Tapered Tube Loading
The Vivid G1Giya, designed by Laurence Dickie, incorporates the “tapered tube loading” concept originally developed for the B&W Nautilus. Inside the tapered transmission line are several strands of damping fiber.
Stephen Mejias
Transmission Line System
The Vivid G1Giya’s midrange drive-unit is connected to a tapered tube transmission line, which runs the depth of the speaker and attaches at the speaker’s rear via a long hex screw.
Severely Damaged (WTF?)
Upon opening the package, which had been shipped from South Africa, we found that one of the two replacement drive-units had been severely damaged. Crikey!
Replacement Drive-Units
The replacement midrange drive-units for the Vivid G1Giyas arrived in this well-packed and clearly labeled box.
Damaged Domes
Near the end of Wes’ auditioning, the domes of both upper-midrange units were inexplicably damaged.
The Proper Tool
Every job requires a specific tool and replacing the Vivid G1Giya’s midrange unit would take a 6mm hex key, which we didn’t have. On our way to Wes’ place, therefore, John Atkinson and I made a quick stop at the local hardware store and purchased a hex key set. Then, we were ready to get to work.
A Fun Day of Work
We’re currently working on our July 2010 issue, which will include Wes Phillips’ review of the Vivid Audio G1Giya loudspeaker ($65,000/pair). Near the end of Wes’ auditioning, the domes of both upper-midrange units were inexplicably damaged. As you can see from the">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/damaged_domes/">the picture, it appears the domes were poked by some sort of dull object. Wes didn’t do it; Wes’ wife didn’t do it. We’ll never know how the damage occurred. What we do know is that the aluminum-dome midrange unit is incredibly delicate and has a strong magnetic pull.
Roky Erickson: True Love Cast Out All Evil
In our">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/now_on_newsstands_stereophile… April issue, Robert Baird talks to Okkervil River’s Will Sheff about his recent collaboration with Roky Erickson, the wild-eyed frontman for the famed 13th Floor Elevators.
Now On Newsstands: Stereophile, Vol.33 No.5
The May 2010 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. Jon Iverson opens this issue by exploring “The Holy Trinity of Audiophiledom.” The idea was born on the morning of February 9. I had sent an e-mail to Jon, directing his attention to a">http://forum.stereophile.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=82398&an=0… post in our forum regarding one reader’s experience with cassettes and cassette decks. Jon responded by directing my attention to that morning's Vote">http://cgi.stereophile.com/cgi-bin/showvote.cgi?663">Vote question, which also dealt with cassettes.
Record Store Day 2010
You know what tomorrow is? Record">http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home">Record Store Day! It’s not that guys like you and me need a special reason to go to the record store and buy a bunch of vinyl, but it’s nice to have it anyway. You’ll find me at my local shop, Tunes, in Hoboken, by no later than 10am, waiting for the doors to open. Last year, I showed up just 30 minutes after they had opened, only to find that most of the coolest stuff had already sold out. Not this year. This year, I’ll be the one that gets all the cool stuff.