Speaker Road Trip


So in my last post I was asking opinions on three very different types of speakers; the Volti Razz, Tannoys and Magnepans. As I live in the sticks there's not a lot of opportunity to hear many products; there's not a hi fi place within four hours and then the selection is very limited. 

Many of you told me I needed to hear these things beforehand if possible so I packed up wife, aging mom and our five month old lab pup and hit the road. I drove from the very tip of the mitt in Michigan to Nashville. I chose Nashville as there was a shop with Tannoy, one with Magnepan and the Volti's are made nearby. For some reason I thought they were made in Franklin, Tn which is half an hour south of Nashville. Turns out it was an hour and a half east so the one day I had planned turned into two.

I went to Volti and Greg Roberts was there as I had informed him of my wish. He gave me a tour of the facility where all the magic happens and I was very impressed. It's a one man operation and it's a very professional facility. We proceeded from the tour and a glimpse of his Rival speakers which are quite a bit larger than the Razz to his future living area which is separated by a covered walkway. This area stores most of his components and parts and where he and his wife live though as of now it's not quite finished. It also showcases the Volti Vittori's which are massive and beautiful.

We were ushered into an unfinished room where he had a rig set up along with the Razz. My wife and I were seated center and he proceeded to demonstrate. I was floored by the sound and the imaging these big horns have. Vocals were sublime and everything delivered satisfyingly. I heard a bit of the shouty that some speak of when they talk horns. I attribute this to the fact that the room was unfinished, concrete floors, unfinished drywall and very little as far as furniture and absorption. I only stream at home so I didn't bring anything as far as reference material but he had the ability to stream and played some things to demonstrate their capability but I only heard one thing that I was intimately familiar with as my wife was getting a little impatient as we were running out of time. We had decided to leave our pup at a local vets for day boarding as it was 94 out and with an hour and a half drive to get her before they closed time was limited.

The next morning I was met by the owner of a high end home theater/ 2 channel shop that carried Magnepans. He demonstrated the 3.7s driven by Bryston gear. I was impressed as I had never heard them before and they certainly sounded great but I don't know how to describe what it was about them. Something for me seemed to be missing, it may have been the fact that I couldn't pinpoint the source of what I'm hearing which was unfamiliar. Ultimately I decided they weren't for me, especially after he suggested I would have to think about adding monoblocks to my Parasound Halo integrated which would have driven up my cost considerably. I also had a fear my cats would think they'd make a dandy scratching post though they haven't done so with other towers.

He carried a couple of different lines however and one of these happened to be Dali. He had a pair of Opticon 5s hooked up and just for s^&ts and giggles I gave them a listen. They really impressed me enough to want to hear the Opticon 8 that he had marked down to make way for the new Opticon 8mks. He was kind enough to take these out of the boxes and hook them up. They did everything right for me to the point it created quite a dilemna for me as I was leaning towards the Volti's.

My concern with the Volti's ultimately is listener fatigue. It could have been the unfinished room, it could have been their size verses my room size. I need to talk more with him on this matter. I think overall they are a better speaker than the Dali's but this observation could be biased by my like for Greg and my wanting them to be THE ONES.

Go with your gut right? The Dali's really checked all my boxes. These are a demo pair that he's knocking $500 off current list plus shipping so about a $300 savings. He says he will let me return them less a $200 restocking fee if they don't work in my room or a store credit. I've found a used pair listed about a 3 hour drive from me that are 9/10 in his opinion that I can get for $1500 but there wouldn't be any return of course.

Advice?
dadork
I was so excited to see your thread title headline and then see your
target brands. I recall making some suggestions which it seems you
attempted. 

I have faith that your dedication to this task will bear the fruit you
seek. And since the whole fam damily went on the first junket, my bet
is next time they will say-"Oh go ahead without us this time". 'That
was truly a Once in lifetime adventure'. Reads Been there not going again.

All the baggage you dragged along was nice a "Family vacation" but next time go on a solo, 

Dali are great sounding speakers. Nearly bought a used pair for 
$3k? in Montana. Fives? maybe 5-7 years old, Sonus faber looking
and heavy! 

Now the disappointments-
-How does someone who designs speakers for a living allow them to be heard in an untreated room? Hard to wrap your head around that.

-No Go on the Tannoys! Darn it all. I have them. Hawthorne audio in Seattle is a dealer. Not so close unless you go by train.

Next time ask what is available to hear and burned in.  New Tannoys exceed your budget slightly. Tannoy does not do shows in the US-to my knowledge. 

How far is it to Minneapolis? Or Chicago?
Keep on shopping if you can.
I am a nut who drove 1,000 miles to get an XO rebuilt. 
Not every wife buys into that package.

Good luck!!

I’m not too far from you.  I would second checking with Jim Salk in Pontiac.  While you’re in the area there’s David Michael Audio and I think Audio Dimensions is still around, both in Royal Oak.  I’ve bought several speakers from Jim Salk.  He usually has some speakers in the shop to audition.  Check DMA’s website for the speakers he carries.  Both great to deal with.  Good luck in your search!
Hello,
There is a store in Woodridge, Illinois called Holm Audio. They are a Dali dealer. They even have the Rubicon 6 blacks to listen to. All of them are fully broken in. I will tell you if you are looking for a speaker to play Rush it is definitely Dali. They truly rock. The nice thing about Dali is when you get to the 8” drivers they are more efficient. These are one of my favorite speakers. This store is right off the highway I355 and 75th st. They open at 11:00 am Tuesday through Saturday and close at 6:00 pm except on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s when they close at 9:00 pm. You have to come that way to go home anyways. Make sure you tell them what gear you have to push them so they can try to match the sound signatures. Also, try a little near field listening to remove the sound of the room so you know what they sound like without the room. I have been buying my gear from this store for over 20 years. The owner is a great guy who really cares about his customers. They take in trades, let you demo in your home, and have an upgrade program that is second to none. You do have the issue of being in UP Michigan, but I know they have customers who are all over the US that he ships to. These customers will only by from Holm Audio because of the relationship and trust. To me that’s what it boils down to. The trust!
https://holmaudio.com
What’s the worst that can happen. You and your wife get to go to a cool Hifi store to listen to your favorite music. 
Besides, the Chicagoland area has the best food. You cannot go wrong. 
@elliotnewcombjr I know I may regret not going with the Volti's now but I think I'm going with the Dali's. I have secured a return on them if I don't find them right in room and if that's the case I will take the Volti leap.