[Triode Pete]

Ready for the show!

[Triode Pete]

Already JAM PACKED!

[Blackmore]

Great looking setup!

[rollo]

Always a great room. Enjoy the show.

charles

[HAL]

Have a great show!

[Triode Pete]

For the Final Day 3 of the show we switched to the affordable Volti Razz speaker in a dyed crimson red.







Cheers,
Pete

[Triode Pete]

Some feedback from Stereophile's Ken Micallef... https://www.stereophile.com/content/borderpatrolvolti-audiotriode-wire-labs

BorderPatrol/Volti Audio/Triode Wire Labs



I have a theory about Greg Roberts, Gary Dews, and Pete Grzybowski, respective owners of Volti Audio, BorderPatrol Audio Electronics, and Triode Wire Labs. I knew guys like these three in high school, whip smart dudes who had the best music, stayed up late playing that music, but were somehow at school the next morning before anyone, pushing their grades to the max. Me? Slacker.
That's why the Three Volti Musketeers always play music loudly, pre and post show hours, checking the rig, always experimenting. I can attest to this phenomena, as I was up early and late, researching room coverage. Wait, those guys are still in there?!!

Roberts debuted his new Rival loudspeaker ($15,000–$21,500/pair), with revised crossover, revoiced cabinet, modified internal damping and bracing, and a retuned port.

The Big Three played fine music, including Dominique Fils Aimé, Van Morrison, Norah Jones, and Uncle Lucius. As always with Roberts, Dews, and "Triode Pete," the sound was transparent, open, rich, and deeply immersive.

Warren Potter, from Hamilton, Ontario, CA said "for a 2"-wide horn, these speakers are smooth, not horny. And even off-axis I'm getting great imaging."

Driving the new Rivals: BorderPatrol DAC SE-1 DAC (USB: $1525; S/PDIF-coax: $1525; USB+S/PDIF-coax: $1995), BorderPatrol 16Wpc SET 300B S20EXD power amplifier (from $19,995 excluding tubes; with Western Electric 300Bs: $1495/pair; price as shown: $23,485). Triode Wire Labs cabling included The Obsession power cables ($1499), Digital American power cables ($499), American Speaker Cables ($699/pair), Spirit II RCA interconnects ($399/pair), Freedom ethernet digital cables ($249), Passion USB cables ($329).

Thanks Ken!

Cheers,
Pete

[Triode Pete]

Some additional feedback from Michael Lavorgna's Twittering Machines!... https://twitteringmachines.com/caf-highlights-2022-border-patrol-volti-audio-triode-wire-labs/

CAF 2022 Highlights: Border Patrol | Volti Audio | Triode Wire Labs



No trip to CAF is complete without a stop in the Border Patrol/Volti Audio/Triode Wire Labs room-orama.

During my visit, the Volti Audio Razz speakers (starts at $6500/pair), a three-way, hybrid horn/bass-reflex loudspeaker, were in play mated to the the Border Patrol S20EXD 16W/ch parallel single-ended 300B Power Amplifier (from $19,995 w/o tubes) and the company’s DAC SE-i (starts at $1525 see review) getting its bits from an Innous Zenith ZENith Mk3 (starts at $5399) and Phoenix USB reclocker ($3749) combo with cabling from Triode Wire Labs.



Rich, immediate, and just plain fun are the order of the day in the Border Patrol/Volti Audio/Triode Wire Labs room-orama.

Thanks Michael!

[Triode Pete]

Some late feedback from Part Time Audiophile... https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2022/11/23/triode-wire-labs-borderpatrol-volti-caf-2022/

Triode Wire Labs, BorderPatrol & Volti | CAF 2022



Our good friends at Triode Wire Labs cables, BorderPatrol amplification and Volti Audio speakers attend nearly every high-end audio show in the US, which is hard work. Their motto, however, displayed on the wall, is Have Fun! It’s difficult NOT to have fun in this room, year after year, because the gigantic soundstage, sheer power and incredible detail always leads you to believe this is the perfect party system for audiophiles who like to let loose and dance around the room while still in awe of the fidelity.

Triode Wire Labs, as many of you know, makes superb cables for a truly reasonable price. We’re talking about the American Speaker Cables that start at $699/pr USD, Spirit II interconnects starting at $399/pr USD, and the Freedom ethernet cables that start at $249. When you hear these cables, at that price, sound like THIS in their exhibit room, you might start to question whether you spent too much on your cables.



In addition to Triode Wire Labs, the room also featured a full complement of BorderPatrol amplification, as well as their very popular DAC S/SEi (from $1,450). We’re talking about tube amps that we at PTA know well–the P21 EXD power amplifier with 300Bs and 20wpc (from $13,150), and the 8wpc SE300B EXD (from $13,375).



Finally, Volti Audio brought a special version of the Rival loudspeakers that Scot Hull digs, but in a special Cerajiera veneer for $15,000 pair. As Volti’s Greg Roberts says, “I believe the wood cabinets I build for my Rival speakers are the highest quality wood speaker cabinets in the industry. Higher quality cabinets = better quality of sound. I install the finest wood veneers and finishes on my cabinets because I love the beauty of wood and I want my customers to enjoy their beautiful speakers for a very long time.” 100 dB sensitivity and low frequencies down to 32Hz makes the Rivals a rare transducer in today’s market.

Digital was supplied, as usual, by an Innuos Zenith server mated to the BP DAC. If you haven’t had fun in a Triode Wire Labs, BorderPatrol and Volti Audio room at a high-end audio show, did you really go at all?

Thanks, pta!

Pete

[RonN5]

The BPVT room always sounds great. Please pass along a thought to Greg… those red Razz look really nice… but the front port might look better painted red or black.

[tme110]

Never even saw Pete this time so couldn't bum any whisky.  On observation that I had - everything is on display except the cables.  I'd have info about the cables out and various different cables for people to play with.  I brought a friend and was talking about the cables and the response was - do I get to see them?

[Triode Pete]

Some late feedback (by me) from Enjoy The Music's Rick Becker... https://www.enjoythemusic.com/Capital_Audiofest_2022/Becker/3rd_Floor/page2.htm



Room 316 Border Patrol, Triode Wire Labs, And Volti Audio

Ah, yes. The TVB room. Is this an official team or what? While some companies endeavor to create entire systems under their own roof, these three companies have chosen to retain their own identities while continuing to enjoy success by banding together at shows.



The joint was jumping with bopping Motown sound coming through the Volti Audio Rival (Bearcat version in Cerajeira veneer, $15k). I hope "Cerjiera" is not a veneer of Saguaro cactus — I've never heard of it. In any case, this speaker is sounding like a modern-day, refined version of Altec's Voice of the Theater speaker with its 100dB efficiency, 15" woofer, 2" outlet midrange, and 1" compression tweeter. The internal volume is probably close, too, though the Rival has a smaller footprint and greater height. Greg Roberts makes his own crossovers, too. This adds up to a speaker with great dynamics that can be driven by low-powered SET tube amplifiers to give you music with emotion and soul.

I was also intrigued to learn Greg produces excellent crossover and modifications for vintage Klipsch Klipschorns and Belle Klipsch speakers. (I'm reminded of another project on my To-Do list.) As everything is sold factory direct from Volti, that means value added. Just add shipping from a small town halfway between Nashville and Knoxville, TN.



The camera focused a little too close on the gorgeous wood frame of the Border Patrol S20EXD power amp, but rest assured those were Western Electric parallel single-ended 300B tubes putting out 16 Wpc, which, in the context of the Volti Rival speaker, constitutes a muscle amp. Priced at $20k without tubes, you can add the WE tubes for $1495/pr. And if you're running just a single source, consider adding the volume control shown on the model above. The price as shown was $23,845.

Since the source was the Innuos Phoenix reclocker and Innuos Zen combination, the box next to the amp was the Border Patrol DAC SE-I, a non-oversampling R-2R DAC without any digital filtering. It also has a hybrid tube/solid-state power supply. Being rather primitive, it plays files only up to 24/96kHz. With USB or SP/DIF inputs, it is $1525; with both, it is $1995. Like Volti, Border Patrol sells factory-direct and ships from   Bristow, VA. They are also the importer and sole U.S. retailer of Living Voice speakers from Great Britain. Wouldn't it be interesting to hear Living Voice speakers at a show again?

Not to be forgotten are the Triode Wire Labs cables that pulled the system altogether. They seem to be reasonably priced and worked well with the gear here. "The Obsession" power cords were $1499 (on amp and PI Audio Group power conditioner), and the "Digital American" power cords were on  DAC and Innuos gear ($499). Their "American Speaker Cables" were $699 and the "Spirit II" RCA interconnects were $399. They also had Ethernet and USB cables in the mix. All were very reasonably priced, and they ship from Massapequa Park, NY on the south side of Long Island.

Thanks, Rick!

Cheers,
Pete