I thought that about the Vivids when I first got them but found that it was actually a combination of my old speakers being very slightly rolled off up top and that the ancillary equipment I had was also a bit bright. The previous errors had "cancelled each other out" and so that's why it was only a problem when the G2s were put into place.
The G2s, for better or worse, are very revealing and unforgiving; if your equipment is bright, you'll hear it; if it's dark, you'll hear that too. Along with issues with your cables and so forth.
This means system matching is paramount, and for example if you have bright equipment, the G2 may not be a good match for you unless you're willing to address those other shortcomings.
To specifically discuss the B&W to Vivid progression, I have never, ever liked the B&W sound where I've always loved the Vivid sound. No B&W speaker I've ever heard save the Nautilus has ever let me forget I was listening to drivers in boxes, albeit very
good drivers in very
good boxes. No Vivid speaker from the oval series to Giya has ever sounded like it even
had an enclosure.
I know "it's a matter of taste" is overused, but I don't see that someone who was really enamored of B&W would like Vivid, as the presentation is completely different. The only speakers I've ever heard that compare (for me) are Apogees and higher-end Wilsons (Sasha W/P, Sasha 2 and Alexia newer.)
Of course the absolute most important thing you can do is demo them in-home; when you're spending this kind of money you cannot settle for anything less.
Fun story: Not too long after I got the G2s, to ameliorate other issues I upgraded my pre from a Levinson No. 380S to an Ayre KX-R. While the sound was improved, it was indeed a bit bright and fatiguing, and really what's the point of having awesome speakers if you find yourself falling asleep due to listener fatigue thirty minutes into a listening session?
I had pondered that maybe the G2s were at fault, when I got to demo Ayre's new KX-R Twenty pre, and found it not only eliminated all fatigue and brightness, but it allowed me to hear deeper into the music than I ever had before with increased soundstaging and instrument placement.
I queried Ayre and they confirmed my observations, solidifying my belief that Vivids are
mercilessly revealing about sources and flaws heard are more than likely the responsibility of equipment upstream than of the speakers themselves.
One other thing - be sure to listen to not only what you can afford, but what best fits the space.
I demoed the B-1, K-1 and Giya G3 and each time was left with the impression that they were wonderful speakers but just lacked...
something compared to my existing speakers.
Ten minutes into my in-home demo of the G2 and I knew I wouldn't want them to leave.
One trick I've found with equipment is not to note how much better everything is with the equipment in place... check to see how much you feel its absence (and how much less you enjoy the same material) when you put back your old gear.
Kind of like the old saying that if you don't miss her when she goes away on a trip, you didn't really love her.
