7/3/2015 - NL31

Hi everyone!  And a special welcome to our new subscribers.

Summer is here, and here I am, sitting at my computer on a Sunday afternoon, enjoying the cooler than normal early Summer temperatures in Maine, listening to the birds chirping, and looking at all the beautiful blossoms on the trees .  .  .  .  and I have some time to reflect on the hectic and somewhat precarious year it has been so far - both personally and professionally.  I also have time to be thankful for our good fortunes, and I'm happy to be able to share some very exciting news with you . . .

We're finally moving to Tennessee!  Well, in six months anyway, but the wheels are in motion.

In the midst of a persistent dismal economy here in Maine, and with Real Estate prices that remain 30% or more below where they were ten years ago (the new normal?), we finally sold a piece of property that is going to give us the necessary cash to build the new shop on our land in Baxter, TN.  I'm heading down to TN on July 5th to act as my own GC and oversee the construction of the new shop.

We are fortunate that sales have been good here at Volti Audio over the last few months as well, and so the bank account has enough in it to help cover bills while I'm working in TN.   A big "THANK YOU" goes out to all our new customers.  You have no idea how timely your support has been for us.

AXPONA Chicago 2015 was a great show for Volti Audio.  We had a big room and we made a great sound all weekend, and that is really THE key to a good show.  It would not have been possible without the contributions of Triode Wire Labs , providing all the cabling;   BorderPatrol Audio, providing the amplifier, preamplifier, and digital source; and Mike Pranka, the distributor for Dynavector cartridges and Well Tempered Lab turntables.

A big Thank You goes out to Mal Kenney for many of the great photos here

It is typically the case at audio shows, when people walk into a show room, they focus on the speakers, both visually and sonically.  But there's a lot more going on downstream of the speakers making the sound you hear in a show room.   More than one person at the show told me that the Vittora speakers sounded even better than the last time they heard them, and they wondered what I had done to them to make that way.  I'm sure it has much to do with the rest of the system and the room, because the speakers were the same.

We saw a few nice things that were written on the internet about our room, but as has become the case in recent shows, Volti Audio is receiving very little Press.  Unless you have new products to show, the Press doesn't have time for you.  They are mostly focused on whatever new things companies have to show at the shows, to the point where their show coverage does not accurately convey what is really at the show.  And it's just not possible for a small company like Volti Audio or BorderPatrol Audio to come out with new products every year.  One of the frustrations and challenges of the business.

The guys at Part Time Audiophile had a couple nice write-ups:

http://theaudiotraveler.com/2015/05/04/axpona-2015-volti-audio-and-borderpatrol/

http://theaudiotraveler.com/2015/05/10/axpona-2015-borderpatrol-take-two/

As I usually do, I put the dry-erase boards out for listeners to put their comments on.  I just love these comments, and I love to share them too, because these comments really capture the "buzz" about our rooms at these shows.  When you consider the competition that our small companies are up against at these shows, it is really quite an accomplishment to get this kind of feedback, and we're all very thankful for it.

Cool!
Excellent!
Nice!
Sonic Enchantment!
Volti Rocks!  -  AudioShark
Very Natural Textured Sound With Speed and Impact, Especially For Tubes!
Great Pairing
THE BEST!!
The Most Natural Sound I've Ever Heard  .  .  .
Fast, Dynamic, Bassy, Awesome
SWEEEEET!!
Best I've Heard At Show
How a jazz drumkit should sound, and how one sounds in Carnegie Hall!   Superb!!  -   A New York Drummer
Amazing Sound From Top To Bottom
Wonderful!   I keep looking for the piano!
WOW!!!
GREAT!!!
Wonderful, Musical Sound
Goose Bumps!
Sounds Amazing
Amazing Separated Channels
Horns Done Right
Killer Sound   :  )
Incredible Speakers, My Personal Favorites at the Show!
Me Too!
BEST OF SHOW
Hi-Fi at its finest!  -  Paul Mah, Dagogo
Dynamic, Huge, Transparent.  -  GREAT!
Nothing like tubes & horns, playing horns!   -  Vinyl Rob
BLUES!    YES
Lovely Classic Look & Sound

We had this huge area outside of our room that came with the room cost.  The crew at AXPONA came up with the idea of calling it the 'Volti Lounge', and they set us up with games to play, tables to eat at, and comfortable seating to relax in.  It was also where several people worked on 'The' puzzle all weekend.  And it did take them all weekend to finish it, right at the close of the show on Sunday.

It was also where we set up Paul, one of my shop workers who came to the show to sell the Volti Audio Headphone stands that he built.  It worked out well because this location at the end of the Volti Lounge was right in the hallway that led to the Headphone area of the show, and nobody got by Paul without him saying 'Hi' and trying to sell them a stand.  Paul sold a bunch of them at the show.

Here's some more photographs

I know how busy I'm going to be over the next few months, and there's just no way I'm going to have time to write another newsletter before October.  So here's what I know so far about our RMAF15 rooms.

When you've got a good thing working, why change it?  Last year's show system in room 1102 garnered at least two 'Best Of Show' nods from the Audio Press, and that's no easy feat in a show as large as RMAF.  So look for us to have the same system in 1102 this year.

We'll also have the same setup in the Tortuga Audio room as we had last year (1022), only in room 1013 this year.

Room 1102:
Volti Audio
BorderPatrol Audio
Triode Wire Labs

Room 1013:
Tortuga Audio
Volti Audio
BorderPatrol Audio
Triode Wire Labs

The Aluras that I'm bringing will have Walnut veneer, and the Vittoras will have a spectacular Bubinga veneer from a one-of-a-kind log that has some very interesting grain structure and color.

Hope to see you there!

Total Harmonic Distraction is an internet radio podcast show about the fascinating and fast moving world of high-quality audio reproduction.    The Host is Peter Speigel, an experienced radio professional, and a passionate audiophile who brings news, fun and quality information to the radio listener.

Peter has heard the Vittora speakers at more than one of the audio shows, and he contacted me via email to ask if I would participate in an interview for THD.  It was recorded just a couple of weeks ago and can be accessed at the THD website by clicking HERE

I think I did a pretty good job with the interview, but I wish I could do it over!  Whenever I do an interview or video, in hindsight I always think I can do a better job.  Let me know what you think.

If you don't want to listen to the first part, the 'Volti Bit' starts at about 21:00.

Volti Audio is now officially a Marchand Electronics Dealer.

Marchand Electronics offers a wide range of products from amplifiers to tube crossovers, all made in Rochester, NY.  Their products are unique, well designed and well built, and I am proud to be associated with them.   Behind the rather utilitarian faceplates, you'll always find high quality components and workmanship, providing high performance and durability that far exceeds the cost.

Most of my experience is with the MB42 subwoofer amplifier, having sold dozens of them to my customers for use with the Vittora ELF cabinets.  We have not had a single problem from any of them, a testament to the quality and reliability that Phil Marchand builds into his products.

It may take a while for me to really get into this, but eventually I will setup my own Marchand webpages that highlight the 'gems' in their lineup.  And there are some really interesting pieces to highlight.   The pages will be clear and concise, making it easier to understand how their products can be implemented into a system.

So, I don't know when the next newsletter will be published.  I'm going to be right out straight for the rest of the year building the new Volti shop and moving (ugggh).  I've also got the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest show to prep for and go to.  So it could be a while til you hear from me again.

Meanwhile, wish me luck.  I do hope that the next newsletter will have some great photographs of the new shop being built, and of course I'll let you know how RMAF15 was.

Thank you for your support, and until next time, trust your ears and have fun!