Listened to Vivid B1/Devialet 200/JRiver computer based system and what a pleasant surprise, all the qualities of the Giya G1 barring all the usual attributes a floorstander brings. I could easily live forever with this combination and be done with it. If you love bookshelves this is an exit level speaker/system for you.
I listened to Keith Jarret and Bill Charlap ? realistic portrayals of the percussive nature of the piano is stunning, the weight of the left hand versus the middle C to the higher extremes is contrasted beautifully. It is to appreciate the music making talents of the pianist, like drummers, percussionists whose brains are split in two, the left hand equally important and opposite to the right hand, playing different notes, timing, textures and colours, and so on. Transients is explosive, subtlety and low level resolution go hand in hand where you can very easily hear the chords being hit inside the opened lid. The Koln Concert made absolute sense compared to his trio work for me and has redirected me to his other albums and other piano artists that I also enjoy such as Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chuco Valdez, Roberto Fonseca, Danilo Perez, etc to check their solo offerings that I have.
Saxophone and other wind instruments are portrayed realistically, the breath on the reed, the ripeness and fullness on the lower end surprises you when the lower regions are engaged, it is easy to follow circular breathing when the long notes are being sustained. Trumpets, muted trumpets, clarinets, flugelhorns, cornets, etc all sound tonally correct without being aggressive in their extremes.
String instruments : violins, violas, cellos have the right tones and timbres and size. You can clearly hear the differences between the same type of instrument . As a reference Jean Luc Ponty playing with Al Di Meola and Stanley Clarke ?Song Deicated To John? is fantastic to listen to.
Bass ? Electric bass is crazy! Turn up the volume and you will be blown away by the Devialet and this speaker, it will go louder & louder without compre sound and weight is realistic. Bowing is magical, technical whizzes such as Brian Bromberg is easy to follow especially where he uses the whole instrument to create the sounds he makes. Transients in the upper regions are fast and explosive, bodies and decays in the lower registers are quick with no lagging and when going even lower the initial attack, body and extended decays of the full blown bass never impeding what was happening in the upper registers. Recordings where the bass has been recorded hot and overblown are easily heard, well recorded material sounds really good and makes it easier to hear and follow the other instruments in the soundstage. Room treatments correctly setup is essential to get the best out this system, more so in the bass area.
Guitar ? Al Di Meola, Rosa Passos among others sounded awesome. The different instruments Al uses is easy to pick up, the intial picking (attack)the textures of that note followedby the body of the instrument and the harmonics are clearly heard. The values of these four components are easy on the ear. In Rosa?s case her voice is added with all her vocal inflections ( she sings mainly in Portugese) and can be fully appreciated. Once you become accustomed to these inflections and it is realistically portrayed and not over emphasised like excessive sibilance as an example, you will enjoy it no end.
Drums ? Bass drum ( here you need the G1 for kick-in-the-gut bass), toms, snares, hi-hats are all realistically portrayed with the right values and easy to follow. The technical colours and textures created such as brushes on skins, hands on toms, sticks being hit on rims are all easily followed and sound natural.
Voices ? Alan Taylor, Rosa ( as above), even old staple Diana Krall on Love Scenes, etc all sounded great. The excess sibilance created by lesser speakers on for example the Diana Krall ?Love Scenes?recording is missing here. The emphasis, timing and value she puts on forming her notes are clearly heard. The portrayal of her voice is not over emphasised in any way. The sense of space including her being closed-miked and the players around and behind her is easy to appreciate. Depth, height, width coupled to space around the musicians are naturally there, you don?t have to look to find it ? I find this aspect of the all the Vivid/ Devialet combinations[ i.e. the soundstaging and imaging ]the easiest to get right of all the systems I have heard, it is as if it is inherent & an intrinsic part of it. Tenors, baritones, sopranos, altos, you name it all sound just right!
As can be seen from the above I am clearly excited by this combination, if you love a bigger and fuller sound gravitating towards the G1?s would be very rewarding, however for the sound produced by the Devialet 200 and Vivid B1?s I would be happy till I die! Magic!
As an aside, my pal Garth got rid of a complete Audio Research reference system [ DSP PRE/DAC, HD220 Power Amp, REF 7 Cd player and Raidho C1 Speakers ? high end!] and replaced it with the above, a decision to both our ears [and his pockets] that was absolutely worthwhile and lasting.
I listened to Keith Jarret and Bill Charlap ? realistic portrayals of the percussive nature of the piano is stunning, the weight of the left hand versus the middle C to the higher extremes is contrasted beautifully. It is to appreciate the music making talents of the pianist, like drummers, percussionists whose brains are split in two, the left hand equally important and opposite to the right hand, playing different notes, timing, textures and colours, and so on. Transients is explosive, subtlety and low level resolution go hand in hand where you can very easily hear the chords being hit inside the opened lid. The Koln Concert made absolute sense compared to his trio work for me and has redirected me to his other albums and other piano artists that I also enjoy such as Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chuco Valdez, Roberto Fonseca, Danilo Perez, etc to check their solo offerings that I have.
Saxophone and other wind instruments are portrayed realistically, the breath on the reed, the ripeness and fullness on the lower end surprises you when the lower regions are engaged, it is easy to follow circular breathing when the long notes are being sustained. Trumpets, muted trumpets, clarinets, flugelhorns, cornets, etc all sound tonally correct without being aggressive in their extremes.
String instruments : violins, violas, cellos have the right tones and timbres and size. You can clearly hear the differences between the same type of instrument . As a reference Jean Luc Ponty playing with Al Di Meola and Stanley Clarke ?Song Deicated To John? is fantastic to listen to.
Bass ? Electric bass is crazy! Turn up the volume and you will be blown away by the Devialet and this speaker, it will go louder & louder without compre sound and weight is realistic. Bowing is magical, technical whizzes such as Brian Bromberg is easy to follow especially where he uses the whole instrument to create the sounds he makes. Transients in the upper regions are fast and explosive, bodies and decays in the lower registers are quick with no lagging and when going even lower the initial attack, body and extended decays of the full blown bass never impeding what was happening in the upper registers. Recordings where the bass has been recorded hot and overblown are easily heard, well recorded material sounds really good and makes it easier to hear and follow the other instruments in the soundstage. Room treatments correctly setup is essential to get the best out this system, more so in the bass area.
Guitar ? Al Di Meola, Rosa Passos among others sounded awesome. The different instruments Al uses is easy to pick up, the intial picking (attack)the textures of that note followedby the body of the instrument and the harmonics are clearly heard. The values of these four components are easy on the ear. In Rosa?s case her voice is added with all her vocal inflections ( she sings mainly in Portugese) and can be fully appreciated. Once you become accustomed to these inflections and it is realistically portrayed and not over emphasised like excessive sibilance as an example, you will enjoy it no end.
Drums ? Bass drum ( here you need the G1 for kick-in-the-gut bass), toms, snares, hi-hats are all realistically portrayed with the right values and easy to follow. The technical colours and textures created such as brushes on skins, hands on toms, sticks being hit on rims are all easily followed and sound natural.
Voices ? Alan Taylor, Rosa ( as above), even old staple Diana Krall on Love Scenes, etc all sounded great. The excess sibilance created by lesser speakers on for example the Diana Krall ?Love Scenes?recording is missing here. The emphasis, timing and value she puts on forming her notes are clearly heard. The portrayal of her voice is not over emphasised in any way. The sense of space including her being closed-miked and the players around and behind her is easy to appreciate. Depth, height, width coupled to space around the musicians are naturally there, you don?t have to look to find it ? I find this aspect of the all the Vivid/ Devialet combinations[ i.e. the soundstaging and imaging ]the easiest to get right of all the systems I have heard, it is as if it is inherent & an intrinsic part of it. Tenors, baritones, sopranos, altos, you name it all sound just right!
As can be seen from the above I am clearly excited by this combination, if you love a bigger and fuller sound gravitating towards the G1?s would be very rewarding, however for the sound produced by the Devialet 200 and Vivid B1?s I would be happy till I die! Magic!
As an aside, my pal Garth got rid of a complete Audio Research reference system [ DSP PRE/DAC, HD220 Power Amp, REF 7 Cd player and Raidho C1 Speakers ? high end!] and replaced it with the above, a decision to both our ears [and his pockets] that was absolutely worthwhile and lasting.
