Ken Micallef reviewed the Volti Razz in December 2023 (Vol.46 No.12):
When I reviewed Volti Audio’s horn-loaded, 125lb Rival in June 2017, I was captivated by its lifelike, send-me-over-the-moon dynamics, its lush sound, and its ability to work well with almost any amplifier. “The Rivals played music with supreme fidelity, openness, lifelike images, transparency, impact, touch, timing, dynamics, and flat-out musical fun,” I wrote. “They sang with tubed amplification and worked equally well with solid state. The Volti Audio Rivals are inspirational music-makers. Magnifico!”
Tom Gibbs expressed similarly favorable opinions when he reviewed Volti’s smaller, cheaper Razz in July 2020. He wrote, “The ability of Volti Audio’s Razz to portray music of any genre with scale, realism, and thrilling dynamics is unmatched by any loudspeaker I’ve had in my system. The Razzes demonstrate a lovely midrange liquidity, but there’s no sacrifice of detail. The type of amplification—tubed or solid-state—made some difference in the Razz’s sonic presentation, but the result was never less than musical.”
Today, the Razz in standard finish costs $7500/pair, a significant increase over the pre-pandemic price (footnote 1). It’s a three-way that features a 1″ compression tweeter, a 2″ compression midrange driver with a composite diaphragm that projects the sound into a large midrange horn, a 12″ woofer with a diecast frame, and a small, rectangular port. Volti specifies the Razz’s sensitivity as 97dB/2.83V/m. JA’s measurements clocked it at a lower but still-sensitive 93dB/2.83V/m. The cabinet is constructed of 1″ Baltic Birch plywood covered in one of four real-wood veneers: Walnut, Mahogany, Cherry, or Ash. (Other, “Premium” veneers are often available for additional cost.) It comes with a black cloth grille, which you can upgrade to a premium fabric for $500. The Razz stands 40″ tall, 15″ wide, and 12″ deep and weighs a considerable 90lb.
For the last couple of years, Volti has offered an LE version—LE stands for Limited Edition—which is different only cosmetically. On the LE version, the veneer is infused with intensely colored dye: Crimson Red, Deep Blue, Sage Green, Drift Gray Oak. It’s a unique look. The price for the LE version is the same $7500/pair. If you like it raw or want to do your own finishing, you can buy a pair of Razzes in unfinished Baltic Birch—they call it “Decorator Razz”—for $5500/pair. The pair I reviewed were neither LE nor Decorator but the original Razz in Walnut veneer.
Setup
Why does Stereophile do follow-up reviews? Sometimes Editor Jim decides a second opinion—a new perspective—is warranted. Often, after reading the original report, a second reviewer expresses an interest in hearing the component under review. That second opinion can be useful for readers—new experience in a different room with different ancillary components and a different set of ears. More information for the reader to consider when deciding whether the component is likely to work well.
The Razzes are large speakers for my smallish space—although Volti considers them small, which they are compared to the Rival—so for me exacting placement was crucial. I ended up with the front baffles 84″ from my listening seat, 49″ apart measured from the inside corners, and 24″ from the front wall. The grilles were off, as always.
I evaluated the Razz with tubed electronics: Shindo Laboratory’s Allegro preamp and Haut-Brion power amp; the PrimaLuna EVO 400 integrated; the Triode Labs 45 EVO Reference Integrated Amplifier (3Wpc into 8 ohms, in for review). I also used transistors: the Sugden LA-4 preamplifier feeding a Pass Labs XA-25; the Ayre EX-8 2.0; the Parasound Hint 6 Halo. All evaluation tracks were played from vinyl, on a VPI Avenger Direct turntable with Fatboy tonearm and Hana Umami Blue MC cartridge.
The small signal emerging from the Umami Blue was enlarged by the Manley Chinook phono stage. Cabling was by Analysis Plus and AudioQuest.
Volti Audio allows the user to tweak the output of the tweeter and midrange driver by replacing crossover resistors, which may be accessed in a recess on the back panel. I tried juicing the midrange but then returned the Razz to its factory setup and left it there throughout this audition.
Listening
Powered by my Shindo Laboratory electronics, spinning the Quality Pressings’ reissue of alto saxophonist Art Pepper’s monumental Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (Craft CR00382), the Razz played with lifelike, massive scale. Images were large, immediate, and jazz-hot tactile. The Razz reproduced the darkish personality of my Shindo separates with meaty tonality, bear-like lows, and small details adding up to why we, or at least I, love recordings like this.
It is a fabled recording. It was January 1957. This was Miles Davis’s rhythm section, in town to play a gig. Pepper, who had a serious heroin addiction, had not played his instrument for some time; in Straight Life, his autobiography, he claims six months; the liner notes say two weeks. Les Koenig, founder of Contemporary Records, and Diane, Pepper’s second wife, set up the session in an attempt to drag him out of his drug-addled state. His saxophone was broken. He claims in Straight Life that before he left home, he “fixed a huge amount.” The results are astonishing. Some have speculated that this lack of preparation is a reason for the session’s intense energy and the total originality of the playing. Or maybe it was the drugs.
With this Shindo/Razz setup, Pepper’s alto was creamy and taut, Paul Chambers’s growling bass lines were deft and ocean-plumbing, and Philly Joe Jones’s drums were as resonant and blood-pounding as I’ve heard them. The Razzes reproduced his wood snare drum and calf-skinned tom with intensity, every sophisticated ruff, careening roll, and willowy cymbal crash dead-on and palpable. (At first I wrote “with fidelity to the tape,” but how could I know that? I haven’t heard the tape. Still, that is how it felt.) The Shindo/Razz combo brought out the slightly ahead-of-the-beat pacing of Pepper’s inner clock as well as Jones’s and Chambers’s oh-so-relaxed yet driving pulse. The Shindo/Razz setup nailed me with its rich tonality, relaxed gait, and visceral sound. It was hard to turn the music off.
Another recent reissue, of John Coltrane’s Coltrane’s Sound (Rhino/Atlantic RHF 1419/081227827854), cut from the original tapes by Kevin Gray, limited to 5000 copies, sounds better than my original 1964 “plum” label copy. It is as though Elvin Jones’s drums and Trane’s tenor had awakened from a long sleep. The stereo spread sounded more alive, cleaner, and information-dense than I’m used to. This is partly due to the new reissue and partly to the Razz/Shindo pairing.
The Shindo/Volti system pulled off similar feats of scale and aliveness on two recent Candid reissues: the oddly dark and insular-sounding The Boy Next Door (Candid CLP 32021) by vocalist Stacey Kent, and Snooze (Candid CLP 32071) by pianist Joanne Brackeen. These are very different-sounding records, but both benefited from the VPI/Shindo/Volti system’s textural and tonal largesse and mountainous scale. My Shindo gear with Greg Roberts’s speakers proved deeply satisfying, record after record.
When I replaced the Shindo separates with the PrimaLuna integrated amplifier, the sounds coming through the Razz practically turned me over and paddled me. Scale increased, as did resolution and momentum. Pepper’s alto became throatier, with a wider apparent bandwidth, and Paul Chambers’s bass tightened up considerably. Juiced by more wattage, the Razz punched my gut and shook my soul. Reanimation of the highest order. The VPI/PrimaLuna/ Volti tag team jolted me with rib-cracking power, a clear sky, and a wide-open playing field. The sensuous atmosphere of the Shindo separates was now missing; that earth-toned musicality had vanished. But the Razz with this different tubed design produced gusto, exhilaration, and similar soul-sustenance.
Sticking with the new Trane and Pepper reissues: The Ayre EX-8 2.0 brought creaminess and mannerly comportment to the proceedings. Seemingly drawing on a different set of audio principles, the Ayre framed the music quite differently. Trane’s horn no longer seemed confined to the left speaker; it now filled out more of center stage. Pepper’s tone now seemed more urgent. Steve Davis’s acoustic bass and Elvin Jones’s drums had less separation than before but were perhaps better controlled. The droning feel of the lead track, “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes,” gelled better. As it had with the Shindo and PrimaLuna amps, I felt that the Volti Razz mapped out the essence of the Ayre, revealing its strengths and personality.
Next up, with Parasound’s Hint 6 Halo, the most powerful amp yet coupled with the Razz, I expected good things. It certainly proved more than capable, emanating forward drive and toe-tapping goodness with every LP. The Razz exposed the Hint 6 Halo’s marginally recessed character and its clear-as-the-night-sky-in-Montana soundstage. The Parasound/Razz duo left nothing to the imagination, but with this amplifier, the music felt less inspired. Not an ideal match.
Finally, I connected the Voltis with the Sugden LA-4 preamp and Pass Labs XA-25 power amp. This combination extracted amazing detail. Again, the recordings’ DNA seemed rearranged, presenting a clearer view, top to bottom, of the music, with less murk than any of the tube amps and more clarity than any of the other solid states. I felt I’d entered the studio with the music makers, whether it was Roy DuNann’s warehouse for the Pepper or Atlantic’s midtown-Manhattan studio for the Trane. This was the most spatially impressive presentation yet. Though perhaps not as exhilarating as the PrimaLuna nor as earthy as the Shindo, the Volti/Sugden/Pass Labs powerhouse made music that convincingly altered my space and my listening perceptions, as if it were some AI-based simulation but with real flesh-and-blood sonic splendor.
Is the $7500/pair Volti Razz as good as the $16,000/pair Volti Rival? I can’t remember. Maybe. When Greg Roberts plays both speakers at shows, the Razz’s demeanor seems very much the same as that of the Rival, just on a smaller scale, with the same balanced sound, even temperament, and genre-agnostic capabilities. I can say this much with confidence: The Razz will get you close to the Rival experience for considerably less money.—Ken Micallef
Footnote 1: Volti Audio, 6100 Nashville Hwy, Baxter, TN 38544. Tel: (207) 314-1937. Web: voltiaudio.com.
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COMPANY INFO
Volti Audio
6100 Nashville Hwy
Baxter, TN 38544
(207) 314-1937
voltiaudio.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS
Page 1
Page 2
Specifications
Associated Equipment
Ken Micallef December 2023
Measurements
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