Viking Acoustic L'Instrument Grande Voix First Impressions


Many of you have followed my journey over the last 18 months to find a new system while building a new home..  I received tons of advice under Audiogon's forum - Horn Speaker Recommendation and then Will's Horn finalists through What's Best Forum.  
  
My last system included Wilson Audio Duette 2's and Sonus Faber Amati Tradition Homage speakers, with a Raven Reflection MK2 integrated tube amp and Lumin A-1 and X-1 DAC / Streamer.  

After selling my housa including all of my audio system, I embarked on a national search for new components from New Jersey to Southern California.  I listened to over 30 different speakers.  I live in Arizona.

I ended up buying Canary Audio Grande Reference 300 B mono amps.  There are 16 golden lion 300 B tubes along with TUNGSOL rectifier tubes. This is mate to a Canary Audio C1800 pre-amp.  I also have the LUMIN X-1 Dac / Streamer.  I have perfect path technologies tweaks everywhere and I have 15 synergistic research HFT's in strategic locations. I have an InaKustic 3500P Power Conditioner and power cords and cables.
After an exhaustive search, I settled on Viking Acoustic Grande Voix speakers.  I now have roughly 50 hours on my system and I could not be happier.  It is the best system that I have owned.  I was worried about bass response with a horn speakers but with an 18 inch woofer I have Bass personified.  The Grande Voix have two hand-turned carved wood horns on each speaker in a custom black finish with woodtone dual horns.  In my case,  I need to be able to place them close to a back wall and these work perfect. I have a Cavernous room with 16 foot cathedral ceilings. Some would say that would be an acoustic nightmare. However, the Grand Voix's deliver big Symphonic sound and that is what I was after. I wanted to be able to hear the strings,  the sliding fingers down the guitar frets, the pinging of the piano, the accuracy of a trumpet or saxophone and the beauty of a violin or cello. The speaker works well with rock also. It can play loud.  However I am more into critical listening with the separation of the musical instruments as if I was the engineer on the soundboard

My Point of reference starts with Mark Isham - Ashes and Diamonds.  The piano and trumpet are so clear and concise it makes you feel like your are sitting next to the artist.  The same for - On the threshhold of Liberty.  Hearing each musical instrument on this track is really important for me.  Then moving on to Will Ackerman - Floyd's Ghost.  The guitar screeches, piano solo's are perfectly balanced in each speaker.  For critical listening the Imaginary Road album would help you define the quality of your system.  Finally for voicing I selected Eva Cassidy - Somewhere over the Rainbow, Jewel - Love used to be and Annette Askvik - Liberty.  The performance of the Grande Voix absolutely blows away the performance of my more expensive Sonus Faber speakers by a long shot.  I thought I was sitting in the front row of a live concert listening to these talented singers and the sax at the end of Liberty just emphasized how good these speakers really perform.  For fun I then tried some techno music from Yello.  The sound pressure level is unreal ....you could say "club live".  The sound was huge, deep and no distortion, which is proof the the Canary Amps with 125 WPC of 300B power can easily drive my 98db Grande Voix speakers with ease in my large room.  Even when I am in another room I can still hear the spearation of musical instruments.  

One item that separates Viking from say mass production speakers is that David Counsell can image the speakers to your musical tastes.  When he listened to my speakers after they were initially completed he thought they were imaged too much toward a Rock taste in early testing.  He quickly changed them to meet my more musical tastes.  i will also say his woodworking skills and finish are exceptional.  My wife was not a fan of horn speakers to begin with but after seeing these she changed her tune.  You can see my system under Willgolf's System in the virtual section.  

Throughout this whole process of building a house and finding a new system, I had some major health problems this summer which left me Functionally Blind.  So, if there are mistakes....oh well.... Sometimes voice activation doesn't work as well as I would like.
I would like to thank all of you who participated in my forum and a special thanks to the following people:

Krissy Tetrault - Perfect Path Technologies
Dave Lalin - The Audio Doctor
Larry Diaz - High End Audio Palace
Peter - The Cable Company
Bob - Worldwide Wholesales
David Counsell - Viking Acoustics
John and Tony - Canary Audio

Finally, I think I almost have my be all end all system.  David makes a speaker called Gottenburg which would be my dream.  I am also thinking about a Lampizator Pacific DAC even though I love my Lumin X-1.  Are Audiophiles ever perfectly happy with their system...LOL  Peace and Happiness in the new year.  

willgolf
Congrats Will on putting together your dream system. Enjoyed hearing about each step of your audio journey as well as your journey through your health issues. Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the music. I wonder how your system would sound with that Pacific Dac:-) just kidding. Happy New Year.
Willgolf,

I am strongly considering either the Tube Master or the Berlin models.  Did you get a chance to listen to either of these speakers?
I know this is an old thread but I just got a pair of TubeMasters. I had a pair of Berlin's before that. I was plenty happy with the Berlin's but David had a pair of TubeMasters he really wanted me to hear. I turned him down a couple of times then I gave in. Am I glad did. Everything the Berlin's do the TM's do more of. The first thing that hit me was the midrange. Beautiful, rich. Then there's the bass. No more need for subs. The treble again is excellent. Extended. Never harsh. It does have an attenuated for the tweeters to get more or less treble. 
Anyway if you can afford the TM's i highly recommend them.I
I should say I'm using an Allnic A5000dht amp. 10 watts that drive both the Berlin's and TM's to a level that will drive you out of the room.
John



John
Congrats on your purchase of the Tube Masters.  I did hear them in his studio when I visited over a year ago.  I heard an earlier version.  Viking owners are very lucky.  Hardly anyone knows about David and his magic and knowledge with speakers.  I have had my Grand Voix speakers for around 6 months and I am amazed every time I listen to them.  In my case I have plenty of power at 125 wpc with the Canary Audio Grand Reference 300B mono amps driven with 16 300B tubes.  At 98db I don't rally need that power but the level of instrumentation space I get is extraordinary.  If I ever hit the lottery I will upgrade to the Gottenburg's but that is a totally different beast.  

A few of my audiophile friends on this site and WBF have purchased Viking Acoustic speakers since reading my thread.  

Enjoy the music

On Friday I am hosting a listening session for 3 Phoenix Audiogon Audiophiles that I have never met and only communicated through Audiogon.  I look forward to hearing their comments on my system.  It should be fun.  

I had a chance to hear Will’s system today in his beautiful home in Gold Canyon including a great lunch. His system is first class but those speakers stole the show. Really, they look like a piece of art and produce a great sound.  I am not a reviewer but I do know good sound when I hear it and those speakers produced a good sound.
 

Will thanks again for the invite.

I'm not in the market right now, but there are some speakers that would get my juices flowing if I were - Cessaro, Odeon, BD-Design, AvantGarde, TotalDac, WolfVonLange, and maybe the Viking Acoustics. Le'Instrument(?). Pros and cons to big horns but if you have the money and the space and no WAF concerns, they make everything else sound like, well, speakers....

KeithTexas - All of the speakers you mentioned were horn speakers I considered prior to purchasing the Viking Grande Voix.  One of my finalists was hORN Universum.  One of my favorite youtube horns were the AER PNOE.  I agree with your take on horn speakers.  I can never go back.  I am lucky, I have a WAF who loves them.

Yes, you are a lucky man. Do the Viking's use the AER driver in the L'Instrument?

@keithtesxas

No, the Grande Voix does not use AER drivers.  The AER drivers were one reason I was considering BD Design.