Vivid Audio alternatives

and now Vandersteen offer the even more affordable Kento and an upgrade to the 7

Best to you enjoying music !!!!!!!!!

Late to the post, not sure what you bought but I compared Wilson, Magico, Vivid, Vandersteen, Evolution Acoustics, YGs and many others a few years back and ended up with Vivid Giya G2 S2. The only speaker near its price that was also fabulous was the Vandersteen Model 7. For the $ Wilsons, EAs, and the like don't compare in terms of effortlessness, of one piece sound, boxless sound and ultra - dynamics. Another great choice is Magico but again for the $ the S series doesn't compare but the M series is very, very good. Custom cabinets and custom drivers give design engineering and creativity freedom (that most brands don't employ) which can lead to ground breaking sonics. YMMV.

@mofojo , kenjit can’t... he’s heard neither.  They don’t have anything but intercoms in his padded room.

Think vivid has bookshelves due out...10k maybe ?? 

The Yamaha ns-5000's loves a lot power! Use two M-5000 Amps and your hear the best out of them! Yamaha should try this when they go to the shows..

@kenjit 
"you get what you pay for if you want better go for magico or wilson."

Wow what a hypocrite you are Kenjo. Prove they are better!!!!! 

There is an interesting review at dagogo.com of the Tannoy Prestige Canterbury GR in which the reviewer compares them to his Giya G1's.  Two completely different engineered and designed loudspeakers: the Tannoy being a traditional wood furniture grade cabinet, while the Giya looks like they were grown in a gourd patch.  However, the reviewer found both to be excellent sounding, and highly recommended the Canterbury.  Might be worth a hear see.

Recently bought the Dutch&Dutch 8c with an Innous and I can’t see there’s a better sound system available.

Wilson is at/near the head of the pack when it comes to cabinets (IMO, their drivers are their biggest weakness). I'm glad you're happy with the Sasha. But I think you're mistaken, based on my audition and Stereophile measurements, to claim the Vivid has a cabinet coloration.

another problem i have with vivid speakers is the fact that
they have no cabinet diffraction but do have a very strong
cabinet colloration due to viibrations, this may sbe confusing;
what i mean is i hear a certain amount of warmt or hazziness
in the mids that i attribute to the cabinet not being that innert.

you get what you pay for if you want better go for magico or wilson. 

Beetlemania

i have owned 3 pairs of vivid speakers. Ist was vivid v1.5 then
upgraded to giya g3 before going back to vivid v1.5 again.

vivid is A world class speakers and you’re correct when you
say that they dissapear like no other—its just music you hear
and no speakers. The problem for me though is i find them
to “monotonic” in terms of it’s portrayal of instrument timbre,
its just too “bleach” for my liking; a good example is drums
of different kinds all sounds the same. I think the culprit here
is their use of aluminum materials in all its drivers.

another problem i have with vivid speakers is the fact that
they have no cabinet diffraction but do have a very strong
cabinet colloration due to viibrations, this may sbe confusing;
what i mean is i hear a certain amount of warmt or hazziness
in the mids that i attribute to the cabinet not being that innert.

I used to have a pair of vivid giya g3, sold it and now
have a wilson sasha 2. At first i thought it was a lateral
move, but it turns out wilson is a much better speakers
all around.

Another example of how we each hear things differently and have different preferences. I've not directly compared them in the same room/system but I have heard the W/P 7, W/P 8, Sasha (but not Sasha 2), and Giya G3. The Wilsons are very good but I would choose the Vivid without hesitation. I hear it as more transparent and resolved, better musical articulation. That said, one thing the Wilsons do better than any other I've heard is give a sense of hall space, especially on live recordings. But I also wonder if that's not a coloration from the mid-bass hump?
But it's all academic for me as Wilson and Vivid are out of my budget reach. I'm "suffering" with Thiel CS2.4s in which I upgraded every passive part. Other than bass extension and low bass definition, they come very close to the best I've heard (TAD Ref One, Vandersteen 7, Vivid Giya, Avalon Ascent II).

Yg hailey is also very good.

I used to have a pair of vivid giya g3, sold it and now 
have a wilson sasha 2. At first i thought it was a lateral
move, but it turns out wilson is a much better speakers
all around.
sasha 2 is faster. Have a blacker background, a bass that’s
more textured, a sweeter highs and the adjustable tweeter
and mids of the wilson is a godsend.

@tantejuut thanks. Will get to check out estelon YB;  though whilst 
@kenjit @yyzsantabarbara sound quality is important, but also is what gets allowed at home... the restrictions I have to live in!  
@yyzsantabarbara thanks for the list;  I will try out TAD ME1.  Lots of good reviews on the Yamaha, but I suspect it does not have the transparency or resolution of Vivid's.  but definitely will go to see a demo.
@verdantauio Vivid is indeed unique.  I'm indifferent to bookshelf or floorstanders; but ideally not too big. I'm currently using Boenicke W8se and can go just a bit bigger in size.  Will note to check Verdants at the shows!
@w1000i Will try TADs! thx

I'v heard Vivid speaker and the best I've ever heard. They sound way different than KEF ref and Dynaudio and other many high end stuff.

Maybe you should try TAD speakers or paradigm persona , I didn't heard any but it seems close to vivid than other brands.

Vivid is a tough one because their products are so unique.  Fiberglass cabinets (which matters) and custom drivers that are designed for optimal interaction.  You might look at Wilson Benesch, Marten and Rockport.

How big of a speaker are you looking for?  Are you looking for monitors or larger floor-standers?  I produce composite cabinet speakers (fiberglass or carbon fiber) that are smallish monitors with a pretty good WAF.   I don't claim to be quite in the same league as Vivid, but I think mine are pretty good.  They are the Verdant Audio Nightshade and Blackthorn.  

@kenjit

If sound quality is not infinitely more important than looks you are not an audiophile.

Thank you. I resemble that remark.

@gabbabe The Yamaha NS5000 does not sound like a Vivid, but I think is just as good. Do some research on it or PM me and I can pass along some info. I demoed the following speakers before deciding on the Yamaha.

Magico A3
TAD ME1
KEF Reference 1
Paradigm Persona 3F and 5F
Vandersteen Treo CT
Vivid Kaya 90

All of the above were excellent, look nice, and I would have been happy with any of them. All of these speaker manufacturers make their own drivers, which I like. The Yamaha just seemed a bit better for very long hours of daily listening in my home office. It is also the most life like speaker I have heard. The 3 drivers being of the same material could be the cause of that.

There is no level. Its just opinions. 

Estelon sounds fenomenal. It's on the Magico, YG Acoustics, Avalon level. Do your homework "audiophile". Bulky equipment is for nerdy singles with bad taste.

If sound quality is not infinitely more important than looks you are not an audiophile.

@gabbabe I've not heard that model, just the Reference One and CR One.

Estelon (YB) could be an option. Same drivers (Accuton). The looks are also pretty. High WAF.

@beetlemania thanks.  Have you heard TAD's Evolution One TX?

@ebm thanks. I'm like a Queen's servant here haha!  will also look into Avalon

@soix thanks, will check out Hailey 2.2 which seems to fit the bill, size-wise

@yyzsantabarbara thanks, will check out KEF reference.  Interesting to see S12 model;  though I'm not sure whether it can deliver to Kaya 45's level .

KEF Reference line. KEF Blades if you have the space to the outside of the speakers.  I had the Kiya 45 in mind for my space but thought the KEF Reference line was close to it for lower cost.

Vivid is coming out with new new monitor speaker that may pass your WAF test. 

https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/tokyo-international-audio-show-2019-tokyo-japan/902-tias-2019-laurence-dickie-outside-and-mostly-inside-the-new-vivid-audio-kaya-s12

My first instinct would be to try YG Acoustics.  Best of luck. 

Get a nice piece of furniture forget about sound make her happy.I can get any speaker my wife does not care as long as I’m happy.Its good to be the king!!Avalon is a great alternitive with great sound had a pair 25 years ago they were great looking and sounding.

The Giya G3 is among the very best I've heard. I think you're looking for that open, resolved, un-smeared sound? Some Avalon models have that character although I've only heard one of their models currently in production. Vandersteens with the carbon drivers have that character. TAD, also.