All-
would love to audition some Verity models. Owners, please list your local/fave Verity dealers/retailers.
Off of the top- I am interested in listening to the Rienzi and Parisfal models for openers. Also feel free to llist the best brand(s) of gear (including cables/cords) that really make them sing!
Happy Listening! |
I have the Rienzis with Mark Levinson 331 and Hegel DAC + preamp.
They are no ACDC-speakers...;)
Jazz, classical, accoustic instruments....sound great.
It takes a while to find the right place for them in a room, and they have a very define sweetspot.
I will keep them for a long time.
Daniel |
I would take a listen to the Monitor Audio Pl-200. This speaker is fast as a rocket. Usses crossover which can give a deep and wide stage as only the best can. They are better compared to the C2. Also there ribbon tweeters are more open compared to the Isotar of the C2's. Within the wide and deep stage they can give a much sharper individual focus ( a more physical and papable image) compared to the C2's. There ribbon tweeter can also project the stage even in front of you. This make the whole stage extreme holographic. This level is only available with the best speakers you can buy.
But you need an amp which can give a 3 dimensional stage. Like amps as Pass Labs and tube amps. |
" I don't want to go shy on detail either because from what I've heard the Verity does a good job with detail revealing it in a musical, non-fatiguing way."
Indeed they do. I preferred them with tubes, but in no way did they sound bad with solid state. |
I've never been a detail is king kinda guy. This is why I gravitate to the Cary house sound in the first place. But the rest of my system is tilted to the warm side with Cary electronics and Purist Audio Mueseus speaker wire, interconnects, etc.
I was just thinking if I bought a good enough DAC/preamp (like the new PS Audio Direct Stream) it could possibly balance things out. I don't want to go shy on detail either because from what I've heard the Verity does a good job with detail revealing it in a musical, non-fatiguing way. |
Darn - I guess I have to unbox the SLP98's for sure now. Hopefully since I like the Cary sound to begin with, I would expect a well regarded $20k speaker to be transparent enough to serve up that sound without too much addition or subtraction in any case.
Maybe it's not playing to the speakers strengths but it should be a good point of departure at least. Of course that's a very dangerous thought.... |
I owned the Parsifal Encores with the second tweeter for 7 years, and used them with the Cary SL98P and an Audio Research tube amp, the combo was NOT too warm, it was actually fantastic. |
If you have the SLP98 it would not make any sense NOT to listen to it. There is no substitute for listening in your own room, with your own gear, since only YOU know your musical tastes.
You may find the combo extremely musical and satisfying. You must be very careful when chasing the ultimate in resolution, because once you've gone too far, it's no longer fun to listen anymore. That has just been my experiences. Resolution can be intriguing, to a point. Once you've past that point, it can become unpleasant. Many mistakes can be made by letting others tell you what sound you will enjoy. Suggestions can be helpful, but they can also be harmful. Make your own decisions whenever possible. Trust your ears. |
I might have to unbox the GLP 98 after all. I know it excels at warmth and sweetness over ultimate detail - and the Verities like detail. But it could be very good anyway.
I'm past the point of obsessing over maximizing the performance of my audio system. Just looking to have good sounding music around the house after a hard days work these days... |
Larry, if the preamp question was directed to me, the answer is no. I've used a bunch of different "pre"s over the years, ranging from warm sounding tube units (Audible Illusions and Joule Electra) to more neutral sounding tube units (ARC) to classic SS sound (Benchmark). Depending on my mood (and the source material) I might favor any of the above on a given day. The AI is probably closest to the Cary sound and I liked that combo very much.
As always, YMMV. |
I use a Cary V12R to drive a pair of Fidelio Encores. It's a solid combination and Fedelios can be had in the $5k range. Great, moderately sized speaker. Very refined sounding. |
Thanks - the plot thickens. My Cary Silver Oak speakers sounded neutral to me which made them versatile for just about any genre. Truth be told I probably darkened and warmed the sound somewhat with all purist audio cables in any case.
Are you also using a Cary tubed pre in your system? |
One slightly different POV on Verity/Cary. I've used my P/Es with a pair of Cary 805 mono amps for several years and really enjoy the combination. As Frank notes above, this definitely goes to the warm/dark side of true neutrality, but it sounds very, very good nonetheless. If your goal is to preserve true neutrality, then I agree that you might want to go a different way. OTOH, if you're more flexible there, you might find a Cary/Verity pairing very seductive.
Marty |
Good info - thanks. I may have to bypass the Cary tube preamp. Maybe direct connect them to the Cary solid state amp via DAC with pre. |
I've had my Parsifal Encores for about 7 years now. Some history about the Parsifal Encores. They were introduced in 1998-99. A new version of Scanspeak tweeters were installed from 2002 and onward. They retrofitted the tweeters on some older Encores for a period of time. In 2005, the Prasifal Ovation was introduced with different tweeters, different crossover and larger woofer cabinets.
You shouldn't have any issue finding them around $7k.
If you buy used Parsifal Encores, worth checking out when they left the factory to see whether they have the first generation tweeters or the second as they do sound quite different.
I would definitely not pair them with Cary equipment or any other that tends to sound warm and dark.
FrankC |
Yeah I'm afraid the gear and cables might be getting too warm for warm speakers. Of course the amp is solid state - but with the laid back Cary sound.
Speaker shopping is getting tough now that dealers are few and they're not as open to in home demos as they used to be. Glad you like the SLP 98 - I'm looking forward to mine. |
You may want to be careful that you don't get too warm. I now own the Cary SLP-98P preamp as well, it is a little sweetie. I no longer own my Parsifal Encore's which were very warm and sweet as well. I'm not sure that the Cary would be a great match with the Parsifal's, that may have been too warm for my tastes. Of course you may indeed like it that way. |
I notice the Rienzi have been discontinued, so I wouldn't purchase them without an audition. I may look into the Joseph audio too.
My equipment is getting warmer all the time. Just purchased the Cary Audio SLP 98 tube preamp and 100T tube DAC to mate with my Cary Cinema 5 200wpc amp.
Hopefully it all won't be too much of a good thing. But Cary equipment tends to play nicely with each other. |
Don't forget about Aerial 10T. It's still sold for ridiculously low price point at $2k+- |
Verity Audio Parsifal Encore's can usually be found for around $7K and maybe a little less, depending on age, condition, etc. I see a pair of Rienzi for sale for less than $7K, but I have not heard these speakers.
There is also a pair of Parsifal Ovations for $7900, which seems like a decent deal if you can stretch a bit, or maybe talk him down a bit. Happy hunting. |
Give a listen to the Joseph Audio Pulsars,a very musical and non-fatiguing loudspeaker if there ever was one. They do most things right... |
