mr_slate May 09, 2024 16:14

Review

Border Patrol S20 Parallel Single Ended - EXD option

Standard external power supplies for each channel

Quad matched WE-300B output tubes.

Designer/Engineer: Gary Dews

The 300B SE is a sound I’m not familiar with and it's a bit different from the David Berning ZH-270 I've lived with since 2004. The ZH-270 is quite the little amp in its own right and has provided hundreds of hours of musical enjoyment over these past 19 years without one single issue. Even the original tubes are still installed since the amp is so gentle on them. David made one sweet amp.

I have thought and researched over the years what I would replace the Berning with but other choices have taken precedence so I never pulled the trigger - till now.

This was really a speaker then amp decision for me. Choosing the speaker first in the equation allowed me to wait on the amp. I wanted to try horns - liked what I heard and decided on the Volti Rival with the 15” woofer and large 2” trax mid-range and tweeter horn.

For several years now Volti Audio speakers have been paired with Border Patrol 300B amps and Triode Wire Labs at the Hi-Fi shows. The synergy among these friendly designers and their products was evident from the sound they were getting which for my ears was something really special. After much thought and even some prayer I came to the conclusion that these guys have already done the work and proven this synergistic match. Why not take advantage of that?

With the decision made for Volti Rival speakers it just seemed like it was time to go all in. If not now – when? It wasn’t a far step to the Border Patrol S20 after discussing with Volti owner/designer Greg Roberts. “If you can afford it get the S20, you’ll never be sorry.”

So I did.

Horns and 300B tubes – this was going to be like aural sex.

Sometimes we need a little push from the Universe. I try and listen for those moments. It usually turns out well for me.

So after mailing off large sums of $USD I got to wait while Gary Dews built my amp.

As all things do it finally arrived - wheeled up my driveway via a 2-wheeler pushed by my panting UPS man asking what I ordered. Assembling this multi-box delivery took several hours. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.

I won’t say much about the technical aspects - there are several reviews online from audio guys telling you those things or the BP website has quite a bit too. I’ll try and describe some of the more interesting things I found and then how it sounded to me.

The only true perspective I can give would be the differences between the ZH-270 vs S20 as far as my ears hear which are now older. Even so – it’s not really a fair comparison since there is a large $ difference between them. Yet, if anyone is interested in a Border Patrol 300B SE amp this might help give another data point so I’ll continue on.  J

While the ZH-270 is a tube amp it’s not your normal tube amp. It’s more like a FM transmitter with the audio signal riding on a high RF frequency carrier signal. Obviously, that’s really different – and it sounds that way. Clean, clear, articulate throughout the audio spectrum - it’s a really amazing amp. If you have speakers that can take advantage you will be really impressed.

Before my new speakers – the Volti Rivals – I was using Avalon Eidolon’s which are very smooth with fabulous imaging and lovely to listen to for jazz, female/male vocals but not up to the task of higher listening levels or some good old rock & roll. The Volti Rivals with their 100dB efficiency and 15” woofer really lit up with the ZH-270. Wowzers was all I could say.

As good as the ZH-270 is the Border Patrol S20 took everything up another level. If I was trying to put this into percentages I’d say the ZH-270 got me 85-90% of the way to natural holistic sound presentation. The BP-S20 with a matched quad of WE-300B’s took me the rest of the way.

My descriptors would be:

A full bodied sound rich with natural character and harmonics

A seeming rightness and weight to the instruments and voices

Music had a better flow to it, similar to how water flows – just a more natural relaxed presentation with a bloom to it - it is not however bloated or over-hyped. Like water the music flows.

I can’t really say a better focus or definition – the ZH-270 does that in spades but a more organic natural presentation that provides a fuller fleshed out sound that was transparent, open and deeply immersive.

If I was going to use a physical representation I’ll choose a rose since everyone is familiar with them.

Picture a new rose where the bulb is starting to open and the inner petals are starting to reveal themselves. The outer petals have opened and are exquisite but it hasn’t shown itself fully yet. That would be the ZH-270.

Now picture that same rose several days later. The bulb has opened up revealing its simple yet gorgeous petals that seem to mesmerize you when looked at long enough. That’s the BP-S20.

Simple yet incredibly complex that reveals all the nuance, color and textures that music has.

Like so many things in life purchasing such a flower is usually expensive. No argument there. I had to think long and hard about this choice. I feel very fortunate to be alive at this time in history and in my own lifespan where I could swing this kind of determining event. While no one component can make or break a system this one made a notable difference. Of course I had to pay attention to all the components in my system and room to get to this nirvana level. Everything matters at this level. Even small seemingly insignificant changes add up. For me this has been a several decades’ slow march. Mostly because of lack of time and money which always seems to be in short supply.

For those looking I would have no reservations in sending you to listen to a Border Patrol 300B amp. There aren’t many things in life I have no reservations about – this is one of them.

Like Ferris Bueller said when reminiscing about driving the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California.

“It is so choice - if you have the means I highly recommend you picking one up…”

The Border Patrol S20 Parallel SE with a quad of WE-300B output tubes is really this sort of machine. Rare with classic beautiful industrial design - built to last with almost bullet proof design which does exactly what it’s supposed to do. Bring amazing joy and music to our souls.

 Some technical stuff:

The EXD version has three areas of design improvements:
1.  The output and interstage transformers are cryogenically treated
2.  The top and bottom chassis plates are copper
3.  The power supply capacitors are bypassed with MusiCap film capacitors.

For the EXD amp, the transformers are cryogenically treated by a company in Massachusetts. They bring them down to -170°C over the course of the first day, let them sit there for another day, then bring them up slowly on the third. They then give them two exposures to +100°C, slowly heating and cooling them to temper them. Gary’s experience with permalloy or amorphous cores is that they do not provide the inductance for proper bass. They can be very smooth in the midrange and highs but the bass is lacking. He feels this is true for either the interstage or output transformers.

mr_slate March 13, 2023 22:54

mr_slate January 27, 2023 05:21

After speaking with Volti Rival designer/builder Greg Roberts he suggested moving the Rivals further apart to get a better soundstage. With 12’ TWL American speaker cables installed that was easily accomplished.

The increased speaker separation of 11” has increased the soundstage width. This seems to give a better delineation of the performers allowing more air around them.

The Volti Rival speakers continue to break in along with the TWL cables. Sound quality and performance is just tremendous! I’ve never owned any speaker that can perform like these Rivals do – effortless sound, deep bass that can shake the windows and floor joists if you turn up the knob enough. Actually, the Berning amp impresses me all over again how well it sounds with its new speaker load.

Easily the best sound I’ve ever had in my room. I find myself digging out albums just to hear how they sound now. Male/female vocals, big band, be-bop jazz, rock and roll, orchestral pieces – all done with fantastic results that bring so much more to the experience of listening to music.

It will be interesting to see how the sound changes when I receive the Border Patrol S20 parallel SET amp with Western Electric 300B tubes which is currently being built by Gary Dews. Now that’s a Christmas present!

mr_slate November 29, 2022 16:04

mr_slate November 16, 2022 22:35

Greg Roberts, the owner/designer/builder of Volti Audio speakers drove 16 hrs. from Baxter, TN to personally deliver and set up my new Volti Rival speakers in my room. That’s pretty impressive.

Uncrating them in the garage you get a better sense of scale. This is a good sized speaker weighing in at 135lbs. You’ll need a 2-wheeler to move this guy.

My choice – the middle Rival, uses the same parts as the large Vittora but in a smaller body – which is still a solid largish speaker.   

I wasn't prepared for how they conveyed music though. I’m not very good at waxing poetic in audiophilia so I won’t but I will say I’ve never heard better sound in my room and maybe anywhere I’ve ever been – though,  I haven’t been many places so….

Bass was a huge change with that  15" woofer paper driver doing what big woofers do. Chest felt thumps if the music had it and you turned up the knob.

 The mid-range - where vocals live was just really nice. It’s a different sound for me these new horns having grown up with cones and domes. I can’t quite say yet. Very nice but different.

The tweeter horns also presented an effortless sound. Really both horns sounded amazing. There’s a certain uncongested flow to the music. I might say a freedom of constraints – just a really wonderful presentation. If the music is soft acoustic and gentle it will be just that. Or just as easily grab you around the throat and shake with such seemingly unlimited effortless power it’s sort of scary. Like these Rival’s are monsters dressed up concealing themselves as speakers.

It really didn’t matter what type of music I played – it all sounded amazing. I found myself playing all sorts of music just to see what it would sound like. Almost like I now had speakers that would really let me hear what was in those black grooves.

Last but not least is the actual beauty of the Rival speakers. The build quality and woodworking is first class. I chose a highly figured English Oak veneer with a lacquer finish which looks amazing. Just a gorgeous pair of speakers!

It’s tough making a choice in this hobby of audionerosis  when faced with dozens of them. I did good with this one.

mr_slate November 01, 2022 04:15

mr_slate November 01, 2022 04:14

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