Vivid Audio Giya G3 Series 2 Loudspeaker — Review

Overview

The Vivid Audio Giya G3 Series 2 is the “compact” entry point into Vivid Audio’s flagship Giya range — a relative term, given the towering G1 and G2 above it. Designed by Laurence Dickie, the engineer behind Bowers & Wilkins’ Matrix cabinet-bracing system and the iconic Nautilus loudspeaker, the G3 brings that same radically sculptural, resonance-obsessed design philosophy into a form that can actually fit into a normal listening room. Dickie has compared Vivid’s approach to Citroën’s 1950s and ’60s design language — striking, curvaceous, and driven entirely by engineering rather than styling for its own sake.

Build & Design

The G3S2’s distinctive composite enclosure is instantly recognizable as part of the Giya family, built around a curling tapered-tube absorber that Vivid says completely eliminates top-to-bottom cabinet resonances. It’s a 4-way, 5-driver system: a 1-inch D26 metal dome tweeter, a 2-inch D50 metal dome midrange, a 5-inch C125 alloy cone lower-midrange driver, and a pair of 5.3-inch C135 alloy cone bass drivers, with the top three drivers all using Vivid’s signature tapered-tube loading and the bass section using an internally tapered, tube-enhanced reflex design. At just 1.1 meters tall, it’s compact enough for rooms that could never accommodate the full-sized G1 or G2, while still carrying the family’s radical, sculptural look — available in Piano Black, Lexus Pearl White, and Oyster Matte, with custom colors available for a premium.

Performance

Rated frequency response runs from 36Hz to 33kHz (±2dB), with 87dB sensitivity and a 6-ohm nominal/4-ohm minimum impedance — not a difficult load, though reviewers suggest pairing it with at least 100Wpc of amplification to let it show its full potential. One reviewer’s in-room measurements of the closely related original G3 validated Vivid’s bass claims directly, finding nearly full output right down to 36Hz.

The listening reactions to the G3S2 across multiple independent reviewers are remarkably consistent — and remarkably enthusiastic. One reviewer described it as one of the most formative listening experiences of their life, praising its shocking agility and “spectacular transparency,” to the point that a well-regarded reference speaker sounded lumbering by comparison. Another reviewer, building on an earlier very positive review of Vivid’s smaller Kaya K45, found the G3S2 didn’t just sound like a bigger K45 — it delivered a noticeably more visceral, room-energizing experience while keeping that same fundamental character. A third reviewer summarized it simply as doing “everything well” — macrodynamics, microdynamics, transparency, speed, and exceptionally holographic stereo imaging — combined with a surprisingly well-controlled, punchy low end for a speaker this size.

Bass performance in particular draws consistent praise given the G3’s relatively compact footprint compared to its bigger Giya siblings — reviewers have found it capable of genuinely startling low-frequency impact, defying expectations set by its size.

Features

The G3S2’s design is entirely function-driven: the tapered-tube loading throughout the driver lineup exists specifically to control resonance and time-align the sound, not for visual flair, even though the resulting shape is undeniably striking. Multiple reviewers note that the speaker’s unconventional look can read as more of a design-school sketch than a serious high-end product at first glance — but designer Laurence Dickie’s engineering pedigree, and the sound that results, consistently wins skeptics over.

Value

Pricing starts at $43,000/pair for standard finishes (Piano Black, Lexus Pearl White, Oyster Matte), with custom colors adding roughly $2,500 more. That places the G3S2 firmly in flagship territory, but reviewers consistently frame it as delivering true state-of-the-art performance — with one describing it as the closest thing to a “perfect” loudspeaker they’d personally encountered, tempering Vivid’s own “freedom from resonance and reflection” tagline only slightly.

Verdict

Pros: Exceptionally agile, fast, and transparent sound; surprisingly deep, powerful, well-controlled bass for its size; holographic, spectacular stereo imaging; sophisticated resonance-controlling cabinet engineering from a genuinely respected designer; relatively easy amplifier load; more practical footprint than Vivid’s larger Giya models.

Cons: Flagship pricing at $43,000/pair and up; unconventional, polarizing styling that won’t suit every room or taste; benefits from a reasonably powerful amplifier to fully open up; still large and costly enough to require serious system-building commitment.

Bottom line: The Vivid Audio Giya G3 brings Vivid Audio’s flagship engineering and sound into a more manageable size and (relatively) more attainable price than the range-topping G1 and G2 — and by the consistent account of multiple independent reviewers, it’s one of the most compelling loudspeakers available at any price.