Rockport Mira VS Verity Parsifal Ovation

Ejlif thanks...I am a big fan of both speakers so I guess i went a little over board with my response. cheers.

Madfloyd...they were definitely not set up correctly if that's what you heard. Did you hear them at a show or at a dealer? If at an audio show, poor room sonics or partnering equipment were the likely culprits. I doubt you heard them at a dealer (only 3 in the US) and I am sure these dealers (at least mine in Mass) knows how to properly set them up. My two cents ofcourse.

Actually Windosx...imaging (and soundstaging) i actually think the Parsifals are a bit better than the Miras. On transparency, they are both very resolving. I think the mids are a bit cleaner in the Miras and the highs a bit cleaner in the Parsifals. So overall, the Parsifals will seem a bit more detailed than the Miras. I know it's tough to audition these sometimes but I would not buy either of them without having a chance to listen to them. Will you have a chance to listen to them at a dealer? What amplification will you be using with either speaker?

Argyro...what amps did you listen to the Rockports with? Your Wavacs are a very nice match with your Sarastros because they are easy to drive (especially given their benign impedance). If you tried the Wavacs with the Rockports they would not have had had enough juice to showcase the dynamics of the speaker. On the treble, you are certainly correct that the treble region is not spotlit, maybe even polite, but the detail is all there. it's just not highlighted. Just curious. Thx

Windowsx...I have heard both extensively at my dealer. They are cut from somewhat different sonic cloths. But they are both excellent speakers. At the end of the day, it will come down to preference, associated gear and the room you plan on using them in. My choice between the two is the Rockport Mira. It's midrange is beguiling. It's bass is textured and full, yet still punchy and articulate. It's treble is smooth and grain free but not super extended. I give the Parsifals higher marks in the treble region. Also, I would say the Rockports image well and throw a decent soundstage but they are bettered in these arenas by the Parsifal which are amazing in both these traits. Finally where the Rockports clinch it for me is the dynamic range of the speaker and its propulsive quality. It is a more exciting and rythmically engaging speaker for me (not that the Parsifals are boring...just a relative thing). As I said, it's what attributes that draw you into the music that will make you chose one speaker over the other. They are both gorgeous sounding speakers...they just emphasize slightly different things.

The final consideration is amplification. The Verity speakers generally tend to be fairly tube friendly. The Parsifals are rated at 89dB sensitivity and 8ohm nominal (4ohm min) impedance which are not too difficult to drive but probably within the Verity family of speakers present a bu\it more difficult load than its brethren. Compare it to the newly launched Leonore which is rated at 93 dB sensitivity and which presents a relatively stable 8ohm impedance across the frequency spectrum for example (another contender for you by the way to listen to). The Rockport Miras by comparison do like a fair amount of high quality power and are often mated with well endowed SS amps. They are rated at 88dB sensitivity and 4ohm nominal impedance. I am not sure if they dip below 4 ohms at some point but I suspect they do. So if you plan on using tubes with the Rockports, it will be expensive because you will need a fair amount of tube power put out through the amp's 4ohm tap. If you are a solid state guy, then that opens up a lot of possibilities for you with the Rockports.

Ultimately please make sure to go and listen to them with gear as similar to what you are likely to use them with before making your choice. They are both excellent but at the end of the day it will be a matter of personal preference which of these pulls you into the music more. Good luck and enjoy the auditions.

Windowsx...remember, the bass frequencies are omnidirectional so there orientation whether pointing bacwards, forwards, or on the side should not affect transparency in any way. Also, on the Parsifals, the bass modules are flexible so you can have them pointing bacwards or forwards. So if your room forces you to place speakers fairly close to the rear wall and the bass module pointing bacward is resulting in too much bass, you can point them forward. In this regard the Parsifals are a bit more flexible in terms of speaker placement than the Miras. At the very least, you should go listen to the Parsifals at a dealer's store to get an idea of what they sound like (this is the dealer in Bangkok: http://www.hienaudio.com/index.php. If you read the reviews on the speaker, you will see that one of their strengths is how transparent they are. And imaging/soundstaging is superb.

As for the Miras, Rockport's web site says they are distributed by http://www.inventive-av.com/hiend.php in Bangkok. You should definitely go listen to them at that dealer. This dealer does not have Spectral amplification but they do have Karan Acoustic SS amps, which are also very very good and I expect will be a good match with the Rockport Miras. Check both of them out and let us know how you decide to proceed. Good luck.

Argyro...I am not offended by your preference for Verity over Rockport :-) I like both speakers a lot as you could probably tell from my lengthy responses to the OP above. I was just wondering what you had auditioned the Rockports with to make sure it was a good match for the speaker. You have a beautiful system. I am sure it sounds amazing. Are you in the States or in Greece? Also have you had a chance to listen to Verity's new Leonore speaker (replacement for the Fidelio)? I would be very interested in your impressions if you had heard them. Thx

Windowsx...do you know what the timing is on the new Mira IIs? Also did you find out about it from your dealer or from some other source. I asked my dealer mid-last year and back then he said there were no updates planned for the Mira at that point. Thx

Windowsx...thx for the info. Do you know if the sensitivity or impedance characteristics of the speaker are going to be different from the current Mira? Thx again.

Dylanhenry...the new 2-way your dealer is referring to is called the Alya. Stereophile and Soundstage.com have reported on the new speaker from their coverage at CES.

As for your impressions concerning the Aquila speakers, I am once again surprised by your description of what you heard because Rockports sound anything but lean, shrill or bright. Do you remember what was driving the Aquillas and how large the room was that you heard them in? Was this at a show or in a dealer setting or at a friend'd home? Just curious. Thx