Vivid Audio at GTT Audio - Positive Feedback

Robinson in Jerusalem, 2022, contemplating on the Via Dolorosa. (Photograph and image processing by John Robinson.)

Every now and then I make a trip to visit my very good audiobud Bill Parish over in Long Valley, New Jersey. Bill owns GTT Audio and has an exceptional line of high-end audio brands, each of which sets a standard in its category. Those of you who have followed my commentary over the years know that I have never been disappointed with any of my trips to GTT. In fact, two prior voyages let to me having that true ava raris of fine audio: hearing a component that is sui generis. (You can see these earlier commentaries HERE and, last year, THERE. And an earlier one OVER THATAWAY.)

Bill Parish of GTT Audio with the Vivid Giya G1 Spirit

In the Latin, sui generis refers to a thing that is truly unique: in a class or category of its own, and not like anything else.

When you encounter that very rare experience in high-end audio, you need to pay attention …something special is happening. A new benchmark has emerged; new possibilities beckon. If you ignore that, you may go through life with the same-old, same-old thinking that that's all there is.

And "good enough" is the enemy of excellence….

My earlier trip to New Jersey gave me an opportunity to hear the reference level of Audionet: the Stern Preamp and Heisenberg Monoblock Amps. These leaped to a level of solid-state electronics that I had not known before. I would later confirm these sui generis impressions in my own reference listening room. Brutus Awards would follow.

Then came last year's trip to KRONOS in Montreal to hear the full-blown Discovery RS system. (This included new electronics by True Life Audio [TLA] which hadn't been released yet.) That was such a mind-boggle that I'm still contemplating it. Another sui generis design, this time in the realm of turntables…and one that I got to hear once more during this trip.

Another trip to the mountaintop…

A couple of weeks ago I got to visit with Bill and GTT Audio again, as part of a major audio event. This was the announcement and launch of Vivid Audio at GTT, with Bill being named as the new USA distributor for the brand. A number of select audio journalists were invited to attend, including my good audiobud Greg Weaver of the audio analyst and Positive Feedback, and mine-own-good-self.

Greg Weaver at GTT Audio

I flew into Newark, as usual, for this visit. Bill and Dick Diamond, who joined the GTT team at the beginning of 2023, picked me up in the midst of the constant traffic jam of Newark…thanks, amigos! (That's no small feat, believe me.)

Dick Diamond of GTT Audio

On hand during my stay there were two representatives from Vivid Audio, Peter Guttentag and Ewald Verkerk, from South Africa and the Netherlands, respectively.

Ewald Verkerk of Vivid Audio and Mola Mola with the Vivid Giya G1 Spirit Loudspeaker

Peter Guttentag of Vivid Audio with the Giya G1 Spirit Loudspeaker

We didn't lose any time upon arrival at GTT Audio; Bill wanted me to hear the Giya G1 Spirits ASAP. So up to his reference stereo listening space, Room 1.

And brother…what I saw!

I had never seen Vivid Audio loudspeakers like this pair: the Giya G1 Spirit.

More importantly, I had never heard loudspeakers that sounded this way.

Remember, the KRONOS Discovery RS system, one of my previous sui generis products, was providing the source LP feed…

…which was then piped with Kubala-Sosna Realization cables to the Audionet Stern Preamp…

…and thence to each pair of Heisenberg reference monoblock amps per channel and the Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirits.

Brother…within seconds of Bill cueing the first LP, I was gobsmacked!

Although, as cited above, my earlier experience with the Giya G1 S2 was very pleasant, that earlier experience did not prepare me for the gigantic leap forward that I heard in the Giya G1 Spirits. More on that in the final section of this photo-essay, but let's just say that I was knocked out!

But this isn't the time to cover that now. Before my final comments on the Vivid Giya G1 Spirit, it's time to share more photographs of this event with you…the people, and the stratospheric equipment that I heard.

Photographs and memories…

Bill Parish: a portrait. Long Valley, NJ, 2023

Our first night there, Bill…ever the most-gracious host…took a group of us from GTT Audio and Vivid Audio out to a local Italian restaurant. Great food and excellent conversation as I got to know the Vivid folks better. What a gang, and what good times!

Ewald Verkerk at the table: a portrait in Ink Outline

Peter Guttentag and Dick Diamond, a moment

A portrait of Dee Parish

On Saturday…

This was a full day of listening. We progressed through four GTT Audio rooms, each one equipped with an escalating series of Vivid Audio loudspeakers and associated electronics. I'll list these as I summarize each one.

Note that GTT Audio organizes its rooms in an ascending series, from Room 4 to Room 1, with each lower number representing a space with higher performance and pricing. You'll see this in the equipment list for each one.

GTT Audio Room 4

We started the voyage through the Vivid Audio line on Saturday morning, starting with the entry level floor standing Vivid Audio models in Room 4.

The Vivid Audio Kaya K25 in dark blue

GTT's Room 4 featured the following products:

Auralic Aries G1.1 Roon End Point $3250
Mola Mola Kula Integrated Amplifier $15,055
Mola Mola DAC card for Kula $8500
Kubala-Sosna Temptation! Cables: Interconnect/speaker cables $1600 1^st meter and per additional meter. Power Cord $500 1^st meter and per additional meter
Vivid Audio Kaya K25 (Blue finish) $11,000
Vivid Audio Kaya K45 (Black finish) $19,000

We started our listening with the entry-level floor-standing Kaya (Zula for "home") K25 loudspeakers in place. The Auralic Aries G1.1 and Mola Mola electronics supplied the feed via streaming. The results surprised me. Although the K25 speakers, lovely in their dark blue finish, are small, they put out an impressive presentation of the music, regardless of resolution or type of source. In fact, the quality of their output was much more than I would have expected from floor standing units of their size. Those looking for smaller, entry-level speakers at this price point should definitely give the K 25's a serious listen…they punch way above their weight!

Vivid Audio Kaya K45 in black gloss

Next up in Room 4 was the step up to the Kaya K45, in a traditional black gloss finish.

When I say "step up," it certainly was. With its larger internal cabinet space, external height, and additional bass driver, the K45 added extension to the lower end of the frequency spectrum. But that bass remained nicely focused, not evidencing the tubbiness or muddiness that I've heard in other speakers. And yet they remain compact, with an adroit handling of the source music. Thus, at an additional $8000 over the K25, the K45 provides all of the sonic virtues and beauty of the K25, with more depth to its reach. It works really well to fill a music room, and yet I can also easily see that its compactness and reasonable weight for ease of handling screams for home theater application.

After a couple of hours with Room 4, we moved along to Room 3.

GTT Audio's Room 3 had the following products:

Kronos Sparta Turntable $26,000
Kronos Kronoscope RS Tonearm $14,000
Kronos Sparta SCPS Power Supply $9500
Mola Mola Lupe Phono Stage (World Premier) $9850
Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC $13,500
Auralic Aries G2.1 Roon End Point $5700
Audionet Humboldt Integrated Amplifier $58,750
Vivid Audio Kaya K90 (Oyster Matte) $28,000
Vivid Audio Giya G3 Series 2 (Dark Green) $43,000
Kubala-Sosna Elation! Cables: Interconnect/speaker cable $7000 1^st meter; $1,000 per additional meter. Power Cord $2000 1^st meter; $500 per additional meter
Expander Power Distribution Unit $5400 (7 outlets)

Well now! This was a definite step-up-over-the-steps-up in Room 4. The prices reflect this reality, of course.

Room 3 added an entry-level Kronos Sparta turntable system, driving the world-premier showing of the new, innovative, and impressive Mola Mola Lupe Phono Stage. Auralic's contribution was an upgrade to their Aries G2.1 Roon End Point for streaming. There was a leap up the audio mountain to the Audionet Humboldt Integrated Amplifier. This supplied the signal to the top-of-the-Kaya-line K90s via Kubala-Sosna Elation! cables. The K90s were finished in a very attractive Oyster Matte. Also in the room was the first representative of Vivid Audio's Giya line displayed, the G3 Series 2 in a smashing dark green.

To say that this room was appealing to both eye and ear would be an understatement.

The Vivid Audio Kaya K90 in Oyster Matte

See what I mean?

The Vivid Kaya K90 in Oyster Matte in the foreground; behind it is the Giya G3 Series 2, waiting to step up to the plate.

Naturally the combination of the Auralic Aires G2.1 and the killer Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC was an undeniable ascent up Mount GTT Audio. But shifting to turntable playback listening was a pleasure in Room 3. As always, even an entry-level Kronos turntable brings the glory of vinyl playback to the fore. And the brand new Mola Mola Lupe Phono Stage made a real impact on the quality of the Kronos output.

The Mola Mola Lupe Phono Stage

The Mola Mola Lupe follows the design and general form factor of the Tambaqui DAC, with its sculpted look. This is a design that I find to be quite appealing.

Rear view of the Mola Mola Lupe Phono Stage

As you can see, the Lupe offers a multiplicity of I/O options. Four source turntables are supported, three RCA and one XLR, plus RCA and XLR out.

Mola Mola Lupe app in Ink Outline...

And there is a very cool, complete, and easy-to-use app that allows a user to do just about anything that you might want to do from the listening position. All that you need is a compatible smartphone, download and setup the app, and you're set.

Smart…and powerful, this.

Overall, the quality of the musical presentation in Room 3 was…as you would suspect…a notable step upwards. LPs are naturally very welcome, and the Kronos Sparta with the SCPS power supply was sounding much better than I had ever heard that model without the SCPS sound at shows. So…if you're planning on purchasing a Kronos, I consider the matched buy of the equivalent SCPS to be sine qua non.

The Audionet Humboldt is a true monster in the world of integrated amps. Together with the Kubala-Sosna Elation! cables and either the K90s (great) or the Giya G3 Series 2 (greater), I continued to hear ever-deeper bass, improved clarity and imaging, and a growth in musical seduction that was undeniable.

I was particularly taken by the improvements when we shifted to the Giya G3 Series 2 loudspeakers.

The Vivid Audio Giya G3 Series 2, in dark green and good company

And yet, as the quality of the Vivids improved, they did not do so by developing bad habits, or becoming obvious or in-your-face with their virtues. They just seem to calmly get better and better. No muss; no fuss.

It was becoming quite evident to me that Vivid Audio has a signature sound…which is just about no signature sound.

After listening for a while in Room 3, we then shifted to Room 2.

GTT Audio's Room 2 system

GTT Audio's Room 2 upped the ante yet again by highlighting the following:

Kronos Pro Turntable $45,000
Kronos SCPS-1 Power Supply $15,000
Kronos Discovery RS Tonearm $24,000
Auralic Aries G2.1 Roon End Point $5700
Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC $13,500
True Life Audio TLA Supreme Series Preamp $60,000
True Life Audio TLA Supreme Series Amplifier $90,000
Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2 (BMW M Series Carbon Black) $55,000
Kubala-Sosna Elation! Cables: Interconnect/speaker cables $7000 1^st meter; $1500 per additional meter. Power Cord $2000 1^st meter; $500 per additional meter

Further up the mountain!

We had now moved into undeniably higher ground; clouds gathered below us as we ascended to the point of some very serious audio ground.

The Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2 in a knockout BMW M Series Carbon Black finish

The quality of the sound began to make your ears pop! This is no surprise, though, since the Vivids were paired with Kronos Pro LE turntable system, some fine Mola Mola and Auralic kit on the streaming/DAC side of things, and the new line of True Life Audio (TLA), with exceptionally innovative approaches to tubes in fine audio.

The four-way, five-driver Giya G2 Series 2, which reaches nearly 30Hz at the -2dB point, provided even more low-end foundation, while hitting approximately 33kHz at that same dB rolloff. Once again, no sense of spotlighting, congestion, smearing, or strain as we listened. Just more of what we were loving.

Vivid Audio and TLA

Certainly this was a very eye-catching system, with loads of musical seduction to go with it. True Life Audio has done development work in tandem with Louis Desjardins of Kronos, and so it's no surprise that there should be a nearly symbiotic linkage between the two designs, and a very natural synergy. The TLA SSA 350 is the capstone of their Supreme Series, and provides a very satisfying 180 watts per channel at 4 Ohms, nearly doubling to 350 watts at 8 Ohms. These monoblock amps redefine the possibilities of powerful tube designs, stepping up into the higher regions of tubeliciousness.

The TLA SSA-350 Monoblock Amp on Kronos Isolation Platforms

I know the sound of the Kronos Pro LE very well, having reviewed it in my own listening room in days gone by…though not with the SCPS power supply. This new configuration with both SCPS and the sui generis Discovery RS Tonearm was a real revelation to me. The Kronos Pro LE went to an entirely different level in it performance: much more transparent, detailed, resolving, and satisfying in every way. There was really no comparison to my aural memories of the original Pro LE that I had experienced back in 2016 - 2017.

So…if you can't afford the Kronos Discovery system…and most can't…you do have the more affordable option of the Kronos Pro LE with the Discovery RS tonearm and SCPS power supply. Season with a cartridge to taste.

Bill also had the TLA SSP-1 Preamp in use, as well. Its performance, so far as I can tell from a short listen, was excellent…no bad kick-you-in-the-glass habits…but our time was limited, and Room 1 was definitely beckoning!

At last! The mountaintop! GTT Audio Room 1…

By now we had listened to three rooms with ascending systems of electronics, cables, and Vivid Audio loudspeakers. I had developed a sense of what Vivid was doing with its lines, and how these had combined with the associated gear that Bill had selected for each. Given the quality of Bill's ear and audio sensibilities, these were first-rate systems, which didn't surprise me one bit.

Bill Parish: a portrait

But now we were heading for the top of Metaphor Mountain, and the best-of-the-best system that Bill had assembled. After all of the musical excellence that we had already experienced, where would Room 1 take us?

GTT Audio Room 1

GTT Audio Room 1 showcased these designs:

Kronos Discovery Turntable $100,000
Kronos Discovery Super Cap Power Supply (SCPS) $24,000
Kronos Discovery RS Tonearm $24,000
Audionet PAM G2 Phono Stage $10,100
Audionet Ampere Phono Stage and Power Supply $11,200
Grimm Audio MU1 Roon Server/Streamer $12,500
Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC $13,500
Audionet Stern Line Stage $48,950
Audionet Heisenberg Mono Amplifiers $105,000 per pair
Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit Loudspeakers $95,000 per pair
Kubala-Sosna Realization Cables: Interconnect/speaker cables $11,000 1^st meter; $2000 per additional meter. Power Cord $3000 1^st meter; $600 per additional meter
Kubala-Sosna Xpander Power Distribution $6500 (10 outlets)

And here I must pause for a moment.

Selah.

As good as all of the previous rooms and systems had been, and as enjoyable, the GTT Audio Room 1 took things to a whole new level.

I was expecting this, one way or another. Both the Audionet Stern/Heisenberg combination and the Kronos Discovery RS turntable system were top-o'-the-heap designs in my prior experience. I had distinguished both of them with my very rare "sui generis" designation. And so I knew that Bill's exceptional Room 1 was going to be glorious.

But I had never heard the Vivid Giya G1 Spirit loudspeakers before. My previous time at shows and in my own listening room encouraged me to be optimistic about the quality of the music that I would hear.

The Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit Loudspeaker

Before commenting on the Spirits, I would recommend that the reader go to the Vivid Audio page for them and review their specifications. Then understand that the Spirits exceed what you might expect existentially by orders of magnitude.

The Spirit is a truly unique loudspeaker. While looking similar to the rest of the Giya line, if somewhat larger, but the improvement that I heard while in Room 1 really knocked. Me. Out.

Now you have to remember that Bill's Room 1 is stellar. Frankly, it's the best listening room that I've heard so far, and the supporting cast of room characteristics and electronics/cables is as fine as it can be. Putting any loudspeaker into this room is going to produce a superior experience.

But as Bill queued up album after album…LP after LP…jazz, classical, rock, it didn't matter…I was positively stunned at the foundational bass that I was hearing. So tight, yet so organic and flowing with ease that I simply could not map what I was hearing to the nominal 29Hz -2dB point (25Hz for -6dB) of the stated specifications. It truly sounded like 20Hz was in play here.

Midrange and treble were seamless, and so was their relationship with the lower frequencies. This five-speaker four-way design was making serious, room-filling music (and this in a large listening room), and disappearing from the space. Whether my eyes were open or closed, and for hours on end, the music just happened, and I floated away.

And I mean that literally. At one point I fell into a reverie that was so deep that I fell into sleep. Not a "tired sleep," but nearly a trance. I awoke feeling a bit sheepish, but I also understood what this meant. The Spirits and the rest of the GTT Audio system/room had done things so very well that I had just floated away on the music.

No matter what we listened to…from Scheherazade to Blood, Sweat, and Tears…I was startled that my impression of disappearing loudspeakers happened every time.

I could feel my assessment forming as the hours went by. The Vivid Giya G1 Spirit Loudspeaker were not simply amazing, beautiful in every way, but they were clearly something more.

"Sui generis!" it shouted.

"Again?!" I replied.

"And why not?" came the word from on high.

So be it.

I confess: Frankly, none of my earlier listening to the Vivid line had prepared me for the quantum leap in musical virtues that I was hearing with the Spirits.

Ewald Verkerk enjoying a glass of spirits with the Spirit

One thing leading to another while we were having such a great time, I decided that it was time to update the "Buddha Bill" series of portraits.

First Bill:

"Buddha Bill: In the Spirit." Long Valley, NJ, 2023

But that wasn't enough! It was time to add Ewald Verkerk to the mix in that photograph series of portraits…

"Euphoric Ewald: In the Spirit." Long Valley, NJ, 2023

Finally, after some biffing and baffing, Dick Diamond joined the fun!

"Dynamic Dick: In the Spirit." Long Valley, NJ, 2023

As I mentioned early in this photo-essay, our original schedule for the weekend had included Greg Weaver, Editor of the audio analyst, a Senior Associate Editor at PF, and a hired writer/reviewer elsewhere. Unfortunately, problems with the weather had delayed his flight to Newark, and so he didn't show up until early Sunday afternoon, just as Dick Diamond and I were getting ready to depart. This was really tragic…I had really been looking forward to doing some extended listening with Greg.

Ye Olde Editor and Greg Weaver: a moment. (Photograph by Bill Parish; processing by Ye Olde himself.)

We did have nearly two hours to talk and catch up, though. A few sips of the good stuff, and lots of conversation.

Greg Weaver, the congenial soul himself…

Greg and Ewald enjoying the moment and shooting the things that ought to be shot

Final Comments…for now….

Yon Editor himself, contemplating... (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by Ye Olde.)

What shall I say to all of this?

That Bill Parish and GTT Audio: another sui generis component, in a room filled with such!

Yes, yes, the rest of the system upstream was composed of components and systems that I had already labeled sui generis, but the Vivid Audio Spirits seemed to complete the circuit in a way that was greater than the proverbial sum of its parts. The completely organic integration of all drivers into a single, coherent whole…the lack of distraction…the power sense of musical presence and ease…was completely compelling to me.

Now someone else? Yes, perhaps someone else would have mileage that varied; they always do. But for me, and for all of the others who visited that weekend, there was simply no doubt.

We were in the presence of true audio greatness.

For me, the Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit is in a class of its own. I hope to follow this up later in the year, as GTT Audio will try to get me a pair to evaluate in my own reference room, but I'm quite confident that I'll confirmed what I've already experienced.

Stay tuned…

For Bill Parish’s YouTube interview with me and a panel, see https://youtu.be/R-Nptooe5Sc

For Bill Parish’s YouTube interview with Greg Weaver and Joe Kubala, go to https://youtu.be/pHulqJnkKrA

Vivid Audio

https://vividaudio.com

https://vividaudio.com/contact

USA Distributor

Bill Parish, GTT Audio

356 Naughright Road

Long Valley, NJ 07853

[email protected]

908.850.3092