designed, even if the drivers are sourced from Italy) speakers these days, so Volti is on my short list. I like that they are in Tennessee. "Klipsch on steroids" for more discerning audiophiles might be the perfect ticket and let me entertain the idea of using tube gear later on. 

Appreciate the responses to my post!  It is certainly rewarding to support a local business and the craftsmen that build the speakers on site in this country.  

@jonwolfpell - the amp I am using is a First Watt F8 along with a Modwright LS100 tube preamp.  I like the combination of these two.  Greg was using a Cary SLI-80 integrated amp in his system to drive my Razz speakers in his listening room.  That combination sounded wonderful! 

@moonwatcher - My F8 has plenty to power a highly efficient speaker like the Razz.  I have a large open room that 24' by 27' with 12' ceilings - speakers on the back wall about 12 feet apart.  I listen at moderate levels but with certain music I will turn it up and the speakers and amp can handle it with plenty to spare.  I don't feel I need a subwoofer.   I really have noticed a big difference in the midrange with a great deal of clarity based on the horns in the Razz.  My wife who was non-committal on the purchase loves the sound and was remarking on the clarity and detail with the Razz :) 

Do you get any kickbacks/money/free stuff/etc from Volti for writing this 'review'/marketing piece?  Or are you just a genuine ecstatic customer?

Kindly confirm.

@deep_333  Hah!  No, I am just a happy camper with a bit of time on my hands, a tune in my head and a story to tell - with a happy ending!

  However, in full disclosure I did buy the Mexican dinner/drinks across the street from Greg's shop/home and received a free overnight - camp cot ( clean & comfortable ) in his shop next to the lathe :) 

BTW the horn speakers are a game changer! 

Signed,

Genuine Ecstatic Customer 

@deep_333  Hah!  No, I am just a happy camper with a bit of time on my hands, a tune in my head and a story to tell - with a happy ending!

  However, in full disclosure I did buy the Mexican dinner/drinks across the street from Greg's shop/home and received a free overnight - camp cot ( clean & comfortable ) in his shop next to the lathe :) 

BTW the horn speakers are a game changer! 

Signed,

Genuine Ecstatic Customer 

@norust Good to know. These type of roadtrips can be fun.

I understand the thrill of some horns.