A visit to Philip O'Hanlon and the Vivid G1 loudspeaker
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There is a terrific review by Ed Momkus in Dagago from March 2014, suffice it to say he bought the review sample
http://dagogo.com/vivid-audio-giya-g1-speaker-review
http://dagogo.com/vivid-audio-giya-g1-speaker-review
I have G1's driven via a Devialet D premier amp , my room is around 26ft , by 19ft by 8ft.
It is currently being re-built around these speakers and is fully treated etc
Look at this thread ..
http://www.avforums.co.za/index.php/topic,41561.0.html
At any rate, I have heard the 1.5's, b1's , k1's , g3, g2 and g1's in various rooms and systems and you truly cannot compare the Vivid range to any other speaker.. they do not wow you immediately , they suck you into the performance. All my pals that have got vivids (quite a few in South Africa) have upgraded , ONLY within the vivid range...
It is an amazing experience with my G1's , my bass is not as good as it can be but with my bass traps and Dirac..I should get it 100% right
The system I came from was meridian DSP6000's and a set of SVS sb13 ultra subs. This was a bass monster system and the G1's easily equal or outperform it in the low bass...
In my room , the G1's are still delivering at 16hz - you can feel it .. 20hz and above , its full blast...
The really impressive thing re the G1's is the ability to play loud and clean , in fact I would say that if you are not going to play at lifelike or realistic levels , buy something else. the sound is so clean that you tend to wind these up more and more , go out the room for a cuppa and come back and you are struck by just HOW loud you were playing. I have had my G1's up to a level where the amp was running out of steam a bit , but you can never listen at those levels anyway.
But the most impressive thing is the all immersive sound that takes you to the performance or the performance comes to you.
You can follow every thread in the recording , the intent of the artist , the very fingering of the instrument down to a micro detail level , but the end result is all those threads coming together in sheer music.
There is no analytical spotlighting in all this - there is just music.
Even in my unfinished room , the effect is there. I had a pal of mine (with 1.5's , he is waiting for his G3's) in tears after he played a Van morrison song..never seen anyone cry to music...
Another friend of mine , who is into Keith Jarret , was in a trance as his "go to " reference track was played and afterwards was gushing and thanking me profusely for the opportunity of listening to what he felt was the best rendition.
Wonderful speakers.. worth every cent and more..I have no idea where I can go after these speakers , as an upgrade.. maybe there is a G0 in the works ?
It is currently being re-built around these speakers and is fully treated etc
Look at this thread ..
http://www.avforums.co.za/index.php/topic,41561.0.html
At any rate, I have heard the 1.5's, b1's , k1's , g3, g2 and g1's in various rooms and systems and you truly cannot compare the Vivid range to any other speaker.. they do not wow you immediately , they suck you into the performance. All my pals that have got vivids (quite a few in South Africa) have upgraded , ONLY within the vivid range...
It is an amazing experience with my G1's , my bass is not as good as it can be but with my bass traps and Dirac..I should get it 100% right
The system I came from was meridian DSP6000's and a set of SVS sb13 ultra subs. This was a bass monster system and the G1's easily equal or outperform it in the low bass...
In my room , the G1's are still delivering at 16hz - you can feel it .. 20hz and above , its full blast...
The really impressive thing re the G1's is the ability to play loud and clean , in fact I would say that if you are not going to play at lifelike or realistic levels , buy something else. the sound is so clean that you tend to wind these up more and more , go out the room for a cuppa and come back and you are struck by just HOW loud you were playing. I have had my G1's up to a level where the amp was running out of steam a bit , but you can never listen at those levels anyway.
But the most impressive thing is the all immersive sound that takes you to the performance or the performance comes to you.
You can follow every thread in the recording , the intent of the artist , the very fingering of the instrument down to a micro detail level , but the end result is all those threads coming together in sheer music.
There is no analytical spotlighting in all this - there is just music.
Even in my unfinished room , the effect is there. I had a pal of mine (with 1.5's , he is waiting for his G3's) in tears after he played a Van morrison song..never seen anyone cry to music...
Another friend of mine , who is into Keith Jarret , was in a trance as his "go to " reference track was played and afterwards was gushing and thanking me profusely for the opportunity of listening to what he felt was the best rendition.
Wonderful speakers.. worth every cent and more..I have no idea where I can go after these speakers , as an upgrade.. maybe there is a G0 in the works ?
Rodney
Delighted to read that you are so happy with the Giya G1 performance; I think Philip Guttentag has done a better job of spreading the Vivid word in S.Africa than we have in N.America so far. But the word is getting out over here, slowly but surely.
You might consider using two different speaker cables on the Giyas; one for the bass (fast but capable of plumbing the Stygian depths) and the other that delivers a nice dense, tonally rich mid-range for the mids & Highs. The G1 are truly capable of delivering class leading bass (articulation & definition) with remarkable output. I destroyed four woofers in the prototypes during CES 2008, but they have worked without a hiccup ever since they went into production. For a party piece I used to play some electronic music, crank up the volume and the woofers would blow the magnetically attached grills right into the room !
Philip
That demo reminds me if the old Memorex commercial with Ella Fitzgerald
[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YG8K0yl4_hc[/video]
Hiya Philip.
Vivid speakers are an excellent value proposition here as to import a product of equal $value will be a lot more than we pay in SA for vivids .
Im using cheap van den hull speaker cable , will change them for decent stuff once my room is 100% sorted.
My intention is to Biamp the G1's , using the devialet for the mids/tweeter and using a powerhouse amp like a Pass x350 or Krell evolution or similar for the bass
I have various eq/room correction devices I want to use on the bass only , like the miniDSP ddrc dirac series etc.
My other approach is to use the Devialet single amped , but to use 2 subs (I still have a set of SVS SB13 ultras) to actually smooth the rooms bass response.
I have huge peaks and some dips in the bass below 70 hz , stuff that treatment can't cure.
Or I may combine biamping and still use the subs.
Vivid speakers are an excellent value proposition here as to import a product of equal $value will be a lot more than we pay in SA for vivids .
Im using cheap van den hull speaker cable , will change them for decent stuff once my room is 100% sorted.
My intention is to Biamp the G1's , using the devialet for the mids/tweeter and using a powerhouse amp like a Pass x350 or Krell evolution or similar for the bass
I have various eq/room correction devices I want to use on the bass only , like the miniDSP ddrc dirac series etc.
My other approach is to use the Devialet single amped , but to use 2 subs (I still have a set of SVS SB13 ultras) to actually smooth the rooms bass response.
I have huge peaks and some dips in the bass below 70 hz , stuff that treatment can't cure.
Or I may combine biamping and still use the subs.
I can get much cheaper power amps for the bass , EG a pass x350 for $3500 or the like , I would spend up to $5000 on an amp , 2nd hand.
The problem with using 2 d - premiers is that they are used as monoblocks per side rather than vertical biamping (which I could do) and then the price which is round $8000 used here.. and the 2 amps would have to be upgraded to 250's for me to get SAM and to get em up to the latest status.. another $8000...
The problem with using 2 d - premiers is that they are used as monoblocks per side rather than vertical biamping (which I could do) and then the price which is round $8000 used here.. and the 2 amps would have to be upgraded to 250's for me to get SAM and to get em up to the latest status.. another $8000...
Rodney
Do you have to deal with room nodes ? Because if you do, then I would suggest you look at the Bagend e-trap; which is a tunable bass trap. Works like a sub-woofer in reverse. Difficult to set up, though not expensive, a couple of these might smooth out the bass for you. I have heard these installed & they do work, though I cannot stress hard enough that they are difficult to set up well. Lots of room measurements are required all across the room.
http://www.bagend.com/products-category/active-bass-trap/
Do you have to deal with room nodes ? Because if you do, then I would suggest you look at the Bagend e-trap; which is a tunable bass trap. Works like a sub-woofer in reverse. Difficult to set up, though not expensive, a couple of these might smooth out the bass for you. I have heard these installed & they do work, though I cannot stress hard enough that they are difficult to set up well. Lots of room measurements are required all across the room.
http://www.bagend.com/products-category/active-bass-trap/
We recently installed the normal 15 amp IEC High Current Shunyata Sigma AC cables on to the Luxman B-1000f monoblocks - wow, what an improvement over stock cables !. The sound is denser, more tonal color, richer and dramatically darker background (signifying that the cables are rejecting spurious noise). Overall the sound is richer & harmonically more lush sounding without coloring the sound, its as if the sound were better fleshed out. The darkness in the quiet passages is blacker and allows more fine detail through. We played Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo from Masterpieces AP recent reissue on vinyl and then swapped out a Shunyata Python Helix Alpha for a new Sigma, connected to a Shunyata Triton line conditioner and heard pretty much the same improvement again as described on the amps. Duke Ellington's piano in this 1950 recording was quite far in the background with the older power cord, the Sigma really brought the piano to life, more weight and fuller sounding and sound-stage deepened considerably as a result. This is a mono recording, so its not possible to talk about the lateral sound-stage. To say that I am delighted with sonic improvements is an understatement. The Giya G1 never sounded better. Unconditionally recommended. Next up, is swapping out the original Triton for a new Triton 2, we're planning on this over the weekend. Have not heard the Nordost Valhalla power cords in my own system yet, so cannot comment on their performance.
Don't know if you saw our Montreal Show report but we tested the M-600A in both stereo & mono driving the Vivid Audio K1 and the BTL configuration was clearly superior to the stereo amp on its own. Besides the obvious more power, better defined micro dynamics brought small detail to the forefront like you never heard before. I expect the M-800A will benefit similarly from being run in BTL (bridged mono). Don't worry about the power cords, they work beautifully, enjoy.
I do not think that my own experience can be considered as a standard case. Anyway, the best sounding power cords with my both M800a used in BTL mode have been the stock cords and not by a small margin. Then I would advise testing the M800a bridged with the stock power cords before plugging big snakes. Using only one amp in stereo mode, the big snakes had at the contrary an obvious and positive impact. But in BTL mode, they all sounded harsh and less defined, lacking some air and trebles extension compared to the stock power cords.
My 2 cents...
It is interesting to read how in some cases custom power cords deliver large gains, and yet in others they can be a detriment. The Shunyata's seem to elicit either great raves or lackluster results...nothing much in between. IME, the power cord gain seems to be directly related to the sensitivity and/or design of the power supply. An example of this is my JR amp with choke power supply, which is pretty much immune to large changes due the power cord....some gains to be had BUT not enormous. Jeff has told me in the past that he designs his gear with a certain expectation as to the power from the wall. Therefore, it is very possible that a power conditioner and/or power cord would in fact be detrimental with his gear.
Same thing may be happening with the M800a's in BTL with a non-stock power cord.
Same thing may be happening with the M800a's in BTL with a non-stock power cord.
Joel,
I agree with you that its best to start with the stock Luxman power cords and then see / hear if the after market power cords are an improvement, not just a different sound. IME, the Shunyata Sigmas on the Luxman B-1000f monos driving the latest Giya G1 made a v. noticeable improvement. I bought these power cords as I am delighted with the performance. I definitely encourage audiophiles to try a new component at home before purchasing.
BTW, have you heard the M-900u yet ?
Ciao
Philip
Hello Philip,
My understanding from my personal experience is that the BTL mode reacts differently compared to the normal use in terms of association with power cords and also preamps.
As far as I know, you won't meet this kind of issue with the B-1000f as they are genuine monaural amps.
Then, I would be interested in sharing your thoughts about power cords used with M800a in BTL mode (and especially balanced inputs).
I have heard twice the M-900u in stereo mode but in rather bad conditions and I was not particularly impressed.
It could be interesting to review the M900u in BTL mode compared to my pair of M800a but I don't think the French importer will be able to provide me with a pair for a couple of month...
It's also very difficult to get technical feedback from Luxman Corp. in Japan as I needed to pass through the French distributor who speaks Japanese for my previous reviews of Luxman gears.
Cheers,
Joël
May I ask, and please excuse my poor technical knowledge, but does this make the G1's a good match for my SET amps, 75W/ch Nat Audio SE2SE's?
Or is there a compromise inherent?
Would consider biamping, w/a pair of SETs just for the woofers.
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I think some SETs might struggle but even if they do, NAT is a special SET so you will only know if you try it. It has driven Apogees, so...
Audiophile Bill has looked at the Stereophile specs/test results posted above and is skeptical anything other than solid state SS, or hugely pwrd tubes will do the job, even w/biamping. Would make sense, Lawrence the designer is an old B&W man, and SS only works w/those incl the Nautilus.
Same issues w/the JBL Everests that you just looked at Ked. Current demands, and impedance swings, just mean even the overly powerful 75W/ch Nats are not suited. I tend to concur.
This brings me to one of the things we tend to disagree on, spkr choice or amp-spkr synergy, when making these big upgrades.
I'm of the opinion that I can't do w/going back to SS. Having heard Vitus SS recently, plus the Auro3d 12.4 mch system using SS, Bakoon SS w/the Liszts, and my experiences over the years w/recent amp upgrades from Roksan SS to Advantage SS, to Hovland Radia SS, now to Audion SET and currently Nat SET, I'm not going back.
For me there are enough options where SETs would sound great eg my current Zus, AG Trios and Duos, prob the Cessaro Chopins and Liszts, and most likely the Sadurni Staccatos. Whereas I'm so wary of the aural fingerprint of SS that this counters the advantages of eg Giya G1's/JBL Everests.
This is a topic for a thread I will prob fire up soon.
Maybe if I can wangle a home demo of the G1's...
Same issues w/the JBL Everests that you just looked at Ked. Current demands, and impedance swings, just mean even the overly powerful 75W/ch Nats are not suited. I tend to concur.
This brings me to one of the things we tend to disagree on, spkr choice or amp-spkr synergy, when making these big upgrades.
I'm of the opinion that I can't do w/going back to SS. Having heard Vitus SS recently, plus the Auro3d 12.4 mch system using SS, Bakoon SS w/the Liszts, and my experiences over the years w/recent amp upgrades from Roksan SS to Advantage SS, to Hovland Radia SS, now to Audion SET and currently Nat SET, I'm not going back.
For me there are enough options where SETs would sound great eg my current Zus, AG Trios and Duos, prob the Cessaro Chopins and Liszts, and most likely the Sadurni Staccatos. Whereas I'm so wary of the aural fingerprint of SS that this counters the advantages of eg Giya G1's/JBL Everests.
This is a topic for a thread I will prob fire up soon.
Maybe if I can wangle a home demo of the G1's...
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