Amp for Verity Parsifal encore

Tvad, that is the plan for now, to stick with the belles which is no big sacrafice. I do know that these speakers have more to offer however and sometime next year I will make the next big upgrade. I have thought about a second 150A but if I stay with the belles will probably move to their new statement line. Another option would be a Ref. 350A. I would prefer however to avoid monoblocs in the pursuit of simplification. On my long list is the Pass 250.5, Nagra PSA, Sim W7. I think that there are other options however that I may not be aware of that have strong advocates that would be worth pursuing.

The new belles amps (just heard the 500w mono's) are stunning. They would be a great choice for the Verity's.

I preamped my Parsifals with an Aestetix Janus, and the sound was superb. Detailed and rich (but not syrupy). I first ran Cary V12s and now Parasound JC1s.

This very Janus is now for sale on Audiogon.

Happy holidays.

Steve

I also own one of the last pair of Parsifal Encore's made before the transition to the Ovations. I bought them as dealer demo's in 08/05. I have since driven them with a BAT VK-600SE amp, Jeff Rowland Model 6 monoblocks, BAT VK-75SE amp modified by Bob Backert, and currently with a VAC Avatar Super integrated amp. IMHO, my Parsifal's sing best with tubed equipment.

I won't lie and say the VAC integrated amp is better than my ARC Ref 3/ Walker Signature phono stage and modified BAT VK-75SE, but it is fairly close, and for quite a bit less $$$. The Aesthetix Janus and the Atlas may be quite a pair, I have not heard the Atlas, but the Janus is a good preamp for the $$$. I would just suggest that you try a full tube amp, be it a pair of Quicksilver V4 monoblocks or an ARC Ref110 stereo amp. For my money, I would recommend a tube amp, even if it is a 'tricked out' integrated amp like my VAC Avatar loaded with Telefunken and Genelex tubes.

Happy Holidays,

John

Mine are the LAMM M 2.2 but il will say on a budget will be the one piece SS by NAGRA STEREO 250 WPC give amazing result, punching power but yet smooth and world class finesse.
Verity Audio use to match their speakers with NAGRA products with succes....

I've used a ton of different amps with my P/Es over the last ten years (mine were among the very FIRST manufactured). I've used the Krell KSA 50S, Cary 805s, ARC VT130SE, Bel Canto 300, TAD Hibachi, Prima Luna monos, Pathos Classic, and a few others that don't leap to mind right away.

All have their strengths and work well (not low power SETs, though)in their own way. Overall, I prefer SS with these speakers and the TADs are a very nice compromise between classic SS and tube sound. They're also a very good value. Among tube amps, the ARC works well and the Cary with 211 output tubes (inexplicably, 845s sounded a bit darker despite what I'm told are identical specs). IMHO, most amps with sufficient current will sound very good with the P/Es, as they are pretty forgiving speakers.

Good Luck

Marty

Thanks for the ideas. There are a few amps that I am unfamiliar with and will do some further research. Just what I was hoping to find.

Mine sounded great. I used a ARC ref3 with Moon W6 Mono blocks and they flow. I now have Ovations and they sound even better with the same equipment.

I am running Joule Electra Heaven's Gate mono amps with my Parsifals, outstanding combination. I also use MBL 8011 mono amps which also work extremely well with the Parsifals, its a real toss up as to which is better.

I also have a pair of Encores with the latest tweeters. I am driving them with a Pass X350.5. My system was going through an overhaul, and I ended up getting a pair of Parsifals at the end. I thought the X350.5 might be an overkill for these speakers. After checking with Verity, I pulled out my Pass Aleph Os which outputs 40wpc pure class A. The combination sounded flat and murky. There's a thread a few weeks ago discussing about powering the Parsifals, and another person also had similar experience trying to drive his Parsifals with a low-powered amp. I would recommend trying something at least 100 wpc.

FrankC

Hi there,
If you would be good enough, can you answer a question about the Verity Encores? I am considering buying a pair for about $5500 (about 16 years old) and wanted to ask your opinion on price and performance. I noticed that you are running some Naim components in your system - I am running an all NAim system 200 amp, 282 pre, supercap and CD5 and a Linn LP12.
Will this system drive the Encores or am I not giving it enough current.
I will let you know that I haven't heard these yet...am considering them based on feedback and comments from A-gon members.
Your thoughts and feedback are appreciated!
Warm regards,
Shahbaz

the Verity Parsifal's are not hard to drive but their sound continues to improve with the quality of upstream gear. They have not reached their peak yet with my system and would sound much better with a few $10,000 of upgrades, that being said, they do sound great with my current system. I am not familiar enough with the naim amp and pre to know how well they will match however. I would also bring up that if it is in your budget there are a pair of Ovations on sale here on Audiogon that are an absolute steal.

Try the Wavac MD-805m, I am sure you will be satisfied!

I'd call the P/Es a "modestly difficult" load. Low power amps in general need not apply and OTLs and SETs should be chosen with care - many will have a rough ride. OTOH, some of the brawnier OTLs seem to be a very good choice and, as I noted earlier, the big Cary 805s are an example of an SET amp that works well.

General rule with the P/Es: If you're thinking exotica, proceed with caution.

Good Luck

Marty

I power my new Sarastro II with Moon W6's. The W6's have powered Encores & Ovation's in the past 5 years with no problem at all.

I still love my PE's with Aleph 2s via Aleph P, Nordost SPM from Electrocompaniet EMC1-UP. Totally natural.

I have tried two combinations with the Parsifal, one with Wavac MD-805m as power amp and the other one with Bryston power amp and valve pre.

Very different sounds, equally appealing.

BR,

Mike

Does anyone have an opinion on the EAR 899 integrated with the P/E? I've heard the P/E with EAR separates and the combination was amazing.

Thanks. b

Not sure of the exact model of EAR INT, but the EAR setup I heard at the dealer was one of the most memorable ones. We tried 2 other pairings from different manufacturers but those were not as lively and realistic sounding as with the EAR's. The speakers just disappeared, strings in particular were just amazing and the bass was fast and deep.
On another option, I would be curious to try the Parsifals with the Mastersound class A variety.

I am not sure about the power of the 899 Integrated, but the P/E's are no SET speaker. I can guarantee that. The monitor itself is a fairly easy load. I played just the monitor with a 60 watt OTL. However, it could not control the bass when played with the full P/E setup. I tried an Art Audio Jota, the version w/ 20 watts. Honestly, not even close to enough power, regardless of how loud, size of room.... If that EAR integrated is not a solid 50-60 watts, I would have my doubts if it were enough for the P/E's. Great speaker though, and certainly worth your efforts. I do think the P/E's like at least 50-60 tube watts.

Thanks for sharing your opinions and experiences. I've
heard the Parsifal's with an EAR pre and the 890 amp that is
70wpc. The 899 is also 70 wpc, and should drive them very
well.

I am currently using a Luxman 550aII and it is plenty
powerful at realistic levels. For those of you who have
heard the Luxman Class A offerings, I am sure you would
agree that they compete with most amps in the 100wpc arena.
The 590a at 30wpc would be even better I am sure.

I've also heard 18 wpc Lamm amps sound more powerful than
200wpc SS, so I understand transformers and other design
capabilities can make a huge difference.

Just wondering how many of you have experience with the 899
or any EAR electronics? Reliability, fun to own, tube
changes, etc.

Vinw, I did own the Tamino with a Mastersound 300 BPSE that
a friend loaned me for a few months. It had trouble with
the 89db load in the low end region. Otherwise it was
fantastic.

Thanks again and other recommendations are appreciated. I
like VAC as well.

Hi Davt, congratulations on your speakers.

I heard Parsifal Encores recently on the back of a Soulution pre and power combination. A bit of an OMG moment, as good as I've heard any system anywhere in a modest sized space.

I do like my Calypso, it portrays space wonderfully well. Given the Janus is essentially the same design the only thing you need to watch is noise. Efficient speakers can highlight this issue with the Asthetix pre's. Tube rolling helps but doesn't erradicate the issue.

Good luck with your search.

Has anyone heard the MD-805m monoblocks with Tannoy Westminster Royal SE?

Reviving this old thread in case anyone has a pair of Parsifal Ovations they want to sell.