Vivid and WB are different. Borg are amazing but distinctly different sound profiles tonally. Vivid drifts a bit brighter than WB. It is usually a tougher load to drive in terms of impedance and the bass is stunningly good, as good as most other speakers in it’s class (Magico, Wilson, etc…) but is not quite as tight and refined as WB. They use driver in opposition with multiple ports and this is clean and very clear. It is obviously a transmission line design made from fiberglass and Kaya & Giya use different cores. The drivers are selected and all made from the same material to ensure tonal integration. They have a relatively complex crossover. Additionally, criticism of Vivids internals is sort of like saying “you will love that Tesla, just don’t look under the hood at the engine”. The materials they are using don’t work like MDF and can’t be compared to a wood box.
WB is more neutral tonally. They are hybrid cabinets made of metal and carbon fiber. The drivers are all carbon fiber or carbon fiber hybrid. WB uses an isobaric bass system which is incredibly refined. Some people do not like this because it does not kick you in the chest the way other speakers do but frequency response on my Discover IIIzs was jaw dropping at AXPONA and most people were asking where the subwoofer was. Crossover is insanely simple and WB is a very easy load, typically above 4 ohms.
Technologically, this is the bleeding edge IMO. WB received huge grants from UK government which helps. Laurence Dickie is a genius keeping Vivid competitive.
they both sound massive in terms of soundstage with incredible levels of detail. Placement is easier than expected with both. I like both companies equally in terms of outcome. System matching and aesthetics are what drive choice to me.
If your preference is warmer SS amplification, (Bricasti, Pass, etc…), Vivid will be perfect. If you like tubes or less warm SS (I ran Discovery IIIs at AXPONA with 55w triode amps), WB is a better choice.
