End of my time with B&W (up front)

[Briz vegas]

Well after two pairs of B&Ws its time to move on to new mains.

I thought a brief history would be appropriate. It does not go back as far as it it could, but it does an ok job of showing changes over time without laboring the point too much.

705 to 804 to the new Vivids. :E

The 804s were sounding pretty good towards the end, electronics and ancillaries made all the difference, but no regrets about moving on. :T Loving the new sound.

[stuofsci02]

Yeah but those Vivids are designed by an ex-B&W guy, so you are not completely out of the family..

[bigburner]

Briz, your cat doesn't look very happy. Are you sure you've done the right thing?

Nigel.

[stuofsci02]

Briz, your cat doesn't look very happy. Are you sure you've done the right thing?

Nigel.

That's a cat????

[ShadowZA]

Your new B1's look fantastic, Briz!

If you have the time, it would be great to know your opinion regarding the new sound.

Enjoy!!! :T

[Rod#S]

Congrats on the new speakers, they look really good in the room.

Not being familiar with Vivid I admit having to look them up especially after stuofsci02's comment about them being designed by a former B&W individual. They have some intersting designs and contain tapering driver tubes like the 800 series and Nautilus use.

With a price point in line with the 802 Diamonds I'm curious to know what the B1's did better than you could have gotten by staying in the B&W family and moving up to 802 Diamonds?

[Briz vegas]

Sound: its not the house B&W sound at all, despite the heritage - its neutral, surprising bass, detailed, good musical flow, very very likeable. Everything in my diverse collection pretty much sounds good (maybe the 804 was a little more forgiving) but it adds detail, bass and flow to music. The 804 could be a bit forward and very "in the room with you", which could make them engaging, but these guys do it with more subtlety and the overall result is more satisfying. They make a good argument for not upgrading to $40,000 Giyas and enjoying what you have.

I'm using Nordost Valhalla mostly and its know to be revealing and some say a little lacking in body because it is so neutral neutral neutral. The CJ gear I am using is seriously musical and full of tonal colour without being flabby/too tube like, as is the Naim DAC. I think its a great balance that works for me.

The one audiophile that has visited so far has asked me if I would mind if he got a pair as well. I can't repeat his comment when I played the stereophile bass test track. Lets just say he was impressed along the lines of "F### me".

Yes, that makes me a fan boy. Not even the slightest regrets with these puppies.

[Rod#S]

Cool thanks for the comments and comparisons. They sure sound like wonderful speakers.

[Briz vegas]

It's very hard to describe how two speakers sound. I once did a direct comparison with 804s and the old 802d, and to my mind the 802d was a better version of the 804.

The vivid is characterized by using the same driver principle throughout so it's very cohesive. It also has very low distortion bass because of the PV1 style opposing bass units ( rear only does 100hz and below). It uses another tapered tube on the mid driver where the B&W uses the Marlan head on the 802.

My speakers only have 15 hours on them so I suspect they will continue to refine over time, not that they sound like they need to.

The are lots of interviews with Dickie that describe why he took a different path to the one that B&W have been following. The look is often the most controversial thing and I guess some would be far happier looking at the darleks than the giant lobster eyes ( or pods). I think both can look great.

[cjm80]

Briz can I ask where you picked up the Vivids?

[Briz vegas]

Available from all good record stores. ;-)

Briz Vegas is the hipster name for Brisbane, Australia where our local dealer is Trimira at Bowen Hills. They have B1s in their demo room and should have Giya G3 in about a month. At over twice the price the Giya G3 is for the wealthy rather than the audio obsessed on an average wage, or maybe I'm just not sufficiently dedicated to the cause. I would rather hear the G2 or G1, ie just go for the very best rather than it's little brother.

[SPACEMANRICK]

Briz, enjoy your new babies in good health. I have always enjoyed your no holds barred opinion on speakers and equipment over the past few years :T

[cjm80]

Briz, I live on Sunshine Coast although I'm moving to North Brisbane soon. Only been to Northside Hifi, didn't know about Trimira will have to pay a visit there sometime. Thanks

[Briz vegas]

I will be interested in your opinion Cjm80 given that you have the 804di. In the US the B1 goes for 802di money. Both speakers are now priced closer to US prices.

What I did not notice in the store so much was the greater warmth and bass on the Vivids. It became very apparent once i heard them in my system at home. Interested to hear how they are sounding in store with the proper cables etc (they were still setting up the store when I visited)

[cjm80]

That's good that prices are getting a bit more sensible.

Can I ask what sound deadening you use?

I've just bought my first house so will hopefully be in the market for some in the not too distant future...

[Briz vegas]

They are called Ultra phonics or something like that, the company was located at the northern on ramp to the Gateway bridge, I think they moved to Stafford. An audiophile friend was using them and lent me some spares to play with. They knew a colleage of mind in the acoustic field so it all became a bit 3 degrees of separation. You are supposed to stick them on the walls, I have just wedged them on for quick easy removal and so the cats don't attack them. The corner traps are hidden behind a fabric and gently wedged in place at the top. You could hide all of it behind some sort of fabric if you installed it properly and I think that would be the best way to remove the "recording studio" look of the exposed panels. I was told that Wolfmother use them in their studio, not that this is a reason to get them. I found them effective and reasonably priced compared to the other commercially available products.

[bigburner]

So what do you think after at least a week Briz? Any further pluses or minuses you can talk about?

Nigel.

[Briz vegas]

Like many things new I'm still in the starry eyed phase. They took so long to arrive that I sort of forgot how much they cost, that was a bonus in disguise because for me they were very expensive, not unlike a few of my components in recent times. That has to be the deal breaker for a lot of people, the law of diminishing returns.

Looks wise and sound wise, I think they are sweet as. I use that term partly because that relaxed easy going term is sort of how they sound. Its not that they sound slow or woofy because they don't. They just manage to be smooth and fast/detailed all in one. High hats that used to sound detailed,hyper real and annoying, now still sound prominent but they just sound like a high hat. I have heard endless audiophile systems that have a stripped back bright sound as their path to detail. Put on The Waifs live and it sounds etched on those systems. These guys give you the detail but let you enjoy the music as well. Stereophile got it right when they complimented the near perfect balance of warmth and detail, I guess that's what you pay for.