​Volti Audio loudspeakers are known for their beautiful wood veneers and distinctive finish, and I’d like to take this opportunity to explain a little about our philosophy toward finishing real wood.

Our cabinets are veneered after they are built using real wood veneer and a permanent two-part adhesive. The veneer is applied in large vacuum bags, where nearly all of the air is removed to create even pressure across every surface of the cabinet. This process provides exceptional adhesion and produces a beautifully flat veneer surface, even on our largest loudspeakers.

Once the veneer has been applied, each cabinet goes through a series of sanding and detailing steps before receiving its finish. Unless otherwise specified, we apply multiple coats of clear satin lacquer. Satin provides just the right amount of sheen to enhance the natural beauty of the wood without becoming overly glossy or distracting.

One of the things that makes a Volti Audio loudspeaker different is our philosophy toward wood finishes.

I don’t believe a loudspeaker should look like it has been encased in a thick layer of plastic. Heavy, high-gloss finishes often fill the grain and hide many of the characteristics that make real wood so beautiful. Sometimes they leave me wondering if I’m even looking at real wood.

Instead, I prefer a finish that allows the natural character of the wood to remain both visible and tactile. When you walk up to a Volti Audio loudspeaker, I want you to immediately recognize that you’re looking at—and touching—real wood from a real tree.

That means you’ll see the things that make every tree unique. Grain texture, figure, color variation, mineral streaks, checks, small knots, knot voids, natural discoloration, and other characteristics are all part of real wood. You may also notice subtle marks that are a normal part of the veneer manufacturing process before the veneer ever reaches our shop. These are not defects—they are part of the individuality and beauty of natural wood.

Some veneer species display more natural character than others, and I’m always happy to help you choose a veneer that best matches your personal taste. Please feel free to bend my ear anytime.

I’m very proud of the quality of work that leaves my shop, but I’m also careful to offer only the things I know I can do well.

For many years, a black painted finish on my loudspeaker cabinets wasn’t one of them. No matter what I tried, I was never satisfied with the results, so I simply chose not to offer black as a finish.

Recently, however, I learned about a dyed wood veneer that completely changed my thinking.

The veneer arrives already dyed black—although it actually appears gray before the finish is applied. From there, it’s installed just like any other veneer I use. I sand it, detail it, and finish it with multiple coats of clear lacquer using the same process I use on all of my natural wood veneers.

There are several things I really like about this approach.

First, the cabinets still look and feel like real wood because they are real wood. The natural grain texture remains visible beneath the finish, so when you walk up to a black Volti Audio loudspeaker, you immediately recognize that you’re looking at—and touching—a real wood cabinet. That’s an important part of my philosophy toward finishing wood.

Many high-gloss black finishes are so perfectly smooth that it’s impossible to tell what lies beneath. I appreciate the glossy wood trim in a Mercedes-Benz as much as anyone, but I’ve often wondered whether I’m looking at real wood or an imitation. It could just as easily be printed wood grain beneath a clear coating, and most people would never know the difference.

The other advantage is durability. The finish itself is the same clear lacquer I use on all of my natural wood veneers, so I already know how well it performs over time.

If you’d like to see examples, you can find photographs on the loudspeaker photo-webpages and/or by scrolling down near the bottom of the ‘Available Speakers’ page  in the SOLD section.  

If you have any questions about my finishing process or veneer options, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m always happy to help.

Greg Roberts