I had a similarly positive reaction to the sound of the new Vivid Kaya speakers in a tiny demo room on the show floor at the 2018 High End Show in Munich. Smaller and simpler in appearance than Vivid's flagship Giyas, the Kayas are also significantly less expensive…
search
For a decade, the sound of the Vivid Giya loudspeakers, which I had heard only at CES in private demonstration suites, beguiled me. My positive impressions were completely consistent from one show to the next—but then, so were the host and the surroundings. I had to wonder how much those factors contributed to my impressions.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way reflex-loaded floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (26mm) tapered-tube–loaded aluminum dome tweeter, 4" (100mm) tapered-tube–loaded alloy cone midrange driver, 2 × 5" (125mm) alloy-cone bass drivers with exponential tapered-tube/ bass-reflex loading. Crossover frequencies: 300Hz, 3kHz. Frequency response: 37Hz–25kHz (–6dB). Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Minimum impedance: 2.8 ohms. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/1m. Recommended amplifier power: 25–250Wpc. Peak power handling: not specified.
Dimensions: 45.39" (1153mm) H × 11.75" (298mm) W…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Oppo Digital UDP-105 universal disc player, Baetis Prodigy-X PC-based music server running JRiver Media Center v25 and Roon, exaSound e38 Mark II D/A processor, QNAP TVS-873 NAS.
Preamplifiers: Audio Research MP1, Parasound P7.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2, Hegel C-53, Classé Sigma Mono, Parasound Halo A 31.
Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima2 Studio, GoldenEar Triton One.R, Revel Performa F228Be, Dutch & Dutch 8c.
Cables: Digital, AudioQuest Coffee (USB); interconnects; AudioQuest Earth/DBS balanced, Kubala-Sosna…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Using DRA Labs' MLSSA system, I measured the Vivid Kaya 45's farfield behavior with a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone and its nearfield responses with an Earthworks QTC-40 mike. The Kaya 45's specified sensitivity is 87dB/2.83V/m. To my surprise, my estimated sensitivity was higher, at 90dB(B)/2.83V/m. (I say "surprise" because my experience is that measured sensitivities are often lower than the specified figures, but they're rarely significantly higher.) The Kaya 45's nominal impedance is specified as 6 ohms, with a minimum magnitude of 2.8 ohms. The solid trace…
In my personal life I prefer the minimalist, one-box architecture of integrated amplifiers. Always have. Before I started writing for Stereophile, my only audio system consisted of a pair of 15 ohm Rogers LS3/5a loudspeakers (with factory wall mounts) and an ancient Creek integrated amplifier, connected to my computer via a Halide DAC HD, and to an Oppo CD player. That system had pitch-perfect tone and was satisfying with all types of music.
I would never purchase an integrated amplifier with a DAC or phono stage residing in the same box. To me, that's like buying an active loudspeaker.…
The Pass Labs integrated elicited a pristine, extremely well-sorted behavior from the O/93s. It played Wagner's Die Walküre, with Birgit Nilsson and Gré Brouwenstijn singing and Erich Leinsdorf conducting the London Symphony Orchestra (44.1/16 FLAC, Decca/Tidal), with an unprecedented amount of detail and spatial acuity. Better still, the INT-25 allowed the O/93s to play this utterly stunning Kenneth Wilkinson recording at highish volumes—with no noticeable clipping. No blurring. No clumping of detail. And no solid-state hardness.
Please forgive my focus on opera recordings. Probably…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Stereo integrated amplifier operating in class-A using JFETs and MOSFETs. Inputs: 3 pairs single-ended (RCA). Outputs: stereo pair of Furutech 3-way binding posts. Power output: 25Wpc into 8 ohms (14dBW), 50Wpc into 4 ohms (14dBW). Peak current: 10A (200W peak into 2 ohms). Class-A envelope: 50W peak for 2, 4, or 8 ohm load. Bandwidth: DC to –2dB at 100kHz. Input impedance: 47k ohms. Voltage gain: 26dB. Damping factor: 500. Slew rate: 100V/µs. Idle power draw: 2.3 amps at 120VAC (240W).
Dimensions: 17" (430mm) W × 6" (150mm) H × 17.9" (454mm) D…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable with Jelco TK-850L tonearm and Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum moving-coil cartridge; AMG Giro G9 turntable with 9W tonearm and Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue moving-coil cartridge.
Digital sources: Apple Mac mini computer running Audirvana Plus; HoloAudio Spring "Kitsuné Tuned Edition" Level 3 D/A processor; Integra DPS 7.2 (used as CD transport).
Preamplification: EMIA MC step-up transformer (with Koetsu), Excel Sound Corporation ET-U50 SUT (with Etsuro Urushi); Musical Surroundings…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Prior to measuring the Pass Labs INT-25 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system, I preconditioned it for an hour at one-third power into 8 ohms. At the end of that time, the heatsinks on the amplifier's sides were hot, at 122°F (50°C), as was the top panel, at 116.6°F (47.8°C). Owners should make sure this amplifier is well-ventilated. The amplifier's maximum voltage gain into 8 ohms was 25.4dB, and the amplifier preserved absolute polarity (ie, was noninverting).
The Pass Labs' input impedance is specified as 47k ohms; I measured 46k ohms at 20Hz and 1kHz…
On a snowy day in March 2019, the first room I visited at the Montreal Audio Fest, hosted by retailer Audio by Mark Jones, featured the world premiere of the Magico M2 loudspeaker. The soundstaging produced by these elegant towers was palpable, the full-range tonal balance superbly uncolored. Both aspects reminded me of my experience of Magico's S5 Mk.II loudspeaker, which I enthusiastically reviewed in Stereophile's February 2017 issue. Accordingly, I made a note that the M2 was going on my "must review" list. Seven months later, Magico's Alon Wolf and Peter Mackay visited to set up a pair…