{"id":7689,"date":"2017-12-04T12:02:37","date_gmt":"2017-12-03T23:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/?p=7689"},"modified":"2017-12-03T12:03:11","modified_gmt":"2017-12-02T23:03:11","slug":"riva-festival-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/riva-festival-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Riva Festival Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"review-points__pros\" style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">\n<h3>Pros<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<span class=\"point\">Can sound better than a Sonos Play:5<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<span class=\"point\">Excellent mids<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<span class=\"point\">Lots of wired and wireless options<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"review-points__cons\" style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">\n<h3>Cons<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<span class=\"point\">Needs to be positioned carefully<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<span class=\"point\">Subwoofer-style bass, not flat-friendly<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Key Features<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">\n<li class=\"review-features__price\">Review Price: \u00a3449<\/li>\n<li>Google Home Wi-Fi<\/li>\n<li>Bluetooth<\/li>\n<li>Aux input<\/li>\n<li>Optical input<\/li>\n<li>Device charging<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Riva Festival?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">The Riva Festival is a large \u00a3450 wireless multiroom speaker. It\u2019s in the same price bracket as the\u00a0Sonos Play:5\u00a0\u2013 and is from a name most people won\u2019t have heard before. Confident.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">However, thee Riva Festival justifies its price through its even more realistic-sounding vocals than the Sonos, alongside a far more open approach to audio streaming.<\/p>\n<div class=\"injection\" style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">You won\u2019t be able to place the speaker just anywhere for it to perform to its best, though. The Riva Festival needs space \u2013 plenty of it.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-7-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7695 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-7-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-7-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-7-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Riva Festival \u2013\u00a0Design and features<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">The Riva Festival is big brother to the\u00a0Riva Arena, and looks very much like a larger version of that speaker. It\u2019s similar in size to the Sonos Play:5.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">In a practical sense it\u2019s very different to the latter, however. The Sonos Play:5\u2019s speaker drivers are on the front; the Riva Festival has drivers on the front and sides, and the passive radiators output sound through the back. As such, this isn\u2019t a speaker to wedge onto a bookshelf \u2013 not if you want it to sound its best.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/riva-f-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7696 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/riva-f-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/riva-f-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/riva-f-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">The curved top and bottom caps of the Riva Festival are plastic, and the rest of the exterior is a metal grille. Inside, however, the Riva Festival sports a solid frame of wood. It\u2019s dense and non-resonant \u2013 which is the reason just about all high-quality speakers use wood.\u00a0Sonos\u2019 Play:5 is an almost all-plastic construction.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-5-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7697 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-5-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-5-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-5-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">From a design perspective, the Riva Festival isn\u2019t quite as slick as the Sonos on the outside. It uses a block of buttons on the top plate, similar to those that feature on the Riva Arena. They don\u2019t have the tech \u2018wow\u2019 factor, nor do they look as good as the Play:5\u2019s touch panels.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Clearly, Sonos\u2019 generous R&amp;D budget and 15-year experience in making speakers is apparent next to the Festival. But the latter\u2019s wood frame is a big plus for audio fans.<\/p>\n<h2>Riva Festival \u2013\u00a0Streaming<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">The Riva Festival is extremely flexible and, for the sort of use I\u2019m after, has an almost-perfect approach. This is down to three key elements.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">First, you can plug-in non-wireless sources. There are 3.5mm aux and optical inputs on the back plate for connection to, perhaps, a vinyl deck and a TV.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-2-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7698 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-2-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-2-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-2-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><em>The USB can be used to charge your phone<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"injection\" style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Second, you\u2019re not tied to any third-party software. There\u2019s a Riva Wand app, but you only really need to use this to change the EQ setting. And you\u2019ll probably only do this to set up a stereo pair of Festival speakers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Third, the Riva Festival uses Google Home as its audio platform instead of a proprietary one. You can stream to the Riva Festival from a very wide array of apps \u2013 any app that supports Google Cast, in fact.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Spotify owners can use it as a Spotify Connect device too, just like the Sonos Play:5. Most of the best streaming apps support Cast, including Tidal, 7Digital, Deezer, Google Play Music and Qobuz. The one big omission is Amazon Music, largely because Amazon wants you to buy a Fire Stick.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Even Amazon Music doesn\u2019t escape the Riva Festival, though. This speaker has Bluetooth, letting it stream\u00a0<em>all<\/em>\u00a0audio from a phone or tablet, including game sound. A long-press on one of the buttons up top switches between modes.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-4-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7699 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-4-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-4-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-4-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Google Home has such wide support already that most folk won\u2019t need to use Bluetooth much. Podcast apps such as Podcast Addict and Pocket Casts support Cast, for example.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">There\u2019s no longer a good reason to buy a speaker with a proprietary streaming system. Unless it\u2019s Sonos\u2019, of course. Setup is painless too, performed largely through Google Home rather than the Riva Wand app.<\/p>\n<h2>Riva Festival \u2013 Sound Quality<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">The Riva Festival has a number of drivers peppered around its frame. There are six active drivers and four passive radiators \u2013 which makes for 10 in total.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Riva has created a diagram showing how they all fit in. The Festival is a little like three little bookshelf speakers stuck together, with some passive radiator subwoofers jammed in-between.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-d-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7701 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-d-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-d-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-d-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Results are excellent. The Riva Festival sounds epic, with scale of sound comparable to a floorstanding speaker at higher volumes. You probably won\u2019t be able to use top volume unless you live in a house in the country, mind. Like the best large wireless speakers, it\u2019s extremely loud and sounds composed and effortless well into antisocial territory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Treble is sweet and detailed. But the mid-range is, to my ears, the most impressive part of the Riva Festival. Just like the much smaller Bluetooth-only\u00a0<\/span>Riva S<span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">, the Festival has an unusually detailed and rich-sounding mid-range. This is what makes vocals sound lifelike and full.<\/span><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Many wireless speakers focus on the bass and treble, because it\u2019s the easiest way to make sound appear detailed and powerful at the same time. Getting the mids right takes a whole extra PhD\u2019s worth of dedication. And Riva has once again put in the work.<\/span><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/fsetival-1-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7703 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/fsetival-1-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/fsetival-1-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/fsetival-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Bass, too, is monstrous \u2013 and for the first few hours of listening, it made me think Riva had overdone the low-end and ruined this speaker. Feeding the Riva Festival a rising sine wave, there\u2019s a deliberate dollop of extra bass around 45Hz. This is real sub-bass, of the type that smaller speakers struggle to recreate at all. There\u2019s plenty of it here.<\/span><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-3-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7704 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-3-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-3-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-3-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">I think the aim of the sound delivered is to make you listen to the Festival and wonder where the subwoofer is hidden. It\u2019s thrilling stuff \u2013 but it ultimately means that you can\u2019t place the speaker anywhere near a wall. To start, I had it sat on a piece of Ikea storage furniture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">In such a location, the bass sounded overblown and uncontrolled, because the passive radiators output low-end from the front and back. Sitting the Festival on a stand away from the walls improved the sound quality significantly. The bass appeared super-powerful, yet properly separated \u2013 not the steamroller it was 10 minutes before.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">It seems a shame there\u2019s no EQ mode to tame the bass for those who can\u2019t position the Festival optimally. There\u2019s just a Power mode that gets rid of the default \u201cTrillium\u201d sound smoothing and optimisation, to help the speaker project better outdoors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">The Riva Festival isn\u2019t the best choice for those who need to cram a speaker into a small space, or those who live in a flat with thin walls or picky neighbours.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Again, I\u2019m left wishing there was a mode to tame the bass. At higher volumes I was as concerned about neighbours complaining as I am when using my home-cinema speakers with subwoofer switched on. As usual, Riva is uncompromising, for good and bad.<\/p>\n<h2>Riva Festival vs Sonos Play:5<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Given the right placement, the Riva Festival can sound better than the Sonos Play:5. Feed it some Randy Newman, Jarvis Cocker\u2019s Room 29 or a Leonard Cohen track, for example, and the Festival makes the deep, textured vocal lines sound weightier, richer and more detailed than the Play:5.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-8-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7705 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-8-768x432-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-8-768x432-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-8-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">I was also surprised to find that the speaker displays a significantly more powerful low bass than the Play:5. I was already impressed by the Play:5\u2019s bass, so to hear even more of a thump in the lowest frequencies proved a jaw-dropper.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Backed into a corner or crevice the Play:5 sounds cleaner, because all its sound comes from the front. Room-related resonance is also more of a potential issue with the Riva Festival than with just about any wireless speaker.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 12px; color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">Riva strikes back with better performance at low volumes. The Festival holds onto its low-end and dynamics more successfully when playing at lower volume. If you\u2019re looking for a speaker to whisper all the time, though, you might as well buy a Riva Arena or\u00a0Sonos Play:1\u00a0instead.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-6-1220x686.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7706 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-6-1220x686-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-6-1220x686-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-6-1220x686-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-6-1220x686-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/festival-6-1220x686.jpg 1220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">\n<h2>Should I buy the Riva Festival?<\/h2>\n<p>Once again Riva gives us an compromising vision of what a wireless speaker should be. That includes amazing sound quality, brilliant connectivity and Thor-grade bass.<\/p>\n<p>The issue is that the uncompromising style extends to how it fits (or doesn\u2019t) into your life. Put it too close to a wall and the Festival\u2019s bass begins to sound flabby. And even if you have the space, the thunderous sub-bass at higher volumes will prove discourteous for those living in flats.<\/p>\n<p>If you can embrace its sheer power, the Riva Festival is an amazing wireless speaker \u2013 one with the kind of stature I normally associate with 8-inch-plus speaker drivers.<\/p>\n<h2>Verdict<\/h2>\n<div class=\"injection\">One of the best wireless speakers money can buy \u2013 if you have the house for it.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"review-score palette-review\" style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 18px !important; word-spacing: 0px; display: block; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">\n<div class=\"review-score__overall\">\n<h2 class=\"score-title\">Score<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3f3f3f; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\">4.5 Stars<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more at:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/reviews\/riva-festival\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.trustedreviews.com\/reviews\/riva-festival<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to buy\u00a0Riva Festival:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/Riva_Audio_Festival_RWF01\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/Riva_Audio_Festival_RWF01<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pros \u00a0Can sound better than a Sonos Play:5 \u00a0Excellent mids \u00a0Lots of wired and wireless options Cons \u00a0Needs to be positioned carefully \u00a0Subwoofer-style bass, not flat-friendly Key Features Review Price: \u00a3449 Google Home Wi-Fi Bluetooth Aux input Optical input Device charging What is the Riva Festival? The Riva Festival is a large \u00a3450 wireless multiroom [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7689"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7689"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7689\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7709,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7689\/revisions\/7709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}