[Triode Pete]

The Absolute Sound's Dick Olsher picked Room 1102 (Volti Audio, BorderPatrol & Triode Wire Labs) the "Best Sound (Cost No Object)" at this year's RMAF!!!

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/2015-rmaf-show-report-tube-electronics/



BorderPatrol S20 EXD+EXS SET Stereo Power Amplifier ($25,750)
"OK, so this isn’t really a new product introduction, but I was so blown away by the BorderPatrol S20’s performance with Volti Audio’s Vittora speaker system that I just had to include it here. Two 300B power triodes are paralleled per channel to deliver 18Wpc. The overall layout is dual mono. Massive dual external power supplies are used. Designer Gary Dews offers several power supply options with the EXC+EXS representing the ultimate configuration—weighing in at 90 pounds each in copper casework and extensive cryogenic treatments. The rest of the setup in the Volti Audio room included BorderPatrol’s DAC1, CEC TL3N belt drive CD transport, and Triode Wire Labs. A gem of a system.

Best of Show
Best Sound (Cost No Object)
Volti Audio Vittora loudspeaker system driven by BorderPatrol electronics. A force of nature: horn dynamics with minimal horn resonances. It’s hard to imagine a better two octaves spanning the range from 150 to 600Hz."

Cheers,
Pete

[Russell Dawkins]

re: the Volti speakers, Dick Olsher says " It’s hard to imagine a better two octaves spanning the range from 150 to 600Hz."
This relates, I'm guessing , to the range covered by the 15" bass/mid driver and its enclosure, so I wonder what that driver is and I'm curious about the box design - it looks like a mid bass "W" horn. It's hard to imagine such quality being ascribed to a driver whose surface is not facing you and firing into a very rough horn shape—but you can't argue with success!
Congratulations, Volti!

[Triode Pete]

Another reviewer, this time from the Hi-Fi+ staff... http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/rocky-mountain-audio-fest-bakers-dozen-good-sounding-rooms/?page=4

ROCKY MOUNTAIN AUDIO FEST: THE BEST OF THE BEST



The combination of Border Patrol electronics and the Volti horn speakers have been a highlight at RMAF for a few years now, to the extent that stepping into their room has an almost déjà vu/time slip feeling to it – like they just kept the room on from last year, preferring to pay for the space rather than remove, ship, re-ship and re-install the seriously heavy and cumbersome equipment involved. Even on the first day the mighty Vittora horns and the BP amp delivered a settled, relaxed sound that had all the familiar dynamics and impact but a significant extra slice of textural resolution and intimacy. Closer examination revealed a volume control on the front of the S20 EXD EXS amplifier, backed up by an extra gain stage, creating a true single input integrated amp. Adding a CEC TL-3N transport won’t have done any harm either and one of our few regrets from the 2015 RMAF experience was that we didn’t get to spend more time enjoying this brilliantly engaging and communicative set up.

Cheers,
Pete