(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/803545_b17d4e7e55be4017b129bc775f4b93bc~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_238,h_72,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/CAF_Logo_2022.png)
https://www.capitalaudiofest.com/
Triode Wire Labs will be exhibiting in TWO Rooms at the upcoming Capital AudioFest show, November 14-16, at the Hilton Rockville in Rockville, Maryland.
In Room 316, we will be teaming up with BorderPatrol Audio Electronics, Living Voice Loudspeakers and Innuos. Gary Dews, from BorderPatrol will have the Global Debut on his newest DAC, the ZOLA DAC. The DAC features the Analog devices AD1865 chip (often called the analogue chip) in non-oversampling, no digital filtering (NOS) mode. Inputs for USB, COAX S/PDIF and TOSLINK. A BNC S/PDIF input is also provided. The DAC features a tube output stage that uses a 5687 double triode. An E182CC/7044/7119 double triode can also be used, as can a 12BH7 with an adapter. The DAC has fully independent power supplies to the digital and analogue sections. Both supplies feature tube rectification. The high voltage tube supply uses choke input filtering. The casework, other than the aluminum front panel, is made from copper. The DAC will replay files up to 32/384kHz via USB, 24/192kHz via COAX SPDIF/BNC and 24/96 via TOSLINK.
In Room 661, we will be teaming up with Volti Audio. Greg Roberts, from Volti Audio, will be bringing his world-renowned horn loudspeakers with amplification from Cary Audio and a DAC from Mojo Audio.
I hope to see many of you there!
Cheers,
Pete
You always kill it at shows! :thumb:
Quote from: P.I. on November 08, 2025, 09:27:56 AMYou always kill it at shows! :thumb:
:thumb: Thanks, brother!
You sure are in two great rooms, Pete. I hope you can split your time for each room and not get confused and consume twice the amount of libations 🤭
I would love to hear a Mojo dac someday. Ben sold me a good quality power supply some years ago. Hope he is doing OK with his arthritis issues...
Quote from: Nick B on November 10, 2025, 09:25:45 PMYou sure are in two great rooms, Pete. I hope you can split your time for each room and not get confused and consume twice the amount of libations 🤭
I would love to hear a Mojo dac someday. Ben sold me a good quality power supply some years ago. Hope he is doing OK with his arthritis issues...
:thumb:
Quote from: Nick B on November 10, 2025, 09:25:45 PMYou sure are in two great rooms, Pete. I hope you can split your time for each room and not get confused and consume twice the amount of libations 🤭
I would love to hear a Mojo dac someday. Ben sold me a good quality power supply some years ago. Hope he is doing OK with his arthritis issues...
Nick, I will be in attendance and send you plenty of pictures.
Quote from: ejk on November 11, 2025, 10:00:56 AMQuote from: Nick B on November 10, 2025, 09:25:45 PMYou sure are in two great rooms, Pete. I hope you can split your time for each room and not get confused and consume twice the amount of libations 🤭
I would love to hear a Mojo dac someday. Ben sold me a good quality power supply some years ago. Hope he is doing OK with his arthritis issues...
Nick, I will be in attendance and send you plenty of pictures.
That would be great, Evan.
Quote from: ejk on November 11, 2025, 10:00:56 AMQuote from: Nick B on November 10, 2025, 09:25:45 PMYou sure are in two great rooms, Pete. I hope you can split your time for each room and not get confused and consume twice the amount of libations 🤭
I would love to hear a Mojo dac someday. Ben sold me a good quality power supply some years ago. Hope he is doing OK with his arthritis issues...
Nick, I will be in attendance and send you plenty of pictures.
Hey Evan - Make sure you see me at the Show! We'll have plenty of libations and I'll have a TWL present for you!
Cheers,
Pete
Quote from: Triode Pete on November 11, 2025, 05:04:21 PMQuote from: ejk on November 11, 2025, 10:00:56 AMQuote from: Nick B on November 10, 2025, 09:25:45 PMYou sure are in two great rooms, Pete. I hope you can split your time for each room and not get confused and consume twice the amount of libations 🤭
I would love to hear a Mojo dac someday. Ben sold me a good quality power supply some years ago. Hope he is doing OK with his arthritis issues...
Nick, I will be in attendance and send you plenty of pictures.
Hey Evan - Make sure you see me at the Show! We'll have plenty of libations and I'll have a TWL present for you!
Cheers,
Pete
Cool thanks
Wish I was able to make it down this year. Always enjoy visiting seeing SN members at the shows. Good luck and enjoy!
Some feedback from CAF...
A nice video from the Audiophile Junkie!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n9l-FrMxqI
Cheers,
Pete
Thanks, Pete. I enjoyed the video. What products did Gary bring with him? I had his dac a few years ago.
Nick
Here's an article on our CAF Room 316 from Part Time Audiophile's Publisher & Founder Scot Hull and the global debut of the new ZOLA BorderPatrol DAC... The entire system sounded amazing!
The Zola DAC: A New Era for BorderPatrol | CAF 2025
https://pt.audio/2025/11/19/the-zola-dac-a-new-era-for-borderpatrol-caf-2025/
Zola DAC: Key Takeaways
The new $4,000 Zola DAC from BorderPatrol offers a significant upgrade in sound quality and usability over its predecessor.
Living Voice R80 OBX are world-class loudspeakers — is more than this even necessary?
Triode Wire Labs contributes high-quality cables that complements equipment from both BorderPatrol and Living Voice UK brands, ensuring optimal performance at an affordable price.
Innuos servers provide essential digital pathways for the audio system, with next-gen products available now.
Flashbacks!
Living Voice R80 OBX, BorderPatrol and Triode Wire Labs | CAF 2024
Living Voice R80 Loudspeakers, BorderPatrol, Innuos and Triode Wire Labs | FLAX 2025
Triode Wire Labs Full Loom | REVIEW
BorderPatrol SE-i DAC | REVIEW
CAF 2013: BorderPatrol and Living Voice
BorderPatrol, TriodeWire Labs, Innuos, Living Voice UK
A long time ago, in a galaxy not too far away, I fell in love. The object of my affections was petite. Limited in feature. Blissfully out-of-step with the state-of-the-art models. Almost deliberately retrograde. And even so, I cannot express how I loved that little DAC.
It was about as far from the center of the cutting edge of digital as you could get — and that was almost entirely the point. It had a non-oversampling DAC. Upsampling was not available. No filters. Nada. Nothing. Except for a tube. There was one of those. Probably measured like trash — John Atkinson would likely have said "this product is unfit for my testing bench." Many other folks dismissed it out of hand for its affordable price (at less than $2,000, it clearly couldn't be "worth it" for a serious audiophile) or for it's simple case work (not that a thick-walled all-copper chassis is anything to sneeze at, but it doesn't come dipped in LSD and diamonds) or for it's Luddite feature set (any resolution you want, as long as that resolution is Redbook). But the sound heard, time and again, was one of the most intimate and transparent-to-source DACs ever heard, before or since. Those who dared take the plunge, knew. Those that didn't, kept searching. I, for one of the several thousand extremely satisfied customers, cheerfully hit pause on the upgrade merry-go-round, and listened.
That was 2017. That was the BorderPatrol DAC SE.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2684-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
Over the last 8 years, Gary Dews of BorderPatrol has been trying to make a better-sounding DAC. Apparently, that task was more difficult than he had anticipated. With the temptation to insert a snarky "hard to improve on perfection" comment duly noted, the task wasn't so much making a product that would sound clearly better, but one that would sound at least as good and do more stuff. He hasn't been too coy about it, either — that first DAC was something of a miracle. Making a new one required design his own circuit boards and chipset layouts, testing and selecting said chips, and then figuring out how to optimally power that layout. The Zola DAC is that final happy product. Note: tube rollers, get your collections sorted — three locations for rolling now lie before you.
The Zola DAC is available with a black or silver face plate. The knob is for selecting from the inputs — this is a rather simple but welcome upgrade, as the other DAC did this with switches on the back. Note that Zola will replace the "old" SE-I DAC (at least for the foreseeable future — who knows what treasures distant aeons may reveal). Zola is available for ordering now. Here are the other relevant details the CAF promo:
The DAC features the Analog devices AD1865 chip (often called the analogue chip) in non-oversampling, no digital filtering (NOS) mode. Inputs for USB, COAX S/PDIF and TOSLINK. A BNC S/PDIF input is also provided. The DAC features a tube output stage that uses a 5687 double triode. An E182CC/7044/7119 double triode can also be used, as can a 12BH7 with an adapter. The DAC has fully independent power supplies to the digital and analogue sections. Both supplies feature tube rectification. The high voltage tube supply uses choke input filtering. The casework, other than the aluminium front panel, is made from copper. The DAC will replay files up to 32/384kHz via USB, 24/192kHz via COAXSPDIF/BNC and 24/96 via TOSLINK. From $3950.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2683-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
Quick note about the sound — we didn't do a side-by-side, but I am somewhat familiar with the sound of a Living Voice R80 OBX ($65,000/pair, shown in "Glossy Ebony"). I haven't reviewed them, but Michael Lavorgna has a bang-on review over at Twittering Machines, and that should get you started. Just know that my jealousy here is pretty extreme — I want a pair of these speakers with a lust that is entirely unseemly.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2687-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&quality=89&ssl=1)
Now, to my ears, this Zola DAC does sound different than the old one. While the old one was perhaps guilty of a "golden" presentation, the Zola DAC is not — it's even more revealing, and bad recordings clearly sound ... well, bad. Some of you might be tempted to say "uncolored" or "neutral," and I wouldn't quibble with either. But what I heard was immediacy — it was like falling into a well and to hell with Lassie. At $4,000, and with the customizability of tube-rolling, this seems like another winner for BorderPatrol. As soon as more fans get the word, he's gonna sell out.
From Triode Pete, the cables were my familiar loom. And that is a very good thing. And I'm not the only PTA'er who agrees (you can, obviously, consider us fans).
Power Cords: "The Obsession NCF", Audiophile power cord, with Furutech FI-50 NCF connectors. Used with the PI Audio Group UberBUSS power distribution unit. – $1499 each.
"High Power Digital American II", Audiophile power cords used with the BorderPatrol Amplifier power supplies – $749 each.
"Digital American II", Audiophile Digital power cords used with the BorderPatrol ZOLA DAC – $549
Speaker Cables: "Bi- Wired American Speaker Cables with TWL Jumpers", Audiophile bi-wired speaker cables terminated with premium Cardas CAB bananas – starting at $1099. Jumpers at $299 per set.
Interconnects: "Spirit II" RCA interconnects, Hybrid material design utilizing Ohno Continuous Cast 7N Copper – starting at $399/pr.
Digital Interconnects: "Freedom" ethernet cable with premium Telegärtner RJ-45 connectors – starting at $249 each. "Passion" USB cable, a true 90-Ohm USB cable with combined power & data leads..
A last-gen Innuos server (ZENith and Phoenix) provided all the digital pathways. I'm told the Next-Gen gear will clearly outpace — I'm ready for that.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2679-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2680-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2689-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&quality=89&ssl=1)
Thanks, Scot!
Quote from: Triode Pete on November 19, 2025, 01:58:21 PMHere's an article on our CAF Room 316 from Part Time Audiophile's Publisher & Founder Scot Hull and the global debut of the new ZOLA BorderPatrol DAC... The entire system sounded amazing!
The Zola DAC: A New Era for BorderPatrol | CAF 2025
Zola DAC: Key Takeaways
The new $4,000 Zola DAC from BorderPatrol offers a significant upgrade in sound quality and usability over its predecessor.
Living Voice R80 OBX are world-class loudspeakers — is more than this even necessary?
Triode Wire Labs contributes high-quality cables that complements equipment from both BorderPatrol and Living Voice UK brands, ensuring optimal performance at an affordable price.
Innuos servers provide essential digital pathways for the audio system, with next-gen products available now.
Flashbacks!
Living Voice R80 OBX, BorderPatrol and Triode Wire Labs | CAF 2024
Living Voice R80 Loudspeakers, BorderPatrol, Innuos and Triode Wire Labs | FLAX 2025
Triode Wire Labs Full Loom | REVIEW
BorderPatrol SE-i DAC | REVIEW
CAF 2013: BorderPatrol and Living Voice
BorderPatrol, TriodeWire Labs, Innuos, Living Voice UK
A long time ago, in a galaxy not too far away, I fell in love. The object of my affections was petite. Limited in feature. Blissfully out-of-step with the state-of-the-art models. Almost deliberately retrograde. And even so, I cannot express how I loved that little DAC.
It was about as far from the center of the cutting edge of digital as you could get — and that was almost entirely the point. It had a non-oversampling DAC. Upsampling was not available. No filters. Nada. Nothing. Except for a tube. There was one of those. Probably measured like trash — John Atkinson would likely have said "this product is unfit for my testing bench." Many other folks dismissed it out of hand for its affordable price (at less than $2,000, it clearly couldn't be "worth it" for a serious audiophile) or for it's simple case work (not that a thick-walled all-copper chassis is anything to sneeze at, but it doesn't come dipped in LSD and diamonds) or for it's Luddite feature set (any resolution you want, as long as that resolution is Redbook). But the sound heard, time and again, was one of the most intimate and transparent-to-source DACs ever heard, before or since. Those who dared take the plunge, knew. Those that didn't, kept searching. I, for one of the several thousand extremely satisfied customers, cheerfully hit pause on the upgrade merry-go-round, and listened.
That was 2017. That was the BorderPatrol DAC SE.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2684-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
Over the last 8 years, Gary Dews of BorderPatrol has been trying to make a better-sounding DAC. Apparently, that task was more difficult than he had anticipated. With the temptation to insert a snarky "hard to improve on perfection" comment duly noted, the task wasn't so much making a product that would sound clearly better, but one that would sound at least as good and do more stuff. He hasn't been too coy about it, either — that first DAC was something of a miracle. Making a new one required design his own circuit boards and chipset layouts, testing and selecting said chips, and then figuring out how to optimally power that layout. The Zola DAC is that final happy product. Note: tube rollers, get your collections sorted — three locations for rolling now lie before you.
The Zola DAC is available with a black or silver face plate. The knob is for selecting from the inputs — this is a rather simple but welcome upgrade, as the other DAC did this with switches on the back. Note that Zola will replace the "old" SE-I DAC (at least for the foreseeable future — who knows what treasures distant aeons may reveal). Zola is available for ordering now. Here are the other relevant details the CAF promo:
The DAC features the Analog devices AD1865 chip (often called the analogue chip) in non-oversampling, no digital filtering (NOS) mode. Inputs for USB, COAX S/PDIF and TOSLINK. A BNC S/PDIF input is also provided. The DAC features a tube output stage that uses a 5687 double triode. An E182CC/7044/7119 double triode can also be used, as can a 12BH7 with an adapter. The DAC has fully independent power supplies to the digital and analogue sections. Both supplies feature tube rectification. The high voltage tube supply uses choke input filtering. The casework, other than the aluminium front panel, is made from copper. The DAC will replay files up to 32/384kHz via USB, 24/192kHz via COAXSPDIF/BNC and 24/96 via TOSLINK. From $3950.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2683-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
Quick note about the sound — we didn't do a side-by-side, but I am somewhat familiar with the sound of a Living Voice R80 OBX ($65,000/pair, shown in "Glossy Ebony"). I haven't reviewed them, but Michael Lavorgna has a bang-on review over at Twittering Machines, and that should get you started. Just know that my jealousy here is pretty extreme — I want a pair of these speakers with a lust that is entirely unseemly.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2687-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&quality=89&ssl=1)
Now, to my ears, this Zola DAC does sound different than the old one. While the old one was perhaps guilty of a "golden" presentation, the Zola DAC is not — it's even more revealing, and bad recordings clearly sound ... well, bad. Some of you might be tempted to say "uncolored" or "neutral," and I wouldn't quibble with either. But what I heard was immediacy — it was like falling into a well and to hell with Lassie. At $4,000, and with the customizability of tube-rolling, this seems like another winner for BorderPatrol. As soon as more fans get the word, he's gonna sell out.
From Triode Pete, the cables were my familiar loom. And that is a very good thing. And I'm not the only PTA'er who agrees (you can, obviously, consider us fans).
Power Cords: "The Obsession NCF", Audiophile power cord, with Furutech FI-50 NCF connectors. Used with the PI Audio Group UberBUSS power distribution unit. – $1499 each.
"High Power Digital American II", Audiophile power cords used with the BorderPatrol Amplifier power supplies – $749 each.
"Digital American II", Audiophile Digital power cords used with the BorderPatrol ZOLA DAC – $549
Speaker Cables: "Bi- Wired American Speaker Cables with TWL Jumpers", Audiophile bi-wired speaker cables terminated with premium Cardas CAB bananas – starting at $1099. Jumpers at $299 per set.
Interconnects: "Spirit II" RCA interconnects, Hybrid material design utilizing Ohno Continuous Cast 7N Copper – starting at $399/pr.
Digital Interconnects: "Freedom" ethernet cable with premium Telegärtner RJ-45 connectors – starting at $249 each. "Passion" USB cable, a true 90-Ohm USB cable with combined power & data leads..
A last-gen Innuos server (ZENith and Phoenix) provided all the digital pathways. I'm told the Next-Gen gear will clearly outpace — I'm ready for that.
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2679-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2680-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1)
(https://i0.wp.com/pt.audio/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AXPONA-Border-Patrol-Innuos-Triode-Wire-_DSC2689-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&quality=89&ssl=1)
Thanks, Scot!
Very nice review. Thanks for posting, Pete.
Here's Stereophile's Ken Micallef interviewing Gary Dews on his new ZOLA DAC!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38pjn3E8eOY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38pjn3E8eOY)
Cheers,
Pete
Quote from: Triode Pete on November 23, 2025, 10:28:37 AMHere's Stereophile's Ken Micallef interviewing Gary Dews on his new ZOLA DAC!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38pjn3E8eOY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38pjn3E8eOY)
Cheers,
Pete
TY 👍
Here's the written Stereophile report by Ken Micallef... https://www.stereophile.com/content/borderpatrol-and-triode-wire-labs-feature-new-zola-dac-and-living-voice-speakers (https://www.stereophile.com/content/borderpatrol-and-triode-wire-labs-feature-new-zola-dac-and-living-voice-speakers)
BorderPatrol and Triode Wire Labs feature New Zola DAC and Living Voice speakers
Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1125_BP_IMG_2953%20copy.jpg)
Gary Dews of BorderPatrol Audio Electronics and Pete Grzybowski of Triode Wire Labs are old hands at audio shows, yet they bring the zeal of energetic newbie pups. Then again, there's nothing "newbie" about Dews's new BorderPatrol Zola DAC ($3950).
"The Zola DAC features the vintage Analog Devices AD1865 R-2R chip (often called the analog chip)[footnote 1], operating in non-oversampling, no digital filtering (NOS) mode," states the website. The AD1865 was discontinued in 2009, but it's still widely used, for example, in some Audio Note DACs. "The DAC features a tube output stage that uses a 5687 double triode," Border Patrol continues on their webpage. "The DAC has fully independent power supplies to the digital and analog sections. Both supplies feature tube rectification. The high-voltage tube supply uses choke input filtering. The casework, other than the aluminum faceplate, is made from copper. It has inputs for USB, coaxial S/PDIF and TosLink. A BNC S/PDIF input is also provided. The DAC will replay files up to 32-bit/384kHz via USB, 24-bit/192kHz via coaxial S/PDIF/BNC and 24-bit/96kHz via TosLink."
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1125_BP_IMG_2955%20copy1.jpg)
Beyond the DAC, the system included a BorderPatrol S20EXD 16Wpc parallel single-ended 300B tube power amplifier ($22,500) and a pair of Living Voice R80 OBX loudspeakers ($56,300/pair).
Grzybowski's Triode Wire Labs cables included a Freedom ethernet cable with Telegärtner RJ-45 connectors ($249 each), Spirit II RCA interconnects, with hybrid material design utilizing Ohno Continuous Cast 7N copper ($399/pair), American biwire speaker cables with TWL jumpers terminated with premium Cardas CAB bananas ($1099/pair), The Obsession NCF audiophile power cord with Furutech FI-50 NCF connectors ($1499 each), High Power Digital American II power cords ($749 each), and Digital American II power cords ($549 each).
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1125_BP_IMG_2957%20copy1.jpg)
For years I've covered Gary and Pete's rooms with Greg Roberts's Volti Audio loudspeakers. Their electronics sounds just as good with the British-made Living Voice loudspeakers. The solo bass of Kham Meslien's album Ta Confiance fired with natural drive; the massed strings of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in c, "Resurrection," conducted by Otto Klemperer, held together beautifully even when volume hit peak levels; the acoustic folk of Dave's True Story's "Like a Rock" provided toe-tappin' goodness within a wide soundstage, pure tone, and accurate fake handclaps. Well done, maestros Dews and Grzybowski.
Footnote 1: It is not the only "analog chip," however. Another discontinued R-2R chip—the Philips TDA1543—is also popular among designers of a certain sort of D/A processor. Computer Audio Design—CAD for short—uses 16 of them in parallel and even named its DAC after the Philips chip: In its current iteration, it's the CAD 1543 Mk.III—Jim Austin
Thanks, Ken!
Cheers,
Pete
Here's Kim Micallef's Stereophile report on the Volti - Triode Wire Labs room... https://www.stereophile.com/content/volti-audios-revised-vittora-wiim-ultra-cary-sli-80-mojo-mystique-z-triode-wire-labs
Volti Audio's revised Vittora with WiiM Ultra, Cary SLI-80, Mojo Mystique Z, Triode Wire Labs
Ken Micallef Dec 02, 2025
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3402%20copy_0.jpg)
My fondness for Greg Roberts's Volti Audio loudspeakers has been documented in reviews of the company's Rival and Lucera speakers.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3411%20copy.jpg)
Roberts's CAF room sounded excellent. His system included a WiiM Ultra configured in bit-perfect mode as a dedicated music server with a Teddy Pardo Audio external power supply ($945); a Mojo Audio Mystique Z DAC ($11,000); and a Cary Audio SLI-80 integrated amplifier ($5495) driving a pair of newly revised Volti Audio Vittora loudspeakers ($50,000/pair). Cabling was from Triode Wire Labs.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3404%20copy.jpg)
The Vittora is a three-way, fully horn-loaded design with 105dB sensitivity and power handling from a tenth of a watt to 100 watts. This pair was finished in African padauk with clear lacquer.
Thanks, Ken!
Quote from: Triode Pete on December 02, 2025, 04:37:03 PMHere's Kim Micallef's Stereophile report on the Volti - Triode Wire Labs room... https://www.stereophile.com/content/volti-audios-revised-vittora-wiim-ultra-cary-sli-80-mojo-mystique-z-triode-wire-labs
Volti Audio's revised Vittora with WiiM Ultra, Cary SLI-80, Mojo Mystique Z, Triode Wire Labs
Ken Micallef Dec 02, 2025
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3402%20copy_0.jpg)
My fondness for Greg Roberts's Volti Audio loudspeakers has been documented in reviews of the company's Rival and Lucera speakers.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3411%20copy.jpg)
Roberts's CAF room sounded excellent. His system included a WiiM Ultra configured in bit-perfect mode as a dedicated music server with a Teddy Pardo Audio external power supply ($945); a Mojo Audio Mystique Z DAC ($11,000); and a Cary Audio SLI-80 integrated amplifier ($5495) driving a pair of newly revised Volti Audio Vittora loudspeakers ($50,000/pair). Cabling was from Triode Wire Labs.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3404%20copy.jpg)
The Vittora is a three-way, fully horn-loaded design with 105dB sensitivity and power handling from a tenth of a watt to 100 watts. This pair was finished in African padauk with clear lacquer.
Thanks, Ken!
Thanks for posting, Pete. I love the look of those speakers.
Quote from: Nick B on December 02, 2025, 07:24:00 PMQuote from: Triode Pete on December 02, 2025, 04:37:03 PMHere's Kim Micallef's Stereophile report on the Volti - Triode Wire Labs room... https://www.stereophile.com/content/volti-audios-revised-vittora-wiim-ultra-cary-sli-80-mojo-mystique-z-triode-wire-labs
Volti Audio's revised Vittora with WiiM Ultra, Cary SLI-80, Mojo Mystique Z, Triode Wire Labs
Ken Micallef Dec 02, 2025
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3402%20copy_0.jpg)
My fondness for Greg Roberts's Volti Audio loudspeakers has been documented in reviews of the company's Rival and Lucera speakers.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3411%20copy.jpg)
Roberts's CAF room sounded excellent. His system included a WiiM Ultra configured in bit-perfect mode as a dedicated music server with a Teddy Pardo Audio external power supply ($945); a Mojo Audio Mystique Z DAC ($11,000); and a Cary Audio SLI-80 integrated amplifier ($5495) driving a pair of newly revised Volti Audio Vittora loudspeakers ($50,000/pair). Cabling was from Triode Wire Labs.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3404%20copy.jpg)
The Vittora is a three-way, fully horn-loaded design with 105dB sensitivity and power handling from a tenth of a watt to 100 watts. This pair was finished in African padauk with clear lacquer.
Thanks, Ken!
Thanks for posting, Pete. I love the look of those speakers.
You should hear them! :shock: :thumb:
Quote from: P.I. on December 03, 2025, 11:37:14 AMQuote from: Nick B on December 02, 2025, 07:24:00 PMQuote from: Triode Pete on December 02, 2025, 04:37:03 PMHere's Kim Micallef's Stereophile report on the Volti - Triode Wire Labs room... https://www.stereophile.com/content/volti-audios-revised-vittora-wiim-ultra-cary-sli-80-mojo-mystique-z-triode-wire-labs
Volti Audio's revised Vittora with WiiM Ultra, Cary SLI-80, Mojo Mystique Z, Triode Wire Labs
Ken Micallef Dec 02, 2025
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3402%20copy_0.jpg)
My fondness for Greg Roberts's Volti Audio loudspeakers has been documented in reviews of the company's Rival and Lucera speakers.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3411%20copy.jpg)
Roberts's CAF room sounded excellent. His system included a WiiM Ultra configured in bit-perfect mode as a dedicated music server with a Teddy Pardo Audio external power supply ($945); a Mojo Audio Mystique Z DAC ($11,000); and a Cary Audio SLI-80 integrated amplifier ($5495) driving a pair of newly revised Volti Audio Vittora loudspeakers ($50,000/pair). Cabling was from Triode Wire Labs.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3404%20copy.jpg)
The Vittora is a three-way, fully horn-loaded design with 105dB sensitivity and power handling from a tenth of a watt to 100 watts. This pair was finished in African padauk with clear lacquer.
Thanks, Ken!
Thanks for posting, Pete. I love the look of those speakers.
You should hear them! :shock: :thumb:
I definitely want to! I need to get out more! Things have settled down, so shows in Texas and so. California are doable nowadays.
Quote from: Nick B on December 03, 2025, 09:36:41 PMQuote from: P.I. on December 03, 2025, 11:37:14 AMQuote from: Nick B on December 02, 2025, 07:24:00 PMQuote from: Triode Pete on December 02, 2025, 04:37:03 PMHere's Kim Micallef's Stereophile report on the Volti - Triode Wire Labs room... https://www.stereophile.com/content/volti-audios-revised-vittora-wiim-ultra-cary-sli-80-mojo-mystique-z-triode-wire-labs
Volti Audio's revised Vittora with WiiM Ultra, Cary SLI-80, Mojo Mystique Z, Triode Wire Labs
Ken Micallef Dec 02, 2025
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3402%20copy_0.jpg)
My fondness for Greg Roberts's Volti Audio loudspeakers has been documented in reviews of the company's Rival and Lucera speakers.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3411%20copy.jpg)
Roberts's CAF room sounded excellent. His system included a WiiM Ultra configured in bit-perfect mode as a dedicated music server with a Teddy Pardo Audio external power supply ($945); a Mojo Audio Mystique Z DAC ($11,000); and a Cary Audio SLI-80 integrated amplifier ($5495) driving a pair of newly revised Volti Audio Vittora loudspeakers ($50,000/pair). Cabling was from Triode Wire Labs.
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/ST_1225_Volti_IMG_3404%20copy.jpg)
The Vittora is a three-way, fully horn-loaded design with 105dB sensitivity and power handling from a tenth of a watt to 100 watts. This pair was finished in African padauk with clear lacquer.
Thanks, Ken!
Thanks for posting, Pete. I love the look of those speakers.
You should hear them! :shock: :thumb:
I definitely want to! I need to get out more! Things have settled down, so shows in Texas and so. California are doable nowadays.
😁
Some additional feedback from Frank Doris of Copper Magazine... https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/capital-audiofest-2025-must-see-stereo-part-one?srsltid=AfmBOopqr9MlPBIF2Q60H5itWg0eL5tdEw-sFeWD1oeYJ5PDj5PTrhCb (https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/capital-audiofest-2025-must-see-stereo-part-one?srsltid=AfmBOopqr9MlPBIF2Q60H5itWg0eL5tdEw-sFeWD1oeYJ5PDj5PTrhCb)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0672/2283/1394/files/border_patrol.jpg?v=1764173285)
Why do people like tubes? All you had to do was go to the Border Patrol Audio room to find out. The piano song they were playing sounded beautiful, as did the old Boz Scaggs audiophile standard, "Thanks to You." The Border Patrol gear looked gorgeous also, with its wood cabinetry an elegant alternative to the usual aluminum and black. It included the debut of the ZOLA DAC, featuring a 5687 triode tube output stage with no oversampling or digital filtering (from $3,950), and the S20EXD 300B tube-based power amp (from $22,500 depending on 300B tube options). The 2-way, high-sensitivity Living Voice R80 OBX speakers ($65,000/pair in the glossy ebony finish on display) were the perfect complement, as were the Triode Wire Labs cables and Innuos music server. An outstanding music-making setup.
Thanks Frank!
Cheers,
Pete
Quote from: Triode Pete on December 10, 2025, 10:01:54 AMSome additional feedback from Frank Doris of Copper Magazine... https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/capital-audiofest-2025-must-see-stereo-part-one?srsltid=AfmBOopqr9MlPBIF2Q60H5itWg0eL5tdEw-sFeWD1oeYJ5PDj5PTrhCb (https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/capital-audiofest-2025-must-see-stereo-part-one?srsltid=AfmBOopqr9MlPBIF2Q60H5itWg0eL5tdEw-sFeWD1oeYJ5PDj5PTrhCb)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0672/2283/1394/files/border_patrol.jpg?v=1764173285)
Why do people like tubes? All you had to do was go to the Border Patrol Audio room to find out. The piano song they were playing sounded beautiful, as did the old Boz Scaggs audiophile standard, "Thanks to You." The Border Patrol gear looked gorgeous also, with its wood cabinetry an elegant alternative to the usual aluminum and black. It included the debut of the ZOLA DAC, featuring a 5687 triode tube output stage with no oversampling or digital filtering (from $3,950), and the S20EXD 300B tube-based power amp (from $22,500 depending on 300B tube options). The 2-way, high-sensitivity Living Voice R80 OBX speakers ($65,000/pair in the glossy ebony finish on display) were the perfect complement, as were the Triode Wire Labs cables and Innuos music server. An outstanding music-making setup.
Thanks Frank!
Cheers,
Pete
Thanks for posting and including a very nice summary on CAF by Frank Doris. That is a crazy amount of rooms at CAF.
Pete, I am curious how far to the west you go to demo at shows?
Quote from: Nick B on December 10, 2025, 09:08:29 PMPete, I am curious how far to the west you go to demo at shows?
In the past, I've done the California shows, RMAF and a Las Vegas (T.H.E. Show) show... I was planning to do the original Pacific AudioFest in Seattle, but then COVID hit...
After COVID, I've been staying closer to home with CAF (DC), FLAX (Tampa) & AXPONA (Chicago)... Went to the SouthWest AudioFest this past year with Greg from Volti, but just as an attendee / observer to "scope it out"...
Cheers,
Pete
Quote from: Triode Pete on December 11, 2025, 01:14:21 PMQuote from: Nick B on December 10, 2025, 09:08:29 PMPete, I am curious how far to the west you go to demo at shows?
In the past, I've done the California shows, RMAF and a Las Vegas (T.H.E. Show) show... I was planning to do the original Pacific AudioFest in Seattle, but then COVID hit...
After COVID, I've been staying closer to home with CAF (DC), FLAX (Tampa) & AXPONA (Chicago)... Went to the SouthWest AudioFest this past year with Greg from Volti, but just as an attendee / observer to "scope it out"...
Cheers,
Pete
Thanks for the info, Pete. The best shows for me location wise would be SWAF and PAF. Would SWAF be worth exhibiting at in the future?