Verity Audio Parsifal Ovation
I have been living with these speakers a little over a week now. To say I’m impressed would be an understatement. They do so much right and so little wrong. It’s a shame that this company had to call it quits. So much performance from what is essentially a modestly sized enclosure, they completely fill my 400+ sq. ft. room with beautiful sound. I’m just starting this thread to echo what’s already been said about Verity speakers.
I heard the original Parsifals at a show many years ago and it’s still etched in my mind as one of the best show demos I’ve heard so not at all surprised you’re so taken by them. Their demise is a shame not only because they were great speakers but also because they were one of the relatively few non-horn “audiophile” speakers that were fairly tube friendly so doubly sucks to lose one of those. Enjoy! (p.s. How about some new pix with those wonderful Parsifals?) |
Yes. They are keepers. I posted a not-so-good pic in my virtual system. Not sure how to get it here. They are on sliders and not spiked, but that is the location they are in for now. I'll post better pics later. Have some tube monoblocks coming today. Not sure which amp will end up staying, but the SMc modded McCormack is awfully good.
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The Verity Audio Parsifal is one of the great speakers of the last 30 years - it was the first product that Verity Audio launched, and the Ovation is I believe the 4th of 5 iterations of that venerable design. I have owned the Parsifal Ovation since 2010 and recently acquired a pair of Verity Audio Arindal speakers - the successors to the Amadis S. The Arindal was launched in 2022 and only about 70 pairs were made. Verity Audio was a small company with only 5 to 8 employees in addition to the two principals. They have left us with an incredible legacy of musically engaging speakers that are non-fatiguing. They draw you into the music. |
Hi ozzy. I've enjoyed my Parsifal Encores for decades. Following consultation with Julien Pelchat re the 25th Anniv mods, I copied most of them to arrive at improved performance. First, DO replace the 3/4" granite plate with a 1" aluminum one you can get from Midwest metals for about a hundred bucks each. Use 1/4" sorbo pucks above and below. Instead of the $4k expense of the MAASI plinths Julien suggested I use 1.5" butcherblock below more sorbo discs. Below the BB I used Iso-Acoustrics 76 sorbo footers. Net height increase to 42.5", improving sit-down/stand-up transitions. Bass is tighter (but not more). Soundstage clarity improved. Note that as I listen in the nearfield, with a Steinway in between the P's I have the woofs pointed forwards, as the response was way too anemic flipped rearward. I've listened to a LOT of speakers at shows over the past three years. VERY few have the gorgeous midrange and coherence of the Parsifal. It's mostly due to the 5 Art Audio midrange driver that's extraordinarily-crossed at 150Hz and way up at 5,5kHz for a stat-like wavefront without audible combing if one stays in the sweet spot. A few loftier contenders have piqued my interest (Stenheim 3 and Rockports), but I'll stay married to the Parsifals. Note that I run them with an EMC-1 UP CDP through Pass pre to new ArgentPur Monoblocs and all my AgPur cables. Soundstage clarity and geometry is profoundly good. Glad you're enjoying yours. Pick 'em up 2-3" and treat tret to soolid pure Ag cables (inc the jumpers) and you'll be amazed. I've read that Verity has extra drivers on hand for future needs. As they were originally matched to <0.25dB pairs I wonder whether to chase spares? |
This, ladies and gentlemen, is someone who never in his life has heard a Verity Audio speaker but insists on posting such crap. At the very least it makes one suspect about anything else he posts. It certainly shows he is ignorant about the design concept and the flexibility of that design in placement of the speakers in room.
Sometimes you have to shake your head at what gets posted in this forum passing for knowledge. |
+1 @ozzy62 |
+2 @ozzy62 |
The Parsifal was Verity Audio's first speaker launched 30 years ago, and the rear firing bass has been a constant in most of their other designs. With the Parsifal Ovation you can flip the bass around and have the woofer and bass port face forward. Why would you do this? You would do this if you had to place the speaker against the wall. If the bass unit is facing backwards (ie facing the front wall) the speakers need to be several feet from the wall. This feature gives you flexibility in placement options. I recently moved my Parsifal Ovations to a second system where they are against the wall with the bass unit facing forward, and it works well and sounds superb in that particular situation. |
It's sad that you have to explain. Anyone remotely familiar with Verity Audio would already know this. Especially @sounds_real_audio, since he seems have a handle on how they sound and promotes himself as the "resident expert"..... |
Thanks Toronto. The Parsifal that I heard did not have that option....no doubt the provided that option to eliminate the issue I was referring to. In the setting I listened in the owner had a ton of sound proofing behind them and to my ears they sounded muffled. The electronics wore very high end and I could not fault them..
Ozzy take your medication.....and enter anger management therapy. lol |
@sounds_real_audio Your initial comment was silly and obnoxious and your subsequent responses are only making you look worse. It’s evident the one instance where you heard Parsifals they were compromised likely in both their placement and with too much sound proofing that could make many speakers sound muffled (I heard that effect once listening to some Rockport speakers in an over-damped room but knew better than to blame it on the speakers). You’re the only one I’ve ever read saying anything remotely negative about the Parsifals, and considering the source it’s obvious what your opinion here is worth. Go troll elsewhere. |
