I want to take this opportunity to thank Philip and his wonderful wife for inviting a group of crazy audiophiles for some wine, music and laughter..... (and more wine!).
Philip was kind enough to haul my butt back to his place after the show on Saturday. The first question when he got to his home was what wine would you like? He offered up the most sensual, smooth and sweet wine that I have ever had in a long time!
I sat in the sweet spot and listened intently on how the system was put together, the merits of the speakers and the wonderful selection of music I had to choose from.
I had for a long time, wanted to listen to the Vivid speakers in a well sorted out room/system. I had heard them numerous times at shows and they sounded really great compared to all of the other offerings. I had heard the G3's at the show and was mesmirazed by the sound.
The first thing I noticed about the sound was scale. They presented scale almost perfectly. Female vocals, orchestral, piano, solo instruments, were all hanging in the air between the speakers (and beyond) with a believable size. So many larger speakers have had pianos that stretched for 30', female vocals that were size of linebackers and orchestras that were the size of a football field. I could easily picture instruments and vocalist in front of me.
The second thing I noticed was the bass, especially upright bass. The bass notes were tight and on point. They filled the room without any boomyness or overhang. My bias expected light/weak bass in that huge room. Then I realized, even though I was drinking wine, I never saw the bottom of the glass? Go figure??
The mids were clear without any etchiness or glare. The highend was not bright at all, though I could hear every single brush stroke and cymbal strike. The Vivid's are one of a kind speaker. We have all heard "Stimela" thousands of times. Let me tell you, this was the first time I've heard it and actually believed I was sitting in the Venue with Hugh. Everything sounded so real, even my own speakers are lacking.
We retired to the patio to have dinner that Philip's wife lovingly prepared for us. The banter was fun, we broke bread and laughed into the night.
This was an evening to remember for a lifetime. Great friends getting together to make memories is what this hobby is all about! My deepest, heartfelt, thank-you goes to the O Hanlon family for opening their doors and inviting us in.