Anyone see this train wreck in Stereophile?

[CDMC]

Further comments from the manufacture in the comments section below:

Just thought I should address the FR anomalies that show up in the test measurements so you understand where those come from.

I am using a mid driver that also covers up into tweeter territory. I have tried and can easily make a filter that will cross-over the mid and tweet very neatly by using an inductor on 'top' of the mid.

During the development of any of my speakers, I 'bread-board' the crossovers in front of me on a table, with both speakers set up for music listening. I'm able to run test measurements and then switch over to music and play with the crossover components on the fly. It's a great way to listen to the different filter changes and then measure to see where I'm at. It's my way of doing things.

On the Razz, I found that I enjoyed the sound of the midrange better when I removed the filter from the top and just let it run into the tweeter. Every time I made this change with music playing and then ran a test measurement I could see that the measurement looked terrible. But I couldn't ignore the fact that it sounded better to me.

So I decided to go with what sounded best to me, not what measured the best.

If you're one of those people who cannot accept a speaker that measures bad, Volti Audio speakers are probably not for you. You have lots of choices out there for speakers that measure good, so you don't need to be messing around with mine.

But if you're one of those people who use your ears and listen to speakers, and appreciate the effort that designers like me put into listening during development, then you'll probably be like most people who come into my room at the audio shows and are really blown away by how great the Volti Audio speakers sound.

A company like Volti Audio doesn't last in this business if they are not making great sounding speakers that people love. I'm proud of my ten years of success in the audio business, and I plan to continue what I'm doing for many more years. I'm going to do it MY way, which is the only way I can. It's how I steer my passion into my art.

So you'll probably see a lot more bad measuring Volti Audio speakers in the future that my customers, audio reviewers, and audio show listeners absolutely love. And I'm sure you 'measurement first' guys will continue to be baffled by how it can be this way.

I'm smiling a big smile as I write this.

Trust your ears and Have Fun!

Greg Roberts

Volti Audio

 

[Poseidons Voice]

Read his policies carefully:

http://voltiaudio.com/policies/

Best,
Anand.

 

[SIY]

Read his policies carefully:

http://voltiaudio.com/policies/

Best,
Anand.

Wow!

 

[CDMC]

Read his policies carefully:

http://voltiaudio.com/policies/

Best,
Anand.

Sounds like a great company to deal with. Send us money, its ours. Give an allowance for a finish and we get it for less, we keep the extra. By them and don’t like them, tough.

 

[SIY]

Sounds like a great company to deal with. Send us money, its ours. Give an allowance for a finish and we get it for less, we keep the extra. By them and don’t like them, tough.

And if the wood warps, cracks, or shrinks, tough noogies. Unbelievable.

 

[Southall-1998]

What a prick!

S.

 

[CDMC]

And if the wood warps, cracks, or shrinks, tough noogies. Unbelievable.

I like this one also: “Volti Audio passes on to our customers, all manufacturers warranties provided to us by our distributors or manufacturers directly.” Translation, a driver or component fails, it is for you the customer to deal with the manufacture of the component. That should be fun with no receipt from the manufacture who probably sold it through a wholesaler.

 

[SIY]

I like this one also: “Volti Audio passes on to our customers, all manufacturers warranties provided to us by our distributors or manufacturers directly.” Translation, a driver or component fails, it is for you the customer to deal with the manufacture of the component. That should be fun with no receipt from the manufacture who probably sold it through a wholesaler.

It’s a lesson in business ethics. I just can’t imagine treating my customers like that.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I don't see anything wrong with that; if an output transistor fails in your amplifier, you have to take it up with Toshiba (or ON, or Sanken) directly. You do know how to solder, right????

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Good point. However, given the types of mikes used, are these actually the same thing?

Not exactly but based on the same principle.

 

[richard12511]

Looks like a heated comments section.

 

[richard12511]

The designer mentions there possibly being something unique about the sound of horns that isn't captured in these measurements.

"So I wonder if there's something about the directivity of a midrange horn that shows up differently in the testing than a standard cone midrange. I'm a horn guy and I have no experience testing standard box speakers that are supposedly flat or near flat through the entire bandwidth.

There must be something to this that has yet to be defined, because I can very easily flatten out the FR of my speakers and I've done it, and it is not at all what you would want to listen to in your room. There isn't a single person reading this right now who would like the sound of the Razz with a flat frequency response. You would say it was WAAAYY out of balance and WAAAYY too much midrange.

There is a reason for the curve you are seeing, but I can't explain it except to say it's what sounds right to me and my customers and audio reviewers and audio show-goer's etc..."

It does seem like a lot of these giant horns exhibit similar frequency response anomalies. Even the huge quarter million dollar Avantguardes have terrible looking measurements. He mentions that he's flattened out the curve before, and doing so makes it to midrange forward. He also says that this is in line with his measurements, and this is what he's going for. From that point of view, I can see where someone in his shoes would see it as unfair that reviewers judge his designs based on how close he can get to a target that he actively avoids. I would assume it's a small minority of people that actually like a curve like this, but I guess he's among that minority, and that's who he's designing for.

 

[Inner Space]

... I can see where someone in his shoes would see it as unfair that reviewers judge his designs based on how close he can get to a target that he actively avoids.

C'mon, please. You're too nice. The target this guy actively avoids is being poor. The target he aims for is a big, bombastic sound that sells to big, bombastic people amid big, bombastic decor. And I'm sure he's doing fine, and best of luck to him. But really, these words set my BS meter flashing red:

" ... I can very easily flatten out the FR of my speakers and I've done it ... "

Yeah, right.

 

[restorer-john]

Wow!

Pretty much each of the Volti Audio "policies" are illegal in Australia. Simply publishing such policies could result in huge fines, letalone trying to enforce them. So I guess we won't be seeing any sold here.

That said, I'm intrigued. I like to hear a pair to be honest.

 

[MattHooper]

Further comments from the manufacture in the comments section below:

Just thought I should address the FR anomalies that show up in the test measurements so you understand where those come from.

I am using a mid driver that also covers up into tweeter territory. I have tried and can easily make a filter that will cross-over the mid and tweet very neatly by using an inductor on 'top' of the mid.

During the development of any of my speakers, I 'bread-board' the crossovers in front of me on a table, with both speakers set up for music listening. I'm able to run test measurements and then switch over to music and play with the crossover components on the fly. It's a great way to listen to the different filter changes and then measure to see where I'm at. It's my way of doing things.

On the Razz, I found that I enjoyed the sound of the midrange better when I removed the filter from the top and just let it run into the tweeter. Every time I made this change with music playing and then ran a test measurement I could see that the measurement looked terrible. But I couldn't ignore the fact that it sounded better to me.

So I decided to go with what sounded best to me, not what measured the best.

If you're one of those people who cannot accept a speaker that measures bad, Volti Audio speakers are probably not for you. You have lots of choices out there for speakers that measure good, so you don't need to be messing around with mine.

But if you're one of those people who use your ears and listen to speakers, and appreciate the effort that designers like me put into listening during development, then you'll probably be like most people who come into my room at the audio shows and are really blown away by how great the Volti Audio speakers sound.

A company like Volti Audio doesn't last in this business if they are not making great sounding speakers that people love. I'm proud of my ten years of success in the audio business, and I plan to continue what I'm doing for many more years. I'm going to do it MY way, which is the only way I can. It's how I steer my passion into my art.

So you'll probably see a lot more bad measuring Volti Audio speakers in the future that my customers, audio reviewers, and audio show listeners absolutely love. And I'm sure you 'measurement first' guys will continue to be baffled by how it can be this way.

I'm smiling a big smile as I write this.

Trust your ears and Have Fun!

Greg Roberts

Volti Audio

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

This speaker designer isn't going for a flat or neutral sound. He's not trying to design a Revel speaker. He's designing a speaker that produces some of the qualities he really likes, even if it's not neutral or "best practices" as some see it here. His speakers are for those who like the same presentation he does, there's a subset of customers who like them, and that's who he's selling to. Market niche....product fills market niche.

I like some speakers that were designed on a similar ethos, and I'm very glad such products exist.

I know...makes me an outcast here in that regard. But frankly I'm not here so much for the "this is the best way to design a speaker" narrative, but rather to be able to talk and read about audio without magic and anti-scientific bullshit.

 

[tomtoo]

People should listen to to what they like. But no this is not hifi.

 

[Sal1950]

I know...makes me an outcast here in that regard.

I don't think so Matt. I'm not aware of anyone here that would da-mn any listener would loves to turn up the bass to +10db or whatever.
The only real issue that comes to a head is when the consumer or his advovate at one of the major publications claims that this non-accurate component is more accurate or revealing of the original source than a truely accurate design.

 

[Sal1950]

People should listen to to what they like. But no this is not hifi.

My only beef is encouraging the purchase of these types of systems.
It's extremely simple to build a accurate rig and then distort to taste.
It's extremely difficult (expensive) to build a distorted rig and then un-distort it

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

His speakers are for those who like the same presentation he does, there's a subset of customers who like them, and that's who he's selling to. Market niche....product fills market niche.

I could see that except that he states that "all sales are final", which means that if you think you might like them but find out later that you don't, you have no recourse. At least companies like PS Audio allow 30 day audition periods with no obligation.

 

[gvl]

That's because not liking them is not an option.